Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Nadia
J osiah comes back with someone I don’t recognize in tow. He looks like a kid with chestnut hair cut short, whiskey brown eyes and scars marring his young skin. Josiah kicks my thigh, making me move. I’m so fucking tired, my body screams in protest. I pick my head up from the dirty floor, glaring at the creepy fucker and the new kid.
Josiah squats down until he’s level with me. “Today’s your luck day, whore. Get the fuck up now.”
Fear surges into my system and I scramble against the wall, my head pounding like crazy. Something heavy and cold is clamped around my neck and a chain swings from it when I move. I look around the room and most of the women are already gone. I must have been so tired I didn’t hear them come in and move the women. Exleigh and Syvannah are the only two here with me. Someone placed collars on their necks with chains hanging down. The new guy yanks on the chains, making them get up. They don’t fight him and he drags them out of the room, leaving Josiah and me alone.
“Get the fuck up princess before I shove my dick up your ass making you move.” Josiah snarls. He reaches for my chain and rage replaces fear running through me.
“No,” I growl low and shove up the wall standing straight up. I will not let him touch me. I’ve held back for the girls’ safety but they’re not here now.
Josiah stops and cocks his head, giving me an evil smirk. “No? Bitch, you don’t have the room to tell me no.” He brings his meaty fist up and smacks me across the face, splitting my lip and tears swell in my eyes from the sting.
I grip the chain tight around my wrists. I spit the blood pooling in my mouth out at his feet, hitting his shoes. “Is that all you got for a big guy? There’s no one here to stop you now.” I taunt.
Josiah is all muscle and no brains and I have to play my cards right to overpower him. He might have a hundred-plus pounds on me but I have more brains and training than he does.
“You whore.” Josiah hits me again and I smirk, my teeth coated with fresh blood. If he were to punch me, I’d go down, but he’s toying with me like I am with him.
“A toddler hits harder than you do.” I taunt. Anger flashes in Josiah’s dark eyes. “What’s the problem? Are you really a woman in a man’s body and love having a big hairy dick shoved up your ass? I mean, you do hit like one. If you do, it’s OK. I get it.” Now Josiah’s pissed and about to lose his temper, just like I want. “C’mon Josiah or should I call you Sophia who likes dick. Sucking, licking, or having it shoved…” That’s all I say when he attacks like I knew he would. Josiah drops his shoulder and barrels right for me. I tighten my grip on the chains and step as far away from him as I can. He hits the wall and leaves a dent in it with his big body. I swing the chain and catch him on the side of his head, making him stumble. I have to stay on the offense because one good hit from him and I’m done for. I keep using the chain as a weapon, hitting him. I step behind Josiah when he shakes off the last blow to the head and jump on his back, wrapping the chain around his beefy neck. I pull with all my strength cutting off his air. I will not give up. I will not go down without a fight. I have more than myself to fight for.
Josiah shakes, trying to throw me off his back. He turns and slams my body against the wall. I don’t let go no matter how much it hurts. He slams me again and I tighten my hold on his neck, the chain is digging into my fingers and his neck while trying to catch my breath. Josiah tries to reach behind him and grab me but I push back away from his hands.
I scream in frustration. I’m in pain, hurt and angry that this fucker isn’t going down. I’m exhausted and can’t hold on much longer. My grip slips and Josiah uses that to his advantage. He yanks the chain away from his throat, sending me up and over his body. I land on my back on the floor, the breath sucked from my lungs. Josiah is breathing heavily, his face turning back to normal coloring instead of red. The tinge of red on his cheeks reminds me of Matt. The one man who worshiped my body, mind and soul. Who made me feel loved and cherished. I hang onto the memories of us together as I cough and sputter. I flip around and try to climb to my feet. Josiah snarls and grabs my hair, fisting it with his unforgiving grip. He’s pulling so hard tears swell in my eyes and I can feel little hairs ripped from my scalp. I claw at his hands, trying to loosen his grip. Josiah pulls me up by my hair and I follow, trying to stop the pain from blinding me.
He slams my face against the wall and crowds my back, shoving me into the wall. His hardness pushing against my ass. “I’m going to take this.” He breathes against my neck, his meaty palms wrapping around my throat above the collar, cutting off my oxygen. I fight as much as I can until black spots fill my vision.
Josiah rips the flimsy pants away exposing my naked lower half to him. I close my eyes and send up a prayer to God to help me. To save me from the evil of this man and his unforgiving hands.
My ears ring and I can’t breathe, my lungs are on fire. I can’t fight anymore. Against my will, my body gives up to the darkness surrounding me. Josiah’s heavy body settles over mine, his rancid breath panting in my ear. He’s going to rape me and then kill me.
Suddenly Josiah’s weight falls off me and I collapse to the ground, trying to drag air into my burning lungs. A grunt followed by a single gunshot fills the room. I drag my swollen eyes up from the floor to see what’s happening. Small footsteps approach me with a blanket. “Here use this to cover yourself,” a female says. “My name is Iris and we’re here to rescue you.” She has short blonde hair, sweeping into her eyes, a lip ring on the left side of her lip, and a small hoop on the right side of her nose. Her crystal blue eyes are shining with sympathy and understanding. She finds a key in Josiah’s jeans pocket, gently removes the collar around my neck and offers me a small smile.
“Thank you,” I croak out and hold my burning throat, looking at Josiah. He’s not moving, there’s blood seeping out from underneath him, pooling around his body. I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Did that fucker touch you?” The new guy who was with Josiah earlier steps up next to Iris and my heart hammers in my chest remembering he took Exleigh and Syvannah. I try to push away from him but I’m too weak.
“Easy, Darlin’” Iris soothes. “He’s with us.”
“He, he, he took Exleigh and Syvannah,” I whisper. It burns like a motherfucker to talk but I’ll be damned if I let him lead me to my death.
“I took them to safety,” the guy says. After dealing with these monsters for the last couple of months, and the shit my father did to me growing up, I can tell when someone is being honest and there is no hint of betrayal in his voice.
“Who are you?”
The guy holds out a hand, “I’m Noah. I’m working with Capone from Royal Bastards MC.”
“What do the Royal Bastards want with me?” I ask with wide frightened eyes. I know who the Royal Bastards are and I’d rather stay as far away from them as possible.
“Noah, we have to go. Sheriff Donovan will be here any minute,” Iris interrupts. “And he told us to be gone before he gets here.”
Noah steps next to me, holding out his right hand. “Can you walk or do I need to carry you?”
“I can walk.” I take his hand and Noah helps me to my feet. My throat is still burning, my muscles ache and I’m ready to pass out but I push through. Noah keeps a gentle but firm grip on my waist.
Iris leads us to an unmarked van and opens the side door. I take a moment to inhale the clean air before I’m put into the van. I close my eyes and tip my head back, enjoying the sun shining on my face. A woman pops her head out of the van, scaring me. She has long jet-black straight hair, tattoos cover her arms and her chest. She has a nose ring and piercing blue eyes.
“This everyone?” She asks. She’s wearing an MC cut that reads Calypso. I can’t see the back of it since she’s in the dark.
“Yeah, let’s get the fuck out of here,” Iris answers, climbing into the driver’s seat. Noah helps me up and when I see Exleigh and Syvannah, I throw myself at them, hugging both of them tightly with tears in my eyes.
We hold onto each other the entire ride. I don’t know where we’re going but I have a deep ache in my gut that wherever it is, we are going to be safe. A fluttering movement happens in my belly and my breath hitches. My thoughts drift to Matt again. Riding on the back of his bike, making me feel cherished and cared for. How he worshipped my body every single time, even when his face turned beet red, blushing.
I wish I knew who he really was and where I could find him. I know that’s impossible. I don’t know where he lives, his last name or if he has anyone in his life. No one has ever been able to make me feel like he did and I didn’t want to burst our bubble by asking questions I had no right to know.
My father’s words ring in my head and I push them away. I am good enough. I am enough. I am me.
The van slows down and comes to a stop. A loud clunking noise fills the silence. I can’t see where we are and fear settles into my stomach. Iris pulls the van forward and the loud clunking noise starts again and finishes with a thud, making me jump. I hang onto Exleigh and Syvannah tighter. I will defend these two no matter what. They’ve been through enough these last two months, they need peace and I will do everything I can to give it to them.
The side door slides open and I blink against the harsh sunlight. A tanned strong hand comes into view but I can’t see who it belongs to since the sun is blocking his face. I push Exleigh and Syvanna behind me and crouch onto my bare feet, ready to strike. Iris, Noah and Calypso climb out of the van and I can’t see them anymore. I feel like a caged tiger, ready to pounce.
“You’re safe.” A smooth male voice echoes into the van. Something about the tone is familiar, but I cannot figure out how or where I’ve heard it before. “Trust me, Pulchra. You’re safe here.”
I cautiously take his hand and he helps me out. My eyes travel up to the man and I suck in a sharp breath. His warm, strong hand holds onto my waist, gripping me tight like he doesn’t want to let me go. My eyes rake from his worn black riding boots to his tight jeans encasing strong muscular thighs, past his narrow hips, over a black t-shirt under his leather cut hiding his eight-pack abs I’ve licked and kissed until they move up to his blushing face. A splatter of familiar freckles crosses the bridge of his nose, his dirty blonde hair hangs loosely over a set of pale blue eyes watching me and waiting for a reaction. I look at the leather cut I’m gripping tight and immediately release it. The patches on his vest cannot be missed.
“Holy fuck! Are you kidding me?” I’m shocked. The man who gave me something special is an outlaw one percent biker and he never told me.
I step back toward Exleigh and Syvannah who are now out of the van watching us.
“Pulchra,” Matt reaches out but drops his hand. The pain in his pale blue eyes is gutting me.
“No, no, no. This cannot be happening.” I laugh a humorless laugh.
“Nadia?” Kensi steps forward from behind a beast of a man and my eyes grow wide. My heart is pounding hard against my chest, making my head throb.
“Kensi? What the hell is happening?” I cry. Tears burn my eyes.
“Nadia.” Kensi swallows and glances behind her. A man with thick dark hair and black cold eyes nods his head. His patch reads President. “You’re safe at the Royal Bastards Compound.”
“Why?”
“Because I asked Red to help me find you. I knew you didn’t leave on your own like Josiah tried to make me believe before he stabbed me and left me to bleed out at the dumpsters.” Kensi reaches for me and I let her pull me into her warm embrace.
“How… How did you find me?”
Kensi motions to Matt. A man I know very intimately. “Red found you.” Matt or Red, as Kensi calls him, looks at the ground, a shy smirk crosses his lips and his face flames red. “He’s the tech guy for Royal Bastards who can find anyone.”
“I...” I stammer at a loss for words. I look past Kensi and Matt and see a woman with long blond hair standing next to my brother.
His whiskey-colored eyes are focused on me. “Oh fuck.” My heart speeds up and my vision swims. Nolan steps towards me and fear grips my spine. My vision blurs and before I know it, everything turns black and I hit the ground.