by Lake, Rae B.
“I told you to lay fucking still, bitch!” He falls back down on Jazmine’s body and kicks her legs apart. Now instead of re-entering her pussy he fucks her ass like his partner is doing to Mikki.
Another man climbs on top of me, and I lay there in complete numbness as he ruts against me. The sounds of the women screaming and crying the only thing alerting me to the fact I’m not back in one of those cells.
I no longer hear Maven or Mikki.
“Please stop, please. Oh, god, please stop.” Cherry begs, as a large man continues to force himself on her.
“That’s right whore. Beg like dirty slut you are.” He bends down and bites her chest. She screams and tries to push him off.
Jazmine is crying in pain, but she can’t move. The knife is pinning to the deck. I turn my head to find Keeley. Her eyes are dead as she stares at me. I have to look at her chest to make sure she’s still breathing. It’s only the rise and fall of her ribs that tell me she is.
I keep my eyes on her. I know where she is. She’s one second away from losing herself. If she does, I don’t think she will ever find herself again.
I couldn’t let her lose herself, let anyone of them lose themselves. It would be really easy right now for them to just give up.
I close my eyes, completely disregarding the man who was cursing me and trying his hardest to get a reaction out of me.
I think of the most soothing song I can think of, Shelter by Birdy, and I sing it. At first, the men around me laugh, but when all the women who can turn their heads look for me, I know it has the desired effect.
We are all here together. We can get through this. It’s almost over.
“Shut the fuck up, bitch!” They hit me repeatedly, and even though I often have to stop to breathe, I pick up singing the song. Giving the girls something to hold on to.
“This bitch is crazy. I’m done with this shit.” The man lying on top of me gets up and kicks me one more time for good measure.
Slowly everyone gets up, leaving the six of us broken and bleeding on the deck of this expensive yacht. Forever changed.
“Get the dinghy ready. Someone will find them.” One of the men fixes his pants and enters the room where they killed all the party's guests.
Siren’s POV
The six of us are shoved into the small boat and lowered into the water. After a few seconds, a loud whooshing sound explodes around us, and I can see a fast stream of water going toward the yacht. It’s sinking. They’re trying to get rid of the evidence of the dead bodies on board. I hear the sound of a motor, and when I look over the edge of the small boat, I see that our assailants are in a speed boat and are moving away.
It’s over.
I let out a deep sigh of relief and try to take stock of my body and surroundings. I can smell blood, shit, and sweat all around me. The women are all quiet. It’s then I can feel the dinghy being pulled toward the yacht. The force of the suction from the sinking vessel is pulling us with it.
“We have to move.” My voice comes out squeaky. I clear my throat and say it again. “We have to move. Now!” I try again to move my hands, but they are still bound tightly behind my back. No one else is moving.
The dinghy lurches forward quicker. “Hey! We’re going to die! We have to move away from the boat! Get free. Now! Now! Now!”
Mikayla tries to move, but she’s too weak. Cherry tries, but she can’t break free.
“Cherry, turn your hands toward me. Get me out.” As quick as she can, Cherry turns to me, the boat tilting from side to side her movement. It takes a bit of effort on both of our parts, but I hear the zip tie pop after a few seconds.
“Oh, fuck!” I grab the small attached to the dinghy and do my best to paddle away from the rapidly sinking yacht.
I reach over and pull on Keeley’s binds. They snap, and she sits up tenderly to help Cherry.
“Grab that oar. Help me. Help me paddle!” I beg, there’s no way I would be able to save all of them if we went into the water. Maven and Mikki are in and out of consciousness. Jazmine has a gaping wound right under her shoulder. If we sink, they will die for sure.
Cherry grabs the oar, and she paddles with all she has.
“More, dig!” I yell as the water moves faster than we can paddle now. As the yacht finally submerges, a bubble of water pushes us away from danger, and I’m finally able to stop paddling. Cherry must feel it too, as she drops the oar in the boat and just keels over and continues to cry.
Maven is barely breathing, and Mikki is bleeding a lot. We are not out of the woods yet.
The bastards took our phones and clutches before they left. The event wasn’t due to be over for another two hours, so no one will be here to pick us up. We’re stranded.
“We need to get help. We need a phone.”
“My shop… my shop is over there.” I turn to look where Jazmine is pointing. I can see the small port. There are a few stores, but all of them are closed. She uses the place as her art studio and recently ventured into tattooing. I don’t know if this injury to her arm will let her do that anymore. Getting there is all I’m focused on right now. I grab the oar out of Cherry’s hand and begin to paddle us to the shore. It seems so far away, but I have no choice. I keep my head down, and I row with everything I have.
It isn’t until I feel the small oar hit something firm that I look up. We are practically on top of the small port. There’s a lower passage that appears to be used for offloading ships, but it’s dry and easy enough for us to get to. There’s no way we’ll be able to climb the rocks.
After getting them out of the boat, I do my best to see how far away Jazmine’s shop is.
“The number to the club is written in gold paint right near the phone.” Jazmine moves over, but she can’t do anymore.
“Stay here. I’ll find it and get help.” I push myself to run. My legs hurt, and my insides feel raw.
I’ve had worse.
I know they don’t have much time. I can feel it in my bones. I make it to the shop and don’t even bother to look for a hidden key. I pick up the nearest rock and throw it through the window.
I find the phone and just like she said the number to the club is right there. I dial it, but my hands shake. I guess knowing it’s almost the end, my nerves start to go into overdrive.
“Hello, Wings.” There are loud laughter and music in the background.
“Where’s Wire or Mack?” I demand, but my voice isn't loud enough.
“What?” The man, I think, sounds like Devin replies.
“Mack!” I scream. They’re wasting time. So much time.
There is a bit of a shuffling sound, and then that beautiful voice comes on the phone.
“Yeah?”
My heart nearly explodes out of my chest. How can just hearing him fill me with such a feeling of safety? I need him. I can’t do this again. “Mack!” My voice comes out in a squeak.
“Siren?” He asks loudly, trying to make himself heard over the noise.
“Mack, help, we need help. Please!” I beg the tears that I refused to shed before finally pouring down my face like a faucet.
The phone pulls away before I hear him yelling, “Shut up! Tub it off! Now!” The laughter fades quickly, and the music is shut off.
“Mack? What’s wrong?” Someone else asks in the background. Alex.
“Siren?” He speaks again, it's quiet now, and I can hear his breathing is accelerated. I shouldn’t be calling for another hour or so for them to come and get us.
“Mack, come now. We need help. It’s bad.” I hiccuped in a breath before I could continue. “They killed them all. Come now. Help us. Help.” I whimper into the phone.
“Oh, fuck. Oh fuck. Where?” I could hear the emotion clear in his voice,
“Pier by Jazmines. Hurry, Mack. You have to hurry.” I knew I couldn’t keep him on the phone, but before I hang up, I can hear footsteps over the receiver and people screaming to hurry the fuck up. The cavalry was on the way.
I r
ush back to where I left the girls, but I can hear the wailing before I get there. The screaming and crying.
I round the corner and see Keeley pushing with all she’s got on Mikki’s chest, the tears pouring from her eyes, and the words of damnation from her lips.
“Don’t you fucking do this, Mikayla, oh god, please, come on!” Keeley screams as she continues CPR.
I run and fall to my knees and take over the compressions as Keeley moves over to her mouth and starts breathing for her.
I don’t know how long I do this, but it wasn’t until I hear the distant rumbling of motorcycles do I stop. Mikayla is gone. Her lifeless eyes looking out to the dark sea we just made it out of.
Cherry and Keeley fall on her and cry. Sobs, that hurt just to hear. Jazmine woke slightly and called for her. “Mikki!” She tried to turn, but she’s lost too much blood and is too weak. “Oh, no, no!” Jazmine uses the last of her energy to scream to the heavens before she weeps as she blindly reaches out for her lost friend.
I turn my head and look toward Maven. She is bleeding heavily, both her eyes are swollen shut, and there’s blood coming from almost every orifice. Including between her legs. The baby.
The roar of the bikes gets louder until they abruptly shut off. Suddenly there’s an uproar of names being called.
“Keeley!” Wire’s deep voice.
“Maven! Maven!”
“Siren!”
I smiled as more tears fall from my eyes, and I hold onto Maven. I listen to Cherry sob on top of Mikki’s dead body. The cavalry is here. They just got here too late.
Mack’s POV
The women looked breathtaking in their dresses. We don’t go out to fancy restaurants and shit, so it’s not very often we get to see them dress up. I’m happy Siren decided to go with them. I’m not dumb enough to ignore what the hell is going on between her and me. I wasn’t looking for someone, but then she shows up and fuck me if she doesn’t make me want more. When good shit falls in my lap, I don’t like to ask too many questions.
“You dumb shit! You can’t eat all that!” Ripper yells as Clean squishes the huge turkey and cheese sub. The two of them are always betting on something. Clean is still beaten up from the shit that went down with Ink, but you would never be able to tell. Of course, he bears no ill will toward him. That’s just how Clean is, forgiving as fuck.
We all sit around the bar and watch as the big dummy tries to smash the easily four-inch high sub down so that he can get it in his mouth.
“Fuck that. You can’t have none!” Clean told Ripper that he would share if he couldn’t get all of the sub in his mouth. Clean isn’t a sharer when it comes to his food. He practically unhinged his jaw to make sure he gets it all.
“You selfish fuck! I hope you choke!” Ripper throws a handful of chips at Clean when he realizes he isn’t going to win this bet.
“I don’t know how the fuck you ain’t a three hundred pound slob,” Ryder says from where he’s sitting nursing his beer.
“I am, on the inside.” Clean tries to say, food dripping out of his mouth.
“Close your fucking mouth, nasty ass.” Wire turns his back on them and tries to keep his face blank, but even I see the small smile on his face. Wire used to be a real hardass but having a family changed him, for the better, from what I heard.
Devin reaches under the bar and pulls out the remote for our sound system. He turns the music on at a tolerable level. We let the club bunnies stay in their trailers for the night. Lemon, Angel, and Sunshine are watching the kids. It’s just a night for the brothers.
“Siren, huh?” Alex turns to me.
“Yeah,” I reply, knowing already what he’s asking. When the woman first got here, she was raw as they come. A feral animal. That’s all she knew. It’s not something I can blame her for, fuck I don’t know anyone who would be able to blame her. If you’re treated like an animal for all those years, there is nothing else for you to do but become one.
“It’s good. I didn’t expect such a change from her. Whatever you did, it worked out for the best. The right man for the job.” He taps his soda bottle against my beer. Alex is a recovering alcoholic, so the only thing he drinks is sodas and water.
“Thanks.”
“No thanks required. You seem happy too. You deserve it.” Alex claps me on my back and squeezes my shoulder before turning back to Ryder.
I’m one of the club's newest members, and though I’m already patched in, I still want their approval. Hearing Alex pretty much giving me his approval of Siren means a lot.
Another round of laughter sounds through the clubhouse as Ripper tells a story about his and Rainy’s last fuck. The girl is a world-class squirter, but sometimes there’s such a thing as too much information.
I put my drink to the side. We still have at least another two hours before the prospects come back from picking up the girls, but I don’t want to be sloshed when Siren comes home. I have lots of plans for what I want to do to her in that fucking dress. Shit, everything about that woman turns me the hell on. I don’t think I’ve ever been this pussy whipped in my life. At least I’m man enough to admit it.
The phone rings, and Devin reaches over to answer it.
“Hello, Wings.” He presses his finger to his ear to hear whatever the other person on the line is saying. “What?” He yells, still trying to hear. I can’t get anything from his expression. I see him casually look down the bar at Wire, who is deep in conversation with Clean, and then back to me.
“Here, someone is asking for you.”
Immediately a small twinge of anxiety seizes my spine. Since I’ve been here, I don’t think I’ve ever received a phone call. I can’t communicate. Why would someone be calling to talk to me on the phone?
I take the phone and put it to my ear. “Yeah?”
“Mack!” Siren’s voice breaks, and I push up from the stool. It’s Siren. Something is wrong, but I can’t hear her.
“Siren?” I speak loudly. It’s her, but I have to make sure. It shouldn’t be her. Not for another few hours. Fuck.
“Mack, help, we need help. Please!” Her voice cracks, and she’s out of breath. This is the same woman who has popped eyes out of eyesockets, pulled out someone’s intestines with her bare hands, and she’s on the line crying for me to help her. My heart stops for the briefest of seconds before I focus again. The fucking music.
“Shut up!” I scream as loud as I can, and everyone jumps at the sound of my voice, startled out of their carefree conversations, “Tub it off. Now!” I point to the radio, and Devin quickly turns off the music. The men are out of their seats in an instant, closing in on me.
“Mack, what’s wrong?” Alex asks, his eyes peering at the phone in my hand.
“Siren?” I try to calm my breathing down. I don’t want to miss one word she says.
I pray to all the gods that she says something about the boat breaking down or some shit like that. Food poisoning. Something we can fix.
“Mack, come now. We need help. It’s bad.” She cries on the phone, and the small piece of hope I hold evaporates. I close my eyes and listen to what she’s saying. “They killed them all. Come now. Help us. Help.”
They killed them all, those words echo in my mind, and my eyes dart to Wire. I can see the second he knows we have problems, the second he knows this call is about to change his life.
“Oh, fuck, oh fuck. Where?” I grab onto Clean, who is standing right next to me, and pull him to move. I put the phone away from my mouth, and as clear as I can say, “The girls.”
Gasps and pitiful groans leave the mouths of killers as everyone starts running toward their bikes.
Wire is the first one out, “Hurry the fuck up!” He calls behind him, not waiting.
The line goes dead, and I throw it behind me, not caring if it breaks.
“What the fuck happened? Where are we going?” Wire is next to me, his bike already roaring and ready to go as I get on mine. Ripper and Devin get in the truck.
“Jazmine’s, Pier. It’s bag.” I growl at my own mistake, but I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself right now. I have to get to Siren first. I have to get to my family.
The usual fifteen-minute ride seems to take an hour.
“Oh, what the fuck, shit shit!” I hear Clean’s voice in my ear. Our lids are all connected so that we can talk to each other. We’re almost there.
“What?” Wire yells in response.
“I don’t see the fucking boat! Where is the boat?” Clean’s voice cracks.
I turn my head, and though we are not down by the pier yet, we can see the water. The yacht wasn’t very large, maybe big enough for fifty people but we should have seen it.
“Fuck!” Ryder yells as I watch him swerve and then right himself. He was looking out to the horizon, trying to find the boat. Clean was right; it wasn’t there.
“Shit, hold on, we’re coming. We’re coming.” Wire is in front of all of us, and even from the back, I can tell that he is stiff with fear. He and Keeley have been having a bit of a rough patch, but no one will ever say he doesn’t adore that woman.
We make it to Jazmine’s, but I don’t see them anywhere.
“Where the fuck are they?” Wire barks when we slow right near the shop.
I shake my head. I don’t know. I can’t concentrate. I look down, and even in the darkness, I can see the trail of blood.
“Oh no, please, no.” My heart is hammering in my chest, and I rev my engine and take off following the trail. I stop right near the top of the small walkway. It's too steep, and I don’t want to fall off. I turn my bike off, and everyone else does as well.
“Keeley!” Wire screams for his woman before he even gets off his bike. He doesn’t even bother to put the kickstand down. He just lets it fall.
I’m no better as I hop off mine and run with all I’ve got toward the ramp.
“Maven! Maven!” Clean rips his lid off and throws it as he runs in the same direction.
“Siren!” I scream. I turn the small corner leading us further down, and I nearly collapse in agony at what I see.
