Chapter 15
KADENCE
The clubhouse was loud. I didn’t know what I expected from a motorcycle club, but it didn’t give me the Sons of Anarchy vibe I thought it would.
I imagined something darker, grungier, with dangerous men lurking in every corner.
Was it stereotypical to think motorcycle clubs catered to violence and drugs?
Did that even happen? I was starting to learn the world was indeed vicious and cruel, so who knew what the Hell’s Reapers did.
The men were what I assumed bikers looked like.
Tattoos, scars, heavy boots, and leather.
If I saw them on the street in the dark, I would be mortified, but that stereotype was debunked when they saved me.
Scary men could be murderous teddy bears, while men in three piece suits could be vicious assholes who inflicted pain and misery.
It was late. I’d been at the clubhouse for three days now, and this was the first time I decided to step out of my room.
If I stayed locked in there anymore, I would go insane.
When I stumbled into the kitchen, I froze seeing a pretty girl with black and purple hair laid out on the dining table, being well, a meal for two burly, half-naked bikers.
They were all focused on what they were doing, and I was flabbergasted.
I wasn’t a prude by any means, but my brain didn’t know how to process what was in front of me.
“Fuck, Sin,” the woman moaned loudly as her hands went to the man’s disheveled hair.
All of these men had weird names. Then, our eyes met when she propped herself up on her elbows.
“Oh, uh, baby, stop.” She swatted at his head, and the man pulled back.
Two more pairs of eyes met mine, and I was standing there like a deer in headlights about to be hit by an eighteen wheeler.
My eyes went to the man—Sin—and then the other one who was behind the girl.
The woman grabbed a discarded shirt that was on the side of the table before leaping off of it and stumbling slightly.
“I’m sorry about that. Blaize and Hawke said we had a guest, but I thought we were okay.
” She ran her hand awkwardly through her hair. “I’m Layla. Are you Kadence?”
I nodded, my words still caught in my throat. Speak, Kadence. It’s not like you haven’t watched people fuck before. “I-I’m sorry for interrupting.”
Layla smiled softly, a glint shining in her hazel eyes. “It’s okay. Normally, we’d keep going, but it’s not polite when you don’t know us from Adam.”
I laughed, some of the awkward tension leaving me. “I guess seeing your tits and seeing your…boyfriend?” she nodded and I continued, “going down on you in the kitchen is one way to make a friendship.”
“Yeahhh.” She laughed. “What can I say, I love those two.”
“So you’re dating both of them? The scary one and the even scarier one?”
“Sin was the one between my legs. It’s one hell of a way to meet him. And Ranger. They look scary, but they are the best men I have ever met. Our love story puts Disney princesses to shame.”
My brow curved in curiosity. “Did they kidnap you or something?”
“Haha, no. We hooked up in the diner I was working in back in California, and I quit my job and came back with them the next day. My sister said I was stupid, and my brother was skeptical, but it’s been the best four years of my life. I love them both so much.”
“And the public sex?”
She bit her lip. “Yeah, let's just say they let me explore a lot. I was a sheltered kid and they let me be myself.”
Layla and I spent the next two hours talking about everything.
It felt odd talking with ease and without the fear of being used or hurt by someone.
Growing up, I didn’t have friends or people I could confide in.
My life was the definition of pitiful and tragic, but maybe Westhaven could give me the fresh start I so desperately wanted.
The sound tore from my throat before I realized what was happening. I was trapped in a nightmare, suffocating, but then I felt…something—someone was grabbing me, their rough hands holding me down. I thrashed violently, kicking and twisting.
“Stop! Get off me!” I screamed, clawing at the sheets.
There was a bright light before someone grabbed my arm. Another scream ripped from my lungs. My fist connected with something solid, but I didn’t register the pained grunt or the body leaving my bed. There were still shadows, pain and panic engulfing me as I tried to breathe, but it was impossible.
The looming figure was talking, but I heard nothing. My ears were ringing, my pulse screaming so loud it drowned everything else out. They went to touch me, but terror rose in me and instead of screaming, I sobbed.
“Please, don’t,” I choked out.
There was more commotion as more bodies filled my room and familiar hazel eyes filled the dark void.
“Hey, it’s okay, Kadence.” Layla’s voice cut through the panic, and everything slowly came into view.
“Look at me,” she said gently, her hands caressing my cheeks. “You’re okay. It was just a nightmare.”
The fear didn’t leave me immediately, but it eased slightly.
My breathing was frantic, and my heart beat was racing.
There was a sheen of sweat on my skin and my side hurt, but I didn’t think I was bleeding.
The Reapers were gathered around my room, and I glanced to the side where I saw a man. His lip was bleeding.
“D-did I…”
He wiped his lip. “It’s fine, darlin’. My mama taught me never to grab a woman when she’s panicking, and I guess I didn’t listen. You got one hell of a right hook.”
“I-I’m s-sorry.” My body started to tremble.
“I got her, boys,” Layla insisted. “Is Doc awake?”
“I’ll get him, baby,” Ranger said.
The rest of the Reapers slowly left my room. “You’re okay. You wanna talk about it?”
I shook my head. “I’m okay. The nightmare can be just bad sometimes. I’m sorry for waking everyone up and hitting...”
“That’s Cross. I love him, but he’s a dumbass. We have plenty of people who have experienced panic attacks and nightmares. He’s out of touch with his human side since he’s been glued to his tech side.”
“I’m just fucked up.” I laughed bitterly. “I’ll be okay. I promise. Thank you for coming in here. I didn’t expect a calvary to save the day.” No one ever came to my rescue until recently, and it was still an odd thing to experience.
She squeezed my hand. “Of course. Reapers look out for folks. While you’re in Westhaven, they will protect you.”
They already proved it. While they were terrifying, I knew they wouldn’t hurt me, but it still didn’t help the fear. One day, my fear wouldn’t be weighing me down, but right now, it was pulling me deeper. My determination was the only thing keeping my head above water.
Doc knocked on the door and stepped in with his bag.
He was a short, white man with graying hair and years etched into his face.
He had a scar on his cheek, going down to his neck.
When he rolled up his long sleeves, I saw more scars, but even more tattoos covering his skin.
He was a sweet man and didn’t ask questions when it came to my injuries or my old scars.
He saw them when they took me out of my old uniform to put me in clean clothes.
All he said was, “Behind every scar, there is a story of survival. You're a warrior. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
He checked me over to make sure I was okay, and inspected my stitches to make sure I didn’t pull them or cause any strain to the wound. “Alrighty, suga’, you’re all good. You want anything to help you sleep?”
I shook my head. “No. I’ll be okay. Thank you.”
“If you need anything, y’know where I am.”
After I took a shower and changed into less suffocating clothes, I crawled back into bed. I had a group of protectors watching over me, and my brain would understand that I was safe soon.