by Carol Dawn
“My plan was to steal you away and hide you where you’ll never be found,” he continues, completely ignoring my attempts at escaping. “But I have a better idea. I think a little punishment will be a wonderful warning.”
I’m shoved forward against my car. He releases his hold on me, and I fall to the ground. But, before I have a chance to take a single breath, I’m lifted back up and pinned against my car with his hand around my throat. Now, I’m facing the man. He’s wearing a bracelet with a small shark tooth.
But that’s all I can see. His back is lit up with the single light in the parking lot, silhouetting his body. I can see that he’s big, and I can see the bracelet on the arm, taking away my air.
“This will be your only warning, Dove. Next time, I’ll keep my promise and take you away.”
The man pulls something from his pocket. It’s only when it reaches my face that I see a knife. I double my efforts to escape, but it’s useless.
“Hold still, Dove. You wouldn’t want this to be any worse than it’s already going to be.”
He places the tip of the knife just below my eye and pushes. Before I can scream loud enough, the man pushes his body against mine and places his other hand over my mouth.
The pain is the worst I have ever felt as he slides the blade down the right side of my face.
“Remember this the next time you disobey me, Dove,” the man says against my ear. “I have so many other punishments in mind that will make this one feel like a papercut.”
I’m dropped to the ground, and within moments, I’m alone.
I’m not sure how long I lay there, crying. I’m not sure how I got in my car and drove myself home. But, before I know it, I’m lying in the middle of my kitchen floor, pleading for help.
Help that I know isn’t coming.
Because I’m alone.
My heart reaches out for that someone special to guard me. To protect me. To help me.
Silence is its only answer.
Chapter Nine
Trigger
“What the fuck, Trigger?” Brick says, holding his bleeding nose. “This was supposed to be a friendly game of punch the punching bag. When the hell did it turn into punch your friend in the face.”
I don’t fucking know. I’m pissed. Everything is pissing me off today.
“You didn’t hold the bag tight enough,” I tell him. It’s his own damn fault.
“So, you punch me in the fucking face?”
I grab the towel and throw it at him.
Big baby.
“You’ll live,” I say before leaving the room.
I need to get out of here.
“Hey, Trig, you got a minute?” Prez asks from his office.
No, I don’t have a minute. I need to leave now. But I owe the man my life, so I go to his office.
“Ink and Bella spent the day with your girl, yesterday,” he says.
“Not my girl,” I say.
She’s too pure. Her light shines too bright to be my girl.
“Mmm-hmm. Anyway, Ink said that she seemed fine and nothing else happened. They went to check on her today, but the store was closed. A sign said that they’re only open Monday through Thursday.”
“You’re telling me this, why?” I ask.
“Figured you’d want to know. You’re the only one who knows where she lives. Maybe give Ink or Chains the address, and they can go check on her. You know, just in case.”
Like hell, I will. Chains may be tied down, but Ink only thinks with his dick.
“Go Trig,” Bear says, chuckling. “Follow your heart, man. Or your gut.”
I need to clear my head. I need to talk to someone. So, I do what I always do when silence isn’t working. I go to the only person who I’ve ever confided in.
◆◆◆
“From what I understand, you just need to do what you’ve been telling yourself to do from the start. Follow your gut.”
I’m silent as I take in the wise woman’s words. Sounding so much like her son.
“Honey, trust yourself to know that you’re doing the right thing.”
“Do you think that it’s the right thing?” I ask. “Pursuing this woman? I’m a dark person, Ma. She shines with so much light, and I’m afraid that I’m going to destroy that.”
Ma sighs.
“You don’t give yourself enough credit, honey. You have more love and passion in your pinky than some people do in their whole body. If you give yourself a chance, maybe you’ll find the light you’ve been looking for to alleviate some of the darkness. I have no doubt, none at all, that if you take that step, you’ll never regret it.”
“It’s not just that, Ma,” I admit. “I have this desire that she may not share. I’m afraid that the moment I tell her, she’s going to run in the opposite direction.”
Ma smirks. “I know what desire you’re talking about. Give her a chance. She may surprise you.”
Knowing what I have to do, I lean in and kiss Ma’s cheek.
“Thank you, Ma.”
“Mason,” Ma says right before I’m about to walk out the door. “Fight for her. Even if it’s yourself you’re fighting against.”
I nod my head and walk to my bike.
No more fucking around.
Time to get my woman.
I’m pulling into her driveway less than fifteen minutes later.
The lights in her house are on, but something feels off.
I glance at her car and see that it’s parked crooked, and the driver's side door is open.
Almost like she was in a rush.
Without a second thought, I hop off my bike and run to her door.
I knock but get no answer. Turning the nob, it doesn’t give. At least she locked the door.
Straining my hearing, I listen.
The sun is starting to set, and the only sound reaching my ears are the animals that prefer the company of the night.
Then I hear it. A soft mewling coming from inside. I don’t think. I step back and use the strength on my leg to burst open the door.
It doesn’t take long to find Thea lying on her side in the middle of the kitchen floor.
Surrounded by blood.
Dry blood.
She’s been laying here, hurt and alone for hours. And, I’ve been pissing around, worried about my inner battle, when she needed me.
If I could kick my own ass, I would. Might have Brick do it for me.
Falling to my knees, I gently turn Thea’s face toward me.
“Little one,” I whisper in agony as I see the long slash on her face. “Who did this to you?”
Not expecting a response, I gather her in my arms and search for her room. I don’t think the cut is life-threatening, but her face does need to be cleaned and bandaged.
I gingerly lay her down and search for medical supplies. Finding what I need, I head back to her room and sit beside her on the bed.
Knowing she’s awake, I try to sound as comforting as I can.
“I’m going to clean you up, little one,” I say softly. “It’s going to sting a bit, but I’ll go as fast as I can.”
First, I clean up all the blood. It’s caked in her hair, but that’s going to have to stay there until I can get her in the shower. Once most of the blood is off her face, I start on the cut itself.
Hearing her soft cries of pain has me more enraged that I have been in a long time. I work efficiently and get her clean, disinfected, and bandaged as fast as possible.
Not once has she opened her eyes or uttered a single word.
“Little one, it’s Trigger,” I whisper. “I’m here now. You’re safe. You rest as long as you want. I’ll be here to protect you.”
I kiss her forehead and tuck her under the blankets.
It takes her thirty minutes to finally fall asleep. Tear tracks a constant on her face.
I can’t wait to find the mother fucker who hurt my woman. My fingers are itching to cause pain. But I’m patient. Thea will rest as long as her soul needs to. T
hen my search begins.
Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I call Bear.
“I was about to call you,” he greets. “That Ted guy got ahold of Bella a few minutes ago and said he couldn’t reach Thea.”
“She’s been hurt, brother,” I tell him. “Someone fucking slashed her face from her eye to her jaw.”
“WHAT?” He bellows. “Give me the fucking address, man. We’ll come over and help.”
Knowing that I don’t need help, but I do need my family, I relent and give him the address.
Bear, Ink, Brick, and Hawk arrive in ten minutes.
“Chains is holding the fort down,” Bear says, sliding off his bike.
“I’m so fucking sorry, man,” Ink says, dejectedly. “I had a feeling to follow her home yesterday, but she was adamant that she was fine. I should have listened to my gut.”
“Yes, you should have,” I tell him. “Always follow your gut. But this isn’t your fault. It’s mine. I’m a fucking coward. I should have never left her when I first brought her home. That changes now.”
“We brought the med kit,” Bear says. “And stop beating yourself up. That isn’t going to solve anything.”
Knowing he’s right, I grab the med kit and lead them inside.
“I don’t want her scared, so only Bear can come in right now,” I tell the group.
We reach the bedroom, and Bear’s body goes stiff when he sees her face.
“That’s going to scar, brother,” he tells me. “No getting around it. It’s going to be a deep one, too.”
I know he’s right. It doesn’t bother me, but I have a feeling it’s going to bother her.
After changing her bandage into one with antibiotic cream, we walk back to the group of waiting men.
“She’s going to be okay,” Bear says. “I know we only just met her, but we all know that she’s family now. She belongs to Trigger, which means she belongs to us. Someone harmed one of ours, brothers. They cut her deep enough to scar. When we find out who did this, we each get a turn. Trigger goes first, and he goes last.”
Everyone nods, each with enraged eyes.
Seeing each brother pissed that my woman was harmed does my blackened soul good.
We all find a comfortable spot and wait for Thea to wake up. No matter how long it takes, we won’t leave her side until she’s awake and safe.
I won’t leave her side ever again. The tiny, curvy, beautiful woman dug herself into my soul and took root. She’s the bright light in the middle of all my darkness.
Now, I just need to get her to give me a chance.
I rush to her room when I hear her cry out.
She’s having a nightmare.
I lay down beside her in bed and take her hand in mine.
“It’s okay, little one,” I whisper. “I’m right here, baby. Daddy is right here.”
I’m not sure if she hears what I’m saying, but she instantly calms down.
She and I need to have a long talk. Not just about the person who did this, but about us.
And it has me nervous as fuck.
Chapter Ten
Thea
Ouch!
The first thing I notice when I wake up is how much my face hurts. Then I hear people distantly talking.
All at once everything comes rushing back. Leaving the Book Bin, rushing to my car, being grabbed from behind.
The knife slicing down my face.
I feel someone grab my foot, and I scream. I belt the scream that I wanted to release when the man was hurting me. I scream the fear of being alone. I scream for the help that I knew wasn’t coming.
I scream until my voice cracks and gives out.
I hear the voices again. One voice sounds so familiar, but I can’t figure out who it is.
Is it the man who hurt me? Did he come back?
I try to scream again, but a pathetic whimper escapes instead. So, I curl up as small as my fluffy body allows, and cry.
“Please, don’t hurt me,” I manage to get out.
“I need you to hear me, little one,” the familiar voice says. “I need you to open your eyes and see me.”
Shaking my head, I squeeze my eyes tighter. Please, go away. Please, don’t be real.
“Come on, little one,” the voice repeats, gently. “Open your eyes.”
I burrow further into the soft material beneath me.
“Thea, open your eyes,” the voice says, sternly.
I don’t want to. I want to stay in my dark cocoon until the bad man leaves.
But I can’t seem to help myself. That voice, the authority, pulls me from my panic, and I open my eyes.
It takes a second for my sight to adjust to the light, but once it does, I see the one person I never thought I’d see again.
“Trigger?” I whisper. “Is that really you?”
“Yeah, babygirl. It’s me.”
Without a second thought, I launch myself at him. In mere seconds, I’m wrapped safely in his arms.
I’m not sure what comes over me. Maybe it’s the feeling of safety, or maybe it’s because I don’t feel alone at the moment, but I cry. I shove the uninjured side of my face against Trigger’s chest and cry.
I can feel his face against the top of my head as his large hand rubs small circles against my back, but that’s all I can process. The need to release this fear, to give it to someone else, is so massive. Knowing that Trigger can handle it, I give him everything. My fear, my pain, my trust, my heart.
My soul reaches out one more time for that connection. It grabs ahold of Trigger and refuses to let go.
“I’m here, little one,” he says. “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
He holds me until my tears dry. Then he lays me back down in the bed and lays in front of me.
“When you’re ready,” he says, moving my hair off my face. “I need to know what happened.”
I nod my understanding and just stare at his face. For some reason, the visual of him helps keep me calm.
“You’re my safe place,” I admit. I know it probably sounds silly to him, but he is. I’ve known it from the moment I saw him at the clubhouse.
A small grin pulls at the corner of his mouth.
“And you’re mine to protect,” he says.
I close my eyes and commit to memory his face, his smell, his words at this moment. I’m his to protect.
He most likely means until we find the guy who hurt me. But, I’m taking his words and holding them tight.
I’m his.
“I have to pee,” I say, trying to get up.
Trigger stands and picks me up bridal style.
“Oh, gosh. I’m going to break your back. Put me down,” I beg.
I don’t want to hurt him or see the struggle of my weight as he attempts to carry me.
Trigger just glares at me.
“Under normal circumstances, I would spank your ass for saying such mean things about yourself,” he admonishes me. “But, today, it’s just a warning. Don’t do it again.”
Stunned, I stay silent as he effortlessly carries me to the bathroom.
“Go potty, and I’ll be right back,” he says, gently placing me down beside the toilet.
Not knowing what else to do, I pull my pants down and go potty.
Chapter Eleven
Trigger
What the hell am I thinking? I can’t talk to her like that. Especially not before I’ve talked to her about what I want in a relationship. What I want requires an insurmountable amount of trust. Not just from her, but on my part as well.
I need a woman who is strong and brave enough to let go and give everything to me. So, that I can protect and care for her in all ways.
Hearing her down herself had me boiling. She’s nothing but absolutely perfect. I won’t allow anyone to talk bad about her. Not even herself.
“How is she?” Ink asks, looking exhausted.
None of us slept through the night. None of us left. Bear called and had Chains bring Rose and Sl
im to his house for the night.
“In shock, for the most part,” I answer. “I got it from here. You all head on home and get some sleep.”
No one moves.
I shake my head. This is why these men mean so much to me. Stubborn fucking men.
“Honestly, everything will be fine,” I say. “I’m going to get her cleaned up and fed before we have a talk. The moment I know anything, I’ll let you know.”
With satisfied nods, everyone turns to leave.
“Thank you, brothers,” I say, surprising everyone.
“I think we’re going to start seeing the side of Trigger that he keeps locked away,” Brick says.
“Happy for you, brother,” Bear says. “Keep her safe.”
“With my life,” I answer honestly.
I watch as each brother straddles their bikes and drive away. Knowing I need coffee, I start the pot before heading back to Thea.
Just as I’m reaching for the door handle, she lets out a frightening scream.
I slam open the door and see my little woman looking at herself in the mirror, bandages on the sink.
“This isn’t a small cut, Trigger,” she says, fresh tears running down her face. “This is so deep. Oh god, this is going to scar. I’m going to be so ugly. No one will ever love me now.”
“That’s five,” I warn.
She turns to looks at me. “Five what?” she asks, confused.
“Five smacks on your beautiful bottom when you’re feeling better. I told you not to say negative things about yourself.”
“You’re really going to spank me?” she asks, eyes wide. Face completely forgotten.
“Count on it,” I say. “You are my woman, and I will do everything in my power to protect you. Even from derogatory words inflicted upon yourself.”
“By spanking me?”
I walk up behind her and wrap her in my arms.
“Look at yourself, baby,” I say against her head. “Look how fucking beautiful you are. I will not have you thinking you are anything less. It’s a daddy’s job to protect his little girl in every situation. I failed you once already because I was a coward. It won’t happen again.”
