by E. C. Land
“What happened, sweet girl?” Horse demands as he crosses the room to hold his ol’ lady.
“Ally, she’s gone,” Kenny cries, causing my heart to freeze over.
No, not again.
Chapter Fifteen
Ally
Shit, my head hurts and the feeling of blood crusted to my face itches. Damn it, I almost forgot how much it drives me nuts whenever Casimir or one of the others caused me to hurt my head. I blink slowly, hoping to see whatever’s around me, but darkness surrounds me. As I try to move, I realize I’m hanging midair with my arms bound above my head.
Great.
Out of everything this bitch could have done to me, she chose to tie my hands together above my head. I shouldn’t have ever let my guard down the way I did. No, what I should’ve done was refused to go to the clubhouse completely. I knew the dangers surrounding me. That's why I’d left in the first place.
Why did I let my guard down?
Oh, right, Burner.
How the man wormed his way through my defenses, I’ll never understand. When I’d broken down, he’d been there to hold me through the pain. Emotions are something I’ve always had trouble with. It’s why I keep them bottled up. Maybe that was my saving grace all these years. However, now my emotions are unleashed, and I don’t know how to contain them again due to emotional overload.
Shaking my head, my thoughts go from the man who’s taken control of my heart to the bitch who drugged me. The vile words about her being glad to rid the club of me. How I stole her chances of being with Burner. What I don’t get though is I’d never seen the woman before, not at the clubhouse or at the tattoo shop. Most importantly, how did I steal her chances of being with a man I’m not even with?
The way she’d waltzed into the clubhouse as if she owned the place only to narrow her gaze on me.
When Kenny called her by name, I realized she was no stranger to these people. Lena evidently was a regular at Outlaw Racks. After greeting each other, the crazy bitch attacked Kenny, slamming her head against the wall and knocking her out. As I moved to stop the woman from hurting Kenny anymore, she spun on me, hitting me fast with a syringe she must have had hidden up the sleeve of her jacket.
“Time for you to leave, puta,” Lena spat in my face as whatever she pushed into me took effect.
Scratching at her, I did my best to fight her off. Pointless as it was, I’d at least drew blood across her face.
“Puta, you’ll pay for that. Just wait until Miguel gets his hands on you. I do hope he allows me to watch,” she hisses as she grabs hold of my hair and drags me out of the clubhouse.
Where had the prospects been? That’s one thing I don’t understand. I knew Mac had stepped outside, but what about the other one? He’d been behind the bar. Did he merely stand there, and watch Lena take me out of the clubhouse? I hope Kenny and her baby are okay.
A creaking noise from above me draws my attention from my thoughts as I glance up at the ceiling. The shackles holding me prisoner are attached to a cast iron pipe.
Great. Of course, I’d be in a basement. Makes sense since there’s no windows, but damn it, I’m tired of this shit.
What the fuck did I ever do to be continuously put in these predicaments?
I want nothing more than to scream out my frustrations, but I keep my mouth shut, the way I was trained to do by the vile man who took my life the first time.
How I wish it were him that had taken me. At least then I’d know what to expect. That’s not the case with this one— I’m in completely unknown territory.
At the grating sounds of a metal door opening, I whip my head in the direction of someone descending the stairs. The clomping of the shoes tells me it must be a man. I’d learned a long time ago the sounds of a woman compared to a man, everything from the tones in their voices to the way they walk. It’s how I knew what to expect. Now, however, I have no idea what to expect from the unknown man heading in my direction.
What does he want with me?
The lights come on as the figure makes it to the bottom of the stairs. Blinking at the brightness, it takes a minute for my vision to focus on the handsome man who I suppose is my captor.
“Ahh, I see the drugs are wearing off. Good, good,” he says, nodding his head as he smiles in my direction.
“Who are you?” I ask, doing my best to keep the fear out of my voice.
“Doesn’t matter who I am, mi reina, but if you must know, my name is Miguel Diaz,” he states as he moves with purpose toward me.
Mi reina? What does that mean?
“How are you liking your accommodations?” he asks when he’s standing directly in front of me.
“Umm, it would be nice to be able to stand on my feet and not have my hands bound in shackles causing my arms to lose circulation,” I remark dryly. It might not be a good idea. In fact, I’m sure it’s not, but damn if I’m not tired of this shit.
“I can see why you would be frustrated. All in good time, mi reina. Once we have a talk, I’ll release you from them and show you to our room,” Miguel chuckles, stroking a finger along my cheek.
Is this man serious? Our room?
What the freaking hell is going on here?
And why the hell does every man seem to think it’s okay to touch me when I don’t want their touch?
Well, that’s not completely true— I want Burner’s.
“You might as well leave me hanging here. I’m not sharing a room with you,” I snap.
Yep, I’ve gone insane. Here I am, hanging midair in a basement with a man standing in front of me who I would bet is a killer from the evil glint I see within his dark eyes.
“You have two choices here, Ally. One, you stay in here where I send Lena and any of my other men in here who want a piece of you. Which I’ll be honest, mi reina, there are several upstairs who would love nothing more than to take their bloodthirst out on you. See, when I noticed you, I didn’t realize you were the woman of a man I hate more than anything. Same goes with my men. Now Lena, it’s you she despises,” he says nonchalantly.
“I don’t belong to anyone,” I mutter, diverting my gaze from his.
“Ahh, but that’s not true, querida. You now belong to me. The same way Janey did. However, you, mi reina, are going to do what mi bella Janey could not. You will give me a child and rule next to me as my queen.”
Janey?
Oh, my God! This is the man who took and killed Burner’s fiancée. What am I gonna do? I have to be smart about this, now knowing who I’m dealing with. This man isn’t just a monster like the boogie man. No, this man is as bad as Casimir, maybe more so.
“What’s my second choice?” I ask quietly.
“I’ve already told you, mi reina. You’ll stay by my side and rule as my queen, give me my child, and I’ll cherish you. You don’t, and I’ll give you to my men as the puta you were before. Now, I suggest you make your decision quickly,” he murmurs as he grips my chin, forcing me to look at him.
Holding his gaze, my mind filters through the options he’s given me— agree to be his queen or refuse and be raped, tortured, and who knows what by his men. If I agree, it could buy me time to figure a way to escape, or get word to Burner. I don’t, I could wind up dead before Burner and my brother find me.
Closing my eyes briefly, I nod my head in agreement. I have no choice but to give him what he wants. That is until I can figure a way out of this.
When I open my eyes, I find him smiling at me.
“I knew you were smart, mi reina. I promise you, you’ll want for nothing. Now, let’s get you out of these chains and upstairs and into something more suitable for the reina you will be,” Miguel says gleefully.
Inwardly screaming, I promise myself I’ll find a way out of this the same as I did before. I was able to once, I’ll do it again.
As a single tear rolls down my cheek, I do my best to lock my emotions back in place. I knew there would never be absolution for me. Why had I let my stupid heart begin to un
freeze? I’m not meant to have happiness.
Chapter Sixteen
Burner
My heart pounds within my chest as I wait with the rest of my brothers for Horse to come out and let us know how Kenny is doing. I don’t think I’ll ever get the vision of her bursting into church with her head bleeding as she clutched at her stomach. The way her voice filled with pain when she spoke the words that all but caused my heart to freeze over right before collapsing against her husband.
I want nothing more than to be out there on my bike searching for my woman, but I wouldn’t know where to start. Not without any information Kenny can give us. Before Hades and I’d come up to the hospital, we’d searched the premises for Ally only to find Mac stabbed in the chest and the other prospect Lucas missing.
Did he have a hand in Ally’s disappearance?
None of us know, which is why Gadget stayed behind to go through the security footage while the rest of us came up here to find out about Kenny.
Fury all but consumes me with the fact I’d been unable to protect Ally in the one place she should have been safe.
“I’m sick of this shit. I’m calling church now,” Twister roars, drawing my attention to him as he pulls his phone away from his ear.
Each of us follows him into the small little chapel the hospital has for those who need to pray. A shudder courses through me as I enter the room. Damn, the high intensity of sorrowful emotions runs within these walls more so than anywhere else in this place. Fuck, I hate being able to sense the emotions in others. Sometimes it’s more of a curse than a gift.
Doesn’t help that mine are running higher than usual.
“Just got off the phone with Gadget. Seems yet another psycho bitch came into our domain and attacked the women,” he growls, slamming his fist against the wall. “From what he’s seen, she wasn’t alone either, and it wasn’t Casimir who attacked them. Miguel was caught on the camera taking Ally out of the bitch’s hold. Fucker had the nerve to come into our territory and not only hurt my sister but take one of our family members.”
“She’s not just a family member,” I grumble, interrupting him, clenching my fists in order to keep myself at least somewhat under control.
“You claimin’ her?” Thorn asks gruffly.
“Damn fuckin’ right, I am. Ally is my fuckin’ ol’ lady. Mine, and I’ll be damned if I lose yet another person I love because of this sick motherfucker. He already took Janey from me and I loved the hell out of her. Miguel will not take the woman who owns my heart, because no matter how much I loved Janey, Ally is the other half of my soul,” I declare, my gaze meeting each of my brothers before landing on Hades and holding his.
“Then we bring your ol’ lady home,” Hades mutters, nodding his head as his expression transforms into one which we’ve only seen a handful of times. He’s out for blood as much as I am. “Miguel has fucked with us one time too many, and it’s time for this fucker to meet the Devil himself.”
“Agreed. Do we know where he would have taken her?” I ask, directing my attention back to our Prez.
“No, right now, Gadget is working on tracking every possible direction. They couldn’t have gotten far. I mean, it’s only been a couple hours. We’ll find them,” Twister states.
“Damn right, we will,” Hammer growls from where he’d been sitting silently.
He’s seemed reserved from the moment I saw him this morning. What he found out yesterday at Ally’s house must have really gotten to him. I can’t blame the man for the convulsion running through him.
“I’m calling lockdown for all the ol’ ladies. I don’t want any of them alone. Same goes for the kids as well,” Twister announces, to which we all nod. “I’m also getting that fucking wall put up. No one will be able to breach our doors again. This shit is not happening again.” Lifting a vase from its stand, he throws it against the wall, smashing it to pieces.
“Break anything else, Prez, and we will end up having to give a hefty donation to the hospital,” Thorn says as he approaches Twister. It’s never good when he starts throwing things. He always ends up destroying things. Hence, his name being what it is.
“I don’t give a fuck. This shit has got to stop. I’m fuckin’ President for a reason, and I’m failing at protecting my own club,” he roars out as he throws another item across the room. Yep, Thorn’s right— we're gonna end up giving a hefty donation, but I know where the man’s coming from. However, instead of destroying shit, my anger is boiling, waiting to erupt.
I’m merely biding my time until I get my hands on the fucker who took my woman. He’s gonna feel what I did to his father and those who got in my way. Rage and I’d gone on a rampage after Janey’s death. This time, it will be nothing but a bloodbath as I kill them all. Being in the military, I learned one thing that will always stick with me— mark to kill and show no mercy.
And that’s exactly what I’ll be doing with Miguel. I’d been planning my revenge against him for long enough, now it’s time to seek it. I will not allow this man to take another woman from me.
A knock on the door stops Twister from doing any more damage as he twists around just as Horse steps in with a grimace on his face.
“How is she?” Twister croaks.
“She’ll be okay. They had to take her in for an emergency C-Section. I have another son,” Horse rasps, his eyes glistening with tears.
“That’s good news, brother. What’s wrong?” Thorn asks.
Shaking his head, Horse looks up at the ceiling as he places his hands on his head. “They don’t know if he’ll make it. He was rushed to the NICU. Fuck, he was so small,” he whispers.
Low curses are heard throughout the room.
“I’m sorry, brother,” Twister mumbles as he hugs Horse to him. “You focus on Kenny and the kids. We’ll worry about the rest. This motherfucker will pay for all the pain he’s caused.”
“Thanks. I gotta get back in there before Kenny wakes up and freaks. Last thing I need is for her to hurt herself trying to get out of bed. She’s already gonna lose her shit when she finds out about the baby. Shit, I need to go check on him too,” he mutters, raking a hand through his hair as he turns to leave the room.
Silence fills the room as everyone takes in the pain Horse is goin’ through right now. He’s our VP, and right now, he’s crumbling. He’s a man who loves his family as much as he does the club.
Closing my eyes, I inhale deeply as I go over the plan forming in my head. With all that’s happening right now, minds are unfocused.
As I open my eyes, I meet Rage’s eyes then turn to Hades. We’re gonna have to handle this between the three of us. Means a more intimate affair as the blood flows through our fingers.
“Time for the hunt,” I mutter before slinking out of the room, heading for the exit. There’s nothing else we can do here, and we won’t find out anything on Mac until he’s out of surgery. Now, I can get to the clubhouse, grab my shit, and see if Gadget has a location.
I will not allow Miguel to win. Not again.
Chapter Seventeen
Ally
I don’t know how long I’d been out of it, but from the moment Miguel released me from the basement, I’ve counted down the time to the minute. Well, I did until he took away anything that would tell me what time it was.
I knew it had been at least two days, and since then, I’ve been in his presence the entire time. Miguel refuses to allow me out of his sight and makes sure to touch me as much as possible. Though he didn’t go all the way yet, he did everything else.
I wanted to gag each time he kissed me. Not only did his breath reek of rotten eggs, but he also reminded me of the chocolate Labrador I had when I was a kid who would slobber all over me. It was simply the worst kiss I’d ever endured, and that’s saying something.
The best one will always be with Burner. God, I miss him.
Shaking my head, I glance around the room as I sit in a chair by the window while Miguel tends to business with his men. Each of them ha
s racked my body with sneers as they glare at me. The only one I hadn’t seen since being released was the bitch who handed me over to Miguel in the first place.
Lena.
According to Miguel, when I’d dared to ask, he smiled and informed me she’d left. Gone back to Franklin, while I’m stuck on this secluded island somewhere in the Gulf.
In any other scenario, I’d love the idea of being on this island, even in this house. It’s beautiful; however, I’m here with the wrong man.
As I wait for Miguel to decide on something else to do, I focus out the window on the waves as they break, wishing I was out there.
My mind drifts to a better place, one where Burner and I run along the shore, him chasing after me as we laugh with each other. He’d catch me right before I make it to the water and lift me in the air, spinning me around.
I swear, if I get out of this, I’m gonna let him know how I feel about him. He deserves to know, even if by that time he’s changed his mind.
Closing my eyes briefly, I recall the morning we shared in my bed right after my emotional breakdown. The way his eyes shined with devotion, and the smile on his face was genuine. I don’t know why it took me being kidnapped again to realize I didn’t want to give up what he and I could have together.
What’s that saying? ‘It takes something colossal to see what’s directly in front of you.’ How true it is.
Does that mean I won’t do what I have to do to protect those I care about? No, I’ll sacrifice myself for my family, which is what everyone at the club has become.
“Mi reina, come, I’ve finished for the day. How about we spend some time on the beach? There’s bathing suits in the room for you,” Miguel says, drawing my attention back to the room.
I give Miguel a smile I hope he believes as I inwardly shiver under the lustful gaze he’s giving me. I need to hurry up and figure out an escape plan to get out of here. I’m not sure how much longer I have before he’s done with whatever game he’s playing.
