CHAPTER 31
Kaya
We spent Sunday at the clubhouse. While half the club was hungover the rest of us cleaned up the remnants of the party.
It was a very low-key day that ended with us ordering pizza and just hanging out.
I texted back and forth with Gretchen who seems better but had zero desire to discuss Ty or when she might be coming home.
Her mom and her were spending time doing crafts which is right up Gretchen’s alley.
She told me she made necklaces for me, Sophia, and the twins and would be mailing them out along with a few tie dye shirts her mom had made.
I’m happy her and her mom are getting along, I just hope she comes to the conclusion sooner than later that she should talk to Ty. I don’t mean run back to him or immediately give him another chance, but talk to him. They’ve both been through a lot and deserve a shot at making things right.
Unfortunately, life doesn't stop just because my best friend is having an existential crisis in Ohio. The Monday morning sun woke me up before my alarm, so I decided to roll out from under Maverick and make the coffee because I have a very long day ahead of me.
My job this morning is back in Colton so of course Maverick is insisting on coming with me. It’s downtown at Colton Accounting Solutions and will likely take all day and be very boring for my burly biker.
“What are you planning on doing while I’m working for the next six or seven hours?” I ask Mav from the passenger seat of my car.
“Not sure. Probably just hang out.”
“All day? It’s at an accounting firm. I can’t think of a more boring day for you.”
He gives me a smirk. “I like watching you work.”
“Yeah?”
“I like when your face gets all serious when you’re explaining whatever it is you’re doing, even though I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”
I chuckle. “Well, I hate to disappoint but today you’ll mostly be staring at me while I migrate files to a new server and reset passwords.”
After twenty minutes I’m pointing Maverick to an open space in front of the accounting firm.
It’s in an old brick building that was probably a house at one time.
The parking here is horrible, but since it’s early and most of the staff were given the day off for me to get this job done, we find a spot right away.
Maverick studies the area as we get out. “Looks sketchy as hell. You usually come here alone?”
I pull my bag out of the backseat. “Yeah. I’ve been working for Travis for about two years. Have never had a problem.”
Maverick throws his arm around my shoulder as I meet him on the sidewalk. “Well, I don’t like it. Hot little thing like you shouldn’t be alone in a neighborhood like this.”
I smile up at him. “And now I’m not.”
Three hours into the job and Maverick seems like he could fall asleep.
He’s been sitting in a chair either looking at his phone, watching me work, or staring out the window.
I’m bouncing back and forth between workstations when Maverick stands.
“I’m gonna walk down the street to the auto-parts store. ”
I stop typing to look up at him. “Okay, I’ll be here when you get back.”
“Don’t go anywhere,” he says before placing a kiss on my head.
I smile. “I won’t. Have too much to get done to go wandering off.”
After he leaves, I continue about my business for another half hour until the room goes dark. The humming of the computers instantly stops and every screen goes black.
“What the hell?” Travis says as he walks out of his office.
I stand. “Power outage?” I ask.
Travis goes to the front window looking around at the other businesses. “Everyone else seems to be ok. I’ll run down to the basement and see if it’s a fuse.”
Travis is in his sixties, short with a rather large gut, and spiked gray hair.
He quickly goes back into his office and disappears.
I walk around the small office checking each computer as if one will still be up and running when there are no lights or other signs of electricity.
I head over to the window and look up the street in the direction Maverick walked, but can’t see the auto parts store from this angle.
“Well, it’s not a breaker. Guess I’ll have to put a call in to the power company,” Travis says as he pulls out his phone. “If you don’t want to wait, why don’t you call your fella and go grab some lunch.”
“Thanks. I hope you get it sorted out soon.” I pull out my phone and shoot Maverick a text.
Me: Hey, powers out here. Why don’t we go grab something to eat.
I wave to Travis before heading outside.
Standing on the sidewalk, I look up the street and can just make out the auto-parts store.
It’s about a block and a half away. I eye the café next store and God does a latte sound good right about now.
I start in that direction and pull out my phone to let Maverick know to just meet me there.
Me: Meet me at the café next door
The second I hit send, an arm grabs me around the neck and starts pulling me down the alley in-between the café and the accounting office.
I have no idea who has me but it’s definitely a man.
I try to run against the hold while punching his arm.
I flail my other arm back trying to elbow him in his ribs, groin, or just anywhere I can make contact.
He’s pulling me so hard and fast that my feet start to drag and I can’t dig them in.
I punch up and back and finally make contact with his face.
“Fucking bitch!” He yells as he pulls me harder causing me to gag from the hold against my throat.
When we near the end of the alley I can see two dumpsters and a metal door, that I hope is locked.
I can’t let him get me in that door. He finally throws me forward against the building.
I get my hands up in time to save my face from smashing into the bricks.
Before I can turn toward him, his body is pressed up against mine.
His hands are suddenly everywhere. He reaches around and starts groping my breasts while his hard cock pushes against my backside.
I push off the wall as hard as I can trying to shove him back but nothing is working.
He rips at my pants trying to get them down.
“I thought you Carnage whores liked it rough,” he mutters into my ear.
Oh shit. Is this one of those Bad Blood guys?
I’m not wearing anything that would identify me as Carnage.
Was he following us? Fuck! I fight harder, swinging my arms and kicking my legs back.
I make some contact but not enough to slow him down.
“Please! Help!” I yell as loud as I possibly can. “Maverick!”
A hard blow lands on the back of my head causing everything to go fuzzy for a second. The pain is intense. He immediately grabs me by the hair and pulls my head toward his face. Tears spring from my eyes without permission.
“You’re gonna take what I fucking give you, and you’re going to like it!” he spits through clenched teeth.
I hear the clanking of a belt coming undone and I go wild.
I swing my head back making contact with what I think is his nose.
He screams in pain, but another blow hits me in the ribs.
Shit! My baby. Oh fuck. I stop fighting for a second because the thought comes to me that if he keeps hitting me, he may cause me to lose my baby. Our baby.
But I can’t just let him rape me either. That’s not fucking happening. I push off the wall again but this time with my hair still in his grip he slams my face into the bricks. He reaches around to the front and manages to unbutton my pants. I cross my legs and continue trying to kick back.
“Get off me I yell! Get the fuck off me!”
He leans all of his bodyweight against me and rips at my pants again. I want to die when I feel the zipper pull open. Shit. No. No. No. He lets out an evil laugh as he pulls my pants lower.
“Please don’t! I’m pregnant!” I scream.
And suddenly the world goes quiet. It feels like time stands still for a millisecond.
The man stops moving, and I have no idea what’s happening.
I pull my face from the wall to see Maverick standing there with his fists at his sides, chest heaving in anger.
The pause seems to last for a long minute but is likely less than a second.
Suddenly, the man is flying off of me. I turn quickly to see Maverick already beating the living shit out of the man.
Blow after blow lands on the man’s face, stomach, ribs, and back.
“Mother fucker!” The man almost falls but Maverick holds him up by his shirt as he continues the assault. “You piece of fucking shit!”
The man lets out a cry trying his best to shield himself from the attack, but his movements are becoming slow and jerky. “Try to rape my girl you bastard!”
Blood sprays from the man’s face and I can’t do anything except stand there wide eyed.
I quickly pull my pants up and then watch in shock as Maverick literally pulverizes the man.
His face looks more like a piece of ground beef than a human at this point.
My stomach turns as Mavericks fists become covered in blood as he continues the brutality.
“Maverick! You’re going to kill him!”
His eyes snap to mine, wild and full of untamed fury. He’s panting so hard through gritted teeth that he sounds like a wild bull. “Please. Stop,” I say. “I think he’s one of the members of Bad Blood.”
His head swings back to the man who is unconscious and lying in a bloody heap.
He pulls his phone from his pocket and sends a text.
After he slides the bloody phone back into his jeans he takes a step toward me.
His hands are dripping red, but I don’t give a fuck.
I fall into him. He wraps me up and holds me against him.
“Are you ok? Did he?”
I shake my head against him, trying to hold in my tears. “No, he was trying, but I fought. I fought as hard as I could.”
“You did good, baby. I’m so sorry, I didn’t make it sooner. I don’t know what happened, I didn’t get your messages until I left the store.”
“You made it. You saved me,” I repeat over and over as I cling to him.
He pulls back to look in my eyes. “Is it true? What you said?”
I pinch my eyes closed and nod. “Not how I wanted you to find out.”
“Jesus Christ.” He holds me tighter and kisses the top of my head. “We have to get you to the hospital.”
“What? No! I’m fine.”
“Kaya, your head is bleeding and I don’t know where else he hit you. Your adrenaline is pumping right now and if you’re pregnant…” he trails off.
Oh shit. He’s right. I have to get checked out. I look down the alley to where I was grabbed and I’m shocked that no one is there. None of this was quiet, yet no one is there. Not one single person seems to have called the police either. What a shitty town this is.
Now that my heartrate is returning to normal the pain is becoming noticeable.
I look down at my bandaged arm which now has blood seeping through it.
I must have popped my stitches while trying to fight him off.
My head is throbbing and I can feel my cheek burning.
Surprisingly, my ribs don’t hurt that bad.
Finally, I can’t hold back the tears anymore and they start flowing down my cheeks. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left. You told me not to and I did anyway.”
Maverick squeezes me tight. “Hey. This isn’t your fault, babe. You’re going to be ok.”
With his arms around me, he guides me out of the alley and to my car, leaving the man bleeding on the ground. I’m assuming the text he sent was to let Carnage know what was going on and probably to clean up the mess, but I don’t ask.
The pain in my head is growing by the second and seems to throb more with each step. Maverick opens the passenger door and gets me settled, even putting on my seat belt for me, before he jumps in the driver’s seat and takes off for the hospital.