Page 36 of Heron's Flame

“They arrived shortly after we did.”

Ah. To set up a perimeter and ensure they weren’t taken by surprise. The same reason we showed up early. Smart. Of course, we knew the area because the City of Sin and Henderson were chummy. Nothing went down without Crow’s approval in either city. It was our territory.

“Pres,” I began, but I never had a chance to finish speaking.

The Grave Robbers showed up to the meet and entered the tent. Their president, Hammerhead, walked in front of his members, sauntering toward us. I saw the patches on his cut as he drew closer. His gaze focused on Crow before shifting to me.I snarled as I saw his fingers gripping the arm of a young woman with blonde braids, digging into her flesh hard enough to leave bruises.

My Rebel.

Chapter 11 Rebel

“Time to stop running, my sweet little fish.”

Everything inside me seized at the realization that Paul was here. He found me. I didn’t know how, but I had a feeling joining a motorcycle club had been a strategic move for him. Paul never made a decision without calculating how to take down his enemy as ruthlessly as possible. I’d become an enemy the second I left him. Now, I was prey, exposed, vulnerable, and far too easy a target.

I shook my head, backing away as his hard stare landed on me and locked. “I’m not youranything,” I emphasized, keeping my focus on the dangerous man who stood before me.

I knew his temper. Hell, I knew everything about him and what he was capable of. It took every ounce of courage I possessed not to quake in fear.

“You seem to forget our little agreement,” he replied, taking a step forward. “You belong to me.”

“I never agreed to that,” I hissed.

“It wasn’t your choice.”

No, it wasn’t. I lost my freedom the night we met; I just didn’t know it.

Like the predator he was, Paul slowly took control, taking everything away from me until I had to rely on him for survival. But the reason he came into my life had nothing to do with me. I never had a chance to choose or reject him.

No, my parents were the only ones to blame. They sold me to him to pay their debts and gain extra cash. I never meant anything to them other than a means to provide income. I worked from the moment I was old enough to babysit. My mother did odd jobs for temp agencies, but with her poor work ethic, she never got hired anywhere. The man who raised me,who claimed to be my father, had tried to stick his dick in me since I was old enough to get my first period.

And he succeeded, making his late-night visits to my room when my mother worked. I fought him, but it never stopped until my parents met Paul. Sadly enough, the villain in this story wasn’t my father. It was the man who bought me on my eighteenth birthday, drove me for ice cream, took me back to his place, and began to groom me until one night, he took my father’s place. My father had been a fumbling, drunken mess in the bedroom, barely able to get it up long enough to hurt me for long.

Not Paul. He took sadistic pleasure in raping me, tormenting me, subduing me, and ensuring I knew how to please him. I didn’t know most of the sexual acts he forced me to participate in before he bought me. My life became hell from that day on.

It didn’t take long for me to plan my escape, but it did take years to accomplish it. I had to earn his trust, especially after I ran away on multiple occasions like I had when I was a teen. My parents always managed to find me. So did Paul. His punishments were far worse than anything my parents could ever inflict.

So I waited. Plotted. Gained his trust again. And then I ran.

But Las Vegas didn’t hide me the way I hoped. No, I was kidnapped by wolves first, then brought to The Roost.

Until the last few months, I’d never felt like I had the freedom to do as I wished. And now, staring into the eyes of the man who helped steal my innocence, I felt rage begin to surface, bubbling in my gut. The fear I felt began to diminish as Paul’s lips widened into a grin.

“Ah, there it is. That fire that I’ve missed.”

I didn’t reply.

“You’ve caused a lot of inconvenience, Rebecca.” His lips twitched before he licked them. “I’ll enjoy your punishment.”

“Fuck you,” I spat, feeling bold.

His amusement mixed with lethal promise as his green eyes darkened. “How far do you think you can push me?”

I didn’t realize we weren’t alone until I saw more men wearing the Grave Robbers leather vests join us. They closed in and forced me to move closer to Paul. My hands curled into fists as I prepared to fight.

“Ah, my brave little fish. Don’t get hostile now. We’ve got a meeting to attend.”

Huh?

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