by Sam Crescent
Most of the bruises she’d gotten months ago had long since faded and now it looked like she had a new shiner, courtesy of her husband.
After she washed and changed, she made her way downstairs, where she found Bear in the kitchen, leaning over the counter, sipping a mug of hot chocolate.
“You look … serious.”
“I am. I don’t want you being alone with Bishop again,” he said.
She folded her arms across her chest. “Why not?”
“I need you to trust me to know that I’m doing what is best for you.”
“Don’t you think this is a little strange?” she asked. “He’s supposed to be my husband and yet, you don’t seem to want me to be near him. None of it makes any kind of sense to me.”
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
“Yes. You know I do.”
“Then know this, he doesn’t always have your best interests at heart. He’s always been a selfish prick and tonight, you got to see what he’s really like. This is not just tonight. This is what he’s like all the time. Only ever looking after himself. Never considering the bigger picture.”
“And it scares you?” she asked.
“Your safety is what I’m worried about. Not Bishop’s. He can take care of himself as he’s been doing a pretty good job of it so far. Don’t believe everything he tells you. Bishop has his own agenda.”
“Okay. I won’t.” She didn’t know if this made her feel happy or sad to know she couldn’t trust the one man she was supposed to.
****
“You just can’t stand it, can you?” Bishop asked, spitting blood onto the floor.
“What is it I can’t stand?” Preacher asked.
When he’d gotten a call that Bishop and Robin had been spotted at the bar, he didn’t want to believe it. He’d hoped Bishop wouldn’t be so fucking stupid as to take her to a public place where Reaper could get to her.
He didn’t know the full extent of Reaper’s reach, but when he did, he would make the bastard pay. Until that time, he had to be content to sit around, waiting for shit to happen. This wasn’t what he was used to. In fact, the very idea itself was fucking insane. Following leads was all well and good, but it took him away from the business he needed to contend with, which was by far more important than anything else.
“The thought of Robin remembering me with her. Of her thinking about me. I know you think you won her over, but I know my girl, and Robin, she belongs to me.”
He grabbed his son’s jacket, pulling him close. “You think she belongs to you, but you can’t even listen to a simple request. Do you even know why she was sick? Vomiting? She’d been perfectly healthy, but after a short time in there, she’s ill. Do you think she remembered something she couldn’t stand? Maybe the truth about your marriage being a complete and total fucking lie.” He shoved Bishop away from him. “You think you know what’s best for her, but at every single turn, you’re hurting her. You did it when she was pregnant, and you’re doing it now.”
“You were never supposed to have her.”
“You think these feelings were planned? Prepared? Are you really that fucking stupid?”
“Fuck you.”
He hit him again. Preacher wanted to do a whole lot more, but he held himself back, only for Robin. He didn’t want her to feel guilty in case she saw Bishop’s face and felt it was her fault.
Bishop earned every single beating he got, and Preacher was going to make sure his son knew it.
“Look what happened the last time you and Robin tried to make a go of it. Reaper came and tore you apart. It’s time you let me have my best friend back. She knows me. She’s comfortable with me. You should have seen the way we were dancing tonight. It was like the past meant nothing. You call me selfish, look at yourself. You’re old enough to be her dad and you’re not letting her go. Maybe it’s time for you to take your own advice and leave her the fuck alone.”
Staring at his son, Preacher didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to. There was no point in prolonging this.
Without saying anything, he went back to his bike and rode straight to Dog’s crew. On the edge of the border, he stopped, parked his bike, and climbed off, leaving it running. One of Dog’s crew shouted out and seconds later, a door opened.
Every single time he came to Dog’s turf, he was close by. It was like the son of a bitch had a radar or some shit for knowing when he was going to stop by.
“Well, well, well, to what do I owe the pleasure this time?”
“He’s watching her. He’s got eyes all over the place,” Preacher said. “So I want to make a deal with you.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, whatever you want, so long as it’s reasonable, it’s yours. In return, I want you, your men, and your group helping me to keep an eye on Robin. I’m willing to pay. The fighting ring, it’s all yours if you want it.”
“Wow,” Dog said, looking over his shoulder. “And your boys voted for this?”
“They voted to bring down Reaper and Slaves to the Beast in any form possible. This is what I’m doing to achieve that.”
“But you need eyes on your girl in order to achieve that.”
Preacher thought about his son. The way Bishop was able to take her dancing without him knowing until it could have been too late. He didn’t know how far away or near Reaper was when he took out Milo. For all he knew, he could be really fucking close, and he didn’t like the thought of that son of a bitch getting close to his woman.
This was a game he really didn’t want to play but everyone was pushing him to. “What do you say? Do we have a deal?”
Dog looked over his shoulder again. “Walk with me.”
“I’m going to have to tell my boys to stand down.”
“Go ahead. You can keep your weapons. I don’t care. I’ll kill you before you can even use them.”
Dog waited as Preacher returned to his men, letting them know he was walking with Dog.
“I don’t like this,” Frost said. “I don’t like any of this.”
“I know what I’m doing.”
“I hope so,” Grave said.
Preacher left his men and walked back to Dog. Side by side, they headed forward. Preacher didn’t know what he was going to find or why Dog wanted him alone.
Dog’s men didn’t follow, and when they got to the end of the street, Dog took off into the woods.
Without questioning the motives or why he was following him, he took off with him.
They ran for twenty minutes before Dog finally stopped and sat down on a fallen tree.
“You want to tell me what all of this is about?”
“Clearly, one of us has a leak in our crew. I’ve yet to find anyone who would even have the guts to step out on me, which leaves your crew. Someone is giving Reaper information. It’s how he has always stayed one step ahead.”
“Until tonight. Reaper didn’t have the first clue I’d found his little cave.” He updated Dog with the information he’d seen, including Reaper’s desire to get her back.
“Then all I ask you, Preacher, is who wasn’t part of your club. Who didn’t have the first clue what was going on?” Dog asked.
Preacher sat back and looked at Dog.
“You know the answer and so do I.”
“My son,” Preacher said.
“And who was with her the day she was taken?”
“You’re telling me you think my son is the person who’s been helping Reaper stay one step ahead?”
“At first, I thought it could be a coincidence. You know, some men get lucky, but not this guy. Even I don’t get that kind of luck and I make my own luck. I thought about it after our last conversation. Bishop doesn’t want her to remember, does he? What if old Robin knows something new Robin doesn’t?” Dog looked around. “You need to be careful with him.”
“He’s my son.”
“And I don’t think he’s a big fan of yours, is he?”
Preacher shook his head. “No, but I don’t
… he didn’t like that me and Robin were in a relationship, that’s all.”
Dog shrugged. “You’ve got to put pressure on your boy, Preach. I’m telling you, Bishop’s the guy when it comes to Reaper.”
Chapter Eight
Time with Reaper
Robin wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn’t do it. Holding on to her legs, she tried to stay as still as possible.
One of the men working at the hotel where they were staying had dared to lay a finger on her. She didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t to be dragged into the middle of nowhere, placed near a fire, and watch as Reaper worked his magic, his exact words, on the man.
Now, the man in question had cupped her ass and told her she would need to ride a real man one day. Reaper had taken offense. She didn’t know if he was doing this because of her honor or because he was upset by his lack of respect. Either way, the man currently didn’t have a tongue and was being butt-fucked by a bat.
She felt sick.
In all of her years near the Twisted Monsters MC, she’d never seen anything quite so vile in all of her life. She wanted to throw up, cry, scream, and beg him to stop. His men were loving the show, telling him to make the guy take the bat even more.
She stared into the flames, holding herself tightly, wanting to be anywhere but here. The days had started to meld together now.
Another scream filled the air, and she flinched as Reaper pulled the bat out and proceeded to beat him with it. The sound was a crunch, and the deathly silence filled the air. Seconds later, cheers erupted. His men were more than happy with the death and carnage that had occurred while she wanted to weep for the man.
Did anyone deserve that kind of treatment?
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Reaper washed his hands and face and threw out cans of beers to his buddies.
He stepped close to her, gripped the back of her neck, titled her head back, and kissed her. Catcalls rang out as he deepened the kiss. Finally, when he was done, he let her go, and she held herself even more tightly, wanting to escape.
“What’s the matter? Didn’t enjoy the show?” Reaper asked, opening his beer and drinking. He drank a great deal but never did drugs. Compared to his men, Reaper was in shape.
“Did you really have to do that?”
“I’ve got to set an example to my boys. Business will mean I’ll have to leave you alone. If they think they can touch you, do you really think witnessing that guy getting what was coming to him is the worst of your problems?”
“Why don’t you just send me home?” she asked. “Then no one would have to die and I wouldn’t have to worry about you going crazy on everyone.”
“Nah, not going to happen. Where’s the fun in that?” he asked.
“I want to go…” She wanted to say home but instead, asked to go back to the hotel.
Reaper surprised her by agreeing. He walked her back to his bike, and a couple of his men followed. The others stayed at the fire. She didn’t ask what they were going to do about the body. The less she knew about them and what they got up to, the better. She would already have nightmares for weeks to come after what she’d just seen and heard. That man, she hadn’t wanted him to touch her, but she also didn’t want him to beg for death or feel so much pain.
Arriving back at the hotel, she realized she was getting used to riding on the back of his bike. Her legs no longer felt like jelly. She rushed toward the hotel room, needing to clear her mind and head. Rather than stop at the bed, she went straight to the bathroom, needing to rid herself of the very memory of what just happened. Turning the shower to cold, she stepped beneath the water, wanting to do nothing more than forget. Her thoughts, as they always did, turned to Preacher. Was he still looking for her? Time wasn’t on her side and she’d never in all her life felt so lost and alone.
She stood beneath the spray of the water for what felt like hours, but for her, time did seem to move differently. Minutes felt like hours. Hours more like days.
After turning off the water, she wrapped her body in a towel and left the room.
Reaper was on the bed, naked.
When she appeared, he got off and brushed past her, going into the shower. There was no point in trying the door. If it wasn’t already locked, there would be a guard outside. She knew because she’d tried it several times.
She dried as fast as she could, grabbing a nightshirt, any shirt, and quickly climbing into bed. She turned onto her side, facing the wall, closing her eyes, and hoping sleep would find her.
After what she’d just witnessed, sleep would be a long way off.
Still, she tried.
Failed.
Reaper returned from the shower without saying a single word. The light was turned off and the bed dipped with his body. She held on to her pillow and within seconds, his arms wrapped around her.
“I know right now you hate what you saw, but one day, you’re going to see I don’t let anyone put their hands on my woman.”
“I’m not your woman.” She whispered the words, wanting him to see the truth.
“You are.” The hand at her stomach moved down to between her thighs.
She squeezed her eyes closed, hoping above all else to not respond to his touch. She was stronger than him.
Only, her body didn’t believe that. Not as he started to kiss her neck. He hadn’t used his fists in a long while. She had no doubt he was capable of hitting her. There was a time he would laugh as he hurt her. Reaper had decided to hurt her another way, by getting her body to betray her. He knew what to do to make her ache.
He kissed down her back and there was no way to stop him as he spread her legs.
“I want you to come all over my face, baby,” he said.
Robin cried out as his tongue flicked across her clit, sending a spiral of fire between her thighs, moaning his name, begging for more. Never wanting him to stop.
He grabbed her ass, pressing his face against her pussy and licking her up as if she was some sweet treat he couldn’t get enough of. The pleasure was too much, and even as she hated herself, she came all over his face. Now that he’d gotten the satisfaction of getting her to orgasm, she knew what would come next.
He’d make love to her.
****
Present day
Bear had become a little more protective of her since the night Bishop took her out. The memories weren’t back, but she’d have flashes of feelings. Bear also wouldn’t leave the house or her side, and so for the past week, she’d been more like his personal prisoner.
Robin had needed a break, and so after she’d gone to her room for the night, she climbed out of her window. It wasn’t hard to do, but it did scare her.
She hated heights. She didn’t know if this was a newfound fear or one extending from her previous life.
Dropping to the ground from where she’d used the tree as leverage, she went onto her hands and knees, crawling past the windows, heading down to the driveway. When she was sure she was clear, she got to her feet and ran. At least she tried to run, which was impossible. The pain was too much and she couldn’t run properly. She ended up in a fast-paced walk.
She wasn’t afraid but once as she got as far as possible, she finally slowed down. She’d been around the town a few times now and so she recognized it.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, she folded her arms, suddenly feeling a little afraid. If something bad was to happen to her, she had no way of contacting anyone to come and help her.
Glancing left and right, she took a deep breath.
I can do this.
I’m a strong woman.
I’ve been through a lot.
I just don’t exactly know what I’ve been through.
It’s all a little fuzzy, but I can handle it.
She kept on walking until she got to the police station. For some reason, she found herself stopping and staring at the building. There was a single light on but she didn’t go inside. The cold was seeping into her bones, and
she waited.
When a man came out, she recognized him as the cop who’d come to see her at the hospital. Billy something.
“Robin,” he said the moment he spotted her.
“Hi, sir,” she said.
“It’s Billy. I imagine with everything going on in your life right now, remembering names isn’t high on the list.”
“I don’t really know what is high on my list of things to remember.” She took a deep breath in.
“Do you want me to call someone for you?”
“No!” She held her hand out as if to stop him. “I mean, please don’t.”
“You’re out on your own?”
“Something like that. I don’t want to worry anyone. Bear’s being a little protective.”
“Your dad always has tried to be. Especially when it comes to you.”
She nodded but didn’t question it. She ran her hand from her neck down to her chest, feeling her own pulse. Glancing around, she noticed a couple of people walking their dogs.
“Would you like me to take you somewhere?”
She was about to decline when she thought of something. “Would you take me to Preacher’s house?”
“Yeah, of course.” He nodded to the passenger side of the car. “Jump in.”
She got into the car, putting the seatbelt on and staring forward. “Are you any closer in finding the person who took me?” she asked, not liking the silence within the car.
“I’m always chasing up leads. I’m sure Preacher’s doing his own research when it comes to you.”
“He cares a great deal.”
“Yes, when it comes to you, he does.” Billy took off, heading out of town.
“Where are we going?”
“Preacher doesn’t live close. It’s on the outskirts of town, away from all the trouble.”
“Oh.”
“How’s the memory coming?”
“It’s … not.” She turned to look at him. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Bishop and I, what were we like as a married couple?”
“I don’t think I should talk about things you don’t know.”
“You don’t?”
“Your and Bishop’s marriage was complicated.”
