Page 20 of Hellraiser

“My son isn’t running from you, Mercy. He’s running from his feelings. His mother left us when he was just two years old. She abandoned him and went to be with another man to live another life and even had another son. That son is now the head of the Outlaws MC,” he revealed.

My eyes ballooned in shock. “Wait. You’re telling me that the president of your rivals is his half-brother?”

I recalled our initial conversation when I asked him to give me information.Fuck. That’s why he didn’t want to snitch.Their rivalry went beyond the typical MC turf wars; it was deeply fucking personal. He probably saw his half-brother as a walking, breathing symbol of his mother’s betrayal. But still, they were family.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “Dre has always had a hard time forming attachments with women. He’s afraid of being abandoned, of being hurt again. But I can see that he cares about you. It’s why he’s so protective. The fact that he’s gone out of his way to take care of you means something. I don’t think he wants to lose you. But if you want to leave, I won’t stop you. But know that you’ve made an impression on him and all of us here.”

A rush of emotions consumed me. I sympathized with Dre and better understood what made him tick. I cared about him more than I realized. But I didn’t know how to save him if he couldn't face his feelings.

“Thank you. I do like him a lot. I know it’s fast, but he makes me feel safer than I’ve ever felt before. I was scared to admit it at first, but now… I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

His father leaned forward. His brown-eyed gaze was reassuring.

“You’ve got spunk, Mercy. I’ll give you that. I can see why my son is drawn to you. I’ll try calling him. Maybe he just needs to hear your voice to set his ass straight.”

I nodded hopefully as he picked up his phone and dialed Dre’s number. After a few rings, someone answered, but from the sound of their voice, it wasn’t Dre.

The harsh voice on the other line belonged to his half-brother, Cannon, the president of the Outlaws and the monster from my nightmare.

“Well, well. Looks like you’re just in time for our family reunion,” he taunted through the receiver. “We got your boy.”

Fear clawed at my throat as anxiety burned a trail to my heart.

His father’s grip on the phone tightened. “Where the fuck is my son, Cannon?”

“You know what we want. Hand over the reporter bitch, and we can talk terms.”

“We both know that’s not going to happen. I won’t trade an innocent woman for my son.”

Cannon laughed coldly. “Innocent? I found that bitch’s badge the night she wandered into my bar. The bitch is a fuckin’ journalist, poking her nose where it doesn’t belong. She’s a threat that needs to be eliminated one way or another. This is the deal, mothafucka. Take it or leave it.”

My heart jerked against its tethers.Oh shit. He knows I’m onto them.

“If you harm my son, there will be hell to pay. You’re already down men, Cannon. Let’s be diplomatic and find another way to settle this.”

His baritone voice deepened, taking on an even more menacing tone. “You’ve got twenty-four fuckin’ hours to change your mind. After that, your baby boy won’t be in one piece when you get him back,” he warned.

The call ended abruptly—those three beeps before the line went dead. His father slammed the phone down, and I looked at him with fear dancing in my eyes.

“Oh my God. I… I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. W-what do we do now?”

His father’s face was hardened with rage, but his expression softened slightly when he looked at me.

“It’s not your fault,” he assured me.“We’ll find a way to get him back, but I won’t let him lose you in the process.”

The word of Dre’s kidnapping swept through the Savages like a tornado. The clubhouse was in a frenzy as the members scurried to gather their weapons and mount their bikes to come to his aid. A knot of anxiety tightened in my throat. I knew the Outlaws were ruthless monsters, and the thought of them having Dre in their clutches made me nauseous.

Dre’s father barked orders, his voice echoing through the clubhouse. His expression and tone remained stern when his eyes landed back on me.

“Mercy, you need to stay here. We can’t risk you being out in the open.”

Before I could protest, two prospects stepped forward, ready to escort me back to Dre’s bedroom.

“But I want to help! I can’t just sit here and do nothing while he’s out there enduring God knows what.”

One of the prospects shook his head, his expression sympathetic but firm. “Boss’s orders. Let’s go.”

My heart dropped as they led me back to Dre’s room. A wave of helplessness washed over me when I heard the door close behind me. I wanted to be out there, helping them find Dre, but instead, I was confined to his bedroom like a princess locked away in a tall tower.

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