23. Audrina

23

AUDRINA

The pain in my ribs increases. I don’t think it really register until later, when I lay face down, aching, tired, and sore, afraid of what happens if they return.

Someone ungagged me to give me water, and I was so terrified of what they might do that I kept my eyes squeezed shut. It wasn’t either of the two men from last time, in fact, I was surprised when I realized that the silent footsteps were a woman. I don’t know why I was surprised that a woman would be helping these assholes, but at least she didn’t kick me. In fact, she was kind. Or as kind as a kidnapper could be when trying to get you to drink water. I already threw up once, and I’m nauseous as well as dehydrated. I don’t know how long it’s been.

Minutes. Hours. Days. It all seems to roll into one, and I’ve no idea why I’m here, or what they’re holding me for. I just want West and for this all to be over.

“You need to drink something,” a voice whispers.

I didn’t even realize anyone had entered the little cell again.

“I’d rather die than be poisoned,” I tell her, my voice scratchy and my head weak. I drank before, but only because I was too weak and numb to protest. Now that I’ve got some of my fighting spirit back, I may not be as accommodating.

“You’re not helping yourself, you need to eat something.”

“Are you going to feed me now?” I throw back, at least she had the decency to leave my gag down earlier so I could breathe properly.

“Throw her to the wolves I say,” another calls out from the shadows. I had no idea another person was with her. “Give her nothin’, that’ll make her be grateful.”

I squint in the dark, but I can’t see anything. It’s like a torture chamber in here, and I half expect bright lights to flash on every five minutes like in those horrible prison movies. I may be a tad dramatic, but being bound by rope so you can’t move will do that to a person. I’m weak, and my shoulders hurt.

“Boss said to give her water and food,” the woman goes on, sounding exasperated. “You don’t have to come down here if you don’t want to, I’m capable of dealing with her.”

“Maybe I don’t trust you, Jackie. Ever thought about that?”

“I don’t give a fuck what you think, the fact is you’re just pissed because The Boss has put you on babysitting duties.”

“If I’m babysittin’, then what are you doin’?”

“Willow. Shut the fuck up and bring me the tray.”

“I’m not your slave,” Willow throws back. “I’ll tell Boss you were makin’ the prisoner a little too comfortable, see what he thinks of that.”

“Why even bother helping if you’re just gonna stand there flapping your gums?” Jackie moves me into a sitting position and I wince.

“The ropes are cutting me,” I whisper, not that I expect her to care.

“Not my problem,” she mutters.

“If you want the tray, come and get it yourself.”

“Why are you being so difficult? You think I wanna do this any more than you do?” Jackie’s agitated. She goes out to Willow and snatches the tray from her.

Willow moves into the small space, circling me like a predator about to consume its prey. “Why the fuck is she here?”

“Like they’re gonna tell us,” Jackie snorts.

“Looks like they fucked her up pretty bad, rumor has it she’s the ol’ lady of one of the Rebels. You hear anythin’?”

“Not here to ask questions,” Jackie goes on. “Here to do what Boss says and hopefully get out of this hell hole and onto a better assignment. Sick of this shit.”

Assignment?

“Right, like that’s gonna happen. Looks like we’re gonna be stuck in 3rd ward for a little longer.”

“You never have anything positive to say,” Jackie sighs.

3rd Ward… Okay, we have a location. Pity I don’t have a freaking tracking device.

“Why? It’s all doom and gloom in the end.”

“That’s why I’m doin’ what The Boss says, you think he’s gonna let us move up in the rank if we fuck this up? Think about it. I don’t wanna be left down here picking up crumbs,” Jackie says. “So if you fuck her up even more than she already is, that shit ain’t gonna fly. Then again, her body parts may be worth something on the black market."

I freeze, and they both laugh.

The one named Willow shoves me with her shoe. My eyes are closed, maybe she’s seeing if I’m still alive. “What’s your story?” she asks me.

My eyes slowly open. I don’t owe this woman shit, but then again, if these are going to be my last words, then I want them to make an impact. “My story? Your co-workers kidnapped me from the place I was volunteering and put me in a chokehold until I passed out, for what reason? I don’t know because nobody will tell me shit. I also haven’t had a bathroom break since I got here.”

It could earn me another beating, but what have I got to lose at this point?

“Damn asshats,” Jackie sighs. “They were supposed to take you this mornin’.”

“Typical males.” Willow rolls her eyes, and as Jackie helps me to my feet, she steps aside. “Is it true? Is your ol’ man a NOLA Rebel?”

The truth is? I want them to know. I want both these women to fear their wrath, and I want it known. It’s the only weapon I have. “Yes, it’s true.” I start to laugh, then — as if I’m possessed — I can’t control the urge anymore as they both stare at me like I’ve grown another head.

“Is she high?” Willow mutters.

“Could be delusional.” Jackie grabs me by the elbow and shakes me. “You high, woman?”

“You’re all dead,” I say, the words leaving my mouth before I can stop them. “Every single one of you. Cash won’t let this slide, and you know it, otherwise you wouldn’t have mentioned the Rebels earlier. They know every single miscreant in this city, and when they find me — and they will find me — it’ll be too late for all of you.”

“Shut up!” Willow whisper-shouts. “You don’t know shit about Cut City Boys! They’re the ones who have been makin’ shit count for those of us in the projects, not fuckin’ NOLA Rebels MC!”

“She’s just tryin’ to freak us out,” Jackie retorts, looking at me with disdain. “That’s all this is about. The Rebels don’t know shit, Decker made sure his tracks were thoroughly covered.”

So now I know who snatched me, good, I’ll be needing his name later.

“Bitches will say anything to get free,” Willow shoves me again, and I wince. “Suppose we better give her a bathroom break or it’ll be you and me cleaning it up.”

Jackie makes a face as she bends down to loosen the ropes at my ankles. They’re still tied, but at least now I can shuffle. They both lead me, still tied up, out of the cell.

“Can you untie my hands just while I pee?” I beg.

“Shut up!” Willow grips my arm harder.

“She has a point,” Jackie says. “I don’t wanna be down there, removin’ her panties.”

“Fuck no.” We come to a standstill when Willow adds, “Fine, a few minutes.”

She has me turn, then spends some time loosening the ropes, and I almost cry with relief when they’re finally freed from my body. The burn is real; my shoulders ache, and I have no feeling in my arms, wrists, or hands.

“Now she’s got her hands free?” Jackie snorts. “What if she tries somethin’?”

“Not like the bitch can go anywhere,” Willow retorts. “Anyway, there are two of us, and she’s a pip squeak.”

A part of me wants to fight, an even bigger part of me wants to run; but then I remember my legs are still bound and I can barely shuffle, let alone run. I wish I knew what my best shot was, but it isn’t like I have any experience in being kidnapped before.

Stay strong. You can do this. West will come. Asher will come. The MC won’t let me suffer in here.

Jackie kicks a door open. “You’ve got one minute, and that’s bein’ kind.”

I step inside the tiny space, grateful that they close the door behind me. It isn’t like they want to watch me pee, and I sure as hell don’t want to do that in front of them. My legs almost give way when I squat and pull my panties down... and I see blood. I frown. My period is due, and though it’s been sporadic these last few years, I can’t believe this would happen at a time like this. I don’t want to ask either of them for help, so I bundle toilet paper into my panties when I’m done, all the while praying for a miracle.

I flush, then step out.

“Better?” Jackie smirks.

“Much, thank you,” I say, tucking my hair behind my ears.

“Hurry up,” Willow whisper-shouts. “If either of those assholes see you untied, we’re all done for.”

I glance up. “Why me?” I breathe. “Why am I here?”

“Boss has something he wants from one of your men,” Jackie says simply. “We don’t know what, but you’re valuable to him.”

“Does that mean I may get to leave?”

They glance at one another. “Leave?” They say at the same time.

My heart plummets. “Yes, I mean, I’m a bargaining chip, right? Won’t they use me to get something from the Rebels? An exchange?” Hopefully one of their heads on a platter.

“That’s usually how it works,” Willow says. “But our crew usually kill first, ask questions later. Since it’s unlikely you’ll escape or see the light of day again, we may as well be honest; this is more than money, from what I gather.”

“How do you figure?” Jackie is genuinely surprised, which leads me to believe neither of them really know shit.

Willow reluctantly fills us in.“Heard the boys saying that this is a vendetta The Boss has wanted to settle for years, not that it explains much,” she sighs. “That enough information for you? He’s keepin’ things tight within the ranks so nobody knows shit.”

“You know the Rebels have eyes everywhere,” I breathe, my heart hammering as I’m led back to the cell. “Saving your hides now would be better than?—”

“Have you heard this bitch?” Willow laughs. “You’re talking like you have some hope left, that’s so sweet.”

Jackie chuckles and it makes me wonder what kind of life these two have led to behave this way. “Isn’t it? Remember what happened to the last person who betrayed Cut City?” Jackie shakes her head. “Pretty sure they were found cut up into itty bitty pieces.”

I screw my nose up, not liking the sound of that, but I know it’s a scare tactic.

Willow sits me back down and points to the tray. “If you don’t eat, that’s fine by us, but you’d better decide in the next few seconds because I’m gonna tie your hands.”

“In front this time,” I whisper, tears springing to my eyes. “I won’t give you any trouble.”

“I love how you think you get a choice.” Jackie smirks, and that’s when I lunge for her. If these bitches think I’m going to go down without a fight, they’ve got another thing coming.

She wails as my hands grip her throat, and Willow tries to pull me back, but I’m feral. For all I’m worth, I squeeze her. I know I won’t win. I know that in a few seconds, they’ll have me subdued and probably beat the shit out of me, but I don’t care. I have to do everything I can to at least try.

“No!” Willow says. “Stop it!” She pulls my arms down, and I let go when Jackie stumbles back, gagging and hacking.

“You stupid bitch!” She charges for me, but Willow steps in front.

“Let me handle this!”

“She just tried to fuckin’ kill me!”

Willow laughs. “Should've been a little quicker then, I could see her movements a mile away.”

“And you didn’t think to stop her?” She tries to reach me again, and Willow shoves her back.

“Like you said before, The Boss wants her unharmed, right?”

“I’ll come back down here and gauge your eyes out!” she snarls at me. “You’re gonna pay for that!” She stomps away, holding her throat, and I’ve never felt such satisfaction, fear, and rage all at once.

I glance at Willow. “Nice speech. Tie my hands back together and leave me alone.”

She quirks a brow. “You’ve got spirit, I’ll give you that.”

I sit while holding my outstretched arms to her. I have nothing more to say.

She just snickers. “Your funeral.”

West

“Snitch says they have a clubhouse in the 3rd ward,” Rock says. “Don’t fuckin’ know how this got past Big Papa, but we’ll worry about that later.”

All day, all fuckin’ night, we’ve been up searching. I’ve been scouring footage of everything, anything , to see if there are any clues. The break-in at Nevada’s didn’t reveal much because two men wore disguises, and aside from snooping around, all they took were some belongings.

So far we’ve learned that the Cut City Boys are low-life pond scum who want out of the sewer. Trouble with that is, it takes time. This fuckface they call The Boss may have gained some traction within the gang member ranks, but if taking down Priest or myself is his end game, he should’ve had bigger goals.

“Sometimes it’s not about money,” Cash told me earlier. “Take it from someone who killed their own before.”

His words are stuck in my head, and I can’t get them out. Maybe this isn’t about money, or status, or whatever the fuck it is these assholes want; maybe it really is an eye for an eye. But they want me, apparently, to get back at Priest.

Rock, Jett, and Linc worked through the night to get intel on the prisoner records, and one of the last people to visit The Brute, aka, David Benton, was his son, Griffin. They believe he is part of the Cut City Boys, if not the leader, but since his old man’s death, he’s gone underground. It’s also possible that he’s been networking in secret, ready to take down the underworld, Big Papa included, and split the MC. They have no clue how far our resources run, and the only way to stop an all-out war is to find them first.

When my phone rings with an unknown number, I stare at it for a few seconds before answering.

“Seems you’ve lost something,” a voice down the line says.

My free hand balls into a fist. “Talk,” I bark. “Because when I find you, you’re not gonna have a tongue to use, asshole.”

The voice snickers. “What I want is you, Hustler, just you. If I can rip your heart out, then maybe I’ll feel better about showing some mercy to your ol’ lady.”

“What is this about? Why her?”

“You haven’t figured it out by now?”

“What is it you want?”

“I want him to suffer the way I have.”

“So why use my ol’ lady? To draw me out? You can have me, asshole.”

He chuckles. “Where would the fun be in that? For the record, we have plans for you, my friend, and fuckin’ up Priest’s life is just the beginning.”

“Should’ve thought about that before you snatched my ol’ lady,” I grit. “Because when I find you, you fuckin’ piece of shit, you’ll be bleedin’ for days before I put you out of your misery.”

The trouble is, we have no goddamn clue where they are. Nevada, Hawk, Riot and the prospects have scoured the area. Nobody knows shit about Cut City Boys, in fact, anyone who did know something, said they’d disbanded years ago. Either this Griffin fuckface has a loyal following, or the bribes are better than ours in this neighborhood.

“You say that now, but I have your woman to do what I want with, and when I gut you, making your son watch, it’ll be just like old times.” He clicks off before I can get another word in. I grip my phone and it takes all my might not to smash it to the ground. I need this cell in case Audrina calls... even though I know damn well her phone was left smashed up in Faux Paws.

Rock also put a tracker on my phone. I glance up at him, and he shakes his head.

“Where the fuck are they?" I bellow.

“Could be out of the city, which would make sense because Big Papa would’ve heard if they were gainin’ any kind of upper hand,” Jett says. “Even the Irish have no fuckin’ clue, which is exactly how this almost happened with the mob.”

Nobody wants to think about those days ever again.

“Sounds like they’ve got some kind of sick plan,” Cash puts in. “And he does not seem worried. Gotta have our wits about us, find this motherfucker before he finds us.”

None of us are at the clubhouse, and since the lockdown, nobody is allowed in or out. It’s like Fort Knox in that place, and I feel better knowing the other women, children, and Manny are safe until we get back. Working from Rock’s workshop is the safer option, so we’re not drawing attention to our coming and going at the clubhouse.

There’s a commotion at the door when Brew and Haze suddenly appear.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” Bronco snickers. “Nice timin’ boys.”

“Heard about the kidnappin.” Brew gives me a chin lift. “Sorry to hear about your ol’ lady.”

“Just had a call,” I say. “We know they’re Cut City Boys, but nobody knows where the fuck to find them.”

“I do,” Haze cuts in.

We all stare at him.

“The fuck?” Priest looks from them to me. “Out with it.”

“Long story, but I can find ‘em.”

“With all due respect,” Jett says. “These assholes don’t wanna be found, and the alliance they have with other gangs seems solid since nobody’s givin’ us shit.”

Haze looks stricken for a moment, until he says; “She’s gonna fuckin’ kill me for this.”

I raise an eyebrow. “ She?”

His eyes dart to mine. “Could be a coincidence, but my ex... she’s just been transferred... and her speciality is...”

“Why is this important?” Cash barks. “For fucks sake, spit it out!”

Haze gives Cash a pointed look. “If you give me a chance, I’m gettin’ to that.”

“Now would be good,” I mutter. “My future wife is tied up and hurt, they made her bleed.”

Haze considers that for a moment. “Like I said, got this ex, she’s law enforcement, works undercover, she just got transferred to New Orleans. She specializes in infiltration.”

“This better end with a happily ever after,” Bronco says. “Or we’re wastin’ time reminiscin’.”

“Let the man talk.” Brew shakes his head. “Never thought I’d end up hearin’ myself say that.”

Haze ignores both of them. “Like I said, she’s been doin’ this line of work for a while, in fact, that’s how we met... she arrested me.” He smiles at the memory. “Anyway, last I heard, she was followin’ gang movement in the area, and we all know how law enforcement, as well as that asshole Cale Callaghan, wanna have their faces in the papers again, so they’ve sent a task force in.”

“Into where?” Priest dares to ask.

Haze turns to look at him. “Into the most notorious gangs in New Orleans to flush out drug dealers and pimps. I believe one of them could be Cut City Boys.”

“And you didn’t know this before?” Cash sounds a little more relieved, but not by much.

“Didn’t know it was important, know how many gangs and uprisin’ assholes there are in this stinkin’ city? I track her movements from time to time, just to make sure she’s safe, not that she’d be happy knowin’ that.” He pauses. “I think she’s infiltrated their gang, and if that’s the case, I can find her. If I find her, we find your woman.”

“Holy fuck,” Bronco whispers.

“Knew we called you the Nomad Brothers for a reason,” Rock laughs. “This has gotta be the best piece of news I’ve heard in the last twenty-four hours.”

Twenty-four hours. It feels like a lifetime.

“What’s her name?” My heart beats loudly in my chest. One tiny sliver of hope breaks through. I need to hear it.

“Willow,” he says. “Her name is Willow.”

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