Page 9 of Raze

“Now that wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of me would it?” He half smiles, before turning his back on me and making himself comfortable. Since I figure I have a huge challenge ahead of me tomorrow trying to convince him to let me stay, I decide I should get some sleep myself.

“Has anyone seen Kane?” I ask, trying not to choke on all the smoke as I make my way through the old warehouse that the Reapers use as a clubhouse. I know my brother’s told me time and time again not to come here, but I really need to speak to him.

“Who ya looking for, sweet cheeks?” I jump nervously when one of the brothers grab my ass.

“My brother, Kane, he’s um…he’s a prospect,” I explain, searching around for him desperately.

“Not yet he ain’t.” An old man who has a woman’s head buried into his lap laughs at me.

“Come with me.” Some other guy steps up behind me cupping his hands around my shoulders and giving me no chance to question him as he marches me back the way I came.

“Your Kane sister, huh?” He releases me once we're out in the fresh air so he can light himself a smoke.

“I am.” I search around still looking for a sign of him, but he’s nowhere to be seen, there's barely anyone out here at all now.

“So that would make you Kenny Longmire’s daughter?” He blows the smoke out of his lungs and offers his cigarette out to me.

“I don’t smoke.” I shake my head.

“‘Course ya don’t. I heard that Kenny had his kids raised right.” He sniggers to himself.

“Well then, you know more about him than I do.” I laugh, trying to loosen the tension that I can feel building.

“Your brother’s workin’ real hard to make up for what ya daddy did,” the guy tells me, sucking back on his cigarette again.

“I know that, and it means a lot to him. He’s nothing like our dad, he’s loyal. He would never–”

“Rat.” The asshole finishes my sentence before I get a chance, with a smug look on his face.

“Look, what my dad did had nothing to do with us. I–”

“Come on, your brother’s loading up a cage for tomorrow's run. I’ll take ya to him.” He smiles, making me breathe a sigh of relief when he grabs my hand and leads me around the side of the warehouse where I see a black van parked in the distance. The closer we get the more I notice how quiet it is back here, and when I realize that there’s no one else around, all that relief disappears and I freeze.

“What ya doin?” The guy tugs at my arm to try and get me moving again.

“I think I'll wait for him around the front.” At least at the entrance of the club, there will be people coming and going. I don’t like how dark it is back here.

I go to spin around but he grabs me, forcing me against the wall so hard that my head smashes against the brickwork and makes me dizzy.

“You're even prettier than you look in the photo.” His rough hand creeps under my skirt and gropes me between my legs and when I turn my head to face away from him his tongue slides over my cheek and leaves a slimy trail.

“Please don’t.” I don’t have a chance to ask him what he means about the photo, I’m too busy pressing my palm into his shoulder and trying to prise him off me. He’s just too damn strong.

“Come on…Girls only come here for one reason, and that's to have a good time. Let me show you one.” He grips my face with his hand puckering my lips together while his other rubs at me through my panties. I thrash and fight to get him off me and when I feel him start ripping at the fabric to get them off, I realize I have to act fast. Trying to push him away isn’t working, so I fumble my hand around his waist hoping that what Kane told me is true and that all Reapers carry knives. Relief takes over my fear when my hand touches what feels like the handle of a knife and I drag it from his belt, not giving myself a chance to hesitate as I plunge it into his side.

“Fuck!” He roars in pain, but his hands are still on me, still restricting me. I watch his eyes stretch wide with agony when I stab him again, then again, until his grip on me weakens and he falls to the ground. I hold the knife up in defense, and it shakes in my hand as his blood slips over the handle and onto my skin. I hear my name being called from somewhere in the distance, but all I can do is stand and stare as the life drains out of the man who just tried to assault me. I slam my free hand over my mouth when I realize what I've done then start to choke on the bile rising up my throat.

“Pey.” I turn around and see Kane, who’s staring between me and the body in shock.

“They’re letting Billy out.” I drop the knife from my hand and reveal what I came here to tell him.

“Pey, Peyton.” He moves forward, grabbing my arms and shaking my body so hard my bones rattle.

“Peyton, Did you…Did you do this?” he asks, looking over my shoulder at the body on the floor.

“He was gonna…” I try to explain but can't get the words out. “I couldn’t let it happen again.” I tell him.

“Pey, you gotta get outta here. If they know you did this, you're dead. We’re both dead.” He carefully picks up the knife from the floor and starts to drag me toward the black van. I feel numb as he helps me into the passenger seat and slams the door.

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