by Nicole Snow
Hate lit up his dark eyes. I watched his arm tense and tried to brace myself. There wasn't enough time. His hand crashed against my face, ten times harder than Red's, temporarily blinding me.
“You think this is a fucking joke, bitch!? You killed an officer in this club, my right hand man!” He stepped back, trembling with rage. “You were dead the second Marrow threw you in the damned trunk. Only question is how much fun we're gonna have before your heart stops.”
Red smiled at me from her perch in the corner. She walked up behind the Prez, who looked like he was about to keel over from the rage shooting through his veins.
If only I were that lucky.
“Easy, Prez,” Red whispered, soft and almost seductive. “You're too close to this little rat to work her over without cutting her throat. Let me start in on her. I'll save the final blow for you. Promise.”
Rip spun, arm raised. Red's eyes widened with fear, stretching her dark mascara rings like a craven raccoon.
“I'm calling the shots here. This is my fucking club. You're lucky I didn't kill that other fucking rat on the spot. Both these fucks owe a debt to me, not you. You're just a pretty looking tip line.” Growling, he looked her up and down, eyes openly sticking to her ass.
Yep, that was the Rip I knew. A nasty, violent, demanding pig. Except now the pig was a wild boar, and he was going to eat me alive.
Why was it like they were talking about two people anyway? Wasn't it enough that I was here for their torture? Who else did they have?
“Whatever you say, boss.” The whore smiled sweetly. “I just like to have my fun. You can beat me any old day with the torture. But I bet I can do a few things to their hearts.”
“Whatever,” Rip snorted, pacing the room. He stopped next to the half-cracked door and roared through it. “Hey! Where is that other piece of shit? Bring him in here.”
It can't be.
Oh, but it was. A second later, Marrow and another bulldog faced creep marched Rabid through the door. His face had dried blood on it and a couple patchy bruises.
My heart sank. For the first time since I'd gotten here, the nightmare seemed real and permanent. Him being here meant the Redding crew wouldn't know what happened. By the time they figured it out, it could easily be too late.
The men swung their arms and threw him into the opposite corner of the room. My man hit the wall hard with an oomph. He landed, coming out of his fugue state to sit up straight.
Rabid finally looked at me, and his eyes swelled with everything bad.
Horror. Anguish. Apologies. Shame.
The fissures in my heart burned and scratched like broken glass. He turned his head away, shaking it slightly.
Rip shuffled. He snorted, then headed for the door, pointing a finger at Red on his way out. “You got thirty minutes. Make it good. My fists aren't gonna wait any longer. Come on, boys.”
The men left the room, slamming the door shut behind them. It was just us and Red. Ignoring me, she clicked by on her heels, heading for Rabid. She crouched down next to him, cupped his face in her hands.
“Oh, baby. I wish you didn't have to learn your lesson this way. I begged them to take it easy on you.” She swept a quick, cautious hand over his cheek.
My half-dead heartbeat suddenly picked up, thumping with jealousy. God damn it. Common sense told me I should've been more worried about the bikers – not this stupid slut trying to get underneath my skin.
But my heart didn't know any better, and I wanted to make her bleed as bad as I wanted out of here. I wanted to rip her apart with my bare hands, even if it was the last thing I ever did.
Rabid kicked his legs, pushing himself back against the wall, grunting with pain. They'd definitely beaten him. I wondered how many bones they'd broken – maybe that was why he didn't try to stand.
Red put her hand against the wall and helped herself down, resting on her knees, trying to stroke his brow. “All your ouchies will be gone in no time. I'll help. I'll talk him out of making them worse, I promise. We'll figure something out. We can get past this, baby. You're meant to be my old man. We just got ourselves a little off track...”
Rabid's head rolled, half-conscious, trying to get away from her despite slipping the concussion probably rattling his brain. And the stupid bitch kept trying to touch him – my man!
I stumbled up, ignoring the ache in my knees, and flew toward her. She screamed when I kicked her in the spine, grabbing at her hair. She thrashed, pulling me onto the floor. We rolled, hissing and tearing at each other's hair, scratching and screaming. The door burst open and boots thundered around us.
Marrow ripped me off the floor and slammed me against the wall. “Fucking shit! Are you bitches stupid?” He aimed his one good eye at Red. “Prez's gonna cut your time down to zero if you can't control this cunt. Here, take this.”
Holding me against the wall with one hand, he reached into his pocket and handed her a switchblade. Red fumbled it in her hands so pathetically I almost rolled my eyes. Then the blade popped out, shiny and cold. She smiled, her little button eyes filling with her new power.
“We'll be okay now. Promise. I'll call if I need anything.”
With a snarl, Marrow released me, waving to his buddy. Deja vu. The door slammed shut and we were alone, but this time the bitch facing me brandished her blade. He'd given her the upper hand.
“There's still room on that ugly face for a few more lines,” she said, stepping close to me. “Think I can make some pretty patterns? There's a limit to what even Rabid can love – unless he's a lot sicker than I think.”
She paused, turned, and looked at him. “Baby, will you love me as much as her if I put those scars on my face? I can make myself look just like her if you want, only I'll be hotter.”
Rabid and I looked at each other, sharing a mad gaze. I didn't even care about her insults and threats. This bitch was certifiably crazy, and that made her more dangerous than I thought.
I folded my arms. The movement caught her peripheral vision. She darted toward me, slapped me across the face. The second knife of the night pressed against my throat.
“Don't you fucking move unless I tell you, bitch!” she screamed. “I'll cut a hole in your fucking neck and drag your tongue right through it. I ought to do it anyway for kissing what's mine. You don't deserve to even speak to him!”
Rabid twisted in the corner, trying to stand, growling the whole time. He staggered and fell over when he was halfway up, clawing at the wall for support. Tears clouded my eyes. His injuries were worse than I thought.
Red watched him collapse too, and the raging murder in her deflated. “Oh, baby. You're struggling too hard. Sit still. Try not to hurt yourself. This'll all be over soon.”
She leaned next to him. I considered trying to jump her again, but she had the blade in her fist. The knife was so sharp she'd easily kill me if she got a lucky hit. And luck was definitely plentiful with a weapon like that.
“There, there.” She ran her fingers through his bloody hair. “I'll tell you what, baby. I won't cut her. I'll leave that up to Rip. She has to die one way or another, that's the agreement I made. But she doesn't have to suffer first.”
His face snapped up. The look he gave her chilled my blood to sub-zero. Even if every bone in his body was shattered, he looked like he could ignite the entire room, vaporizing this cruel bitch purring her sickly fake concern into his ear.
And she wouldn't fucking stop.
“This is how it's going to go down. We've got twenty minutes before Rip does his thing. That's just enough time for me to fuck you silly right here on the floor while the bitch in the corner watches. We'll let her see how a real woman pleases you.” Red licked her lips and put her hand on his crotch.
Fire shot through my veins. Hold back. Just a little bit longer.
Resisting the urge to throw myself at her was pure hell. But if I embraced the instinct to fly forward and gouge out her eyes, I'd get myself killed, and probably Rabid too.
; My old man squirmed on the ground. He fought. His hand flew up, knocked her bright red fingernails away from his dick. I knew a bulge in those jeans when I saw it, and right now he wasn't hard. Small relief.
Disgusted, Red put her hands on her hips, thumbing the switchblade. “God. How can such a beautiful man be so fucking stupid?”
“I dunno. How can such an ugly whore be so fucking delusional?” I said it to get her away from him.
She pivoted toward me, new anger shining in her eyes. A smirk pulled at her lips.
“I'll get to you soon enough, bitch. Here, I'll tell you exactly what's going to happen.” She licked her lips. “You're a dead girl, Christa. If Rabid knows what's good for him, he'll leave you buried in some pit and run away with me. It's not too late for him. I can talk Rip into sparing him – I know I can!”
“Red, you'll never talk anybody into jack shit. Even if you could, I'd rather die than go anywhere with you,” Rabid growled, reaching for her leg. “I swear I'll fucking kill you myself, you fucked up little –“
Red screamed, slashing the blade across his arm. Her shoe flailed, kicked him in the face. He lost his grip in the commotion. I watched, horrified, as Rabid rolled, grabbing at the long, jagged red stripe seeping from his forearm.
“Oh my God. Baby, I'm so fucking sorry.” Red stumbled backward, her mouth hanging open in horror. She looked at me again, blade pointed like an accusing finger. “This is your fault! You made me hurt him, you bitch!”
She flew forward, punching, kicking, and swinging her blade. I tried to cover myself, kneeling on the ground. She slapped and punched but she didn't stab. A feral growl echoed through the room as the whore went crazy. Then she stepped back, panting for breath when she'd gotten it out of her system.
“You're dead, thieving cunt. But not before you make a choice, the last one you'll ever be offered.” She smiled. “You can watch me have sex with him right here, right now – or I'll bring all the guys in and have them fill your holes as much as they can until Rip's ready to slice out your throat. Rabid and I'll watch. What's it going to be?”
Fire invaded my heart. The bitch was stupid, but she was downright evil too. I refused to look at her. There was no good option in this monstrous choice she'd offered.
“Well?”
“Leave her the fuck alone. You're a cowardly little shit, Red. You've fucking betrayed everyone around you and signed your death warrant.” Rabid looked up, his fists curled, still losing blood from the cut on his arm.
“It sounds like you're too angry to fuck me right now, baby. That's okay. I know we'll get through this – we're meant to.” She cleared her throat, turning back to me. “Last chance, Christa. Are you going to pick an option, or should I just start in on you right now?”
I stared right through her. If looks could've burned, then she would've melted on the spot. Shame the universe wasn't that kind. Uncertainty filled her eyes, and she tightened her grip on the blade, alternating her gaze between Rabid and me.
“Okay. Fine. We'll do it my way.” Red drew a deep breath. “Christa, you're going to get the shit fucked out of you before you die. Rabid, baby, I want you to see everything. You'll want her a lot less after she's had a few dicks down her throat.”
The fuse was lit. Tense silence reigned as I tried to keep my heart from beating out of my chest, letting the vile fate she'd picked sink in. Rabid exploded, hurled himself at her, and caught the asshole off guard.
She went flying, hit the wall hard. I swung for her face. Caught her hair in one hand and pulled it until she screamed, praying we could finish her before the men burst in. Then the stupid heels she had on caused her to topple over.
She took me with her. We hit the ground hard, and I lost all the air in my lungs. Next thing I knew, Rabid wasn't fighting her anymore. Something icy-hot slid down my neck.
Sharp pain filled my nerves. I reached up and touched just below her knife, feeling the trickle of blood running around my collar.
Jesus! No! My other hand reached for her wrist and I pulled as hard as I could.
“Don't. Neither one of you move. This thing's happening. Let it, or I'll cut this bitch's throat out now.”
I caught Rabid's eyes. I was her hostage now, and he knew it. The raging seas in his eyes looked on helplessly, searching for another opportunity to turn this around.
Fuck. Why couldn't we get one lucky break?
“You really hate me, don't you? Both of you!” Her eyes were completely crazy. She pushed her face against mine, snarling, knife twitching at my throat. “Let's see how you like this, bitch. Maybe I can kiss away everything you've stolen before you're full of Grizzlies dick. Here, I'll warm you up for the last cock you're ever going to enjoy in this life...”
Something hot and tight pressed against my mouth.
What. The. Fuck?
The whore was actually kissing me. Her filthy tongue pushed past my lips and my stomach heaved. I struggled, hating how there was no way to move my head that wouldn't end in her cutting my jugular. She had me trapped in her madness, her cruelty, her –
Wait.
Maybe I wasn't as trapped as I thought. A brain running on pure survival comes up with some crazy ideas. And I had one that just might work.
I cleared my mind. My eyes shot to Rabid, and held his gaze the entire time, focusing entirely on my man as I started to feel my lips again. I kissed her back.
My hands gently wrapped around the whore's shoulders, and I stiffened, moaning into her mouth.
She spluttered, her eyes flashing like I was the crazy one. Good. Exactly what I needed her to think.
Baby, no. Don't fucking do this, Rabid mouthed, shaking his head.
I had to ignore him. Had to play along. Had to survive.
Just like I thought, she rose to the challenge. Red pulled away for a second and looked at me in disgust, but then her mouth was on me, hard and aggressive. She tried to suffocate me with her gross tongue.
I sucked it deep, twining it with mine. Frustration steamed through her every time she moved her mouth on mine, kissing me so hard it hurt, angry that her sick torture wasn't paying off. I waited until her hand slid between my legs and started to rub before I moved my tongue away from hers.
My teeth snapped down, hard enough to break. The bitch managed to get her tongue out of my mouth before it was too late, but I caught her bottom lip. I bit her hard, tasting blood, and held on, rolling on the floor in desperate strokes to avoid the knife.
The shock of feeling my teeth go through her lip weakened her grip. Red screamed, blubbering like a baby when she finally pulled away with her torn up mouth, bleeding bright crimson.
Rabid's war cry filled the whole room. He lunged, jerked her off me, rolling on the floor with her. Everything around me became a tangle of arms and legs and twisting bodies.
I hit the wall and scrambled to my feet, watching as he tore the blade out of her hand. Red sobbed and spit blood. His arm hooked tight around her neck and squeezed, hard enough to choke off her breath.
Footsteps thudded outside. “Rabid! Look out, they're coming.”
He nodded. The door flew open. Rip, Marrow, and a couple other goons piled in. They took one look at me against the wall and then saw Red.
“Fucking shit.” It was all their President managed before Rabid lunged, jabbing the switchblade into his thigh.
Guns came out. They were fast, but Rabid was even faster.
He managed to pull the weapon out of Rip's holster before he could, and he aimed it at the President's spine, slowly pulling himself up, dragging the gun up to the man's head.
“Nobody fucking moves, or I'll blow this bastard's brains out. Get the fuck out of this room if you want to see him alive again.” I flinched at his cold, killer tone.
“We're not leaving 'til we know he's alive, asshole. Let him fucking go!” Marrow barked.
“Idiot, do what this jackass says.” Rip's eyes were wide with fear. His beard trembled like a tumbleweed glued to his chin. “You h
eard him! Go!”
Slowly, the men backed away into the hall, never taking their eyes off them. Rabid looked at me. Red lay on the ground, crying and writhing in pain, fingers pressed tight to her injured mouth.
Let's see who's got scars now, bitch, I thought, grim satisfaction humming in my blood.
It wasn't time to celebrate yet. I didn't have a clue how we were going to actually get out of here. One little slip with Rip as hostage, and we'd both be dead. And it was a long way between Klamath and Redding, even if we could secure a ride and head out. They'd come roaring after us and shoot out our tires the second his gun wasn't against the bastard's head.
I swallowed. Rabid looked at me, the same long odds in his eyes.
“Let's go,” he whispered. “Everybody outta my fucking way!”
The men in the halls stared at us like wild animals when they saw he had their leader with a gun to his head. Rip was a heavy man, and it looked like Rabid was trying to drag him. I kept my switchblade ready for stabbing at a moment's notice, edging past the dangerous looking men, and hoping they wouldn't lunge for me.
None of them were brave enough to try. Rabid's headlock was tight, and Rip blubbered the whole way down the hall, toward their garages.
When we got outside, motorcycles were rumbling. Lots of motorcycles. There must've been more than a dozen.
Rabid spun, pointed his finger at one-eyed Marrow. “What the fuck is this? You trying to get the jump on us? I'll blow this bastard's brains out right here – I swear to Christ!”
His hand trembled. My heart caught in my throat and I tried to stand behind him, the only protection I had from the men slowly following us. Marrow came to a stop just a couple feet away and smiled.
“Let him go, asshole. You both know there's no way out. You try to stuff him in one of our cars, we'll fucking shoot the tires out and drag you up against the wall where you belong. You kill him, you lose your leverage. Fucking idiots!” he spat. “You're goddamned right we're jumping your asses! Nobody fucks us over!”
“Rabid!” I called out, eyes locked on the ugly bastard's hand, knowing he was about to draw.
