Page 37 of Denial

In a few minutes, I’m being released from the table and I slide to the floor since neither man laid it out flat before releasing me. They start laughing as I cringe. For the first time since entering this room, I’m truly hurt. I came down on my ankle wrong and I’m sure that I’ve sprained it at the very least. It starts to throb as I push myself up off the floor and both men grab my arms once again. They pull me from the room I’m in and drag me back into the room with all the cages. Once I’m locked in again, I listen as they leave all of us alone, arguing about something stupid as fuck. It won’t take the club long at all to take out every fucking idiot here.

I somehow manage to fall asleep in the cage. It’s not a peaceful sleep at all. The cage is metal and the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever attempted to sleep on in my life. While I don’t need a lot of sleep right now, I can get by with quick naps until I’m out of here and know that I’m safe where I can fall into a deep sleep surrounded by Jinx as he keeps me safe from the demons that haunt my nightmares.

Sitting up the best I can in the cage, I look around to find all the women and girls awake and looking at me. Some of them have pity filling their eyes while others loathe me for some reason. Even more look at me with nothing more than fear and panic filling their eyes. I hate anyone looking at me with pity as I spend a minute looking at each woman and girl.

“My family is going to come for me. When they do, I’ll make sure that you’re all freed and removed from here. They’ll get you back to your family or wherever you need to go,” I tell them all, hope filling me because I know this is the truth and what will happen the second the guys figure out where I’m at.

“Yeah right. Don’t you think we all thought the same thing when we were drugged, taken, and woke up here? I’ve been here the longest and each woman and girl in these cages have said the same thing. It won’t take you long to end up just like the rest of us—hopeless, broken, and alone,” one of the women states as I truly take in her looks.

She’s probably the oldest person in here. Her long, dark black hair is matted and greasy while the shirt covering her upper body is literally being held together by her hands. She’s only wearing a thin pair of cotton panties on her lower body. Dirt and grime cover every exposed inch of her skin and she’s so damn thin I know they’ve been starved.

“There’s one huge difference between my family and your family members. I can guarantee that. My family makes up the new chapter of the Phantom Bastards MC in Pine View. My dad is a member of the mother chapter in Benton Falls. Do any of you have family members in a motorcycle club? The mafia? A cartel? Anything remotely close to any of those?” I question the women surrounding me in cages as they all perk up and look at me with hope shining dimly in their eyes.

“Are you serious? Your dad is a member of that club? I’ve heard things about them and how ruthless they can be when you fuck with one of them,” the same girl questions me as she moves closer in her cage to mine.

“I’m serious. If you’ve heard about them, maybe you’ve heard of Killer?” I ask as she nods her head and pales at the mention of my dad’s name. “That’s my dad. Fox is my uncle. I grew up in the clubhouse on a daily basis. They’re all in Pine View right now and the second they realize I’m missing and that I’ve been taken from the compound, they’ll start searching for me. The second one of them realizes where I’m being held, they’ll storm this place and won’t rest until I’m back with them. I just hope Becker’s here when they show up so they can kill him along with Garrison.”

“Becker will be here. He’s staying here because he’s being hunted from what I’ve overhead when they take me out of the cage,” the woman informs me as I smile at that knowledge. “I’m Trinity by the way.”

“Trinity, I’m Hope. And my promise from before stands. I will get each and every one of you away from here and back home where you belong. The club will help you get therapy or anything else you need once we’re out of here. You’ll have a fresh start on life and I will ensure it happens one way or another,” I state with determination filling my voice.

To pass time, we all talk about our lives before we were taken. I go first so they know I can be trusted and that I’m not being treated any different than they are. Most of the girls surrounding me are shy and were taken extremely close to their homes. My heart breaks with every story I hear from these girls and I know I will do everything I can to make sure that they don’t have to live in fear for the rest of their lives. When I start to see them get sleepy, I promise them that I’ll remain awake and vigilant so they can rest. None of them have been able to sleep properly since they were taken and I can’t blame them.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jinx

KILLER AND I have been out searching for the last six hours with no sign of my girl at all. Everyone we’ve talked to hasn’t seen the man called Garrison but they all know who he is. No one in Pine View can stand him and knows that he’s a fucking piece of shit. He’s vile, abusive, narcissistic, and just as manipulative as Ice was. There isn’t a single good thing we’ve heard about Garrison. Yes, we know his name now. King took a picture from the video of the security footage and ran it through one of his facial recognition programs. It didn’t take long for my best friend to have most of the details about Garrison. What he didn’t want to spend time searching for, his dad worked on. Neither one of them went out searching for Hope even though Hope’s their blood family. They’re more useful in the clubhouse searching for the information we need to put the best plan in place to bring my girl home.

I’d still be out searching with Killer, but Vault called us in. He knows we haven’t slept, eaten, or done anything we should be doing to take care of ourselves. Gwen and my mom made us sit down to get something to eat before they force us to bed so we can get a few hours of sleep. Sleep and eating is the last thing I need to be worrying about right now. Hope is more than likely awake, hungry, scared, and hurt. There’s no reason that I need to be resting when she’s not able to get any herself. Killer agrees with me, but no one else does. Vault has given strict orders that if anyone lets us leave the clubhouse, they’ll be demoted or removed from the clubhouse without hesitation. No one wants that, so we know that the doors will be locked for us and we’ll have to do what Vault wants before we’re allowed to leave again.

Add in how upset Gwen and my mom are and no one wants to fuck around when it comes to the two of us. My mom threatened everyone that if I left the clubhouse without sleep, she would not only kick them all in the balls, but that she’d flatten their tires so they were stuck at the clubhouse with her and Gwen. Gwen told everyone that she’d get Kim to attack them on her behalf because she’s already used up her quota of dealing with idiots when she went down in the cells with Ice. I’m scared of Kim on a good day. I’ve spent a majority of my time around her since she’s King’s mom and when Kim is on the warpath, she takes out anyone who gets in her way and doesn’t care if it’s friend or foe. So, I guess I’ll be taking a short nap after eating and drinking something before Killer and I go back out searching for Hope. That’s why we’re currently sitting at a table in the common room waiting for our lunch to be delivered instead of riding around the city.

“Got a package delivered to the gate,” Bronx says, walking in the clubhouse as he stops at the table I’m sitting at with Killer.

“Who dropped it off?” I ask Bronx, knowing already that this didn’t come through the mail or any delivery service.

“A guy wearing a cheap, knock-off suit. Really fuckin’ slimy lookin’ and he was drivin’ a nicer car than he could afford. You should know that there’s blood on his clothin’ too. I’m not sure what the hell is goin’ on or who’s blood it is, but that’s what I saw when he got out of the car. Said specifically to give it to Killer and no one else,” Bronx informs us as Killer rips open the box without hesitation and I stand from my seat so I can look inside with him.

Killer pulls out a flash drive after opening up the box and hands it straight over to King before standing from his seat as we make our way over to stand behind him and Fox. Vault, Valor, my dad, grandpa, Court, Chrome, Devil, and Raptor join us before Vault places a hand on King’s shoulder.

“Since we have no clue what we’re about to see, I want all women and kids removed from the common room. Right now, it might be better if everyone goes up to our house until we know what the hell is goin’ on,” Vault orders as Annabell walks into the common room and heads for the playpen where Torrin is sleeping while Savannah grabs her kids and the rest of the ol’ ladies make their way to the door to leave the clubhouse. “Bronx and Kian, I want you to stand at either end of the hall to make sure none of the Phantom girls leave their rooms. If any of them give you any shit, I’ll deal with them once we’re done here.”

There’s a sense of urgency as everyone does what Vault has demanded. Everyone knows that whatever we’re about to look at could lead us to Hope and bringing her home. King patiently waits until the door of the clubhouse closes behind the last ol’ lady before he presses play and we watch as the video starts to play. Hope is strapped to some kind of table that’s been lifted in the air so it appears as if she’s standing when she’s really not. My girl is fucking pissed as one man stands next to her and we all listen as another voice starts swearing and grumbling about technology that shouldn’t be used to deliver messages. I can already feel the rage building deep within my body as my eyes remain locked on Hope.

It doesn’t take long for the second man to appear on camera after some words are exchanged and Hope runs her mouth. When I focus on her once again, Hope’s angled her head slightly differently and I see a red mark on her face in the shape of a handprint. It’s not fully detailed and it’s barely visible, but I can make it out regardless. I know the second Killer notices it as well. His entire body goes rigid and he locks his muscles down from standing up straight as we continue watching the video play out before us.

Suddenly, we’re watching these two stupid fucks beat the hell out of Hope. She barely flinches and doesn’t scream out in pain or anything. Even when we see her skin split open from wounds being created by rings one of the fuckers is wearing. Still, it doesn’t stop my girl from running her mouth after several minutes of being hit repeatedly. While Hope is still attached to the table, hardly breathing heavy at all, the men are covered in sweat and panting like fucking pussies from the little bit of energy they just exerted.

Just as suddenly as the video started playing, the screen goes black. King goes to hit stop when a voice suddenly fills the room.

“This is your one shot to get the slut back if you truly want her back. You have something that belongs to me inside your clubhouse. Morgan is mine. When you bring her to me, I will hand over the girl to you. Every day you make me wait, is another day that she gets beaten and hurt. If I have to wait too long, I have no problem selling her to the highest bidder. Or letting my men have their fun with her. The choice is yours—my property for yours. I will send a message tomorrow with a location and time. If you do not show up with Morgan, I will start cutting off body parts and sending them to you in the mail. I am not playing games with you,” a man says and that’s when I lose my shit.

Turning from the table King and Fox are sitting at, I pick up the closest object to me and start smashing it until there’s nothing left but the splinters in my hands. I grab the next closest thing to me and repeat the process. Losing all track of time, I continue smashing up everything in the common room that’s not nailed down. I don’t stop until two sets of arms grab me and hold me tight so I can barely move.

“Let me fuckin’ go!” I yell out, my chest heaving from my panting as sweat covers my body. “Get your fuckin’ hands off me!”

“Jinx!” King yells so I stop fighting against him and my brother. “Fuckin’ stop. We know this is hittin’ you hard to see your girl on that screen bein’ attacked the way she just was. You gotta hold that shit in and be the man she needs you to be so we can bring her back home where she belongs.”

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