He motions with a look for someone to take my water and secure my free hand. Holding my chin high, I stare the fucker down. He glares.
That's right fucker, bring it.
"Oh, well, we don't want much. Just everything your club has. That's it," he boasts as he pulls a cigar from a pack resting inside his shirt pocket and lights it. Tilting his head back, he blows a puff of smoke towards the roof. "I want your town." Striding to the table next to me, he lifts the tarp exposing what he plans to use on me and picks up a rusty ice pick. "I want your President to tuck tail and run. I want blood. You will break. Your club will break. One by one I'll take and shatter everything all of you hold dear. Starting with you." I braced myself as he rams the blunt tip of the pick into my right thigh. I grit my teeth absorbing the pain that spreads down my leg as he twists it.
I chance a deep breath before every man in the room takes his turn landing blow after blow. At some point, Twiggy takes his turn at me. The pussy slaps me across my already bloodied face. Lookin' at him, I grin and taste my blood dripping from my busted lip. "Is that all you got? My baby sister hits harder than you-you fuckin' pussy," I spit blood at his feet. Closing his fist, he strikes me again. This time across my left ear that I can no longer hear out of from taking blow after blow from the others already.
"Sweet lookin' little thing—that sister of yours," he taunts.
He wants my attention. Now he's got it. My blood boils. I narrow my eyes into slits. "If your filthy fuckin' hands ever touch her I'll kill you and everyone you share blood with motherfucker." Forgetting I am strapped down to the chair; I try flinging myself towards him.
He laughs in my face, "Maybe I'll finish what I started with that feisty doctor lady of yours," he reaches down and grabs his crotch, "show her what a real dick feels like as I shove it down her throat and make her choke on it."
Two men grab my upper arms, keeping me in place as I attempt to break free of my restraints so I can kill the son of a bitch with my bare hands. Fuck the bullet. I want to feel the life drain from him.
Reaching into his cut, he pulls a hypodermic needle from the inside pocket and holds it up between his fingers. "I wonder if she will love you all strung out. Will she love an addict? After a few days, your body will start to crave it—need it to get by," he walks towards me. The others hold me tighter as I watch him take the cap off the tip. Gripping my arm, he presses the needle against the flesh of my inner wrist breaking skin.
Breaking me with pain isn't their plan. The torture is strictly for shits and giggles. No. They plan on breaking my spirit another way. They plan on keeping me strung out on drugs.
My head falls back as warmth spreads through my body. The pain I was feeling seconds ago begins to fade away. Like in the garage at the youth center my body relaxes to the point of weightlessness. The leather straps across my wrists loosen. I don't fight them as they rip my leather cut, covered in my blood off my body and toss it on the floor at my feet.
I fixate on my club symbol.
The very same tattooed across my back.
I fight to keep my eyes open.
The men of Satans Reapers form a semi-circle in front of me. That's the last thing I remember before letting go—allowing the undertow to pull me under.
Chapter Eighteen
Church
JAKE
Pulling into the clubhouse parking lot, I dismount my bike and cut my eyes over my shoulder to see Bella parking Emerson's Jeep. "Blake!" I bark when I see him striding in my direction after securing the entrance gate. "Help Emerson inside."
With a nod, Blake makes his way towards Emerson's car. No sooner does he turn around when Quinn's mom Vicky bursts through the clubhouse door and makes a beeline in my direction. "J.D, tell me it's not true!"
Reaching up, I grab hold of her shoulders to steady her before delivering the blow. "I'm sorry, sweetheart." This shit right here is the toughest part about being the club President. Having to deliver the news to a mother her son is missing all while everyone else around you is looking for guidance; looking at you like you have the answers to make the nightmare go away, only you're dying on the inside just like the rest of them wondering what the hell I am supposed to do. Hell, I know what I want to do, and that's tear this whole fuckin' town apart until I find every one of those sons of bitches, shove my gun down their throats and send them straight to hell. Those pussies will be begging for the devil's mercy by the time my club is through with them because that bastard doesn't have shit on the wrath The Kings will be dishing out. My brother is missing. Taken by some piece of shit men who have the nerve to come into my town and fuck with my family. The woman in my arms lets out the most painful cry I have ever heard, and I haul her up into my arms and carry her inside.
When I walk in all eyes are on me. Ignoring every one's shocked and somber faces, I stride across the room, up the stairs and to the room I know Vicky is staying in. It's the room right across from Quinn's. No sooner do I set Vicky down on the bed, Bennett walks into the room with his medic bag and Lisa trailing behind him. He kneels on the floor in front of her. "Everything's going to be alright. Ya hear me?"
"You bring my boy home, J.D. I want you to promise me right here, right now, you'll bring him home."
"You have my word, sweetheart."
Looking at Bennett, I give him the go ahead, and watch as he pulls a syringe and vile from his bag. "I want you to let Bennett give you something to help you calm down. You stay here and rest. I'm going to send someone over to the hospital to stay with Quinten, and the girls will keep an eye on Kat."
Vicky lets out another sob and nods. Once Bennett administers the shot I turn to Lisa, she cuts me off knowing what I am about to ask. "I'll stay with Vicky. You men go get shit done. Bring our boy home."
When I step out of Vicky's room, I come face to face with my boys, Logan, Reid, and Gabriel. All three carry the same look. One of retribution. No words are spoken as I stride past them. They fall in and follow behind me as I make my way back out to the common room.
Meeting Austin's eyes across the room, I signal him over. "I want you to get to the hospital ASAP. Your ass doesn't move from Quentin's room until he is discharged tomorrow. You put a bullet in the head of anyone not hospital staff or family, no questions asked."
Austin tips his head. "You got it Prez," then turns on his heel and leaves without another word.
Scanning the room, I see our entire family is accounted for. All our women and children along with my parents sit silently while looking at me. My eyes land on Rain and Ember who are on the floor in the far corner playing with the children. Reading my thoughts, Rain and Ember gather the children and usher them out of the room towards the back of the clubhouse to the playroom. When they pass us, I notice Remi holding Kat's hand in support. She doesn't know the details of what's happened, but she knows something has happened to her brother. I halt Remi's movements and kiss the top of her head silently thanking her for comforting her friend.
Once the room is clear of children I speak. "I'm sure you all know by now a little of what has happened. Quinn is missing." When those words leave my mouth, I hear sobs echo off the clubhouse walls. "You know I can't go into great detail about what's happening, but rest assured me and my men will be bringing our brother home, and those responsible will pay." I make sure to look directly at Emerson when I deliver my last statement. She is the one I worry about the most. Emerson is pregnant with Quinn's child. The stress and worry of this situation can be dangerous for her pregnancy. There is too much at stake right now.
Jerking my head toward the door to my left, I motion for the guys to follow as I walk into church. Slamming the gavel down, I bring church to order—the plethora of emotions filling the room right now is thick and heavy. The unprecedented events of today brought on a storm of epic proportions. Not once in the history of this club have we had to face the fact that one of our brothers has been taken. The Kings have seen it all and been through some of the most devastating circumstances r
egarding the women we love, but this is new territory. Quinn is our brother; a part of who we are. The Kings would not be The Kings without him.
"You ready, Prez?" Reid asks bringing me to attention. At my nod, Reid syncs his laptop with the monitor on the wall and pulls up the security feed from when our brother was taken. The club is responsible for the security system at the youth center. When we arrived at Liam's hospital room and learned what happened, Reid didn't waste any time gathering the evidence we needed. As soon as he hits play every eye in the room watches as a couple of men wearing Satans Reapers cuts emerge from the shadows and grab Liam. Then we watch as Quinn steps into frame and what happens from there has me seeing red.
Jumping from my seat, I grab my chair and hurl it across the room and watch as it shatters against the brick wall. "Son of a fuckin' bitch!" I boom. Nobody says a word. The room goes silent and serves as yet another reminder Quinn is gone. By now he would have made some snide comment, and I would have threatened him with a bullet to his ass for it. With my hands resting on my hips I close my eyes and rein in my temper. My men are looking to me for what to do next and losing my cool will not help the situation.
Once I've calmed, I turn, face my club and deliver my orders. "Reid, get back on your computer and tap into every Goddamn camera in Polson. See if you can catch sight of any one of those sons of bitches. Demetri, I want you and Nikolai to bring in some of your men to keep watch on the clubhouse and our families. With my guys out looking for Quinn I'll need some backup on the home front."
"You got it my friend," Demetri agrees before he and Nikolai leave the room and both men start speaking rapid-fire Russian into their cells.
"Bennett, I want you to keep a watch on Emerson. All this stress is not good for her and the baby. I want her checked on the hour every hour."
Lastly, I turn to Logan and Gabriel. "I'm going to put a call into the Louisiana chapter. We need all the manpower we can get. The more eyes, the better. In the meantime, I want you to get out there and tear the motherfuckin' state of Montana apart."
The second the room is clear I sit back down at the table and make a call. It's time for reinforcements. Dialing the number, it rings twice before I hear Riggs's gruff voice coupled by loud music and a giggling woman.
"Jake."
"Riggs."
The tone of my voice must alert Riggs that something is wrong because I hear him bark out a few commands and the background noise ceases.
"Talk to me, brother."
"That prospect you let go of hooked up with another club, the Satans Reapers. Cock suckers snatched Quinn a few hours ago."
"Fuck!" Riggs hisses. "What you need from me? Anything and it's yours."
"I need you and every available brother you have to haul ass to Montana, brother."
"You got it, Jake. My men and I will be headed your way before sunrise."
"I owe ya one, Riggs."
"Hell no you don't. That's what brothers are for."
Running my palm over my weary face, I rest my elbows on my knees. Closing my eyes, I drift back to the day a scrawny mischievous kid with a busted lip, and black eye walked into my clubhouse.
I'm tossing back a beer at the bar with one of the club girls Suzy perched on my lap dressed in a barely there dress and her fake tits pressed up on me when the door to the clubhouse opens drawing my attention. Turning on my stool, I see Logan and Reid strolling in from school with their backpacks slung over their shoulder. My brows furrow when I look at some blond-haired scrawny runt trailing behind them. Both Logan and Reid are acting as if this is the norm having some stranger walking in behind them and into my clubhouse. Tapping Suzy on her ass, I motion for her to get lost. I smirk when I see the newcomer's eyes go big as he watches Suzy sway her hips as she struts over to Sean who is sitting on the sofa.
"Logan, Reid, you boys get your asses over here!" I holler.
"Mind tellin' me who the hell this kid is and why he's standing in my clubhouse droolin' over Suzy's tits?" I ask thumbing my finger towards the kid.
"Followed us home from school, Prez," Reid answers. "He was getting his ass kicked in the bathroom at school. Logan and I stepped in and took care of the fucker wailing on him. Now he's declaring himself our best friend or some shit. Followed us home."
"Fuck me," I mutter. "Hey, shithead," I call getting the kids attention. "Wipe your Goddamn mouth and get your ass over here."
Without a care in the world or any fear, the kid steps to me, looks me straight in the face and gives a full-on grin. "I think I'm going to like it here," he beams.
Chuckling, I ask, "you got a name kid?"
"My name's Quinn Beckett."
"Well, Quinn do you know where you're at?"
"Yes, sir. I'm at The Kings of Retribution clubhouse. I haven't lived in Polson very long, but I've heard about you guys. Everyone knows who The Kings are."
"What would your folks say if they knew you were here right now?" I ask. "To most people in this town, we're nothing but dirty criminals."
Shrugging his shoulder Quinn answers. "Mom and Dad say you can't judge a book by its cover. They said you should never believe in rumors. It's best to get to know someone and make your mind up about that person. The way I see it, Logan and Reid saved my skin today. I've made up my mind."
From that day forward Quinn was a daily presence at the clubhouse. The day he graduated from high school was the day he became a prospect for The Kings. I watched him as he earned his patch and took pride in watching him grow to be the man he is today.
The door behind me slamming open gains my attention and brings me to my feet.
"Prez, we need ya," Gabriel grunts.
"What's goin' on?"
"There's a kid at the gate. Has a package with him. Said he was told to bring it here."
Stomping my way across the clubhouse parking lot, I make my way to the front gate where there is in fact a boy no older than twelve standin' there next to a bike with a box in his hands.
"What's your name, boy?"
"M…mm…my name is Devan," he stammers.
"What are ya doing here on my property, Devan?"
"Some guy in town paid me fifty bucks to deliver this package," his voice cracks.
"Can you tell me what this guy looked like?"
"Um… he had black and grey hair. He had a big belly. He was also wearing a vest like yours; only it didn't say Kings."
"What did his cut say?" the question comes from Gabriel and the boy's eyes go big, and he looks like he's going to piss his pants.
"It had Satans something on it," Devan tells us.
"Fuckin' bastards," Logan hisses.
"Okay, son. I want you to put the box down on the ground. Then I want you to get on your bike and go home. If a man with that same kind of cut comes up to you again I want you to run. Ya hear me kid?"
Nodding his head frantically, the boy jumps on his bike and pedals his ass out of here like it's on fire. Those sorry fuckers have the nerve draggin' innocent kids into their business. Looking down at the box sittin' on the ground in front of me my gut clenches because I know that whatever is inside is a message. By the looks on Logan and Gabriel's face, they know it too. Bending down, I rip the tape off the closed box then open the flaps. As soon as the contents inside are exposed, I hear a loud gasp behind me. When I whip around, I see Emerson with tears running down her now pale face and her hand clasped over her mouth.
Chapter Nineteen
Emerson
Collapsing to my knees, the gravel from the clubhouse parking lot sends sharp piercing pains up my shins as I begin to vomit what little bit of food I was able to hold down. But the pain in my legs doesn't compare to the pain in my heart. I wish with all I am that I could unsee what I just saw in that box. Moments ago, one by one I watched as the men came out of the room they hold church. Each man walked through the clubhouse with fire in their eyes. Each one's body language spoke as if it were saying leave me the fuck alone—I'm on a mission. That mission being murder. N
ot two minutes after Logan and Gabriel walked out of the clubhouse they returned. Only this time I couldn't decipher the looks that marred their faces. When they reemerged, this time with Jake in tow, I knew something was up. I wanted answers. Only I was not prepared for the response I got when I stupidly followed them out to the parking lot to where the guys were standing around a package sitting on the ground. I walked up behind Jake just as he flipped the top open. Inside—Quinn's cut covered in blood, accompanied by the very distinct smell of urine.
"Fuck!" I hear Jake hiss just before he hauls me up into his arms and carries me back inside. Through my drunk state, I feel Jake lay me down on a bed. An all too familiar smell tells me I am in Quinn's room. The scent causes me to cry even harder. It comforts me and causes my heart to ache all at the same time. I can't imagine not having his arms wrap around me ever again as I breathe in his scent.
"Sweetheart, I need ya to calm down. Take slow deep breaths," Jake says, and I realize I am on the verge of hyperventilating.
"Slow, doc. In and out. There ya go."
Blinking away my tears, I do as Jake encourages while keeping my eyes on his. After several cleansing breaths, the fog clears from my brain.
"I know what you saw was some fucked up shit, doc. I know it will do no good for me to tell you not to worry, but you need to get your emotions in check. Think about the baby."
Shit! He's right. Jake is right. This stress is not good for my baby.
"Quinn would kick my ass if I let anything happen to you or his baby. So, do me a solid, doc and let's do what we need to do to make sure the two of you stay safe and healthy, yeah?"
Once I agree, he continues, "I want you to lay down and rest for a few minutes. I'm going to send Bella in here with something to eat. I know you're scared right now, sweetheart, but don't go gettin' inside your head. We can't go off the what-ifs. The what ifs don't mean shit. You have people here who love you, Emerson. I want you to cling to them. We're your family and family is what's going to get you through this, ya got me?"
LOST KING: THE KINGS OF RETRIBUTION MC Page 14
