Page 36 of Deceit

Chapter Twenty

Brynn

THE FEELING OF Kingston’sarms wrapped tight around my body as he holds me close brings me a sense of peace and safety I desperately need after being taken by Jerome. My dad runs his hand up and down my back as he’s done countless times over the years when I was sick or upset about something. I’ve missed the feeling of being comforted by my dad as memories flood my mind of him doing the exact same thing over the years. I can feel the eyes of my uncle and grandpa on me and know they won’t let me out of their sight any time soon. This has shaken my family up. I have a feeling Kingston is feeling so much worse than any of them. I know him well enough by now to know he’s carried the weight of the guilt on his shoulders from the second he learned I was missing. Savannah is feeling the guilt as well. She did nothing wrong and I would have made the same choice regardless of who asked me to help a sick baby. I’ll have to make sure she understands and knows this isn’t her fault and I don’t want her to feel guilty about what happened to me. I got away relatively unscathed and only have a few bumps and bruises to

“Kitten, everyone’s here and Venom has cleared out the room. You’ll see more of his members in the room with everyone else,” Kingston tells me as I start to drift off to sleep knowing I’m safe in his arms. “Are you ready to tell us what happened?”

“Yeah,” I whisper so only he can hear me as I take a deep breath and sit up without leaving his lap.

“Hi, darlin’,” my grandpa says, a soft smile on his face as he takes in the bandage wrapped around my head and the marks on my face.

I didn’t know it at the time, but as I left the shack Jerome was keeping me in, I ran through those really thin branches as I tried to remain close to the tree line along the road. They cut up my face and I never once felt them slicing through my skin. I was too focused on getting away from Jerome and making sure he didn’t get his hands on me again.

“Brynn, I know you’ve been through a lot since yesterday. Can you tell us what happened?” Vault asks, walking up and speaking soft and gentle to me as two other men stand directly behind the chair Kingston’s holding me in.

“Yeah. I was hanging out at the clubhouse on my own. It’s been a chore to work or do much of anything since Kingston told me what you guys found at the apartment in Jerome’s name. I’ve been having nightmares and everything else. Anyway, I was sitting in the common room all on my own when Savannah rushed in. She was covered in puke and looked an absolute mess. One of the kids was sick and she asked me to watch them while she went to the store to grab medicine. I wasn’t comfortable staying with the kids knowing Jerome was still free and the risk of putting those kids in danger was too high for me. So, I went to the store while Savannah stayed with the kids. Yes, I know I wasn’t supposed to leave the compound or anything else because of this situation. However, I also know I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if one of those babies were to get hurt because I made the decision to stay with them.

“The first stop I made was the pharmacy. I grabbed all sorts of medicine since I didn’t know exactly what was wrong or needed. Savannah forgot to tell me that information in her rush to find someone to help her. After paying for the medicine, I made my way to the grocery store to stock up on other items I figured the kids would need if they were sick. Again, it’s been a long time since I’ve been around babies and young kids so I wasn’t sure what to get.

“After paying for my purchase and bagging the items myself, I walked to my car. Immediately I felt as if someone was watching me. Possibly following me. So, I got to the car as quickly as possible. After loading in the groceries, I went to get in the driver’s seat. I was stupid and messed up. Instead of putting the groceries in my side of the car, I went straight to the passenger side. Jerome yanked me back by my hair just as I reached the handle to open my door. We fought and I screamed and yelled for someone to help me.

“There was a crowd watching Jerome drag me to a car sitting in the parking lot. Not a single one of them stepped up to help me as they all simply stood and watched everything take place. I managed to get away from him briefly and took off running. Jerome got his hands on me again and dragged me back to the car again. No matter how loud I screamed or how hard I fought, I couldn’t overpower him. Jerome hit me in the back of my head with something and as I started to lose consciousness, he was stuffing me in the trunk of the car.

“When I woke up again, I was tied to a bed. He’d stripped me down to my bra and panties. I don’t believe he touched me other than undressing me. Doc did a rape kit just to be sure and part of the blood work being done is to test me for STDs,” I pause, my voice breaking as Kingston’s hands tighten on my hips for a fraction of a second before he comforts me again. “Anyway, I kept losing consciousness and had no clue how long I was held in the room. Jerome only came in the one time to my knowledge. While the room was empty of anything other than a chair, the bed, a nightstand, and a lamp, I knew I had to get out of there.

“I managed to convince him to let me go to the bathroom. When he finally released me, I grabbed the lamp and hit him in the temple. He went down quick as fuck. I went through the house as quickly as I could and managed to find a window that wasn’t barred like the rest of them. It took me a minute to get it open, but I finally did. That’s how I got out. I rounded the house and found the driveway. After following it to the road, I made a decision which way to go. That’s where I ran into the guys from this club. I heard their bikes coming and stepped in the middle of the road. Once again I collapsed and passed out. I woke up again after they got me here and gave them your name, Kingston,” I tell everyone around me, not looking at a single person because I don’t want to see the pity being aimed in my direction for what I’ve been through.

“Fuck, Kitten. I’m so sorry,” Kingston whispers, his voice a whisper meant only for me to hear as his body trembles and I turn in his arms so we can comfort one another.

“I love you, Kingston. You were the only thing I thought of when I was awake. I dreamed of getting back to you and continuing to build our relationship and life together,” I whisper back to him, needing him to know he’s the reason I made it through being held by Jerome.

“Can you tell us anythin’ about the buildin’ you were kept in?” my grandpa asks me, his voice laced with rage and fear.

“I don’t know much about it. It was old and outdated. I’d say it resembled more of a cabin than an actual house. I’m not even sure where it’s located or how far from here I truly was,” I answer honestly, keeping my face buried in Kingston’s neck.

“We can take you to where we found her. It’s about fifteen minutes from here. If we go now, we might be able to catch your guy still there,” Venom says as he steps up to where I’m sitting with those closest to me.

I tighten my arms around Kingston, not wanting him to leave me again.

“Kitten, I know you don’t want me to leave, but I have to. I need to see with my own eyes that this fucker won’t hurt you ever again. Because if I don’t see it, I can’t reassure you when you need it the most. Ineedto make him pay for hurtin’ you and takin’ you from me,” Kingston says, his voice full of regret and determination as I lift my head and look in his eyes. “There are gonna be days you get lost in your head and won’t believe he’s been dealt with. Those are the times I need to have no doubt in my mind that he’s dead.”

“Okay,” I whisper, my voice breaking with the thought of him leaving me alone here while he does this for us.

I slowly untangle myself from Kingston’s lap and stand next to the chair we were just sitting in together. Kingston stands and pulls me back into his arms and kisses my forehead. His lips linger against my skin and I press my lips against the shirt covering his chest. Right now, we’re lost in our own world even though we’re surrounded by men from four different clubs. I don’t care who sees us sharing affection as Kingston lingers as long as he possibly can. At the very last minute, he pulls from my arms and I find myself engulfed in a hug by Willow. She holds me as tears roll down my face and I watch Kingston leave the clubhouse. When he gets to the door, he looks back one last time and gives me a soft smile despite the tension filling his body. The second the door closes behind him, I lose it and start crying uncontrollably as Willow keeps me wrapped in her embrace and whispers words of comfort to me.

Willow moved me toone of the couches in the common room of the Wild Kings clubhouse. After laying me down and covering me with a blanket, she made her way to the kitchen to get me something to eat. Doc wants me to stick with soft foods that won’t upset my stomach since I feel so nauseous still. I stare blankly at the wall in front of me as something plays on one of the TVs in front of me. There’s no point in pretending to watch considering I won’t be able to focus on anything. My thoughts are firmly with Kingston and what he’s doing with the rest of his club, my grandpa’s club, and all the other men with him. I don’t honestly know who they all are.

After making me some chicken soup, Willow comes back to me with a bowl filled about halfway and a sleeve of crackers. She sets it down on the table in front of me and hands over a spoon and bottle of water she had tucked under her arm. The woman is so sweet and I’m glad she’s here with me. Willow doesn’t talk unnecessarily as she lets me get lost in the thoughts consuming my mind. When she goes to stand back up again, Willow trips on something and falls to land on the table where my soup is sitting. The bowl tips over and spills the soup she just brought me all over the table and floor. At the same time, the sleeve of crackers flies through the air and hits her on the head as she winces.

“Are you okay?” I ask her, sitting up from the couch and helping her off the table so she doesn’t end up on the floor as she rubs the spot on her head the crackers hit.

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