Chapter 4
Anika
I woke up sore as fuck but in the best way possible. I showered, had breakfast, and waited for Ellie to show up.
I don’t regret my decision. I don’t regret it at all. I think it was a smart move. It was one step in the right direction.
“I looked into them. I don’t think they are ones to fuck with,” Ellie says as we sit at the kitchen table.
“What did you find out?”
“They’re a one percent club, which means they are on the outside of the law. They make their own rules,” she says, not sounding too happy about any of this.
“I’ve dealt with assholes like this before,” I remind her.
“Low-life dealers, Anika. You’ve dealt with asshole boyfriends who deal drugs. This is something bigger, something more,” she says. I nearly roll my eyes. It isn’t that much different. At least, I wouldn’t think it is.
“I don’t plan on fucking the entire club, Ellie. I just want information,” I remind her.
“And you think fucking one is enough? You think he’s just going to tell you what you want to know?”
“No. That’s why I need to get in his way again. I need to put myself in his path,” I tell her.
“This is the worst idea you’ve ever had.” I think about my brother, and tears fill my eyes. She can see it, and her features soften.
“He wouldn’t want you getting hurt,” she says softly before resting her hand on top of mine.
“I’m not going to get hurt.”
“You catch feelings far too easily, Anika. Don’t go falling for this guy,” she warns, making me laugh.
“I don’t even know him! How the hell would I fall for him?” she laughs and squeezes my hand before pulling away and sitting back in her seat.
“You barely knew Mack, either, and look what happened.”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. It just was. Besides, this is all for the greater good.”
“Is it?”
“You know I need to find out what happened to him, Ellie.”
“I know you want to, but let the cops handle it,” she says.
“The cops have nothing. Not a single thing. All they keep telling me is that he left on his own. I know that isn’t true. He would never just leave me, Ellie.”
“You’re right. He wouldn’t. You two were too close for that, but do you really think getting involved with the Soulless Bastards is smart?”
“It’s the last place he was. They have to know something about where he is.”
“What if they do? Then what?”
“Then I can finally figure out where he is,” I tell her.
“And if he’s …”
“Don’t say that. He isn’t dead, Ellie. He can’t be. I would know, wouldn’t I?” She shakes her head and grabs her coffee, bringing it to her lips.
“I don’t know about all this. Why can’t you just give the cops the information and let them check into them?”
“You think I haven’t brought it up? I have. They blow me off,” I admit to her.
“This is a mess.”
“Who are you telling? I just need to know what happened to him. Where he is.”
“They’re dangerous, Anika.”
“I know they are. But fucking him here and there isn’t dangerous.” She narrows her eyes at me, and I almost laugh. She knows me, and she knows I get attached to people far too easily, but this is different. I have a mission.
“What do you need me to do?”
“You’re in?” I ask, hopeful.
“I’m in. Don’t make me regret this, though.”
“I would never!”
“What am I doing?” she asks once more.
“Finding out when and how we get in there. I’ve heard rumors that they have an open clubhouse on Saturday nights. We need to know if that’s true and if we can get in.”
“And you think he’s not going to look at you like you’re a stalker?”
“The sex was off the charts, Ellie. I mean … damn good.”
“Good enough for another round?”
“Good enough for more than one more round.”
“You’re such a ho.” She laughs as I do the same.
“Everyone needs good cock in their life,” I remind her.
“You’re right. You might as well have some good sex while you can,” she says.
“Exactly. That’s my girl!”
“But I still think this is stupid. The cops have to be looking for him. You filed a missing person’s report.”
“That doesn’t mean they give a shit about him, Ellie.
Since when have you known the cops around here to care?
” She shrugs her shoulders, knowing I’m right.
No one cares about a missing man around here.
They probably figured he was a junkie and left it at that.
That’s what most of them do around here.
“When are we doing this?”
“Tomorrow. If they allow anyone in, it’ll be easy.”
“And you’re sure you’re up for this?”
“I’m more than up for this,” I tell her truthfully. Another night of rough sex with the hot guy? I’m always down.
“Fine. Let me call Will and see what he knows about them. He isn’t going to like this,” she tells me. I already know that.
“I need to do this. I need to know,” I tell her once more. She nods her head and pulls her phone out, calling her friend Will. I sit back in the chair and think about last night. About the way he touched me. The way he took me.
I have marks around my neck, bruises on my hips, and I don’t think I’ve had as much fun as I did last night. I let Patch mark me. I let him fuck me the way he wanted, and he did. More than once. I can still taste him on my tongue, and I want more.
I ignore the one-sided conversation that Ellie is having with Will and think back to what I know about Patch, which isn’t much.
He’s hot as hell, that much I do know. He had tattoos covering most of his body, the Soulless Bastards logo on his back.
Some of his tattoos looked like your typical jailhouse tats, which means he’s probably been to prison at some point in his life.
Those are things that should scare me away, but they don’t.
Those are things that turn me on. Call me crazy, but I like a bad boy.
“Okay. He said they are open for business on Saturdays.”
“Guess we need to pick out some outfits,” I tell her.
“Yeah, to go with that new necklace you have,” she says, nodding toward the marks on my neck. I raise my hand and run my fingers over the marks.
“It was so fucking hot when he did that.”
“You have issues.”
“You think so?” I smile at her.
“Girl, I know so.”