Page 25 of True Me

“What do you mean?” I ask Crow, a man I’ve always respected and feel close to. Not just because of Eagle either.

“My boy and Cash have wanted an ol’ lady of their own for as long as I can remember. I’ve heard them a time or two over the years play it off and act as if that’s the last thing they want. However, I know my son and Cash grew up in my home. I saw when they first recognized you as more than the girl Pound brought into the clubhouse and started seein’ you for the amazin’ woman you truly are. Now that they have you, they don’t see anyone else. Hell, they haven’t for longer than either one of them will admit. Even to themselves,” Crow informs me as I watch Cash walk over to us while that skank tries to keep Eagle back with her.

“I’m gonna take this garbage out so I can move around back here,” I tell him before Cash can get to us. “There’s too much shit back here and I can’t move around without feeling as if I’m about to fall flat on my face.”

“You want me to do that for ya? Or I can have Connor take it out,” Crow asks me, getting off his stool as I round the end of the bar with a smile on my face.

“No thank you. If I don’t stay busy, all those bad thoughts fill my head and I need to get them gone for good,” I assure him, moving past him. “If you see Connor, he can start stocking the bar though.”

“Doll, I gotta head back to the clubhouse for a minute. You need anythin’ while I’m out?” Cash asks me, leaning down and kissing me deep as his finger slides down the leather of my rag.

“No. I’ve got what I need here,” I answer him, knowing I won’t eat even if we had food here to consume.

My appetite has been non-existent since my grandma passed away. I know I have to eat and the guys force feed me whenever food has been prepared by the ol’ ladies or one of them. Eagle and Cash want to take care of me and I have no doubt Cash will show back up with food just because he knows I didn’t eat before coming in tonight. That’s more than likely why he’s leaving if I’m being honest. Eagle probably let him know I avoided eating and now they’re going to feed me while I’m here.

Cash leaves the club and I continue on my way out back where the dumpsters are located. My hands are full of garbage bags as I push through the back door and make my way over to them. The dumpsters are a little ways away from the door so the smell doesn’t overwhelm the dancers if they come out back for a break during their shift. Usually one of the guys would be close so he can keep an eye on the girls when they’re not in the building. Right now, they’re busy cleaning the club since the doors open so soon. If everyone doesn’t work together to clean this shit up, it will still be a mess when customers start coming inside to watch the girls shake their tits and ass on stage.

Pulling open the front gate that keeps the dumpster hidden from sight, I set some of the bags down so I can open the lid. It crashes back, the sound echoing off the walls of the buildings. It’s so loud, I jump slightly before grabbing the bags once more and prepare to toss them all inside the dumpsters so I can head back inside. I get creeped out being out here. Especially when I’m alone. The shadows make me feel as if I’m being followed and I hate that feeling.

“Where are your biker bitches now?” I hear a voice from behind me as I launch the first set of garbage bags inside. “They finally left you all alone and vulnerable. It’s been a long time, Rebel.”

Fear races up my spine and I slowly turn around to come face-to-face with Chad. He’s truly changed over the years since I last saw him and it’s not for the better. His hair is longer and has that greasy look to it. Instead of every strand being in place like it used to be, it looks as if he’s been running his fingers through the strands while most of them stick up all over the place. His clothes are full of wrinkles and stains. I swear if I didn’t date Chad for as long as I did, I wouldn’t recognize this person standing in front of me. It makes me want to laugh my ass off, but I know if I laugh in Chad’s face, his temper will explode and I know it will end worse for me.

“My bikers, who are real men by the way, are inside because they don’t have to micromanage me like you did. I have the freedom to do what I need to. They don’t limit the time I can spend with others in my life and they ensure I’m safe and happy. That I feel the love they have for me without games or manipulation. They’re everything you’re not and I will never be with you again,” I state, knowing I’m pissing Chad off as his face turns an alarming shade of purple and the veins in his forehead and neck start to stand out and pulse like I’ve seen countless times in the past before he would beat the shit out of me.

“That’s why they’re in there right now letting another woman put her hands all over them?” he questions me and I know immediately who he’s talking about. This time I do start laughing my ass off.

“That skanky stripper? Neither one of them want her and would cut their nuts off before they even thought about being with her. She’s a desperate piece of shit who has no clue that anyone truly wants her. She’s a used up slut who’s spread her legs for so long no one can feel any satisfaction when they fuck her. Everyone knows it and she barely gets any private dancers these days because the customers inside are on to her games and don’t want her,” I finally manage to tell him as Chad’s eyes flare with hatred. “Oh my God! You’re fucking her! You are desperate enough to stick your pencil dick in her loose pussy. That’s fucking priceless.”

Chad doesn’t come at me with his words of anger and call me names as he’d done previously. He stalks toward me and simply starts beating the shit out of me. Chad’s so fucking fast I don’t see him swinging the gate at me until the rough edge slams into my body and I’m jarred to the point I fall flat on my ass with my ankle wedged under the edge of the metal. I can’t stop the scream that erupts from me as my ankle immediately starts to swell and I feel blood from the cut made by the jagged edges.

From there, Chad kneels down over me, his legs on either side of my body as he proceeds to start punching me, his fists landing on every sensitive area of me like my ribs, throat, and stomach. He’s learned over the years where to make the most impact with his hits. With the hit to my throat, I can’t even scream out in pain as I feel blood start to fill my mouth and fear consumes me. This is where I die. Chad is literally going to beat me to death and have no reason to think twice about doing so.

My vision starts to fade to nothing as he lands a few solid punches to my temple. Visions of the time I spent with Eagle and Cash fill my head. They don’t start from the time they made their intentions clear about what they wanted with me. These memories start when Pound first brought me to the clubhouse and I started getting close to everyone in the Fallen Brethren MC. These men and women became my support system, a safe haven, and they supported my grandma in her time of need. They all showed up for her funeral when they didn’t have to and made sure I wasn’t alone. I didn’t have to take care of anything during that time. Alex and the ol’ ladies made sure everything was taken care of.

“You’re mine, Rebel. And I’m gonna have fun breaking you all over again. The first time I took my time and played the long game. This time, I’m gonna make it quick and filled with nothing but pain,” Chad says, the last thing I hear before everything goes dark and I am filled with a sense of peace and calm I’ve never felt before in my life.

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