When I woke I didn’t know how long I’d been out for. I could hear heavy boots moving around upstairs and was grateful they were leaving me alone. I started to think that help wasn’t coming and tried to look around the room to see how I could get out of this situation. I tried to remove my hand from the zip strap to no avail. The movement seamed to tighten the strap and my arms were going numb the longer I laid on them.
Suddenly the door flung open and I could see Hawke making his way down the stairs with a smile on his face. “Hello Princess, have you missed me?” He made his way closer and knelt down beside me. “Sorry it’s taken so long to come and see you. I hope the guys have been treating you well?” This arsehole was goading me. He leant over me and I could see the glint of the knife blade. He quickly started slicing around my head on the floor. I was puzzled as to what he was doing but quickly realised he had chopped off my hair.
Hawke picked me up by my good arm and slung me into a wooden chair that was positioned in the middle of the room. The pain ripped through my body and I wanted to cry but didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. I slumped in the chair all too aware of my nakedness and cringed as he looked me up and down licking his lips. I became petrified of what he may do to me.
He took out his bigger knife that was attached to his belt and tapped it on the palm of his left hand as he stalked towards me. He knelt in front of me, cutting the zip straps around my ankles freeing my legs. I felt instant relief as the blood started to flow to my ankles and feet. “I’ve waited so long Princess to have you naked before me.” He taunted me further, running the knife up my leg from my ankle to my knee. He continued moving the blade up my leg until it was resting on my inner thigh. “I wanted you as my old lady. Was that so much to ask for Princess?” He almost looked pained staring directly into my eyes. “I…I was”, Hawke slapped me around the face, “Shut up bitch!” He shouted. I could taste the blood filling my mouth and my lip stung like hell.
“Your dad was a wanker! Who the hell did he think he was, stopping the President from having his daughter?” He grabbed the bridge of his nose, trying to compose his anger. “You would have made a good old lady. I could’ve taught you to service me and the club well. But oh no, Daddy had other plans for you.” He was now shouting and I could feel the blade pierce my skin. I let out a scream. “No Brother was ever good enough for you.” He started to dig the blade further into my leg. I screamed in pain as he pushed the blade in deeper. “Does that hurt Princess? That’s how it felt, every time you and your dad told me no.” He was like a madman possessed.
“Don’t worry, like I said before I’m not gonna kill you babe. I’m just gonna disfigure you, so that no one will ever want you again.” He removed the blade from my left thigh and stabbed me in the other leg with force. The noise I made was so high pitched I didn’t recognise my own screams.
I could hear a commotion at the top of the stairs but I was so consumed that I couldn’t move. He removed the blade for a second time, when I was deafened by a loud bang and felt wetness on my face. I opened one eye looking down at the moisture that covered me, to see that I was covered in my attacker’s blood. My eyes started to grow heavy and finally closed from exhaustion and pain. The last words I heard before I lost consciousness were, “It’s okay Harlow, you’re going to be okay.”
Spike
I rushed over to the barn keeping low, trying to stay along the hedgerow. As I got closer to the barn I saw movement at one of the windows. I peered in to see Flex and Patch having a heated discussion. “Duke, I’ve found Patch and Flex.” I whispered into the mic. I waited for a response, “Wait for us, and Spike don’t do anything until we get there man.” I didn’t usually ignore Dukes orders but I wasn’t fucking waiting, Harlow could be in serious trouble. I waited too long to get help last time and because of that hesitation, Helen died. I got closer to the window and peered in to get a better understanding of the layout of the room. Flex and Patch continued to argue with their backs to the window.
I made my way around the back of the barn to find an entrance. The door was locked but using the techniques shown to me by Locke, I was able to pick it and open the door. I tried to be as quite as possible drawing my gun from my holster. I opened the door and stepped into an office with a kitchenette. The room was a mess and there were papers everywhere. There were two further doors, one that led to the room where Flex and Patch were and another that was pulled too.
I heard a piercing scream coming from behind the door. The hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stood up. Beyond the door I could see stairs going down into the basement. I started to make my way down the stairs with my gun at the ready. As I got nearer the bottom, I saw a naked Harlow slumped in a chair with Hawke between her legs. I saw him bring up a knife to stab her and I fired a shot at his head.
Chapter 12
Spike
I dragged Hawkes body off of Harlow’s lap. He was a huge man and it took a lot to remove the dead weight. I noticed the cuts on the tops of her thighs. I quickly took off my cut and my t-shirt to tear strips the length of the material.
Harlow was whimpering and her breathing started to get heavier. “Harlow, it’s gonna be okay you’re safe now. I’m gonna wipe this shit off your face,” I used the material from my shirt to wipe away what was left of Hawke, “and I’m gonna stop your legs bleeding. It’s gonna hurt but I’ve gotta do it babe. You’re gonna have to be brave for me.” She didn’t say a word she just sat there staring at me. I lifted her left leg, gently placing the material underneath and wrapped it around her leg securing it tightly. She tried to recoil but I held firm, “I’ve gotta do this babe. I know it hurts but the guys will be here soon and we’ll take you to Doc.”
I continued to stem the bleeding and did the same with the other leg. Harlow was going in and out of conciseness. I slapped her lightly on the cheek, “Stay with me babe, try and keep your eyes open.”
I could hear a commotion and looked up to see Duke coming down the stairs. “Duke stop man, throw me your t-shirt and give us a minute.” Duke looked at me and then evaluated the situation in front of him. Not saying a word he removed his cut and t-shirt, then threw it to me. He gave me a nod then went to wait back up stairs.
Harlow was now shivering from the cold. Using my knife, I unfastened her wrists being careful to hold the top of her left arm. It was most certainly broken and I didn’t want to do it any more damage. It took some time but I managed to get Dukes t-shirt on Harlow and used the rest of the material from my shirt to make a sling for her busted arm. Although she must have been in pain, she was in shock and I was mindful of getting her to Doc as soon as possible as she was losing blood fast.
Diesel
Hound and I rode our bikes to the warehouse in High Laver as fast as we could, closely followed by Justice in the Ford Transit. We knew that Ink had to be here but didn’t know what kind of reception the other guys would’ve been greeted with. As we pulled up outside the warehouse we saw Skinner walking around the outside of the building with a couple of cans of petrol.
The noise of the vehicles made him draw his 9mm, bracing himself for an attack. “Skinner, its fine man it’s us.” I yelled, taking off my helmet as I ran over to him. “Have they found her?” I could hear the words come out strained. There was a possibility that she could’ve been found dead and I don’t know how my heart would handle that?
“She’s in the barn behind this warehouse.” Skinner said looking at the floor. I went to take off but Skinner grabbed my arm. “Diesel, Harlow’s in a bad way man. Spikes with her but don’t go in there all fists flying.” I looked at his hand holding my arm and shook him off, running over to the barn.
I burst through the front door. Locke was handcuffing Flex and I noticed what looked like an unconscious Patch on the floor. CJ was talking animatedly on the phone pacing around the room. I flew past them stalking into an office with a kitchenette at the back of the building, where I found a bare chested Duke leaning against the kitchen work t
op with his arms folded across his broad chest. “Where is she Duke?” I said frantically walking over to him. “She’s down those stairs but Diesel, she’s in shock man, just go easy.”
I opened the door and ran down the stairs assessing the sight in front of me. Spike was carrying a half clothed Ink. Her left arm was in a make shift sling and I could see that she had material wrapped around her thighs. I wanted to hug her, to hold her tight but I stopped myself through fear of hurting her. I looked past them to see a body on the floor. What the fuck had happened? I’d promised to look after her but I’d let her down again.
Spike carried her to Doc’s van and placed her gently in the front seat. Doc looked over her, assessing her injuries. We liked to keep knife and bullet wounds within the club because going to the hospital alerted the police. He removed the material from her thigh to reveal a 2 inch stab wound.
“Diesel make yourself useful and hold this torch.” Doc said holding out the blue Maglite. I turned it on and held it directly on Ink’s injury. It was a clean cut. She’d been stabbed with some force and I could feel the anger build inside me, that the torch started to shake. Doc placed his hand on mine. “Calm down Diesel, she’s going to be okay.” Doc’s reassuring words made me feel a little better but I was still full of hatred towards Hawke, I only wish I’d pulled the trigger.
Doc cleaned the wound and covered it over with fresh bandages. He did the same with her other leg. “How bad are they Doc?” I asked looking at her legs. “I will take her back to the infirmary and patch her legs up properly before we take her to hospital.” I looked at him with a questioning look. “It’s unavoidable, her arms broken and we don’t have the facilities to x-ray and set. I’ll try and put a splint on it though to secure it in position to prevent further damage.” He did this in record time and then secured the seatbelt around her moving over to the driver’s seat.
I leant over, looking into her eyes. “Ink, if you can hear me babe, just know that I’m so sorry.” She continued to stare with no recognition which must have been the shock but as I looked closer I could see a single tear trickle down her cheek. I wiped it away with my thumb as I held her face, looking into her red rimmed eyes. “We really need to go Diesel.” Doc said anxiously starting the engine. “I’ll follow you on my bike.” I kissed Ink on the forehead then climbed out of the cab, closing the door gently behind me. I watched as the van drove away out of sight, trying to compose myself before my journey.
I was getting worried, worried that she wouldn’t want me after letting her down so badly. Spike slapped me on the back. “Do you want to do the honours with Patch or can I?” I looked around at Spike to see his tight smile. “He’s all yours mate, I’ve gotta take care of Ink.”
I arrived at the club house the same time as Doc. I’d called ahead making sure that the infirmary was ready for Ink. I parked the Harley and undid my helmet resting it on the handlebars. I quickly made my way around to the passenger door of Doc’s van, opening it softly as to not wake her. The pain killers had probably kicked in now, allowing her a few minutes of rest.
I carried her gently to the infirmary, placing her onto the bed. “I don’t want to have a row with you Diesel but I need to work on her and I want to do it in privacy so I can concentrate.” Doc stood there with his hands on his hips giving me an authoritative look. He was in his late fifties, with greying short hair and thick spectacles. He was a good looking man for his age but looked like an accountant and certainly stood out like a sore thumb among the bikers. But he was a good man and had served the Aces for almost 30 years, long before my time at the club. He stood by us through thick and thin and I respected the hell out of him for doing it. I didn’t like what he was asking but I wanted Ink to be well. “Please look after her Doc. I’ll just be outside if you need me.” He nodded as I left the room, closing the door quietly behind me. I rested my back against the wall, sliding down until I was sitting on the floor. I wasn’t going anywhere, I’d wait for as long as it took to make sure she was safe.
“Do you want one?” Spike slid down the wall beside me sitting on the floor in the corridor, holding a bottle of Jack and two glasses. I nodded and accepted the amber liquid, knocking it back in one shot.
We sat there in silence, thinking in our own heads about today’s events, when the door to the infirmary opened. We both jumped up, waiting for news on Ink. Doc was flushed and started to undo the clear plastic apron he was wearing with Ink’s blood clearly visible on the front. He could see the anguish on our faces.
“She’s doing well. I’ve cleaned and sealed the wounds. No major arteries were severed. She just needs time to recover.” Doc rolled the apron into a ball. “Has she been raped?” I asked bluntly needing to know the full severity of her injuries. “No!” Doc said resting his hand on my upper arm. I stood there running my hand through my hair and could feel a little tension leave my body. She was going to be okay.
“What about her arm? Are we taking her to hospital?” Spike asked agitated. “Well, I wanted to ask you something first.” Doc looked at the floor sheepishly not making eye contact. “You know that my son James has his own health clinic.” Spike and I nodded. Doc was pleased of his sons achievements and rightly so. He spoke about him all the time, not that I gave a shit at this moment in time. It made me think of Shaun and that I would never see him grow, go to school, get a job or get married. My heart ached thinking about him. I pushed my wondering thoughts aside.
“What’s that got to do with this situation Doc?” I asked leaning against the door frame. “Well, he has his own x-ray machine. I spoke to him and he’s prepared to bring it here. That way we can treat her arm without going to the hospital.” Doc looked between the both of us waiting for a response. “I know you have to check with Duke before making a decision but,” I felt the anger bubble inside me. This was Ink we were talking about, I cut him off, “Call your son. Tell him to make his way here now. If he needs transport let Spike know. I will tell Duke what we’re doing.” I stomped off down the corridor looking for Duke.
I found him in his room. The bachelor pad was sparse and decorated in cool greys, blacks and whites. Duke liked the minimal look. He’d just taken a shower and was now changing into clean clothes.
“How’s she doing?” He asked pulling on his t-shirt. “She’s gonna be okay but we need her arm looking at with specialist equipment. Doc said his son can do it, so I’ve asked him to come over.” I stared at him goading him to question me. “You made the right call Diesel, we need her looked at.” I was shocked that he didn’t question me. Usually he’d knock me down at any given opportunity.
“What do you know about his son? Doc is getting old. We may need to start thinking about the future.” He bent down to retrieve his cut from the floor. “Not much. He has his own Health Clinic. Let’s see if he fixes Ink first before we get too excited.” I stomped out of his room and back down the corridor until I was at the infirmary. I didn’t know how long Duke would allow my mood swings to continue before he smacked me down but at this moment in time, I really didn’t give a shit.
Ink was still asleep so I continued to sit in the corridor with Spike. “How did you find her?” I asked Spike taking another swig of my Jack. “I noticed the smaller barn and as I approached I saw Patch and Flex in the office. I knew she couldn’t be far.” He stopped and took a swig of his Jack before he continued. “It was fucking awful Diesel. He’d already stabbed her twice before I got there. He went to do it again so I blew his fucking head off.” I could see his eyes haze over, getting emotional.
“It just brought back memories of Helen.” Helen was his older sister of eight years. She was babysitting him one evening when his parents were out. This was a regular occurrence in Spikes household and he loved his sister for taking care of him. She had put him to bed after reading him a story and he’d drifted off to sleep quickly. Spike had woken to screams coming from the living room. He went downstairs to see what the commotion was, to find a man attacking his fourteen year old
sister. He leapt on the man’s back only to be thrown to the floor. The second man held him and he was made to watch his sister being gang raped and then murdered. He would have been killed himself, if he hadn’t escaped when the man let him go to do up his trousers.
Spike came and lived with us after that. Although we are cousins our bond is closer than that, much closer. From that day Spike took it upon himself to try and help everyone and everything. The amount of stray cats and dogs he brought home became a joke in our house.
I must have laughed out loud. “What’s funny?” He looked at me with an evil glare. I leant over and patted him on the leg. I smirked, “I was thinking about all the cats and dogs you used to bring home.” We both started laughing. It must have been loud because Doc came out looking puzzled. “Is everything okay?” He asked looking between us both. We continued laughing. “Do you remember that one eyed mongrel that used to eat the carpet? What was its name again?” I asked with tears streaming down my cheeks. “Panda! I always wanted a Dalmatian as a kid and was gonna call it Panda. But if a one eyed mongrel was all I was getting, then that was good enough for me.”
We were laughing so much, we didn’t notice Hound and Justice wheeling a machine down the corridor until they were upon us. “Guy’s this is my son James.” Doc said introducing us. James was over 6ft tall, broad and without sounding gay, a good looking man! He held out his hand so I stood and shook it. He had a strong handshake. I appreciated a good handshake, it said a lot about a man’s character.
“Diesel” I said in a way of introduction. He didn’t look intimidated by the bikers that surrounded him which I respected. So many people were scared of us from what they had heard and thought we represented. Most of it was bollocks but it sometimes worked to our advantage. Come to think of it, we probably paid for his education, from the amount we paid his old man over the years.
“Could you please wheel it in here?” Doc asked moving out of the doorway. Hound and Justice looked like delivery men trying to manoeuvre the x-ray machine through the door. James put down his ruck sack and started to unpack the contents. “Right guys, give us some space and we’ll see you once she’s patched up.” Doc shooed us out the door.
Diesel (Aces MC Series Book 1) Page 9
