Salvation in Chaos (CKMC Book 1)

by Linny Lawless

  “What are you doing?”

  “Making you a pair of ass-cheek cut-offs. Hold on. Never done this before.”

  He finished the one pant leg, cutting them off right below the back pocket and continued with the second one. When the last of the material fell to the floor, he held them up again.

  “This should work. Put ‘em back on. I’ll get one of the girls to find you a top to wear.”

  My ripped up jeans landed in my lap. Skully left me alone, and I brought them under the blanket and wiggled myself back into them. I reached into the brown bag and devoured the donuts and finished the whole bottle of water.

  Later the same girl from the night before came in and gave me a couple of tank tops to try on. I chose the leopard print and put on a pair of black wedge slip-on sandals. Along with my newly cut-off jeans, I looked the part of a club whore who worked at the strip club.

  She also gave me a few things to freshen myself up with in the bathroom.

  It was noon, and I worked the bar. Three women started their first cage dances. Sid was sitting with Rusty and Skully at one of the small tables by the main stage. Sid looked smug. Relaxed, taking another long drag off his smoke, talking to the two other Hounds at his table.

  Three men appeared from the darkness of the front entrance into the disco colored light beams and black lights. They were huge, as wide as Ratchet. Only they had very short haircuts, and wore expensive looking designer suits. One had a fat cigar that he gripped between his teeth and nestled to the side of his mouth.

  They took a seat at one of the semi-circle red velvet booths. Their backs faced the back of the club. They watched the women dancing in the cages in the far corners.

  I was staring at the big suited men and jumped when Vik suddenly appeared in front of me. His eyes roamed from my leopard tank top and cut-off jeans, lingering on my crotch and legs.

  “You look good enough to eat, Little Lamb,” he grumbled low, licking his bottom lip.

  He nodded toward the three men at the booth but kept his eyes on my chest.

  “See those three gentlemen over there? You go over and serve them what they want. Arch your back some little lamb and shake that nice little ass when you walk over there.”

  “Tainted Love” by Marilyn Manson came on through the speakers. I grabbed a cocktail tray and walked over to them. They watched as I tried to do my best at a saunter. I stopped a few feet from the booth and smiled.

  “Hi, Gentlemen. Welcome to the Steel Cage. I’m Sam. What would you all like to drink?”

  I didn’t think they heard what I said as their eyes were fixed on my body. The one with the cigar took it out of his mouth and grinned.

  “Do you dance too, Little Lamb?”

  He had a Russian accent, thicker than Vik’s.

  “Ah. No. I just serve drinks,” I stammered with a smile.

  “Don’t be shy, little one. Call me Demy. And here are my close friends, Stan and Boris.”

  “Hello, Demy. I’m Sam.”

  I stood there frozen. I just realized they didn’t come here to have a drink or watch the dancers.

  “You are very sweet, Sam. Now turn around for Demy.”

  My throat suddenly went dry, and I fought back a cough. They wanted to appraise my body. I closed my eyes and turned around. I felt warmth creep up from my chest to my scalp.

  The beat of “Tainted Love” pounded in my ears as I stood there, my back turned to Demy and the other men, knowing their eyes roamed over my backside.

  “Nice. Now you can get us a glass of your best Russian vodka you serve here.”

  I exhaled, realizing I held my breath and opened my eyes. I walked back to the bar to pour them their glasses of expensive vodka. My hand started to shake. The realization just hit me. Those men were Russians. They must know Vik. All three looked me over like I was on an auction block. They wanted to buy me. Sex trafficking.

  Fear and panic punched my stomach. I poured the vodka and walked back to them, placing the glasses on their table.

  “Thank you, Sam,” Demy raised his glass to me and took a drink.

  Panic kicked in. I walked back, placed the tray on the bar and veered toward the front entrance to the club. The bass of the music reverberated throughout the place. Red and blue beams of light rotating through the club, clouds of smoke billowing from tables enveloped me. I kept walking toward the front door. Only a few yards now. Keep walking, don’t look back.

  A hand suddenly grasped my upper arm and spun me around, “Where do you think you’re goin’ sheep?” It was Rusty. Grinning.

  I froze, my eyes wide. I tasted bile rising in my throat from his touch. I dreaded him as much as Sid.

  I tried to jerk my arm from his grasp.

  “Let me go, Rusty! I’m not cool with this!”

  He started to chuckle. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into his chest. He smelled of sweat, weed, and liquor. I almost dry-heaved.

  “Don’t give a fuck what you think is cool or not, Whore.”

  I struggled against him, grunting to get away, but that made Rusty chuckle even more.

  “I like it when you try to fight back. Just gets my dick harder.”

  I suddenly felt the sting of his slap hard across my cheek.

  “Now shut the fuck up.”

  He released me but kept his grip on my arm, dragging me back into the club, away from the front door.

  “Take her in the back, Rusty,” Sid barked above the loud music. He sat down with the Russian men as I was trying to escape.

  Rusty pushed me down the hall back into the same room I had slept in overnight. He stepped in after me. I turned around to face him, ready for another slap or something worse.

  “Now, keep your fuckin’ mouth shut and stay in this room until Sid wants to fetch you.” He turned, left and shut the door.

  My heart was racing, bile rising again. I bent over and almost threw up the two donuts I’d eaten that morning. It was only a few dry heaves. I rose back up and screamed at the top of my lungs. I was angry and frightened. Mad at myself for believing that Sid would take me back and everything would be like it was before. I was angry at myself for saying those horrible things to Ratchet and in front of Sid and his disgusting Hounds.

  Sid

  “Should’ve known she’d try to high tail it out. Good catch, Rusty,” I sat with Demy and his two partners in the round booth, who witnessed the whole scene.

  I turned from Rusty and back to Demy.

  “She’s just a little nervous. But she’s gonna clean up real nice. You won’t regret it.”

  Demy blew out another cloud of cigar smoke, looking directly at me. Uncomfortable silence for a few seconds.

  “Have the little lamb ready by tomorrow morning at eight o’clock. And you will have your payment. Do not disappoint us.”

  I reached my open palm out across the table to Demy.

  “Thank you, Gentlemen.”

  Demy studied my palm for a moment. He shoved his cigar back in his mouth and reached out to shake.

  “Now, let me and my men finish this vodka and be on our way.”

  “Pour us a shot of some good stuff back there, Brandy,” I called out to the bartender the minute Demy, and the two other Russian men left the club.

  “Rusty, Skully, Tweek, Hammer, let’s make a toast.”

  The drinks were poured, and each of us grabbed a glass and took the shot. We slammed the glasses back on the bar.

  “So what’s the plan, Sid? I thought we were gonna make bank and sell that whore off to the Chaos.”

  Rusty asked too many questions. I had to hold himself back from reaching out and grabbing him by the throat again.

  “What’s up with the stupid fuckin’ questions lately?... We are, Dumbass. We’re gonna make bank with that Chaos motherfucker, but we’re gonna make bank with my new business partner too. Demy will get the whore. That Chaos gets nothing but his own dick in his hand.”

  Rusty began to chuckle, and Hammer followed alo
ng. I barked at Brandy the bartender again, “Pour us another fuckin’ shot, Gash! Or do I gotta do your job for you?”

  Brandy ran back to the end of the bar in her stilettos with the bottle of whiskey.

  Sam

  I knew there was always one of the Hounds outside the room that I was kept in all day. I was disgusted and sick to my stomach when I had to call out from inside to Rusty asking him if I could use the bathroom. He walked me to the women’s restroom and watched me while I did the most private things, doing it in front of this sick perverted excuse for a man. I wouldn’t look at him as I sat on the toilet, but I could feel his eyes on me and heard him chuckle low. By then I was past any feelings of embarrassment.

  Once back in the room, Rusty wasn’t done with me yet. He entered the room with me and shut the door behind him.

  “Can’t wait to see the look on that motherfucker’s face when he realizes he don’t get his whore back.”

  He stalked slowly toward me.

  “Stay back, Rusty. Don’t touch me you disgusting animal!” But he kept coming toward me, grinning.

  “Oh, come on now whore… Just gonna shove my dick in your mouth one last time.”

  His strong hands grabbed my arms. I reached out and smacked him across the face and screamed. He just laughed.

  “Fighting back just makes it more fun…”

  Skully appeared at the door after three quick knocks.

  Rusty didn’t let me go but still turned toward him.

  “What the fuck you want, Skully?”

  “Sid sent me to watch the girl and wants you out there.”

  His eyes were on me.

  “Fuck!” Rusty let me go and stomped toward the door, his face red with anger.

  “If you fuck her, don’t leave any marks. Those Russians won’t like it.”

  Rusty walked out. Sully stood there staring at me.

  “You ok?”

  “Yeah…”

  He walked and shut the door closed. I sat on the couch and covered myself with the blanket I slept with the night before.

  I didn’t understand what Rusty meant? I thought they planned on selling me to the Russian men. Frenzied fear crept up on me suddenly. I only wanted to protect James and the Chaos Kings from the Hell Hounds. Once I came back to Sid and back to my Hell, I knew the quick taste of freedom and living my own life was never something I deserved anyway. And being cared for and treated like the most beautiful woman by Ratchet was something I would cherish forever. I crushed him when I said those horrible things. The look in his eyes made my heart ache more than any punch or slap I had ever felt upon my body.

  I should have never trusted Sid to just keep me as his property, and everything would be the same as it was before I had met James. He would never let that go. I made him look weak in front of the other Hounds, and he was the VP.

  I broke down and sobbed. That nightmare of drowning felt real at that moment. I was alone. My life was stolen from me. My happiness was taken from me.

  Thirty minutes later, those three knocks sounded from the door again. “It’s Skully. I’m comin’ in.”

  I was sitting on the couch; knees were drawn up to my chest, crying.

  “We don’t have much time. I’m getting you outta here. Let’s go. Now.”

  I looked up at him; he was standing half-way in, turning his head back to look down the hall. I didn’t comprehend what he just said and didn’t move. He looked back at me, and I still didn’t move.

  “Now, Sam. Get your boots on and grab your lid. Let’s go!”

  I snapped out of it and sprang off the couch to put my boots on as fast as I could and grabbed my helmet. I followed him out of the room, down the hall toward the back door. I focused only on his back. I noticed he had a slight limp, but to some, it would seem it was just part of his gate. We headed out the back door. It was raining. I saw his bike.

  He grabbed his helmet off the seat, strapping it on, “Is there somewhere close by that I can take you to?”

  “My friend, Tanya. Her apartment,” strapping mine on.

  He got on the bike and started it. I jumped when it fired up, his pipes exploding with the rumbling sound. It could be heard from yards away.

  “They left. No one can hear us in the club. Get on!”

  He didn’t have to tell me again. I hopped on behind him. He twisted the throttle, and we took off. I yelled into his ear where Tanya lived. He did his best to take me down back roads. Riding above the speed limit and within ten minutes we were at Tanya’s door at the second-floor apartment.

  I knocked and knew Tanya could see me through the peephole. I heard her unlock the door, pull off the chain and she swung the door open.

  Her eyes wide, she saw me standing next to Skully. She looked at him.

  “Oh my god, Sam!”

  She grabbed my arm and pulled me inside, then turned to Skully before he took a step. She moved toward him, only a foot away encroaching on his space. She craned her neck up to look at him. He was a foot taller than her.

  “Who the fuck are you?”

  Her protective instinct kicked in. She didn’t seem to care that he was a Hell Hound.

  He looked down at her but didn’t smile. It took him a few seconds to respond, “I’m Skully. That’s who the fuck I am.” He hooked his thumb into the side of his cut, overemphasizing to Tanya his patch.

  “I got Sam out. And here to your place, Sweet Cheeks –”

  “My name is not sweet cheeks. It’s Tanya. And why did you do that?”

  “It just wasn’t right.”

  “It’s ok, Tanya. He should come inside too. They will be looking for him too when they find out I’m gone,” I reassured her. He brought me to her safe. I didn’t think he would be any harm to us.

  Tanya stepped back to let Skully into her apartment and shut the door. She grabbed my hand and walked me to her couch. She wrapped me in her arms and sobbed.

  “What happened, Sam? Are you ok? Does Ratchet know you’re here?”

  I clung to her. Tightly. To feel her holding me. I felt safe again.

  “No, Tanya. I crushed him. I went back to Sid and the Hell Hounds on my own. Told Ratchet to go away…” I broke down and sobbed. My body shook.

  She pulled me away from her embrace, “Sam; he’s on his way to the Hound’s clubhouse tonight. He made a deal with Sid to buy you for twenty-five thousand dollars, Sam.”

  “I thought Sid was selling me to those Russian men?”

  “Yeah, he is selling you to the Russians.”

  We both looked at Skully, “And he’s making the same deal with Ratchet too, but he isn’t planning on giving you back to him. Kill two birds with one stone. Get rid of you, and make bank.”

  That was Sid’s way. He would have the money from both Ratchet and the Russians, be rid of me, proving himself to his club and his father.

  Tanya grabbed her phone from the side table next the couch and scrolled through her contacts, “I’m calling Ratchet now. Talk to him, Sam.”

  Ratchet

  All members of Chaos Kings, my tribe, were gathered at the clubhouse. I told them what was happening at midnight.

  Rocky stood beside me. I looked out at all my brothers who were there for Sam and me. Gunner, Wez, Magnet, Spider.

  “I owe all of you my life. I don’t trust Sid or any of them. I don’t know if I’ll walk out of his clubhouse with Sam, or alive for that matter. But I’m going to do what I fuckin’ have to do. There will be blow-back, and it will land here. At Chaos’ door.” I went silent. I didn’t know what else to say.

  “That’s a fucked up idea you goin’ in alone. You know Sid’s gonna have a few of his fuckers with him.”

  Rocky was hard to convince.

  “I know, Prez. But I have to take my chances on this one.” Then it hit me. I loved Sam. I would die for her. I would kill for her.

  “I love this woman. Sam is real. She’s what I’ve needed all my life.”

  I said it. And once I did, I knew it was real.
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  Some of my brothers nodded. Some even smirked or grinned back at me.

  “Well, I can’t fuckin’ argue with that, Ratchet. You do what you gotta do and get Sam back here safe. With Chaos.”

  Hollers, whoops and ‘fuck yeahs’ erupted from my brothers.

  I left the clubhouse and got in my truck with a duffle bag that carried the twenty-five thousand in cash and headed out of the lot to Sid’s clubhouse.

  I pulled out of the area, and my phone rang. I reached into the side pocket of my cut. Tanya’s name lit up my screen.

  “Tanya. You ok?”

  “Ratchet? It’s Sam…” It was her voice.

  I slammed on the breaks as my heart skipped, “Sam! Where are you?”

  Her voice came through the phone, shaky, faint.

  “I’m ok, James. I’m at Tanya’s apartment. Skul- “

  I interrupted her. Didn’t have time, “You and Tanya get to the clubhouse. Now, Sam. I’ll meet you there in about 45 minutes.”

  “OK. We’re going now …” silence for a few seconds, “Ratchet… I’m so sorry for what I said-“

  “No time for apologies, Rabbit. Just go now. That way I know you’re safe.”

  My little rabbit did it again. She got away. Escaped her Hell and came back to me. My heart settled back to a steady beat, but I gripped my steering wheel the whole way to the Hell Hounds clubhouse. My jaw clenched tight and ticked a few times. I had images of my mother. Beaten. Bruised. And then images of Sam. Beaten. Bruised. I wanted to put my hands around Sid’s throat and snap his neck. I kept that image in my head the rest of the way, picturing his sadistic face turn red, and his eyes bulging, blood vessels popping in his eyeballs. Then those eyeballs saw nothing. Going blank after I heard the snap.

  It was two minutes until midnight as I pulled into the Hounds clubhouse lot. I got out of my truck, grabbed the duffel bag and walked to the side door of the rusting building. No Hound was outside. They knew it was me.

  I walked and took notice of the place. It was a rundown piece of shit. There were a few bar tables and chairs and bar stools, a pool table and a couch, but that’s about it. Sid and Rusty both stood with arms folded, and looked down at the duffle bag.