Chapter Eight
The morning light shone through the window as Riley groaned and turned over, shielding her eyes.
It appeared she slept the entire night away, making her feel guilty Tara spent it in the windowless room.
She rolled out of bed, showered, dressed, and brushed her teeth, feeling slightly better.
At least her mind didn’t feel as muddled as the night before.
Heading into the kitchen, she pulled out a bottle of acetaminophen and took two tablets, washing them down with tap water.
Surveying the shabby apartment, Riley began to plan.
She grabbed a backpack, put the envelope Garrett handed her in the front pocket, and then added a couple of T-shirts and a pair of jean shorts.
The rest she filled with Tara’s things. She glanced once more around the apartment for anything she might need before walking to the cereal box where she kept her stash of one thousand twenty-two dollars.
Riley learned long ago to keep an emergency fund after her father stole their money and went on a bender while she fed Tara rice for all three meals.
Noticing a note and Stitch’s keys, she assumed Garrett left it, but she didn’t bother reading it. She needed to get to Tara.
Riley sighed and gathered her courage to enter the biker club one more time. It didn’t open officially until eleven in the morning, but drug dealers didn’t keep specific hours, and the police avoided the place as much as possible.
The music blared as she entered the bar and searched for one of the men from the club. One of Kenny’s henchmen sat at the end of the bar, swigging back a beer while he watched the waitress’ ass as she bent over to pick up something from the floor.
Riley approached the man, drawing his attention.
“I need to speak to Kenny,” she said firmly.
“You got his number, call him,” he said as he turned to watch the waitress lean over to grab a beer, showing her ample bosom.
“It got wet. This might surprise you, but when you’re forced into the rain, it happens,” she snarked.
The man’s eyes narrowed on her, trying to intimidate her. Riley refused to give him the satisfaction.
“Fine. Don’t call him. When I inform Kenny you ignored my request, you can explain how you were distracted by her ass,” she said, nodding toward the waitress.
The biker scowled as he took out his phone.
“Yo, Kenny. The girl’s here. Says she needs to speak to you,” he informed his leader.
The biker listened to whatever Kenny told him and hung up. “He says I’m to bring you to the clubhouse.”
Riley waited while he finished his drink and grabbed his keys. If the damned bikers didn’t have her sister, she’d refuse to go with him. Riding with a biker who drank and drove went against every fiber of her soul due to her father’s love of alcohol.
He slid off the barstool and sauntered toward the exit, not caring if she followed him.
Riley climbed onto the back of his bike, securing the backpack around her shoulders.
She clung to his jacket as he drove out of the parking lot and headed toward the rundown, abandoned building they used as a clubhouse.
When they finally arrived, Riley jumped off the back and headed to the front door. Kenny rose from his chair, which sat high on a raised ledge, making him appear like a king peering down at his lowly subjects. His gaze slowly scanned her as Bernice followed beside him, clutching his arm.
“Did you find him already?” Kenny asked.
“I did better than find him. Let me see my sister,” she demanded.
“We didn’t discuss daily visitation rights. You insisted on calling me,” Kenny said smugly.
“Then I guess you don’t want to know what I found out,” she said firmly.
Bernice pulled on his arm, showing her impatience for the information. Kenny yanked his arm away and shoved her to the floor.
“You have five minutes, and you’d better make it worth my while, or I’ll take it out of your hide,” he threatened. “Stitch, get the girl,” he called over his shoulder.
The biker leered at her as he rose and went down the hall.
“I want to speak to her privately,” she said, drawing Kenny’s ire. “She’ll be coming home with me, and I want to assure her you’ll keep your end of the bargain.”
“You can use the corner over there,” he said, pointing toward an old jukebox sitting in a secluded area.
Tara twisted and struggled against Stitch’s rough handling as he led her down the hallway.
“Tara,” she called out.
Her sister stopped, and her eyes scanned the area desperately searching for her. When her eyes landed on Riley, Tara gasped and ran toward her. Riley grunted as Tara hit her full force, jarring her ribs.
“Listen to me,” Riley commanded. “I have the information they want. If they don’t keep their end of the deal, I want you to run.
I’ll catch up.” She stuffed the envelope with her savings in the waistband of her sister’s shorts and tugged the shirt down.
“Don’t go back to the apartment. It’s the first place they’ll search, and Dad may show up.
Get to the bus station and wait for me.”
‘No. I won’t leave without you,” Tara insisted, tears instantly springing in her eyes.
“I won’t be far behind. We’ll stick to our plan and go to Corpus Christi.
If I miss the first bus, take the second and wait at the bus station.
There’s enough money to get a hotel room with your fake ID.
I’ll be there in a day or two at the most. I lucked out.
The man they wanted me to find works for Serenity Ranch.
He accidentally found me, and I got the money. ”
“Then why do we need to run?” Tara asked innocently.
“They don’t play fair and I don’t want you in the crossfire,” she explained hastily as Kenny whistled for them to return.
“‘Kay,” Tara agreed as she clasped hands with Riley and walked toward the bikers. Bernice sneered as Riley placed Tara behind her.
“I have the information you wanted,” she said proudly as she pulled the fat envelope from the front pocket of her backpack.
“He’s working as a ranch hand and he keeps his money at Forge Bank.
” She thrust the envelope into Kenny’s hand.
“Here’s ten thousand dollars. It’s more than enough for a scratch on a bike. ”
Kenny counted the money as Bernice eagerly held out her hands.
“I didn’t ask you to discover his bank. I wanted his account numbers,” Kenny explained.
Riley shook her head. “You wanted to know where he kept the money. He went into the bank and came out with this. I gave it to you. I’m done.”
“You’re done when I say you are,” Kenny said, jerking his head toward Stitch. “Until then, your sister stays here.”
Riley backed up as Stitch moved toward them. She steered Tara toward the door. Stitch gave them a wide, toothless grin as he reached for her. Without thinking, Riley kicked him in the crotch. The man bent over, groaning, and fell into a heap on the floor.
“Run,” she shouted as she propelled her sister toward the door. The sound of heavy boots thudding across the floor let her know the bikers weren’t far behind them. She grabbed Tara’s hand and ran toward the chain link fence. Clasping her hands together, she hiked Tara over the top.
“Wait,” Tara cried. “How will you climb over?”
“I’ll distract them. Do as I tell you and keep your head down,” Riley said as she took off in the opposite direction.
Finding a hole in the fence, she slipped through and ran, holding on to her ribs.
Tara couldn’t be too far ahead of her. Bikes rumbled behind her, and she searched for a place to hide.
They quickly gained on her and rode in a circle around Riley, corralling her.
“Stop,” she screamed as they taunted her, getting closer with their bikes, almost hitting her.
Kenny signaled for them to stop as he stalked toward her, his face turned a menacing red.
He grabbed her by her hair, making her peer up at him.
“Nobody outsmarts me, do you understand? Your little stunt will cost you.” He tossed her to Stitch.
“Hang on to her this time. Take her back to the clubhouse.”
Stitch snarled at her as he grabbed her T-shirt and ripped the shoulder.
“Gladly,” he growled. “I owe her a kick or two.”
Riley scanned the area, searching for Tara, hoping she escaped.
Bernice sat at the bar with her arms crossed as Stitch tossed her inside, making her stumble and fall to the floor.
He didn’t waste any time as he kicked her in the back with his heavy boots, making her cry out in pain.
She curled up into a ball, hoping to protect her organs as he let out his anger.
“That’s enough,” Kenny shouted after what seemed like forever. “Go find the girl.”
“Where’s my car?” Stitch asked.
Riley felt pure fear trickling down her spine as she propped herself up on her arm, still sitting on the floor. “It broke down,” she explained. “The key—"
Stitch roared as he kicked out, hitting her arm. Riley’s face hit the concrete as she hugged her appendage to her chest and cried out in pain. A fist hit the side of her head, making her dizzy.
“Take her to the cell. She’ll be our guest until we find her precious sister, and then, we’ll have a party,” Kenny said cheerfully.
“What about the money, Kenny?” Bernice whined.
“Shut up, Bernice,” Kenny ordered, hostilely. He grabbed Riley by the chin. “Why did he give you the money? Did you tell him we’re here?”
She shook her head. “No,” she croaked out. “He accidentally hit me with his truck and gave me the money because his insurance might take longer.”
“It seems our little Garrett has a heart,” Kenny sneered. “Throw her in the room until I decide what to do.”
Stitch picked her up by her throat, making her claw his hand for air. Her arm throbbed and hung uselessly at her side as she used her nails to dig into his flesh.
He dropped her like a sack of potatoes, making her gasp for air. Unlocking the door, he grabbed the top of her head and yanked her up as he entered the windowless room. Another fist connected to her jaw, knocking her to the floor as he chuckled and slammed the door shut.
Riley whimpered as she rolled onto her back, holding her arm, which already swelled. “Please let Tara get away,” she whispered into the dark.
Tara cried as she watched them haul her sister back to the clubhouse. She managed to stay hidden until the bikers took off toward town. She heard them say they planned to stake out their apartment as they drove away. Music blared, and the remaining bikers seemed to have forgotten about her.
Moving slowly and quietly, she pulled out the envelope Riley stuffed down her shorts.
Her eyes widened when she saw the cash. Her big sister always prepared ahead.
Tara knew if she handed her this much money, she didn’t plan to meet her.
Deciding to help her, she snuck to the back of the clubhouse and glanced inside, searching for her sister.
Sobbing, Tara watched as they hurt Riley. Kenny’s hand glided down her butt, and he gave it a hard squeeze. Bernice stormed up to her sister and slapped her. “You whore,” she screeched. “Stay away from Kenny. He’s mine.”
Tara groaned. Her father often found fault with something she did, and Riley always stood between them. When her father seemed hell-bent to get to her, Riley’s smartass answers always seemed to get the better of him, and he’d end up taking out his frustrations on her.
She trembled as she tried to formulate an escape plan. Her big sister always rode in to save the day. Tara decided this time she needed to finish the job Kenny demanded of Riley. Only then would they be free to start a new life somewhere else, where people didn’t hurt each other.
Her mom always said to search for kindness in the least expected places. Tara ducked down and went through the cut in the fence. She’d stay off the road, find Serenity Ranch, and hoped to hell Garrett Johnson held the key to save them all.