Squinting into the dark, I try to identify the man behind the gun that will pay for this. I can’t recognize any of them which is not good. My mind races trying to place why they would want me. Doesn’t matter because we will find them in the end. I keep the frustration at bay, and the rage that simmers just below the surface.
I Keep my hands up because if I’m dead they are in a lot more trouble. Maybe I can stall them long enough that the brothers can get here. A man dressed in a cheap suit from the back of the car causally approaches and the others follow. So not a big player, just stupid enough to get himself wrapped up in some bullshit. My hands lower slightly but they stay at my sides.
“We want our money,” he demands snarling his venom.
It takes all I have to keep my strength and not to shout back. “I don’t have your money.” Evenly and measured I press forward, “Whatever it is I will get it for you, how much?”
“The money you and your MC stole from me for that little cunt in the car.”
My head whips from him to Tami. Realization slams into my gut, he bought her to use and abuse. “I’ll pay what she was worth to you, but they go free.” The words like acid on my tongue. There is no amount of money that can replace her.
“It’s going to cost you a shiny nickel to even the score.” He snickers at some joke I don’t know what he is referring to.
“We’ll make a deal, but this set up you have is bullshit. Even the score and handle it with my brothers here.”
“Why the hell would I do that for you? Your club stole from me. What I’ve found out about you is, you’re everyone’s pawn, the fall boy. I would rather work with you.”
Fucking asshole, at one time those words would have lit my fire, but not today. What he thinks of me means nothing. “Fine. What is it you want, the deal you’re looking for?”
“You stole her and took her virginity from me. You can’t replace that, but the boy can. Do you know what a man will pay for a virgin boy’s asshole? It’s much more than a virgin pussy.” He snorts, the dirty fucking puke deserves so much more than death.
Guns or not, fury takes over and I lose it lunging forward. My hands itching to wrap around his throat. I know as soon as I do it, I shouldn’t have, but the decisions have been made. The scene is set, and I’ve committed to killing him.
One of his guards comes forward and swings a metal pipe at my head. I block the blow with my arms, but the crack of the bone is excruciating. Fire erupts from not only the pain but adrenaline and anger arousing the beast from within.
With my other arm I aim for the guy’s stomach down low first then managing to get a hit to his face before the rod is laid across my back. I can’t breathe, the air is stolen from my body and the force propels me forward. Falling to my knees, I am grabbed by two of their men. The guy drops the pipe and the clanking to ground can be heard mixed in with the cries coming from the car. I can’t look at them, but I do see the fists that are coming down before they collide into my face.
I’m held in place, on my knees, and even though I try to fight them off, I can’t get free. A prisoner is what they have made me. Unable to stop what is happening. It’s useless as there are too many of them but the beating is a punishment I’ll gladly take. Flashbacks hit me and floods my system with adrenaline. But it isn’t enough to get free. Not even when they rip her out of the car with a bawling Cash. I pull and flex my arms. The need to protect them is stronger than the burning pain felt throughout my body. I almost get free, able to use my fists and boots to beat the two men that held me. My fist flies to knock one out, but the pipe is used to break a rib and then possibly another.
My body heaves wanting to pass out and puke. Curling in, I hold onto my ribs. The pain is like lighting, electrifying and paralyzing. Falling back down to my knees, I take in the pain and breathe through the nausea. Controlling my response, the best I can, but the roar that escapes I can’t help but release. “Leave them alone, come for me.”
A gun is cocked and pressed into the back of my head. Instantly I freeze at the feel of the cold steel to my skull. The boss chuckles and circles around her, pulling out his own handgun. “Awe the young and beautiful girl from New Mexico, Tami, we meet again.” He pauses looking her over, “A mother now I see. Where is my diamond at princess?”
She holds her head up staring him in the eyes, “I do not have your diamond,” Tami states flatly.
“But you know where it is?” He hisses, “You gave it someone didn’t you?”
Tami shakes her head back and forth. Her nostrils flaring while holding herself together. The boss nods his head at his men. The few at my side begin to beat me with their fists and then boots. The rage is un-comparable to red hot pain in my body. If I were free, I would bring hell with me.
“Stop!” She shouts, “I don’t have the diamond anymore.”
Blow by blow the beating doesn’t stop, and my body starts to go limp. The world begins to fade.
“Doesn’t matter.” The boss snarls, “Stop.” The hits stop raining down, but the pain still feels explosive. I cough up blood and fight myself from blacking out and blink my swollen eyes open, still fighting. “I know that Blade sold it for you. Thing is I can’t steal back from him, but you, I am going to take from you.”
The guard standing behind Tami grabs her violently by her hair. She gasps from the pain and clenches her eyes shut for a moment. The boss rips Cash from away from her body. She fights to free herself even from the death grip from the man behind her won’t allow her an inch. Tami claws at his hands and tries to kick at him to get away.
Fear spikes me into action and I push myself to get up but the man with the gun clubs me in the back of the head and my arms are held captive. Held at gunpoint again. The burning in my eyes and heart catches on fire, watching my life being ripped away from her, from us. My head is dizzy, and I can’t see anything in front of me. The weight of my body sways and the men have a hard time holding me up. I fall forward and my arms are stretched out at my sides.
With every step that Cash is taken from her she grows increasing desperate and reaches for him, “No, stop. I’ll give you all the money you want. Don’t take him.” She fights against the guard and he laughs into her face. “Your son will be worth more money than you ever would have.”
“Please, I can get money, don’t take him.” She croaks out every word.
Cash wails calling for his mom, big fat tears running down his stained red blotchy face.
A woman steps out from the shadows and waltzes forward, but I can’t see her. My vision is too blurry and my body fights to stay conscious I can’t let go, there’s still time to save them. Words are thrown back at Tami, but I only catch the end.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of your son for you.” The bitch thinks she’ll live through this. I’ll fucking find her and torture her myself. Adrenaline spurs on the hatred and gives me the energy to stay awake.
“I’ll fucking bleed you dry, whore,” I roar, even though the shattered ribs are protesting the movement and agony shoots through my chest.
The motherfucker of a boss kneels before me. “Tell Blade that stealing from me, was always going to cost him.” The final blow comes with the pipe to the side of my head and I black out.
Chapter 32
Tami
A man approaches the car and my body tightens with the paralyzing fear. Anticipation clings to my heart that is ripping through my heart. What will happen next? Every muscle tightens and my eyes are wide open unable to blink or glance away. He rips the door open and easily drags Cash and I out of the car. My head is on fire from the hair I am sure he has pulled out with his punishing grip. But that isn’t the worst part.
I have to hear and see the beating that Pawn is taking because of me and my choices. My blood thunders in my ears and the need to run to stop them from hurting him is all-consuming. But I don’t move because Cash is also in danger because of me. I hold still hoping that I can get us out if I cooperate, that they won’t touch
my baby. I’m sick to my stomach from the stress and I gag but hold back just barely from puking. My breathing is erratic, and I can feel Cash’s cries vibrate through my chest. Tightly I hold him to me even though the pain is unbearable from the bruising grip from the man holding me in place.
The whole time I want to scream that I have his money, but he thinks Blade has it. If I told him that I have it, would he kill me and the unborn baby? Blade always said, “Never say anything, even in the end, if you’re going to die it won’t save you. You may get someone else killed.”
I tried to be strong for them all, but then Cash is ripped away from me, my façade is shattered. “Don’t, please not my baby,” I beg. My body violently shaking from fear, but I fight to get free. I kick and scratch as hard as I can like a wild cat to get him back. “Please, I’ll pay you, anything.” The walls I’ve worked so hard to build are exploding into dust. A man swings his fist low and connects under Pawn’s chin. His head snaps back and his body goes limp falling backwards. My body trembles and I shiver like I’ve been doused in ice water. Every push and kick is useless, and I can’t get free. I can’t save my family.
Cash cries and is calling for me. There is nothing I have done to be able to get to him. My heart tears into two, the helplessness is overwhelming. It gets even worse when she approaches me. Amanda, how could she do this to me?
“Funny, friend, you never begged for my release when I was raped while you sat and listened. Or, when they took me to be fucked.” Her face is completely different from the woman I saw just months ago. Evil and darkness stands before me now.
Spitting in her face I scowl, “Fuck you, Amanda. Whose idea was it in the first place to steal the diamonds? You did this to us.” I’ve never understood the need to kill a person, but the virus hums through my veins like a disease she’s spread.
Amanda wipes the saliva away from her cheek and shrugs, “Not the way I see it. It wasn’t hard for me to go find him and offer him money to fuck you over and he was happy to help me.” She gloats, “Now you get to be the one fucked over. Or your precious son.”
My mind scrambles and I don’t know what to do, “Take me, not him. I’ll give you money, I’ll give you it all.” I would trade my life for his. Anything in the world to buy me more time for help to get here.
Amanda hackles, “I don’t want your fucking money. I want payback, bitch. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of your son for you.” She leaves with those parting words of betrayal. Her back turned, she is ice, her revenge she has taken. I fight and push to get to my son. My strength is useless, and death would be too easy than to feel the sting of impending torture to come to your child.
“I’ll fucking bleed you dry, whore,” Pawn manages to growl from the concrete. His face is so swollen, the blood coating his face makes him unrecognizable.
My limbs go weak and my head feels dizzy. No, don’t kill him. I don’t even know what is happening; my mind has left my body and I’ve shut down completely. Cash screams for me to get him and my head whips back to him. I call and beg for him, praying my little boy hears me. He pleads for his mom to save him from the car and I can’t move. Desperation like this is killing me from the inside out. My body wants to fight for him even knowing how helpless this has become. Gone was the safe world of happily-ever-after’s and here I am without the thing I need to survive— my family.
The boss swings a pipe for Pawn’s head, and I fall forward pulling for my freedom. Pawn’s lifeless body slumping to the ground. Downward I spiral and I feel like I have nothing to lose. My hands give up the fight and they cover my mouth, tears flooding my vision. I shake my head back and forth, “No!” My legs turn to nothing and give out unable to hold the weight of my past.
I’m dying inside and the grip the man has on my hair is nothing to the splintering of desperation inside that is clawing to be free. Cash is tossed into the car and the first car drives off. Taking everything that can’t be replaced. My son. He is gone and the car speeds away with him.
My blood-curdling scream pierces the air, “Cash,” as I call for him. “What have I done?” I cry and choke on the words. My chest is heaving with a burning agony I have never felt. Despair has filled the air surrounding me. Still, I fight and try to break free with everything in me.
The guard who has me captive in his clutches tosses me forward, like trash, into the street. My feet are unable to find balance and I trip over myself. Falling to the asphalt, the rough ground biting at my flesh. My hands and knees sting from the tearing, but nothing compares to the immense ache inside. I crawl over to Pawn, picking up and laying his head in my lap. Blood paints my skin and clothing. You can’t stop yourself from falling. Only when you hit the bottom, do you know you’ve landed.
The coldness of the world seeps into my body. Tracing its way through every pore infecting me with doubt and agony once again. The cruelness I thought I could escape, but that’s a lie. None of us escape the bite of the world and the demons that run free. I want to say that I am holding on but I’m not. I’m dying here with Pawn in my arms. All I can think of is why? All of them at once and it’s a bitter reality to live with. Flashbacks hit me and all I can see is Solo’s dead and bleeding body on the ground.
Frantically my hands wipe away at the blood. Terrified that he is gone, if I can remove the blood then he will be okay, right? My fingers tremble but still when I feel his warmth I wonder if I am wrong. A stark contrast to the cold that’s been cast through my body. My fingers can’t stop shaking the trauma holds me captive and I feel like stone. I’m so cold. His face was horribly beaten with cuts that are still seeping blood. We had so much to do, so much life left. The rumble of bikes can be heard off in the distance. Coming for us but they are too late.
“You can’t leave me here with our babies. I promise Eric, I will get our baby back. I didn’t think taking the money would hurt any of you, I’m so sorry.” I gasp for air pulling in as much as I can, “God take it all, but not them.”
The lights are shining bright and illuminating the haunting left-over scene. The boots that are pounding towards us grows closer with every crunch. It is impossible for me to move from my spot or care. I sit here and run my fingers through his hair. My other hand is resting over his heart, thank God, it still beats, and his chest is moving. He’s still alive and I clench my eyes tight. Pawn is alive. A car door is slamming and soon I’m picked up and torn away for him.
Whipping around ready to fight off whoever is behind me. My mind snaps and my fists swing for the man that grabbed me. Heat builds and warms my core. Anger explodes and I want to hurt someone for taking everything from me.
“Tami,” Tank’s large hands easily take my wrists and holds me still, “Lil’ T, come here, sweetheart. Let the guys take Pawn, okay?” I pull and tug and scream to get away. His grip is strong and stings. The contrasts waking me up and I can see him through the cloud I was drifting away in.
“Tank,” gasping I relax just barely enough to explain, “They took my baby, Cash is w-with them.” My hands clench and I pull away. Tank gently lets me go.
“Who?” he questions, demanding an answer from me.
“The guys that I stole the diamond from and Amanda. They came back for payback and they took h-hi-im.” Tank tries to hurriedly push me along, but I can’t leave this spot, because Cash was last here. My lungs explode, filling with oxygen. “Stop,” I scream. “You all are too late!”
“I know, Tami. Get in the SUV. We need to get you both to the hospital.”
“It’s too late,” shouting again, I refuse and hating that he’s not listening.
Tank swallows hard and braces my shoulders gently, “Woman, it’s not too late. And if you scream at me one more time,” He stops for a split second, “I would slap your ass into reality if you weren’t pregnant. Now, get your scrawny wild ass in the car and get your head on straight, lil’ T, because your kids and Pawn fucking need you.”
I blink and then shake my head, at some point my nails have dug into
Tank’s arms and I release my claws.
“Yeah, wake up princess and move.” He taps my shoulder and leaves one hand at my back guiding me quickly along.
The brothers have already loaded Pawn in the backseat and he’s starting to wake up. But it gets ugly. I get into the passenger front seat next to Tank and he speeds out of the parking lot while the brothers hold Pawn back from tearing the world down, fighting everyone who in is his way.
“Where is Cash!?” The roar that comes from him is pure insanity. Tank sees the crumbling that crashes into me. What I have I done? Will I ever be able to fix this before I lose Pawn too?
“Hold on T, you have got to keep your shit together,” Tank warns, and he’s right. Steeling my nerves, I let out what fear I can and concentrate on the road. A mile at a time until we pull into the hospital. Pawn is taken by force from the vehicle like a caged animal. Instinctively, I want to follow and make sure he is taken care of.
Vegas is there waiting for me at the entrance. The stress on her face is recognizable, but she coaxes me along with her. “Don’t worry about Pawn, they will put him to sleep so they can help him get checked by a doctor. Blade is working on finding Cash. If anyone can find your son, it’s him, Tami. Blade will do it.” The conviction in her voice helps to calm the chaos that has taken me on its wild ride just a little.
I nod and I move to follow in the direction of where Pawn was taken, fighting to be free. “Tami, we need you to be checked out as well. Were you hurt at all?” Her gaze examines my body, and she is worried about the amount of blood on me.
“It’s not mine.” I bring my shaking hands up and look at them and my clothes, which are painted with it. My shirt and pants look as if I was in a war. My eyes tear up and large drops are released when I clench them shut, the memories coming back in full force. My chest burns and then heaves before caving in. “They beat him in front of me and Cash.”
Vegas wraps her arms protectively around me and holds me up. “I want to die. They took my little boy because of me. I had no idea, God, I had no idea.” I let out the agony that trapped, but it does nothing to free me from it. I deserve it.
Loving You Forever (Battle Born MC Book 7) Page 17
