Scar (Black Hearts MC #8)

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

SCAR

It feels like all fucking day I’ve been pacing, anxious that she was okay, just waiting for them to come down and raid the basement. When night began to fall, I relaxed a little more, hoping that all was okay. I made sure to recover the little window, not wanting anything out of place, giving them no reason to suspect her.

Sat reading with my torch, I check the watch she had given me and see that it’s late after midnight. I’m tired, but I refuse to sleep until I know she is okay. The sound of someone approaching the door echoes into the cell, and I quickly hide my things, just in case. The lock quietly opens and she walks in.

I let out a sigh of relief and stiffly get to my feet. As I go to her, I don’t think. I just reach out and pull her into my arms, ignoring the pain it causes me. “Fuck, I’ve been worried all day that they had caught you.” She sucks in a sharp breath, and I frown and pull back. My eyes automatically search her, but it’s too dark for me to see. Turning around, I hunt for my torch and turn back to face her. I quickly switch it on and hold it out, aiming it right at her.

She is in a tight green dress that hugs her round curves. I pause, looking at the swell of her breasts, not just because they look incredible but because there is bruising all over them. I move the torch up and see more finger marks on her neck and jaw. Her bottom lip is bleeding.

“Who the fuck did this to you?” I ask, trying to detain the anger building within me.

Her eyes brim with tears, and she blinks rapidly and straightens her shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. The important thing is my father doesn’t know. No one knows,” she states, clearing the emotion in her voice.

“Right now, I don’t give a shit about any of that. The only thing I’m concerned about is who the fuck did that to you,” I state with a deep warning in my tone.

She swallows and tries to smile. “I went on a date with Layton as I didn’t have a choice, and then when I was on the date, I spotted your club. I figured they would want to know that you are alive and safe. So, I made the excuse for the toilet and spoke to Ghost, Spider, and Acid, I think. Although he didn’t really talk.” She pauses, exhaling a breath. “Your President doesn’t trust me, which is understandable, and he pinned me by my throat against the wall,” she states.

“Fucking Ghost did this to you?” I growl. I can’t help it. I couldn’t contain my anger any longer.

She shakes her head. “No, no. He didn’t leave a mark, just scared the shit out of me,” she assures me. “Spider put his number in my phone for you to call. No texting as my phone is watched. I had to make up some excuse when I returned to Layton. I said it was a handsy guy and I helped the woman out, hence the number on my phone as well. My neck was a little red from Ghost at the time,” she states. She must see my temper flare, as she holds up her hand. “I’m fine, and it’s fine. I understand, considering the situation. However, Layton noticed. He was going to go back there and hunt the guy down, so I had to think quick and think of the one thing that would distract him,” she finishes, giving me a look.

I tuck her hair back behind her ear. “You fucked him to keep him from finding the club,” I state.

“I didn’t sleep with him. He wanted to, and I said no. So he...” She pauses as she looks away, humiliation in her eyes. “I said he could have my mouth,” she answers softly.

“And he did this?” I ask, my fingers delicately tracing over the marks.

“He said it’s my fault that he lost control.” She shrugs.

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” I promise her.

She smiles. “Okay, just not until you are out of here safe, okay?” she prompts.

My lips twitch. “Deal.”

Her smile widens and she steps back. She pulls her phone out of her bag and presses call. “Talk to your family.” She smiles, holding the phone out to me.

I take the phone and place it to my ear. I hear the click of an answer but no response. I know it’s Spider making sure it’s me calling. “What’s this? I make the fucking effort to ring and you can’t even answer with an hello?” I mock.

“Fuck, brother!” Spider hoots down the phone. “I have never been happier to hear your voice.” We both pause as I hear voices in the background. “Hold on, let me put you on speaker,” he says. “There are a lot of people that want to speak to you.”

“Scar?” I hear her gentle voice say and my heart aches.

“Hey, beautiful,” I state.

“Oh god.” She sniffs. “I’m so happy you’re okay.”

“I’m good. I told you not to worry,” I remind her.

“Yeah well, we all still fucking worry and that won’t stop until we get you home,” Acid adds.

“Fuck, it’s good to hear all your voices,” I rasp, fighting back the emotion in my chest.

“We will get you back brother, you have my word. We have not stopped fighting for you, and we never fucking will,” Ghost states.

“I know,” I answer, knowing him and my brother. I know they won’t stop until I’m home.

“There is someone new for you to meet when you get home,” Beast yells out in the background. It takes me a moment to realise. “Belle had the baby.”

“Fuck brother, what did you guys have?” I ask.

“We had a little boy, called him River,” Beast answers, a proud tone in his voice. I pause, and that ache in my heart is almost painful, knowing I’m missing this. Missing them.

“Congratulations, brother,” I say softly.

“Don’t give up. We are coming for you, and it will be soon. I fucking promise,” Ghost states firmly.

“I know. Listen, I’ve got to go before Elsie gets caught,” I say, not wanting her to be at risk any longer.

“Okay, go. We will see you real fucking soon,” Acid adds. Before I disconnect, I rub my palm over my chest.

Elsie walks towards me, the torch in her hand and the dim light highlighting the soft look in her eyes. “Are you okay?” she asks.

I swallow and nod. “Yeah, it was good to hear them,” I answer and hand her back her phone. “Listen, you better get up to bed before someone finds you,” I tell her, wanting to be alone and keep her safe.

She nods. “Yeah, I’m tired,” she says quietly. She steps forward, pausing for a minute before quickly reaching up on her tiptoes and placing a soft kiss to my cheek. “Good night,” she whispers, handing me the torch before she leaves and locking the door behind her.

I lay down on the mattress and switch the torch off, wanting the darkness to engulf me.

“You think that we don’t see you sneaking out? Do you think we are stupid?” my father bellows. I stay where I am, on my knees with my head bowed. I don’t lift my head, not daring to look at him. If I do, then it will be extra strikes with the cane. I don’t even look to my mother, who is sat in the corner praying. Not praying for me, no. She’s praying for my soul, all because I wanted to go to my friend’s Halloween party.

My mother rambles words from the sacred book over and over, like she’s creating a spell. My father paces back and forth before me. Without even looking, I know his eyes are fixated on me, daring me to look up. I make the mistake, and the too tight rope around my wrists shift, pinching my skin. A whimper escapes me before I can clamp my mouth shut.

“You dare fight the restraints of our one true saviour, our almighty?!” my father roars. The sound of air whooshes past my ear as he cracks the cane across my bare back. I bite down on my bottom lip to stifle my cries. “You are evil!” he yells before the whoosh of the cane slaps across my back again. “Vile! Spawn! Sent here to corrupt us, to corrupt the innocent! Be gone evil spirits, be gone!” he preaches again. My back feels like it is on fire. The pain is unbearable, and as the metallic taste fills my mouth, I know I’ve drawn blood from biting my lip too hard. The whoosh comes past me again, the cane splitting the skin on my back. I don’t cry out, I don’t whimper, I don’t move. I am frozen to the spot, unable to run or fight back.

Darkness flickers, and suddenly the sacred families stood around, some crying, others praying as my father delivers the almighty’s word. I notice people stood in a line next to him; 5 of them. I push through the crowd of people until I get to the front and see it’s my friend, Edward. He’s stood on a raised step with his family. He looks scared.

“They have been corrupted by evil, and it is flowing through their veins. The only way to save their souls is to sacrifice their vessels. Their bodies will release their souls to the beyond, to our almighty,” my father preaches. Ropes are placed over their necks, and Edward’s mom is sobbing, begging them to stop. His father is void of any emotion. My stomach drops and my eyes go wide as my father signals. The stools they were stood on are kicked out from under them, and they hang, their bodies jerking. Edward kicks his legs out, gripping the rope around his neck as he tries to fight it.

“NO!” I scream, pushing past the crowd. I run up on to the stage and grab Edward’s legs, trying to lift him up, to help him breathe. I’m grabbed from behind, but I don’t let go. I try to hold on to keep him up, keep him alive, but my small 10 year old frame is no match for the two men that are grabbing me. They haul me back, pinning me to the floor. I scream, scratch and kick as I watch my friend and his family die.

I jolt upright, sweat dripping down my back. Panting, it takes me a few moments to realise where I am. I squeeze my eyes shut. “I’m okay, just a fucking dream,” I say to myself. I grab the bottle of water and drink the last few sips that’s left, trying my best to push that nightmare, the memories I’ve worked so hard to forget to the back of my mind where it belongs.