UNPROTECTED: A Dark Bad Boy Baby Romance (Hanley Family Mafia)

by Zoey Parker

  “Agreed.” I had thought of that already. I was willing to accept that.

  “Where’s the guarantee that he’s gonna let her live?”

  I froze for a minute. I hadn’t thought about that. “I’ll make sure she’s safe,” I said.

  “How? You’ll be dead.”

  “Since when can’t I trust you?” I had assumed they would protect her. I guessed I was wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time I misjudged a member of my club.

  Axel’s massive body shook with intensity. “Think, Vince! He wants to take over the club, right? So she won’t be under the protection of the Fury Riders anymore because there won’t be any Fury Riders.”

  I saw how right he was. York. That fucker. He’d thought the whole thing out way in advance, like a game of chess. Piece of shit probably couldn’t spell his own name, but he could think ten moves ahead.

  “What do I do, then? Leave her there?” I pushed myself back from the desk in a violent shove and stood. “No fucking way, man. I can’t.”

  Axel shrugged. “I’m sorry, Vince. That seems like the only option. If she were out of the picture, you wouldn’t have to worry about keeping her safe anymore.”

  “You sick fuck. Get outta here. I don’t wanna see you.”

  He stood. “You know I don’t really mean that. I like Erica, and I like her for you. I’m just trying to help you see this from all sides is all. Before you met her, you took on the responsibility of leading the club. We were your priority first. You’re talking about handing us over, just to save her. Fuck us, right?”

  I sighed heavily, some of my anger melting. “You know I don’t see it that way. This is ripping me up inside.”

  He nodded slowly. “I get it. I don’t know what I would do if I were you. I mean it. You’re my president. Whatever you decide, I’m with you.”

  I turned away and heard the door open and close. When he was gone, I let myself collapse back into the chair.

  It was an impossible decision. Give myself up, which meant giving my club up, or leave Erica there to die.

  She would think I deserted her. I imagined her sitting there in that shithole, wondering why I wasn’t coming for her. Thinking she didn’t mean anything to me. Nothing could have been further from the truth, but there wouldn’t be any way for me to tell her that. If anything, York would tell her I didn’t care. He’d fuck with her head before he killed her. And he might do it slowly, after the pigs and degenerates he called a club did whatever they wanted to her.

  My blood boiled. I pounded on the top of the desk with my fist, wishing it was York’s face.

  The laptop was the only thing on the desk I hadn’t swept off with my arm, and I opened it in the hopes the memory card was still inside. It was, and the picture up on the screen was probably the last thing Erica saw before Onyx took her. There he was. He was still in the shadows, but he was there.

  When had it happened? When did he decide to turn on me? How didn’t I see it? Lance was one thing, but Onyx? He was the closest friend I had in the world. How did I not see what was right in front of me?

  Maybe York was right and I didn’t deserve to be president of the club. I was fucking blind to the obvious. I wanted Onyx to be my loyal second-in-command, and that’s who I told myself he was. So what if he was actually going behind my back and destroying the club? I didn’t wanna see it.

  I still didn’t, even as I sat looking at the picture. I wanted to believe it was a mistake. There he was, though. Standing still, watching Harrison murder Lance. Someone who was supposed to be his brother. He let it happen and didn’t flinch.

  I told myself to harden my heart against him. There was a good chance I would be seeing him at the clubhouse. York would make sure of it. He wanted to be sure I knew he won, right down to stealing my best friend’s loyalty.

  I wondered for a minute if he would compromise. If I offered him the drug trade, he might take it and leave the rest alone. That was what he wanted. The prestige, the money. He was welcome to have it. I wouldn’t hand over my club, though. Axel was right. I had to think about them, too.

  I walked out of the office. The lounge was empty, the door to the game room closed. I nodded grimly. They were having a meeting without me. It made sense. They would have plenty without me before long.

  I went to the bar and poured myself a whiskey. I was proud of everything I did with the club, including the steps I took to get us out of drugs. I hoped York didn’t put them right back into it, but it was obvious that he would. Drugs and the money from them—that was what he wanted.

  That and the knowledge that he’d beaten me. That meant a lot to him, too. He was so pathetic, it made me sick.

  How many times had I sat there with Onyx next to me? Even way back before I was president. When I first got hooked up with the club. We used to sit and watch the older guys and wish we could be as cool as they were.

  I didn’t have anybody else in my life then. I had just lost my family, and I was looking for something. I never had time for friends at that age either—taking care of the kids, going to school, it ate up all of my time. After I had dropped out I was really lost. I couldn’t relate to people my age.

  Then, I met Onyx. He was a prospect with the club in those days, but he had been around long enough to show me the ropes. I trusted him from day one—he tried to be tough and hard, but I saw through him. He only acted that way because of the scars. He thought people would reject him, so if he rejected them first, he wouldn’t have to get hurt. I never told him that I knew, though.

  I couldn’t think of the club without thinking of him. The two were so closely wrapped up in each other for me. What made him do it? Was there ever a time I said something or did something he didn’t agree with? Yeah—that happened a lot. He was never afraid to tell me what he thought about my decisions, though. I didn’t think we had any secrets. In fact, when I was first named president, I asked him always to be brutally honest with me. I needed somebody to keep me grounded. He swore he would be that person.

  When did he stop? I couldn’t remember things changing. He had to be the best actor in the world, keeping me fooled the way he did.

  Then again, Lance had, too. I had thought he was loyal. Maybe I was the problem. Could I ever trust any of my men again? I reminded myself it didn’t matter. I wouldn’t have to worry about it for long once York had his way.

  The door opened like they had heard me thinking about them. They filed out one by one, two dozen of them. None of them would meet my eyes. The girls followed them out, and they looked at the floor, too.

  I was leaving them. It broke me up inside, thinking of handing them over to anybody else—especially York, who was barely a step up from human garbage. What would happen to them?

  Before any of them could speak, I took a deep breath. “I know Axel told you what’s happening. I know you think I’m crazy for thinking about this. I don’t see that I have a choice. I can’t leave her there. And he’ll kill her if I don’t go, believe it. York doesn’t make empty promises.”

  “We know,” Axel said, quietly.

  “I don’t know what this means for all of you. I’m sorry. This is the choice I have to make. Even if I stay here, he’s never gonna stop coming after us. How many more people have to die before he gets what he wants? I’m trying to think of you guys, too. But, in the end, I have to try to save Erica. I’m sorry. It’s what needs to happen.”

  “So that’s it, then? None of us gets a say? York moves into your spot and we go on like nothin’ happened?” Frankie looked livid, his face dark.

  “That’s what he wants. He’s got me cornered. I don’t know what else to do.” I stood, showing them the gun I had in my waistband. “I’m gonna do my best.” I would have to find some way to take him out. It was the only way I could think to protect Erica and the club at the same time.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Erica

  I had no idea how long I’d been there, tied to the chair in that stinking room. There was no way o
f telling time, and no windows without boards on them.

  I was exhausted, weak. I knew the intensity of my emotions wasn’t helping. I wondered how much longer it would take for somebody to come. I wasn’t sure anymore whether I wanted Vince to come, or if I wanted him to stay away. There was no winning.

  My shoulders burned and my wrists ached from the ropes. The rope around my ankles was so tight my feet were asleep. I must have been there for hours at that point. I’d started counting the seconds at one point, but the more seconds I counted, the more upset I got. It was easier in a way to let the time pass unmarked.

  There was a series of loud shouts from outside the door. I flinched. They were getting louder all the time. Probably the drunker they got.

  They could come in here whenever they wanted. The thought chilled my blood. Any of them, whenever the mood struck. It sounded like an entire football team was out there making noise, cheering, listening to music. I heard bottles smashing now and then. Were they killing each other? I hoped they were.

  The drunker they became, the larger my fear grew. Alexander might have been able to control them while they were sober, but when they were drunk? I knew it was only a matter of time before they got ideas in their heads. I didn’t hear any female voices out there. Pretty soon it wouldn’t be enough to throw each other around and break bottles. Their attention would turn to me. Tied to a chair. I remembered Alexander’s warning about what they did to girls with big mouths. A sob escaped my throat, muffled by the gag.

  I squeezed my eyes shut. Thinking like that would only make me panic again. I couldn’t do that. I didn’t even want to cry since I couldn’t wipe my eyes or my nose. The gag was soaked with tears already. Nobody had been in to check on me in a long time. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I didn’t want to see any of them or give them the chance to be alone with me. I could have used more water, though, or a tissue.

  Then again, having one of them wipe my tears? Not tops on my list. Again, there was no way out that didn’t involve one of the Wolves getting way too close to me.

  I didn’t want Vince to hurry, but I did at the same time. I worried for him, but I worried for myself. Somebody had to come break this up, and fast. Every minute that ticked by pushed me one minute closer to the door opening and a dozen or more drunken bikers pouring in.

  My heart raced. My palms were sweaty. My breath came fast and shallow. I was losing it.

  Don’t. A voice in my head broke through the haze of panic. It’ll be all right. Control yourself. It sounded like Vince. I heard the commanding tone he took when he wanted his way. Even the thought of his voice made me feel a little better.

  I hoped my memory card was still intact in the laptop. At least I might achieve some measure of fame posthumously. The last pictures taken by the photographer. The ones that got her killed. People were just morbid enough to want to see them. I’d become an internet sensation. The poor little girl who went out one night, caught a murder on camera, and fell in with a gang of bikers.

  I remembered hearing a story from one of my aunts. She’d gone to school with a girl who was kidnapped by a biker gang not long after graduation. Her boyfriend or somebody was involved with them. They took her because they thought she stole from them—really, it was probably her boyfriend, but they had the wrong information. Her body parts were found all over the place afterward. A bolt of terror flashed through me. That would be me now. People would tell stories about me, saying they used to know me and wasn’t it a shame for an innocent person to go through something so terrible.

  Another bottle smashed on the floor just outside the door and I jumped. I was completely on edge, about to go overboard. It felt like they were deliberately screwing with me, though I knew I was probably the last thing on their minds. They thought they had won something against Vince and the club. From the looks of their headquarters, they didn’t get many wins.

  I closed my eyes, forcing myself to take deep breaths despite the urge to panic. I couldn’t do that to myself. I had to stay in control or else I might go crazy with fear.

  Breathe in…one, two, three, four…breathe out…one, two, three, four…The meditation class I took years before finally came in handy. I counted up and down, breathing along until my heartbeat calmed and my mind felt clearer. Everything would be all right.

  Then, I heard a loud crash from the room outside the door and I panicked all over again. This time, it sounded serious. There were shouts and loud popping noises. Gunshots? I froze in panic. Police? No, I didn’t hear any shouts that sounded like police commands.

  Vince? Had he come for me? He must have brought an entire army from the sound of it. Where was Alexander? I hoped Vince had blown his head off.

  The fighting went on for what felt like forever. It was torture not knowing what was happening thanks to the closed door. With every crash, I flinched. Furniture was breaking, bodies hitting walls. I thought I’d go crazy having to imagine what was happening.

  At the same time, I didn’t want to see. If Vince was there, and he had to be from the sounds of it, I would be too afraid to watch. My imagination was doing a good enough job filling in the blanks for me.

  More crashes. Punches? Gunshots. I heard groans and screams and grunts. My eyes swept the room in a panic. What if a bullet came through the door? I couldn’t even duck. I threw my weight from one side to the other, rocking the chair back and forth, hoping I would fall to the side. It would hurt, but it would be safer that way.

  Then, the gunfire quieted. Somebody had won. Who was it? From the number of Wolves I’d heard partying, I was terrified that the Fury Riders were outnumbered. Even if Vince had brought every member of the club with him, he’d still be at a disadvantage. My heart was in my throat. The silence was more terrifying than the sound of fighting.

  My eyes were glued to the door. Slowly, the knob turned. I held my breath, my heart racing as the door swung open…to reveal Vince.

  Tears rolled down my cheeks. He was there! He’d saved me! And he looked fine, not a scratch on him. He rushed to my side, pulling the gag from my mouth.

  “Oh, God, did they hurt you?” he asked, touching my face, my hair.

  All I could do was shake my head. I was to overcome to speak.

  “We got them,” he said. “Everybody’s okay.” He bent to untie my ankles.

  “What about the Wolves?”

  “Most were shot. I don’t know yet how many we killed—I told the guys to take care of the rest of them for me. I had to find you. I’m getting you out of here.”

  “Please hurry.” I couldn’t stand being in there for another minute. I would need three showers, maybe four, to clean the filth from me.

  Vince worked on my wrists. “Hang on. Almost there.” When the ropes fell away, my arms fell to my sides. I nearly screamed the pain was so bad. I must have pulled both shoulders severely. My wrists were raw. I held them up, rubbing them gently. I shook them out, then shook my feet to get the blood flowing. It hurt, but I had to do it.

  I saw movement over Vince’s shoulder, through the doorway. Broken glass on the floor. A body. I averted my eyes after that. I didn’t need to know how they saved me, only that they had.

  “Come on,” he said, scooping me up in his arms. “I’m taking you to the clubhouse.” I didn’t care where we went, as long as we left that terrible place. I closed my eyes, finally able to rest my head against Vince’s chest. He cradled me like a baby as he walked me out into the fresh air. I breathed deeply, wanting to get the stench of garbage out of my nostrils.

  “Thank you,” I whispered over and over. “Thank you so much.”

  “I couldn’t leave you there,” he said. “It’s all over now.”

  All over. The words were music to my ears. I wanted to go to bed and sleep for days.

  He put me down only when we reached his bike, and I climbed on behind him. Sliding my arms around his waist, resting my cheek against his back—it was like heaven. I closed my eyes, wanting to leave the
horror of that clubhouse behind me. I didn’t know how many Wolves were dead, and I didn’t care. They could all be dead as far as I was concerned.

  Before I knew it, we were at the Fury Riders’ clubhouse again. I could have kissed the ground. Without a word, Vince picked me up again and carried me upstairs. We went straight to the bathroom, where he turned on the shower. “We have to get you cleaned up first,” he said.

  I nodded, half asleep, half in shock. I was happy to let him take over for a while if it meant I wouldn’t have to think anymore. It had all been so surreal. Here, with him, was the only thing that mattered.

  I stepped under the hot water, letting it wash off the dirt and grime from the night. My shoulders were still so sore, but the heat helped ease them a little. I made a mental note to see if there was any ibuprofen anywhere. The rough lives they led, there had to be some sort of painkiller around.