Chapter 11
Anchor
My jaw ticks as I watch Summer, the love of my fucking life, the woman I tried to forget, cower in the corner of my room, completely naked, her head tucked against her cut knees as her body trembles and it takes fucking everything in me not to try and hold her again as I stand stoic near the door, giving her the space I know she needs right now.
I rub my jaw where a bruise is most likely forming, not taking my eyes off Summer.
When we got back to the clubhouse, everyone looked at me in shock as I carried her inside, all wanting answers but no one getting them, my sole focus, getting her to my room and decide the next step.
Deciding whether or not my mind will comprehend that she’s been in that place this whole fucking time, but as soon as I got inside my fucking room, the sedative had worn off, and Summer, well, she fought me, punching me, which caused me to fucking drop her at the shock more than anything and she ran to the corner and hasn’t moved since.
That was an hour ago.
My heart is pounding, and fear consumes me as I watch her murmur my name repeatedly, pleading with me to save her.
This is all my fucking fault.
Instead of driving off, I should have confronted her.
“Brother,” Tank rasps as he comes inside my room, and I shake my head.
“She won’t speak, won’t look at me, won’t give up the fight she’s clearly had to have since being there, won’t accept the blanket.” I choke, not looking away from her shaking body, “She’s still muttering for me under her breath, brother.”
“She’s not with reality,” Doc says, coming into the room but not moving further than where I am seeing her tense, clearly sensing more men around her, her fighting senses kicking in, knowing her surroundings.
She’s had to learn to focus on all her senses.
“She’s had it in her head that you were with her for so long, your strength getting her through the horror, she doesn’t think that you're real,” Tank explains, and Doc hums in agreement.
“She’s still bleeding, Doc, yet she won’t let anyone near her.” I choke, and he grips my shoulder.
“I can try,” Rose whispers from behind, and I look to see her, still in her nurses outfit, and Stone looking at my girl with heartbreak.
Rose looks at me, tears glistening in her dark green eyes, and she says, “I know I work mainly with young children, but I doubt she’d want to have a man near her right now. ”
Fuck, I’m so grateful for a heart of gold with an amazing soul like Rose being in our lives. Stone’s lucky she forgave him.
I give her the nod of approval, and I watch as she takes a deep breath, shakes out her hands, and slowly walks towards Summer.
My girl flinches and cowers further into the corner sensing someone close to her, breaking my fucking heart.
“Summer,” Rose whispers as she gently crouches before my girl, who croaks, “My name is number two…” her voice raw and quiet.
My jaw ticks, and Stone clamps his hand on my shoulder to keep me centered.
“No,” Rose denies, “your name is Summer and I promise you, you are safe. Can you look at me?”
Summer slowly lifts her head with caution, and I suck in a breath finally getting a good look at her injury on her neck just as Doc whispers, “Fuck, she was choked.”
The purple bruise around her neck comes into sight, and I swear, if Stone didn’t clamp harder on my shoulder, I would destroy this room.
Rose gently cups her cheek, making my girl flinch and try to move away from her but Rose doesn’t deter and turns her head and looks at her injury before she looks at us, her tears falling as she chokes, “You men go to church, I’m going to help clean her up, if she needs any stitches, I’ll come get Doc or Tank, but I think this is all too much for her. ”
I instantly shake my head, not willing to leave her, and Rose pleads, “Please, Anchor.”
I look at Summer and see her staring at her wrists, which are cut, and the image of the chains hits me again, and without a word to anyone, I storm out of my room and head towards church before I do something I’ll regret.
“Son?” Dad questions, but I ignore him and my worried step-mama, both confused about who Summer is, and walk into a packed church, the Untamed brothers, the officer brothers, and Cannon with his men all squished inside.
The men make room for me, along with Doc and Stone, and I frown, looking for Tank.
“He has stayed outside the door,” Stone admits, and I swallow hard but nod, the urge to run back to my room high, but Doc stands in front of the door, seeing where my mind has gone.
“Right,” Cannon says, “let’s get the first bit over and done with… Anchor,” I look at the big fucker who has for some reason decided to take charge despite being in our fucking clubhouse, and he asks, “Who is the girl?”
I swallow hard, shit, that is why he’s taking charge.
He continues, “Now, I saw your reaction which is why I didn’t get in your way but we had an agreement that no one touches the cages until law enforcement asked for our help with the victims, yet you are carrying one out who Doc had to sedate?”
“She’s Summer,” I admit before he can continue on his angered rampage, worried about his men being implicated by me opening that cage door, and his mouth drops open in shock. I nod and say, “Yeah, my girl who left me for that fucker that is a part of your group, your traitor, she’s my Summer.”
“Fuck,” he chokes while every brother looks at me in shock.
“Did he have something to do with her being there?” Flame asks, already aware of who the fucker is, and I shrug.
“I can’t get two words out of her,” I confess, “When she woke from her sedative, she lashed out, punched me, then cowered in the corner muttering for me but not realizing I was in the room with her. She’s not understanding that we’ve saved her, that I’m here.”
Doc continues, “Rose is now helping her shower, being a female she thought it was better if she did it and she’ll assess Summer’s injuries but by the scratch marks on the wall where her cage was, she’s been there for a long time and by the star shaped scratches, according to a woman in cage number five, Summer had three babies kicked from her so we’ll only be able to assess the most recent injuries, for further testing’s, we’ll need to sedate her. ”
I flinch like I’ve been shot and look down, my eyes stinging, my heart breaking.
The brothers all curse, and I swallow hard, trying to control my emotions, before looking at a shocked Cannon and demand, “Gabriel?”
He better be fucking dead, even if it isn’t by my hands, he better be ash right now.
Cannon winces, and I growl as he admits, “Got away with his leader.”
My breathing picks up and Stone grips my arm to stop me from lashing out as Doc announces, “The club is going on semi-lockdown, all old ladies and kids are to have a prospect with them until the fuckers are found, we’ll all now be targeted!”
Axel speaks up, “It shouldn’t take too long to find them, Doc.
It’s only those two left. All the others are dead —we made sure of it.
Flame and Dirty checked all the cameras and phone logs found, and not one person in this town was part of the organization.
There are a few feelers in the surrounding towns, and they are now tracking them down with Sky’s help through the phone, which is they aren’t in here. ”
“I’ve also given the list of names of men and women that went there to get their kinks out, paying to rape the victims to the feds and as we speak, every one is getting arrested, though apparently some higher ups that were involved.
At least seven on the list are already dead, logged as suicide,” Dirty adds and the brothers all nod.
Doc says, “Good, but brothers, keep your fucking eyes peeled, it only takes one chance for them to nab one of our own,” I feel his eyes on me as he finishes, “Summer will be their target, she was number two, the most wanted, that is what the woman above her said.”
I flinch again, my stomach tightening knowing how much trauma she most likely had to deal with being one of the most wanted, always fighting back.
“What about number one?” I hear Ace ask.
Cannon clears his throat and admits, “Number one was Virginia.”
“Fuck!” Trigger snap, pulling at his hair, and I look away, not able to see his guilt, knowing his mistress, who he killed, the one who helped orchestrate his old lady’s rape, was their number one girl in that place, being there willingly.
A guilt I know will consume him, and I swear to fuck if he tries to kill himself again.
“Right, Trigger, don’t do anything fucking stupid or I’m calling Ash,” Doc threatens, his mind going exactly where mine is going causing Trigger to growl with frustration and anger but Doc ignores him and continues, “A prospect is being put back on your ass whether you like it or not, especially after that revelation and I’m going to get Ash to get you in to see your therapist. Stone organize prospects for the old ladies and the kids.
Axel, you need to do the same with your club and the same with you, Cannon,” both nod in agreement while Trigger groans with frustration and Doc looks at me, “How do you want to play this with Summer? Because brother, with what she’s been through… ”
“I’m going to try and speak to her,” I admit quietly, “I’ll see if she can remember hearing them say anything that could help us find the fuckers quicker, and I, fuck, I need to know how long she’s been there for.”
“Okay,” Doc says, “we’ll follow your lead, brother.”
I nod in thanks before looking around the room and seeing every man showing me they will stand behind me and I turn and walk out of church.
“Anchor!” my dad snaps as soon as the door open, and I just put my hand up as I walk through the common room, heading to where the officer brothers bedrooms are, but he growls, “No, you need to fucking explain what is going on!”
I chuckle darkly and look at my dad and sneer, “I don’t need to tell you fuck all, I’m an officer brother.”
His eyes soften seeing my pain as my step-mama wraps her hand around his arm and she whispers, “We’re just wondering what we’re dealing with here, sweetheart. You brought one of the victims back and I need to know if I need to call your mama…”
“She’s my Summer,” I admit to the room, and everyone freezes, all knowing I had found the one I wanted to claim, but she cheated and I walked away.
I shake my head and walk away, not able to see my step-mama’s tears, suddenly really fucking glad my sister is fucking some frat guy and stays at his place a lot. I get to my door and I take a deep breath as I slowly open it, coming face-to-face with Rose, whose tears stain her cheeks.
“Rose?” I whisper with fear.
She sniffles, shakes her head, then chokes, “She has over nineteen whip lashes on her back, several burn marks and knife slashes in between her thighs and lower area and god knows how much trauma inside.”
Fuck.
She quickly puts her hand over her mouth, trying to stop the sob from coming out, and my tears fall.
“S-She screamed throughout her whole shower and blacked out, Tank had to help me get her dried and dressed before he did his tests while she was out of it.” She admits with a little cry, then shakes her head and rushes past me and I quickly look at Summer in shock.
I flinch like I’ve been struck by a bat as I lock eyes with my girl’s confused ones that are full of so much fucking pain as she lies curled up.
Her knees to her chest on my bed, wearing my shirt, her ankles cut to shit on show, along with several bruises on her bare legs, and my heart completely sinks.
Fuck.