Duke (The Henchmen MC Book 5)

by Jessica Gadziala

  "I'll be back as soon as I can," I told her, my body half an inch from hers.

  "Okay," she said with a nod, then moved away from me toward the bed.

  I went to the door with a heavy feeling inside, knowing I had to face the questions from the cops and the reality of my dead friend.

  But somehow, in a very small way, the idea of coming back to find Penny in my bed made all that just a bit more tolerable.

  SEVEN

  Penny

  Okay.

  So I was genuinely starting to believe I was either in a drug-induced sleep still or that I had somehow fallen asleep and woken up in some freaking different dimension.

  Because, really, how else could one explain the course of events that happened to me in two days?

  First, the kidnapping. Alright, weird, but not completely unheard of. Actually, if I wasn't mistaken, human trafficking was at an all-time high. Even in the United States.

  Second, I was beaten. Again, not an every day occurrence for most people, but not a rare occurrence either.

  But then I woke up at a biker compound getting makeshift medical attention and am asked to stay there for my own safety.

  As if all that wasn't enough, I woke up to machine gun fire. Now, I had never heard a machine gun in real life before. That being said, I had seen enough action-packed movies to know it when I heard it.

  I had shot up in bed, ribs screaming, my heart in my throat as I watched the door like it might burst in at any moment. I could hear the bullets ping off the building and I was pretty sure I understood why the entire building was windowless right about then.

  I sat there for a long time, too terrified to move, wondering what the hell these Henchmen guys were into to bring fully-automatic weapons to their clubhouse.

  Then, when the sounds died down, the quiet somehow even more eerie than the shooting, I climbed out of the bed, looking for weapons. I was relieved to find a knife in the nightstand and moved to stand behind the door in case anyone came in.

  I was no hero, but I damn sure wouldn't go down without a fight if I could help it.

  The words never again flashed through my head vividly.

  I didn't want to just take it.

  I had enough cowardice for my life.

  So as much as I was pretty sure I didn't have the stomach to plunge a knife into another human being, you never knew what you were capable of when push came to shove.

  So when the door opened, making my stomach feel like it shot down to my feet, I was equal parts amazed and proud when my hand raised and sliced down the arm of the person coming in.

  Of course when the light flashed on and I saw Duke and saw the blood trickling down his arm from where I stabbed him, I was pretty sure I stopped breathing. But he hadn't even commented on the fact that I freaking stabbed him. He never even treated the cut.

  And then I had done something that, if I lived a thousand years, I never thought I would be capable of doing. I agreed to lie to the police. Why? Yeah, that was a good question. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I had made out with Duke. Or, maybe it was the haunted look in his eyes when he told me about them losing some of their men. I was sure, it seemed anyway, that violence was a way of life for them. So losing men was likely not as Earth-shaking as it would be for the average Joe. But, judging by the way his body tensed and his eyes went empty and his shoulders sagged, Duke was feeling the loss of one of his friends.

  It also maybe played a small part that I was worried about my story. The factual one was just as unbelievable as the fictional one Duke fed me. Actually, possibly even more so. On top of all of that, they were clearly outlaw bikers. And while they had been good to me so far, there was no way for me to tell if they would continue being nice if I didn't agree to lie, if I decided to tell the cops the whole bloody truth.

  So I was going with the fake story if the cops came.

  Two hours passed.

  Four.

  Six.

  The police didn't come.

  Neither did Duke.

  Around ten in the morning, I had pretty much conjured a million different ideas for what happened, each more gruesome than the next. When I padded to the door and cracked it open, I had maybe been expecting to see bodies of bikers strewn all about.

  What I found was an empty hall.

  I crept along it, the knife from the bathroom sink in my hand, my heart slamming out a rapid bass beat.

  Why was I heading out, you might ask?

  Because I didn't take too fondly to the idea of being trapped in a room in a compound if all the bikers who were my makeshift protectors left... or were dead.

  I rounded the bend to the main room, just barely peeking my head around the corner.

  "Blondie," Renny's voice called, proving what a bad spy I would make. "You okay?"

  I moved into the doorway, suddenly completely conscious of the fact that I had no pants or bra on in a clubhouse full of outlaw bikers. Not my best move, I'll admit.

  "I was worried," I confided as he moved toward me with a long-legged gait. "It's been so quiet for so long."

  "Most of the men have jobs they are on today. The rest are securing up the grounds better," he told me, reaching out to touch my arm. "Want some coffee? I'll make a fresh pot."

  If there was one thing that could make me parade around half-naked, it was the promise of coffee.

  I moved to follow Renny and we were just outside the opening to the kitchen when the front door burst open.

  "I'm fully capable of taking care of myself, Cash," the woman from my bedroom the day before said.

  "Lo, honey," Cash said, laying it on a little thick as he closed the front door. "I'm not saying you can't take care of yourself; I'm saying you belong to me and that means you have a target on your back and you shouldn't just be parading into the compound whenever you want."

  "You want me hiding out at Hailstorm while someone is shooting up your building and your men with a machine gun? That's what you're telling me."

  Cash ran a hand up the shaved side of his head, his lips turned up like he was somewhat amused, but he exhaled so hard it was almost a sigh. "I just want you safe."

  "That feeling would be mutual. Which is why I am here. I will go back up to Hailstorm later if that makes you happy. Reign is having all the kids and women shipped up there anyway. They will need a hand. But you guys need all the help you can get to get ahead of this before it gets any worse. Oh," she said, stopping short at seeing me. "Good. I actually brought Ashley with me to check out your back again," she told me, then gave me a smile. "I also brought you pants. Figured you wouldn't be too keen on parading around here half-naked all the time. Unless Duke is having you sent up to Hailstorm too," she said, looking over at Cash for an answer.

  What, exactly, Hailstorm was... was completely beyond me. Whatever it was, Lo made it sound like she was a pretty big deal there and if Reign was having all the women and children sent there, then it must have been a pretty safe place.

  "That's her choice," Duke's voice said, coming from the side and I had too peek out to see him coming in from out back.

  He looked tired. That was the first thing I realized. It was in the heaviness of his eyes, the dark circles underneath. His long blond hair was tied back into a bun again and his face had even more stubble than the last time I had seen him which only made his already handsome face look even more so.

  And there I was looking like a mess.

  Lovely.

  Not that it should have mattered. But, let's get real, it did.

  Everyone was suddenly looking at me and I felt a flush creep up in my cheeks. "Ah, um, well... I can't think of anything except the coffee Renny promised me right now," I said with a small smile, hoping it came off more casual than it felt.

  Renny gave me a look, his lips twitching. "I was going to make a Chock Full o'Nuts comment. But I figured I would spare you."

  To that, I felt myself laugh a little oddly. "I appreciate the restraint," I said and
he gave me a wink, going into the kitchen to put the coffee on.

  "Think maybe you want to get the exam over with before the coffee?" Lo asked and, well, I had to agree that was probably the better plan. When I nodded, she turned to her husband. "Can you go grab Ashley for me? I don't know what happened to her."

  "Got a compound of men who were just in a gunfight and Reign banned the clubwhores until we get this shit settled," Cash explained. "She's probably got half a dozen bikers trying to charm their way into her pants right now."

  To that, Lo's eyes twinkled. "Well, good luck with that. Ashley likes the girls," she added as her man started to walk away, making him turn back with a smile.

  "The poor fucks," Cash said, shaking his head and disappearing.

  "Is there any chance I can take a shower?" I asked, looking between Lo and Duke.

  "Forty-eight hours for stitches, I'm afraid," Lo said, shaking her head. "But we can rig you up with a whore's bath. And maybe if Reign doesn't pull me away, I can help you wash your hair."

  With that, I was led back to Duke's room with Lo and Ashley, Duke standing outside the door for the course of the exam where I was informed it was healing but the stitches would be in for another weak at least. I was wrapped up loosely around my back and then my ribs as well. Lo handed me a pair of black yoga pants that I slipped into happily and went into Duke's dresser for a shirt.

  "Loose would be good right now," she informed me as she produced a white tee, then changed her mind and came back with a navy one. "So Duke's clothes are best."

  I slipped into it. "What is Hailstorm?" I found myself blurting out.

  Ashley shot Lo a look that she ignored. "It's similar to a survivalist camp in a way. We have a fence and dogs and solar power. But the main reason Reign is sending all the women and kids to us is because our buildings are made of storage containers. They're impenetrable when we want them to be."

  "Do you think I should go there too?" I asked, knowing I didn't want to and hearing a bit of that in my own voice.

  "Honestly, I don't know," Lo said, sitting down at the foot of the bed. "This is a weird situation. Usually if there is a threat to The Henchmen, they know who is sending it. It's the Russians or the Mexicans or even a rival biker gang. It's weird for it to be handled so secretively."

  "It makes it more dangerous," Ashley added, putting her supplies away. "If they knew their threat, this would be halfway over with by now. But as it stands... this could be going on for a while."

  I took a breath, shaking my head a little. "So you're saying I am going to be stuck either here or at Hailstorm for 'a while'? I can't go home? I can't live my life?"

  "Is that a risk you really want to take just in case you aren't safe?" Ashley pressed.

  That was a good point. I was sure if I pitched a fit, they would send me on my way. But where did that leave me? Alone in an apartment building that didn't even have a buzzer system? Okay so maybe even if I invested in pepper spray and self-defense lessons, I wasn't stupid, it wouldn't do me any good. If someone wanted me, they could get me. And turning to the cops? Well, after letting so much time pass, they would probably think I was making it up or out of my mind or something. Even if they did believe me, where would that get me? A patrol car passing my apartment building every hour? Like that would help. I could be murdered between patrols. And on top of all that, if I told the cops what was really happening, would that put me on the bad side of Reign and his Henchmen? That answer was probably a resounding yes and while they didn't seem to mean me any harm right then, who knew if that would change if they suddenly found out I ratted on them.

  So, as insane as it was that I had to completely put my entire life on pause, was there really another choice? It didn't seem like it. It seemed like I had somehow gotten myself involved in something that I had no control over getting out of safely.

  What would happen to my apartment? My stuff? Could I still contact my family?

  Oh, God.

  What about my grandmother? I hadn't even gotten a chance to go see her. And if I let another day go by without calling her, she would start to worry.

  "Alright, hold up," Lo said, giving me a look that said she could see my gears turning. "I get it. This is a lot for anyone to take in, let alone someone who shouldn't have to. But I think everyone is in agreement that keeping you safe is more important than job interviews and grocery shopping and all that normal shit."

  "I get that," I agreed, nodding. "But that normal shit is important. I have rent to pay or I'll lose my apartment. One day, this will be over and I will need to live somewhere. I'll need my stuff. Everything I own is in that apartment and..."

  "Well, if Reign doesn't demand it, I will send someone to get your stuff. You're not losing everything here. You're just losing a couple days or weeks. That's it. I think it's a small price to pay for your life."

  Again, she wasn't wrong.

  "My grandmother just broke her hip..." I started.

  Lo waved a hand. "We will figure out a way for you to see her. You'll just have to put on a good act so she doesn't know something is wrong. And, well, it might be best to wait another day or two until the bruises on your face heal."

  "Good point," I said with a nod.

  "Hey," Lo said, her hand landing on my knee. When I looked up, all I saw was understanding in her eyes. "This sucks. You didn't do anything to deserve this, but this is how it is. You can sit here and worry yourself sick and woe-is-me it into a deep depression or you can suck it up, chalk it up to life being a relentless bitch at times, and move on. Either way, it won't change the situation, just how you handle it."

  I liked Lo.

  I barely knew her, but I liked her.

  Maybe it was because I grew up around my grandmother who was very no-holds-barred and opinionated, but I was drawn to that kind of grit. It was kind of cool to see it in a woman who wasn't three times my age.

  Maybe some of it would rub off on me a bit.

  "Alright. So let's go get some coffee before all the men drink it on us," Lo said, standing and moving toward the door.

  When we got back to the kitchen, Renny and Duke were gone, someone named Repo telling us that they 'had some shit' to handle and leaving it at that before going ahead and making us (and all the men) some food.

  By five that night, Duke still hadn't returned.

  Lo and Ashley were practically forcibly removed from the premises by Cash who insisted she get her 'fine ass' back up to Hailstorm before it got dark.

  And that left me alone.

  So, uncomfortable and finding myself treated like a leper, the men all seeming to fan out away from me whenever they passed, I went back to Duke's room.

  I took a whore's bath in the sink.

  I changed t-shirts again.

  I waited.

  And waited.

  Then I waited so long that I slept, stomach grumbling as I drifted off.

  And I, yet again, woke to slamming noises.

  I was in a seated position with the knife raised before I could even blink the sleep out of my eyes.

  "Gettin' quick with that," Duke said, brow raised as he looked up at me from a hunched position where he was putting things on the ground. My things. In fact, he had my fluffy pink and yellow body pillow tucked under his arm. It was so absurd that I let out a strange, strangled laugh that made his own lips tip up too. "Thank fuck I didn't have to take this thing on the bike with me," he said, tossing toward the bed and I reached for it, folding it in half and hugging it to my chest, both surprised and delighted to find that it no longer smelled like my laundry detergent and instead had Duke's scent.

  "You got my stuff?" I found myself asking, somehow a little insecure about the idea of him in my apartment. It was, like I said, an alright apartment, but I didn't get a chance to hang curtains or throw some toss pillows around, make it look decent. Somehow, that nonsense was what was on my mind. Not the fact that one of the boxes that had been sitting on my bathroom floor not only held a giant box of tamp
ons, but also a battery-operated device that I had to buy online and double-check to make sure it would come in an unmarked box.

  I silently thanked the universe that I had the good sense to take the batteries out before I packed it.

  Thank God for small miracles.

  "Lo said you were worried about all your real life shit," he said, pushing the boxes to the side with his foot and moving toward the bed. He sat down, wide back to me, the material of his tee stretching as he bent forward to untie his boots. "Figured the least I could do was get your stuff so you feel less like a prisoner."

  He kicked out of his shoes and his body moved backward, flattening against the mattress, one arm cocked behind his head, his feet still on the floor.

  Again, I realized how tired he looked.

  He had never come back to the room.

  And it didn't look like he found another place to crash either.

  I turned and put the knife on the nightstand, scooting down toward him. "I know I'm not a prisoner," I said, shrugging. "I get that this is best for me. Things are less likely to happen to me here."

  "Won't let anything happen to you," he said, his arm swinging out, his palm grabbing my leg above my knee and squeezing.

  It stayed there even after he was done speaking.

  I found myself way too focused on it for a long minute too. "You look tired," I heard myself say, my hand reaching out and moving a strand of hair from where it had fallen in front of his eye.

  The second my fingers brushed against him, his head turned to me; his eyes pinned me. "Long coupla days," he said, eyes getting heavier by the minute.

  "Thanks for bringing me my stuff," I said, meaning it.

  "No problem, Pen," he said, voice a little groggy as his eyes drifted closed.

  Then, less than a minute later, it was clear he was asleep. As in, in the same bed as me. His hand was still on my thigh. I sat there deathly still for the better part of a half an hour, too terrified to disturb him, not wanting to rob him of any sleep. When he hadn't moved at all another ten minutes after that, I slowly lowered myself down onto my side which made his hand slip up and settle on my hip, inching my shirt up as it went, exposing me up to the edge of my panties.