32. Chapter 32
Leigh
I wasn’t dead. That was good. I had a killer headache, though.
I had a fairly decent idea where I was since we’d been scouting them, and were pretty sure we narrowed down their hiding spots. What I wasn’t sure of yet was if this place was just a spot they used, or their current headquarters.
Normally the Bloody Scorpions were disorganized and reckless.
They tried to act like a club but they had no real code, and they all had issues deciding who was really in charge.
But ever since the shit with Reggie had gone down, it seemed that at least some of them were attempting to pull ranks and take over towns. Not for long, though.
As my eyes adjusted, I took in my surroundings. It wasn’t pitch black, but there was very little light and no windows. My wrists and ankles were shackled to the metal folding chair I was slumped over in until I righted myself, shifting until I could sit straight.
The metal chair dragged on the concrete floor as I moved. Muffled voices were outside briefly, but I couldn’t make out what they said. Metal storage racks lined the walls. Some of them held boxes, others were empty or had loose junk and bottles on the shelves.
One of the places we’d narrowed down was an old print shop and its warehouse.
They’d mainly catered to large companies, but were put out of business years ago.
The owner tried to sell the building a few times over the years but never had any luck, and obviously had no other use for it.
It’d been empty for over twenty years. The business had already gone under before the big hurricane hit.
I doubted I was in the warehouse, though. I was in a basement by the looks of it, and it smelled musty as fuck. Plus, it wouldn’t make sense to keep their paper supply below the ground level. Trying to look over my shoulder, I searched for a desk or some indication of where I was being held.
The chair dragged over the concrete again, echoing the screech in the enclosed room as I tried to turn.
Before I was able to turn anymore, the door opened, squeaking while light poured in.
I grimaced at the brightness, then blinked it away, and was met with a woman.
She looked familiar but I couldn’t place her.
She had the look of a biker chick: tight jeans with holes ripped in the knees, a black t-shirt with Poison in colorful type across her tits, and a black leather jacket.
Her dark hair was up in a sleek ponytail and her lips and nails were brick red.
She had on heels, and while most biker women wouldn’t wear them to ride, maybe that was just her thing.
She stared across, her eyes dark slits, made even darker by the heavy black liner that outlined them. My eyes fell to the pistol she grasped at her side, while the other hand gripped her hip that was jutted out. Great. A fucking diva.
“Well…” the woman said, annoyance in her tone.
My brow furrowed. “Well, what?”
She came closer, like she was heading down a catwalk, then stopped a few feet away. She cocked her head, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder, then sucked her teeth before taking her prior stance.
I stared up. “Do you need help with something?”
She rolled her dark eyes. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know me.”
“Listen, I’ve had a lot of women. You look like you’re familiar with bikers, so I’m sorry if we hooked up but I don’t remember you.”
She leaned closer, the gun pressing into my thigh as she braced her hands on my legs. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Lady, you aren’t making any sense. Have you been watching old Bond movies or something?” I asked.
She stood up. “So you do know me?”
My head rolled on my shoulders and I sighed. “Jesus Christ.” I looked at her again. “I just said I don’t. Are you on something?”
“I’m Lady.”
Shrugging, I said, “I meant lady like crazy lady. I didn’t realize that was your name. Can you just get to the point, Lady?”
She shoved the barrel of her gun into my cheek, leaning close again. “You’re either really brave or really stupid.” She gripped my chin with her free hand and pushed my face up. “Easy on the eyes, though.”
I jerked my chin from her hand. “Seriously, what the fuck do you want?”
“Justice. Or revenge. I haven’t decided yet.”
“Well, just like I’ve had a lot of women, I’ve killed a lot of people. And you know what?” I asked, leaning a little in the chair. “I’m not really sorry about either.”
She stared down, her arms crossed over the bright letters on her shirt. “I still can’t figure out if you’re brave or stupid.”
I was feeling pretty stupid for getting myself stuck here. Especially because she was making my headache worse. “Can you just shoot me? I’m sure it would be better than this conversation.”
“You’re not an officer with your club, Leigh.”
“And?” Snark dripped off the word.
Lady paced in front of me. “We were building ranks, securing business. You and your friends slowed us down.”
“I don’t have friends. I have brothers. You have a lot to learn.”
“Maybe someone like you could teach me?”
This bitch was crazier than I thought. “What is it you’re trying to gain? Stop talking in circles and just say what the fuck it is you’re bartering. Because that’s it, right?” I barked. “You want something? So fucking come out with it.”
She leaned down, her face just inches from mine. “I’m looking for a man. And you killed mine.”
Leaning back, trying to put some space between us, I sneered. “Sounds like a personal problem.”
She grinned, her hand kneading my thigh. “You may be able to provide a solution.”
Pressing my boots to the ground, I moved the chair back. “Get your hands off me.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” She stood up. “So combative. I could just kill you.”
“Then do it.”
Waving the gun mindlessly, she began pacing again. “Leigh, if I really wanted you dead, you wouldn’t even be here. You’d be dead in your yard.”
“Then what the fuck do you want, woman?”
“Reggie was smart.”
My jaw tightened.
“Oh, now you’re paying attention.” She smirked. “Yeah, Reggie was promised to me.”
I huffed. “You mean you were promised to him.”
She cocked her head. “Oh sweetie. I know your little boy gang thinks women can’t lead, but they’re the same ones that keep you out of the spotlight.”
“I’m not trying to be in the spotlight. You chose the wrong guy if you think you can dangle a rank to excite me.”
“How honorable. Reggie didn’t cave… not immediately, anyway.” She came close again. “But it’s not just rank I’m offering. It’s money. Power. And a real woman at your side.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Okay, I’ll bite. In exchange for what?”
“Insider info, of course,” Lady said. She climbed onto my lap. I struggled to keep the chair upright but she adjusted her weight and grabbed my shoulders. “You can have everything. A title, money… me.”
“I have a woman,” I deadpanned.
“Oh, you mean that little bitch? The one that can’t handle her big feelings?
” She grinned as she stroked the barrel of the gun over my cheek lightly.
“Do you really want someone so weak, when you could have a woman not afraid of anything? A woman who can fulfill all your wildest dreams.” She leaned in, her voice quiet in my ear. “In the bedrooms and out.”
“Back up, Lady.” The heat of her near my chest created a burn. Not like the one Glenda created. This was not warmth. More like hot needles trying to pierce from my skin to push her away.
“I figured you’d take a little convincing.” She gripped my shoulders, then scooted her cunt closer, rubbing herself on me through our jeans. Even though layers of fabric separated us, I still cringed at the feel of her skank hole on me.
“Get off me, bitch.”
She huffed, then worked herself off my lap.
The movement was less than graceful and she wobbled as her spiked heels hit the floor.
“I hoped we could deal with this amicably. We would be partners,” she said, waving the gun in the air.
“You’d have everything. But if you want to do this the hard way, that’s fine.
I’ll get what I want, one way or another. ”
“If you thought rubbing your infested snatch on my dick was gonna make me turn on my brothers, you’re too dumb to even speak to. I ain’t telling you shit, bitch.”
She flew back in my face. “Then I’ll just kill you.”
I leaned in closer, my eyes narrowing. “Then fucking do it, and let me out of this fucking conversation.”
“Oh, I’ll kill you.” She put her lips by my ear again. “But I’ll kill that little bitch of yours, too.”
“You’ll never get to her,” I scoffed. My brothers would never let that happen.
“Oh? I had no problem finding her today. And I had a chance to take her out. But I needed her alive for leverage. So here we are.”
“What? When?” My mind reeled as I realized the only place Glenda had been was therapy. “Have you been stalking her?’
“I’ve been stalking you to find her. You killed my brother and my man.
I was going to find and kill her but she hardly left the clubhouse.
I was started to lose my patience. At least until her little friend had beef with that cop.
Disappointing it wasn’t my guys that got to her but I hear they worked her over good. ”
“So it was you that went after Manny?”
“Rumors were she was moved somewhere. We found out he was prospecting for the Bastards. But that fucker wouldn’t talk.” She sighed. “Even for me when him and his little friend were creeping around, trying to buddy up with us. But what a lucky break that you of all people went looking for him.”
They must have had someone camped out, watching his house. At least now I knew he didn’t rat us out.
“My guys followed you and sure enough, said a woman was with you later. I waited around and followed you. I had to go inside and see for myself if it was her. Easy enough. Open group, no registration required. Just walked right in. Reggie told me all about her.” She gave a humorless laugh.
“We thought she may be with you. Not sure why she wasn’t until recently but that doesn’t matter now.
It’s no wonder why he was quick to leave her. ”
“Fucking kill me then and be done with it!” I shouted. “But leave her the fuck out of this.”
“Hmmm. No,” she said with a chuckle. “I offered you a redemption. A chance for a clean slate, and to be a part of something amazing. But the fact remains you took something from me. So why would I just kill you and be done? Reggie told me you had a thing for her. That’s why she was my target.”
“She’s more woman than you’ll ever be, bitch. So just do it. Shoot me and get it over with because I’m tired of your fucking games.”
She shook her head, a fake frown turned at the edges of her red lips.
“Tsk, tsk. Why did you think I’d kill you first?
Of course I need you to suffer. So, I’ll offer one…
more… time. Join me and save her, or don’t,” she said as she stressed the t, “and you can watch her get used up by my guys then skinned alive. What do you say?”