I did as I was told, letting him stitch me up.
“You’ll need to get your wrist looked at,” he said, his voice monotone.
I nodded.
“Boss,” the VP to Hell’s Harlem stepped into the kitchen. “You good?”
Grey closed up the medical aid kit and leaned against the island. “I’ll be better once we find Coby.”
The vice president nodded once before whistling to the rest of the crew.
In a matter of seconds I was surrounded by men. Large men. So big in fact they sucked the air right out of the room. But they were brothers.
Hell’s Harlem had come for me when I called Greyson, telling him I needed him.
Lucas stood off to the side. He adjusted his eye patch and continued texting on his phone.
“Tell her I’m sorry,” I told him.
The chatter silenced, all eyes focusing on me.
Lucas met my gaze. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”
“I’m bringing you,” I took a breath. “All of you into a shit storm.”
“Baby girl,” one of the newest members to Hell’s Harlem, clapped a hand on my shoulder. His face was scarred and although he looked mean, his eyes were gentle. “You are Greyson’s stepsister. We also hold high respect for you and your club. It’s not often that women can handle this world. We are one and we stick together.”
Resounding grunts aired through the room before Greyson’s voice boomed straight to my heart.
“We have to get him back because I refuse to watch Brogan lose another part of herself at the hands of those bastards,” Grey squeezed my good hand. “Now, Lucas. Tell us what you know.”
Lucas grinned, sliding his phone into his back pocket. “Well …” He placed a tablet in the center of the table.
My eyes widened as the blue prints stared up at me. “Is this …”
“It’s their compound,” he tapped the screen, enlarging the screen so we could see every square foot of it. “We have no way of knowing if this is where Coby is. These bastards own several places.”
“He could be anywhere,” I mumbled.
Grey squeezed my shoulder.
“Right. I checked the GPS on Coby’s phone and nothing. I’ll keep checking but all I can suggest is splitting up and some of you go to the compound and the rest of you hold back.” Lucas rapped his knuckles against the wooden surface of the table. “Although, if it were me, I’d blow every last one of those buildings down until I found him.”
“We have to do something.”
“Can’t have our little sister upset.”
“I’ll kill them.”
My eyes burned at everyone chiming in their thoughts and concerns. For me. For Coby. For all of us. Every woman, young and old. And now men. No one was safe.
“Did you call Vice-One?” Greyson asked.
I swallowed hard, looking down at my hands and pretended not to hear him.
“Brogan,” Grey barked. “Answer me. I don’t need those assholes shitting on my step for keeping this from them.”
“No,” I sighed. “I haven’t told them.”
“Fuck,” Greyson boomed. “You realize they will find out, right?”
“Yes,” I rose to my feet. “I know that but I refuse to put them in danger again. Look at what they’ve been through already. I would never forgive myself if something else happened to them.”
“They won’t care about that,” Greyson shook his head, letting out a long whistle. “Girl, you are in for it. I hope you’re prepared.”
I stood up straighter. “Yes. I am. They can hate me forever. My sisters can hate me. As long as they are alive, that’s all I care about.”
“Who’s this Vice-One?” one of the club members asked.
“Navy SEALs and mean as fuck,” Greyson muttered. “Especially when shit involves their own.”
I let out a heavy sigh, cupping Greyson’s hand. “I’m sorry for bringing you in on this but right now, I need you.”
“Brox and Blake are going to kill me if something happens to you,” he muttered, grabbing hold of my hand.
“They’ll get over it. Right now, I need you to look at me as a partner and not your stepsister.” I paused. “Please.”
Greyson let out a string of curses before pulling me into his arms. “I’m blaming you.”
“That’s fine.” I hugged him back.
“Brogan,” Lucas said over the chatter. “Can I talk to you?”
I nodded, released Greyson and followed Lucas into his office.
Lucas closed the door before leaning against it. He crossed his arms under his chest, staring at me.
“What?” I asked, the stare down sending my nerves on edge.
“You need to know that whatever you walk in on, is not Coby’s fault.”
“I know that.”
“Do you? Because I don’t think you understand what these people are capable of. I’ve hacked into the records. I know what the victims look like after they’re disposed of.”
“Coby isn’t dead.” I refused to believe it until I saw his cold lifeless body myself.
“I don’t think he is and that’s not what I’m referring to.” Lucas rubbed the back of his neck. “Tina could have done things to him. Actually, I’d bet my fucking life on it that she already has.”
I swallowed hard, my heart picking up speed.
“You need to be aware that they might have fucked.”
A whimper escaped me at the thought of her touching him. Of him enjoying it and giving her everything she craved. “No.”
“Brogan, I’m not trying to upset you.” Lucas took a step toward me. “But I can tell you from experience; it’s not easy saying no.”
“What if I walk in and see him touching her like he touches me?” I whispered, slumping hard on the chair.
Lucas knelt in front of me and grabbed my good hand. “I don’t know you that well. Hell, I hardly know you at all but I know you love him. I can see it. I also know that you trust him to do whatever it takes to survive.”
“Yes,” I nodded. “I need him to remain strong.”
“Exactly. So, I’m just warning you that you might not like what you see or what you find out later.”
“I’ll kill her. If I find out that she forced him to fuck her, I’ll rip off every inch that touched him and skin her alive.”
Lucas chuckled. “Yup. I can definitely see why he loves you.” His face became serious in a matter of seconds. “Don’t leave him. Whatever you do. He’s going to need you after all of this.”
That was if we could even find him. No. I shook my head, ridding myself of those thoughts. Coby was alive. I could feel it. But common sense told me that it was a possibility.
“All right, fuckers,” Lucas clapped his hands together. “On average, missing people have seventy-two hours before they’re killed so we need to hurry the fuck up and find Coby.”
***
(Coby)
I was drowning within myself. The light Brogan had given me over the past couple of months was snuffed out and replaced with the evil and despair of my captors. Between Tina and Zane, I couldn’t be sure who was worse. As they both took turns with me, the pain and abuse mixed as one.
My eyes would flutter open every so often as I looked up to the ceiling and prayed for someone to come find me. This was my lowest breaking point. Even after everything I had been through in my life, nothing came close to this. I was a man. Strong and dominant but even that power held little to no value when I was chained to a wall.
Time wore on. I couldn’t be sure how many hours or even days it had been since Zane dragged me from my SUV. A part of me wished they would just kill me and get it over with.
A heavy slap landed on my cheek, forcing my eyes to pop open.
My gaze landed on Tina’s soulless gaze.
She smiled, licking her full lips. “You’re not so strong, are you? All of you dominant men think you can control every aspect of your life. Well guess what, baby boy? I’m going
to break you of that. You will submit and you will fall apart for me. You will like that too, won’t you?”
“Fuck you,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Aww,” she pouted, wrapping her fingers around my cock. “We’ve done that already, sweet boy. You didn’t seem to like it very much when I rode you. But guess what?” She licked up the side of my face, while tugging and pulling at my dick. “I don’t care. You can’t hold that orgasm in forever. No matter how much training you’ve had.”
“It’s called Tantra you bitch. I’ll hold it in for the rest of my fucking life.” I knew it wasn’t possible but there would be no way I would give her that satisfaction of knowing that eventually, she would have all of me. I was human. I could only control my body as best I could before Tina got what she wanted.
“I wonder what will happen when Brogan finds out.” Her eyes twinkled. “I would love to be there for that conversation.”
“Fuck,” I shouted, pulling against my restraints all the while laughter sounded around me. My body was used. Stabbed. Broken to the point, I had no strength left to fight. I prayed with everything in me that Brogan or someone found me. And soon. Because I knew it was only a matter of time before Tina owned me completely.
We had only an inkling of an idea where Coby was being held. It had been twenty-four hours since we started searching. And I feared that it would be another day or two before we would actually find him.
Tina and Zane had compounds all over the country but everything in me said that they weren’t even the ones in charge. I wasn’t sure why I felt this way. It seemed to me like they were only interested in the sex trafficking. Not the drugs. Weapons. Or even terrorism. They wanted control of the human nature. I wasn’t even sure where Charles and his brother fit into that mix.
Hell’s Harlem called in back up, instructing the other clubs to split up and head to the other compounds in the city. Coby couldn’t have been far.
Even though his GPS indicated he was in one spot, once we got there, we found the building had been vacated for months.
I was getting frustrated. Tired. And worried as fuck.
We had reached three more compounds before I finally snapped.
“We’re doing something wrong,” I screamed, pushing Greyson. “Why can’t we find him?” I knew my emotions were getting the best of me and it wasn’t the way to go into this, but there was nothing I could do to control them. After Lucas’ warning, my mind reeled with possible images of what Tina was doing to Coby. She could be touching him. Hurting him. Or worse. As selfish as it was, if I found out he was forced to fuck her, I wasn’t sure what I would do. I had never been cheated on and even though Coby wouldn’t have a choice in the matter, that small part of myself would blame him.
“Brogan,” Greyson gripped my shoulders, giving me a gentle shake. “You need to calm down. Right now. This won’t do you any good and your emotions running rampant will only get you killed. All of the shit that Coby is going through will be for fucking nothing if you’re dead.”
I let out a hard scream, shoving out of his grip. “Don’t you think I know that?”
“Well than use your head,” Greyson shot back. “Focus and help us find him but don’t you dare just charge into building after building without making sure it’s clear first. Do you understand me?”
My jaw clenched as I stared my stepbrother down but after a couple beats, I gave in. “Yeah. I understand.”
But what I didn’t understand was that we hadn’t seen anyone. We had been to a couple buildings already and they were all vacant. I called Lucas.
“Yeah,” he grunted after the first ring.
“It’s me. Have you heard of Tina and Zane having empty buildings? Maybe as a ruse?” I started pacing back and forth. “We haven’t found anything or anyone.”
“Shit. Let me check.”
I could hear him clicking away on his computer. As soon as I was about to ask if he had found anything, he let out a string of curses that made even me blush. “Something wrong?”
Greyson looked my way, raising an eyebrow while the other guys surrounded us.
“Put me on speaker,” Lucas demanded.
“Done.” I laid the phone in my palm. “Go ahead, Lucas.”
“These fucks enjoy messing with your head. They buy buildings, have people go in and out of them so it looks like people are there but when the FBI show up, fucking nothing.”
“So, Coby could be anywhere.” I let out a breath. “How many compounds left in the city?”
“I’m guessing maybe ten,” Lucas cursed again. “I’m sorry, Brogan.”
My eyes burned but I wouldn’t let this new revelation stop me. “Whatever. We’ll find him. We have to. Even if it’s … even if he doesn’t make it. I won’t stop until I have his body in my arms.”
Greyson cupped my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “We won’t stop until we make that happen. But Coby is strong. If anyone can make it through this, it’s him.”
I wished I could believe that. Coby was strong. He was the only reason I was able to get through the death of Benny.
But any human being, no matter how strong they were, had a weakness. And mine was Coby. It would always be Coby.
***
(Coby)
“Coby, Coby, Coby,” Tina pursed her lips. “Remember what I told you would happen to that pretty little thing of yours if you didn’t give me what I want?”
I breathed out through gritted teeth. New pain sliced into my side. Slow. Deep. It burned its way into my soul, searing onto my skin like a hot knife. “You touch her and I’ll …”
“You’ll what, Coby?” Tina pushed the blade further into my side.
I yelled out. Not wanting to give her any satisfaction, I tried keeping it in but I couldn’t take it anymore. The more she tortured, the more I broke.
“You can’t do anything chained to my wall, baby boy?” she kissed my cheek. “But wait. Now you’re on my floor. I love this new toy, Zane made me.” Her lips brushed over the shell of my ear. “And why would you want to leave? We’ve been through so much already.” Pulling the knife free from my body, she ran her tongue up the blade. “Mmm … every part of you tastes so fucking good.”
My stomach churned.
Part of me felt like less of a man because I couldn’t fight this woman off me. It didn’t make sense. I knew that. It wasn’t like there was anything I could do. Two men stood at the entrance to the make shift dungeon. Zane was always around, watching and waiting to make his own move. Whenever Tina barked an order, he jumped to her demands. I was royally fucked.
“Just kill me already,” I told her.
“Now what would be the fun in that?”
“Zane already shot Brogan. How do I know she’s not dead already?”
“Oh, she isn’t dead. He didn’t even shoot her,” she whispered, patting my cheek. “But I will order for him to grab her if you don’t give me what I need.”
“I don’t have a choice anyway.”
“You always have a choice.”
“No,” I yelled. “I never had a choice. You forced me you fucking whore.” Having a pistol to my head, knowing the magazine was loaded because Zane had shot me with it, forced me into a submission I never wanted.
“It’s all about choices.” She laughed. “You could have chosen to say no and I would have just killed you.” She shrugged. “Do you really love life that much that you would cheat on your girlfriend to live?”
“I need to go back to her,” I whispered, my body slumping in defeat.
She clucked her tongue. “Well then, I guess you’ll just have to pay the consequences, now won’t you? Think Brogan will stay with you? Think I won’t leave you? No matter what happens, Coby,” she gripped my chin, forcing me to look into her dark eyes. “I will always be with you. Every time you close your eyes, you will see me. You will feel my pussy for the rest of your fucking life. You will taste my desire on your tongue. Think your precious little Brogan can erase that?” br />
“You bet your fucking life she can.”
A hard fist landed against the side of my head.
Spots danced in my vision, forcing me into a darkness that I suddenly craved. A vision of Brogan appeared out of nowhere. She was smiling, blowing me kisses. She was like an angel. She motioned for me to go to her and I did.
***
(Brogan)
“Tell me where the fuck they are?” I yelled, digging my nails into the cheeks of the bastard lying beneath me.
He chuckled, blood gurgling out of his mouth. “I’m not telling you shit.”
Sticking my finger into the gunshot wound in his shoulder, I pushed until he was writhing beneath me. “Tell me. Where are Zane and Tina holding Coby Porter?”
He cried out, sweat coating his brow. “Fuck you.”
Grabbing the blade from the back of my pants, I dug it into his throat, forcing his head back. “Tell me or I’ll gut you like a fucking pig.”
“Go ahead. It won’t be any worse than what they’ll do to me.”
“Come on, Brogan.” Greyson came toward me, careful not to come any closer. “The fucker isn’t breaking.”
I glanced back down at the victim beneath me. I grinned. “I hope you remember me when you burn in fucking hell.” Sliding the knife along his throat, blood spurted my hand.
He croaked and groaned, gasping for breath.
I sat back, wiping the blade on my pants and watched the life leave his eyes. “Serves you right, fucker.” I shoved off him and stopped, staring around the entry way to another compound we had raided. Only this time, there were people there. But there was still no sign of Coby.
“We’ll find him,” Greyson told me, gripping my shoulders. “I promise you.”
I nodded; unable to form any words for fear that I would burst into tears. I didn’t need emotions right now. They only got in the way.
“I will kill every person I see until I find him,” I turned toward Greyson. “Do you still love me now?” I stormed off, not waiting for his reply, knowing it would be a yes.
Grabbing the hem of my shirt, I lifted it and wiped the sweat and blood off my face. I stepped over body after body until I made my way out into the cool night air. I could feel eyes on me, burning into my skin but I didn’t give them the reprieve of meeting their concerned stares. I was losing the control I tried so hard to keep. As each minute passed with Coby missing, I could feel it being sucked right out of me. My body hurt, my muscles aching with each step I took but it only pushed me forward. I was driven mad with the need to find him and avenge his suffering.