Page 44 of Tess, Property of Blaze

Tess

Iinhale deeply as I exit my car and lock it. I look up at the old warehouse and a chill runs through my veins. When I arrived, I was stopped by two members out front. Snake asked them to open up for us, and it didn’t take them long to unlock the gate and gesture for us to enter.

It’s just after seven as I grab my bag from the trunk of my car. I can do this, I can.You got this.

Snake reaches me and asks, “Need a hand, darlin’?”

“No thanks,” I answer, not in the mood to accept help from anyone who belongs to the Forseekers club. I shut the trunk then walk around Snake to the entrance to the warehouse. I halt at the door, wondering if I knock, or just enter. I turn around and spot Snake still watching me, and he lifts his chin, indicating to open it up.

I turn the handle, nerves in the pit of my stomach making me feel sick. Whatever happens, I have to accept that this is my future. This is my life. Where I belong.

I inhale one last deep breath to steady my nerves then open the door. Loud heavy metal music blares from inside the room, and I step back, coming up against Snake behind me as an empty bottle smashes on the floor at my feet, scaring the shit out of me. Strong hands hold on to me, and I look over my shoulder and push myself off Snake, as if his simple touch might cause me to suffer a deadly disease. He puts his palms up as a clear gesture he won’t touch me again.

I clear my throat then look around the room, which has dim lighting, and the heavy layer of smoke floating around causes me to cough. Looks like they’re partying hard, as usual. I spot naked women among the partygoers, one giving a guy a blow job as he slaps her ass hard. I move my gaze over to the pool table and see one guy fucking a woman who’s up on top of it, while another guy sniffs what looks like coke off her breast. The whole place is disgusting, the smell of alcohol and sex in the room making my stomach turn.

There’s trash all over the floor, and I have to watch my step as I walk further into the room. I recognize some of the members, but there’s also a lot of new guys. One in particular sticks his tongue out as I walk by, flapping it at me like he wants to lick me from head to toe. I cringe as I notice his yellow teeth and oily hair, knowing for a fact he probably hasn’t bathed in days.

And then I spot him.

Viper.

He’s sitting on a couch, snorting white powder off the table in front of him. At the same time, a woman is giving him head, and one of his hands is roughly squeezing her ass. I swallow hard, bile rising at the back of my throat. How did I ever think it was okay to marry Viper? I must have been out of my mind. But then I remember wanting to make my father proud by doing what he ordered me to.

But in the end, it didn’t make any difference. He still treated me like I was a common whore around the club, to do Viper’s bidding. Whether it was in bed or to accept all his blows, it was expected I’d be a dutiful wife and put up with whatever he had in store for me.

My memories go back to when I had the courage to leave the clubhouse and start a new life. I’d been scared and excited at the same time, to start a life for myself. And I’d had a good life—well, for a short time that is.

Memories of when I first met Blaze come forward, the day he got his first tattoo. I’d taken one look at him and fallen head over heels. He was breathtaking, so masculine, and I couldn’t wait to be beneath him in a bed—that’s how strong I felt toward him. It was as if his soul was connecting to mine, and it’s something I’ll treasure for the rest of my life.

I’m just glad that I had the opportunity to feel the love of a man, a hunger for a man’s body, and for him to hunger for me in return. And the sense of strength that followed him everywhere.

Shaking my head, trying to rid my mind of memories of Blaze, I take a few steps closer to Viper, trying to ignore my racing heart and sweaty palms. I stop when I reach the table, and at the same time, the loud song playing finishes and there’s a moment of relief from the thrash of guitars and thumping drums.

Viper finishes snorting his last line, then sits back with a wide smile on his face and closes his eyes, like he’s in a moment of bliss. The whore continues to suck him off, and Viper’s hand reaches out and grasps her head, forcing her to move her mouth over him deeper and faster. To say I’m disgusted is an understatement. I obviously forgot how the Forseekers partied.

It’s only then I realize that the lights have been switched on, cutting through the darkness of the room. All eyes are on me, and not in a nice way. Most of the men look like they want to get their hands on me and choke me to death, and the women aren’t much better, a few of them sneering openly at me.

Viper must notice the change in atmosphere, because he slowly open his eyes and looks around. When he spots me, he smiles, but his hand doesn’t stop guiding the whore sucking him off. She chokes all of a sudden as he pushes her head down even further, yelling at her, “Take all of it, bitch!”

I flinch as a flashback hits me. I can’t count the number of times I was in the same position as the whore is now. Viper throws me a smug grin. “You see that, Teresa, she does as I command. She’s an abiding whore, unlike you. But now’s not the time to talk about our past, we have a lot of time to go over a few things. For now, you are here, once again under my roof.”

I look around at the warehouse and say sarcastically, “Wow, I love what you’ve done with the place.”

Viper smirks. “I see you’ve got a tongue on you these days. But that’s okay, wifey, we’ll soon put your mouth to better use. But for now, I want you out of sight. You see, I have some club business that I don’t need you around for.”

Viper points at Snake, who’s behind me, and orders, “Take her downstairs to the basement until I’m ready to come and give her a proper reunion.”

“But what about the girls? Shouldn’t I take her somewhere else?” Snake says.

“She belongs down there with the other bitches. But don’t worry, wifey,” he says, looking back to me, “I’ll come and get you when I’m ready to give you a proper homecoming gift.”

He winks and my stomach drops, and I swallow bile as I imagine his hands on me. “I won’t let you touch me,” I state defiantly, glaring at him.

He laughs bitterly. “Oh, Teresa, it’s been too long. Obviously your mind’s forgotten how you must obey me with your body and soul—wasn’t that the vow you made to me?”

I chew on the inside of my cheek, trying to hold back my retort, but I can’t—I won’t—let him get the better of me. “Hmm.” I huff. “Looks like you have someone else obeying your every command,” I say, gesturing to the girl who’s still servicing Viper.

He bites down on his bottom lip, his gaze turning heated. “Keep talking, baby, your voice is getting me off.”

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