Rock Bottom

by Manda Mellett

  Jill’s quietly sobbing, the sound grating on my nerves. At least she’s sitting comfortably on the mattress that I never heard Becca complain about. I’m the one strung up with my arms being pulled out of their sockets. I bite my tongue as my patience begins to run out. No point wasting my energy on anger.

  “How is Becca?” I’ll die happy knowing that she’s safe and recovering. It had been a risk getting her out of here, and one I’d been willing to take. Luckily my part in it had been put down to stupidity. If they’d had suspicions that I had helped her escape, I would already be dead. I’ve got away with a lot here, hopefully fed enough back to Drummer. Now my time is fast running out. It’s worth it if what I’ve done means Becca is able to live the life she deserves, and that I’ve done sufficient to save my club.

  Jill’s accusing eyes meet mine. “Is she all you care about?”

  That makes me snap. “Fuck, woman, I barely know her. No one deserves to be treated like she was. I want to know she’s recovering.” The thought that I’m soon to take my last breath has me wondering what it is about Becca that draws me in.

  “Oh, she’s doing that alright.” Her tone is snide as she adds, “I hope you weren’t thinkin’ of makin’ her your ol’ lady.”

  Whether I was or wasn’t is no business of hers. Anyway, I’m far from taking a bitch for myself. I never wanted an old lady. But for some reason I’d go as far as considering it with Becca. Not that I really know her, and now I’ve lost my chance to see who she really is when not cowed by captivity. There’s no doubt she intrigued me. I’d have given anything to see what she looked like, physically fit and free. My cock twitches. Fuck, who am I trying to kid? She’d had me from the moment I first saw her. I didn’t do anything selfless. I wanted to know she was safe with Drummer so I could explore what I’d felt for her when I got back. Yeah, being honest, I could see her as mine. Her wearing my patch. Her riding behind me… Now that I could picture. Her breasts squashed up against me…

  “She’s getting attention from all of the brothers.” Jill’s voice breaks into my thoughts.

  That makes sense. They’d all protect her. They’re good men like that. We don’t treat our women like the Chaos Riders. I smile, knowing she’ll be looked after even if I won’t be there to do it myself. After what’s she’s been through, she deserves to be treated with kindness. Drummer owes me for giving my life for the club. He won’t throw her out to the wolves. I just wish it had been me watching out for her. Being the man in her bed.

  Jill hasn’t finished. “She seems particularly close to Beef, practically moved into his suite. Oh, when she’s not with Marvel of course, or Dollar.”

  My chains rattle as I pull on them, incensed that she’s insinuating Becca is bed hopping. But how do I know whether she’s telling the truth or not? Becca’s a stranger, a closed book. What bothers me is I’ve lost the chance to open it. From what she says, it sounds like my brothers already know what the pages hold.

  I need to know, so punish myself as I growl, “Are you tellin’ me she’s behaving like a fuckin’ whore?”

  Again her eyes open, this time in surprise. “You’re saying you didn’t know? Oh, Rock. I’m sorry.”

  “You lyin’, Jill?” I ask straight out, still not quite believing her.

  She gives a little shake of her head, motioning around her. “Why would I lie now? What have I got to gain? Rock,” she gets to her feet, the ten-foot chain bringing her closer, but, thank fuck, not close enough to touch me, “she doesn’t give a damn for you. Not like I do. I love you, Rock.”

  What the ever loving…? “Jill, I never hinted, never gave you anything that would make you think you were anything special to me. Whatever you’re imagining is all in your fuckin’ head.”

  “Yes, you did,” she contradicts. As my jaw drops, she continues. “You let me ride on your bike. You didn’t use me like the rest of the brothers, so I knew I was special to you.”

  Now it’s my head shaking at the twist she puts on things.

  “Rock, if we get out of here, can I ride on the back of your bike again?” She sounds breathless with hope.

  “Ain’t never havin’ a bitch riding up behind me.” It might not have meant anything in the past, but now I was aware of Jill’s erroneous interpretation, if I ever get out of here, it’s a vow I’ll keep. Then again, I imagine Becca, her arms around me, holding tight to my waist. Previously that thought had had my cock swelling, although no longer. If Jill’s telling the truth, Becca’s not waited. Not given me a chance to come home and explore the attraction that had at least been on my side, if not on hers. Too impatient to wait, giving what I belatedly realise I’d come to think of as mine to whoever wanted her.

  “But, Rock,” Jill wails. Then when I don’t reply she tries a different way. “If you promise me another ride on your bike, I’ll tell Chaos whatever you want me to.”

  “You threatenin’ me, bitch?” She flinches at my harsh tone. “The only way you’re getting out of here is if we can convince Chaos to set me free.” And if by some stroke of luck that happens, I’ll kill her myself. Or if I don’t get the chance, somebody else will be doing it for me. She’s put a brother in danger, and Drummer won’t stand for that. “You think you hold all the cards, Jill. But you don’t. The most likely outcome is that you’ll die along with me.”

  “Chaos might need a new sweet butt.”

  “They don’t have sweet butts, you stupid bitch. They have woman they use, abuse, and keep as their sex slaves.” I try to make her open her eyes. “You can’t flutter your eyelids and get men under your thumb here. Don’t try appealing to Chaos’s better nature, he hasn’t got one.”

  But I can see by the gleam in her eyes she’s going to try. Will she drop me in it to save her life? I’m afraid that she might.

  Before I’m anywhere near ready, I hear footsteps coming down the stairs to the basement. Taking a deep breath in preparation for what’s coming, I stare at the door as it opens, seeing, not unexpectedly, Chaos and Wreck. The president and his enforcer. A few steps behind are Krueger and Buff. The whole top team, their faces set, showing their only intention is to cause me pain and suffering, and, eventually a death, as Chaos had once told me, I’ll probably long for.

  Ignoring the woman and the flirty smile she’s planted on her face, Chaos steps up to me. A moment of considered silence, then, “I trusted you, Rock. Made you a member. Called you Brother. Gave you a home when you said you had nowhere else to go.” His tone changes from sadness to disgust. “But that was all a fucking lie, wasn’t it? You’re a fucking Trojan horse.”

  I put every ounce of entreaty that I can into my voice. “It wasn’t a lie, Chaos. Jill can confirm, I was thrown out of the Satan’s Devils club.”

  He spares a glance for her, then turns back. “I wouldn’t trust a fucking bitch any day of the week. They lie as easily as breathing.”

  Jill must have dropped her plan to seduce Chaos. Unexpectedly she lends me her support. “He’s right. He stole from the club. He was thrown out…”

  Buff’s blow to her face has her falling onto the mattress, her eyes wild when I catch them, blood flowing from her mouth.

  “Rock,” she calls out as if I can save her. But I’ve got more important things to do. Like trying to save myself and my real club. The Satan’s Devils. Not a bitch who, for the fucked-up reason of thinking she had a chance with me, had betrayed us.

  I focus my eyes on Chaos. “You’re makin’ a mistake if you kill me.”

  “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t.” He walks across the room and kicks out a chair, bringing it in front of me and sitting on it back to front. His chin rests on his folded arms leaning on the back.

  “Because I’m not a plant. I can continue giving you intel which will help you take out the Satan’s Devils and take their compound. And you need all the men you can get. I’m one more piece of muscle you’ll have at your disposal.”

  His comeback is quick. “Not much good if that extra muscle
stabs me in the back.”

  I try again to persuade him. “When we met Drummer and Wraith, did they look like men who wanted me back? For fuck’s sake, Blade stabbed me. It was only by luck he didn’t kill me.”

  Chaos stands and kicks away the chair. “I don’t like you, Rock. Only voted you in ‘cause you had useful info. Doesn’t surprise me none if the Devils didn’t take to you either. Yeah, the enforcer attacked you, but that could be personal shit. You take his woman or something?”

  “No.”

  “And talking of fucking women,” he moves closer, “how come Becca ended up on the Devils’ compound? Tell me that, eh? If you didn’t have a hand in her escape, how come she found them?”

  “I’ve no fuckin’ idea.” My voice gets louder. “I don’t know or give a damn about the woman.” If Jill hadn’t told me she’s already fucking my brothers, maybe I wouldn’t have been so forceful in my denial of her. But she had, and I was. And, from the expression on his face, I’ve confused him.

  Chaos smooths his hands over his bald head and wonders half to himself, “How the fuck did she end up with them?”

  I remain quiet. It wasn’t a direct question, and I’m not opening my mouth just to run it for no reason. That’s sure to get me in more trouble than I want.

  His companions have remained still and silent up to this point. Now Chaos turns and waves them forward, my skin crawling in expectation of what they’re proposing to do. Especially when Wreck unrolls some canvass, exposing an enviable collection of knives. The careful attention he’s paying to them leads me to believe he keeps them well-sharpened.

  After watching him prepare, Chaos switches his attention back to me, asking lazily, “What was the one thing I asked you to do for me, Rock?”

  Fuck. Through gritted teeth, I give him the answer. “Get my back-patch blacked out.”

  He nods. “And I warned you if you didn’t, I’d get it removed for you.”

  They’re going to flay my skin. Get the tat removed that way. I could scream, I could beg. But I do neither.

  “If you’re truly a Devil no longer, I’ll be doing you a favour.”

  “I’m not a Devil.” I take my one last chance to get through to him.

  He steps close, his eyes having to slightly turn up to meet mine. “That tat says you are while you’re still wearing their patch. Do it, Wreck.”

  Krueger and Buff step forward, each crouching then taking one of my legs, pulling me down so my shoulders start screaming. With my body stretched taut I can’t move. Wreck disappears behind me.

  At first I feel no pain, then a mild stinging, then agony as the skin of my back starts to be peeled off, leaving the pain receptors underneath to start screaming. Each breath he breathes out I feel hit my subcutaneous tissue like a burn, followed by warm blood trickling down my back. It’s a full back patch he’s removing, from the middle of my shoulder blades down to the curve of my ass.

  My mouth opens in a silent scream, but I don’t make a sound, unsummoned tears streaming from my eyes as the pain grows with each strip of skin he takes off. My body’s natural reaction is to fight him, but Krueger and Buff are strong, and while I automatically try to jerk and twist away from the torture, I can’t evade that knife and the slow, methodical way he’s removing the surface of my back.

  It's only minutes before I start trembling as both physical and mental shock set in. Wreck pulls an arm around my body to keep me steady, and still that blade mercilessly separates skin from flesh. I make no sound as his attentions grow lower. I feel the top and middle of my back exposed now. Each area he clears multiplying the pain a thousand-fold.

  My half-closed eyes see Chaos walking around me, his voice is almost gentle when he says, “Almost finished now. Good job, Wreck. Just that one last bit. The patch is completely gone now. Hey, Rock, good fucking news. You won’t be offending me any longer.”

  “Done, Prez.”

  As though from a distance, I hear slapping on leather, presumably Chaos congratulating Wreck on a job well done.

  Chaos walks back around to my front, putting his hand under my chin to raise my head. “Don’t want you getting an infection now, do we?”

  As I stare blindly at him, from the side of my eye I see Buff opening a pack and passing a bottle to the enforcer.

  Then I’m no longer able to keep dumb. I scream in agony as the strong smell of brandy fills the room when the liquid splashes all over my back. I pass out.

  When I come to I’ve got cold water running down my face, my back is sore and stinging, leaving me in a level of anguish I’ve never known before. Looking down I see blood pooling at my feet. A high-pitched cry has me turning my head to see Krueger and Buff raping Jill, one in her cunt and one in her ass. She’s a seasoned club whore, but from the way they’re taking her, they’re overly rough, and even she can’t take what they’re dishing out.

  Chaos is standing, looking first at me then at her, then back again. His jeans are open, and he’s got his dick out and is stroking it. He sees me watching and grins evilly. “The smell of fresh blood gets me every fuckin’ time. Add in a scared cunt…fucking incredible. Don’t know which makes me harder.”

  Jill might have already signed her death warrant, but I don’t like the thought of her being used like this. Especially when Wreck steps forward, readying his cock too.

  “Stop.” My voice is weak. “She doesn’t deserve this.”

  “No? Well, what do you suggest I do with this, then?” Chaos looks down at himself, and his dick which looks like it’s throbbing. “You know what? I’m almost there.” He winks at Wreck, who grins back. Then they both walk behind me.

  Their grunts let me know they’ve come, and while my bared flesh doesn’t feel the warmth of the semen running down my back, the stinging from the salt certainly registers. They’ve come all over my raw flesh.

  Chapter 15

  Becca

  Lost in the reruns of the two unknown bikers preventing my exit from the clubhouse repeating on a loop in my head, I don’t know how many minutes have passed before Beef returns, but when he does I feel the bed sink. I whimper again and try to move away.

  “Hey, I’m not gonna hurt you, Becs.” Gentle hands pull mine away from my face. Opening my eyes, I see his concerned ones looking into mine. “Hey, girl, it’s over now. No one’s going to force you to do anything you don’t want to.”

  His knuckles are bloody, grazed. As my eyes hone in on them I notice someone standing behind him. Beef hasn’t returned alone.

  “Go wash up, Beef. While Becca and I have a chat.”

  The mattress rises again, then another weight settles down, and a finger comes under my chin. “So fuckin’ sorry, Becca. Should have made sure someone was looking out for you.”

  For some strange reason I don’t want him taking the blame. “It’s not your fault, Drummer. I shouldn’t have stayed so long. Got lost in my thoughts, didn’t see the room was filling with strangers.”

  He gives a dismissive shake of his head, his voice tinged with anger. “You’ve felt safe here, Becca. There was no reason you shouldn’t.” He moves his hand away from my face and clasps it with his other between his legs. Nodding toward my torn tee, which my hands are desperately trying to hold together, his lips go thin as he presses them together before asking, “They hurt you?”

  I swallow. “Beef got there before they could.”

  “Don’t agree with any man layin’ hands on an unwillin’ woman. I’ll be havin’ words with Red. He’s their prez.”

  “They thought she was a sweet butt, Drum.” Beef appears in the door to his bathroom, drying his hands on a towel. “Thought she’d be willin’. Thought they were entitled.”

  “Should have taken her word for it that she wasn’t. From what you said, Beef, they didn’t give her a chance to explain.”

  “Won’t be questionin’ it so much now,” Beef mumbles, and the way he flexes his now blood free hands spells out the reason why he’s so sure.

  “You’re st
ill shakin’, sweetheart.” A hand smooths over my forehead. “Ease your breathin’, darlin’, you can relax now.”

  I shake my head. I feel cold, though my palms are sweaty. “No need to panic, Becca. You’re safe now. I’ll make your place here clear to everyone so you won’t be put in the same position tomorrow.”

  “Wh-wh-what if they c-c-come to my r-room?” My teeth sound like they’re chattering.

  “Thought you might worry about that. You won’t be going to your room, you’re stayin’ here with Beef.”

  My eyes flick to the man still standing in the doorway, his elbow bent and his hand resting on the side.

  “No, I…”

  Immediately understanding my concerns, Drummer reassures me. “Beef isn’t gonna touch you. He’s just here to make you feel safe. And tomorrow he’ll stick to your side like glue. He’s your own personal protector. He wants to help. He owes it to Rock.”

  I watch Drummer, his eyes now softened, and he’s looking worried at my overblown reaction. Sure, I was threatened, but nothing actually happened. I have to give him something to explain my terror. “Hawk, my husband, used to force me, Drummer. All the time. I thought that was in the past now. What they did, it brought it all back.” I half turn away, my voice fading. “I was supposed to submit.”

  His expression sharpens, and he exchanges looks with Beef before looking back at me. “Fuck. I’m sorry to hear that, sweetheart. And that raises more questions than it does answers. But those are for later. Why don’t you try and get some sleep now? It’s late, and you’ll need all your strength for tomorrow.”

  That’s what I should have been lying here worrying about rather than something that hadn’t happened. His words make me remember what I’d promised to do. Any bravery I’d managed to summon up has disappeared with the reminder of just how cruel men can be. It was one thing to make the grand gesture and say I’ll be the inducement to get Rock out of the Chaos Riders’ clubhouse. But Petty and Roller have reminded me what I’ve got to lose. I never want to be used again, and this time I fear the Riders won’t keep their distance like they did before. They’ll want to punish me for escaping, and what better way to reduce a woman to nothing? I try to stop them, but the words come out.