Precarious

  My eyes scan his face. “Of course you’re good enough to hang onto, Krypt.”

  “Then why the fuck are you holdin’ back?”

  I stare down at my hands. “I don’t know how I would go being someone’s property. How am I supposed to just sit around and do as I’m told?”

  He snorts. “God, you’ve got it all fuckin’ wrong. I’m not your goddamned owner. Yeah, when it comes to club shit, you do as you’re told, but if you wanna work, and make a life, you fuckin’ do it.”

  “My job?” I whisper.

  He cups my cheek. “I’ll make sure that job is there for you, if it’s what you want.”

  “And my house . . .”

  “If there is no danger, you can live there as long as you want.”

  “And Penny?”

  His body flinches. “I don’t love Penny, but she’s goin’ to be a part of my life, always. In saying that, if you’re my old lady, then you’re always goin’ to come first.”

  “Even if it hurts her?”

  He strokes his thumb over my bottom lip, staring at it. “Even if it hurts.”

  “And if I’m not your old lady?”

  His eyes scan my face. “Then I gotta stop fuckin’ you, ‘cause baby, you’re consuming me.”

  “I care about you, Krypt. I promise you. But...can we just . . . can we wait until Claire is safe before we do anything?”

  He nods, leaning forward and brushing his lips across mine. “Yeah.”

  “Do you think she’s going to be okay?”

  He stares out the window. “I fuckin’ hope so.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  SANTANA

  Their clubhouse is very different to ours. Gone are the friendly smiles I received back home. Instead, I’m looked at as if I’m no more than a toy they can fuck and dispose without even knowing my name. There are women everywhere, more than I’ve seen in one place before. They’re openly giving sexual favors, not caring whose eyes are on them.

  I swallow down the lump in my throat and follow the biker down the hall. He leads me to a room. It’s an old, shitty room with a bed that looks as though it hasn’t been cleaned for months. My skin prickles, and it takes everything inside me not to coil back and run. I think of Ash’s friend, and how scared she must be. This thought alone pushes me forward.

  The biker, who introduced himself as Jayger—not Jagger, but Jayger—shuts the door. I consider his name, and then him. It really is a strange, somewhat hipster nickname for a biker. I wonder if he knows how pathetic it makes him look? I force a smile on my face, batting my eyelashes as I take the room in.

  Window to the left, not barred.

  I’ve been taking in details of the clubhouse the entire time I’ve been here. I made sure to note where the front and back doors were, as well as where the clubhouse was located, and how easy it would be to get away. Turns out, it is in a good position. The front of the house faces the road, where the guys can come in. The back faces thick forest, where I can escape with Claire.

  If Claire is here.

  “So,” Jayger purrs, coming up to me and placing his hands on my hips. “You ridin’ me, or am I ridin’ you?”

  Seriously? Ugh.

  “I need to pee.” I smile, biting my lip in an attempt to look sexy. “Then I’m riding you.”

  His eyes flash and he grins. He nods to the hall. “Three doors down, to your left.”

  I lick my lips, before turning and rushing out. I find the bathroom easy enough—it’s finding Claire that will be hard. I wash my hands, twice, and then lean my hip against the sink. How am I going to find her? The door swings open and two whores enter. They smile at me, as if I’m not new around here, which makes me wonder if they too haven’t been here long.

  “Hey,” I say, slurring the word slightly.

  “Hey,” a girl with ratty blonde hair and horrible skin smiles.

  “Rockin’ party.” I smirk.

  She nods, leaning against the wall and pulling out a smoke. “They’re usually better.”

  Maybe not new, then.

  “Yeah?” I ask.

  “Yeah. When Howard is here, things get hot.”

  Howard. The asshole behind all this. An asshole I’ve never seen. Her words relieve me slightly. He’s not here; this is a good thing. Then my chest clenches, because if he’s not here then maybe Claire isn’t either. I stare at the whores; I wonder if they’ll know? I risk a lot asking, but if I play it right they might not notice.

  “Yeah,” I murmur. “Bet he’s busy with that stupid whore he brought in.”

  “Right?” Blondie mutters. “Stupid bitch keeps screaming. I was sucking Lion’s cock, and all I could hear was her.”

  “Me too,” I snort. “I’m about to fuck Jayger and the bitch better not start while I’m doing it.”

  Blondie grins at me. “Jayger, nice choice. He’s got a huge cock. I’ve ridden him a few times. And don’t worry about the little bitch. Howard locked her in his room.”

  His room. Where is his room? I can’t ask without looking too obvious.

  “Well,” I say, flipping my hair over my shoulder. “Hopefully his room isn’t near where I am.”

  Blondie nods. “I don’t think it is, Howard is right at the end of the hall. Most of the rooms are up this end.”

  “Good,” I say, turning and heading out. “Later.”

  “Later,” they both murmur.

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  I know where Claire is, but I need to let Maddox know. I pull out my phone, glancing down the hall quickly before punching out a text.

  S – I know where Claire is. I don’t know if she’s cuffed, but she’s in the house. Howard isn’t here. I don’t know where he is. The front of the house faces the road. If you can make a distraction I can get Claire out the back. I’m going to check her out now, hang in for my text.

  He replies a moment later.

  M – Stay safe, darlin’. I’m waitin’ for your text.

  I shove my phone into my pocket and glance around again, before walking down the hall. The party is in full swing at the front of the house, but the halls are mostly quiet. I reach the very last door, and pray it’s Howard’s. I try it, but it’s locked. I look around again before knocking softly.

  No answer.

  Shit.

  I try the other doors and they all open, which means that door is where Claire lays. The only way I’ll get in is through the back window, assuming it’s unlocked and actually has one. I rush down the hall and out into the lounge area. I sway my hips, leaning down to a whore and asking for a smoke. She hands me one.

  I put it in my lips, making out like I’m going outside to have it. I wink at bikers as I walk past, sashaying towards the back door.

  I step out and rush down the back steps. I hear the door creak open just as I am in the darkness, and I suck in a breath, pressing myself to the old, moldy walls of the house. I close my eyes.

  A moment later, the door slams shut. I listen for a second longer, but no sounds come my way. Taking a deep breath, I rush to the end of the house to where I would assume the window would be in Howard’s room. I find one; I can see a dull glow coming from inside. I test it, surprised when it slides up easily. My heart pounds as I find something to help me get through. I come up with an old crate.

  It takes me a few minutes to silently drag it over. I climb onto it and swing my leg into the window. There’s a girl on the bed, her hands cuffed to the bedhead. I stare at her, saddened. Her face is battered. She’s got a fat lip, a black eye, and her blond hair is matted with blood. Her eyes dart to me and widen.

  “It’s okay,” I whisper. “I’m here to help you.”

  She stares at me, one of her eyes half shut. I rush over, leaning down close. “My name is Santana, I’m a friend of Ash’s. We’re going to get you out of here. Do you know where the key for these cuffs are?”

  She nods, wincing in pain as she rasps, “He put them in the drawer on the desk.”

  I turn and run ove
r, sliding the drawer open. I notice the keys just as I hear a voice down the hall. “Yeah, not a sound from her, Prez. Bitch has been quiet.”

  Fuck.

  My eyes shoot to Claire’s, and her face scrunches with fear. I shut the drawer and run to the window, pulling it down quietly. I don’t have time to climb out. I duck behind Howard’s desk, which luckily for me is positioned near some curtains that I use to shield myself.

  I hear the door open and heavy footfalls fill the quiet space.

  “Still here, sweetheart.” He chuckles. “Didn’t think you’d go far. Don’t worry; your friend has decided to trade her life for yours. You’ll be free soon.”

  “A-a-a-ash?” she croaks.

  He laughs. “Yeah, Ash. Goin’ to have fun with her before I slit her throat.”

  Claire makes a strangled sound and I clench my eyes shut, praying he doesn’t come too close.

  “Maybe I’ll have fun with you before I let you go. I’m in need of some good pussy.”

  Please, no.

  I chant this over and over in my head.

  Please don’t let him rape her. There’s no way I can sit through that.

  “Please, don’t,” Claire croaks, echoing my thoughts.

  “You’re too pitiful for a man like me, anyway,” he grunts. “I like them wild.”

  I want to breathe a sigh of relief, but even the idea of breathing scares me right now. I don’t know how much time I have left, but I hope he leaves soon or I’m in trouble. Maddox will come back, and he’ll make a scene if I don’t contact him soon.

  That’s the last thing we need.

  “Speaking of pussy,” Howard says, “I might just go find some.”

  Thank God.

  He walks over towards the door, and I catch a glimpse of him. He’s a big man, with a long, dark beard and an old, wrinkled face. Faded tattoos run up his neck. He’s been at it a long time. He stares at Claire again, then he steps out and slams the door. Locking it.

  I finally breathe.

  My heart pounds fast as I wait for a few minutes, then I slip out from behind the desk. I open the drawer, take the keys and rush over to Claire. I lean down, whispering, “I’m coming back for you. I promise.”

  She nods, her eyes watering.

  I reach up and squeeze her hand before slipping out the window again. I pull my phone out and text Maddox.

  S – I can get her out. It’s time.

  M – Ten minutes, baby. We’ll be there.

  I hate when he calls me baby; hate and love it. I shove the thought aside as I rush back inside the clubhouse. I see Howard again when I step through the back door, but he barely gives me a second glance as I shimmy down the hall. I slip into the room Jayger was in to find him already naked on the bed.

  “Fuck, that took ages. What did you do in there?”

  “I needed a smoke,” I mutter.

  He takes hold of his cock and strokes it. He’s a good-looking man, sure, but I want to go over and bite that cock right off. It takes everything inside me not to gag. I force a smile, hoping Maddox hurries up and causes a distraction.

  I take my time, swinging my hips and doing little spins. Jayger seems to appreciate my efforts, and it buys me some time. I slide my hands seductively over my body, grinning at him as I move. He grins back, jerking his cock harder and faster. At this rate, he’ll have nothing to offer.

  That’s exactly how I want it.

  Commotion breaks out in the lounge, and I hear someone bark, “Jokers’.”

  I breathe a sigh of relief. I turn my eyes to Jayger, but he’s already up, pulling on some jeans. “Stay here,” he barks.

  He rushes out of the room, and I wait a minute before following him. I step into the lounge, and all the bikers are loading guns. Shit. Fuck. What if they hurt them? I slide out the back door, my heart pounding as I run around to Claire’s room once more. I couldn’t get her out earlier, because I needed to know Maddox was here before I ran.

  I climb through the window and rush to her bed, uncuffing her. “Can you run?” I ask.

  She nods.

  I help her out the window, and we press ourselves up against the side of the house, and listen for a moment.

  “Just here to talk, Howard.”

  Maddox.

  “Ain’t nothin’ to talk to you about. You’re on my land, so I’ll give you five fuckin’ minutes to get off before I blow your brains out.”

  “We got plenty to talk about,” Maddox barks, ignoring the threat. “Like why you’re takin’ shit that ain’t yours.”

  “No idea what you’re talkin’ about,” Howard growls.

  “Talkin’ about the little present you left me.”

  Maddox isn’t giving away that he knows Howard has Claire. Smart. There’s a long silence.

  “You liked that, huh?” Howard laughs.

  I don’t stay around to listen. I take Claire’s hand and we dart forward. We come crashing into a hard form before we’ve even taken two steps. I cry out and stumble backwards, falling down. There’s a biker, one of Howard’s, looming over Claire.

  “Where the fuck do you think you’re goin’?”

  Oh God. I leap up, charging him. His fist flies out and hits me so hard I see stars as my body falls back onto the ground. Blood, hot and thick, runs down my cheek as I try to gather my bearings. I hear Claire cry out, and I know I have to think fast. My head spins as I pat the ground around me, trying to find a weapon.

  The biker lunges towards me before I have the chance to get my hands on anything useful. I roll quickly, but his boot connects with my ribs, sending a blinding pain through my body. I cry out, my voice hoarse and broken. I try to scurry forward, but he takes hold of my ankle, dragging me through the dirt.

  “You ain’t goin’ any-fuckin’-where, you little slut,” the biker roars, lifting me effortlessly and bringing my face to his. “Howard is going to have a fantastic time with you.”

  He raises his fist and hits me so hard I feel my neck crack as my head swings to the side. Agonized screams leave my throat as he drops my body to the floor and spins towards Claire, who is staring at him, her body trembling.

  “R-r-r-run,” I croak.

  He moves towards her and my hands frantically go around again to find a weapon. There has to be something here. Through my pain and blurred vision, I find an old piece of wood. It’s heavy and solid. It’ll do.

  I turn to see the biker dragging a struggling Claire towards the house. The idiot thinks I won’t run, he’s sure he has hurt me enough. He nearly did. I stand; not thinking twice, and I rush towards him – ignoring the agonizing pain in my body. He starts to turn as I swing the wood. I hit him so hard he goes down with a thump. Blood pours from his temple and I don’t stop to see if he’s alive.

  “We have to run!”

  My head pounds, my ribs burn and my vision blurs as we dart into the thick trees. Blood fills my mouth and soaks everything it touches. He must have split my cheek. Claire keeps up with me, even though she looks and no doubt feels, awful. When we’re far enough into the darkness, I pull out my cell.

  S – We’re out.

  I wait a minute or two, and then I hear the rumble of Harley Davidsons as the Jokers’ take off. I breathe a sigh of relief. No one got hurt. My phone flashes a moment later.

  M – Where r u?

  S – In the trees behind the clubhouse. I think I know where the road is. Get out of sight. We will be there soon.

  Just then, the sounds of shouting and gunfire erupt from the clubhouse. Doors slam, and then torchlight flashes through the trees. Shit. Shit. Shit.

  “We have to run, fast,” I say to Claire.

  I know the general direction of the road, and I run hard and fast. The sound of boots crunching comes closer, and occasionally a flash of light comes too close to us. They’re still far enough away that we have a good start, but close enough that I’m starting to get worried. I see car headlights and realize the road is close.

  “Come on,” I urge, pul
ling Claire harder.

  We run towards the road, frantic, our bodies no doubt feeling much the same. My heart is pounding, my mind is spinning, and my legs ache like they’ve never ached before. Fear has lodged itself in my spine, and I know it won’t leave until I’m safe.

  We reach the road just as a gunshot sounds out, zooming past my head. Shit, they’re close. I run out onto the gravel, knowing we’re in full view and it’s dangerous. As if some god listened to my prayers, I see Maddox and the club over the other side, their bikes off, silence filling the air.

  The moment they see us, the bikes roar to life. I run towards Krypt, shoving Claire at him. Another gunshot sounds out, hitting the tree and ricocheting off to hit Rhyder’s bike with a loud ping.

  “Fuck!” Krypt barks. “We gotta move.” He pulls Claire onto the back of his bike. Maddox is right beside him, his eyes trained on my face, anger evident in his expression.

  I don’t stop to give him time to think about my injury. I leap on the back of his bike. He’s moving even before my arms are secured around his waist. The bike is tearing down the road at speeds that freak me out, considering I’m not wearing a helmet and I’m already injured.

  I pray that we don’t have an accident, but I also know we can’t stop until we’re far enough away. I reach down, fumbling for the helmet. It won’t be easy to put on, but being without it is making me uneasy. I unhook it off Maddox’s bike and shove it over my head, one handed. I push it down, some of my hair going over my eyes.

  It’ll do.

  The roaring of bikes in the distance tells us that the Tinmen aren’t going to just sit down and wallow over their stupidity. Maddox speeds up, sliding around corners like a speed demon. I hold onto him, my fingers straining in his jacket as he flies down the long stretch of road. The clubhouse is about twenty to thirty minutes away.

  I hope we make it in time.

  ~*~*~*~

  We slide into the clubhouse forty minutes later, after taking a detour home that the Tinmen don’t know about. Maddox hustles everyone off the bikes and orders them into the clubhouse. We manage to get safely inside, and Ash gives a pained cry when she lays her eyes on her friend. She rushes over, taking her into her arms and holding onto her.