Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
LILITH
I sigh, letting my head fall back against the concrete wall behind me. According to the small window at the top of the wall that shows some daylight, I have been here for over a day. Both Vanessa and I did get some sleep, but it was cold, so we huddled together for some extra warmth.
Her head is resting on my thigh, my fingers gently brushing through her matted hair.
Christopher really did a number on her.
“I was horrible to you growing up. I was wrong in so many things, and I was a bitch to you. I know that you will never forgive me, and I would never expect you to, but if we ever get out of here, I would love to build a new relationship with you. One where I am away from the high-society pricks of the world,” she murmurs.
“Shh, just rest. We can talk when we get out of here,” I soothe her.
Turning her head to look up at me, fresh tears fill her eyes, and it brings on my own.
“Do you really think we will get out of here?”
I nod. “I do. The Rugged Skulls MC will come and save us. My man will stop at nothing to bring me home and by extension, you. The club will keep you safe,” I tell her honestly.
“I bet you hate me, don’t you?” she cries softly.
I think back to all of the terrible things that her and her friends did to me. Even my own sister Cherie was a bitch to me. She was petty more than anything, making sure that no one saw or suspected that it was her hurting me.
“Hate is a strong word, Vanessa, but yes, I have hated you for a long time, but even so, you did not deserve this. No woman deserves to be hit by a man. No one should ever lay their hands on someone they claim to love.”
She scoffs, then coughs. “Christopher can’t love. He is incapable of it.”
I think over her words, and I have to agree with her; seeing a different side to him only shows that he is cold and devious. He deserves everything that the club will do to him, because I know that even with Cal involved in the club, Christopher will never see the inside of a jail cell.
“I have to believe you.”
We are both silent for a time. Maybe both thinking over the time we both wasted on a man like Christopher.
“This new man of yours. Is he good to you, Lilith?”
“He is. He treats me like a queen. He is sweet and gentle with me but hard and dirty other times,” I confess.
She giggles as she slowly moves to sit up. Leaning against the wall next to me, her face is still battered and bruised, and I wince seeing the damage.
“Christopher said that he is a part of a motorcycle club that does illegal things. Is that true?” I see the worry etched on her face, so I take her hand and tell her.
“It is true. Well, about the motorcycle part, but not the illegal things.” I do not tell her some of the things I have seen or heard that the club does when they are on a hunt.
She doesn’t need to know any of that stuff. That is for club ears only. Thinking that I am now a part of the club makes my heart soar and feel settled. Jack has helped me find something that I have been looking for for so long. Tree, Kady, and my aunt and uncle could only offer so much, but I love them for everything they have done.
“Jack, he is my man. His father is the club’s president. His mom is feisty, and I think you would like her. He has an identical twin brother, Royal, who is the opposite of Jack, and they have a sister Perri, and she is sweet but strong.”
Her lips twitch in a small smile and she takes my hand in hers, looking at me like she never has before. Regret, jealousy, and something that makes my heart hurt.
“I am sorry for everything I have done to you. You deserve so much more than we have all given you.” She cries. “Do you love this man?”
My throat clogs up with emotion, the idea of not seeing Jack again makes my heart and soul cry out in desperation to see him again. But also, the fear of not seeing him or Dominic again follows behind like a reaper, ready to rip everything away.
“I do love him. He is my one and only. No one has ever made me feel like this.”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP.” The door swings open and a very angry looking Christopher comes barreling into the room.
He aims for me, and I scream when he lunges for me, gripping the front of my top, yanking me to my feet. His eyes are dark, and he looks like someone who has lost his mind. He is snarling at me; his nostrils are flaring as he breathes heavily.
“Leave her alone,” Vanessa screams at him but he ignores her.
His other hand holds my jaw in a painful grip, as he glares at me like he wants to kill me.
“I am the only man you will ever love,” he growls.
“N-no. I l-love J-Jack,” I stammer through my fear.
He opens his mouth to speak, but a body slams into us. Falling to the floor, pushing my hair out of my face, I see that Vanessa is on her hands and knees, gasping for air from her injuries.
“You cunt.” He rushes at her, her screams echoing around the room. He pulls her to her feet by her hair, making her cry out again.
“Look what you did.” He points to me, and I look down to see my knees bleeding from when I hit the floor. “You hurt my love. Now I will hurt you,” he screams.
“No, you hurt her. You were supposed to love her, but you cheated on her, mocked her,” Vanessas screams in his face.
He laughs. “Like you hurt her. Her fucking blood family and you fucked her man. You were supposed to support and love her, Vanessa, not whore yourself out to her family.”
“I hate what I have done to her. She has forgiven me, and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to her. You, she can never forgive for what you have done.” My cousin sobs.
A deathly growl leaves his lips, making my blood run cold.
In a flash, before I can open my mouth, he throws her across the room like she is a ragdoll, like she weighs nothing. Her body hits the wall with a sickening crunch, and I cry out her name.
“VANESSA!” My face is wet from my tears, and my heart hurts for my cousin.
She lays prone and I fear the worst.
My gaze moves from my cousin to the man I once loved. I scream as he charges me again but a loud bang from above sounds, making the house vibrate. Glass shatters.
“What the fuck?” Christopher runs from the room, and I hear shooting and a gun firing. I flinch, covering my ears with my hands, curling into a ball.
My body is frozen with fear for what is happening upstairs. I can’t even try to run.
Thundering footsteps sound through the house, and as they get closer, my body starts to shake.
“Fuck. Baby. Lilith, I am here.” I hear his voice.
My head snaps up to see Jack in front of my face. He has dark circles under his eyes, and his brow is dipped in a frown.
I bring my hand up to cup his jaw.
“You came for me.”
“Always, baby. Let’s get you home. We have a very impatient son waiting for us.” He grins, and I see relief shining back at me through his eyes.
He helps me to my feet and I sway. It has been over a day since I have had anything to eat or drink. My body feels weak, tired, and all I want to do is sleep and hold my boys.
“Jack,” I hear Royal calling his name, and we both run.
Royal is kneeling down next to my cousin, and he shakes his head, looking at me with sympathy.
“Was she involved, Lil, honey?” Magnum’s voice breaks my gaze from my cousin’s dead body.
Shaking my head, I respond, “No. He beat her before he took me.”
“We will make sure her body gets back home to her family,” he tells me, stepping closer, laying his hand gently on the back of my head, and leaning in to kiss my forehead.
“Get her home, Son.”
Jack nods to his father and he leads me from the room, each of the members offering me a smile as we pass them, Royal repeating the movement that his father did as we reach him.
“We got you, Lil.” I nod at him, offering a grateful smile.
They did get me, like I knew that they always would. The Rugged Skulls will stop at nothing to take care of their loved ones.
Jack helps me up the basement stairs and through the kitchen, where we come to a stop, seeing a car in the living room. There is structural debris everywhere, the furniture is a mess, all broken.
I look to Jack, who grins down at me.
“You can ask your favorite prospect about that.” He nods to the car that has crashed through the house.
“Logan did this?” I ask with wide eyes.
“Yeah.” We step outside, the sun making me squint.
“Lilith, are you okay?” I hear Logan ask as he rushes toward us.
“I am okay. Tired and hungry but he never hurt me.” Fresh tears build thinking about what he has done to Vanessa.
“Is it done, prospect?” Jack asks Logan who nods, not replying with words.
I am too scared to ask what he has done, but I trust these two men with my life.
“So, you did that, huh?” I thumb over my shoulder at the car that is half hanging out of the house.
Logan looks to the floor, a blush creeping up his neck and cheeks. He runs his hand over the back of his neck, before looking back to me.
“They needed a way to get him out front, or at least somewhere we could see him,” he explains to me, making me giggle.
This man. These men will do anything to save their people.
“You will make a good Rugged Skull one day, Logan, but I think you need to be called ‘Crash’ from now on,” I joke with him. His blush deepens.
“Fucking love that, baby. I will bring it to the table,” Jack states, kissing the side of my head.
He looks from me to Jack, and his smile drops from his face. Something passes between the two men, and I have to wonder what it is, but now is not the time. I will get it out of both men soon enough.
“Take me home, handsome. I need to see Dominic, eat, and then sleep.”
“You got it, baby. You okay to ride?” Jack asks me, leading me to his bike.
“Yeah. Now or never, right?”
“You got it, baby. Fuck, I missed you, Lilith.” Police sirens sound, and they get closer. “Cal will come see you later.”
I nod and climb on behind him, my arms wrapping around his middle, and I relish in the feel of him with me. There was a time when I never thought I would see him again. Kissing his back, right over the skull that sits proudly on the back of his cut, his hand drops to my thigh and adds a gently reassuring squeeze.
My heart aches for Vanessa and her family. The club will handle what happens next, and I trust them to do it with respect, even though she hurt me for years. That is just how the club is.
Tightening my hold on my man, I sigh with tired contentment.
This is where I was always meant to be. All the chaos that my family caused me pushed me to find Jack and Dominic. To find the Rugged Skulls. To find a family who will love and support me.
As they say in the Rugged Skulls.
No one stands alone.