by Amy Davies
“Anything, baby. Fucking anything,” I say, dropping the iPad and my gun. Cupping her face, I bring our lips closer, touching gently.
“Believe in me. In us. Make sure that baby boy lives his life to the fullest. And one day, when you find a new love, love her with everything that you are.”
“NO,” I growl out. “No way in fucking hell are you leaving me.” Leaning in to kiss me again, I let her control the kiss. Way too fucking soon, she steps back and walks over to Edge, who’s crying, the anguish evident on his flushed face.
“He’ll be home soon. Love that boy with everything you have and tell him all about his awesome auntie Kara. Got it?”
“Kara,” is all Edge gets out, before Kara hugs him.
I watch in complete numbness as my woman walks over to the prick that’s ripping our world apart. My gaze is fixed on her, tears fill my eyes, and my heart hurts so fucking much. I have never felt this kind of pain before.
She stops in front of Hancock, looks at me over her shoulder, and winks. Oh shit. Then she turns back to the slime ball and brings her arm back, punching him full force in the jaw. He rocks back a step, rubbing his jaw, clearly shocked she hit him. His men go to descend on Kara, but Hancock holds up his hands, stopping them.
My boys raise their guns in their direction, ready to take the fuckers out. Risky steps up to the car door and looks at me one more time, then gives me words that give me some form of hope.
“Joey, listen to me, carefully. Risky by name, risky by nature.” With one last look, she climbs in the car. The men follow, but Hancock leaves us with parting words.
“The boy will be returned unharmed, as per my word. Nice doing business with you, Magnum.”
I stand there staring at the red taillights leaving the yard, taking my woman and my heart with them. My heart is trying to burst through my chest and follow her, keep her close. Time doesn’t register with me, until Opal touches my shoulder.
“We’ll get her back, brother,” Opal states.
“Damn fucking right we will. She risked her life for my boy,” Edge adds angrily.
“That fecker will pay with his fecking life, brother,” Rookie pipes in.
“We get Drix back, then we hunt, Magnum,” Sarge claims. His voice may sound calm to others, but I hear the tremor in his tone.
“No one stands alone,” Slide adds.
Nodding to them, we all make our way into the clubhouse and into church to form a plan. A plan that will track down this fucker and put him to ground.
Hold on, baby, I’m coming for you. This is not the end of Magnum and Risky. No way in fucking hell, I think to myself as I take the seat at the head of the table, surrounded by my brothers by choice, my family at heart.
Twenty-Four
Kara
I expect Marvin to rant and rave, maybe throw a punch or two, but the bastard surprises me by leaving me in the car. We drive for Lord knows how long, but before I know it, we’re at a rundown warehouse.
“Where are we? Is Hendrix in there?” I ask, but get ignored, except for the demand to get out of the car.
The big burly guy who I silently decided to call Big Ape, or BA for short, tugs on my arms, hurting me, so I let him know. I lash out and kick his shin, yanking my arm out of his grasp.
He doesn’t hesitate as he punches me in the jaw. Blood seeps into my mouth, and my head spins as I fall to my knees. Nausea takes over as the spinning in my head continues.
“Get up, whore,” BA spits. I bring my gaze up and see Marvin smiling his slimy smile at me.
“Do as he says, Kara. He doesn’t like repeating himself. He does, however, like to play rough with the girls. Don’t you, big guy,” he explains, patting BA on the back, who nods and smiles a creepy one-sided smile at me.
Climbing gingerly to my feet, the world spins on its axis and I can’t hold it in anymore. I vomit. But me living up to my name, I make sure that I puke all over the bastard’s shiny shoes.
“You fucking bitch.” I’m slapped this time.
I hit the deck, crying out from the pain in my face. Tears fill my eyes, and my stomach revolts again, but I breathe through it.
The punch and the slap has my face throbbing and stinging at the same time. I blink back the tears, looking up at the two bastards standing over me. Marvin is smiling down at me, then he nods to BA, who reaches down for my arm, yanking me to my feet before pushing me toward the building.
“You hit like a little bitch,” I tell BA.
He jerks me, making me lose my balance, but he doesn’t let me fall. I cry out in pain from the grip he has on my bicep, my shoulder feeling like it could pop out any second. Fuck me, this bastard is going to leave bruises.
“Let’s get her inside. Then you can drop that fucking brat off. His cries are pissing me off. She’s fucking lucky that I don’t put a bullet in his tiny head.”
“You sack of shit,” I scream at him when he says about possibly killing Hendrix. God, if that happens, it will send Edge well over the edge. He will see red and kill everyone in his way to get to Marvin, and I know the club will be right beside him.
“Shut up, Kara,” Marvin snarls at me.
They walk me inside. As soon as the door opens, I can hear baby Hendrix crying, loud wails of a child terrified and in pain. No doubt he’s starving. I pull my arm out of the ape’s grasp and run toward Henny. I quickly untie the small rope around his ankle and pull him into my arms.
He must sense I’m safe, because he buries his head under my chin and grips my t-shirt tightly in his tiny hands.
“Shhh, baby, Auntie Kara has you.” I hold him tight to me and gently rock back and forth. With heavy, heartbreaking sobs, he calms down, and falls asleep in a matter of minutes.
Closing my eyes, I rest my head on top of his and breathe in his baby scent. He still has that a baby smell about him, fresh and baby powder, even though he’s been in this dump for at least a few hours.
I wonder what happened to the woman who was watching him? Oh shit, did Marvin and his goons kill her?
“Thank fucking Christ for that. I was ready to smother the kid,” someone says from behind me. I don’t look because I don’t want to wake up Henny. He needs to sleep as much as possible, and I pray to everything that he doesn’t remember any of this.
Gently rocking back and forth, I keep us in our own little bubble, praying they leave us alone. I can hear them muttering from somewhere in the room, but I can’t fully make out what they’re saying.
Hendrix stirs in my arms, and I look down at him and smile softly at the twitch of his lips. Clearly, he’s having a nice dream. Good, I want him to never remember any of this. Picturing Edge on his knees, full of despair and anger… it was heartbreaking enough to watch. If I get out of this alive, I don’t want to see Hendrix suffer for this.
And Magnum… my beautiful, rugged man. Seeing the pain in his usual demon eyes when I walked away will always haunt me, but I needed to do this. If they return Hendrix to Edge unharmed, then it will all be worth it.
Seeing my purple crystal skull necklace that my aunt Jewel gave me on my twenty-first birthday, I pull the chain and tuck the skull in Hendrix’s hand. I can only pray that this will let Magnum know that I’m still alive. For now.
“Hand him over,” is growled from above me. Shaking my head, I tighten my hold on the baby boy in my arms. I scowl at him when he tries to remove him from my arms.
“Fuck off,” I growl.
“Buttercup, you said you wanted him returned unharmed, so hand him the fuck over, before we return him in pieces,” Marvin grinds out, his cool slipping a little.
My breath hitches and I reluctantly hand over the baby. I watch as his sleepy body lays lax in the guy’s arms, a dude I haven’t seen before. He turns and walks away, and I pray they keep to their word and don’t hurt him in any way.
Marvin turns to look at me and gives me a sinister smile before kneeling so he’s eye level with me. He grips my chin hard, making me hiss in pain.
&
nbsp; “Now I show you what happens to little whores who disrespect me and my family.” He grins, then stands to full height, nodding to the ape.
“Chain her up.”
“Fucking pussy, that you need to have an overgrown monkey do your dirty work for you.” I wish I could say that I regret what I say, but I don’t.
Risky by name, risky by nature.
I just hope that my man and his club save me before Marvin and his men end me once and for all. His posture stiffens, and in a flash, he brings his hand up and slaps me across the face.
I spit out the blood that’s pooled in my mouth, then smile up at him.
“That all you got, Marvin? No wonder your father never let you take over the collections department. Pussy,” I hiss out through the pain, spitting blood onto the floor.
All I hear in my head in Magnum’s voice. “Fuck me, woman, stop. Enough, you stubborn chick.
Smiling at the thoughts of my man, I shut my mouth. I need to stay alive long enough for the club to find me. For me to see my man again.
I’m dragged across the room and my wrists are wrapped in leather cuffs that are attached to chains. Then I’m stretched up until I’m hanging by my wrists; my toes just skim the floor. I scream out in pain, my shoulders resisting the movement. The sound of the chains clinking rattle in my head.
“Not such a mouthy bitch, now, are you?” BA asks, punching me in the stomach. I gasp, then have a coughing fit at the contact.
Oh, I’m going to feel this beating for months if I get out of here.
I open my eyes and see Marvin standing in front of me, looking at up me slightly with that slimy smile on his face. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulls out a knife, and my body quivers in fear. But I don’t let it show.
I will not let this man know how much he’s scaring the shit out of me in this moment.
Slowly, he runs the knife up the center of my white t-shirt, cutting it in half. Then, sliding the blade between my skin and more material, he cuts the middle of my bikini top, effectively removing my clothes from my upper body. My jeans are next to go. Now, I’m left hanging naked from the chains, the heat in the room coating my skin, making me sweat.
“Any chance you can turn up the air con? It’s kinda warm in here,” I ask sweetly. Then I let out a rush of air as I’m punched in the ribs. This time, I scream as pain radiates through my body and a rib breaks.
I’ve broken enough of them to know the pain.
“You need to learn to shut that mouth of yours, Kara. It will get you in trouble one day. Oh, hang on, you are in trouble, more than you know how to handle.”
“Fuck—” Before I can finish the sentence, the blade in Marvin’s hands slides over my thigh, making me cry out.
“What was that?” he taunts. I swear, I try to keep my mouth shut, but fuck me, I refuse to let this man break me or see any fear. Bringing my gaze back to his, I smile sweetly before I answer him. Spitting more blood down at his feet just because I can, I speak.
“I said, fuck you.” Again, the blade slices across my thigh. Gritting my teeth, I try not to make a sound. I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’s hurting me.
“I can see why your uncle and the scummy club call you Risky now. You like to risk your life, huh, baby?”
“Don’t call me that. I am not your ‘baby’. I’m not your anything. I don’t get why you’re wasting your time on me. You were fucking other women while with me.”
Which is true, but I didn’t find out until after I left him. He laughs and steps closer to me, that sinister smile on his face again. He runs the bloody blade over my cheek, down my throat and across my chest, leaving a bloody trail across my skin. It stings, and I grit my teeth.
I breathe deeply and evenly so he doesn’t see the effect he’s having on me. Show no fear.
“I’m a very wanted man, Buttercup. The ladies throw themselves at me, what can I say. Your pussy wasn’t that special. I bet Magnum is buried deep inside a pussy right now, while you’re being torn apart by me. No doubt thankful to be rid of you.”
Now the words hit me. Magnum wouldn’t do that, would he? He claimed me, called dib’s on me. Fuck.
Shaking my head, I push those thoughts away. I know Magnum wouldn’t do that. He loves me. The look in his eyes when I told him I had to go tells me everything I need to know.
With each step I took away from him, I left a piece of my heart on the ground like a bread trail. Wishful thinking that it would happen, but we don’t live in a world of fairytales. We live in a world that is filled with dark, terrifying monsters like the one standing in front of me.
Men who don’t care who they hurt or worse, as long as they achieve their goal. Ones that are reckless and will do absolutely anything to get what they want.
Marvin nicks my hip with the blade, and I snap my teeth together, praying they don’t crack from the pressure.
“Thought I lost you there, babe. What had you looking so lost in thought?”
“Remembering how Magnum fucks me like a machine. He makes me come so fucking hard, I soak the both of us. I love how he fucks my mouth, making me swallow every drop of his tasty cum.”
The words spew from my mouth before my brain can catch up. And oh, do I pay for it.
They always say the smallest cuts hurt the most. Well, I can tell you, they fucking do.
Marvin growls and launches himself at me, slicing the blade all over my inner thighs; never cutting too deep, just little nicks here and there. I look down and see my blood slowly dripping down my body.
My body stings and aches; each cut feeling worse that the last. He knows what he’s doing. He isn’t a mindless prick like some. He may be slimy, but he has a head on his shoulders.
He stops his movements and brings his hand to my chin, lifting so I can see his eyes. The smile is still plastered on his face as our eyes connect. He may be smiling, but his eyes are dark, distant.
“Now, even if, and I mean if, you make it out of here alive, Magnum will see that I have permanently marked you as mine. He won’t want you again. He’ll go straight back to his whores, like the ones he’s fucking now.”
“If you say so. He will kill you. Have no doubt about that, cuntwaffle,” I pant out, my body weakened from the beating and the cuts.
“Shut her up,” Marvin tells BA. He steps forward and the breath is knocked out of me as he throws punch after punch. I cry out, unable to keep the pain hidden anymore. They laugh at my pain, and the hits keep coming. Until the darkness takes over and I pass out.
Twenty-Five
Magnum
With my hand braced on the bar, I breathe deeply, willing my lungs to fill with air so I can survive to bring my girl home. Never in a million fucking years would I have suspected that I would fall in love, especially with a girl like Kara. She is too fucking good for me.
Lifting the shot glass to my lips, I throw the vodka down my throat, not really feeling the burn, then slam it down on the bar top and watch as it shatters beneath my palm.
“Fucking hell, brother,” Opal says from my side. He clicks his fingers at someone and in seconds a first aid kit in placed in front of him. I snatch my hand away, not wanting to feel whole until Kara is back here with me.
“Leave it,” I snarl at my VP, but the fucker ignores me and grips my hand, slamming in down palm up on the surface. I grimace from the sting but let him clean it up.
“I don’t think it needs stitches,” Opal says, wrapping a bandage around my hand. I flex it, making sure it isn’t too tight and I can still use it.
“We’ll get her back, man,” Edge says from behind the bar after he swallows his own shot. Bringing my gaze to his, I can see the pain and the guilt in his eyes. The big fucker is torn between wanting Hendrix to be safe and for Kara to be safe and home.
“Hey,” I call to him. He looks at me and I swallow hard. “He’ll be fine, so will Kara.”
He doesn’t speak, just gives me a slight nod. Before I can speak again, the door
bursts open and I see Abe walking toward us with Hendrix in his arms, sleeping.
Edge vaults over the bar and runs toward the prospect and his boy. He takes Drix off Abe and gives me a nod, before burying his face in the baby’s neck, breathing him in. He pulls back and starts checking him for injuries.
“Explain, prospect,” Sarge growls. Everyone steps closer to hear what he has to say. Thank fuck that only patched members are here.
“I was on the gate when a black SUV pulled up, no plates. A guy opened the door and dropped a bag onto the floor. The car sped off before I could act, but I went to check the bag out and I saw that Drix was inside. I brought him straight here. I thought you’d want him inside safely before anything else,” he tells the room, but keeps his gaze on me.
Damn, he will make a great brother one day.
“Any signs of Kara?” I ask, in hope there is something.
“No, Pres, sorry. Just one guy in the driver seat and one that dropped the baby off.” Nodding, I step over to Hendrix and give him a once over. I see something purple in his tiny hand, so I pry it open and air rushes from my lungs.
“What you got there, man?” Opal asks. Edge answers for me.
“It belongs to Risky.”
“So, does that mean she’s still alive?” Slide asks, the hope in his voice evident.
“Fuck yeah, it does,” I answer. “Get everyone here. And get Click and Override onto things. We need to track these cunts down. I want my baby home.” I turn and leave them in the main room, fussing over the baby.
I lock myself in my office, trying to get my bearings so I can help bring my girl home when the time comes.
“I’m coming for you, baby,” I say to an empty room as I clutch the small purple crystal skull in my hand.
