Ruthless (Nomad Outlaws Trilogy Book 1)

by Tory Richards

  I could hear the grass moving with their foot falls. The need to get up and start running again was so strong that my muscles quivered, but I remained where I was, trying to wiggle myself deeper into the ground.

  "What makes you so sure we're gonna find the bitch?" Carl asked exasperatedly. “She could be anywhere now. We need to keep moving."

  "No. She's around here somewhere." And then I heard him laugh softly.

  Carl grumbled, "What's so fuckin' funny?"

  It was over. I knew what I was going to see when I opened my eyes, and I dared to glance up. Rocky was standing above me, his ugly expression full of smug triumph. He gave me a wink. I let the tears come.

  "Hi there, pretty pussy." He reached down, clutching my hair brutally as he yanked me to my feet.

  I brought the lug wrench up and swung it around to clobber him, but he anticipated my move and caught my wrist in mid-air. "Oh, no you don't!" He twisted my wrist mercilessly until I cried out and dropped it. "I'm not a weak boy like Todd."

  Before I could brace myself, he backhanded me hard. My head snapped to the side, and when I turned back to face him tears of rage burned in my eyes. I tasted blood where my teeth had cut into my lip. I wanted to spit in his laughing face. "You're a fucking coward, just like all the Red Devils were," I hissed.

  He laughed harder, twisting his hand in my hair until I winced in pain. "In case you haven’t guessed, we're with the Kings now." He jerked me against him. "I can hardly wait to fuck you."

  "You look like a little boy playing hospital dress up."

  He snarled. "This shit was necessary so I could get close to you before you recognized me."

  "You're not worth remembering," I hissed back.

  "I'm so gonna enjoy making you bleed, bitch." He grinned like the sicko that he was. He lowered his face as if to kiss me, and I quickly turned away. He yanked my hair harder and then pushed me in front of him. "Now move!"

  I put one bloody foot in front of the other, knowing that I had failed at my one and only chance of escape.

  Chapter 30

  Rebel

  Vinny.

  Five of his friends.

  Tanner.

  Six of the Sentinels, including Ace.

  Moody.

  They were all riding with me.

  Into hell.

  Without question.

  Without fear.

  We were all working towards the same goal--to save my woman and put an end to Wicked and his bunch, once and for all. We'd be doing everyone a favor, getting rid of a bunch of law-breaking, terrorizing assholes who didn't contribute anything good to society. It was their own fucking fault that it had come to this. They should have just killed Daryl and called it good. Taking my woman had sealed their fate.

  Stevie had seen it go down. She’d seen a man in a hospital uniform force Ginger into a white van and into the arms of a biker. The driver had been a biker, too, but she hadn't seen anything that revealed what club they were from. She'd told Skipper immediately, and he'd spread the word. Considering what Ace and I already knew about Daryl and Jack, we’d figured that it was the Kings that had taken her.

  Since Tanner knew that the Kings used Tomoka Farms Rd. when they traveled back and forth from Sanford, and the trucker had seen a few bikers before the accident, we’d thought that that was as good a place as any to start looking. We got lucky. Moody had been keeping his eyes open and had decided to follow a couple of the Kings who'd left a bar in a hurry after one of their brothers had rushed in with news. When they'd turned off onto a barely-there dirt road, he'd kept on going. He knew the area well, and he knew that the road leading in that direction dead ended into Tomoka Lake.

  He had called in the location and where to meet--behind a country restaurant, so that we wouldn't be seen from the road in case more Kings rode by. It wasn't a social meeting. We remained quiet, some of us smoking, each of us deep in our own thoughts. This was war. Some of us were going to get hurt, maybe worse, but it's what we did to protect our own. We were brothers. We had each other's backs, and we all knew that we could count on each other. Words wouldn’t punish the assholes that had been arrogant enough to take and hurt what didn't belong to them. The only thing that they would understand was a fight. Killing a few of them would send a strong message.

  I was fucking ready.

  I thought about Ginger in the hands of those men. If they touched her . . . if they hurt her . . . I fisted my hands as blinding rage filled every cell of my body until my blood was so fucking hot that I thought I was going to boil alive. She'd been through enough.

  "Brother--" Moody's voice drew me out of my deep thoughts. I gave him a questioning look. His expression was stone, like always. "Your phone's been buzzing for a full minute."

  It was then that I realized that I had been so lost in my own thoughts that I hadn’t felt the buzzing of an incoming call. I dug out my phone. Unknown caller. "What?" I snapped, having an idea of who might be on the other end of the line.

  "We haven't met‒"

  "Save the introductions, I know who you are, asshole." His laughter made me want to reach through the phone and ring his fucking neck. "Where the hell is my woman?"

  "Well, that's why I'm calling," came his smug return. "My club has her. And we have something special planned for the both of you."

  "Just tell me what the fuck you want." I wasn't about to play his game. "You took care of Daryl, he's the fucker who owed you money. My woman had nothing to do with that."

  He snorted as if this was all a joke. "This has nothing to do with Daryl or the money he owed me. We want you."

  What the fuck? I'd never had any interaction with the Kings before.

  "A few of your friends from Red Devils have joined us. They seem to think you're a traitor."

  Fuck! That was the last thing I had expected to hear. We'd always known there had been the possibility that some of the Red Devils hadn't been present the day of the shootout, but we’d figured that they'd scattered, because we'd never heard from any of them. Who the fuck was “they”?

  "Wouldn't you like to see your old friends again?"

  I knew then that they weren't going to release Ginger. They were out for revenge. I could only imagine what that would mean for her. I knew that it wouldn't be pleasant. They'd want to make her suffer, because that would hurt me the worst, and when they were done, they'd put a bullet in both of our heads. I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth to draw in the control that I needed to keep a clear head.

  I'd kill her myself before I let any of them hurt her.

  "Just tell me where to go."

  "You coming from Daytona?"

  "Yeah."

  "First dirt road you come to on Tomoka Farms Rd., just past the nursery, leads to the lake. About a mile in you'll come to an abandoned house. We'll wait till you get there before we start the party." The sick fuck laughed. "Come alone, and come unarmed."

  I disconnected before he could. With a snarl of rage I stuffed my phone back into my pocket, making eye contact with Moody, Tanner, and few others. I hadn't realized it, but as I’d talked on the phone a couple more Sentinels had shown up. We were clustered together, still sitting on our rides, waiting for the next move.

  "That was Wicked. He confirmed they have Ginger, but it's not for the reasons we were thinking. Far as Wicked is concerned, killing Daryl took care of the money he owed them."

  "What is it then, brother?"

  "Something from my past. Some of the Red Devils that escaped the fight that took their club out, they've joined in with the fucking Kings. They want revenge for my part in the take down."

  "What are we waiting for?" Moody asked, tossing his smoke. "They have your woman. The reason why doesn't fucking matter."

  Murmurs of agreement went through the men. "Ok, then. We ride in about half a mile. I go in the rest of the way alone. Give me a few minutes to get there before the rest of you follow in the trucks. Let's ride!"

  Moody led the way. Those of us on bikes f
ollowed behind him. Vinny and his friends brought up the rear in two massive trucks. I kept going when the others stopped. I knew that I was supposed to go in without weapons, but I purposely kept my gun on me. They were going to frisk me anyway, and having my gun somewhere where I might possibly get my hands on it made me feel better.

  Besides, they would expect me to ignore their orders.

  I didn't try to diminish the sound of my approach, they knew that I was coming. I wasn't surprised to see the fifteen or so bikes that were there when the house came into view. The Kings appeared to be a small MC.

  Just as I had anticipated, there were several of them waiting outside for me. They were on me before I even left my bike, dragging me off and patting me down. Of course they found my weapon, snatching it from me and then holding it up in my face.

  "You were told to come unarmed, asshole," the King grunted, before ordering the other two to take me inside.

  I didn't put up a fight. I couldn't knowing that Ginger was inside, but that didn't seem to matter to the fuckers that had me. They threw a few punches, jabbing their guns into my back as they pushed me toward the door and then inside. The place was packed, everyone wearing cuts, but the Kings didn't interest me. It was the three men who were standing with a man who I assumed was Wicked, their cuts lacking any patches. I recognized them instantly, even though I'd forgotten the names of two of them. The one dressed like a hospital worker I remembered as Rocky, Wildman's Sergeant at Arms. He looked vastly different from the last time I'd seen him. I remembered how eager he'd been to get his hands on Ginger.

  His expression was smug, but he couldn't quite pull off threatening in his hospital clothes. "Well, look who's here, the guest of honor," he joked as he walked towards me. "The traitor from Dark Menace." He drew his arm back and punched me square in the jaw.

  My head snapped back with the force, and I felt blood fill my mouth as my teeth cut into the inside of my cheeks. My instinct was to fight back, and I lunged at him with that very intention. I had barely taken a step when several men were on me, pulling me back and holding me. I spit out a mouthful of blood onto the floor, glaring at Rocky. "Is that the best you got?"

  He was the one lunging the next time. He got in a couple more hits before someone yelled out, "Enough!" Rocky reined himself in, but he wasn't happy about it. "Let's not start the party without our second guest of honor." The men began to whoop and holler.

  "I'll get her," Rocky growled, moving before anyone else had the chance to.

  Fuck. I wanted to kill him. He left the room looking too eager to get his hands on her. I felt my blood boil. The men holding me tightened their grip, as if they knew that if I got loose there'd be no stopping me. I'd take as many of them with me as I could, and they would be first.

  "So you're the snake who got the Red Devils killed off?" Wicked got close enough for me to see his president's patch. "You really know how to make enemies."

  "I know how to make dead enemies even better," I snarled between my teeth.

  More than one laughed. They were like cockroaches, everywhere, standing, sitting, leaning against the walls. Vultures waiting for a meal. I could see it in their eyes, the lust and the anticipation of what they had planned. Fear for Ginger rushed through my blood. They could hardly wait to devour her. It was a pack animal mindset that, once unleashed, would be difficult to stop.

  The sound of a door banging against a wall alerted me that Rocky was re-entering the room, pushing a frightened, angry Ginger in front of him. Her hands were tied in front of her. There were bruises and scratches on her face, and blood at the corner of her swollen, trembling mouth. Her clothes were torn, the skin on her arms scratched all to hell. And her feet--fuck, where were her boots? Her feet were a bloody mess.

  Her wild eyes darted around the room as she stumbled forward, and then landed on me. With a cry she ran to me and threw herself up against my hard frame. The only reason we didn't topple backwards was because of the bastards who were holding me. No one tried to stop her. "Rebel!" She kissed me wherever she could reach my face. "Why did you come?"

  The desperate tone of her voice told me that she knew what the outcome was going to be. I felt wetness on my face from her tears. It gutted me. "Baby." Jesus, her being there was all my fault. "I'm sorry you got caught up in this."

  "They've hurt you," she breathed softly, her eyes roaming over my face, her pretty lips quivering.

  I saw the dried blood. I could have said the same thing about her.

  "How sweet, but this little reunion is over." Hands reached for Ginger, snatching her away from me. "Time to start this party!" The place erupted into a party mentality that bordered on frenzy.

  "No!" Ginger cried, helpless as hands pulled her back. Her eyes clung to mine.

  "Get your filthy hands off her," I growled, seeing that Rocky had been the one to force her away. I saw red when he laughingly grabbed her tit and squeezed until she cried out.

  I roared in anger, tearing one arm loose and punching the nearest man. Adrenaline raced through my body, giving me the strength to jerk my other arm free. I was on Rocky before anyone could stop me, pushing him away from Ginger and hitting him wherever I could. I tore into him like a possessed demon, smashing my fists into his face and torso at rapid speed, forcing him backwards on his feet until he lost his balance and stumbled into a group of men. They caught him before he hit the floor, and then I felt several men grab my arms and yank me back.

  It was all over quickly, yet it had been long enough for me to do damage to Rocky's face. By the time he straightened up, blood dotted his clothes from his broken nose and split lips. Retribution glittered in his eyes as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

  "You're gonna pay for that," he threatened.

  I snorted. They were going to kill me. What more could they do? "Bring it on, asshole," I snarled, pulling at the hands that were holding me away from him. I was willing to do anything to get his mind off of Ginger. He pulled something out of his pocket and slipped them on his hand. Brass knuckles. Oh, shit. This was going to hurt.

  "We don't have time for this," Wicked growled, stepping forward.

  "Shut the fuck up!" Rocky snarled back like a rabid dog. "He deserves this for what he did to the Red Devils!" He spit blood.

  I began to wonder who exactly ran the Kings.

  "You're forgetting who's president," Wicked reminded him, not backing down. Rocky exchanged a look with him, breathing in through his nose like a fucking bull. His eyes bounced around the room as if he needed further evidence of Wicked's power. There were a helluva lot more Kings than there were Red Devils. "Get in a couple of hits if it will make you feel better."

  "No!" Ginger pleaded.

  Everyone ignored her, and Rocky needed no further persuasion. The next thing I knew he was hitting me on the side of my jaw. He held nothing back, putting all his strength into it. My head snapped back and to the side, and my mouth once again filled with blood. Son of a bitch that hurt! I barely had time to swing back around when I received a hard punch to the ribs. The air left my lungs with a grunt, and I doubled over. I could hear Ginger in the background, pleading with him to stop. I hated like fuck that she had to witness this.

  "Enough!" Wicked yelled. Rocky followed it up with one more hit to my torso.

  "You fucking coward!" Ginger screamed, tears flowing down her cheeks.

  "It's okay, baby, he hits like a girl," I taunted, trying to smile through the pain in my jaw.

  Rocky laughed. "Well, let me show you both that I'm a man." He turned toward Ginger with savage intent in his eyes. "I think it's time we show her what a train is."

  I watched Ginger's face turn into a mask of stark terror. She knew what a train was, because I had explained it to her years before. She knew that they were about to line up and take their turns fucking her. She began to back up, shaking her head no, but there was nowhere for her to go that wouldn't put her up against the wall of men. Their faces had transformed, too, into twisted shape
s of lust and anticipation. I roared with rage and frustration when they began to pass her around the room so that each man had a chance to molest her. One man took out a knife and cut the rope at her wrists so that she could fight them. And she did. My girl fought like a tiger, hissing and slapping at their roaming hands with determination. Rage burned brightly in her eyes as she hit out at them with one hand while the other clutched at her torn clothes.

  They were just as determined to leave her naked and vulnerable. Two men easily overpowered her and removed her shorts. By the time they were done passing her from one man to the other she had little left to hide her body from them. I strained at the hands holding me back, wondering where the fuck my brothers were. The minutes had passed like hours.

  Real panic set in when Rocky picked Ginger up and slammed her down on top of a scarred and cracked countertop. She cried out with the impact, kicking and clawing at him to get off of her.

  "Get the fuck off her!" I roared, panting in my efforts to get to her. The men holding me laughed, but their eyes were glued to what was going on.

  And then they began to line up, with Rocky and Wizard at the front, grabbing the front of their pants suggestively as they got prepared to defile my woman. My heart was going to fucking explode from my chest.

  "Bring Rebel over so he has a front seat!" Rocky laughed hatefully, lying over Ginger as she squirmed beneath him, her face wet and red. "I want him to see every dick go inside his woman's pussy!"

  "You fucker!" I was dragged closer, fighting to pull my arms free every step of the way. Rocky looked over at me, making sure that I watched as he ran his filthy paws all over Ginger.

  "Get off me!" Ginger hissed through clenched teeth. She was angry and crying and fighting him with all of her might. She dug deep scratches down the side of Rocky’s face and was rewarded by a hard slap.