Chapter 1
Knives’s POV
There are certain things that a brother doesn’t do to another brother!
#1: You don’t tell on them.
#2: You don’t steal their women.
#3: You NEVER betray their trust.
Those are of course the basics!
Then there are those unspoken rules.
#1: Don’t change the channel when a game is on – that makes you an asshole!
#2: If you’re getting a beer, grab one for the rest as well – if you’re a gentleman, bring the women some too. It will increase your chances of getting laid later!
#3: And NEVER attack a brother when he’d out taking a fucking leak!
I groaned when I finally came around--- hoping to fuck that someone zipped me up! Because if anyone finds out I was caught with my pants down, I didn’t want to survive this! My brothers would never let me live it down!
“Fucking shit,” I muttered with whatever remaining oxygen I had left. With my hands suspended like this, it was getting increasingly harder to breathe. Hell, everything made it harder to breathe. Being used as a fucking punching bag for however long it took me to pass out, didn’t leave many places that didn’t hurt…
I tried to look up to see if there was a way to get out of this contraption. My hands were tied together and hung over some type of hook. I couldn’t feel my fingers, which wasn’t a good sign, but despite that, I tried to toss my weight around, see if I could get free that way.
No use!
“Fuck,” I hissed--- and instantly regretted it! My ribs were hurting like a son of a bitch! I don’t think it was broken but I needed Grace to confirm that. And I needed to get out of here before, before that…
Arg! What a mess!
I tried to conserve my energy and rested my head against my arms, thinking back to what had happened the night before – or at least I think it was the night before! I’d been out in the woods, digging a grave for Rabbits body. Since we couldn’t get the cops right now – and because it wasn’t exactly self-defense when Prez blew his brains out – we had to hide the body and later give Lilly an empty casket to bury.
I felt bad for Rabbit. He was a good friend and a brother, but the way he’d acted after what we did to Steel’s women was--- well, let’s just say I’d done my best to talk him into doing the right thing. To settle things with her – if not for the woman, then at least do it for Steel!
But he refused to listen!
He was the one brother who hated women just as much as I did. He’d marry Lilly – a previous club whore – when he knocked her up, but he never loved her. Hell, he didn’t even claim her, saying she got pregnant on purpose to trap him. And that’s why he never remained loyal towards her.
Seemed logical enough…
But Cracker hadn’t tried to trap Steel or ruin his life. She’d been blackmailed into defending that pedophile because she wanted to protect Bunny. And hell, that boy was like a little brother to me. Seeing how much she’d been through for him…
That’s when I knew, I had to do whatever it took to make up for my mistake…
I’d been lost in my own thoughts when leaves rustled behind me. It didn’t bother me, seeing at the area was filled with all types of wildlife. But I’d stopped what I’d been doing and glanced behind me. As Pitbull would have said: a typical horror movie move. And like those horror movies, there was nothing there, but the lights from my bike and the dark outline of trees.
Shrugging I put the shovel down and went to take a leak.
And that’s when they ambushed me.
I heard someone running, but was too late to spin around. I felt a hard blow to the back of my skull and for a second, my vision went dark. I regained my baring, but by then, there were several hands on me. No matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t get loose. One lucky blow to the temple and I was out like a light.
I woke up again here – wherever here was! Was introduced to a big badass that called himself Viper.
President of the Black Skull MC…
The name didn’t rattle my memory…!
Ok, I may have my animals a little mixed up, but I don’t think he appreciated my sarcasm, because he spent the next hours torturing me! Asking about our club and what our plan was. And I replied the best I could! I mean… There was supposed to be a barbecue on Monday, and then there was Decker’s birthday party coming up, but---
Yeah, he really didn’t like my sarcasm!
I must have passed out again, and now I was alone, cursing myself and just anyone I could. Because the club we were up against, was the fucking Black Skulls! Of course, I knew of the Black Skull MC! Everybody who was anybody knew who they were. And those everybody also knew to stay the fuck away from them! They were BAD news even after you’ve had the worst news of your life!
And just when things couldn’t get any worse, the door open…
Oh fuck, I mentally groaned, feeling my body shiver in cold and pain. Here we go again…
But instead of heavy footsteps of biker boots, I heard the careful pitter-patter of bare feet! Frowning I tried to look up, but--- I was fucking spinning around like a carousel and I only had one good eye at the moment…
“Who’s there?” I called out, hating the feeling of helplessness that washed over me. And the ominous feeling of dread that came with not knowing what the fuck was lurking in the shadows.
“Shut up! Or you’ll get us both killed!” a soft feminine voice whispered, her words trembling with fear as she came closer.
A woman?
Might as well kill me now!
She moved into view and--- and ok, lighting wasn’t that good and honestly, my eyesight had been pretty badly fucked up, but…
Holy fuck!
She was beautiful!!!
As in ‘kill me now, because I think I’ve seen an angle’-type of beautiful! She had beautiful dark hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and the oversize pullover didn’t do anything at hiding her generously sized breasts. She was about average height, with a slim waist and generous curves.
But those eyes!
Even in the dark, I was completely mesmerized by them! They were a dark, chocolate color, that seemed to melt into her pupils. Like black diamonds, as they sparkled while getting used to the darkness in the room.
Amazing…
I could see her gulp as she took me in, but despite her obvious fear, she still straighten her spine and looked me straight in the eye. Or at least the good one…
“I’m here to make you a deal,” she said and she actually managed to keep her voice steady. “I have information your MC needs, but you have to take me with you!”
Well, that was somewhat of a tall order, seeing that I was busy being stuck here!
“What information?” I asked instead of saying something sarcastic like my smartass wanted to.
“There’s a mole inside your club,” she said – and instantly had my full attention. Say---what?! “I know who it is.”
Well, that’s just fucking fantastic!
My evening just went from bad to fucking Terra Nova!
Not only do I have to rely on a woman to get me down from here, now I have to take her with me and be stuck with her.
“And I know what they’re planning to do with Britney Cooper and Grace Carlson,” she continued, making me frown in confusion. Who the fuck was--- oh right! Cracker’s real name was Britney! Forgot about that for a second there…
“I’ll tell you everything I know if you take me with you,” she said again and took a step closer. “You’ll drop me off at the nearest train station and I’ll tell you everything, ok? Do we have a deal?”
Like fuck we did!
But I was willing to do and say whatever it took to get out of this jam. Not to mention that she sounded desperate enough to do just about anything to get out of here. Which I was going to use to my advantage!
“Deal,” I replied, giving her a nod. “Now get me down from here.”
She stepped closer and eyed the contraption. When she was standing this close I was suddenly hit with the smell of her body wash. It was subtle and sweet and not at all in your face, ‘about to choke the living shit out of you’ like the perfumes most whores wore. Because she had to be a Black Skull whore! Nothing else made sense as no man with any type of dignity would bring his daughter or sister to a club like this…
I tried to clear my brain off the haze that had spun around my mind since she walked into the room. Apparently, I was never too fucked up to think with my lower region, that was officially confirmed!
With her eyes still trained on the ceiling, she walked out of my line of sight – and the unsettling feeling returned. Of being abandoned in a cold dark cellar…
Well, hadn’t I gotten used to that feeling? Would I ever expect anything less from a woman? No matter how drop-dead gorgeous they were, they’d always abandon me…!
Gravity gripped me and with a loud thud, I was dropped on the ground like a damned sack of potatoes! Grunting and gasping for air, I fought to get back to my feet.
Damn!
That hurt…!
“I’m so sorry,” the woman whisper-yelled as she came rushing back. “I didn’t know--- I just… pulled the lever! I didn’t know…!”
Oh god!
She was beautiful and cute?
This woman was going to be the death of me!
“Don’t sweat it, Sweetheart,” I mumbled, the endearment slipping my lips as easily as a curse. I wasn’t the type of man who ever called anyone anything. ‘Baby’ and ‘Babe’ weren’t used to sweet-talk anyone as I didn’t believe in them. But ‘sweetheart’ just seemed to fit her, with those big, innocent eyes and red, voluptuous lips and--- and in my defense, I didn’t know her name, so there was that…
Once I was steady on my feet and use a trick that Steel had taught us to get out of tight knots. Finally, I was free and after flexing my fingers a couple of times, feeling returned to them. I don’t think there was any permanent damage despite them remaining purple for a while, but now…
I had more important issues to attend to…
“You alright?” she asked worriedly and stepped closer.
Big mistake, Sweetheart!
“Yeah,” I replied--- and my hand shot out. She gasped when it curled around her neck, trapping a scream. I pulled her closer, hating the fear I saw there, but knew there was no other way to do this…
“And here’s the real deal, sweetheart,” I said, pulling her face closer to mine. “You’re coming with me back home, whether you want to or not. Nod if you understand?”
She swallowed a whimper but nodded eagerly while clutching at my hand.
Such a good little girl!
I hauled her ass out of there, surprised at seeing the guard fast asleep – and the club completely deserted! I didn’t question it, but quickly grabbed his keys and wallet, before moving us to the front door.
“His bike,” I ordered, knowing she knew what I was asking. She pointed towards the correct one.
“Thanks, sweetheart,” I said, and sat her in front of me, holding her with one hand and steering with the other. “Any funny business and we both die, you understand?”
She nodded again--- which now had me slightly worried! I knew she was scared, her whole body trembling against mine, but…
“Do you have a name, sweetheart?” I asked, hoping to distract her. Hey, I wasn’t the bad guy here! I just wasn’t the nicest good guy around…
“Rose,” she replied with trembling lips. Name fit her! She was beautiful. Like a rose. But like all roses they all have thorns! And I had a feeling that if I got close to this one, I was going to bleed!
I just didn’t know how right I was at the time…
“I’m Knives and I’m not going to hurt you, Rose,” I said, trying to be reassuring. Because no matter what bullshit I pulled, that one fact would remain true! As long as she was with me, I’d fight for her. I’d protect her and I’d kill for her. The only real question was…
Who was going to protect her from me?
“But you have information we need, so I can’t let you go either, you understand?” I continued in my low, whisky voice, knowing it could knock the panties off nuns if needed.
She nodded--- AGAIN!
Hmm! Either she was the most compliant hostage ever--- or she was playing her own game. Which was the most likely of the two. For now, I was putting it out of my head and focused on getting back to the Wolf Riders.
I was going home…
