Chapter 2
Two
DARCIE
The food I’d been playing with slid off my fork, and I wondered how long I’d have to sit through this dinner. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy being part of the business side of things now, but if I had to listen to Stanley “Agonizer” Driscoll talk about how great he was at golf for another minute, I was likely to explode. We were an MC, not a country club! At least he was staying true to his name. I was definitely in agony.
Looking around the room, I took in the bored looks of my father’s most trusted men and felt somewhat relieved. Their bearded and sun-worn faces were just as bored as mine. I was starting to wonder what type of club the Diamonds were. Based on this steak dinner with actual napkins, I was getting the picture that it was a lot fancier than ours.
I met Tiny’s eyes as I scanned the room, holding in a laugh as he rolled his. He mimed Agonizer droning on, and I couldn’t stop myself from letting the sound slip that time.
“Something you’d like to share?” Agonizer asked, the room turning to look at me. I met my father’s stare and swallowed; the disappointment reflected there was hard to take.
“Sorry, sir. I just remembered a joke.” He sat back, scanning me. I watched as his eyes lit up as he took in my curves. I hadn’t worn anything scandalous tonight, but the way his eyes drifted over my breasts, you’d think I was sitting here topless. I didn’t like the way it made me feel, and my father’s insistence on waiting until I was thirty to have sex didn’t sound so bad right then.
Okay, maybe that was stretching it, but if men looked at me like Agonizer was, then I didn’t want anything to do with it. I’d happily remain a virgin at this rate.
“I’d like to hear it.” He smirked, calling my bluff.
I gulped, looking over at my father. His eyes were hard, jaw clenched tight, and I looked for some confirmation this was what he wanted me to do. He gave an imperceptible nod, and I glanced back at the man I was beginning to fear. He hadn’t been like this before toward me, but apparently, acquiring boobs meant I had a neon sign for every perv to try their hand.
“What do you call a cow with no legs?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. It didn’t matter because it was so quiet in the room, someone could’ve heard it a room over.
“What?” he asked, smiling, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t identify.
“Um, ground beef.”
No one laughed, waiting to see how they should behave from the Agonizer. When had he gained so much power? It was like looking at a different man. Before, I’d always thought he and my father were equal. He reigned over the Alabama clubs and my father, the Mississippi. Based on his clothes, his attitude, and the way everyone deferred to him right now, I had to assume that had changed.
My father was no longer the scariest man in the room, and for some reason, that terrified me the most.
After a quiet few seconds, he let out a loud, boisterous laugh, slapping the table and causing me to jump as the dishes clattered. He pointed at me, smiling, though I didn’t believe it was natural for one second.
“You’re funny.” The smile dropped off and he sat forward. “That’s gonna have to go when you come to my club. We like our women meek and silent.” His eyes changed, turning to slits as he stared at me, and I struggled to put words together.
His place. Meek. Silent. His place.
“I’m sorry, what do you mean your place? Am I going for a visit I didn’t know about?” I glanced from him to my father, not liking what I saw there. A resigned look covered my dad’s face, and when I met his eyes, it was the first time in my life he dropped them, refusing to look at me.
Swallowing, I glanced at the other men around me, and their faces looked like mine. Filled with shock, fear, and confusion. So this wasn’t common knowledge.
Immediately, my mind flipped over to my training, and I started to categorize the information I knew to form a plan.
A deal was being brokered.
My dad didn’t seem to have power here; in fact, it seemed like he owed Agonizer something.
I was going to their compound.
Chase was suddenly all over me.
I was twenty and a virgin.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. No, this couldn’t be possible. My father would never allow it.
I glanced at him again, pleading for him to look at me, to acknowledge the pain and anxiety I was feeling. Anything! But he stared at his plate as the Agonizer droned on, talking to no one but himself.
“Daddy?” I whispered, the sound perceptibly weak even to my own ears. He flinched but didn’t look up, cutting his steak into small pieces.
“Nothing to fear, little one. I promised to take good care of you. I’ll get you nice and broken in before I hand you over to my son.” He smiled lasciviously, and my whole body shivered. I’d rather cut off my arm than have that man touch me anywhere. That was going to be a hard pass from me.
“Thank you for the offer, but I’m going to have to decline.” A gasp rang out from Chelsie, but I ignored it. I couldn’t look at her, worried she’d known and hadn’t told me. I scooted my chair back, needing to be far away from here.
“Darcie, stop,” my father said, halting me. I kept my back to him, unable to watch him say the words.
In front of me stood Maddox, his ripped jeans and dusty boots such a familiar sight. His face was stone as he stared over my head, disgust and ill-intention brimming in his eyes. When my father started to speak, he dropped his eyes to me, and I held onto them like an anchor.
I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t hear my father say he’d traded me. It would break me. So instead, I focused on Maddox’s dark blue eyes, falling into them and letting him wrap me up in his protectiveness. He’d always been there, so I let him take this too.
I hated myself a little that I wasn’t strong enough to face my father, but I wasn’t, and it was better to know your strengths and weaknesses instead of blindly failing.
When a hand touched my elbow, I jumped until I realized it was Maddox. “Come on, Runt, I’m to help you pack.” The words were gritted out, but not toward me. If anything, it was the softest he’d ever spoken to me.
Numbly, I nodded, letting him lead me. We walked to my room in silence, no words needing to be shared. When I got to my door, I couldn’t open it, knowing what stood on the other side.
“I can’t do it, Maddox. I can’t.” My lip quivered, and I braved looking up at him. To my surprise, he didn’t judge me for falling apart. If anything, he seemed to want to comfort me. His hand lifted in the air, stopped halfway between us. He glanced down at it, noticing the grease and oil, and dropped it.
“You can, Runt. You’re ready.”
Sucking in a breath, I wiped my eyes, taking a moment to gather myself. Opening my door, I quietly walked over to my bed and pulled out a duffle bag. I placed it on top and opened it, and stared at the empty space. I’d dreamed of packing up and moving somewhere one day but never like this. This club had been my home, these rowdy men my family. To leave with that monster felt wrong.
“Why is this happening?” I asked, sitting down on the bed.
“I don’t know. Your father’s been having meetings without me lately. I think something happened. Something big. It’s the only thing I can think of for this choice. Your father loves you, Darce.”
The shortened name warmed me inside, but I pushed it away, not wanting to feel anything other than the cold numbness at this moment. If I let myself feel, I’d break into a million pieces, never to be put back together. I couldn’t afford that right now.
“Will it hurt?” I blurted, not having planned to ask my pseudo brother about sex.
He grimaced, only briefly looking at me. “I’d like to lie and say no, but it will be even worse than normal, knowing him. I’m sorry, Darcie. I wish I had more power, and I’d… I dunno, but I’d do something.”
“I think if there was another solution, then my father would’ve already found it.” The words sounded hollow, but I knew they were true. I didn’t doubt my father’s love for me outside of this moment. So, I had to trust there was a purpose.
Together, Maddox and I managed to pack two duffles and a backpack of my things. I placed my mother’s journal, a music box, and a small photo album in the bag, wanting them closest to me while we rode. The other things were just clothes and replaceable, but these, I wanted to keep safe.
When it was done, Maddox patted my shoulder, standing to leave. I felt like I needed to say something since it might be my last chance.
“Maddox,” I said, stopping him at the door.
“Yeah?” he turned, looking at me.
I swallowed, the words wanting to stay buried, but I urged myself to say them, knowing I had nothing else to lose. “I always thought it would be you, the one my father gave his blessing to. Thank you for watching over me all these years. You’ve been a real friend to me. I’ll miss you the most.”
His body tensed, and I watched as he wrestled with something. Eventually, he nodded, clearing his throat. “I’ll miss you, too.” With those words, he turned and walked out the door, taking a piece of my heart I hadn’t realized belonged to him.
Laying down on the bed, I curled my legs up, and the tears fell, knowing that whatever lay ahead of me wouldn’t be easy.
My door opened with a bang, and I jumped. My legs were stiff, my muscles sore from the position I’d fallen asleep in. I blinked, wiping the sleep from my eyes as I tried to figure out what had caused the sound. A moment later, a body fell on top of me, their weight heavy, and I tensed, trying to push them off. Whiskey breath met my face, and I turned, screwing up my nose as I tried to find fresh air and get away.
“Your father thinks he can go back on a deal? Well, I’ll show him. Once I’m done with you, he won’t be able to do anything with you. Then you’ll be mine at half the cost.”
Agonizer ranted, and I tried to piece together what he said. Hope surged up when I realized my father wasn’t sending me away. He’d changed his mind!
The massive frame of Agonizer was impossible to move, and as he fumbled with his belt buckle and zipper, I knew what was coming. I pushed and clawed at him, trying to wriggle free, but his whole weight lay on top of me.
“Stop moving, you little bitch.”
He sat up, and I took the opportunity to buck up, attempting to throw him off me. His meaty hand came down, pinning my hands above my head, locking them into place. Not giving up, I wriggled and shifted, attempting to use some motion to knock him over. I hadn’t waited all this time for some drunk asshole to take my virginity from me because he felt owed. No way in hell.
It was no use, though; the man weighed close to 250 lbs and was mostly muscle, despite his age. He freed his dick from his pants, and I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see it. I heard him chuckle before reaching down to yank off the shorts I’d been wearing.
“You think you’re so fine. Walking around in those booty shorts and you don’t expect men to fuck you? I’ll make you a good sweet butt, show you how to please a real Pres.”
His words were jumbled together, and I tuned them out, giving in to what was happening at this point. I was tired of fighting and wondered if I just grinned and beared it, if it would be over quicker. Surely, that was the better option at this point? I couldn’t think, my brain going to a safe place.
Squeezing my eyes shut tighter, I willed away what was happening. If I pretended it was a dream, maybe it would be.
He pushed in, and pain like none other ripped through me, and I screamed, no longer able to hold it back. His hand clamped over my mouth, muffling the sound as he pumped into me. The fight returned, and I thrashed against him. Now that he was holding my mouth, my arms were free, and he attempted to grab one. I smacked and hit, clawed and bucked, not willing to let him have it easy now.
Thankfully, the scream had been enough, and the door slammed against the wall, something splintering. I heard a smacking sound in the next second, and the body was removed from me. A blanket was tossed over me, and I curled it around me, my body shaking now that the fight was over. Tears rolled down my face, and I felt someone smoothing my hair, whispering to me.
“I’m so sorry, peanut, I’m so sorry. Please, forgive me. I’m an idiot. I’m so sorry.” Over and over, he repeated himself, holding me to him as he rocked me. After a while, my body stopped shaking, and I let my father comfort me.
“Tank, we need to go. If we have any chance of leaving, it’s now. Tank!”
I opened my eyes, finding Maddox staring at my father as he sobbed into my hair. “Okay, you’re right,” my dad said, pulling back.
He looked into my eyes, struggling to find the words. “Go with Maddox. He’ll keep you safe. I’m so sorry, peanut. I never meant for this to happen.” He pulled a sweatshirt over my head and handed me a thick envelope, closing my hand around it. “This will get you guys on your feet. I wrote everything down that you need. You can never return to Mississippi, Darcie. Do you understand?”
“Never?” I asked, the words not making sense.
“No. This is the last time I can see you or contact you. From this point forward, you’ll be a ghost. I’m sorry this had to happen. I didn’t mean for it to end this way. I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me someday.”
“Tank, we need to go.”
My dad sucked in a breath and leaned forward, kissing me on the forehead. “Listen to Mad Dog; he’ll take care of you. Go.”
I nodded, somehow managing to get off the bed. I avoided looking at the man knocked out on the floor. I avoided looking anywhere but right in front of me. A backpack was placed over my arms, and the hood was pulled up on the hoodie. Maddox peered down, pushing my hair into the hood.
“You with me, Runt? Just a few steps, and we’re home free, okay?”
I nodded, trusting him to get me somewhere safe. It used to be this club, but that was no longer accurate.
He took my hand, the callouses a comfort I needed, grounding me enough to make my legs move. I didn’t look back, I didn’t say goodbye to my father, and I didn’t look at the man who’d just raped me. I couldn’t. Keeping the hood up, I focused only on the two steps in front of me.
Two steps.
Then two more.
Then two more.
Before long, we were outside, and I felt a weight lift off me. Maddox pulled me toward his bike, and I followed.
It was the snap of a twig that had me startling, jumping to the side as Chase stepped out of the shadows.
“And just where are you two headed? You wouldn’t be running away with my bride-to-be, would you, Mad Dog?”
“Chase,” I croaked. At the sound, he looked down at me, taking me in. His eyes drifted over my whole frame, and I saw the moment he realized something wasn’t right. He dropped the cocky guy act, stepping forward in concern.
“Darcie, what happened? Are you okay?” It was the boy of my childhood, the one who played house and baked cookies with me when his sister wouldn’t. I hadn’t seen that side of Chase in years.
“Your father’s what happened,” Maddox growled, stepping in front of me.
“My father? Wait, what?” Chase kept trying to peer around the brute in front of me to see me.
I touched Maddox’s arm, stepping around. “Yes, your father, he um,” I said, my lip starting to tremble. “He came to visit me.”
Thankfully, it was all I needed to say as I saw understanding flash across his face.
“Shit. I’m so sorry, Darcie. He hasn’t been the same the past year. I don’t know what’s changed, but something big is coming. I…” He scrubbed the back of his head, pulling at his dark locks as he debated. “Here.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out money, a phone, and a business card. “It’s not much, but hopefully, it will help. Call me when it’s safe. It’s untraceable.”
“Like fucking hell will I do that,” Maddox said, stepping back in front of me. “You need to turn and go inside now before I decide to punch you out cold like dear old dad.”
“Listen, shit for brains, I don’t care what happens to you, but I do her. I wasn’t on board with this whole marriage thing, but I didn’t want her to be raped by my father either. No one deserves that. So, I want to help. I care about her enough to not want my father to have his clutches in her. You don’t have to like me, but know that.”
Chase breathed heavily, and I heard the sincerity in his voice. I reached out, taking the items he offered. “Thank you, Chase.” Stepping forward, I kissed his cheek and then walked over to Maddox’s bike. He stood staring at Chase, probably debating punching him, but eventually turned and placed our stuff in his saddlebags. He straddled the bike, revving his engine, and turned, waiting for me.
I stepped forward, the thought of spreading my legs uncomfortable, but I knew I needed to do it to get out of there. Sucking in a breath, I straddled the bike, holding onto him tight, pressing my face into his back as I winced at the pain. Clinging to him, I cried into his back as we drove off, leaving the only home I’d ever known behind.