Chapter Fourteen
Remy
V oices echoing from outside the door have me pressing myself back into the corner of this gross room. Since hoisting Jovie through the little window, I’ve been going through all my options. There isn’t really a lot other than to fight with all I have. I’m not sure exactly where we are being kept, which means I’m not sure how far Jovie had to go to look for help. I can only hope that she found a nice mom or nana to take her to safety.
The voices get closer to the other side of the door, and I realize one voice sounds off. Moving toward the door of my prison, I press my ear to the door, hoping to hear a little better.
I think the voice sounds off because it’s on speaker phone. The other voice sounds a lot like Jovie’s dad. I can’t quite make out all the words, but Jovie’s asshole father sounds even more unhinged than usual. The lock clicks and the door is thrown open before I can get to a safe distance on the other side of the room.
“What the fu-” He looks around the room, eyes darting to the now uncovered window before it dawns on him that Jovie’s not here.
“Where the fuck is my kid, bitch!?” He snarls, getting in my face, his big hand grips me, squeezing my cheeks tightly, so even if I wanted to answer I couldn’t, anyway.
Getting annoyed with my lack of response, he shoves me backwards onto the mattress. I jump up as fast as I can, but he kicks my legs out from under me, then wrestles me onto the mattress, his gross boner digging into my thigh.
“Keep fighting bitch, I love it when bitches fight. You should have seen Jovie’s mom when I sold her. Fought for all she was worth, and she still ended up dead.” An evil grin covers his scabby, scarred face.
Instead of lying dormant I pull my head back as far as I can and then slam my forehead into his nose, blood exploding over both of us as he rolls off me, covering his face and screaming obscenities.
My vision blurs slightly from where I probably got a little too much of his forehead in that hit, smooshing my glasses into my eyes, but I don’t care. I get up and kick his balls before jumping over him and making a run for it. Pumping my legs as fast as I can, I’m able to see what looks to be the door. I head in that direction only to have my head snap back when something grabs the back of my short hair, pulling me down to the ground.
“Now, now Remy girl, where ya heading to? We’re only just getting this little party started.”
Snake grins down at me and even though my hair is burning as he drags me back into the little room, I don’t go easily. I scratch and kick, twist and try to bite.
“Shit, Remy, I don’t know where all this piss and vinegar came from, but Hammer is going to love to fuck it out of you. I will too. You know how Hammer loves to share.”
He smirks down at me and I seriously wonder if vomiting on the guy will gross him out enough to loosen his grip. He throws me into the room, where I land on the gross mattress for the fourth time in one day.
Jovie’s dad is cursing his head off and instead of beating on him, Snake grabs him, looks deep into his eyes and says, “Find that girl. Her buyer will be here in two days.”
I can feel the bile rising along with my anger. That bastard sold his wife and now he’s sold his daughter. I get the urge to launch myself at him again, but that’ll do me no good. I need to regroup. Be smart about this. I have hours before anyone will be able to locate me, probably. Like I told Jovie, sometimes we need to help ourselves. I may not be able to stop Hammer right now, but with enough time I will be able to stop Jovie’s dad. And maybe even Snake. All I need to do is bide my time and try to get as much information as I can.
“So what’s the plan? Sell me and Jovie? How much did we make you greedy bastards?”
“Whoa! Look at little Miss Remy with the bad language,” Snake grins at me like I’m a silly little girl.
“There’s more where that came from, asshole,” I mutter to myself.
Snake’s grin drops and he crouches down, crawling towards me, crowding me until I’m pressed up against the wall. He’s straddling my legs, pinning them to the mattress so I can’t kick out. He sneers down at me, his nose touching mine.
“You want to know the plan? That sweet little girl you were protecting will be sold to a man in South Africa. He loves little biracial girls. Eats them for breakfast. Like’s breaking their spirit until they’re nothing more than broken little dolls littering his basement.” He licks a stripe up my neck, making me shiver in disgust before whispering in my ear, “As for you, my sweet, well, Hammer has owned you for years.”
He pulls back, smiling in glee at the horror he must see on my face. Not for me, but for Jovie.
“Hammer doesn’t own me. No one does.” I have no idea how I push the words out without stammering. This can’t be real.
He clicks his tongue “Oh, but that’s not true, little miss. Hammer bought you from your slut mother when you were 3 years old. It was even better when Flack took you from her and brought you home. He could watch his investment grow. Who do you think told your dad that cursing wasn’t ladylike? Hammer has been in Flack’s ear, shaping you to be his perfect woman since you came to live with us. Who you are today is because that’s who Hammer wanted you to be.”
I recoil in horror, the back of my head hitting the wall. The extra attention he’d paid me as I was growing up never quite made sense. Sunny never got birthday presents from Hammer. I just thought the Pres was being nice. My hand covers my mouth as the gravity of what Snake is telling me sinks into my brain. I shrink back onto the mattress and ignore Snake’s laughter as he walks out, closing and locking the door behind him.
What the hell? Is it true? Did my dad know? Surely he didn’t. Flack may be many things, but he is a good father. I mean, he led the charge to get rid of Hammer. He sent me to DRMC to learn. And to keep me safe. It dawns on me then. He got rid of Hammer. He sent me away. I thought it was because of what I had overheard. Because of what I told him. He knew months ago and set everything in motion, but he never told me. Always protecting me and in doing so, he made me weak. I will not be that weak, invisible person anymore. I’m going to be like Chewy and Ana and Nat. I was raised as the daughter of the VP of a 1% club. I’m my father’s daughter. I will tear Hammer and Snake apart with my bare hands if it means mine and Jovie’s freedom.
Wire
With Chewy by my side, I storm down the hall with a plan of attack. We have narrowed it down to three buildings where Jovie could have run from. It might not be accurate given that the brave six-year-old was terrified and it was nearing dark, but it’s all we’ve got.
“We have got three locations where Remy could be-”
“And you’re going to tell the police those three locations, aren’t you, baby?”
My head snaps up, clocking my momma, standing full force in the middle of the room.
“Momma, what are you doing here?”
Momma squints at me, lips pursed. “I’m here updating everyone on the investigation. Sergeant Davies was lovely enough to call and let me know that tomorrow morning, Tank and Sniper will be interviewed by the police. I will be there with you both.” She says as the eyeballs them until they nod. “Oh, also, he wanted to know why the hell three DRMC riders were seen at The Grove trailer park earlier this evening when I remember telling you all to lie low. Care to explain?”
“His Ol Lady has been taken. We have to get her back. They were canvassing the last known address of the kidnapper,” Chewy casually throws out there.
Judging by the intake of breath from my brothers, the Death Riders, Roman and the Tombs, I doubt anyone saw that coming.
“Remy?” Jules asks, with a squint. I nod in return. “Figures. It was only a matter of time.”
“Your Ol Lady, huh? And when were you gonna tell your momma?”
“After I told her?” I end on a question and watch momma’s eyes widen in shock.
“What about your internet friend?”
“Well, that’s the kicker. It’s the same person!” Chewy crows.
At this, my momma’s face softens. She knows what Retta means to me.
“Hold up, you’re Mags?” Flack comes to stand in front of me, eyeing me up and down.
“Yeah. Chewy figured it out when both Retta and Remy went missing.”
“Well, I’ll be damned. You were the best thing that happened to my girl. Helped her through a shit ton. I’d be happy to welcome you to the family. Not as great as this one -” Savage’s snort interrupts him “- but it’s still family.” Flack slaps me way too hard on the back before heading back to the Death Riders’ table.
I look at my momma expectantly. She purses her lips as she thinks, looking around at the large group gathered around that are waiting for her to say the word.
“You said there were three locations?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re serious about this girl?”
“Yeah” I can feel a small smile playing on my lips
“And you’ll one day give me grandbabies from this girl?”
Flicking my eyes at Jovie, who is sitting with Debs, I can see that happening sooner rather than later.
“Yeah.”
Momma narrows her eyes even further before turning to Marx.
“Marx, call in a favor from your old friend, Moss Davies. Let him know you’re sending out three pairs of men to do a quick grid search of the streets. Quietly check the locations Wire and Chewy found. If you think she’s being held in one of them, radio or phone or whatever, to the other two teams. The other two teams will call in the police to check their locations, drawing the heat off whoever has found her. The rest is up to you to decide.”
Momma looks around the room to make sure we all understand her instructions. My brothers all nod, smiles growing on their faces.
“I’m going. Behave, don’t get arrested or killed.”
Momma kisses my cheek before gathering her briefcase, waving to everyone and then clip clopping out the door.
“Well, it looks like Wire’s momma has solved our problems with how the hell we’re gonna be able to ride out without getting arrested. Fox and Nitro, you take one location. Rider and Savage, the next. Wire and Flack, the third. Chewy, you’re eyes until Wire gets back.” Chewy salutes him, because of course she does.
A throat clearing has us looking at Gus. “We’ll each follow with an SUV. We don’t know what we’re walking into, whether there are others that need help.”
Marx gives him a nod, his shoulders relaxing some. “Go and bring back our girl.”