39. Skyler
39
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We watch the first three undercard fights, excited when Cillian won his bout. Ronan should be coming out for his fight shortly.
“I’m thirsty. You want to go grab something with me at the concession stand?” Violet asks. Declan doesn’t look thrilled with the idea, but we all stand and make our way up the stairs.
We head to the right, but the flow of traffic is too thick, I get separated from Violet. Declan and Jake are still behind me, but Violet has gotten lost in the shuffle. I can barely see the top of her head. She’s scanning back and forth, probably trying to find an opening to get out of the crowd.
I imagine her getting flustered and starting to panic.
“Violet!” I shout over the crowd, but the noise is too loud, I doubt she can hear me. Jake takes ahold of my bicep keeping a firm hold on me.
“I’m fine! We need to get to Violet!” I shout at Jake.
“Declan is going after her. You need to stay with me.”
A loud bang comes from the arena, so loud it resembles a gun shot and suddenly people start running up the stairs and filing into the concourse, pushing Violet even further away.
Jake loses his grip on my arm. The idea that Violet could be having a panic attack in the middle of all these people, propels me forward. I know I should wait for Jake to catch up to me again, but knowing he’s not far and has the height advantage to see me over most of the crowd, I keep moving.
I woman’s scream rents the air, and I’m certain it’s Violet. I scan the crowd frantically and damn near hit the floor tripping over a huddled woman on the ground.
Violet.
I grab her arm, and she lets out a blood curdling scream.
“Violet! You’re okay. It’s me. It’s Sky!” It takes a minute for her eyes to come into focus and her brain to come back online before she recognizes me.
“Skyler?” Her voice is soft and shaky.
“Come on, let’s get you up.” She lets me help her stand, but she has a firm grip on her stomach.
“I-I- need the restroom. I don’t feel well.”
“Okay. Just let me find the?—”
Jake comes to a screeching halt, slamming into my back. “What the fuck, Skyler? You’re supposed to stay with me!” he roars. Declan makes his way through, scowling at both of us.
“I heard her scream! She was on the floor being trampled on by all these people!” I swing my arms around. “What did you think I would do? Let her get run over?” I slam my hand in his chest, not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to get his attention on me—only me.
Jake’s eyes snap to mine. He’s still scowling, but when I flick my eyes to a terrified, shaking like a leaf, Violet next to me, he gets my point.
Calmly, or as calmly as he can muster, Jake softens his voice and asks, “Are you all right Vi? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Violet swallows hard. Her face has lost all color, her eyes glassy and full of fear. “I’d like to use the restroom. Can we go to the restroom, please.” Her voice is small and frail. Not the same as it was before. Violet’s always been soft spoken, especially around men, but she had been doing better being around Ethan and the guys at the gym. Not now. Now she seems like she’s seen a ghost, and it’s rocked her to her core.
“All right.” The guys make a wall in front of us, pushing people out of our way. It’s rude as hell, but I don’t’ really are while my friend seems so vulnerable.
We get to the lady’s bathroom and of course, there’s a line a mile long. I shove through the line, dragging Violet behind me to the tune of grumbling and curses behind me. But I’m too focused on Violet to pay them any attention.
When we get to the front of the line, I’m shoving Violet into the next open stall before the woman who was originally next can do anything. It’s when she turns around to face me that I notice the blood pooling at the side of her dress.
“Violet! What the hell happened?”
Her face is even paler now. A light sheen of sweat covers her skin. Her hands are shaking and covered in blood.
“Don’t move! I’m going to get the guys! Stay there! Lock the door!”
I shove back through the crowd shouting as loud as I can for Jake and Declan. It’s Declan who reaches me first, both his large hands gripping my shoulders.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Violet. She’s in the stall. She’s bleeding. Her side…the dress is covered in blood.”
Declan doesn’t hesitate; he shouts over my head for Jake to call 9-1-1 and shoves his way into the restroom. Jake stands next to me, calling what I assume is Hawk on the phone.
“Get me security and an ambulance, fucking now! Violet’s been hurt. We need to get them out of here.” I can’t hear the other side of the conversation, but based on Jake’s responses, it sounds like everyone is on their way.
We see the paramedics coming around the corner. Jake starts waving for them to come this way. I step back making room.
At the same time a voice comes over the house speakers and announces, “We’re sorry about the scare folks. Technical difficulty in the booth! Nothing to be afraid of here. We can assure you everything is fine. You are all safe and can return to your seats in an orderly fashion and we will continue the nights events as planned. Thank you!” And the hallway becomes a mass of bodies. People turning back to return to the tunnels from which they came, making the flow of traffic damn near impossible to get through.
After a few minutes I realize I can no longer see Jake.
“Jake! Jake!” I shout over the crowd. A cold piece of metal digs into my back as a large arm grabs me around my waist. The smell of alcohol and body odor assault my nostrils.
“If you scream or draw attention to us, I’ll kill you right here. Do fucking hear me, bitch?”
I don’t recognize the voice, but I heed it’s demands. There’s not enough room with the mass of people for me to fight him off, but if I can get him into open space, I know I have a chance.
“Head to the emergency exit and don’t stop until we get outside.”
“Skyler! Sky where the fuck are you?” I hear Jake’s voice, but don’t call out for fear the unstable asshole with a gun could decide to open fire on all these people.
Said asshole shoves my back, making me bump into people as we fight to get to the exit.
Once outside, he walks me over to the back of an old silver van, his grip tight on my arm. The backdoor is cracked open, people are scurrying by most are focused on themselves or the ambulance pulling up to the building.
The ambulance showing up gives me hope that Jake and Declan will be coming out soon with Violet. If I can get away from this crazy bastard, which would be easier if I wasn’t in a dress or these damn heels, they’ll take care of the rest.
At the backdoor of the van, he shoves me forward. I trip over my shoes, catching myself on the corner of the van. I quickly kick off my heels and step to my left. My intention to run comes to a screeching halt as my assailant grabs me from behind. His forearm is pressing on my throat, the gun still firmly gripped in his hand. He doesn’t want to shoot me; his aim is to choke me out and carry my unconscious body away.
Not if I can help it.
I place my fingers between his arm and my neck, pulling him forward enough to drop my chin not giving him any space to lock his hold in. Dropping my weight like a rag doll, a move he’s not suspecting, I throw him over my shoulder, twisting his wrist as he goes. With my grip still on his wrist I’m able to take his gun from him, take two steps back and aim it at his head. Silently, I throw up a thank you to Walker, Cash, and Eli for everything they’ve taught me.
One side of the back door to the van swings open and the sight before me makes my blood run cold.
Spider.
He’s holding a gun, aimed at a lifeless little girl lying in the floor of the cargo van. My gun stays trained on his partner, but my eyes remain on the fragile life in front of me.
“You are a feisty one aren’t you, Miss Sinclair? I like them feisty. It’s always more rewarding when you break them.”
I should run. Scream. Shoot! Anything.
But I can’t seem to make myself do any of those things. I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this situation, but I do know one thing; I can’t leave this defenseless little girl alone with these men.
Spider chuckles. “Now, Miss Sinclair, one of us is going to have to put down our weapon or pull the trigger. Of course, if you pull yours, then I’ll pull mine. It would be a shame to kill such a beautiful little girl because you wouldn’t cooperate. Wouldn’t you agree?”
My eyes land on the young redheaded girl passed out and tied up on the floorboard. I know he’s not bluffing. Spider couldn’t care less if we live or die, but he must know I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t help this poor child.
I can’t lose another child to these bastards. I won’t.
“Your friend was feisty. Emily, was it?” He grins when I narrow my eyes and glare at him for mentioning her name. He runs the barrel of his gun along the girl’s cheek. “The guilt of not being able to save an addict can last a long time, but the guilt of killing a child, now that’s a lifetime of suffering. You wouldn’t want to carry the burden of causing this child’s death, now would you, Miss Sinclair?’
Goon number two rolls to his knees and I wave the gun and shake my head. “Don’t.”
He sits on his haunches glaring at me.
My mind goes to the night Emily was killed. How she called me for help, but I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t reach her in time. Then losing the baby. Our baby. Because I wasn’t strong enough to fight back and save us both. It’s a burden I’ve carried with me for so long. Too long.
Those deaths weren’t my fault. I tried to save them, but I couldn’t. But this time it’s different. I have a choice, and the power to help this little girl. I have a family who will come looking for me and a man who will scorch the Earth until he has me in his arms again.
I don’t know who this little girl has in her life. If she has anyone looking for her. She may be alone in this world, a runaway, or an orphan. I have no idea. But what I do know, is now she has me.
I’m going to help her.
The club will help her.
Poor girl doesn’t know it yet, but she’ s just become a part of the Kings of Fury MC.
I drop the gun and goon two jumps to his feet snatching it from my hand.
“You’re going to get into the van, and we’re going to go for a ride. Now.”
The asshole grabs my arm, shoving me toward the van and dropping the gun low where it can’t be seen. There’s a commotion going on behind us, but I don’t look away from the little girl in the van, watching her breathe.
My mind races with thoughts of how many others there might be drugged and holed up somewhere. How many women and children who don’t have my resources like The Kings to save them?
I voluntarily get into the van and sit on the floor near the girl.
He jumps in beside me, throws the door closed. I feel a pinch as something pierces my neck, and my whole world fades to black.
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