“Looks like Mud’s the only one here,” murmured one of the bikers as we walked past an old white pickup that was parked near the dumpsters. The garbage inside was bad enough to make me gag.
“Smells like death in there, doesn’t it?” said Skull, noticing my sour expression. “You piss me off anymore and I’ll put you in there with the trash. Of course, the smell won’t bother you, because by then you’ll be dead.”
I ignored him.
When we got inside, the lights were on and I noticed that the place was similar to Griffin’s, only without a stage. Besides there being a bar, there were two stripper poles, three pinball machines, and two pools table in the back next to an old jukebox.
“It’s about time you made it,” said a gravelly voice.
I turned toward a man getting up from a black leather sofa that was stationed near the back. He was naked from the waist up, muscular, and had several tattoos on his chest and arms. He looked like he was in his forties and reminded me a little of the actor, Danny Bonaduce, with his red hair and ruddy complexion.
He didn’t say anything when he saw Brandy’s swollen face, but his eyes widened in surprise when he noticed me. “Look at what we have here. You are not at all what I expected. I take it this is Adriana?” he said, turning to Skull. “Raptor’s ‘real’ Old Lady?”
“I am not Raptor’s ‘real’ Old Lady,” I muttered.
His head snapped back toward me. “Is this the right girl, Skull?”
“It is, Mud,” he answered, smirking. “She’s lying.”
So, this was Mud. “I’m not lying,” I snapped, angrily. “I’m not with him. I’m not even dating him. As far as I’m concerned, Brandy is his Old Lady.”
He looked at Brandy. “You’re Raptor’s Old Lady?”
She laughed coldly. “I don’t know. He hasn’t decided yet.”
“You the pregnant one?” he asked her.
She nodded.
“They got you pretty good,” he said, staring at her face. His eyes lowered. “You bleeding between your legs?”
“No,” she answered quietly, looking embarrassed.
“Then you’re probably fine.”
“How do you know, are you a doctor?” she asked.
“No, but I’m the guy who says whether or not you’re going to get another beating, so show some respect,” he snapped.
She gritted her teeth together but didn’t reply.
Grunting, he turned back to me. “What are you, a college student?”
I nodded.
His eyes traveled down my body. “I can see why Breaker was obsessed with a chick like you. You’re definitely his type.”
“What type is that?” I asked, scowling.
“Young and sweet,” replied Mud, walking over to me. Before I could do anything, he grabbed me by the jaw and held it tightly while he examined my face like I was some kind of animal. “Skull, she looks like that actress, what’s her name?” he asked, releasing me. “From Desperate Housewives. Eva something? She played Gabrielle.”
“I don’t know,” said Skull. “Never watched it.”
“Longoria,” said one of the other men.
“That’s right. I didn’t care too much for the show but those bitches were hot. Especially her.” He walked over to the bar and grabbed the bottle of whiskey that was sitting there. He unscrewed the cap and turned to me. “So, how desperate are you?” he asked, smiling darkly.
I didn’t reply.
He took a swig of the bottle and then wiped his mouth. “Come on, now. What are you willing to do to walk out of here alive?”
“You’ll let us walk out of here alive?” I asked.
“Maybe. See, I’m not the bad guy here. I’ve been forced into this situation by those bastards, the Gold Vipers.”
My eyes narrowed. “Did they force you to kill Krystal?”
“Krystal? Oh, you’re talking about the blonde, aren’t you?” he said. “She was a little firecracker, that one. In a way, they did force me to kill her. Those assholes killed a part of my family and someone had to pay.”
“She had nothing to do with the Gold Vipers,” I said sharply. “Nothing.”
“Wasn’t she Tank’s Old Lady?” he asked Skull.
He nodded.
“Well, there you go.”
“No, they were only dating,” I spat. “She was going to break up with him.”
He snickered. “Oh. Well, I guess I saved her the aggravation.”
I gritted my teeth. “You’re a fucking jerk.”
Instead of getting angry, he smiled. “A fucking jerk? No, what I am is a mother-fucking asshole. Your worst nightmare, if I want to be.”
I opened up my mouth to respond when he pointed at me, his smile now gone.
“Know when to shut the fuck up and you might live longer.”
I shut my mouth.
“Wise choice. See, I hold your life in my hands. I mean, you might be as sexy as fuck,” he said, glancing down at my body again. “But, we will not tolerate any back talk from either of you. I think Brandy already learned her lesson.”
I looked away.
“Speaking of Brandy, what should we do with her?” asked Skull.
“I don’t know. Whatever the fuck you want. Just don’t kill her,” he replied.
Skull grabbed her by the arm. “I was hoping you’d say that. Let’s go.”
She tried pulling her arm away, but he grabbed her by the hair and started pushing her toward one of the hallways.
“Where are we going?” she cried, struggling.
He pulled her hair tighter. “You’ll see when we get there.”
“Please, let me go!” she sobbed.
“Shut up and walk!” he growled.
I took a step toward them. “Wait, please don’t! You know she’s pregnant. What kind of a monster are you?!”
He laughed. “Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll get to find out later.”
“Let her go!” I cried, moving toward them. I knew he was going to rape her and it tore me up inside.
One of the other bikers grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
Skull, looking frustrated, took his gun out of his jacket. He pointed it at her temple. “If you don’t stop fucking around, I’ll kill this bitch.”
“He will, too, if you keep trying to interfere,” said Mud calmly. I could tell by the look on his face that he was enjoying the scene.
“It’s okay,” said Brandy, forcing a smile through her tears. “I’ll be fine.”
I jerked my arm away from the guy holding me. “I doubt it. Not with that animal.”
“Enough of the bullshit. Go easy on her,” ordered Mud. He turned and looked at me, a smirk on his face. “I don’t want the bitch bleeding to death from a miscarriage. At least not until I get my money from Raptor. Then, as far as I’m concerned, both girls are free territory for anyone who wants a piece.”
I stared at him in horror as I realized our situation was even worse than I’d thought. Even if Trevor gave him exactly what he wanted, Mud wasn’t ever planning on letting us go.
Chapter Twenty-two
After Slammer left a message for The Judge, we brought Misty back to the clubhouse with us to keep an eye on her. Fortunately, she gave us the directions to Mud’s new setup in Minnesota without hesitation. I could tell that she was cooperating only because she was frightened of what we were going to do with her when it was all said and done.
“We should let the rest of our crew know what’s going on,” said Tank, rubbing his eye. It was just us three standing by the bar. Misty had fallen asleep on one of the sofas nearby and was snoring softly. “Maybe they can help.”
“It’s after midnight. Let them sleep. Not a whole lot they can do, unless they’re willing to contribute financially,” replied Slammer, looking wearier than ever. “Which I wouldn’t expect them to do, anyway.”
“About that, I’ll pay you back. Every single cent of whatever The Judge charges you,” I told him. I’d never felt so commit
ted to Slammer and the rest of the Gold Vipers as I did at that moment. The fact that he was willing to front me that kind of money to save Adriana, a girl he didn’t even really know, meant more than I could ever express.
“I know you will, Raptor,” he said, patting me on the shoulder. He smiled grimly. “Truth is, I feel responsible for this mess. If I wouldn’t have hired The Judge to kill Breaker, Adriana and Brandy would be at home sleeping right now. And, Krystal,” he looked at Tank, his face full of regret. “She’d still be alive.”
“None of this is your fault,” said Tank, looking cross. “Don’t go blaming yourself. You pulled that shit before on me and I already told you not to come down on yourself like that.”
“Tank’s right. Breaker started this war when he raped Jessica,” I replied. “Unfortunately, some people got into the crossfire, but seriously, Prez, nobody blames you for this shit.”
“Still, I should have taken better precautions or at the very least, handled it differently from the very beginning,” he muttered as his phone started ringing. He took it out of his belt and checked the screen.
“Who is it?” I asked.
“The man who will hopefully make all of this go away,” he said, before answering. “Hey, Judge.”
***
It didn’t take much to convince my half-brother, Jordan Steele, A.K.A. The Judge, to help us with Mud, especially when he learned of his demands.
“How did he react when you told him Mud wanted his head on a platter?” asked Tank.
“He was pretty fucking amused,” said Slammer, chuckling. “Fact is, I think he’s going to really enjoy killing Mud. If I didn’t hate the bastard so much, I’d probably feel sorry for the dumb fucker.”
“So, what is the plan?” I asked, looking at the clock. The hours were ticking by and although I’d been trying to keep my composure, underneath I was a fucking wreck. All I kept thinking about was going after Adriana myself, but Slammer had axed that idea from the get-go. He wanted to talk to Jordan first and not just go after the Devil’s Rangers, guns blazing.
“He said he’ll meet you out there. Around Six a.m. He’ll call you in a couple of hours to let you know where exactly he wants to meet up with you, though. You ever been to Hayward, Minnesota?”
“No. Never. So, he’s okay with working as a team on this one?” I asked, a little surprised.
“A two-man team. He said he just wants you.”
I nodded. “Okay. I’m leaving now then.”
Tank scowled. “What the fuck? I’m not allowed to help?”
Slammer sighed. “I know. I know. He said the more people involved, the more shit that can go wrong. Remember, he’s used to working alone. The only reason he’s agreeing to let Raptor help is because of who they’re holding as hostage.”
“What if something goes wrong?” asked Tank. “I mean they’ve got at least a dozen guys out there who’d take a bullet for Mud.”
“The Judge is more than capable of handling this situation,” said Slammer. “It’s why he charges so damn much. He always gets the job done. You’ve heard the stories.”
“Yeah, but… I need to be there when this goes down. Not just because Raptor and I are tight, but because of Krystal. I want to see that douchebag go down,” he replied angrily. “You of all people know that, Pop.”
“I understand, but he made it pretty clear that he doesn’t play well with others. I wish I could talk him into letting you go, but the man was insistent and I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth.”
Tank shook his head in exasperation and mumbled something.
Slammer patted him on the back. “It’s going to get done. You’re just not going to have to get your hands dirty on this one.”
“I want my hands dirty,” he said. “With blood from cracking Mud’s head open with my fists.”
“I feel you, son. I really do.”
“I’d better get on the road,” I said, taking out my truck keys. “How much is he charging us, anyway?”
“Actually, we didn’t get around that,” Slammer replied and then smiled. “Hell, to be honest, I think he might be doing this as a courtesy. Usually, he asks for the money upfront. This time the issue didn’t even come up.”
“Maybe it’s not about the money on this one,” I replied, thinking that I wouldn’t care if I was paid if the roles were reversed.
“You might have something there,” agreed Slammer. “The Judge doesn’t like anyone threatening him.”
Tank grabbed his jacket and slipped it on.
“Where you going?” asked Slammer.
“I’m following them out there, in case they need backup. Now hold up,” he said, when Slammer opened his mouth to protest. “I’ll stay far enough behind that I won’t get in the way, but close enough that if I’m needed, I can haul ass and get to where I need to be quickly.”
“It’s a good idea,” I said, looking at Slammer. “You just never know.”
“Fine,” he said. “Just keep out of the way, if you’re not needed. I mean it, Tank.”
“Do I ever get in the way of shit?” he replied, looking a little peeved.
Both Slammer and I looked at each other.
Tank meant well, most of the time, but he was also bullish and stubborn. Usually, he followed his old man’s orders, but if he didn’t agree with them, shit usually didn’t go well. I only hoped this wasn’t one of those times.
Chapter Twenty-three
The other two guys from the van smoked a joint together and then left to go eat somewhere, leaving me alone with Mud. I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved, or more frightened. He kept watching me in a way that made my skin crawl.
“You tired?” he asked, stepping behind the bar again.
Hoping he’d leave me alone, I nodded. The fact was that I was too terrified to think about sleep.
“So am I but sleep is not my friend today,” he said, pulling out a small plastic bag of white powder. He smiled at me. “But this is. You want some?”
“No,” I replied quickly.
“Do you even want to know what this shit is before you refuse to try it?”
I shook my head. “I’m not into drugs.”
He shrugged. “Fine. More for me.”
I glanced around the clubhouse while he set up his fix, trying to find something I could use as a weapon or for defense. As if he could read my mind, he pulled a gun out from under the bar and raised it in the air.
“By the way, don’t get any fucking ideas,” he said, rubbing his nose, which was red from snorting some of the powder.
I just looked away.
“Why don’t you go and make yourself at home on the couch over there? Take a nap.”
I stared at the sofa, knowing that there was no way that I’d be able to close my eyes with Mud eyeballing me the way he had been. Plus, I couldn’t help but feel anxious about what was happening to Brandy. It was pretty horrifying to know that a woman was being raped in the next room and there was nothing that I could do about it. As much as I disliked Brandy, I knew that I needed to find a way to help her escape. I wondered if I could somehow get the gun from Mud.
“Go on. I won’t bite,” he said, sounding amused.
“But you certainly let Skull bite, don’t you?” I said dryly.
He slid the gun into the back of his jeans. “Why not? He did well for me today. I owe him.”
“You owe him the opportunity to rape someone?” I asked shrilly.
He leaned down and snorted more of the powder. Grunting in satisfaction, he raised his head and rubbed underneath his nose. “You’re wasting your time trying to put some kind of guilt trip on me. I couldn’t care less if he kills her, let alone rapes her. I hate anything that has to do with the Gold Vipers,” he said. “Including their bitches. Old or new. Doesn’t matter.”
“Because of Breaker?” I replied, wrinkling my nose in disgust.
“Breaker? Fuck, yeah. His death tore me up. We were tight.”
“So, this is reall
y what this is all about? Avenging Breaker’s death?” I asked, knowing we’d already been through this conversation. I wanted to keep him talking , however, so we didn’t run out of things to say and he decided to put his hands on me.
“Actually, our clubs have always had our differences and have always butted heads. This time, they’ve caused a major shit-storm by taking out one of my closest brothers. I’m not resting until I’ve hit every last one of those fucking Gold Vipers.”
“I don’t know where you’ve gotten your information from, but I’m not a part of their club. I never was.”
“That’s not what I’ve been told. In fact,” he waved his finger, “I know for a fact that Raptor gave Breaker some shit for harassing a girl at Griffin’s a few weeks ago. A foxy little number named Adriana. That’s you, darlin’. Don’t deny it.”
“I’d only met Raptor that day and it wasn’t all about protecting me. We didn’t even know each other.”
Mud stared at me, now looking a little uncertain.
An idea began to take shape in my head. “The truth is, he pretty much forced himself into the situation. I was telling Breaker that I wasn’t interested in going for a ride with him, when Raptor thought he needed to step in, like some kind of macho idiot. For some dumbass reason, he didn’t think that I could handle saying ‘no’ to Breaker all on my own. The truth is I didn’t need his help. I didn’t even welcome it.”
He leaned forward on the bar, his eyes red and dilated. “Is that right?”
I nodded. “Yes it fucking is. And now, my best friend is dead and I’m being held prisoner. I’m caught in the middle of this so called shit-storm between you and them and I sure as hell shouldn’t be. I am not Raptor’s Old Lady. I’m not even his girlfriend. I couldn’t give a shit about him or his gang, the Vipers.”
“The Gold Vipers,” he corrected.
“Whatever they are,” I snapped angrily. “Like I said, I don’t give a fuck about them, or you, for that matter. You want to kill each other? Fine. But, don’t you dare label me as Raptor’s Old Lady.”
Surviving The Biker (Motorcyle Club Romance) Page 9
