by M. T. Ossler
He cuts me off before I can finish yelling at him, with another vicious smack to the other side of my face, not liking my honest words.
“He’s turned you into a lying bitch now too, Izzy? Let’s get out of here so I can show you what happens to lying bitches.” He grabs my right forearm, and I don’t let him finish. I hit him across the face with my left hand. Yelling vicious words in Italian at the top of my lungs, letting all the hate I have towards him out with a fucking vengeance. More hate than I have ever felt for another person in my entire life. He isn’t going to touch me again, and I sure as hell am not leaving this building with him. I will kill him myself first if I have to, damn the consequences. What he doesn’t know and either does Gio, is that I took one of Gio’s knives to keep in the inside pocket of my kutte. I wanted to have some sort of weapon on me since I don’t have my gun and I couldn’t take one of Gio’s. I know all Gio’s friends and my brothers are all watching my every move, I never thought this slimy bastard would be this stupid to show up here, with all these bikers, but I wanted it on me for my own sanity.
I wiggle my arm free, so I can use my right hand.
“You will never touch me again, you sadistic bastard. I will kill you my fucking self.” He gets in my face hitting me for the last time and giving me the opportunity to be sneaky.
I recover from his hit quickly, remove my hand from my face, and move it under my kutte, to retrieve my knife. I’m fast, and he has no clue what I’m up to.
I whip out my knife and place it on the side of his throat before he knows what has hit him, surprising him with my fast speed. His men step forward and freeze now watching my every move.
“You are a fucking monster, and you will never touch me or Gio’s and my babies. Hear my words, fucking loud and clear, Satan? Never, I never allowed you to touch me then, and I will not allow you to touch me now! You are fucking scum and shouldn’t be allowed to walk this earth, let alone breathe the same air as any of us.” In the middle of my rant, the door burst open for the second time since I’ve stood here. All the bikers from the bar come barreling in, grabbing ahold of the goons, taking them by surprise. Gio, Gator, and Maddox push their way forward and straight to my side. The other men that came with them stay behind all the men, blocking the door.
“You’re a dead asshole, my husband and his brothers are going to kill you, and I’m going to dance on your fucking...” I scream at the top of my lungs, my body shuddering uncontrollably, but my hand is steady against his neck. Dizziness assaults me at that very moment, and I wobble to the side just has Gio gets closer.
Gio takes the knife from my hand and me in his arms protectively. Maddox comes to my other side and places his hand on my shoulder. Gator stands in front of the three of us in Anton’s face, pushing him back some.
“What is the meaning of this? Do you get off on hitting and terrifying a pregnant woman, especially one that’s not yours? What the fuck are you doing here, Antonio?” Gator yells. Anton looks at him, wondering if he knows Gator.
I stand in Gio’s arms and I know I’m finally safe and he will take out the monster. I’m still scared, not so much for me, mostly for my babies. My blood pressure has skyrocketed, and that’s not good for the babies or me. Gio is rubbing circles over my belly, and it's helping to soothe me as the babies move around. Once we can get out of this room, I’ll feel much better, I’m sure.
“Yeah, I know who you are, fuckface, and what you’ve done to the Castellani family, all of them. You will never lay your hands on Bella again, or get your slimy hands on Jules, Gigi or Cesare. They are all under the Dragons’ protection and the state of Florida, so, since I own this state, I say you have two options, boy. One: you and your men walk out of here quietly and leave my state, tonight. Two: You have every biker at this rally on your ass and your men’s. Since my guys outnumber y'all this should be fun.” He points to Gio. “You see my man over here? I’ll let him take you back to our Clubhouse and tear up your ass, literally,” Gator hoots sadistically. “And then after he’s had his full, he can end your sorry ass for good.” Laughter has erupted in the room from the bikers.
God, I wish he would take option two, so all this would be over with for good.
Chapter 24
Jules
I’m in the bathroom with Bella, for the third time tonight. I love my bestie, but these bathroom trips have started to get on my last nerve. I wonder if it’s like this for all pregnant women, or if it’s just when they are carrying twins. I hope I’m not in the bathroom this much, I might as well live in here if that’s the case. Bella should probably at this rate. She’s only 4 months, and the poor thing is already in here constantly. My little nephews must be sitting right on top of her bladder.
She looks beautiful, though, more beautiful than before, if that’s possible. She has this glow that makes her shine brighter than any star in the sky. I know Gio has something to do with that too, but those babies are helping. Seeing her this happy after all these years and all the things she’s gone through warms my heart. I never thought she would find her way back to him. I hoped and prayed every day since he left us that they would.
I always figured we would be two old ladies living together with cats and Ces. I never had a desire to be with any man, and after my father died, I didn’t have to worry about being forced into anything I didn’t want. Uncle Dominic stepped in as my dad and never forced us, girls, to be with any of the men. He was happy to keep us in the shadows, hidden away.
Until Hunter (Ace) that is. The second his eyes met mine, I knew what I’d been missing all these years and it I feared it immensely.
Knowing how Bella felt for Gio, but unlike her, I was scared shitless to accept my feelings and open my heart up to love. I’m still scared, every day, of losing another person I love, to the point it consumes me sometimes. Losing a loved one in any way hurts, and I’ve lost too many, I can’t lose him too.
Hunter is different from any man I have ever met. He has had a difficult life, and in many ways, he’s like me when it comes to love. It scared him too for a while. Then things just snapped into place for us.
I despise what my best had to go through at the hands of that monster to get Gio back. Unfortunately, that was God’s will. She will be fine, I know she will and live happily ever after with Gio and their growing family.
In the middle of my thoughts, I hear the bathroom door slam open and hit the wall, startling me. Then the door slams shut. I lift my legs off the floor when I look down under the door and see over a dozen men’s dress shoes walking in. I know it’s trouble, major fucking trouble with a capital A. Anton, he’s here with the Cartel men.
Then, I hear that monster's voice and shiver. My heart rate picks up, I panic, and the fear I feel for Bella and my nephews is so intense. My heartbeat sounds so loud in my ears. I hope no one else in this room can hear it.
I don’t need to think too hard about what I need to do, I have to get help for Bella and her babies. They have to be my first priority. She’s my best friend, my sister, and I won’t let that bastard hurt her again. Those are my nephews, and as their aunt, I have a duty to protect them.
I fix myself, being as quiet as a mouse. I look through the slat of the stall to confirm how many are with him. I figure around twenty men in the room surrounding Bella. They are all crowding her personal space and are far enough from my stall. If I’m quite enough, I should be able to get out of the bathroom undetected and get help.
I listen to the music playing in the other room, and the song is coming to an end. This is my chance to make it out of here without them hearing the music when I open the door. I slowly move the lock to the side, unlatching it. I slide down as low as I can go, still able to move fast and unnoticed out of the room. I need to stay low and out of the view of the mirror behind Bella.
I make my way out of the stall and grab the handle of the door to the hallway just as the song ends. I slowly, and as quiet as I can, open the door and slip out
of the room into the hall. I close the door, soundlessly, and then take off running to the guys out the back door.
The next song starts to play, and my heart is working with the beat of the song.
I don’t know how much time I’ll have before he drags her out of there or hurts her.
I run straight to Hunter, pushing pass the strong men hanging around, to the end of the table. He’s the closest to me, but I look and talk to Gio. The guys all see my panicked, pale face and the tears sliding down my cheeks. I’m normally not a crier, and the guys, especially Hunter have never seen me cry. They know this is a bad sign, the worst especially since Bella’s not with me.
“Anton! Bella! Bathroom! Hurry, twenty men!” I scream looking at Gio with fear in my eyes.
The second his name flows out of my mouth, so many things happen. Hunter stands and gathers me into his arms, Gio’s face turns red with rage, worried, and all the guys in the bar jump up from their seats knowing who I’m talking about. Gio, Gator, and Maddox have brief the men on him. Gio looks so panicked, and his hands are in fists at his sides. Lorenzo, Val, Romeo, and Bash start to run to their sister, but Gator stops them.
“Freeze,” Gator says, pointing to the four of them. “He doesn’t know you’re here, that’s our only advantage. Stay here and make sure no more of his men enter this building.”
“Babe, you stay with them and don’t move,” Hunter orders and places a quick, soft kiss on my lips before running off with the guys.
“Shotgun, round up the boys outside to surround the building and send some inside. Beast’s ol’ lady doesn’t leave this area without him,” Gator yells to the barkeep over the music. He takes off, and all the men in the bar follow him. There are about 150 or more here and hundreds, if not thousands out front and on the street.
They vanish down the hall. Ces and Sam take me in their arms, and the guys surround us in a protective circle. I’m shaking and scared, and they are all trying to calm me and reassure me Bella will be fine.
I just hope they are right and I made it out here in time before he could hurt her again. Or worse, left the building with her and took her away from us forever.
Chapter 25
Beast
I see Jules run towards us without Bella, I know something bad transpired. My mind goes right to Bella’s health and our babies. I am definitely not prepared for the words that come spewing out of her mouth. She screams his name and red blinds my vision. I clench my fists and control my breathing so the fury I’m feeling doesn’t consume me. I have to keep a clear head and get to Bella. I not only have my Bella to protect, but I also have our babies, and I won’t let him touch them.
After Gator settles my brother-in-law’s, we all take off running to her. I’m the first through the door. She’s in the middle of yelling at him, causing my hackles to rise. She’s strong and brave when she needs to be. But he will hurt her, I’m sure of it. If he already hasn’t, so help him, God.
I don’t waste any time waiting, I bust right through the door, immediately zeroing in on him and the 20 men that are surrounding him and my girl.
I don’t think twice Gator, Maddox and I take the lead and muscle our way through the crowd of men and head straight to Bella. She’s screaming at Anton with a knife to his neck. “I’m going to dance on your fucking grave, you fucking worthless piece of shit!”
Ace, Blaze, Bull, Ryder and a few other men move in closer to Anton’s men and some stay behind blocking the door and hallway.
The first thing I notice is Bella’s red and swollen face. He hit her more than once, and now I want to wring the bastard’s neck for touching my girl. I take the knife out of her hand before gathering her up into my arms. I want to finish him with my knife, but she’s shaking uncontrollably and needs me. I rock her in my arms, keeping her close to my chest. I want to touch her face, but I won’t right now, I’m sure it hurts like hell. Her eyes and cheeks are an angry red. I want her as close as possible for her sanity and for my own. Keeping us both calm helps our babies and the situation. I can’t let her hurt herself anymore by raising her blood pressure any higher.
Gator addresses Anton and gives him a choice. A choice he doesn’t take either of, yet. He turns to me first. He looks like the devil, not the boy I grew up with all those years ago. What the hell has possessed him and turned him into... Satan.
“What happened to you, man? You could have had all this with me. Instead, you choose to become this... biker trash,” he yells at me with his hands flying around.
“What the fuck happened to me? I could say the same for you, man,” I state before addressing the other issue or letting him answer.
“You think I’m trash because I decided to trade in my suit for a leather kutte.” I laugh nastily with hate and malice in my tone. I want to get my hands on him and tear him up right now, but I know I will have to let him walk out of here. I hate it, and it will take everything in me to let it happen the way Gator ordered.
I hand Bella off to Maddox and get in Anton’s face. Staring him directly in his eyes, in front of Gator, and go off half-cocked on his sorry ass.
“I’m not trash, man. You’re the only trash in this room. Your man card should be pulled over what you’ve done to my Bella. Ya, asshole, she’s mine, been only mine since the day she was born. You laid your filthy hands on what’s mine! She’s my woman, my wife and you will never touch her again, do you hear me! You are the fuckin’ scum of the earth, you are trash, and the trash needs to finally be taken out for fuckin’ good. Do you hear me, you slimy bastard!? When I finally get my fuckin’ hands on you, Antonio, I’m going to do to you what you did to my woman, just worse, you fuckin’ got me, you bastard. Now, leave, or I will gut you like a fish right here in this goddamn bathroom in front of your men.”
“I’m not leaving without Izzy and my baby. Now, take your hands off her, fuckface,” he says, looking over at Maddox before turning back to me.
He thinks my babies are his, I can see why he thinks that. If he had gotten Bella pregnant, she would be about six months along and be this size. Fortunately, that’s not the case. His seed is probably too weak and too stupid to do its job.
“You may have married her, but you will not raise my child. Now, hand over my bitch, biker trash,” Anton yells. I’ve had it, I’m going to gut him like the trash he is.
I lunge at him with the knife in my left hand, the one I took from Bella, and place it back on his neck, taking him off guard. He’s not going to talk about my woman that way or claim my babies. Bastard may just go down this minute after all in front of his men and mine. My beast is out, and he wants to play with this fucker.
“Never call my woman that name again. She’s not yours, never was and never will be, so get those thoughts out of your capo dost (hard head). As for those babies, they are mine! They are all fuckin’ MINE, not yours, you fuckin’ bastard!” I spit in his face and withdraw my gun too from the inside pocket of my kutte and point it between his eyes. I can’t help it, I don’t know which way to go at the moment, slit his throat or a bullet in the head. Either one is too good for him, but one of them will have to do if it gets him to shut the fuck up. I still want to cut him up, but with Bella in the room, I would go for the latter and shoot him first.
“Izzy sure as hell was mine that night when I fucked the shit out of her. Bitch screamed my name as I rammed my cock, balls deep, into her tight cunt. Really fucking her good from behind,” he spews, staring me in the eyes with a wicked gleam in his devilish looking eyes. His men all laugh under their breaths at his crude words.
I’m done, and my guys can see it in my murderous eyes. They withdraw their guns and point them at Anton’s men.
Now, I have two guns on me from his men, and the rest are on my brothers.
“I’m going to fuckin’ kill you nice and slow for touching her. She screamed, begging for you to STOP. I’m going to have you sing the same tone, you fuckin’ bastard when I fuck you with your own puny d
ick!”
I don’t even think twice as I say the words, it’s all done on reflex. Instead of pulling the trigger like I want to, I pistol whip the bastard across the temples, a couple of times, knocking him off his axel.
One of his men grabs hold of him to steady him on his feet. Gator grabs me by my forearms from behind, hurling me back a little, stopping me from going any further.
I can hear Bella behind me screaming for me through her hyperventilating in Maddox’s arms.
“What happened to you, did the devil really possessed you or something? You're evil, not the boy I knew growing up. I feel sorry for you.” My girl sobs behind me trying to stay strong in front of him. She’s holding back her tears, and I know the second he leaves they are going to spill.
I need to end this now! I can’t let him spew any more of this bullshit about my girl in front of all these men. She doesn’t need to relive this shit again.
The music in the bar is off, and all you can hear are the shuffling of feet from all my brothers coming to our aid.
I’m so furious with this bastard and seeing red, bright fuckin’ red again because of him. He seems to have that effect on me lately.
It’s like seeing heaven and hell, and I’m staring directly at hell.
How did I not see this coming? How did I not know he would turn to the dark side?
Too late now to go back, I can only go forward, and that means protecting my girl and our baby boys growing inside her.
Which also means as bad as I want to kill Anton right now, it will have to wait. We need to get him out of here, straightaway.
“Are you walking out of my state with your men or mine? This is your last chance to make a decision on your own. Or I’ll make it for you and let my man have at your ass, Antonio,” Gator roars murderously from next to me.
