5. Angel
ANGEL
Fear for my sister, it makes me crawl from the deep place of sleep, slowly regaining awareness. “Arianna run! Arianna run!”
A strong hand on my nape draws me upward, helping me back into consciousness and the reality of what I’ve done. “You’re going to be okay, Angel. I’ve got you. Who’s Arianna?”
I swallow past the lump in my throat, trying to calm the fear. But this man saved me. Not only from the enemy but even from his own men. “My sister. I’ll go back to them willingly before I make it easier for them to find her.”
His voice is gruff, and his finger feels rough against my cheek as he caresses the side of my face. “I said, I’ve got you. Stitched up like new. Pretty damn good with the needle if I do say so myself. I don’t think you or anyone looking will be able to see it after it heals.”
My eyes close again. Sure better keep me pretty, no tattoos or scarring.
Isn’t that what I heard the Scorpions say.
No man in this world has ever had me, only tried to use me, break me and sell me for the almighty dollar.
Young women like me, men don’t want to love us, they just want to use us as a commodity.
Rogue is probably just the same way. Better if he doesn’t know the truth.
I should have kept running, tried to find a spot to hide instead of trading one notorious outlaw motorcycle club for another but I just couldn’t physically run anymore.
My chest begins to heave. It doesn’t really matter now. Maybe I knew it all along, the Scorpions were always going to get me back and what does it even matter, the Scorpions, the Royal Bastards, no matter what they say they’re going to use me or sell me.
It’s what all of them do. None of them are above the law, a buck is a buck and me, I’m just a payday. I guess innocence brings a price better than dope these days.
As long as Arianna is safe, has escaped this life, that’s all that matters to me now.
I’ll pay the price for her freedom, no matter what these assholes have in store.
I’m not telling a soul about Arianna but the fact that the prez of the Royal Bastards wants to know about my sister doesn’t escape me.
Trust no one, it’s all we can do to survive.
A loud bang on the door turns our attention to it. “It’s all clear and the cops are gone. We’re getting you out of there, Prez.”
The creak of the door and heaviness of it scraping over the threshold draws my attention to baldie.
“Hell of a mess upstairs but Dox has the guys fixed up. And the Scorpions who aren’t dead won’t be riding this way again.
They know better now and those who made it out will take that message back to their prez.
We took out a whole shit load of their guys, more than ten, Rogue. Looks to be about twelve.
Rogue’s eyes meet mine and I try to swallow down my fear. The Royal Bastards killed twelve of the Scorpion men, and each and every one of those lives, they’re going to make me pay for if they ever get to me.
“Take her upstairs, to the guest room next to mine,” Rogue orders.
The sentry, a different one from the guy guarding the entrance, gestures to the others, who quickly flank me and proceed to take me from the dank downstairs safe room with cots, a tv, and basic necessity with drains in the floors that make me shiver, back upstairs to the bar area.
My heart sinks looking at the damage but they don’t let me dawdle.
They take me up one more flight of stairs, and down a hallway of rooms and stop at the door before the last one at the end.
The sentry guides me inside. “Stay here. If you try to leave, I’m going to take you back downstairs and you can deal with the rest of our pissed off crew. Your choice,” Baldy says, not waiting for an answer before he closes the door and locks it from the outside.
They saved me from the Scorpions and Arianna has had time to get away, so it’s not like I’m going to fight them, yet I want to all the same.
Because I’m just a piece of property to any of them, no matter if they’re the Scorpions or Royal Bastards.
I’ m probably just something they can sell, to make money and pay some bills.
They’ll probably have a meeting, call church to talk about how much they can make.
I heard the Scorpion prez agreeing to sell me to some rich guy overseas. I’m sure getting into my pants for the first time is not all that perverted fuck wanted to do. It makes me shiver just thinking of what else they would make me do.
Maybe it’s the adrenaline, the fear, or the blood loss but I just can’t stop thinking that I’ve made a big mistake. I’ve just traded one captor for another. But at least Ari is safe and that was the goal.
My body sinks into the firmness of the wrought iron bed’s mattress. It’s only a matter of time before word gets around that the virgin who’s supposed to get sold to a man who apparently paid more for me than the Scorpions made last year, is now a possession of the Royal Bastards.
The Scorpions aren’t going to let this lie. They’ll be back. And the Royal Bastards, they’ll do one of two things, turn me over to the enemy, for a hell of a price, or sell me themselves. It will take them forever to recoup the cost of the damage by just making me dance.
I’ve got you, my ass. I know all about the MC clubs in Tucson and no one, not one of them is about to save me from a life the biker crews capitalize from.
A sharp rap on my door makes me sit up on the bed before the key opens the lock and turns my attention to Rogue as he walks through the door. Damn that man is tall, at least six foot three, and all rippled sinewy muscles displayed beneath his thin white T-shirt and darkly tanned corded arms.
Rogue glances around the bedroom. “It’s not much, but it’s yours until we get things figured out.
” He gestures to the closet and then to the white dresser across from the double bed.
“You may find some clothes that fit. My sister keeps some stuff here for when she’s in town. She won’t mind if you use them.”
I suck in a breath. “Am I a prisoner?”
He puts a finger beneath my chin, forcing me to look into those crystalline blue eyes.
“Look doll, I’m not sure if you’re on the level right now.
I want to believe you and I’m inclined to given how bad they want you back.
But I have a responsibility to those men down there and I’m not putting my crew at further risk until I know more.
Until we’ve got this situation figured out, and we know you’re not a plant for the Scorpions or anyone else, you aren’t going anywhere. You’re stuck with me.”
I open my mouth to protest but his finger slides against my lip. “Not a word, Angel. My men are going to bait you, test you, and they have that right unless it crosses a line, but at the end of the day, you better be telling the truth about how you came to be in my club. Understand?”