Page 5 of Her Saviors

“You say Fetch took him to be seen, right? Let me call him and see how he’s makin’ out,” Wheels states. “We need to let Anguish know too, especially if that fuck has a family we’re gonna be protectin’. I’ll get that taken care of while you help Misty.”

Wheels leaves the end of the bar and stops to talk to Brooklyn briefly. I watch as she smiles up at him and places her hand on his arm while leaning in closer. She doesn’t always get physical and touch one of us, but when she does, it always sends a thrill through our bodies. By the time they’re done talking, Wheels has a slight smile on his face as he pulls out his phone and makes the phone calls to get this shit taken care of while I work behind the bar.

“We need more beer, Soul,” Misty informs me as we get a slight lull in customers coming up for drinks.

“On it. I’ll be right back. If you need help, motion to Wheels and he’ll come help out until I get back. Is it just one keg that needs to be replaced?”

“Yeah. Though, we’re running low on Tequila and Jack as well. If you can grab some, that would be a good idea. I think that’s all we need right now. I can make a list in a little bit so it’s stocked before we get closer to closing tonight. You know that’s when we get busy as hell again,” she answers me, her voice barely heard over the music and various conversations taking place close to the bar.

“I’ll get it taken care of,” I assure her, leaving her behind the bar alone once more and heading for the stockroom.

When Soul Escape was designed, I had them install a system so we could replace the kegs in the storeroom and it will run straight to the bar where we can fill each glass for the customers. That way we’re not transporting the kegs through the floor of the night club while it’s busy as hell. I could see nothing but problems doing that on a nightly basis. I hate changing these fucking kegs. Sometimes it’s easy as hell and doesn’t give me any problems. Other times, like tonight, it’s a pain in the ass and doesn’t want to work the way it’s supposed to. I spend fifteen minutes fighting with the damn connection before I finally manage to get it disconnected and line the new keg up in place to hook it up so Misty can keep filling drafts.

After making sure the keg is working properly, I grab an empty box we keep in here and fill it with a few bottles of alcohol. I know Misty said we were low on Tequila and Jack, but it’s only a matter of time before we start to get low on a few other bottles we use on a nightly basis. I’ve worked behind the bar enough to know exactly which alcohol is our most popular. Those are the bottles I grab to take out with me. I’ll do a visual on the bottles of beer and make another run when we get another lull, but this’ll do for right now.

Walking through the club, I turn my head to find Darren leaving with the asshole in handcuffs. Darren gives me a nod of acknowledgement before leaving and I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding until this moment. Having that guy in the club with Brooklyn was too much and now I don’t have to worry about it because he’ll be at the police station, being questioned by Darren. Wheels is behind the bar and Misty is nowhere to be found. He lets me know she had to rush off and I know exactly where she is without him saying anything else. After stocking the bottles, I get to work helping Wheels mix and serve drinks while lines form. Right now, a lot of the women in the club are lined up and I know it’s because Wheels and I are the ones behind the bar. They’ll take any excuse to get close to the two of us and this is a second for them to attempt to flirt with us. What they don’t know is our eyes are for Brooklyn only and we’re not going to give in to anyone just because they think they can flirt with us for a few minutes. The irony is they toss their tips into the jar we keep on the bar thinking they’re giving them to us, but we don’t take them, we leave them for whoever is the actual bartender. In this instance, it’s Misty, and I know she’ll be able to use the money for her upcoming baby.

Chapter Three

Brooklyn

IT’S BEEN A week since the guy tried to attack me at Soul Escape. I don’t know the details of what happened or why he chose to come after me, and I don’t care to know them. This is just one more incident in the series of fucked up shit that’s happened in my life since meeting Bennett and learning how little my parents truly care about me. What I do know is that no matter how much I try to forget the night in question, the worse the nightmares plaguing me get. Each night I dream of him coming after me and getting his hands on me. Not only does he beat the hell out of me the way Bennett has done in the past, but he uses the knife I caught a glimpse of to carve up my body. The man carves horrible words into my skin and places cuts deep enough to bleed like crazy but not enough to kill me. It’s the worst pain I’ve experienced in my life and that’s saying something after everything Bennett has done to me since we got together.

Wheels and Soul have been awesome throughout it all; waking me up and then doing what they can to soothe me so I fall back to sleep. Right now, we’re all looking a bit haggard around the edges, but when I try to apologize, they shush me, which is kind of funny if I think about it since they’re both badasses in their own right. I guess logically I know I’m safe, it’s my subconscious that won’t let me forget the horrors of my past.

Chayse ended up getting released from the emergency room after being there for several hours and being treated for his injuries. Fetch took him home to his apartment and stayed with him that night. He wasn’t allowed to shower or get the bandages covering the worst of his damaged body wet and needed someone to help him take care of the basic necessities for a few days. Fetch got it cleared with Anguish to be there for him and I’m glad he’s not alone. Though, I have sent over a few things with Soul when he went to visit with him and make sure Chayse is really okay. I used one of Nanny’s recipes to make him some soup and Nanny gave me a loaf of bread she made to go with the soup.

Chayse isn’t the type to read so the books I’ve been loaned from the ol’ ladies and Nanny are useless, but I did check with the guys and sent him some of the magazines that were in the clubhouse. They include getting tattoos, bikes, cars, and all the other stuff guys read about. Or at least these guys. Bennett wouldn’t be caught dead reading about anything that’s not the stock market, the financial section, or anything else he feels will keep him relevant when he’s out in public. Bennett is all about his image and making sure nothing tarnishes it and that he never looks like a damn fool.

My thoughts turn from Bennett to the two men who have been there for me since the night I walked into Cricket’s. They’ve been at my side every day and have done everything in their power to ensure I learn, grow, and realize exactly what my parents and Bennett have been doing to me for so long. It makes me sick to realize that all the lies my parents and Bennett told me are just that—lies. Plus, the fact that all three of them felt comfortable hitting me whenever they wanted? Yeah, I now know from the guys that no one should ever put their hands on me in anger. It’s not okay and I have the right to protect myself. When I’m ready, Wheels and Soul will be teaching me self-defense here on the compound because they’re the only ones I’m comfortable touching me or being up in my space. Fetch and a few others will be there to help them, but they aren’t allowed to get too close to me or touch me in any way. I’m honestly excited to get started with that and plan on telling the guys when they get home so we can start training.

From what I understand, Wheels and Soul aren’t just going to teach me self-defense. They plan on giving me an entire routine to get through on a daily basis. We’ll be running, working with weights, strengthening my core, and stretching out my muscles so I become flexible and better able to get away from any potential attacker who might come at me because of Bennett, his family, or for any other reason. I’m not looking forward to working out, but I’ll do whatever the guys ask me to do because I know they have my best interest at heart and won’t ever make me do anything I’m uncomfortable doing.

When I’ve been alone in the cabin with Wheels and Soul, I’ve noticed the looks they give me and how they each disappear to the bathroom for extended periods of time. I’ve heard them both mumbling about needing a cold shower more than a handful of times since we’ve all been staying together. When we all sit down for a meal or to watch TV, I’ve leaned on both of them, falling asleep on their shoulder or with my head in their laps. Still, neither one of them pressures me for anything physical. While I love that they’re taking what’s been done to me into consideration and not forcing anything I’m not ready for, I’m just as frustrated as the two of them. Bennettnevermade me feel the way the two of them do, and the touches have been innocent with no sexual intent.

I might be naive in all things regarding sex, but I can realize the looks Wheels and Soul are sending my way and I know how I feel about them. I’ve never touched myself sexually, and it’s something I think about every damn day lately. The only thing stopping me is the fear of one of them walking in and catching me. Or Nanny showing up and entering the cabin without knocking as she’s known to do every now and then. I’d die of embarrassment in either scenario. This is something I’ve talked to Nanny about when we spend our mornings together. She’s witnessed the same looks from the guys toward me and knows they’re waiting on me to make a move. I’m just not sure if it’s a move I’ll be able to take. The fear of rejection is real and every time I even think about leaning up to kiss one of the guys, I end up backing off and pretending as if I don’t see them as the sexy men they are. Nanny thinks I should just go for it and let them know I’m ready. She says they’ll take over and it’ll all ‘come out in the wash’ whatever that means, but I’m still scared. They’re both so virile, and obviously experienced, and then there’s me.

Wheels and Soul are completely opposite and yet the same. They balance one another perfectly and when one of them can’t give someone else what they need, the other steps up without hesitation. I’ve watched them mentor the Prospects and talk to them through various issues they’ve had going on in their lives. Wheels has coached Fetch on getting the girl of his dreams—Moriah. She works at TnT Ink and they have a pretty solid relationship from what I’ve witnessed so far. Moriah absolutely adores Fetch and the smile on his face when he sees her is something I didn’t believe was real and only something I’d read about in books when the hero falls for the heroine.

Anyway, what makes the difference between the two guys is that Wheels is harder than Soul is. Soul harbors deep pain and I want to find out all of his darkest secrets to pull that burden from his shoulders. I’m sure Wheels has already tried, but there’s only so much a friend can do. Soul has to want to share the secrets he holds close and let it out so someone can talk to him about the shit in his life. Maybe someone who doesn’t already know what’s going on and can give him an outside perspective.

Today I’m heading to the grocery store to restock the cabin. The exciting part? The guys got me a new car last week. It’s one they bought at an auction that had been repossessed or something like that, and they took it to the shop and made sure it was better than road-ready. It’s the newest vehicle I’ve ever driven, and I’m excited to check out all the options it has. Not only that, but the guys got me a radio subscription service since we’re in an area that doesn’t always get good reception. I love reading, so I want to check into audiobooks, as well as some true crime podcasts. Not only that, but I like a variety of music, so I’m thrilled to be able to find those stations and program them.

While they’ve both been buying food, I want to do this because ever since I started at the club, I’ve been making money hand over fist, more than I’ve ever made at the grocery store. The best part about it is while most places pay their waitresses a pittance, then they expect that tips will make up the difference, Soul Escape pays all the staff at least minimum wage, so even with me tipping out my bartender and the kitchen, I have a serious stash of cash from all my tips. My paycheck goes into the bank, but I keep my tips at home in a fireproof lockbox that Wheels bought for me to use just for that purpose. Then Soul brought home one of those huge empty water jugs so I had somewhere to collect all my change. The two of them spoil me and don’t even realize how much it means to me, so I want to treat them both to a dinner that I’ve cooked all by myself, without any help from anyone. After counting up my tips and pulling out what I think I’ll need, I get myself ready to head out. Nanny gave me one of her tried and true recipes, so I have a list for those items, as well as the other things I need.

Finally ready, I practically skip out to my vehicle. It’s a midsize SUV since the guys will occasionally be riding with me when the weather’s bad, but mostly, I’ll be the primary driver. After I get inside and check that all my mirrors are set, I program several stations in and head off to the local grocery store. It may be somewhat small, but it still carries a wide variety of items, including a whole section of farm fresh fruits and vegetables. The time goes quickly as I move down each aisle, checking my list so I don’t forget anything, and soon, I’m walking back to my car only to stop short when I see something underneath the washer blade.

Shaking, I approach slowly and pull it out, barely holding back the scream that wants to erupt when I read “I’m coming for you sooner rather than later, bitch”.

“I need the guys, they’ll know what to do,” I mutter as I quickly put my bags in the cargo area. After returning the cart, I get into the car, my eyes bouncing around as fear tries to overcome me. “Just get back home, Brook, they’ll help you,” I chant as I crank up the car and peel out of the parking lot.

I’m almost to the turn into the compound when I see a cardboard box that wasn’t there when I left. Looking around and not seeing anyone, I pull to the shoulder and get out, my keys clutched in my hand. As I get closer, I hear chirping and rush to the box. Pulling open the flaps, I see six tiny chicks and decide that I’ll take them to Nanny because she’ll know what to do with them. I put them in the passenger seat where I can keep a close eye on the box to make sure it doesn’t tip over and hurt the chicks in any way.

Back in the SUV, I make my way through the gate and wave to Theo. He’s one of the newest Prospects in the club. From what I understand, he’s been working with Scorch at the community center the guys volunteer at. That’s the reason he’s been made a Prospect without having to wait the usual period of time most other people would have to. Scorch knows him and what kind of man he’s turning out to be and trusts him with his life. From what I understand, that’s one of the highest endorsements anyone could get from him. Scorch isn’t a man who gives his endorsement to just anyone and the guys all know this.

Making my way to the cabins where I know Nanny will most likely be sitting out front with her after lunch snack and pitcher of lemonade, I skid in the grass because I try to stop too fast. Nanny sits up and stares at me as I jump out of the SUV and race around to the other side.

“Child, what’s going on with you?” Nanny asks me, getting out of her rocking chair and moving as fast as she can to my side.

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