Twenty-Five
S urprisingly nobody did anything to hurt me until they got me to their lair. Ugh. I remembered the place. I’d been there once before, when they decided to let me witness what they did to traitors, so maybe they’d seen it coming before I even attempted it.
I was thrown into the same room that I’d stayed in that night, because of course Raoul was horny as fuck after he’d helped them kill that guy, and he hadn’t let me leave without him slobbering all over me, and using me to get off.
I was left there alone for maybe an hour, and then the door opened and Raoul stepped inside. What I hated about the room was the fact that it had a bed in it. Raoul had always been a brutal man, and sex was one of his favourite weapons.
“Get on the bed, bitch.”
I glared at him from the corner of the room, where I’d been standing for the last damn hour.
“You’ll have to kill me first, asshole.”
He smirked at me then, and how did I ever find that attractive?
“You know I prefer my bitches alive and kicking. I don’t mind if you die during, but I don’t get hard for dead chicks.”
It surprised me that he had any lines he didn’t cross.
“You sure about that? You’re a twisted bastard. At least they stay still if they’re dead.”
He shuddered as he stepped closer.
“But they’re cold, baby, and I prefer to sink my dick into a hot wet body.”
I backed up, determined to keep him far enough away that he couldn’t grab me.
“I’m definitely not going to be wet, and you know that. I don’t want you anywhere near me.”
He kept following me, until I was backed up into the corner. Idiot . I should have jumped across the bed, but there was something stopping me from going near it. I couldn’t do it, not after last time. I couldn’t willingly get on that thing.
He caged me in with his arms, and leaned close.
“Been looking forward to finding you, Alicia. The others want you dead, but I convinced them. I convinced them that you’re worth more alive. Just gotta break that spirit of yours, just enough that you’re easier to handle. I know our clients will want to break the last of your soul.”
No no no. I shoved at his chest, but he barely moved. Chuckling, he reached up to grab my chin in his hand.
“First, you tell me where the drugs are, and then you’re gonna pay us back every penny with your body, like the whore you are. I bet you’ve been letting that biker fuck you, haven’t you? Has he been in that pussy of yours? You’ve been sucking his old biker dick?”
I glared at him as I moved myself into position, and then I slammed my knee up, catching him hard in the groin.
He staggered away from me, his hands cupping his groin.
“You fucking cunt, I’m gonna fuck you up for that. When I’m finished with you, even your precious biker won’t recognise you.”
Big words from the guy who couldn’t even stand up straight right now. I figured that pointing that out was probably a risky move right now though.
“You can’t expect me not to try and defend myself, Raoul. You hold all the cards here, and I’m smart enough to know that. I’m not willing to just lay down and take it anymore. You’ll have to force me.”
“I have no problem with that, bitch. In fact, I’m looking forward to hearing your screams.”
Fortunately I’d bought myself a little time, what with him being temporarily out of commission, even though in the long run, it just might make him more vindictive and vicious with me.
“How about if I tell you where the drugs are, and you let me go? You don’t need me. You don’t… there are much younger women out there. You know nobody will want me. I’ll get the money, and I’ll pay you back every penny, with interest. You’ll have the drugs, and the money.”
“You tried to fucking sell us out to the cops. The only reason you’re alive is because I wanted the privilege of fucking you up personally.” His words sent the expected shiver of terror down my spine. He wasn’t just saying it for the sake of it. He’d follow through on every word.
He pointed to the bed with a sharp jab of his index finger.
“Sit the fuck down on the bed, and think about how you’re gonna make this up to me, because if you fail, and I’ll fuck you until you bleed.”
Reacher
I could hear someone speaking, but it took me a few moments to pick up the words, and recognise the voice. It was Stitch .
“I’m here, brother. Just wake up, please.”
It took me a while to realise that he wasn’t trying to wake me from sleep in my bed at the clubhouse. There was a rapid beeping sound in the room, and that’s when I realised that I was in a hospital.
Jesus. I forced my eyes open, and brightness nearly blinded me.
“Oh thank fuck. Oh god, Reacher, you asshole. I can’t believe you fucking did this.”
It was harder to focus on Stitch’s face than normal, but when I finally did, I saw that he was freaked. Upset. We were alone, but I was definitely in a hospital bed with tubes and shit in my arm. What the fuck. I looked around me.
“What…” My throat was sore, and dry. I swallowed and tried again. “What… happened?”
He glared at me, gripping my un-tube-laden hand in both of his.
“You fucking collapsed on me, you fucker. I was going out of my mind. I thought you were dead!”
I blinked, trying to sort through my memories. All I had was a vague recollection of being in pain.
“I… what?”
“You collapsed. Out of the blue. Clutching your fucking chest. I thought you were having a heart attack!”
I shifted on the bed, and felt pain erupt across my chest again. Oh Jesus, I remembered now.
“Jesus. Did I?”
He shook his head, looking as exhausted as I felt.
“Not as such, no. The doctor said you had a severe stress reaction. Apparently a firm warning that you’re halfway to a fucking heart attack, if you don’t minimise your stress.”
Well, chance would be a fine fucking thing, wouldn’t it?
“ Wish I could … Ice?”
He lifted a hand waving it from side to side.
“He’s a little more with it now. I mean, you’ve been out for about five hours.”
What the… ALLY!
“Jesus. Ally.”
I tried to move, and Stitch put a heavy hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t fucking move. You keeled over, brother, and you’re not going anywhere.”
I had to save her, surely to fuck he could see that. I tried sitting up again, and he shoved me back, trying to hold me down.
“Jesus, calm down. Your heart is racing again.”
A nurse appeared in the doorway then.
“What’s going on in here? You should be resting.”
She started fussing over me, and messing with the machines and the tubes, when what she should be doing is fucking releasing me to find my old lady.
“Update!” I barked at Stitch, who cursed, and then immediately apologised to the nurse. She actually blushed, giving him a sidelong look. Oh great. Here I am, laid up, while my old lady is missing, and he’s making moves on the fucking nurse.
“Got as many brothers on this as I can, Reacher. Well, except for Ice, and the guys still here with him. The hospital were kind enough to let us see the security camera footage of the entrances though.”
The nurse frowned, and I figured he was probably spinning things a little for me. More likely he harassed the hell out of them until they did.
“Continue.”
“Sir, you need to rest. This can wait.”
I caught her eye, and she hesitated.
“The woman I love is in danger. Waiting isn’t going to save her.” Her face fell, and she glanced at Stitch again.
“Try to keep him as calm as possible. This was a warning, and further stress right now could push him into a cardiac event.”
They made it sound like a fucking party by calling it an ‘event’, but it sure as hell didn’t feel like one.
“Thank you,” I muttered, as she sighed and left us alone again.
“Footage showed a bunch of smarmy looking bastards, Spanish, I think. They led her out, I’m guessing at gunpoint, what with your old lady being a feisty mama, and they got into a van outside. I’ve got people tracking it already.”
“We don’t have that capability without Ice or Ally.” Jesus fuck, we were crippled once more by not having more people able to do that shit!
He sighed, lifting his hands in front of him.
“Look, we know someone who can, and I was out of fucking options. Alright?”
“Rossi? Jesus… they got anything?”
“Not yet. Look, I’ll be straight with you, brother. You’re in a hospital bed in a cardiac ward, because you had what looked like a heart attack. You’re not going anywhere for a couple of days, and you’re definitely not going searching for your old lady. You’re gonna have to trust that we have your back, and hers, and we’ll find her. Now… can I trust you to keep your ass in that bed, and do what the doctors say, so that I can concentrate on finding Ally for you? I can’t do that and keep watch over you.”
What a fucking dilemma. Stitch sure knew how to use the guilt card, the fucker. I nodded, because for now, I couldn’t even muster up enough strength to pull the damn tubes from my hand, let alone get out of bed, and race out there to save her. The second I could though, all bets would be off.
“I want constant fucking updates, and anything happens, someone tells me immediately. That’s the only way I can sit here like a fucking lemon, while you guys do what I should be doing. She’s my old lady, and I should be the one saving her.”
It was killing me to fucking sit here and even say those words. She was mine to fucking save. Mine to love and protect. Mine.
He sighed, pressing my shoulder again, which apparently had been trying to leave the pillows once more, using what little strength I had right now.
“Please calm down, brother. I can’t do this job without you, so if you get your stubborn ass killed, or you drop dead from a heart attack, I’ll fucking revive you, so I can kill you myself. Got it?”
I snorted, relaxing back against the pillows, just so I could try and rebuild my strength.
“The very second they say I can leave, I’m out of here, and that’s only if I don’t feel strong enough sooner. She’s relying on me .”