“Domimic?” A small voice questions. Relief washes over me as the twins crawl out of their hiding place. I hold out my arms, and they jump at me. I curl around them, wishing I could shield them from everything happening.
“Where’s Mommy?” Rosaleigh asks and they both peer at me. I stand up, picking them up as I do. They both cuddle into me, and I move over to Emerald’s bed. I can’t run off and leave them. I promised Emerald that I’d look after them.
“Mommy is gone for a little while,” I lie. Rosaleigh nods into my shoulder and I sigh. I can’t exactly tell them that their mom is missing. I don’t want to scare them even more than they already are.
“Prez!” I hear Ruby yell, making me get up. I carry the kids into the living room and find Ruby standing there. Her eyes widen when she sees the kids, “Oh, my god.” She rushes forward and inspects the twins as best she can with them hiding in my chest.
“I found them in the closet. Emerald must have told them to hide,” I tell her as I sit on the couch. She sits next to me and eyes at them with sorrow.
“What are we going to do about Emerald?” Ruby asks, sitting back. I sigh and look down at the kids in my arms.
“We need to go back to the compound and get these kids safe, then we find my woman,” I growl.
Ruby nods and stands up. “I can bring Zeke to your room once we get back to the compound. Rosaleigh seems to like Zeke and it might calm them down if they have someone young to play with,” she tells me. I nod and stand as well. The kids cling to me as I carry them out of the apartment. I search the hall, hoping against hope to see Emerald.
She’s gone, and I will find her.
The body is gone, leaving a puddle of blood on the floor. I’ll have to get a Prospect to clean this.
Ruby walks past me, and I follow her down the hall and out of the building. As we leave, I pull my phone out and call Kayden. He answers after the second ring. “Hey, cuz,” he greets.
“Kayden, I need you to track Emerald. She’s missing,” I tell him, climbing on my bike.
“Dang, okay, I’m on it,” he tells me, “I’m still looking for the Hell Rider’s location too.” After that, I hang up and walk over to Ruby’s car. She looks up at me when I stop in front of her.
“I need you to take them,” I tell her and open the back door. They cling to me, not wanting to be put down, so I reassure them they’ll be okay. When they understand, I slide them in and buckle them up.
“I’ll see you in a few minutes,” I promise. Two pairs of green eyes watch me, and they nod. I close the door and walk over to my bike.
Getting on, I drive off with Ruby right in front of me. It doesn’t take long to reach the compound, and when I drive up, there are extra cars around. This means my men’s families are here. When we go on lockdown, the families come and live in the compound so they’re safe… so they’re not kidnapped or killed.
I should have put the whole club into lockdown before now… before Blade died. I mentally kick myself. My father would’ve done better.
I make my way over to Ruby’s car and get the kids. They hold on to me and lay their heads on my shoulders as I walk into the compound. “I’m taking them up to my room, Ruby,” I tell her, and she nods. “Will you bring Zeke and watch over them while I meet up with Kayden to find Emerald?” I ask.
“Of course. I’ll be up there in a few minutes,” she tells me, walking off to go find her son. Sighing, I head inside, saying nothing to anyone as I walk through the building. My room is on the top floor, floor five, so it takes a couple of minutes for me to get up there. When I reach my room, I unlock the door and flip the light on.
“When will Mommy come home?” Reece mumbles, rubbing his eyes. Rosaleigh yawns and nods her head, like she’s agreeing with her brother. I lay them down on the bed and pull the covers over their small bodies.
“Mommy will be back soon,” I tell them. They both look up at me and it makes me want to find Emerald even faster.
Rosaleigh reaches for me and wraps her small hand around my pointer finger. “Did the bad man take Mommy?” She questions, little tears filling her eyes. I nod, and Rosaleigh whimpers, turning to her brother. Reece lowers his head, his bottom lip sticking out, and they bury their faces in the pillows together.
“I’ll find your Mama. I promise,” I whisper, kissing their cheeks.
Now, to go find my Old Lady.
Chapter 15
Throbbing pain in the back of my head brings me from my sleep. I groan, causing more pain to ricochet through my head. I pull myself into a sitting position and a damp smell smacks me in the face.
Déjà vu grips me as I find myself on a ratty mattress with concrete walls around me that have chains hanging from them. My vision blurs, whether from the hit to the head or more tears, I don’t know.
A loud creaking pulls my attention to the metal door on the far side of the room. There’s very little light, most of it coming from the small, barred windows high on the walls, so I can only see two silhouettes enter. One tall and one short, both clearly men if their broad builds are anything to go by.
“Miss Angel,” one man drawls, “Or should I call you Emerald?” The taller man steps forward, telling me he’s the one talking. His voice is deep and rough, like he’s smoked one too many packs of cigarettes. He sounds familiar, but at the same time, I can’t place his voice. To get a better look, I squint.
“Wh-who are you?” I ask, my voice hoarse from sleep and disuse.
“See for yourself,” he says, crouching and leaning in. I blink a few times to adjust my vision, and when it clears, I scream. Shoving my body away, I crawl as fast as I can to the wall. His blue eyes dig into me, like Viper’s did all those years ago. His face, his hair, his eyes… everything is the same as Viper.
“You’re-you’re supposed to be dead,” I gasp, “I k-killed you.” The man’s icy eyes narrow and his hand shoots out, grabbing my neck and squeezing.
“You killed my brother?” He demands. His grip tightens, preventing me from drawing in much-needed air. I claw at his hand for release as he roars, “A little girl killed my brother?” He stands, pulling me with him. Black dots swirl in my vision as I continue to claw at his hand.
Viper’s twin shucks me across the room, sending me into another wall. My body slams into the concrete, making me groan, and I crumple to the floor. Pain flares from my head down my body.
When he reaches me, he grabs my hair and pulls me up. “I was planning to kill you to get to Hawk, but now I will make you suffer for what you’ve done,” he growls. I stumble along after him and he throws me into a different room. I crawl away again, but he grips my hair and throws me into a seat.
Before I can move, the second man ties my right hand to the chair arm. Luckily, that’s my hurt hand, so I throw out my uninjured hand, punching him in the face. He stumbles back, then I feel something hard and circular against the back of my head.
“If you move, I’ll kill your friend,” Viper’s brother warns. My breath hitches, getting stuck in my throat, and my mind wanders. Does he have someone else? The kids? Lacy? The prospect?
“You don’t have to kill anyone,” I cry, trying to keep my voice steady. I can’t let him kill anyone I love. He pushes the gun more into my head, and I wince in pain.
“Oh, I think I do, and if you don’t do as I say, I’ll make his death slow and painful,” he says. He? Who?
“Bring him in!” The man who tied me up leaves the room, and I anxiously wait for his return. It only takes a minute, but it feels like a lifetime. The longest two or three minutes of my life.
When he returns, he’s dragging an enormous body with him. My stomach churns and my heart stops when I see Wolf unconscious and bound on the ground. I throw myself forward, unsuccessfully, to get to Wolf.
“That all Snake?” The shorter man asks. Snake nods and dismisses the extra man. He moves forward, his eyes on me the whole time, but his booted foot lifting and coming down on Wolf’s stomach.
“No!” I scream, pulling a
t the ropes holding me down. Snake slams his foot into Wolf’s stomach again. A groan emits from Wolf, and I see his eyelids flutter.
“Wh-uuuugh,” he groans, rolling over. Another groan in pain comes with each kick he receives. “Angel,” he gasps, eyes locking with mine. Tears fill my eyes as Snake beats Wolf.
“Stop!” I cry, tears falling. “What do you want?” I scream. Anger fills me as I try to push the fear away. Snake smirks, saunters over to me, and grabs my face in a bruising grip. His eyes search mine before he releases my face.
“You’re gonna do what I say, or I kill your friend,” he threatens again. I glance at Wolf. Bruises are already forming on his face, and I can only imagine what his stomach looks like. His ribs are probably really messed up now, and it’s all my fault.
“Fine, but you have to promise not to hurt him,” I say, making Snake smirk.
Wolf groans again, “Angel, dinnae do it, lass. I’ll be okay.” He watches me with wide, pained eyes. I shake my head.
“I can’t let anyone else I love die,” I mumble, tears rolling down my cheeks.
“Good girl,” Snake mocks, petting my head. I jerk away from his touch and see Wolf glaring at Snake. I said I’d do what he says, but that doesn’t mean I’ll just take it. I have more self-respect than to let him have his way without some resistance.
“Don’t touch me,” I growl, spitting at him. Snake’s face turns red, his pulling back in a sneer. He throws his fist out, faster than I can see, and my head snaps back. I whimper in pain and hang my head.
“You will not disrespect me,” Snake orders. Wolf grunts from the floor, making me look down. He’s trying thrashing, trying to get out of his binds. His eyes catch mine, and he shakes his head in warning.
Snake ignores Wolf’s attempts to free himself and pulls a knife out of his back pocket. “You will come with me or I’ll kill him,” Snake growls, lowering the knife to Wolf’s throat. Wolf shakes his head, his eyes pleading with me. He doesn’t want me to give myself up even if it costs him his own life.
After mouthing, ‘I’m sorry’ to Wolf, I turn my eyes to Snake. I nod and let him cut my ropes. I can’t let him hurt the people I love like Viper did. I can’t let him kill my new family. I can’t let him get to my kids.
I won’t.
Snake drags me out of the room, ignoring the frantic screams from Wolf. “Leave her alone!”
“Your fight is with Hawk! Not her!”
“Bring her back!”
“Take me instead!”
I try to hold the tears in as Wolf’s desperate yells fade into the background. Biting my lip, I don’t fight as Snake drags me away. My arm hits the wall, making me wince in pain, but Snake doesn’t stop dragging me. I squeeze my eyes shut and wish I was still back home with Dominic and my kids.
“You know, my brother called me and told me about you right before he died,” Snake speaks up. My body goes rigid as he opens a door and throws me into a room. “He told me how you cried and fought as he ripped away your innocence,” he taunts. My breathing quickens as he stalks forward, so I step back, only to stumble back onto a bed.
My heart races in my chest as I crawl back on the bed to get away from him. “He told me you were the most fun he’s ever had,” he says in a low voice as he crawls onto the bed. Fear spikes in me, and I scramble away. A large hand grabs my ankle just before I’m off the bed, pulling me back and flipping me onto my stomach.
“I’ll kill him,” he whispers, putting his lips to my ear. I whimper in fear and pain as Snake hovers over me. His knees pin me to the bed, pushing my face and body into the mattress. Snake chuckles when I whimper, sending shivers down my back.
“You’re my bait,” he utters, leaning in. I hear him breath in then whisper, “You smell amazing, little Angel.” I lash out with my arms, trying to shake him off me, but he just pushes me harder into the mattress.
Snake growls and flips me onto my back. He pins me down with his arm across my neck, cutting off my air supply. I gasp, and he sits on my legs, keeping me pinned. “You will do as I say, or I will add your precious Hawk and those adorable kids to the list of people I kill,” he says, leaning down to where our noses touch.
“Now, I want you to scream.” He lifts his arm off my neck, and I do. I scream as loud as I can.
~*~
“Domimic?” Reece’s voice calls out, making me look up from the paperwork on one of the warehouses belonging to the Hell Riders. Reece is standing at the doorway of my office with his stuffed Wolf in his arms. Glancing at my clock, I realize it’s been an hour since I put the kids to bed. He should be asleep.
“Hey, buddy,” I greet, forcing a smile. “What are you doing awake?” I set the papers down. He toddles over to me, so I pick him up, sitting him on my lap. He lays against my chest and rubs his eyes with his tiny fists.
“Where’s Mommy?” He asks. My body tenses at his question, and I wrap my arms around his small body and stand up, carrying him with me. I wish I knew, kid.
“She’s out on a trip, but she’ll be back soon,” I lie, and he nods, his eyes drooping. He doesn’t say anything else. When I look down again, his eyes are closed, and light snores are falling from his lips.
Sighing, I carry him to my room and lay him on the bed beside his sister. I pull the covers over both and turn on the baby monitor that one of the Old Ladies lent me. Taking the extra monitor, I hook it on my belt.
Once I’m sure the kids are okay, I leave the room to see what progress we’ve made on finding my woman. Shaking my head, I clear my thoughts, so I don’t become angry and lash out at someone or something. Guilt from the prospect’s death, Emerald’s kidnapping, Wolf’s missing status, and Blade’s death pile on my shoulders, making me feel heavy.
When my men went to the Roadhouse, they found signs of a struggle. Glass covered the floor, tables strewn about, and the door unlocked. All bad signs. Luckily, Kayden had found a list of five warehouses that the Hell Riders own.
I make my way downstairs and to the tech room. When I enter, Kayden is typing away at his computer, looking at four different computer screens all lined up in front of him. His head is snapping back and forth between the different screens. Another weight of guilt hits me as I stare at my fifteen-year-old cousin. He should be out having fun, not looking for trouble.
After we had realized that both Emerald and Wolf were missing, a Prospect found a teasing note attached to our front gate with a picture of Emerald and Wolf unconscious that read: say goodbye.
“Kayden.” He spins around in his chair and gives me a wide-eyed, lopsided grin that only he and his brother have. His leg is bouncing a million miles a second as his eyes bounce around the room. Empty coke bottles and candy wrappers are littered across the desk.
“Prez, I’ve narrowed the warehouses to these two. I tapped into their outer security cameras,” he tells me, pointing at one that’s about a two-day drive south and another that’s north about a three-day drive. I stare at the screens, and he points out the two on the left are south and the two on the right are north.
Activity sparks on the south property, showing several bikes out front and a vehicle moving in. “We ride south,” I tell Kayden, “Tell everyone to gear up, and call Roman. Tell him to check out the other location discreetly.” He nods and flies out of the room.
With one last glance at the screens, and a prayer that we’re right, I walk out of the room. I pass several rooms on my way to find Ruby and notice my men getting ready, loading up weapons, and gearing up.
When I reach the common room, I see Ruby sitting at the bar.
“Ruby,” I call out, making her turn around. She slides off her bar stool and pats Sniper’s hand while turning to me. “I need you to watch the kids,” I tell her, pulling the monitor off my belt. She takes it from me and secures it on her own belt.
Her head tilts to the side, her mouth firming into a thin line, but she doesn’t protest. I turn to Sniper. “Finish up and meet me outside,” I tell him. My gut jumps, but
I push the uneasy feeling away. I won’t let my nerves and unease ruin anything.
With that, I storm outside and mount my bike, checking my saddle bags to find both of my Glocks there along with my knife. I rev my engine, letting the men know it’s time to go. I have twenty men coming with me- some older and some my age- a nomad going to the north warehouse, and a handful of men staying to watch over the compound and the Old Ladies.
With a wave of my hand, we head out.
Chapter 16
Her screams echo through the walls, piercing my heart.
“Angel!” I scream, pulling at the chains holding me. After Snake took her out, several men came in and chained me to the wall. They left me alone to sit and listen to Angel’s cries. This torture, hearing her screams and cries, is worse than anything else they could’ve put me through. It’s worse than any pain they could inflict. I never wanted her to go through this again. She deserves so much more than this.
As I pull on the manacle around my left wrist, her screams go silent. Silence can only mean one of three things. She’s gagged, passed out, or dead. My fear spikes. Thoughts of Snake snapping her neck, cutting her throat, stabbing her to death fill my head. My anger boils, simmering beneath the surface as renewed strength flows through me and I pull on my chains. I gasp in pain as the manacle digs into my wrist, cutting my flesh.
“Look at you,” Snake’s voice pulls my attention from the chains. “So weak,” he says. I glare at him, the man who ruined so many lives. Even though he’s not Viper, he’s just as bad. I don’t want to think about what Angel is thinking or feeling. She’s probably scared and angry.
We promised she’d be safe. Me and Hawk. Now she’s in a horrible situation and might even be dead.
“Where is she, Snake?” I hiss. He chuckles and leans against the doorframe, looking relaxed as he can be. The bastard. None of this bothers him. In fact, he seems to be having fun.
“Mmm, she was a good one. Your President picked a real feisty one,” he smirks, then closes his eyes as if savoring something he ate. “Too bad he won’t ever see her again.” A smile stretches his lips as he straightens out his clothes and runs a hand through his messy hair.
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