Page 11 of Hellraiser

I nodded. “Yeah. It was crazy. But the most fucked-up part is that I told the principal what happened to me, and nothing happened.”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing,” I confirmed. “He kept teaching, and probably kept touching other girls with no consequences. I learned years later that he was the principal’s brother-in-law. The sick fuck was probably in on it all along. For once, I just want a hand in putting monsters like that in jail where the fuck they belong.”

“What high school did you go to?”

“Grantville. Home of the Pelicans.”

“What year did you graduate?”

“Two-thousand-eighteen, why?”

He looked away for a few seconds as if he were going back and forth with himself about something.

“What if I could get you something better than a witness?” he offered, bypassing my question. “Something that couldn’t be denied or questioned.”

My curiosity was instantly piqued, causing me to sit my head back up. “What’s better than a crucial witness?”

His eyes met mine. “Video proof. If we can get footage of the Outlaws in action for your article, there’s no way your boss or whoever can deny it. It’s solid evidence that will force the police to get involved and put a stop to this shit.”

My eyes widened, and hope rekindled in my gut. I had to stop myself from jumping up and hugging him. “Could you get me footage?”

Dre nodded slowly as if already working through the logistics in his mind.

“I have some contacts who might be able to help. I know you’re on a deadline, but we can’t rush this. We have to be careful.”

I nodded eagerly. With his help, I could finally get the evidence I needed to expose the Outlaws and bring justice to the women they’d harmed. I looked at him and smiled. He wasn’t just protecting me. He was helping to uncover the truth and bring down his enemies.

Unable to refrain myself, I reached out to hug him, crashing my body against his. “Thank you so much, Dre. I swear I’ll make sure this story brings those creeps to justice.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied, his hard chest still pressed against mine.

As I pulled away, I noticed Dre staring at me, his steely gray eyes full of blazing intensity.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” I quizzed, barely above a whisper.

He hesitated as a slow smirk lifted the corner of his lips. “Because I’m fighting the urge not to kiss your beautiful ass right now,” he answered, voice gravelly.

My heart fluttered. “If it helps, you have my permission to stop fighting.”

Dre leaned in, closing the distance between us. Our lips met in a gentle yet passionate kiss, sealing a moment of connection neither of us expected, but I suspected we both desperately needed.

It had been almost three days since our kiss under the stars, and there had been radio silence between us. I didn’t know where Dre disappeared to. He was like a ghost. I found myself navigating life in the Hell’s Savages clubhouse in his absence, slowly becoming acquainted with the club members around theclubhouse. The motorcycle club was nothing like I imagined. It was a different world and nothing like I thought it would be.

Over the past few days, I met several members who’d welcomed me in their own rough but genuine way. There was Blaze, the mechanic. He’d gone out with a few other men to bring my car back to the clubhouse and run a diagnostics test to find out what was wrong. Turns out I had a leaking head gasket. He scolded me for not taking it to a mechanic sooner. I admitted I didn’t know the first thing about cars besides how to drive them and put gas in the tank.Luckily, I kept a gym bag in my trunk with a couple of spare outfits inside for emergencies.

Then there was Ghost—the enforcer. He had a no-nonsense attitude and was fiercely protective of his brothers. He talked to me about my work as a journalist, boasting that his younger sister was attending an HBCU and studying communications just like I did.

Lastly, there was the president, Dre’s father. He was quiet but also incredibly calculated and forceful. He was the one who explained his club’s code of honor to me, providing me with more insight into their MC family.

I found myself falling down the rabbit hole, slipping into Dre’s world, and realizing the Hell’s Savages were more than just a pack of rugged, ruthless criminals. They had a code, a fierce sense of loyalty, and an unwavering respect for justice that I’d quickly come to respect. I felt a strange sense of belonging among them.

Despite my growing comfort, I couldn’t shake the thoughts of Dre. Our brief but intense connection still lingered in the back of my mind, slipping to the front at the most inopportune times. His abrupt disappearance had left me with a lot more unanswered questions than I could process. Did he regret our kiss? Was it so bad that he couldn’t stand to be near me? We never talked about our past relationships. Maybe he had agirlfriend and felt guilty about what happened between us.The possibilities were endless.

The next time I see him, I will make him talk to me about what happened and what the hell comes next.

Later that night, the Hell’s Savages were hosting one of their weekly MC parties. The clubhouse was alive and well with thumping rap music, laughter, MC groupies, and the clinking of shot glasses and beer cans. I found myself mingling with the members, enjoying the lively atmosphere. Blaze offered me a drink, and we started chatting about my car.

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