Chapter 6 #2
“One of the guys thought we should make a run for it, but we were all too scared of what would happen if we were caught, so we stayed. The makeshift door flew open and a group of men with guns strapped to their bodies crowded our shoebox-sized space.” Sutton takes a shaky breath.
“We tried to stop them, but…” her eyes drop down, and she pulls her knees up to her chest, resting her cheek on top of them.
My blood is boiling; the need to smash something vibrates through my veins.
I stand to my full height waiting for the next blow that’s going to tip my calmness over the edge.
“They pulled all the girls out and into the field. Had us stand in a line…” My knees wobble, and she takes a deep breath before whispering, “They took turns—”
“Stop!” I shout and drop down on the side of the bed, my knees hitting the floor. I gather her in my arms as if I can shield her from what they did.
“I think I died that day.”
I squeeze the shit out of her, not knowing what else to do to help her.
“Three days later someone brought a phone over to the hut. It was Papa. I thought for sure he was calling to bring me home, but I was so wrong. He told me how disappointed he was in me and how unclean I was now to him. That I was ruined and wouldn’t be of any use to The Fellowship now.”
“You’re not dirty, Angel. Not even close. You’re the purest thing to ever walk this earth. Anyone says otherwise and I’ll put a bullet between their eyes and send them straight to hell,” I promise.
She sobs in my chest and I let her, all the while I start making a list of men I plan to hunt down.
“I was driving back here from the airport and asked God for a sign or a person to show me that I should keep going. The flashing sign of Frankie’s came into view, so I pulled in.
I waited a good ten minutes before I had the courage to get out and step foot into that place.
I saw you sitting there, and the room faded away.
” She shakes her head against my chest, still buried under my chin.
“You looked like an angel when you stepped through the doors. Couldn’t take my eyes off you,” I admit.
“If I was going back to hell, I wanted it to be on my terms. I was going to do things my way until they forced me to submit this time.”
“That’s why you were so nervous when we went back to the office?
” I ask and she nods. “Was I the first one you had sex with after…” I can’t even say the word, but she nods.
“Fuck, Sutton.” I take a hand away from around her and run it through my short hair.
“I fucked you against a wall then over a desk. If I’d have known—”
“No, it was perfect,” she tries to tell me, but I’m finding it hard to believe after what she’s been through.
She grabs both of my cheeks with her palms and lowers my face to look at her.
“I swear it was. It was the best experience of my life, Beckett. It was like I knew that there was a better life waiting for me.”
“God, Sutton,” I say and knock my forehead to hers.
There’s a beeping sound from the front of the house telling me Martha and Zane are back.
“I’ve gotta get going.” She uses the sleeve of my shirt that she’s wearing to wipe her face.
“Get going?” My head whirls to hers as the sound of my three-year-old bounces off the living room walls. “Where the fuck are you gonna go?”
“I have to go back to the farm,” she says to me like I’m the crazy one.
“Over my dead body,” I tell her, pulling a shirt over my head then tossing her some sweats to put on.
As much as I love her in only a shirt and panties, I’m sure my boy is going to run his little ass in here any minute and Sutton probably doesn’t want him telling his friends at school that he saw Ms. Sutton naked in bed.
She groans in frustration, “You don’t understand, if I don’t go back things will only get worse, and then I’ll never be able to leave. They’ll lock me up somewhere or send me on another mission trip.”
“Then why go back at all?” I question. “Why not stay here with me?”
“I’ve been trying to tell you this, but you’re not listening.
My plan has always been to save as much money as I can and get away from The Fellowship.
As far away from here as I can. Papa told me that he has someone he wants to seal me with soon, so I need to get everything in order before that happens and I lose my chance of ever getting out. ”
“Again, why not stay here and let me protect you? The club will protect you from those bastards.”
“I can’t let you do that. I could never live with myself if something were to happen to one of y’all because of me. I already feel horrible about what happened to Trick.”
“Trick knew what the score was and did his job. Angel, this cut means we’ll lay our life down for those protected by the MC,” I tell her.
“Listen, there are things that I need to do and the only way for me to get them is to be around the farm,” she says.
“Like what? What is so important that you’d risk your freedom to go back to that cult?”
“My mama.”
Her words give me pause as she ties the drawstring in a knot and sits gently on the edge of the bed.
“I can have Hawk find her,” I suggest. “He can find just about anyone, and if he can’t, then Raegan can when she’s recovered.”
“Have we heard anything about Raegan?” she asks, changing the subject.
This woman is infuriating.
“Got a text saying that she hasn’t woken up yet, but she had a good night and that her stats are improving. I also had Riot and Rocky go to get you a replacement phone since yours is at the bottom of the lake.”
“Thank you—”
The door bangs against the wall, and my boy comes barreling in with a cape and mask on.
“Daddy, Ms. Sutton!”
“Hey buddy,” Sutton greets him, bending down, and I watch her flinch when he throws himself at her for a hug.
“Wanna play LEGOS?” he asks.
I’m about to decline for her, but she says, “Of course, I’d love to, but I only have thirty minutes. Wanna see who can build the tallest tower that doesn’t fall over?”
“Yeah!”
If I wasn’t already falling for this woman, this would be the moment I did. The way she cares for Zane and how much he loves her back just sealed her fate to me. If she thinks she can leave, she’s got another thing coming. I’ll level that entire fucking cult before I let them take her from me.