Chapter Eight.
Dynamo
Who the fuck did Warden think he was? I was still fuming four hours later when I hit the road that led to where I’d been held.
The address was etched in my brain. I couldn’t ever forget it or the room I was kept in.
I parked on a slight hill and looked down.
There was nothing but ruins. The walls had collapsed, and burned embers showed there’d been an intense fire.
Vogue.
Shrugging, I turned away and rode towards the Montreal Chapter. I’d not told Teller I was coming, and I couldn’t tell you why I had. I pulled up in front of their clubhouse and took a few moments. The prospect on door duty eyed me suspiciously.
Finally, I climbed off and approached the entrance.
“Members only,” he said.
“Fuck off, prospect.” I went to pass, and he stopped me.
“Lady, I don’t know who you are, but this is for members only.”
I pointed at my patch, and he shrugged. “Women ain’t allowed to wear a patch. Take it off now, before I beat your ass.”
My fist shot out, and I knocked him senseless and entered the clubhouse. I glanced around looking for Teller, and a guy got up.
“Dynamo?” he asked, sounding shocked. Vicious, the Veep.
“I need to see Teller,” I replied. “And your prospect is outside, unconscious. Not a bright spark, that one.”
“That’s my family,” a huge brother said.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t brag about that. Claims women ain’t welcome in the Royal Bastards. He’s learned a lesson. Threatened to beat my ass, a real fuckin’ charmer.”
Vicious snorted. “Teller’s this way.”
“Thanks.” I felt eyes on me, but none were threatening or sympathetic. More respectful. Vicious knocked and let me inside Teller’s office. He looked surprised as I entered.
“Dynamo. This is a surprise,” he said, getting up and offering his arm. I clasped elbows with him and sat down. “What can I do for you?”
“Do you think I’m a victim?”
Teller blinked, and he was trying to figure out why I was asking. “In what way?”
“You found me.”
“You wanna know what I thought?”
“Yes.”
“I saw a fuckin’ courageous woman who’d survived hell.
It was obvious what those fuckers had done, but you’d broken free and taken revenge.
None of us had any idea what was going on, but you were alive and fighting.
You scared the hell out of us, and I nearly pissed myself. ” Teller chuckled, and I smiled grimly.
“Dynamo, you defended yourself and refused to bow. Pinned us to the wall to prevent anyone from harming you again. Damn brave, fuckin’ special, and someone I’m proud to call sister,” Teller said bluntly.
“You didn’t see a rape victim?”
“Yeah, I did. But that isn’t you. Rape is something that happened to you, but it’s not you.
You ain’t a victim. You’re a fighter, a survivor, and a strong woman.
Dynamo, you don’t need my validation; you don’t require anyone’s.
You got raped. So fuckin’ what? Sure, it’s traumatising, but it doesn’t change how we or your chapter see you.
I can’t emphasise: I’ve not been raped, and I get it had to be soul-destroying, especially with your abilities.
“I hurt for you, as do most of us, but not a single brother believes you’re weak or anything else.
Strong as fuck—yeah. Rape isn’t about sex, but is about control and fear.
Those assholes wanted to break you and failed.
Rape is not a part of your personality; it was something done to you.
You choose what you do with that,” Teller said firmly.
“I don’t want to be the victim.”
“Then don’t. Simple as that, Dynamo. Pick a path and head down it. Don’t matter what happens, I’ll support you, as will Warden and your family.”
“I failed them,” I whispered.
Teller frowned. It was a frightening look on him. “How?”
“I got taken. They didn’t know where I was. Shit hit the fan,” I replied.
“Yeah, it did. But you fought and escaped. Broke free. Nobody looks at you like that. It’s your mind telling you that crap, Dynamo,” Teller said firmly.
That struck home. My thoughts were betraying me. Teller was right. I’d fallen into the trap McKay and the others wanted me to. I had to regain ownership of my power and myself.
“Can I stay for a couple of days? To get my thoughts sorted?” I asked.
“Yup, but you talk to someone while you’re here. Get your head straight, Dynamo, you’re a kick-ass sister and a member of the Royal Bastards. We don’t give up on our people,” Teller ordered.
I nodded. He was right.
Clubs around the country had searched for me, simply because I was part of the Camden chapter. That meant something. And I owed it to myself and them to heal.
Warden
“Dynamo’s safe. She’s talking to a brother and getting it off her chest,” Teller said.
“Dynamo’s walking a tightrope with her temper,” I warned.
“We can handle her, and my prospect learned that. You find McKay and his assholes. She’s also told me there’s suspected trafficking in your area. Dynamo needs to be in on the takedown,” Teller stated.
“You think so? It might be better for her to avoid it,” I argued.
“Warden. That shit exists, don’t matter how many try to stamp it out; it’ll keep evolving. Dynamo will come across it several times in her life. What we do now will determine how she handles it. We can let her sink or swim.”
“True. My protectiveness in this instance is holding her back.”
“Yeah, brother. From one president to another, give her this space and time. She’ll come around because she’s a damn strong woman. I’ve seen her strength and believe in it. Dynamo won’t fall because we won’t allow her to.”
I hung up thoughtfully. No more avoiding what happened to her.
That wasn’t helping Dynamo, and she needed our love and support.
She always had it, but we’d shown it the wrong way.
We’d treated Dynamo like some gentle innocent.
She wasn’t. Dynamo was a badass bitch, and we had to respect that.
Sure, she was hurt and injured right now, but we could heal her and would.
Mike
It had been two weeks since the clubhouse. Whatever Romeo had tried had failed on the three of us. Perhaps it was our mental conditioning, but a can of worms had been opened that night. We’d played dumb as we left, but once back, we figured out Romeo had telepathy.
Jude had questioned me relentlessly about whether I’d known about their abilities, and I’d admitted I’d had some inkling.
Instead of being furious, he’d wanted to know more and had begun digging.
Now we’d identified various members of the MC with psychic skills.
That made for an interesting potential relationship.
For now, we were going to let them be, but we had eyes on them.
We’d finally got a lead on the trafficked women, too.
After being held for a month, I dreaded to think of their condition.
Jude and I had been busy putting a plan together, and I was going with them.
Caleb, our comms, was staying behind. We planned to hit them tonight, so I’d told the girls we were having a sleepover, which they’d been cool with.
Particularly as their ‘uncles’ loved to spoil them.
That allowed me time to think, which wasn’t the best idea.
It had been a fortnight since I’d last seen Dynamo and triggered her.
The guilt had swamped me, especially as her reaction had been so visceral.
I’d never wanted a woman to react like that, and Dynamo had gutted me.
Her pain had been tangible, and even Jude knew he’d screwed up.
We’d overstepped. Dynamo had left Maine and headed for Montreal.
I’d tracked her to the chapter clubhouse there. Had she transferred?
It weighed on my mind for several days, and I debated what to do. I didn’t want to be the reason Dynamo felt she couldn’t return to Camden.
“Hey, are you ready to ride out?” Gage asked, sticking his head in.
“Sure.”
I headed outside to one of the SUVs I was riding in with Gage, Jude, Tomahawk, Freddie, and Spawn. In a van was the rest of the team, and after a systems check, we drove out. The target was a disused warehouse on the waterfront. Smack bang on the water for the rich asshole buyers to sail off.
The auction for them was happening tonight, and they’d been moved last night to get them ready for sale.
This whole thing sickened me. The people behind this were scum of the earth.
They deserved to take their victim’s place.
Most would end up with a bullet. Tomahawk and Freddie were heading to the tiny harbour to track which assholes were attending.
As we surrounded the warehouse and waited for Jude to give the command, I was surprised to see figures strolling up to it out in the open.
“What the fuck?” I whispered. I stared in disbelief at the Royal Bastards walking into the warehouse.
“They’re involved?” Jude demanded.
“The way they just entered, those fucks are running it,” Gage muttered.
“Christ, they trafficked one of their own,” I growled, feeling sick. What the hell had Dynamo done to deserve that? How could they look her in the face? Worse, how was I supposed to tell her?
I was worrying about the revelation when the gunshots started.
“Stay in place,” Jude ordered, and I murmured an affirmative.
Several customers fled from the warehouse as I watched Dynamo appear, her hands raised.
Confusion was not the name for what I was feeling.
Was she a part of this now? Damn, they’d broken her that badly that she’d sacrifice others to this.
She flung the group of people back against a wall, and a guy I knew as Blister came into view. He was the SAA for the club. Holding a gun on them, Blister covered Dynamo while she quickly zip-tied the captives.
“Shit, they’re busting the ring,” Jude hissed at the same time as I realised what the Royal Bastards were doing.
“What?” Gage whispered.