Through The Woods

by Shannon Myers

  I could get a grasp of where exactly I was—maybe find a landmark. Just in case I had to run again.

  The vehicle hit a bump and all plans of moving went out the window. Pain barreled through me like a locomotive and I couldn’t think of anything but how badly I hurt. Beads of sweat ran down my face and I couldn’t distinguish whether it was from the fever or the movement.

  I flirted briefly with the idea of sitting up again before fully committing to unconsciousness.

  Chapter Four

  “Miss? Can you hear me?”

  I groaned and kept my eyes squeezed shut. My alarm hadn’t even gone off yet. Surely it was too early for class to start.

  “Miss, you need to open your eyes.”

  Events came rushing back to me and my eyes flew open in shock.

  Clint. The woods. The men I’d heard while lying on the forest floor.

  It had all been real.

  I recognized the man’s voice. It was Doc. I was slightly disappointed to see that he wasn’t three feet tall with a long white beard and kindly face. He’d sounded older, but couldn’t have been a day over thirty. His light brown hair looked as if it’d been windswept into the perfect position—something that no doubt had taken the right hair products along with a lot of time and patience. Dark scruff covered his face, making it hard to determine his exact age. I would’ve guessed his height as close to six feet, with muscles in all the right places. If his body was any indicator, he was no stranger to hard work.

  Like a young Clint Eastwood.

  Clint.

  Ugh.

  I couldn’t think about him.

  I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “W-where am I?” My voice was nothing more than a raspy whisper. I knew it was a side effect of being choked, but briefly considered the possibility that it could be permanent, sending a jolt of fear through me.

  The man gave me a sympathetic smile. “You’re safe now. Let’s leave the rest for later. Want to tell me—”

  “What? You’re shitting me, right?!” A loud voice roared from the hallway and I shrank back as the door was thrown open.

  “What the fuck is going on here, Doc?” The man was gorgeous; his dark hair fell right below his jawline, slightly curling at the ends. If Joe Manganiello and Jason Momoa had a love child, this man was definitely it. He was tall, but muscular—like he spent hours in the gym and his eyes—they were such a dark shade of brown that it was almost impossible to see his pupils.

  Those same eyes narrowed when he looked at me as if I were something he’d found stuck to the bottom of his boot.

  The man he and I referred to as Doc stepped in. “Charm, we found her out in the woods, all alone. She was unconscious…she’d been stabbed—”

  Charm held a hand up. “Enough.” Then he turned those dark eyes on me again. “What’s your name?”

  I tried to swallow, but my throat was completely dry. “It’s N-Neve.” I’d wanted to sound brave, but that went out the window the minute my voice cracked.

  Charm, whose personality was in direct opposition to his name, crossed his arms over his chest. “Neve. How the hell did you end up in these woods?”

  I was still lying down, looking up at him. It was a submissive position, so I propped myself up on my elbows, ignoring the stab of pain in my side and arm. “Pass.”

  “Oh, fuck no!” He exploded with anger, just like he’d done out in the hall. “You do not get to waltz into my fucking clubhouse and demand a pass when I ask you a direct question!” With each word, he moved lower and lower until he was shouting directly into my face, his spittle hitting my cheeks.

  Doc stepped in and wrapped an arm around Charm’s shoulders. “Okay, let’s have you stand over here for a bit, yeah?”

  Thinking about the events that led to me being here only made me feel like crying, and I refused to shed a tear in front of these strangers.

  “You a cop?” Charm bit out from across the room, scowling at me as if I’d been caught trying to torch the place.

  I laughed at the absurdity of it, pushing myself right into another coughing fit. With streaming eyes, I managed to rasp out, “Not even close. I’m a nobody. Can I leave now?”

  His eyes narrowed and he looked ready to agree when another man entered the room. His wavy blond hair was unruly, covering one eye in its quest to escape his head, but the big grin on his face commanded all of my attention. His beard would’ve covered it up had he not styled the ends of his mustache to curl upward. He was one pirate hat and some eyeliner away from joining Captain Jack Sparrow and his merry buccaneers. “Hey Beautiful. Have a nice nap?”

  It was Happy.

  The more I stared at him, the more I realized he was built like a pirate as well—tall and lanky.

  His personality was infectious and I found myself smiling back. “Hey, yourself.”

  “Rooster, get the fuck out.”

  Rooster?

  I’d really hoped his name was Happy. It suited him.

  Charm began hustling him toward the door when Rooster spoke again. “Wait—Charm, it’s a sign. Don’t you see? I was just wishing that we had a club whore and then we find her.”

  His smile was so earnest that I almost forgave him for referring to me as a whore.

  Almost.

  Instead, the implication of his words sank in. I was at the mercy of a group of men—men wearing leather vests. Friggin’ hell—I’d been rescued by bikers.

  Way to go, Neve. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

  Given that we were in the middle of the wilderness, I was going to go out on a limb by assuming that they weren’t exactly on the right side of the law either. Doc ignored the confrontation and strapped a blood pressure cuff around my arm.

  Charm roughly grabbed the front of Rooster’s shirt. “We’re not that kind of club, asshole.”

  Wait—so they didn’t have any women here?

  Happy/Rooster took a step back, straightening his shirt in the process. “Yep, got it. Just thought it might be a nice change. See ya later, Beautiful.”

  I tipped my chin up in reply as Charm turned back to me. “So, my men find you unconscious in the forest less than twenty-four hours ago and now you think you’re well enough to leave?”

  I nodded just as the first trickle of blood ran from my nose. I tried to quickly brush it away, but both men’s faces changed. The scowl disappeared from Charm’s face, seemingly replaced by several different emotions all at once. It was the same look I’d gotten from my parents when they realized what I’d gotten myself into—disappointment…anger…sadness. It was all there on his face. I turned away, feeling even more uncomfortable.

  “Well, that explains a lot,” Charm began. “When’s the last time you had a fix?”

  I looked at Doc. “What day is it?”

  He glanced down at his watch. “July fifth for the next thirty minutes.”

  I sighed. I could lie and say I’d never used, but what was the point? I was in the middle of a biker’s den; if anyone had coke, it’d be them. I knew I might have to cozy up to one of them to get it, but that was a small price to pay. Doc would be my first choice, since he rescued me and all.

  “I had a line last night. So, I guess it’s been about twenty-four hours.”

  Charm sank down onto a chair, giving nothing away with his facial expression. “Let me guess, you want more.”

  I nodded, a little too eagerly. “Yeah, if you’ve got it—”

  He rubbed at the stubble on his face while Doc continued getting my vitals. “And you plan on paying for it…how?”

  Damn.

  I was definitely going to have to sleep with one of them. I was wrong yesterday—this was rock bottom. I looked between the two men. I would’ve preferred Doc, but I needed someone with the power to get me coke.

  C’mon, Neve. Seductive.

  I licked my lower lip, my tongue slipping into each crack. So, I didn’t have soft lips anymore, but I still had a nice body. “I could…” I trailed off as Charm laug
hed bitterly, a look of utter disgust on his face.

  “You’re shitting me, right? You’re not about to offer up yourself as payment are you, little girl? That’s sure as hell not an even trade, in even the loosest sense of the words.”

  Even Doc was trying to mask a smile and in that moment, I hated both men in front of me. I hated them more than I hated Clint, if that was possible.

  “You’d be lucky to have me—” I started, only to be cut off again.

  “Sweetheart, you look like a mangy dog that needs to be put out of its misery,” He pointed at my side. “Obviously, someone already tried and failed. My men? They want a woman—not a skeleton.” He chuckled to himself again before getting up and walking to the door.

  “I think I can get her patched up. What do you want me to do with her after, Charm?” Doc asked.

  He never even turned around as the door swung open. “Put it back where you found it, Doc.”

  I couldn’t go back out there. All my bravery was gone—I would die in the wilderness. What if Clint was still hanging around, hoping to finish the job?

  I pushed myself into a sitting position, my head spinning from the effort. “Wait—I could help you—”

  He paused, halfway out the door, and turned around to face me. “How do you figure?”

  I struggled to think of something…anything. My eyes landed on a broom in the corner. “I could cook and clean for you and your men. I’m good at it.”

  I didn’t know if I was good at it or not, but I was desperate.

  Charm nodded to himself. “Fine. Detox her, Doc. Then we’ll see where we stand. I ain’t agreeing to anything more tonight.”

  The door slammed shut behind him and I breathed a sigh of relief. Doc didn’t seem as happy with the decision.

  “Neve.”

  I plastered a smile on my face. “This is good; I won’t let you down.”

  He pinched his brow. “When’s the last time you ate anything?” My face fell when I couldn’t remember and he continued, “You and I both know that you’re lying. I get it; I do. But, Charm? Fuck, you better miraculously learn how to be Martha Stewart in the next few days.”

  I tried to swallow again, but my mouth was like cotton. Doc started pulling various sized straps from a drawer and I watched him curiously.

  “What’s all that for?”

  His teeth gnawed at the corner of his mouth as he worked. “Detox, Neve. Trust me, it’s easier this way.”

  My heart began to beat a little faster. I’d just traded the Colorado wilderness for sobriety. I’d told myself that I’d quit before, but my willpower was nonexistent when it came to a line of snow.

  Doc’s plan?

  To strap me to this bed until I sobered up.

  On one hand, it was a hell of a lot better than any of the ideas that I’d had before. On the other, I doubted I’d survive long enough to celebrate.

  Charm

  I walked into the basement today and left feeling as if I’d seen a ghost.

  I knew it was impossible, but I could’ve sworn she’d come back to me.

  When the girl looked up at me with those eyes, I was drawn to her immediately; stupid enough to think it was a sign from above or some shit. Then her goddamn nose started bleeding, and I knew that I would never be that lucky.

  If the girl had been sent here, it was as a cruel joke. She was skeletal, yet offered up her body for drugs as if she was some prize.

  How many times had I seen club whores do the exact same? Letting bikers lead them around naked with the chain of addiction wrapped tightly around their throats. They’d degrade themselves happily for their next fix.

  They were all the same and trying to fix them was nothing more than a lesson in insanity. I wasn’t willing to watch another person piss their life away, even if Doc seemed to think that this girl could be different.

  Rooster barged in, waving a hand in front of my face. “Are you okay?” He might’ve pulled me away from the past temporarily, but this girl had unearthed something that couldn’t be reburied.

  Of all the things I expected my men to drag back to the clubhouse, she wouldn’t have made the top one hundred. They knew better.

  I slammed my fist down onto my desk with a growl. “What the fuck did I say about bringing strays into my club?”

  I said the words and then froze at the look on Rooster’s face. I sounded just like Luck. The thought only served to piss me off even more. I hated this girl. The men and I had a past that was best left forgotten and then she showed up, bringing it all back into the light.

  He took a step back and raised his arms. “Look, Prez. If you’d seen her, you would’ve made the same decision. She—”

  I yelled over him. “I would have? Are you sure about that? Did you know that she’s a cokehead?”

  I knew what they’d thought. Hell, I’d wanted to believe that she was just some hiker that had wandered off the trails and ended up in our territory. However, the stab wound and flip flops were big indicators that someone had intentionally left her here to die and the last thing I needed was for the cops to start poking around my clubhouse.

  Rooster fell silent and leaned against the wall. “She was unconscious when we found her so Doc didn’t manage to get her full medical history before bringing her back here.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You tryin’ to be funny?”

  He sighed. “Not with you. I forgot you had your sense of humor surgically removed when they named you Prez. I’ll let Twitch know so he can keep an eye on her.”

  Yeah, involving Twitch was a surefire way to ensure that everyone stayed sober around here. Maybe he’d actually succeed in killing himself this time around.

  “She’s not staying,” I yelled as he slipped out of the office.

  I had rules for this club and I wasn’t about to break them for some junkie, even if she did have the bluest eyes I’d ever seen.

  Chapter Five

  Day three…I wanted to die.

  The cravings were unlike anything I’d ever experienced. If it were up to me, I would’ve given in by now. I wanted to shed my skin and these restraints and run until I found what I needed. It felt as if there were millions of insects roaming over every part of my body. I needed to scratch and claw at my skin until I got relief, yet my captors kept me bound.

  “Formication…that’s all this is.” I mumbled quietly to myself, feeling each word as it rolled around in my mouth.

  Funny how, in the midst of withdrawals, I was able to retain access to the useless information in my head. Useless, because it didn’t change a thing about the predicament I found myself in. Here I was, chained to a table like a rabid animal—but at least I knew the medical term for the sensation of insects crawling on my skin.

  I think I’d called poor Doc every name in the book. The friggin’ idiot still refused to release me though. Sure, he’d loosen the bindings long enough to help me to the bathroom, but there always seemed to be someone else nearby, so all plans of escape were just out of reach.

  I was exhausted, but couldn’t sleep.

  When I did manage to doze off, my dreams were nothing short of nightmares. Most of them involved me falling into large piles of snow where I’d snort line after line until everything else faded away.

  Then I’d wake up, expecting to feel relaxed, only to remember that it was a dream and I was still strapped down to a damn table. To say I was irritated would’ve been the understatement of the century.

  For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

  “You need to try and eat something. You’re starting to ramble to yourself like a crazy person.” Doc held up a bowl of what might’ve been oatmeal and my stomach turned.

  The first twenty-four hours I’d been starving and had eaten everything they put in front of me. It had been so long since I’d ingested real food, so my body had rejected it almost instantly.

  I’d ignored the pangs of hunger after that; refusing anything that Doc or Rooster brought me. Everyone el
se seemed to stay away—I guess my screaming to be let go got to them.

  I shook my head as he held the spoon toward my face. That was the problem with being strapped down in here. It was obvious that this room was used as a makeshift clinic for the bikers when needed, so everything smelled medicinal.

  Sterile.

  Not at all what you’d want to smell while trying to eat.

  There were no windows, so I was treated to the sight of Doc’s face and bare walls day in and day out. A girl needed sunshine. I’d tried and failed to convince Doc that he should move my bed outside.

  “Charm wouldn’t like it.”

  That seemed to be the end to every argument. Charm this. Charm that.

  And where was the man himself?

  Damn if I had a clue—it wasn’t like he’d given me his itinerary before leaving me in here. Hell, he’d been ready to send me back into the forest to die.

  Jerk.

  Doc sighed and placed the bowl on a small table before lifting my shirt to change the bandages around my wound again. Trace amounts of blood had seeped onto the sterile white pad, but it was so much better than what it was when they brought me here. He’d done the best he could, stitching me back up, but I was going to have a gnarly scar. He was a biker, not a plastic surgeon—he was also the man who saved my life, so I couldn’t exactly complain.

  And I didn’t—mostly. I kept my mouth shut when they brought me gently used clothing that had obviously belonged to a female. I’d had a lot of questions, but chose to keep them to myself. I didn’t need Charm changing his mind about letting me stay, especially since I didn’t know if Clint was still combing the woods looking for me.

  I had to wait it out. Maybe I’d win the trust of these bikers and then make a break for it—Clint would eventually lose interest in hunting me and I’d be free.

  For the first time in four years, I’d be on my own.

  The thought was equally exhilarating and terrifying.

  Doc finished placing the new bandages before resuming his quest to get me to eat. I shook my head and he sighed. “You need to eat. Don’t make me resort to Plan B.”