by Nicola Jane
“If only people knew the truth,” I mutter, rolling my eyes.
“If we were together, that would make you Abel’s step-grandma.” Ace laughs at his own joke.
“We’re not together though,” I say sharply. I need us to change the subject, so I go for the obvious. “How’s things with you and Angel?”
“Don’t do that, Mae,” he groans. “It pisses me off when you try to act like you don’t give a shit.”
“I don’t. I’m being polite.”
“Are you seeing anyone?” It crosses my mind to lie, but I can’t. He’ll know by the blush on my cheeks or the fact that I never leave the club. I shake my head. “Good.”
“So, you don’t want me, but you don’t want me to move on and meet somebody new?”
Ace growls. “Can’t we have one conversation that isn’t an argument?” We fall silent again. The park is now empty compared to just ten minutes ago. Dodge runs off ahead, sniffing every bin or post he spots. “Do you want kids, Mae?”
“Not really. I mean, I can’t have them, so I’ve never really put any thought into it.”
“You can’t?” He looks surprised. Over the last few years when me and Ace have spoken, I’ve never talked about my infertility. Our talks have always been centered around Ace and the struggles he was facing.
“I have cysts. Poly-cystic ovaries, they call it. I think with medication or some sort of intervention I could possibly have, kids but if I’m honest, kids don’t really interest me. Does that make me weird?”
Ace shakes his head no. “Not at all. I guess it’s a common assumption that all women want kids. I mean, you’re good with kids, so I just thought you’d want them some day.”
“What about you? Can you see yourself having more kids?”
“I’m too old,” he says. “Forty is no age to begin again. Having Hulk and Lucy young was out of my control, in some ways. I should have waited and done it all properly with a wedding, but it is what it is, and I’m blessed to have them both in my life again. Besides, now I’m a Gramps, it wouldn’t seem right.” Ace whistles for Dodge. “I’m not sleeping with Angel,” he suddenly blurts out and I glimpse up at him.
“It’s your business.”
“I know. I just wanted you to know that I’m not jumping into bed with someone else after everything that happened between us.” I can’t deny that the news pleases me. I’d like to think he was just as cut up as me, but I have a feeling it’s more to do with how she lied to me. “What she did, lying like that. Pissed me off. I don’t want to lead her on anymore and I can’t risk her wrecking future relationships.” The pain in my chest twists at the thought of him having future relationships. It hurts me. It’s too soon for me to think of him like that.
Dodge hasn’t returned, so Ace whistles again. We hear a whimper and we exchange a concerned look and then rush along the path. As we round the bend, we spot Dodge by the park exit. There’s a rope attached to his collar and he’s tied up to the metal gate. “What the fuck…” mutters Ace, crouching down to stroke Dodge, who pulls at the rope. He’s used to running free. Ace hardly ever puts him on a leash.
There’s nobody around and the park is eerily quiet. I wait patiently as Ace tries to untie the rope, but the knot is pretty tight. We’re so busy concentrating on that, we don’t hear anything until an arm wraps around my neck and I’m pulled back against a hard body. I let out a surprised squeak, releasing my hold on the stroller. Ace looks over his shoulder and stands. He immediately pulls a gun from his ankle strap. He points it in my direction and I gulp. Something hard presses against my cheek. “Drop the gun or I’ll stick this straight into her skull.” The voice behind me is low and gravelly, but I don’t recognize it. Ace lowers the gun and places it on the ground. “Now, the rest.”
I watch as Ace begins to pull out weapons from hidden holsters around his body. When they are all on the ground, a white van pulls up and two large men dressed in dark clothing get out. One collects up the weapons and places them in a bag.
“Now, I’ll tell you exactly what’s gonna happen. You’re gonna get into the van. Any funny business and I’ll kill this bitch right in front of you. I’ll start by torturing her slowly. Her death will be long, drawn out and painful and you’ll watch every second of it. Are we clear, Ace?”
Ace nods. I’ve never seen fear in his eyes before, but it’s there now. “What about the baby?” he asks.
“The dog can watch it. I’ll get a message to your club.”
“You can’t leave a baby in the park alone,” growls Ace and the guy laughs. It’s low and menacing.
“I think you’ll find that I’m in charge right now. We’re gonna move slowly towards the van.”
“Please,” begs Ace. “Don’t leave the kid like this.”
“You should be thanking me for leaving the fucker alive. You keep talking and I’ll soon change that.”
Ace pats Dodge. “Stay. Guard,” he orders. Dodge sits by the stroller proudly. Ace takes a step towards the van and the man pushes me to follow, his arm still tight around my neck. Ace gets into the back of the van and the man inside kicks him to his knees. He winces. “Arms up,” says the man and Ace puts his arms above his head. He cuffs him to the roof of the van. There’s already a chain fixed there with large steel bolts.
I’m then bundled into the back alongside him and the man that has me also climbs in. He sits on a seat and pulls me onto his lap, holding me securely while the other man cuffs my hands behind my back.
In the front of the van, the passenger pulls out a cell and makes a call. He orders the person on the receiving end to contact the Rebellions MC and tell them that the dog and baby are in the park and that further instructions will be sent soon.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ace
Mae’s eyes burn into me. I try to reassure her with a smile as the van engine roars to life. With the movement, I find it hard to stay upright as I swing back and forth. “Who are you?” I growl.
“You’ll soon find out. Be patient.”
“You’ve just signed your death card; you know this, right?”
The guy laughs. “Then I’ll make the most of this,” he whispers into Mae’s ear, running his hand down her front. I yell out angrily, pulling hard on the chains, but I’m unable to get near them and the guy laughs more. “You don’t like me touching your girl, Ace?” He rests his hand on her breast and I stare at it hard, anger pulsing through me.
“Your death will be a slow one. I’ll start by taking that hand off with a blunt blade.”
“Promises, promises, but I’m not the one tied up.”
I calculate that it’s at least another half hour before the van stops and we are hauled out and I’m blindfolded and cuffed. I am pushed into another vehicle; this time, it feels like a car. “Mae?” I shout out.
“I’m here,” her voice quivers from somewhere nearby.
“We’ll be okay, I’ll get us out of here.”
“Mae?” growls another voice. “Who the fuck is Mae?”
“You got the wrong fucking girl,” yells another voice. My mind races, the guy in the van referred to Mae as my girl. He thinks that Mae is Lucy. I don’t say anything.
“How the hell was I supposed to know? she was pushing the kid, she has the same hair.”
“The boss is gonna kill us!”
We travel some more; it feels like hours now that I’m blindfolded, but my guess is maybe another twenty miles. When we finally come to a stop, I’m pulled roughly from the car and marched along. I stumble a few times, feeling loose stones beneath my knees. I count thirty steps and then I hear the clanking of chains. We step into a room and a door is slammed behind us. My blindfold is pulled roughly from my eyes and I blink until my eyes adjust to the dimness. There are stone steps before us, heading down into some kind of basement. The guy to my left gives me a shove and I begin to walk down them until I’m in a dark room. There’s a dim light, but it doesn’t illuminate much. I’m taken to the middle of the room and
new cuffs are placed onto my wrists, the old ones removed. My hands are fixed above my head to another chain. “Is anyone gonna come and tell me what the fuck is going on?” I snap. I’m answered with a blow to my stomach. “I guess that’s a no,” I growl. “Where’s the girl?” I add.
“She’ll be along soon. She’s meeting the boss.”
I pull hard on the chains, but they’re fixed to the ceiling with a large bolt. It’s no use; I’m not getting out of these any time soon. The guy leaves, slamming the door hard and bolting it.
Looking around the damp room, I spot a toilet and a basin in the far corner. Opposite me is a metal-framed bed with a thin mattress thrown on top. It’s dirty and stained but right now, it looks more inviting than standing here with my hands above my head.
A short time later, the door opens again, and I hear Mae cry out. The doors slam shut and then there’s silence. I wait for a few seconds before I risk it. “Mae,” I whisper.
“Ace?” she cries out and I hear her rush down the steps. She throws herself at me, wrapping her tiny arms around my waist. “Oh my god, I thought they’d killed you.”
“I’m okay, are you?” I ask. I’m desperate to see her face.
She finally looks up at me and I feel relief flood me that her face is untouched. “What the hell is going on?” she asks.
“I don’t know. I think they were looking for Lucy. They thought you were her.”
Mae suddenly bursts into tears, burying her face into my chest again. “Oh god, what about Abel? Do you think he’s okay?”
“Yeh. He’ll be back with the club safe by now, I’m sure of it. It was Lucy they wanted, not Abel.” I don’t want to worry her, but I’m just as anxious as her that my grandchild is still in the damn park with Dodge.
“But why her?” asks Mae. It’s a question I’ve been asking myself since I got put in the van. If it was Tag they wanted to get at, then surely taking his kid would have had a more desired reaction. Tag would do anything for Abel. But if it was just Lucy that they wanted, why? She wouldn’t upset anyone. It has to be something to do with Tag.
“Where have you been? Why didn’t they bring you in here with me when we arrived?”
“I was taken to a room. A few men came in and looked at me and then it all kicked off. They were yelling at the guy that took me, said he was useless and then they shot him. Just like that!” She begins to cry again. I wish I could wrap her in my arms.
“Did they say anything to you? Ask you any questions?” Mae shakes her head. “You need to climb up and see if this bolt is as tight as it looks.” Mae stares up to the bolt that holds my chains. It’s a good foot higher than me.
“Climb up how?” she asks warily.
“Up my body. As high as you can get.” Mae looks doubtful, but shrugs her shoulders. I bend my knee slightly so that she can put her foot on it. She grips my arms and hauls herself up. “Get your knees on my shoulders,” I say. Mae grips the chain and uses it to pull herself onto my shoulders. It confirms what I was thinking. The chain is solid. Mae tugs on the chain and then tries to wiggle the bolt. It doesn’t budge. She tries desperately to unscrew the bolt but again, with no luck. “You know, if this wasn’t such a serious situation then this is a great position for…” Mae looks down at my head between her knees and glares at me.
“Wow, I’m glad that’s what’s on your mind.” She huffs, and I smirk. “Do you think we could concentrate on the urgent situation we’ve found ourselves in?”
“I’ll think of something. Besides, the Rebellions will be all over this. I bet they’re already working on a plan to get us out of here.”
Mae
Two days have passed since we arrived in this hell and the Rebellions are not all over this, and they have not come to our rescue. With each passing hour, I’m getting more and more doubtful. I’m weak. The people holding us here haven’t brought us any food or water yet. The only time they’ve bothered to come down here was to take turns beating Ace, and even then, they didn’t say what they wanted or why we were here.
I look over to where Ace is still chained to the roof. His head hangs limp. He’s resting, his light snores fill the dank room. The clanging of the bolt wakes him and he looks around, taking in the surroundings. I see the second he realizes he’s still stuck here when his eyes fall to me full of disappointment. I offer a weak smile. I know how he feels because I too keep having dreams of being free.
The sound of heels clicking on the stone rings out in the room and a woman appears. Her long blond hair shines, even in this low lighting. She smells fresh and clean. Her lips are painted red and she’s wearing a short tight red dress that clings to her curves perfectly. She is carrying a glass of water and I want to cry with joy. “Oh, I heard you were handsome, but the stories didn’t do you justice.” She smiles while running a red-painted nail down Ace’s chest. “I’m Mystique.” She smiles, hardly bothering to glance in my direction. She holds the glass to Ace’s lips and lets him sip. When a trickle spills down his chin, she wipes it with her thumb and then pops it in her own mouth and sucks it clean. “I’m going to be taking care of you, Mr. handsome. How lucky are you?”
“What does that mean?” he asks warily.
“Well, a big strong man like yourself needs special attention.” She runs her hand over his broad chest and up his muscled arm. “And the boss gave me special instructions to take care of you.”
“I don’t understand what the fuck is going on. What does he want from me?”
“I don’t get to know the details, baby,” she croons. She offers him the water. He sips some more and then nods to where I’m curled up on the bed.
“Mae needs some, too.”
The woman looks me over. “I’ve been told not to give any to her. Sorry.”
“But if she doesn’t drink soon, she’ll die. Just a sip,” begs Ace. “Please.”
“Give me what I want and then maybe I’ll consider it.”
“What do you want?”
“I think that’s obvious, don’t you?” she rubs her hand over Ace’s crotch and he shakes her off.
“Fuck you. What kind of sick bitch wants to fuck a man that’s chained up. You get a kick out of it?” he growls. The woman smirks and then tips the glass of water upside down, spilling it by his feet. “You stupid bitch,” he yells, tugging hard on his chains. She moves closer, gripping his chin in her hand.
“I’ll let you think about it. See you tomorrow, stud.” She sways her hips as she walks. “I might even bring food with me.”
Ace stares at me. I see the torture in his eyes. “Wait,” he shouts and she freezes, turning to face him with a satisfied smile on her lips.
“No,” I croak, “No. I don’t need anything that bad.”
“Mae, you’ll die.”
The woman laughs aloud and throws her head back. “Seriously. You think I need to force men to have sex with me? Just look at me. I can’t give her water because they’ll make my life hell. They want you to suffer and watching her is killing you. You’re playing right into their hands.”
“What kind of sick fucks are they?”
“The kind that want the Rebellions to suffer.” The woman leaves, happy that her mind fuck mission is now complete. I stare longingly at the water as it soaks into the stone. I’d tried the basin when I first arrived. The knobs turned but nothing came out of them. Just like the toilet doesn’t flush. There’s no fresh water down here.
“She could be our way out of here,” says Ace. “Maybe I can use my charm to win her over. If I can just get her to unlock these cuffs, then I can overpower her.”
“With no water or food inside of you, you’re weak. Even if you get past her, we don’t know who is outside waiting. They’ll kill us both.”
“What do you suggest we do then, Mae?” he growls in frustration. Our hope is running out fast; we have no clue where we are or why the hell we are here.
“I don’t know, Ace. All I know is that we’re stuck here, and the chances are they’re g
onna kill us once they’re bored of us.”
At some point during the night, I’m dragged from my bed and pulled up the cold steps. I stumble several times and cut my legs and hands. Ace wakes when he hears me curse and he begins to yell. They ignore his pleas and I’m pulled out into the fresh, cool night. The stars are bright, and I guess we must be in the countryside somewhere. The stars only shine like this when there are no city lights to dull them.
There’s a large home nearby. It’s where they first took me when we arrived here. It’s the sort of home that girls like me dream about with red bricks and white pillars standing proudly out front.
Inside, it’s clean. The floors shine. They’ve been polished and buffed until the twinkling lights from the chandelier can be seen reflecting. My feet are bare. I somehow lost my trainers in the struggle when we were first bundled into the van.
A well-built man in a suit steps out of a side room and grins at me. “You know you weren’t the girl we wanted, but I’m so glad we found you. I think you’ll be so much fun. Go and bathe. I’ll join you shortly.” I watch as he disappears into another room. The man that brought me in here pulls me up the winding staircase. The cream fluffy carpet on each step feels amazing between my toes.
I’m taken into a bedroom with a large bed. It’s big enough to get at least four of Ace in. “Bathroom through there,” grunts the man, pointing to another door. I wait for him to go and then rush to the bathroom. I turn the cold tap on full and splash the water into my parched mouth, savoring the cool feeling as it slides down my throat.
There’s a bath filled with warm water and bubbles waiting for me. I glance back at the door and notice there’s no lock, but the water looks so inviting and I’m desperate to feel it cleansing my skin. I strip off quickly and step into the bath, closing my eyes in pleasure as the warmth envelopes me. There’s a lineup of small bottles. Each contains a different potion to get me clean and I don’t hesitate to use each one.
Once I feel clean, I settle back and close my eyes. It’s hard to relax when I know that the man is coming to join me soon. It happened the first night I was brought here; exactly like this, but in a different room. I couldn’t tell Ace, though. He needs to keep his head clear so he can figure a way to get us out of here.
