I come up behind my brother. He’s leaning into Louie, his hands on the wooden armrests, whispering something into his ear. I’m not able to make it out, but by the thrashing of Louie, I’m sure he’s just told him what’s to come. I scan the area and see a double hook contraption. I follow the railing that it’s attached to and noticed it’s just about where I need it. “Pull him over there.” I point to where I need my brother to help my place Louie.
Once we reach where I need him, I stalk over and grab the rusted hook. I release the lever on the wall making the hook release its tension. I pull the hook with me as I continue back to my brother and Louie. The metal bounces against the concrete with a clanging sound when I release it from my hand. Louie’s eyes dart to the tool, his throat bobbing as he swallows.
His eyes tear from the tool, to my brother, and then they land on me. I’ve never really looked closely at this man before. We were always told to stay clear of him and his club, but growing up in the same town there were many times when our paths would cross. His dark brown eyes focus on my mine. He studies me. I’m sure trying to figure out what I have planned. The beads of sweat gather on his skin, his nostrils flaring above the silver of the duct tape. I lean in, making sure I’m eye level with the man who killed my sister. “Are you ready to die, motherfucker?”
“Are you worried?” Jenni asks me.
“Of course I’m worried.” I whisper. Rubbing my belly. I’m twenty-seven weeks. Today is the first time I’ve felt her kick and I haven’t had a chance to tell Sin yet. He’s been busy working in the garage and the days of me sitting there waiting on customers is gone. He doesn’t want me on my feet all day. He doesn’t think I need my back can take it.
My eyes are locked on Bianca who has been overly quiet since we were taken to Lily’s house and told to stay put. Bubba is outside taking watch. I’m not sure where everyone else is. I don’t know if this is a group effort or if this is something that Sin and Cut are doing on their own. “Do you think this is a setup? Do you think that that Louie Jr. guy will go against his word?” She asks, this time in a hushed tone.
“I hope not.” I rub my hand over my stomach. I push a little hard to see if the baby will move, knowing that she’s there kicking around gives me a little peace when I’m internally freaking out. I don’t know why the moved us. I always felt the safest at the club. Even with the lack of members there now, I would never think that anyone would be able to breach the safety of the walls.
“Please don’t start to freak out, Savannah. I’m sure everything will be alright. Nothing is going to happen to him. It’s not possible.” She gives me a small smile.
I want to believe her optimism. The only problem is that we’ve been here for several hours and we haven’t heard anything from anyone.
I stand to admire our work. He hangs before me in nothing. He’s just as bear as my sister was when he ruined her. I cut every piece of fabric from his body before the hooks pierced him. I want him to feel the humiliation, just as I’m sure my sister did. The hooks are embedded into Louie’s armpits, he hands secured about his head, zip tied to the metal bar. Every time he pulls at his hands, the thick plastic cuts into his skin more and more. His blood runs down his arms and joins the blood that’s spilling from the holes in his armpits. His chest puffs as he tries to bring enough air into his body to continue his fight.
“Lower him a little.” I tell my brother who’s working the controls on the hook. I hear the grinding of the worn out gears. I’m hoping they’ll hold under the weight of him. As soon as I see, the tips of Louie’s toes touch the concrete I give my brother the command to stop.
I squat and take in the sight before me. Everything about this man disgusts me. I feel no remorse for what I’ve done to him, for what I’m going to still do. I take the blade from my belt; the cool steel gives me strength. I run it along the hardness of the cement. Back and forth, watching the sparks at where the metal meets the stone.
I stand, clenching my teeth until my jaw aches. I crack my neck, trying to loosen the muscles in my shoulders. Taking a deep breath, I step forward, locking eyes with the man before me.
“First thing’s first.” I tell him as I bring the searing metal up to his skin. “You won’t be needing this anymore.” I stab at his MC patch tattoo. I push the metal of the blade in to his skin. I start at the top of the patch tattoo on his pectoral muscle. I turn the blade once it’s far enough in and pull down, flaying his skin. He groans as tears run town his face. I watch as the thick flesh falls from his body, folding under my blade. Once enough is cut and the patch is completely off his body, I pull the rest of it off. “Here.” I turn and throw the piece of flesh to my brother.
“Fuck you.” he spits.
“Wrap it up, tell Louie Jr. that the shame his father has brought to his club and his family is no more.”
Louie’s body bucks, the muffled screams are almost too much for me to handle. It almost makes me want to get it over with and cut the jugular of this mother fucker, but I know I need to do this. I know he needs to suffer. The white flesh turns red as the blood rushes on the surface. It builds up then trickles down his stomach. I hear the dripping of liquid and peer down to see that this fucker has pissed himself. I laugh at the sight. “Look at this, Cut. Big bad biker man just pissed himself.” I shake my head. “I guess the old fucker can’t hold it like he used to.”
Louie’s hair is now wet with perspiration. The coloring of his face is fading. He tries to pick up his head as it bobs in the air. Running the blade down his chest, I mark one row after another. I’m tempted to carve my sister’s name into his body, but then I stop myself. There’s no way I would ever want her name engraved on his body. He isn’t good enough to carry my sister’s name.
“What do you think?” I ask Cut.
He’s stood back the entire time I put my knife to the skin of the bastard who ruined our family. I watched him out of my peripheral vision when I was raking the blade down Louie’s body. I know he would never admit it, but there were times he winced at my actions.
“I think you’re pretty fucked up.” he nods. “And remind me never to piss you off to the point where you want to draw that blade on me.”
Louie’s body is riddled with cuts and gashes. I’ve taken the blade to him either cutting into his skin or digging pieces of flesh from his bone. There have been a few times when I purposely pushed my blade in too deep and it hit the bone. Each time he would flinch brought a smile to my face.
I pull his head back by the nape of his hair. His eyes roll back and flutter as he tries to focus on me. His face is covered in snot and spit. The duct tape has loosened in the process, but it is long after I started so he hasn’t been able to verbalize any words, just the typical moans and groans from the pain. “Are you almost ready?” I ask him, even though he’s in no shape to respond to me. “Can you feel them?” I ask again. “Can you feel the flames of hell nipping at your heels, motherfucker? Because I know that’s gonna be your next stop, you piece of fucking shit.” I push the blade into his stomach. I pull it out and push it in again. I feel the warm liquid of his blood cover my hand, making the grip a little harder to keep hold. His groans are interrupted by the banging on the metal of the doors.
“Cut!” Lick calls for my brother. Cut flicks the lock and the door flies open. “Tyson grabbed Savannah.”
At once, I ram the blade further into Louie’s flesh and pull it to the side, successfully spilling the intestines of the man who killed the one person I loved most. Now I’m about to kill the son of bitch who just took my world.
I hear muffled voices coming from the front yard. When I figure out there’s several and the volume begins to rise, I know that something is going on, and it’s not good. Chills roll through my body. There’s a sinking feeling and I suddenly feel as if I’m fighting for breath, the weight on my chest grows heavy as the anger in the voices continue to grow. I slowly pad to the door and hear Bubba arguing with someone. His voice is deep but I can tell it’
s laced with confusion. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.”
“I’m done waiting.” I feel my blood drain from my face. Tyson.
A loud bang rings through my ears. The girls scream as the front door flies open, knocking me into the wall behind it. A searing pain shoots low under my rib cage. Two men step into the house, both armed with a gun in each hand. Bianca straightens her shoulders and takes a step forward. She reaches for both Jenni and Lily, pulling them behind her. A third man steps in and I know its Tyson. “Where is she?” He asks. Bianca’s eyes cut to me. He follows her line of sight and he sees me standing off to the side. “Savannah.”
“No.” I tell him.
“No? Are you really going to smart-off to me now?” He turns his head from side to side, watching me. There’s something different about him. I thought he was off the last time I saw him, but it seems to be worse now. “I’m tired of this game. I’m tired of the cat and mouse. It’s over. You’re coming home. I’m not about to have my child born a bastard. It’s too bad it’s a bitch. I can’t do anything about that. But I can make sure the next Redding isn’t a bastard.” He claps his hands together, like he wants me to hurry up, but I stand my ground. I’m done with him pushing me around. “Very well. Do it.” I hear the clicking of metal and watch as the two men raise their guns to the heads of Lily, Jenni, and Bianca. The three women stand there frozen as the tears stream down their faces.
“Wait.” I tell him. “I’ll go. Just please don’t hurt them.”
“Grab her.” He tells his goons.
Once they put their hands on me, I begin to fight. Pain rips through my side again and I go limp. “Knock her out. Just don’t hurt the baby.” A crushing pain pelts through my skull and I black out.
Cut can’t drive fast enough. So many different scenarios play through my mind. But there is common thread, I wasn’t there. Again. “It’ll be fine.” Cut tells me, but I don’t believe him. Nothing’s going to be okay. There’s no way that it will be. Tyson fucking Redding has more money than sense and he’s mixed up with the Mexican fucking sex trade. One job. I had one fucking job, that was to keep her safe, and I fucking failed. I thought about myself. I left and took care of something that’s been haunting me for years and because of my own selfish desires, the woman I love is gone.
Taken.
We pull up to Cut’s house. Doc is there on the porch with Bubba. Dyke steps out of the house and approaches us as we walk up. He raises his hands.
“I need you to listen to me.” He meets my eyes. I jerk my head. “Bubba hasn’t been good for a while. He’s been hitting the smack pretty hard lately and because everyone in his life knows not to deal with him or let him to get his hands on that shit, he went elsewhere.”
“Not to be a total dick right now, I don’t give a fuck about what Bubba has been going through. It doesn’t pertain to me and it’s not going to bring my girl back.”
“Listen son, Kara got him hooked up.” I crack my neck at this information. “She made a deal with Redding. Information on Savannah for the smack.” My eyes cut to Bubba.
“I’m gonna fucking kill him.”
The rage comes quick as my adrenaline spikes. I feel the rush of blood as it beats through my ears. I hear the muffled cries of my mother and my brother calling my name. I feel Cut grab at me, but I shrug him off as I hone in on my target. Before anyone can stop me, I’m on the porch feeling the pain radiate through my hand, up my arm as it connects with Bubba's face. My fucking brother in all sense of the word. I land another punch followed by another as he stays there, without fighting. Blood sputters from his mouth, the crunch of his nose is like music to my ears. He falls to the floor as Doc scrambles to get out of the way. I swing again but the only thing I hit is air. I feel large arms wrap around me, taking me down to the ground. Legs encase my lower half and my diaphragm is squeezed blocking my airflow. I struggle to catch my breath; white spots begin to cloud my vision. The fight in me is slowing dying as the lack of oxygen affects my body.
“Stop brother.” Lick speaks into my ear.
I wiggle again, trying to get free. Bubba pulls himself up from the ground. There's a gunshot wound in his arm. They should have fucking shot him in the heart. My breath evens out as Lick loosens up his grip around my body. “I’m good.” I say between struggle breaths. “Let me the fuck up.”
“Not happening.” I close my eyes, taking in long deep breaths. As my heart rate slows, I feel my body begin to relax. Once I’m limp enough Lick let’s go and I jump to my feet.
“I’m sorry.” Bubba says. I take a step forward but the wall that is Lick gets in my way.
“This isn’t helping Savannah,” he tells me.
Ignoring Bubba, I ask Lick, “What the fuck happened?”
“Jenni called me right after he left with her. She said they showed up, there was arguing then they kicked in the door. Tyson gave the order to shoot the three girls so Savannah told him she would leave with him.”
I look over to confirm and Jenni slowly nods her head. My eyes find my mother and I see it. The same expression that marred her face when we were told Sienna had been killed.
Not. Fucking. Again.
“What are we dealing with?” I pace the length of the living room.
“There hasn’t been any word from anyone.” Dyke says.
I stop. “No one?”
“Our connections haven’t heard anything. There isn’t any talk on the streets.”
That’s not usually how it works. Someone always talking, always wanting a payout. The fact that our usual informers either don’t know shit or aren’t talking doesn’t sit well with me.
“I need to get her back.”
“We know.” Cut says.
“No you don’t. It’s not just, about what Tyson can and do with Savannah. It’s about the baby and there is no fucking way that he’s going to allow Savannah to carry that baby to term. Especially when he knows that, she’s been with me. You don’t know the vile things he said about her, about the baby. Hurting that baby, killing her is going to be the ultimate punishment for Savannah leaving him.” I continue to pace as my mind races. Where the fuck are they?
“Meredith.” I hear Jenni say. “Find his mother. Get to her and you’ll be able to find Tyson. There is no way she loves her son more than she loves herself. You might be able to get her to talk.”
“Fuck, that’s right.” I stop to look at Lick. “Are you ready to teach another lesson?”
“Hells to the yes!”
*****
“What are you doing here?” Meredith asks as we push our way into her hotel room. The way it appears, she’s been in touch with her son because the suitcase is open and lying on the bed.
“Going somewhere?” Lick asks.
“None of your business. I’m calling security.” She walks to the phone but not before Lick takes the cord and rips it from the wall. She goes to reach for her cell phone that’s on the table next to the hotel phone but Lick grabs that too.
“Where’s your boy?” I ask her.
She stands with her arms crossed over her chest. The look of superiority covers her faces. I can’t stand this fucking woman. “Again, none of your business.” She turns her back and walks over to the suitcase. “Now, if you’ll kindly allow me to continue to pack, I’ll be out of this God forsaken place and back home where I should have been all along.”
Lick approaches her and does his thing. “Not gonna ask again, bitch.”
She slaps him across the face. Lick’s head snaps to the side. He slowly turns his face back towards her. There is a sinister glint in his eyes and a wicked smile tugging at his lips. “You’re a foul mouthed, good for nothing piece of white trash and there is no way I will allow either of you to disrespect me. I will bury you. Both of you and whatever white trash family you come from.”
“You know.” He stalks her up and down as if she’s prey. “It’s like I said before, I may not be a cunt doctor, but I know one when I see one and lady,
you’re the biggest fucking cunt I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. And that says a lot since my mother was one of the biggest cunts I thought I knew.”
“How–” Before she can finish Lick reaches out grabs her hands, pins them behind her back at the same time, spinning her around so her back slams into the harness of his chest. Her eyes close tightly and she lets out a little whimper.
With her hands pinned behind her back, he brings one of his hands up around her neck. I stay quiet as I observe Lick wrap his large fingers around her throat. The beds of his fingernails turn white as he applies more pressure. Normally I wouldn’t allow this. The thought that we’re no better than Tyson crosses my mind, but then I snuff it out. I’m only doing this to find out where Savannah is.
“Should I squeeze harder?” His asks her.
When she doesn’t answer, his eyes find mine. I’m not sure what we were thinking coming here. There’s no way that she’s going to give up her son. “Wait here.” I stride to the bathroom and shut the door behind me before dialing my brother.
“Did you find him?”
“The mother isn’t talking.”
“Make her talk, Sin. You need to.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“For fucks sake, you’re my brother, your dad’s son. I know you can think of a way. She knows where your woman is. She knows where that baby is. Are you ready to throw in the towel? Are you ready to walk away and never hold that baby in your arms? Are you ready to never hear her call you daddy? Because if that’s the case, then by all means, let the bitch go and come back here.”
“Have you found Kara? Have you gotten any information from her?” There’s a few moments of silence.
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