Addictive (The Houston Defiance MC Series Book 2)

by K E Osborn

  Behind the silver chair is the thing making Houston’s Chamber differ from other Chambers across America. Other chapters have to dispose of their bodies once they’re done with them. They have to take them out of the Chamber, but we don’t have a need to do that. It’s all done inside this one room, and it’s why it smells so bad.

  Behind the silver chair is the oil pit, some might say it looks like a car inspection pit, but ours has a thin layer of oil lining the bottom. It’s big—twelve feet long, three feet across and six feet deep. But it’s certainly not for inspecting the undercarriage of vehicles.

  Behind the oil pit are two large metal crosses. Good for inflicting copious amounts of pain when you want to really draw out the inevitable, and it’s also used when there are multiple fuckers you need to question at the same time. Then at the very end, the wall divides into another room which leads into our armory. That room is much smaller than this one, but it’s big enough to hold our arsenal. Being in Texas, we have a vast array of weaponry, especially since Ax is ex-Navy. He knows all the good shit to purchase and what will serve us the best.

  But that’s all beside the point.

  What’s got me really excited right now is the fucker sitting in the silver chair in front of me—arms tied behind his back, gag in his mouth while Ax and Kevlar stand waiting for me.

  I stride over inhaling sharply. “Has he said anything?” I ask.

  “Nothing. Says he’ll only talk to you.”

  I wave my hand, and Ax pulls off the asshole’s mouth gag. “You want me, well here I am. Start talking.”

  He turns up his lip. “You tink you have all the answers,” his Serbian twang comes through, and instantly I tense.

  Fuck.

  “You work for Damir?”

  “You tink it dat simple? Dat Damir don’t have a boss?”

  Cracking my knuckles together, I huff. “You’re talking pretty damn easily. Why do they want me to know who did this so fucking quickly?”

  He rolls his shoulders. “You aware of who, but you don’t know vhere. You von’t find your precious little princess. Not before it too late.”

  My stomach rolls as I stare at him abhorrently. “Too late for what?”

  “And dat, my friend, is vhat we von’t tell you.”

  I let out a mocking laugh, nodding my head matter-of-factly. “Mm-hmm. So, you work for Damir, who works for someone else, and you’ve taken Prinie for something, but you won’t tell me what? Have I got that right?”

  The corner of his lips turns up. “You smarter den you look.”

  “Well, then, I think it’s time to play, don’t you, boys?” I ask, glancing up at Ax. He grins, then turns heading for the cupboard to the left. “What’s your name?” I ask the Slav.

  “We have da levels in da Triglav Clan. The Godfather, The Underboss, Lieutenant, den dere’s me. You can call me Gangster.”

  All three of us chuckle. “You think I’m calling you Gangster, Coolio? No. Hell, fucking, no. You won’t give me a name, then I’ll make one up for you.” I deliberate for a moment. “Rekcuf sounds about right.”

  Kevlar snickers, understanding I pronounced the nickname backward. The Gangster rolls his eyes. “Stupid name if you ask me.”

  “‘Stupid is as stupid does,’” Ax quotes from Forrest Gump, then walks over handing me a crowbar.

  I widen my eyes. “This’ll do nicely. Thanks, brother.”

  Rekcuf narrows his eyes on me, finally starting to show some concern. “You gonna hit me to get me to talk?”

  I shrug. “Maybe at some point. But first—”

  Leaning over, I grab the straight end of the crowbar, slamming it down into the bullet wound on his leg. He screams out in agony, but I don’t stop. I push harder and harder until the crowbar sinks into the wound, the push and pull of the sinew of his leg fighting me, but my adrenaline kicks in and I keep going. His pain-filled screams echo through the large expanse as spittle flies out of his mouth.

  “Stop! Stop!”

  I stop pushing, leaving the crowbar hanging two thirds out of this leg as he pants heavily for frantic breaths. Sweat ripples down his pasty temple as he tries to calm his rapid-firing heartrate.

  “I can’t tell you vhere they took her.”

  I push a little harder and he groans. “Why?”

  “Because, they will kill me.”

  I let out a laugh. “If you don’t tell us where and why they took her, we will kill you.”

  “You kill me, you never know vhere she is.”

  For the second time in a long while, a slow smile creeps up my face. “And you, Rekcuf, just fucked up.”

  “Vhat? Vhy?”

  “Because now we won’t stop until you tell us where she is.” I grab the crowbar, yanking it out of his leg. He lets out a wail as I twist it as I go for added pain. His leg bleeds all over the fucking place, and I begin to worry I’ve nicked an artery, and if that’s the case, I won’t have much time.

  We need to speed this along.

  I bring the crowbar up, slamming it into his shoulder. The crunch resonates through the concrete chamber, and his entire body slumps to the side. “Fuuuck,” he screams out.

  I lean down right into his face. “Where. Is. She?”

  The asshole glances down to his leg with an exhale. “You don’t have much time, I’m bleeding out. I’m dead either way. So, I have no reason to tell you.”

  I narrow my eyes on him. “I’ll give you a fucking reason. I bet you have a family… someone you care about. Be it a sibling, a lover, a fucking grandmammy. I don’t fucking know yet, but I swear to you, if you die without telling us where Prinie is and what they’re gonna do to her, then I’m gonna hunt that person down, rip out their eyeballs and hang them on my mantle. Then, when they’re locked down here, I’m gonna let them hear every day what we do to your dead body, because Rekcuf, we will fuck you up if you don’t cooperate, then make those you love watch... or listen as it were.”

  His eye twitches, his face turns pale, probably from the copious amounts of blood pooling on the floor. “Vhat if I don’t have anyone?”

  “You do. That little eye twitch gave it away. And I’m a man of my promises.”

  “I don’t believe you. How vill you find my family. You don’t even know my name.”

  “Because we have a tech guru who can find anything out about anyone, and when you’re dead, we’ll scan your fingerprints.”

  He hesitates. “Promise me they von’t be harmed.”

  I dip my chin. “Yes, I swear.”

  He closes his eyes like he’s having trouble concentrating. “They’ve taken her to an old Serbian Church off Lycaster Street.”

  Elation flows through me.

  Fuck, I hope he’s right and not stringing us along.

  “And why do they want her?”

  “They’re going to kill her in front of you when you arrive.”

  Anger swarms through me, the devil inside me can’t be tamed anymore—my addiction swings into full force. I race forward, my hands sliding around his neck. The feeling like a fucking heavenly orchestra is harmonizing a chorus in my ear. My fingers grip onto his slimy skin, gripping as tight as I fucking can. His eyes bulge out of his head as he gasps, panting for air, his body writhing on the chair with the pain I’m searing through him.

  It only pumps my blood harder.

  Down here, in the Chamber, all bets are off.

  My addiction can come out in full glorious force, and right now as I squeeze harder—his throat turning a bright shade of red—energy surges through me like nothing before. I am the king of this domain, and this fucker is nothing but a peasant beneath me.

  Sweat topples down my brow, my eyes focus on him, my fingers tingling with the brute force I’m applying on Rekcuf’s neck. Snot bubbles out of his nose while the adrenaline surges through me so intensely it feels like my body is buzzing, like every hair is vibrating, swaying to and fro with the electricity coursing through my veins.

  The blood vessels in
his eyes burst, the whites of his eyes turning blood red, which causes the corner of my lips to turn upward.

  The sounds of his gasping breaths begin to fade as his writhing body weakens. He stops fighting me, my high depleting with his last gasp. I shake his neck for good measure as his eyes roll into the back of his head.

  This was over too fast.

  I know I shouldn’t have caved.

  I gave into my addiction, but this is why I am the master of the Chamber. This is why I come down here, so I can let my addiction run wild. Let my hands do the talking.

  Rekcuf’s body sags, the life completely drained from him, blood seeping from the corner of his eyes as I find the willpower to let go of his neck. In the meantime, the blood pissing out of his thigh I notice has gotten all over me as I stand back panting, trying to catch my own breath.

  I need to rein myself in.

  Find my calm.

  Look at the picture on the wall—deep ocean blue—which was placed there by Zero.

  A few deep breaths, and peace finds me once more.

  My bare chest and jeans are covered in blood as I try to compose myself. Kevlar steps over, gently placing a hand on my bicep. I flinch but turn to see his concerned eyes on me. “You want us to clean up in here while you get the boys ready to ride?”

  “Yeah,” I pant still out of breath. It’s astounding how much energy you use when you strangle someone to death.

  I turn, walking over to the offset bathroom. I strip off, chucking my bloodstained clothes in the can for Kevlar to collect to throw in the pit when I’m done. As quickly as I can, I scrub the blood off my skin, then grab the spare set of clothes I leave down here for moments just like this.

  Walking back out into the Chamber, the scraping of the metal chair being tipped back sends a shudder through me. Peering over my shoulder, Rekcuf’s being shoved into the oil pit, and Ax closes the lid but opens the venting system. Relief floods me when the flames ignite.

  I turn back, heading for the stairs, traipsing up them to tell my brother’s we’re going to get my damn woman back.

  PRINIE

  Sitting in the pews, hands bound, surrounded by men covered head to toe in black gear makes me feel like I’m in some fucking James Bond spy movie. I don’t know who these men are, but this is obviously some kind of ransom attempt.

  Why else would they take the princess of the club, right?

  They knew who I was and even called me princess.

  Two main men are standing at the altar. They seem to be in charge of whatever this is. Then their assassin men surround me, stopping me from going anywhere. It feels like they’re waiting for Wraith and my brothers from the club to show up. Or something. I’m not really sure what they’re waiting for, but I’m sick of waiting.

  “Hey!” I call out to the younger of the two men standing at the altar.

  He turns with a huff, then walks down the stairs and moves over sitting next to me. “Yes, Kharlie, what do you want?”

  I scowl. “First of all, only incredibly special people get to call me Kharlie. You can call me Prinie, you got that?”

  He chuckles. “Sure… Prinie.”

  “And secondly, why the fuck am I here? What do you want with me?”

  He rolls his shoulders looking at the older man. He nods obviously giving the go-ahead to tell me. “Name’s Sava.” He places his hand out for me to shake.

  I don’t.

  He smirks but continues, “We’ve taken you on demand from our Underboss, Damir. Vlatko over there is our Godfather—”

  “What does that make you?”

  “I’m the lieutenant. Third in charge.”

  “So, what do I have to do with you guys?”

  His lips form a thin line. “This really has nothing to do with you, Prinie. This is all about Wraith, and how he’s a wanted man by the Triglav Clan.”

  “You want Wraith? And I’m the ticket to him? Why didn’t you just take him when you came to the clubhouse?”

  “This way is more fun. Builds the suspense. It scares him… we scare him.”

  I stifle a laugh. “If you’re so ‘scary’…” I use air quotes, “… then why haven’t I heard of the Triglav Clan?”

  A sinister smirk creeps over Sava’s lips, then suddenly his hand comes out backhanding me across my face. The sting is so powerful it knocks me to my knees beside the pew.

  “Silly little girl, you haven’t heard of us because we don’t want you to.”

  Bringing my tied hands up to soothe the side of my face, I stare at him. “You think he cares about me? You think he’ll come for me? He uses me, then spits me out for breakfast.”

  “And that’s why we know he loves you because he keeps coming back… that, and you’re not dead like his mother.”

  “What do you care?”

  His eyes widen. “We don’t kill women. Sure, we may hurt them but kill…. no. Wraith took it a step too far.”

  “He strangled his mother because she was a prostitute who abused him, who let the men in her life sexually molest him. He had every right to kill her to stop the pain,” I blurt out protecting him but probably saying way too much.

  Sava rolls his shoulders. “He didn’t just strangle her, Prinie, he sent her into a coma. With the drugs she had in her system, it made her coma worse. She didn’t die at his hands, sure, but a year later, we had the task of deciding whether or not to turn off her ventilator. She wasn’t the best mother on this earth, but she was a mother… to more than Wraith knows.”

  I widen my eyes. “Wraith has siblings?”

  Sava clicks his tongue to the roof of his mouth like I have stumbled on a huge secret. “Two brothers, different father to Wraith.”

  “Why didn’t she make time for them?”

  “She did. Why do you think Wraith was alone so much? She spent time with her real family.”

  So many emotions roll through me. “How do you know this?”

  His eyes narrow on me. “Because I’m one of her sons.”

  I let out an audible gasp. “And the other?”

  “Damir.”

  It all makes sense now, why Damir picked on Wraith back in juvie. He knew, but Wraith was oblivious. “You’ve had this lifelong vendetta against him. Why are you enacting your revenge on Wraith now?”

  Sava eyes me up and down. “Because now he has something he cares enough about to die for.”

  “But how did you even know about me?”

  Sava grins wickedly. “Our men overheard Wraith talking about you when he dropped by to see your brother in jail… Wraith is quite fond of you apparently… he will come for you—”

  Suddenly, the doors of the church burst open with a thud making us all turn to the entrance. Wraith storms in carrying some huge type of gun. Texas and Neon flank his sides, but no one else is with them.

  Instantly, I know the others are surrounding the building.

  It’s the Defiance MO.

  “You have something that belongs to me,” Wraith calls out aiming his huge machine gun at Sava as if on cue.

  I stand holding out my tied hands in front of me. “Wait, Wraith, you can’t kill him.”

  Wraith’s face scrunches as he starts walking down the aisle toward me. “They came into our club, took you from us… give me one good fucking reason why not, princess.”

  Sava chuckles coming in behind me, using me as a shield. “Because, we’re family, Talon.”

  Wraith stops still on the spot as I slowly nod at him.

  “I have no family.”

  “Wrong. You thought you killed your mother, but before you, she had two other sons.”

  Wraith hesitates, curling up his lip. “And I’m meant to believe that shit?”

  “Her name was Zora. You should look up where Zora comes from… or better yet, I’ll give you a little lesson… it’s Serbian. Zora came from the Triglav Clan, but they kicked her out when she started using drugs. Then she got pregnant by one of her… clients… with you.”

  My eyes droop a
s the expression on Wraith’s face falls like this is all making some kind of sense to him. “I’m half Serbian?”

  “Yes, and I’m Sava, your half-brother and so is my brother.”

  Wraith’s jaw wracks from side to side. “Who is your brother?”

  “Like you haven’t figured it out, Wraith. I know you better than that.”

  Anger sweeps through Wraith’s features. “What does Damir want? Why is he doing this?”

  Sava wraps his arm around my waist pulling my back to his front, pressing a knife to my throat. I gasp as Wraith aims his giant gun at us both, but it only scares me more.

  “Damir and I want you to watch while I kill the one person you love because you are the reason we had to kill the one person we loved.”

  Wraith takes a hesitant step forward as Sava presses the cool tip of the sharp blade into my skin further. “What are you talking about?”

  “You thought you left our mother to die… no, she went into a coma, and a year later we had to turn off her life support! So, since we had to watch her die, you will watch the princess die.”

  Wraith’s jaw ticks, but he quickly recovers. “The thing is, Sava, I have the big gun.”

  “The thing about big guns, Wraith, is they make a big mess. You willing to risk princess here to shoot me? You think you’ll hit me before I slice her open?”

  My body begins to shudder as I stare Wraith in his eyes. I might not make it through this, so I need to tell Wrath how I feel. “Wraith, I love you!”

  Sava presses the tip of the blade in further, the edge slices into my skin as I let out a whimper with the pain, the warmth of my blood begins to trickle down my throat.