Page 40 of Denial

“We’ll get Doc for them, Sweetheart. Whose blood is that?” Slim asks as him, Playboy, Fox, King, and Devil make their way over to us.

“Well, I killed three men. They’re in the room at the end of the hallway. Morgan’s ex-boyfriend is one of them. He was in charge of this whole operation. Including everything Becker was doing. Did any of you see him here?” I question, needing to know that someone took the fucker out.

“I got him, Hope. You don’t ever have to worry about him comin’ after you again,” Raptor states, his eyes clear of the guilt he’s been feeling since the day I was attacked at Phantom Auto.

“Thank you, Raptor. Can we get the hell out of here now? I know you’ll want to check on the fuckers I killed, but the rest of us need to get out of here. The girls and women need fresh air and sunlight. Once Doc checks them over, they’re gonna need to bathe and get something to eat. It’s been so long since some of them have eaten. I don’t even know how long I’ve been here, and I’m starving,” I ask, knowing it’s time for us to start to heal and move on with our lives.

Jinx, my dad, uncle, and King surround us and we head out of the warehouse. There are vans waiting for us and I help load the girls up into the vans, assuring them that no one is going to hurt them. Bronx is driving one of them and I make sure he knows these women and girls are vulnerable and scared of men after all they’ve been through. He nods in understanding, keeping his eyes forward so he’s not looking at anyone as Deegan slides in the passenger seat. With one last look at the girls and women loaded up, I close the door and Bronx takes off. Jinx and my dad walk me over to one of the club’s SUVs and help me in the backseat. Once King knows I’m safe in the vehicle, he makes his way back inside to finish doing what he needs to do with the rest of the club members.

Jinx and my dad don’t try to talk to me as Slim and Playboy get in the front of the SUV and we head out with the other van filled with the rest of the girls and women. The trip to the compound doesn’t take us very long as we travel the speed limit. My hands are held by Jinx on one side and my dad on the other one. I let my eyes close, knowing I’m safe and no more harm will come my way. Sleep claims me even though I slept in the cage, I didn’t really sleep when I was in that cage.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Jinx

ONCE KING GAVE us the location of where Hope is being held, we all kicked it in high gear and loaded up. None of us ride our bikes because even though we won’t hesitate to get in the warehouse, we want some kind of element of surprise on our side. My entire focus is on seeing my girl and getting her the fuck away from whoever’s taken her. We know there’s a tie to Morgan, but none of us have talked to her about things because she’s just healed after her ex beat the fuck out of her. Unless we absolutely have to, Vault made the decision to leave her alone in this situation because there’s nothing it’s going to do but hurt her more than he already has. I rode in one of the SUVs with my dad, grandpa, Killer, King, and Fox. We quickly made our way to a rundown warehouse and I was filled with rage even more than before.

“We wait for Vault to give us the signal and then we’ll bust in the front door. Jinx, if you can’t control yourself, you’ll be locked in this SUV,” my grandpa states, turning around to face me as he glares so I know he’s serious.

“I know. I’m not gonna go in there and do somethin’ stupid with the risk of somethin’ happenin’ to Hope or anyone else innocent. This isn’t my first time doin’ this shit. Yeah, I got more on the line this time, but I know I can hold my shit together,” I inform him as my dad and Killer nod in response to my words.

“That’s what I wanted to hear, Carson. Let’s get our girl back,” my grandpa says with a large smile on his face.

I have to say, I’m not surprised to see the smile because he loves this shit. It’s been quiet for far too long in Benton Falls and the guys haven’t had anything big like this to do. They haven’t gotten their hands dirty or felt the rush of adrenaline as they prepare for battle to take out their enemy. Now, they get that chance knowing they’re saving one of the club’s princesses. We all get out of the SUV and head for the front door to wait for Vault’s signal.

King and Fox made sure we all have one of the comms in our ear so we can communicate during this attack and rescue. Killer and I are to hold back while another team goes in search of Hope. They know we want to see her, and get her in our arms, but we have so much rage and aggression built-up that we need to release it all before we see our girl. So, we’ll be taking out as many assholes as we can while Raptor goes in search of Hope with a group of men. I believe Bronx is with him along with Valor, Ghost, and Stryker. Typically, I wouldn’t have Killer, King, and Fox with me because three of them are already related and I will be soon enough. However, we’re not leaving one another alone because there’s no way in hell any of them will leave me alone because of the way I reacted when we got that video.

“When I say three, boot your fuckin’ door in and take out these sick fucks,” Vault’s command sounds in my ear as I line up behind Slim, my grandpa. “One. Two. Three.”

I watch as my dad kicks the door in and ducks out of the way allowing Killer to make his way inside the warehouse first. In seconds, the sound of gunfire fills the air as I hold my own gun out in front of me and make my way inside. My eyes lock on Killer up ahead of me and the asshole trying to sneak up on him. Pulling the trigger, I watch the fucker drop to the ground and Killer nod his head without even looking back at me.

We all work together to clear out everyone who is holed up in this rundown warehouse. They’re all wearing suits that don’t flatter their bodies and you can tell they’re from one of the cheaper chain stores in the city. I don’t typically wear suits or know too much about them, but I can tell that these ones are cheap as fuck. Killer remains close to me and I watch as he pauses for a fraction of a second before his body relaxes. That can only mean one thing. He sees Hope. She is the only reason he would allow his body to relax in the middle of a battle. I focus on taking out the rest of the assholes trying to surround us and worry about seeing Hope the second we’re done out here. As long as I know Killer has seen his daughter and that she’s okay, I will get through this battle.

I lose all track of time as we take out the last of the men and I look around the main room of the warehouse. When my eyes get to the hallway, my Sweet Girl is standing there, covered in blood with a group of women and girls behind her. I don’t see or hear anything else as I race to get to Hope. The second I can reach out and touch her, my hands grip her hips and I lift her into my arms. In seconds, her legs are wrapped around my waist and I feel her breath on my neck as she buries her face there. Her entire body is trembling and in seconds I feel the tears she’s allowing herself to shed soak through my shirt and roll down my cut to the bare skin of my arms.

“I’ve got you, Sweet Girl. No one’s ever gonna hurt you again,” I promise Hope as I hold her even tighter for a few seconds before she’s being removed from my arms.

Looking up, I can’t even be mad because Killer is the one who’s taken my girl from me. I know it’s been killing him not to know where she is, what’s being done to her, and every other thought he’s had going through his mind about Hope and those who have her. We’ve had the same thoughts and the hours we’ve been separated from her have taken its toll on us. When I say hours, I’m not talking just a few. I mean the past three days she’s been gone. Yes, it’s been that long since she was taken.

“Baby Girl, are you okay?” Killer questions Hope, setting her on her feet as he looks her over from head to toe and I allow my eyes to follow the same path. “Where are you hurt? That’s so much fuckin’ blood.”

For the first time I take in the blood coating Hope. It’s literally covering various parts of her body and coating her hair. Her face is covered in the remnants of blood and I can tell that it’s been cleaned off with something. Hope’s clothing is covered in blood and panic starts to fill me with the thought of her being so hurt and I didn’t notice anything wrong with her to begin with. Looking down, I even notice blood covering my shirt and skin that’s been transferred from her. I didn’t believe it would be possible considering it appears to be completely dry on her skin and clothes. It does nothing to lessen the fear consuming me until my Sweet Girl opens her mouth and says the best words imaginable.

“It’s not my blood, Dad. I’m okay. I was hit and beat on a little bit, but that’s all. These women and girls need to have Doc check them out. They’ve all been here so long and I can’t even begin to imagine what’s been done to them,” she says, her voice full of pain for the girls behind her and I know we’re about to see her heart open up for them based on what she’s been through with them.

“We’ll get Doc for them, Sweetheart. Whose blood is that?” Slim asks as him, my dad, Fox, King, and Devil make their way over to us. I’m surprised to see my brother over here with us and not with Raptor since the shooting and fighting is over now.

“Well, I killed three men. They’re in the room at the end of the hallway. Morgan’s ex-boyfriend is one of them. He was in charge of this whole operation. Including everything Becker was doing. Did any of you see him here?” Hope asks us, her voice full of concern and worry with the thought of Becker escaping us and still being free to wander this city and world to continue doing this to other women and girls.

Shock fills me at the bombshell Hope just dropped. I honestly have no words for what she’s said and it seems the other guys standing with us are feeling the same thing as they all stare at Hope with various degrees of shock and surprise on their faces. Killer looks at me and I know what he’s saying without even opening his mouth. We’re going to have to watch Hope after this because this is the first time she’s taken a life. We can train her all we want and ensure she has the mental capacity to deal with taking a life, but unless she’s been through it, there’s no way she’ll know how she will cope with blood staining her hands. Before I can give her my full attention once again, I see Raptor making his way over to us.

“I got him, Hope. You don’t ever have to worry about him comin’ after you again,” Raptor states, something I haven’t ever seen in his eyes filling them completely and it’s almost as if he feels the need to do something to make something up to Hope.

“Thank you, Raptor. Can we get the hell out of here now? I know you’ll want to check on the fuckers I killed, but the rest of us need to get out of here. The girls and women need fresh air and sunlight. Once Doc checks them over, they’re gonna need to bathe and get something to eat. It’s been so long since some of them have eaten. I don’t even know how long I’ve been here, and I’m starving,” Hope asks us, her voice full of pain as she lets her eyes glance around our group.

I know she wants to get the hell out of here even if she’s making it sound like the girls and women are the only ones who want to get out of this prison. None of us will truly ever be able to understand or feel what she’s been through at the hands of these sick fucks. Just like she’ll never truly understand what the girls and women she was being held with went through. Every single one of their experiences were different and while there are similar aspects, they’ll all experience them differently and have different reactions based on who they are as a person.

Without words, we surround the group of girls and lead them through the warehouse. I take Hope’s hand in mine and know her dad is holding onto her other one. None of us have to say a word to ensure that the girls are protected at all costs. I let my eyes travel over the group and already see the women shielding the girls from the sight before them. I’m glad to see they have common sense and are still protecting the younger ones because they’ve all been through so much together. Killer, my dad, and grandpa nod their heads and I know they’ve all seen the girls being protected as Raptor and Devil bring up the backend of the group of us.

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