by Zara Teleg
I tried not to look.
“Ain’t that cute. She’s shy.”
“Ignore him,” Havoc said. He put his arm around me and opened the door. It wasn’t quite as bad inside; it looked like an old hunting lodge. Death metal was screeching from the room where men’s voices could be heard.
“Come on, I’ll get us some beers, and we can go to my room. It’s safer.”
“Safer?” I could feel my eyes grow three sizes. “Um, I really should not have left Amber. Maybe we should go back.”
“What, so you can eye-fuck that guy from the Souls?” He lit a cigarette and grabbed a few beers from an old fridge that was behind the bar.
“What?” I asked, a terrible feeling creeping up my spine.
“You didn’t think I noticed?”
“I thought I knew him. I was looking to see if I could tell from the mask. Well, you are here now, so let’s go.”
He handed me a beer and with my other hand led me down the hall. A few whistles came from the billiard room where some scary-ass men were shooting pool.
Havoc stopped at a locked door and dug into his pocket. He pulled a key out and opened the door. He flipped the switch to a light on a nightstand. The red bulb made the room look terrifying. There were piles of clothes and a deer head hanging from the wall over mattresses that were stacked on the floor. He tapped the edge of the bed.
“Tink, sit.”
Regret swarmed in my stomach. Why the fuck did I tell him my name was Tink?
“Havoc. I’m sure that is not your real name.” I took a breath. “Well, Tink obviously isn’t mine. You can imagine, I didn’t want some random stranger knowing my name. Can you call me Tori, short for Victoria?”
He sat next to me and placed a hand on my thigh. “I’ll call you whatever you want.”
He leaned in to kiss me. I jumped from the mattress and began looking and walking around the room.
“Don’t get shy on me now.” He stood and took my hand, tugging me back to him.
“I, uh, I…”
His phone buzzed. “Not now.” He rolled his eyes and flipped it open. No one used a phone like that. It must have been a burner.
“Motherfucker. I just got back here.” He let go of me and paced the floor. “Fine, give me fifteen minutes and I will be there.” He snapped the phone shut. “Trouble at the club. You need to stay here.”
“No. Amber’s there. I’ll call—”
I opened my purse to retrieve my phone. It was gone.
“You’re staying here. Do not leave the room. These guys are not nice like me,” he warned.
“You can’t leave me here.”
“Oh, I’ll be making it up to you when I get back.”
“Ow!” My ass stung as Havoc slapped me with his huge hand.
I heard several bikes start, then the rumbling grew softer in the distance.
How long had it been? I paced the room, and now I had to pee, bad. I jumped when I heard two women’s voices. Maybe they had a phone. I cracked the door open. I pressed my face against it and let my eyes wander down the hall where the light was coming from. The two were in the bathroom. One was applying lipstick while the other was peeing. Lovely.
The two barely had enough clothes to make an outfit between them. One had a tank top that doubled as a dress and was wearing five-inch heels. The other wore a micro skirt with a cropped tank and the same heels. When they started back down the hall, I opened the door wider.
“Um, excuse me?” I cleared my throat, getting their attention. They stopped dead, swiveling their heads.
The blond in the tank dress raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Do either of you happen to have a phone? Mine was lifted at the club. Havoc left me here, and I need to call my friend.”
The two exchanged glances as they smiled at each other.
“Sure, right this way, hun.”
I felt like I could breathe again and followed them into the main room. My steps became more hesitant as I remembered Havoc’s warning. The redhead stopped abruptly and whistled loudly, making the men turn around.
“Brought you all a gift,” she said, her hand grabbing mine roughly as she threw me to the floor in front of her. I screamed in shock as I hit the ground. Her eyes were savage. She bore an evil smirk as she wound her hand into my hair, yanking my head back roughly.
“Stop! What are you doing? I’m here with Havoc! I just need a phone!” I reached up, attempting to get her to release her hold.
“Havoc should have locked his door. You’re not under his protection. You’re in our clubhouse, sweet cheeks,” the other woman said as she grabbed my chin.
“I guess club pussy isn’t enough for Havoc.” She backhanded me as the men watched like hungry lions.
“Enough! You can leave her to us,” said one of the men.
“But, Diesel, we found her. We want to play too.”
My skin crawled as memories of a few months ago clawed at my brain—Juliet almost being raped by Joker, being left in that crawl space tied up. My stomach heaved as all of the night’s drinks and terror combined.
The man she called Diesel came over and twisted the girl’s wrist. She screamed and let me go.
“I’m first.” He leaned down, scooping me up like a toddler, throwing me over his shoulder as I pounded his back.
“Put me down! You can’t do this!” I screamed.
“You’re in my club, and I can do anything I want. Keep fighting. It only makes it more fun.”
His arm was like a hundred-pound brace, keeping me in place as he walked down a dark hall to the last room. I screamed and wriggled to no avail.
He kicked the door open and threw me to the bed. His eyes were deadly pools of black with not a hint of compassion. Each step was predatory as his big body stalked me down.
“You can’t do this!” I shrieked again as his hand reached for my glittery dress and ripped the fabric.
“Venom,” I screamed in his face as his hands tore the dress off, baring my breasts.
Lightning struck. Diesel’s face, which was diving toward my chest, suddenly stopped, and his entire body froze.
“What did you say?” he growled.
“Venom. I need to see Venom.” Rivers were now flowing down my cheeks.
Diesel began laughing. “And what do you know about Venom?”
“I-I don’t, but I need to see him.” I went farther back on the bed, away from him. I clutched at the medallion around my neck, thrusting it out to him like a cross repelling a vampire. His eyes squinted in the dim room. His finger reached out and touched it.
“Where did you get this?” His hand went to rip it off, but I rolled from him onto the floor.
“It’s mine.” I clutched my hand over the metal, protecting it.
“Yours?”
“V-Venom is my father.”
Diesel began to laugh as if it were the funniest thing he had ever heard.
Kai
Was my brain playing tricks on me? I watched as the girl with purple hair in the bustier danced on the table. I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she swayed her sexy body to the music. When she turned, and we locked eyes, I was filled with guilt. I had only felt this magnetism toward Paige.
Sam jumped in my lap, breaking our connection. This was proving to be a lousy night all along. I needed to get back to Paige and fix things. Sure, I acted like I was having a good time, and I did the job my club requested, but I just wanted to get out of here. The next time I looked up, she was gone.
“Let’s go out back and have a smoke,” Sam said, and the girls pulled at our arms. I could use a smoke. I tapped at my pack as I followed them out the back door. I lit my smoke and looked up as the rumble of a bike started. There she was. Purple hair flowed from under the helmet of the woman on the back of the bike. She turned to look at me through masked eyes as Sam tugged on my arm.
“It’s cold,” she complained, moving closer.
A bolt shot through my body as the woman ripped off her m
ask.
Paige?
She tucked her cheek against the driver’s back, squeezing him as he rode away.
What the fuck?!
My mind reeled. All the voices became noise as I dug into my jacket for my phone. I tried to open the screen, but it did not recognize my face. I ripped off my stupid fucking mask and attempted to dial Paige.
It rang. It rang again and again. There was no way. How could she? I stepped away from the group and paced as I tried her phone again.
“What are you doing, man?” Hack grabbed onto me.
“Paige.” I swallowed hard.
“Paige what?” Hack asked, his face showing concern as he studied mine.
I pointed my arm to where the bike was moments ago.
“That was Paige…on that bike.”
“I think you had too much to drink.” Hack’s arm tried leading me inside.
“No.” I squeezed my phone. “She’s not answering.”
“Isn’t she mad at you?’ His eyebrow arched.
“Yes, but I need to find her now!”
“Stop freaking out. I got locator software on her phone, remember?”
I sucked in a breath. “Please, man, find her.”
Hack tapped on his phone, and we went back to the table to tell the others what was happening.
“I got a location. She’s on the move, and not too far from here.” His nod was an apology for thinking I was nuts.
“I’ll go. Can you put it on here?” I handed him my phone.
“We’ll all go.” His hand landed heavily on my shoulder.
“Ledge, Jonah, you two gotta stay. Colt will flip if he knows we left.”
“Go, man. Get your girl,” Ledger encouraged me.
Hack and I started pushing our way through the crowd to the exit. People started sandwiching together as some sort of commotion started. I stood on my toes, trying to see what the fuck was causing the group of people to knit together and not let us pass. A woman was at the center of men arguing. Vice had said no cuts were allowed in the club. But there was clearly a Devil’s Damned member at the center of the argument.
“Holy fuck.” Hack and I pushed closer as the bouncers attempted to pull the men away from the woman who was now screaming at the top of her lungs. Chyanne.
“Colt is going to flip,” Hack hollered over the music.
People were now chanting, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
“We have to get to Paige,” I told Hack.
More men flanked the Damned member and his companion. The bouncers were quickly overtaken. An all-out brawl was beginning; chairs were being turned over. The DJ stopped and started directing people to emergency exits. Hack and I were quickly joined by Ledger and Jonah as we pushed people out of the way.
A bottle crashed across my head as I turned and picked up the little piece of shit that wielded it. I grabbed his throat, squeezing it, and choke-slammed him to the floor. Fights were ensuing everywhere. Then sirens blared, and people scattered as the fire alarm sounded. My feet crunched over masks littering the dance floor. Vice’s voice sounded over a mic.
“Ladies and gents, no need to panic. Please calmly walk to the marked exits. There is no fire. Just a temporary delay in the evening’s festivities. Please remain calm as you make your way out.”
Hack wiped his mouth and spat blood on the floor. “I knew this was a bad idea.” He rubbed his hand over the slice above his eye.
Jonah was smiling as he held by the neck a man who was swiping a knife at him. He laughed at his attempts as he squeezed his neck until he finally dropped the weapon.
A police megaphone directed everyone to exits. We lost sight of Chyanne when we got to the crowded streets where all fights seemed to have come to a halt.
“We gotta find Paige.” I pointed to the valet lot that was now guarded by emergency workers. A fire engine had arrived on the scene.
I ran my fingers through my hair and tugged in frustration. There was no way we were getting in and out of that lot.
“Hack, let’s walk through the alley a few streets up. We can try to get a cab and follow the signal.”
“We got things here. I’m calling Colt now.” Ledge slapped my shoulder.
Hack and I silently jogged a few streets over. I whistled and waved down the first cab I saw.
Hack held out his phone and directed the driver. “The Parkrose Diner?” He pointed to the screen.
“Know it.” The man nodded and turned on his fare.
He weaved in and out of traffic until we got to a better part of town. I was almost relieved as we hopped out in front of a train-car-style diner that was pretty packed with a late-night crowd. 24-Hour Breakfast blinked in neon. I reached into my pocket and paid the cab driver.
“I don’t see any bikes, do you?” I said.
Hack grabbed the back of his neck, looking around. “No, but the signal is definitely coming from inside.”
“Let’s go.”
The bells chimed as we entered the waiting area.
“Sir, you need to wait for a number.”
We ignored the hostess who quickly stepped aside as we scanned the restaurant for Paige. My strides were long and my heartbeat quickened when I saw purple hair in the back booth.
Relief turned to disappointment when the woman turned around.
“Excuse me?” She scowled.
“Sorry, I thought you were someone else,” I said.
“Kai.” Hack waved to me as he approached another table.
Four women sipped on coffee and shared a large stack of whipped-cream-and-strawberry-covered pancakes. Heavy makeup caked their faces, and the areas where masks formerly covered their eyes were now absent of makeup.
“Excuse me, ladies, I’m looking for a friend,” Hack said.
“I’ll be your friend.” The blonde seductively licked the whipped cream from the strawberry, which matched her lipstick.
Hack cleared his throat and turned his phone to them. “A friend of ours lost her phone, and the signal is strong right here.” He tapped his fingers on the table.
“You can search me,” the blonde said as she dipped her finger in the whipped cream and trailed it between her tits.
“Ladies, you are very sexy, but this is really an emergency,” Hack stressed.
The brunette searched through her purse. “What did it look like?”
“What?”
“The phone. I want to make sure it’s yours. I found it on the dance floor at Voodoo.”
“Uh, it had a pink case,” I answered.
“Here.” She handed me the phone. “You look worried. I hope you find your friend.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled.
I felt hopeless as the phone brought me no closer to finding Paige. I did not want to call Rage. I sat on the sidewalk with Hack, smoking the last cigarette in my pack. Then it occurred to me: Paige would not have pulled this off alone. Amber.
I called four sleeping people until I finally got one that had Amber’s number.
“Kai, it’s fucking 4 am. This better be good.”
“Angelica, I need Amber’s number.”
Paige
Diesel’s steps were purposeful as they thundered to where I was, huddled to the wall and as far away from him as I could get.
His calloused fingers clutched my chin, turning my face to him.
“Look at me.” His tone was harsh.
I squirmed, trying to turn my face away.
“Leave me alone,” I screamed in his face.
Gripping more forcefully, he steadied my face, looking into my eyes.
“Fuck,” he growled, letting go and slamming his fist into the wall next to me.
I screamed, cowering on the floor.
“You stay the fuck here. Do not move.” He stormed out of the room and pulled out his phone. I crawled on the floor closer to the door and heard him say, “We got a situation. You aren’t going to fucking believe it.” His arm reached for the knob, pulling the door closed. I heard the lock cli
ck.
I fell to my knees in tears. I yanked the sheet from the bed, wrapping it around myself before coiling into a ball, sobbing.
What the hell was I thinking? Would Kai find me? Would he even care, after what I did?
I scurried back behind the bed as heavy feet thumped down the hall. The knob turned, and Diesel and another man entered the room. I grabbed the first thing I saw—an empty beer bottle. I cracked it against the dresser and waved it at them.
Diesel chuckled, and the other man, whose face seemed oddly familiar, his eyes grew wide.
“It can’t be,” the man said.
“Just look at her eyes.” Diesel nodded to me.
“It’s not her eyes I’m looking at—” His mouth gaped open. “It’s Maggie’s face.”
My body numbed at his words, breaking out in goose bumps. I blinked and looked at him more closely. His face was older now. The bottle I was holding began to shake in my hand until it dropped to the floor.
“Virgil?” I asked in a whisper.
He shook his head. “No, sorry. How do you even know that name?”
His tattooed arm pointed at the door. “Diesel, get out. And bring her some fucking clothes. And not those whores’ either.”
Once again, I shuffled back when the man I thought was Virgil from the old photo got closer. His eyes were so blue; his hair was black as night with a few gray streaks mixed in.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.”
He looked at me and then to his phone and frantically tapped a message.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?”
I didn’t trust him.
“Tori,” I whispered.
“Tori, I don’t know how the fuck you got yourself here.” He rubbed his hand over his forehead. “But I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I want to see Venom,” I pleaded. “He’s my father. Surely, he won’t let them hurt me,” I reasoned.
“Yeah, well, you are. And you should be careful what you wish for.”
A soft knock came to the door, then an arm reached in with a massive black shirt hanging from a finger.
“Don’t got much here,” he grumbled as he took the shirt and handed it to me. He turned around to give me privacy.
