by Erin Trejo
“You don’t think it’s early to be drinkin’?” Neo asks. Shaking my head, I flip him off.
“It’s fuck you o’clock, brother. I’m tired as shit and pissed off.”
“What’s got you all pissed?” Triton asks as if he doesn’t already know. We’ve been planning this shit for two weeks now. Two weeks of being cramped up in the clubhouse. Two fucking weeks of having that girl sleeping on my floor. Two goddamn weeks of stress that isn’t sitting well with me. Sherly drops off my drink and a few beers before I grab it and take it down quickly.
“She got you all in knots, Ransom. She changin’ her ways?” I shrug my shoulders because I don’t really know. Yeah she told me what I needed to get those girls but does she really think that’s the end of it?
“I thought she was until I told her I was killin’ her dad the other day,” I chuckle. Neo laughs grabbing a beer and taking a pull.
“You flat out told her that? What the fuck were you thinkin’, man?”
“I was thinkin’ I fucked her in the bathroom so she should know.”
“You fucked her? That’s what your problem is!” Triton adds right before Saylor walks over. She drops into his lap and looks around at all of us.
“Are we going to ignore the obvious problem?” she asks confusing the fuck out of me. What the hell is she talking about?
“We have a problem?” Neo asks her leaning his elbows on the table.
“We have a girl chained up in Ransom’s room. I’d say that’s a problem,” she shrugs.
“Sorry but I agree. Since when is that how this club works?” Trinity chimes in. I look to her and back to Neo waiting to see if he’s going to let her talk like that.
“You really think that’s a problem?” Neo asks leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.
“Yes!” The two of them say in unison.
“Ransom, I get it. She’s a liability or whatever the hell she is, I don’t know! All I heard was that she was being held for none other than ransom. Which is pretty fucking ironic if you ask me,” Saylor rambles on making me laugh.
“So what?”
“So, she doesn’t deserve to be stuck in a room all by herself every day. What kind of hell do you think that does to someone’s mind?” She stares me down but I already know what kind of hell. I lived it.
“Ransom knows what he’s doin’,” Neo chimes in. “He was a POW once his damn self. If he thinks he can handle it, that’s on him.” Way to put my history out there for everyone. Saylor’s eyes leap to mine and a sadness crosses her features.
“Then you know what I’m talking about. You’re not just holding her, you’re mentally breaking her, Ransom.”
“I think it’s bullshit!” Piper chimes in. I grab my beer and take a long pull. Here we go with these damn girls. I almost miss the days when no one had an old lady and it was just us assholes and some whores to stick our cocks in.
“Oh, do tell us why that is?” I say snidely.
“Saylor’s right. You’re fucking up her mental state. Did you enjoy it?” She snaps looking me in the eye. Flashbacks flicker like a movie behind my eyes. It was hell. Pure fucking hell.
“Since when did you get so damn mouthy?” I ask her in response.
“You can put a monitor on her. Let her out of the damn room. If she steps out of those doors, the alarm will go off,” Piper adds.
“How the hell do you know about the monitors?” Neo questions. Piper smirks and flips him off.
“Piper!” Triton scolds his little sister.
“You think we’re all so dumb because we don’t have a dick between our legs?” Triton moves Saylor off his lap and stands causing me to laugh. I can’t help it. That girl tests his patience more than anyone I’ve ever seen.
“What the hell is with you? You used to be a semi good kid!” Piper laughs at her brother, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I’m still good, just not a kid anymore.”
“You’re only eighteen!”
“Which is not a kid. Triton you know holding her in there is wrong. Would you like that shit if it was Saylor?” His face turns to stone and I already know the answer. None of them would like it if it was Saylor or one of the other girls.
“Fine. For the love of fuck if it’ll shut you two up, I’ll let her out!” Shoving out of my chair, I head toward the rooms as Neo and the girls laugh it up. They knew they’d get to me. When I shove in the door, I stop dead in my tracks. Henley sits curled up into a ball her head in her hands. My heart races and I wonder if it’s all too late. Maybe I’ve already broken her.
Chapter 16
Henley
I’ve never been alone so much in my life. I’ve never felt so useless and disgusted with myself than I do now. My mind wonders to what it must be like for those girls to live like this every day of their lives. For me? It’s a living hell and Ransom hasn’t even forced himself on me. The door pops open and my head slowly comes up my eyes meeting his.
“Seems you have a fan club,” he mumbles as he walks toward me. I can see the look in his eyes, he’s pissed off. Wonder who did it?
“What are you talking about?”
“You made an impression on the girls. They don’t think you should be locked in this room all by yourself. They think I should put a monitor on you and let you out.”
“I don’t need a monitor, I have nowhere to go.” The reality hits me hard but at the same time I think Ransom is right. I’ve been living my life of luxury while they were being used and abused for me to have that right.
“What does that mean?” He asks kneeling in front of me so our eyes connect.
“It means you’re right,” shaking my head, I huff out a breath. “I’m living while their dying. It’s wrong, Ransom. So very wrong and yet I didn’t want to look at the bigger picture. How could I have been so selfish?” Tears well up in my eyes and slowly fall down my cheeks. Ransom reaches up, running his thumbs over my skin, wiping them away.
“That’s all I wanted you to see. I’ll call your dad and let him know the trade can go forth,” he says softly, moving his hands to unhook the chain from my wrist. As soon as he stands, I stand too.
“No!” Ransom turns to face me, shock clearly evident. A strange look crosses his features as he crosses his arms over his chest and glares at me.
“What do you mean no? He wants you in return for our money. That was the deal. All I wanted from you was to know where those girls were and you told me. That’s the end of it, Henley.” Shaking my head slowly I mimic his stance. Crossing my arms over my chest, I glare back at him.
“You can’t just show me what kind of monster he is and expect me to go back there.” I keep my head held high as I look him in the eyes. Ransom’s lips pull up at the corners, a smirk crossing his face.
“Why not, princess? Isn’t that what you wanted? You wanted to be free of me and now you can be,” he smarts off.
“You don’t know me.” Ransom laughs a full belly laugh letting his arms fall to his sides. I risk the chance of being pushed away or chained back to the wall when I step toward him. His eyes stay on mine, neither of us saying a word. The closer I get the more I can smell him, taste him on the tip of my tongue. What Ransom doesn’t realize is that the more he kept me locked up, the more he gave me to think about, the more I saw him for who he truly is. He wants revenge for his mother. He wants to know that those girls are safe and that says something about who he is as a man. When I’m right in front of him, I raise my hands and press them to his chest, feeling his chest rise and fall rapidly. His eyes are hooded as he stares down at me.
“What are you tryin’ to prove here?” he asks in a husky tone. I lick my lips and look deep into his eyes before I say it.
“You were right. I’m not a good person. I turned my head while my dad made those girls work so that I could live a good life. I never wanted anything until now.” His chest begins rising and falling rapidly.
“What is it you want, princess?” His
scent invades my senses making me dizzy. How the hell do I want him so much when all he’s done is hurt me? What kind of logic is that?
“You. I want you, Ransom.” I try to lean in and kiss him but he pulls back. His hands come to rest on my shoulders keeping me at a distance.
“What makes you think that I want you?” Regret sits heavily in my chest. Something kept telling me not to tell him but I did it anyway. I wanted to take charge of myself. I wanted to be brave and prove to him that I could make my own decision but rejection hurts. I start to take a step back when he moves. His large frame crowds me, slamming me against the wall.
“You think you can tell me you want me and that’s it? You walk free and clear of it all? Do you know how much those girls have lost?” My chest aches as I try to hold back the sobs.
“I want them to have it all,” I whisper not knowing how he’ll react to that. His head tips to the side as his eyes narrow.
“Have what?”
“All the money in my account.”
“You think money can fix what happened to them? Are you that fuckin’ stupid!” He roars causing me to flinch.
“No but it will get them somewhere safe.” His eyes dance between mine before his lips come crashing down. He kisses me so roughly that my lips feel like their bruising. His teeth scrape along my lip and god help me it sends heat flooding through my veins. Ransom’s hands come to my hips, grinding against me. When he pulls his head back I whine.
“You understand what you’re doin’ right now?” Nodding my head slowly, he smirks. “What are you doin’ then, Henley?” As if he needs the confirmation, I give it to him.
“I’m giving myself to you. I’m helping you go after the man that never loved me in hopes that one day someone else can,” I admit, tears blurring my vision. Ransom groans and lifts me in his arms carrying me to the bed. Laying me down gently, he stands to remove his clothes. Slipping the t-shirt up my thighs, his rough fingers dance over my skin. Ransom climbs back on the bed between my spread legs and looks down at me.
“You don’t understand men like me, Henley. When we take somethin’ we don’t give it back.” His words send heat spiraling out of control throughout my body. My heart beats a little faster and I find myself needing to know. One question could break this whole thing apart and send me spiraling into darkness but I need to know.
“Will you keep me when it’s over?” the connection I feel to Ransom is different than most. It isn’t because he’s hot as hell which he is, it’s that he makes me look at myself differently. He isn’t afraid to point out the shitty qualities I have. He isn’t afraid to offend me by showing me what I couldn’t see myself. When Ransom first took me, I wanted to fight back and not believe him but over the time I’ve been with him, I can see it. How wrong I really was about many things in my life. I took what was given to me and I didn’t care how I got it. Seeing those lifeless eyes of his mother nearly killed me on the inside. Knowing that he had to sit there and witness it pushed me over the edge.
“Ransom?” I say his name softly when he doesn’t answer right away. He looks so torn and that isn’t him. He’s always in control and strong. “I understand if you say no.” Shaking his head slowly, he leans down and presses his lips to mine.
“Do you know how long I’ve watched you? Learned what you like and don’t like? What makes you smile and what makes you cry? You had an exterior that screamed you didn’t give a fuck. That you didn’t care and that pissed me off more than you could know. I wanted to hurt you, the idea just sent me fuckin’ spiralin’ but once you looked at that picture, I knew you saw it. You saw what it really was. If I take you right now, I don’t know that I could let you go. You’ve sparked somethin’ in me that I never knew was there.” My heart nearly leaps into my throat.
“I don’t understand.” His words confuse the hell out of me but when his lips claim mine once more, I’m lost in him. His hands move over my skin slowly, softly. I shiver and raise my hips wanting to feel more of him. Ransom growls and moves his lips down my jaw toward my neck. The scruff on his jaw scratches my skin further igniting the fire in me.
“You feel so goddamn good, Hen,” he mumbles against my skin. One hand slips down my side before moving between his. His hard cock presses against my wetness in the matter of seconds. This isn’t like in the shower. This is different and we can both feel it. When Ransom thrusts into me, I moan. My hands find their way around his neck, my nails pulling at his skin. Everything about Ransom screams wrong but god does it feel right. I’m lost in the pleasure that he’s instilling in me and I can’t focus on anything else. Each slow stroke of his body against mine just further pushes me over the edge. I can barely hang on when Ransom pulls back to look down at me. I groan when his movements stop.
“I mean it, Henley. I won’t let you go without a fight,” he reminds me. The dark look in his eyes sends heat coiling through me, my chest tightening.
“I don’t want you to let me go. Please don’t let me go,” I nearly beg him. Ransom growls and lifts my leg, sliding it over his shoulder. Each time he plunges into me feels like the first. His slowness has changed, his hips thrust harder and faster. Pleasure collides inside of me as Ransom breathes heavily.
“You’re gonna be mine, Henley. Only mine!” He growls hitting me so deeply. I don’t think I’ve ever been fucked the way he is fucking me right now. I feel like I’m on the high of my life and never want to come back down. Reality is a bitch but this is a trip to heaven.
“Only yours,” I cry as he picks up his pace. My body coils tightly and my stomach clenches.
“Yeah, do it!” Ransom grunts as I explode into a haze. My orgasms crashes through me ripping me to shreds when Ransom comes. I can feel his warm heat as it hits me, filling me. I clench my eyes shut as my body rolls with each wave of pleasure that races through me. I’m breathless and sated when Ransom’s lips caress mine.
“I never wanted to hurt you, Henley. I was lost in my head and you just wouldn’t listen. I lost it. I’ll never do that again,” he says softly, his lips inches from mine.
“I understand why you did it. I’ve never felt that kind of pain before but I understand.”
“You shouldn’t have to understand it. I should have never done it,” his voice rises slightly, aggravation with himself is clear as day. I grab the back of his neck and pull his lips to mine. Kissing him gently for a few minutes, he pulls back and looks down at me.
“I mean it. I will never hurt you again. I messed up and I’m sorry, Hen.”
“I know you won’t. It’s okay.”
“Is it? I hurt you. I fuckin’ whipped you for my own selfish reasons,” he says looking more and more defeated. I grab his face in my hands, holding him there to look in my eyes.
“It wasn’t your own reasons, Ransom. You wanted to protect those girls and I’m sorry I waited so long to tell you where they were. I’m sorry that I didn’t see what he was to begin with. I’m glad that you did what you did. You opened my eyes and made me see what was real.”
“What’s real for you now, Henley?” God, those eyes, that heart of his.
“You are.”
Chapter 17
Ransom
“So, let me get this straight. You no longer want to keep her as a hostage but you are keepin’ her?” Neo asks with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes burning into me.
“Yeah, pretty much sums it up.” Triton laughs next to me but Rebel curses. I don’t give two shits what either of them think.
“And how the fuck do you plan on gettin’ what the club is owed? Did you forget that part?” Neo growls keeping his eyes trained on me. I shake my head because I haven’t forgotten that part.
“I’m goin’ after him, Prez. This shit is personal and you know why.”
“Yeah! I know why and I thought that was the point of takin’ her! Now you’re tellin’ me that you’re keepin’ the bitch and goin’ after her daddy? What the hell is goin’ on with you, Ransom?” Having heard enough of his s
hit, I shove out of my chair and stand in front of him.
“I’m not askin’ for your permission, Neo. This shit goes back before you were prez and you know it. I held myself together when Blade was in charge but now? Now I’m takin’ my life back. I’m doin’ this regardless and I’m not askin’ the club to back me on it.” Turning on my heel, I head out of the room and straight toward the bar. Piper sits with a bottle of water in her hand when she sees me coming.
“You look angry.”
“No shit.” Motioning to the prospect behind the counter for a beer, I turn to look at her. Piper has grown into a beautiful woman that doesn’t deserve this life either. Triton did right by her sending her to live with Blade years ago. Now that she’s back, she is picking up everything that we tried to keep from her.
“What has you so mad?” She asks sweetly snapping my brain back to the here and now.
“I changed my mind on some things. Neo doesn’t really agree with it,” I admit to her.
“What did you change your mind about?” Just as she asks I glance up to see Henley standing with Saylor. My stomach cramps and the thought of what I did to her sends a jolt through my chest. I’m ashamed of myself for letting it get that far.
“She’s sticking around then?”
“Looks that way. I don’t know how that will work out later though. I did things…Fuck.” Running my hand through my hair, I sigh and look down at the counter in front of me. Piper’s hand comes to rest on my shoulder, her warmth swallowing me whole.
“We all make mistakes, Ransom. We all mess up but that’s the beauty of life. When we don’t fuck up to badly, we can try again and start over,” she tells me sweetly. I smirk and shake my head before looking over at her.
“How’d you get so smart?”
“I live with a group of assholes that fuck up all the time but I also see how they start over and fix what they broke. I don’t think she’s broken, Ransom, just bent.” Pulling my gaze back to Henley, she smiles at Saylor. It’s the most genuine smile I’ve seen since I’ve taken her. Saylor leans in and whispers something in her ear causing Henley’s gaze to shoot to mine. I swallow hard but I don’t look away.
