Unbroken (Forgotten Rebels MC #1)

by Beth D. Carter

  “Please––he’ll want to see me,” she said.

  “The only reason he’ll want to see you is if you want to be club pussy,” the biker warned. “He’s not going to declare his undying love for you.”

  She frowned. “Is that how girls stay inside? Being, what, a whore?”

  “Yep. Now, you seem really young. Are you even legal?”

  “I’m eighteen,” she replied. She squared her shoulders. “Fine, if that’s what I have to do. I just need to see Wick. Please.”

  The biker sighed. “All right. But I’m warning you, little girl, when Wick puts you up as club property I’m going to claim first dibs. Got it?”

  Her stomach rolled at the thought of what he implied. Not that she found the bearded biker unattractive, but her life was a mess. And the knowledge of how her last so-called romance turned out had put a sour taste in her mouth against any type of sexual entanglement. Still, she didn’t want to die, especially not by Tyler’s hands. Ironic, since this mess had started all because she wasn’t ready for sex. Yet here she was, ready to become a whore for protection.

  She took a deep breath, ignoring how her heart pounded with dread, and nodded. “I understand.”

  “I think Wick is a little busy but you can come inside and wait for him.”

  The biker stepped back and held the door open and she entered the compound.

  He looked her up and down again and she knew she looked a fright, with dirty torn clothes hanging off her thin frame. She’d lost too much weight since her family had died, but she didn’t care. The biker slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close.

  “My name is Heart. I can tell we’re gonna be real good friends.”

  He walked her back to a large two-story house in the middle of the compound. Motorcycles littered the yard. Two garages rested on either side of the house, with men working on bikes. Several people glanced her way and Piper stared back at each of them. These men didn’t intimidate her, even with their leather cuts, tattoos, and fierce demeanors. Instead of bad men, she saw protectors. Once upon a time, she had watched a lot of television, so she wasn’t naïve. Piper knew they probably did some bad things, but Tyler had been pure evil, and most people would’ve trusted him instantly based on his money and clean-cut good looks. She certainly had. It just went to prove how appearances could be deceiving.

  Heart led her into the house. Some men played pool in the corner on a table that had seen better days. Others sat on couches with scantily clad women on their laps. A few men were seated at the long bar that dominated one side of the room. Now that she saw the women, dread filled her as the harsh reality of her future was there before her, painted in black and white.

  “You can sit here and wait,” Heart said, pointing to a stained recliner.

  Piper nodded and sat down. He left her alone, walking to the bar to grab himself a beer. She counted four club women, who all stared at her with wary curiosity. They certainly didn’t intimidate her and she stared back directly, letting them know she wasn’t someone to be pushed around. This was the only place she could turn to, so she wasn’t about to be booted out due to jealousy or any petty issues. Whatever they saw in her must have worked in her favor, because soon the girls went back to their activities. She sat there for a while, with Heart watching her the whole time. She didn’t care. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe––and she’d trade everything in the world to stay that way. She closed her eyes and relaxed her tense muscles.

  The thump of boots on the stairs had her opening her eyes, and Piper looked over to see Wick descending, laughing and necking with a woman he had his arm around. She stood up and their eyes met. Wick’s eyes widened and a second later he left the girl behind to make a beeline directly toward her.

  “Why didn’t you guys tell me my sister was here!” he hollered, anger lighting his face.

  Heart lost his smirk, as he glanced from Wick to her and back again.

  “Your sister?” he asked, clearly shocked.

  Wick ignored the man as he stopped in front of her and cupped her chin, turning her head one way and then the other.

  “What’s wrong? Why are you here, Piper?” he demanded. “You look like death warmed over.”

  “I need your help, Wick,” she whispered. “And I…I’m willing to do anything as long as I get your protection.”

  She glanced toward the club women, letting him know without words exactly what she meant.

  Wick frowned. “What are you talking about? I can call your mother––”

  “They’re dead,” she said sadly, shaking her head. Tears filled her eyes. “They’re all dead.”

  Wick took a step back and his hand fell away from her. Shock and disbelief crossed over his face. “What? What do you mean?”

  “I’m so sorry,” she said. Her chin quivered and she fought hard against the tears threatening to fall.

  “My dad?” he asked hoarsely.

  “Shot. Murdered. My mom and Casey too.”

  He backed up until he hit a chair, then he sat heavily. Grief covered his face. She wanted to hug him, to share in their mutual pain, but she gave him his space so he could process the news. Besides, it wasn’t like they had ever been close or anything.

  “They’re…dead?”

  She knew his question was simple clarification, and she hated to answer yes, but she didn’t have a choice.

  “Yeah.”

  “Son-of-a-bitch!” he yelled. Wick stood up, turned, and kicked the chair with so much force it flew backward and crashed into the bar. The clubhouse fell completely silent, and the members stared at them in horror, pity on each face.

  “What happened?” Wick demanded. “You said murdered. Tell me the motherfucker who did it was caught.”

  Piper took a deep breath, and right there in front of most of the club Brothers, she told her story. How she began dating Tyler Stafford, a boy from a very affluent family. How she’d rejected him. The whole sordid story came pouring out, up to the night he had broken into her house to come after her.

  “I was in my bedroom, asleep,” she said, trying to be brave. Being surrounded by Wick and his men made it a little easier.

  “What did he do, Piper?” Wick asked.

  “He…tried to kidnap me. I managed to scream.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “Your dad tried to help me, but I didn’t know Tyler had a gun. He…he shot Michael. Mom and Casey were there in the hallway, and Tyler shot them too. I thought he was going to kill me.”

  Anger and grief saturated his expression, vying for dominance. “Go on.”

  “The neighbor must have called the police,” she said. She cleared her throat and wiped away the tears away that trickled down her cheeks. “They got him. Managed to arrest him. But he got out on bail.”

  “How the fuck did he make bail?” Heart demanded, making her jump.

  She flicked her gaze at him. “His attorney argued it was voluntary manslaughter. I told you, his family has a lot of money.”

  Wick ran a hand through his hair. “My dad is…gone. And my ten-year-old brother.” He looked at her. “You came here…why?”

  “He came after me again,” Piper told him. “Killed the female cop watching over me. I took her ID to buy a bus ticket to St. Louis. Then I hitchhiked here. I knew your club was located in Stevens. Wasn’t hard to find the compound.”

  Anger blossomed on Wick’s face. “Hitchhiked? Shit, Piper. You should’ve called me.”

  “I didn’t have your number,” she admitted. “But…I can’t trust anyone. I was in a safe house, Wick. No one was supposed to know where I was, but he found me within hours of posting bail.”

  “Which means someone was paid off,” he said.

  “Yeah.” She took another deep breath. “I don’t have anyone else, Wick. No place where I can go and…I’m willing to do anything in exchange for your protection.”

  “You’re my sister.”

  “Step-sister,” she whispered.

  “Doesn’t
matter. You’re family. Christ, you should be in college, Piper.”

  “I’d rather be safe.”

  “Your future––!”

  “I won’t have one if I try to live a normal life, Wick,” she said. “You know that. Tyler has escaped. I’ll never have a moment’s peace. Always looking over my shoulder to see if he’s out there. Please.”

  Wick rested his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll find him. Kill him.”

  “No! I don’t want you hurt too!” Panic had her grabbing his hands, shaking her head furiously.

  “He killed our family.”

  “Please,” she said again. Begging, now. “I just want to be safe. I want you to be safe. You can’t find him without endangering yourself––and me. I couldn’t live with myself if you or your club were hurt because of me. Enough people have died, Wick.”

  “Fuck!” he yelled and turned away to pace a few steps. “You’re asking me to turn the other cheek.”

  She nodded. “I know.”

  “I want revenge, Piper.”

  “Then take revenge by making sure he never finds me.”

  He took a deep breath and placed his hands on his hips. “For you, because of what you went through, I will do this. But I don’t like it. Not one bit.”

  “I understand. I know what it means to be a part of this club.”

  He arched one eyebrow. “And you’re willing to live this way?”

  “Yes,” she said firmly, lifting her chin. “Because I’ll be alive.”

  Wick rubbed a hand over his head before he looked at his men. She followed his gaze. One by one the club Brothers nodded, giving their support.

  “She’s only eighteen,” Wick said. “Anyone got a problem with that?”

  “She’s legal,” Heart replied. “Why would we have a problem with her age?”

  “Because she’s not club pussy, got it?” Wick demanded. Heart held up his hands pacifically. Wick went on. “Since she’s my sister, she’ll likewise be a sister to this club, under all of our protection. Agreed?”

  A chorus of yeses reverberated through the room. Tension eased off her shoulders, making her feel a little light-headed.

  Wick looked back at her. “But Piper dies tonight.”

  She knew what he meant. To lose herself in her new life, her old one had to die. It was an easy sacrifice to make, considering her entire family had been slaughtered because of her. “Agreed,” she said.

  Chapter Three

  Eight Years Later

  “Sissy, pass me another beer!”

  Piper opened the cooler and grabbed another bottle, taking the bottle opener and flipping it off before sliding it down to Heart. The bearded biker winked his thanks and she smiled. He had recently expressed interest in her as a woman, hinting that maybe she could become his old lady, but Piper wasn’t sure if she wanted to go down that path with a man she considered a friend.

  It had been Heart who began calling her ‘Sissy’ when she started working around the club, cleaning up after them. Washing their clothes. Serving their beer. Taking care of the clubhouse was a full-time job, and one she actually enjoyed doing. It gave her a sense of purpose. The Forgotten Rebels Motorcycle Club was her home. Her life. She’d do anything for the Brothers. They had given her their protection and after eight years, the nightmares had finally ceased.

  Every once in a while she wondered what her life would’ve been like had her family not been killed by her crazy stalker ex-boyfriend, but those thoughts were fleeting. What had been done was history, and the only path she could take was one moving forward.

  “The White Death should be here soon,” Heart said and Piper nodded to say she heard him.

  The Rebels had decided to become affiliated with the White Death MC, a rather large ‘one per center’ outlaw group residing about two hours away in the town of Rider Pass. The Rebels had always stayed on the down low, preferring to keep to themselves in their small part of the Missouri backwoods, but Piper had heard the new president of the White Death wanted their support patch since they were practically neighbors. Her brother, Wick, had put it up for a vote and the Brothers had unanimously agreed.

  “I think you should stay out of sight until this business is completed,” Heart continued, staring at her.

  Piper crossed her arms in front of her chest and cocked her head. “Stay out of sight?”

  “Yeah.”

  Heart didn’t elaborate. Piper snorted and shook her head before heading to the sink to wash some glasses.

  “You know they’ll be here for a few days,” she said. “I’ve busted my ass cleaning out the rooms upstairs. I’m not going to hide in my bedroom until they’ve gone.”

  “You can hide in my bedroom,” he replied with a raised eyebrow.

  “I’m not your property, Heart.”

  “I want you to be.”

  She shook her head. “We’re friends. You know that.”

  “I also know you’ve been alone for eight years, Sissy. That fucker ain’t going to find you. It’s time you lived your life and I think we would make a great couple.”

  She sighed and finished cleaning the dishes before wiping her hands on a towel. She hated when he did this. The more she pushed him away, the more determined he became.

  “I have to go make the beds,” she said and left the bar. His gaze followed her but she ignored him. Every member in the Forgotten Rebels was her family, so she could never think of them romantically. But Heart had made one valid point. Tyler hadn’t found her. Perhaps it was time to move out of the clubhouse, move onto something else. She was only twenty-six. Plenty of time to go back to school and find something she was good at. What, she had no idea, but it lingered in her mind to think about later.

  Piper spent the rest of the day making beds for their impending guests and about an hour later she heard the commotion as several bikes roared into the compound. She walked to the nearest window and moved the curtain aside to look out. There were four riders, but it was hard to see what they looked like from an aerial view. The only impression she could form was that each man was big, wearing their leather riding jackets and half-helmets. The leader, with a head of dark hair, shook hands with Wick. They talked for a few minutes and then they all moved into the clubhouse, no doubt heading into church.

  Piper turned back to the room and finished her work. She didn’t have time to wonder what was going on. The club had made a decision, and though she didn’t really like that the Rebels were now under someone’s thumb, she had no say in the matter. She wasn’t club pussy, but she was still club.

  Making her way downstairs, Piper headed to the back of the house where she loaded the dirty sheets into the washing machine. After adding detergent and turning it on, she went back to the bar area. She saw that Parky and Doll were near the beer cooler whispering to each other. She scanned the room for the others and saw Bird sitting on Heart’s lap, Heaven playing pool with one of the prospects and Tilly preening in the back mirror.

  “What’s up?” she asked as she joined Parky and Doll.

  Parky’s blue eyes were wide and dreamy. Out of the five club girls, Piper liked her best simply because Parky was a romantic at heart. They’d spent many nights watching sappy old black-and-white films starring the old screen legends, like Spencer Tracy and Jean Harlow.

  “They’re gorgeous,” she whispered.

  Piper furrowed her brow in confusion. “Who?”

  “The men of The White Death,” Doll said. Doll was small, with tiny features, which had prompted her nickname. “The leader is hella hot.”

  Piper smirked as she started to restock the beer cooler, pulling the cold bottles forward as she placed the warm ones in the back. “Is that so?”

  “His name is Kix,” Parky said. “His V.P. is Slade. And he brought their treasurer and Sergeant-at-Arms. I wouldn’t mind doing any of them.”

  “Give it time,” Piper teased. “They’ll be here a few nights.”

  Parky and Doll giggled. Piper had long ago gotten
over the sexual aspect of what happened in the club. Her parents might have sheltered her but she’d not been stupid, and Wick hadn’t hidden her from the realities of what it meant to be part of an MC. Men and women had sex in front of one another, women gave the Brothers blowjobs in full view of others, and sometimes they even walked around topless. To say she had learned a lot over the past eight years was an understatement.

  The afternoon flew by and she knew the men in the church had to be getting hungry, so she went into the kitchen and began making sandwiches. It was something she’d done a hundred times before. After the platter was finished, she sent a quick text to Wick. He replied almost immediately that it was okay for her to enter with the food.

  Picking up the platter, she carried it to the church door and one of the men let her in. Wick smiled his appreciation when he saw the pile of food she’d made. She quickly set it down and made a beeline for the door, knowing to get out as soon as possible.

  “Wait,” came a deep voice. “I thought I met all the club girls.”

  Piper halted and glanced over to the opposite end of the table. Her gaze met a pair of eyes so green it made her think of emeralds. They were framed with the type of dark lashes that women would kill to have. His black hair flopped a little over his forehead, and scruff outlined a strong jaw. Next to his left eye was a small tattoo, a black diamond. The man was big, muscular, and he stared at her like he wanted to devour her. Butterflies swarmed through her belly and her mouth went dry. Piper tried to wet her lips with her tongue, but didn’t have enough saliva to do the job.

  “She’s not club pussy, Kix,” Wick said evenly.

  Kix flicked his gaze toward her brother. “Is she your old lady?”

  Wick shook his head. “My sister.”

  Kix visibly relaxed. “I see.” He looked at her once more. “What’s your name?”

  “I’m Sissy,” Piper said. “I take care of the house.”

  “Sissy,” he repeated, then frowned. “That name doesn’t seem to suit you.”

  She cleared her throat. “It’s what I’m called.”

  “And we’re all called something, aren’t we, sweetheart?”