by T. L Smith
Chapter Two
Ryken
“It’s me you can’t have. Haven’t you worked that out, yet, Ryken? Two wrongs can’t make a right. You and I, we’re two wrongs.” Saskia’s last words ring through my head, even a week later. A week is how long she’s been gone. A week is how long I’ve been searching for her.
Livia has fucked off, and that’s an understatement. She’s fucking furious and has no idea why. She knows I don’t want her to touch me, speak to me, be around me. I don’t want anyone near me right now.
So, when she confronted me after I didn’t return home, she left the following day giving me strict orders to sort my shit out before she’d return. I laughed and slammed the door behind her as she walked out.
This place isn’t meant to be my home anymore. I left, but now I’m back—back where I don’t want to be.
Cane sits in a seat at one of my clubs, smoking, watching me. He raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to say something. “You’re losing your fucking mind, Ryken. When was the last time you slept?”
My hands brush through my hair as I pace back and forth. “When she left. I need her back.”
He rolls his eyes at my words. “No. You need to go back to your girlfriend. Or have you forgotten about her, and your damn baby?”
Flipping him the bird, he laughs at me. “Fuck off! Just ask around like I told you to.”
Cane nods his head as we look out over the crowd which has already accumulated in the club. “They’ve come in a few times this week asking for you.” He’s now standing next to me.
I notice Quinn standing at the door which leads to the stairs to come up here. He’s staying put. He’s become someone I trust, very much. That happens I guess when you have no one else left in this world. Livia doesn’t seem to understand. Even now, when I told her about what happened to her cousin. She doesn’t care about Saskia, all she wanted to know was when I’m coming home. Then her heels clicked as she left, not even asking if Saskia was alive or dead. She honestly doesn’t give a fuck.
“Who?” My hands shake as I run them through my hair again. I have to cut it, it’s gotten too long and falls into my face pissing me off.
“Spikes,” he replies.
They’re the MC that moves the girls we collect. They’re the ones who took Saskia. I’ve been avoiding them because I’m afraid I’ll kill one, and that can’t happen. Because restitution for killing another one is not something I want to contemplate. The atonement for the last has been far too high. I won’t do it, but fuck if I don’t want to, and it’s taking everything in me to not react and reciprocate. “He better hope I don’t see him anytime soon. I’ll fucking slice him open from cock to lips.”
Cane smiles, shaking his head at my words. “Fuck.”
Turning, I see Quinn has a Spikes member up against the wall, his hands on his throat and a gun to his stomach.
“Call your watchdog off.” I shake my head, smiling. “Do you want the police called? Call. Him. The. Fuck. Off,” Cane says.
Rolling my eyes, I walk out of the office to where Quinn’s currently whispering all the sweet things he’d like to do to this dude if we didn’t have an audience. The guy doesn’t say a word, just looks at him with wide eyes. He knows better. Walking up behind Quinn, I tap him on the shoulder and he relaxes his stance straight away, but he doesn’t remove his weapon, only his hand from around the dude’s throat.
“He wants to deliver a message to you,” is all Quinn says while stepping back, but his hand stays on his gun, and the guy’s eyes watch, knowing exactly that he’ll kill him with a simple head nod from me. Laughing at his words, I shake my head. The music is loud here, so I can’t hear him properly unless I step closer, and that sure as shit isn’t going to happen. Turning and walking into the cooler room, they follow, and the door shuts, locking us in the cold room.
Is it possible to sweat in a cold room? Because he is.
His motorcycle patch is displayed proudly on his chest. He doesn’t look up, as he reaches for something in his pocket. It’s a cell phone, but Quinn has his gun pointed at him anyway.
“You need to look.” He’s still sweating profusely, as I look down at his cell.
That’s when I see her. Saskia. She’s dressed in white. She looks skinnier. Gaunt. Almost emaciated. Her cheeks are sunken right back in her face, and her eyes are downcast. Antonio’s sitting next to her with his hand around her shoulders, keeping her in place. My hand snatches out to the cell phone, taking it in my grasp.
“How the fuck did you get this?” My voice is raised, and my words are lethal. It’s taking everything in me to not step forward and open this guy up to get all the information out of his head.
“Antonio sent it. Michael thought it would be best that you saw it.”
“Of course, he did. He wants to push my damn buttons.” I drop the cell, so it smashes on the cement floor.
“Michael wants you to meet with him.”
My head shakes. “If I see him, I’ll kill him,” is my only reply.
The guy wipes at his forehead. “Well, he’s waiting out front for you.”
I can feel my blood boil. I literally seethe, like an angry abscess about to burst open. His words feel like a branding iron, and they’re sizzling their way through my skin.
“Don’t, Boss. Remember what you’re avoiding,” Quinn says.
But if he’s the only one that can contact Antonio, then Michael is who I have to see, I think to myself.
My feet move before I even have time to contemplate a smarter move. Michael’s leaning against my car when I walk out, waiting for me to leave. He’s dressed in his MC get-up as usual, but no smile touches his face as he glares at me. My feet take me to him then my hand slams into his face, over and over again until we’re both on the floor rolling around. He gets a few punches in, but they don’t register as the bubbling anger and adrenaline take over, and my fist keeps moving.
“Ryken,” Cane calls my name or yells it, I’m not sure. Either way, we don’t stop until we’re pulled apart. Cane has his hands under my arms, pulling me back, as the guy who showed me the photograph is pulling Michael back. Quinn’s just standing there smiling which pisses Cane off more. “Why the fuck aren’t you helping?”
Quinn shrugs, and I pull myself free from Cane who swears at me. “If he wants to beat the guy who got his woman taken away, who the fuck am I to stop him?”
“Ryken did that. He did that the moment he saw her. He doomed her, not Michael.” Cane’s words are true. Doesn’t make it any easier to hear, though.
“Maybe you should watch your mouth,” states Quinn.
“How did you get that photograph?” I ask, ignoring them and looking at Michael.
“He keeps me updated. Did you look at the other photos?”
I squeeze my eyebrows together and shake my head. Michael pulls his cell out to show me. Saskia is in the pictures, sleeping on the floor. She’s in the clothes she left in but doesn’t appear to be awake.
“She was asleep for days. They stopped checking on her after the second day,” Michael says.
Quinn swears. We all turn to look at him. “I slipped her a little something.”
Everyone’s silent.
“What do you mean?” Michael asks.
“To calm her down. And unless she was on something else, it should have done just that,” Quinn says.
“I’m not even going to say anything to you about that.” I turn back to look at Michael. “Where is she?”
Michael looks to the ground then back to me because he doesn’t know. I knew he wouldn’t, it’s the only reason I haven’t paid him a visit and cracked his fucking skull open.
“That picture came through tonight. I think I know that place, though,” Michael says. He passes his cell to Quinn who nods his head.
“That’s his place,” Quinn confirms. “It’s his underground club. It’s where he mingles with his shadiest of clients.”
“That’s what I thought.” I turn to look at
Michael. “Why do you care? You were the one who took her.”
Michael gnaws at his lip. “You killed one of my men, Ryken. Because of her. You knew that for every action there’s a reaction.”
“You could have taken me.”
He laughs at my words. “You? I’m sure your men would ‘just’...” he uses air quotes, “... allow us to take you. You also knew if we took you, you wouldn’t live. Your head has the highest bounty now your father isn’t here. Antonio knows that, too. He wants your rights. He’s pushing to take over relationships, too. He even offered me a deal to cut you out.”
I laugh at his words. “There wouldn’t be a you, or him for that matter, if it weren’t for my family.”
He knows I’m right. But there also wouldn’t be buyers if it weren’t for me. Yes, that’s Antonio’s job, and it was set up by my father. He’s just taken a hold of it and extended it. He’s good at it. Plus, it’s one less way to be connected back to me. But I secure the girls. We hand pick them, then they do the rest. We are known for our taste and excellence in our choosing.
“You aren’t bringing in enough product, Ryken. Your father was always on time.”
I shake my head. “His men are owned by me. They’re paid by me. If I cut him off, they won’t make a fucking penny.”
“He’s the prince of the underworld there now, your father was once the quiet king.”
Everyone’s quiet. Yes, the products have been slow. But that’s about to change. Turning to Quinn, he waits for my orders. I get now why my father trusted him so much. He’s the best and most loyal I’ve ever known.
“Collect four. We’re going to sell them ourselves.” Quinn doesn’t say a word and is gone before I can say anything else.
Michael clears his throat. “You shouldn’t do that.” His brows are furrowed in deep lines.
“He wants to play, I can play twice as hard. He just doesn’t realize it, yet. Have you all forgotten who my father was?”
Michael takes a step back with a simple nod. “Jesus! You’re starting to sound like him,” is all he says. Cane stays quiet next to us. I’ve haven’t seen Cane in the last year I’ve been away. I’ve had to because he’s running my businesses. And he’s doing it very fucking well. Better than I could have done.
My heart is dark. Just like my father’s. Maybe I was meant to be where he put me.
“What do you plan to do when you get there? You can’t be the first to break the deal. You’ll lose all accountability and the respect that you’ve been building. Then Antonio could take everything your father built in one fell swoop. I’ll stick by you, Ryken, but others won’t. Brotherhood sticks together, it’s code. But he’s pushed some pretty serious fucked up limits even for me,” Michael says.
His man behind him stays where he is.
“I’m just going to show him who the boss is, then take what’s mine.”
Michael smiles and nods his head. “You really love her, don’t you?” he asks me.
How do I answer that correctly? I love two women, but one more than the other. One has been there through it all when she should have walked away from the start. I owe her.
“He does,” Cane answers for me while shaking his head then walking back inside the club, leaving us outside.
“Your father preached to us not to love. It was for fools.”
I laugh because it sounds like him. “Yeah, well, look where he is now. I’m sure you don’t want to end up the same way?” I question then walk away, waiting for the call from Quinn.
The call that informs me he’s collected.
Chapter Three
Saskia
He hasn’t said a word since I’ve been seated next to him. The girl on his right is continually leaning into him and touching his thigh, or his hands. The food in front of me is the only thing I can concentrate on. My stomach growls loudly, and I feel him turn toward me. His breath tickles my cheek, and I try my hardest to not scowl away.
“You’re hungry.” His voice is dark, deep, dangerous, and it sends shivers all over my body. Not the good kind either.
A nod of my head is all I can muster up to give him.
“Eat. The food is here to be enjoyed.”
My hand twitches to touch it, but I can’t seem to move. He could be lying, and I don’t want to eat in front of him or these people. I don’t know who they are, or what they even want from me. Then there’s the whole issue of if I can actually keep it down or not.
“Eat, Saskia.” His words make me sit up straighter. The music seems to become lighter as his voice becomes louder. That doesn’t happen but in my head it does, because his voice is so deafening. Reaching forward, my hand touches a small piece of bread with some tomato on it. The minute it touches my lips my stomach growls in appreciation. Forgetting how good food tastes is something I’ll never forget or take for granted again.
“Good, right?” the girl to the left of me asks.
A simple head nod is all I give her. Turning to look at her, I notice that she has long blonde hair also, except she isn’t wearing white. Her lips are painted a very bold matte red. “You must be new, I’ve never seen you before.” Her eyes focus in on mine as she studies me.
“New...” I mimic her words—try them on my lips. New isn’t something I’d use to describe myself to her.
“This is Ryken Lord’s property, which we are renting,” the guy next to me, Antonio, says.
Renting? Is that how they describe taking someone who has no say in the matter?
“Ryken’s... that’s interesting,” the girl says, pursing her lips. Then her hand touches me on my thigh, and she squeezes it. “You’re awfully skinny. Is that what he wants these days?” Her hand moves from my thigh then touches either side of my chin. My eyes bulge at her words.
“That’s who he wants, Amy. Now hands off,” Antonio says.
Amy’s hands drop from my chin, but her eyes don’t leave mine. “You’re a pretty little thing, though.”
I don’t have words for her. I don’t know what’s right or wrong, or what could get me killed.
“We don’t like mutes. So you better learn to speak soon, little one. I’m not sure why Ryken wants you. I’ve seen that brunette he has with him, she’s gorgeous. Even I’ve had Ryken. He doesn’t like the silent type,” Amy states.
“You’ve had him,” I reply, finally speaking.
She smirks at me, happy to get a reaction. “Several times actually. Definitely more than once.”
My mouth stays shut to that little revelation. Then the music goes silent, and people begin to leave as the lights turn on. She smiles at me and leans back on the couch.
I can feel his eyes on me now, the boss. “Your arm is bruised.” His words come from next to me, and without looking I know it’s him. Everyone else is silent and watching us. The guy that bruised my arm is the only guy that’s standing here. His eyes find mine, but he doesn’t move an inch or say a word.
Two girls are still on the couch with us, and the food is still in front of me. I can feel all eyes on me, so I don’t reach for sustenance even though my stomach wants it more than anything right now. Pulling my arm close to my body, I stay still.
“Stand up.” His voice is still close. When I don’t move or do as he says straight away, he demands again, “Stand up.”
My arms start to shake, and I know if I tried to stand on my legs right now they wouldn’t hold me up. I’m too weak from lack of food. So I stay where I am until I see black boots in front of me. Hands scoop up under my shoulders, lifting me up into a standing position. The one that bruised me currently has his hands on me. They’re gentler this time, but forceful all the same. My feet manage to hold me in position when he steps away after pulling me up. I feel my knees shaking, my legs feel like Jell-O. My head bows down, afraid to look up.
What does he want from me?
Why am I even here?
“He asked me to not hurt you, but I could have you. Do you see how confusing that is for me?” he asks.
>
I look up to see him staring at me. His eyes are hateful, angry. His top lip is curled up. The girls next to him watch me, but they all look drugged off their faces. Except for the one sitting near where I was. She’s watching me with interest.
“I could sell you or keep you for myself. Tell me, Saskia? What should I do with you? Since I can’t fuck you.”
“Let me go.”
He shakes his head then sits back further into his seat. It’s then I notice the vest he’s wearing, and it reads ‘President.’
That’s interesting. It’s the same type as the guys who took me in my hometown. Are they all connected? Linked in some way?
“That isn’t something I can do. But I do plan to get my money’s worth. Now get on your knees.” He leans further back, if that’s even possible, then his hand touches the back of the girl’s head who’s sitting next to him. He pushes her face into his crotch, and she automatically undoes his jeans pulling his cock free. “Knees, Saskia.”
I look at the girl who was watching me, who touched me, and she’s watching me back. My knees hit the tiled floor, and I look down.
“Eyes up.”
I look up, just as her mouth wraps around his cock. His eyes stay on me as her head bobs up and down. Taking him in her mouth with each thrust. His hand tangles in her hair, and he forces her to take him deeper. My eyes attempt to drop, to look away, but he shakes his head at me. So there I stay, watching a man I don’t know, getting head from a woman I don’t know. His eyes stay on me until the very last minute. Until he comes in her mouth then pushes her away like she’s a rag doll, like she didn’t just suck his cock.
“You do that for him, Saskia? Do you suck Ryken’s cock, like a good little girl?”
“No.”
“Pity. That mouth of yours is very fuckable.” He stands, doing himself up. He looks at the girl called Amy then he walks straight past me, leaving me on my knees on this dirty floor. I go to move, but Amy tsks at me.
“I didn’t say you could move.” Amy stands, her heels clicking as she steps up to me. Her hands touch my shoulders, then she moves them down until she pulls my breast free from the dress I’m wearing, exposing me. There are only the girls in the room, apart from the guy who brought me in here. But he’s not paying a scrap of attention, his head is down, and he’s on his phone. Her hands are rough as she squeezes my breast. The pain is almost to the point where I want to scream.
