Page 1 of Derick

Men in SWAT uniforms swarmed the room. I clutched my daughter, Hope, tighter to my chest, protecting her the best I could. The women in the room with me screamed, but hope soared because I knew this was my chance at freedom.

My father had put me in this room with all these women as punishment, threatening that my daughter and I would be sold just like the women being held. I’d helped some of the younger girls escape the last time he had a group this large, and in the process, with my father and his biker gang being focused on them escaping, Dustan, the Silverman they were holding, had gotten away. I thought my dad hadn’t found out it was me. It had been months since Dustan Silverman got away, but I fucked up, because this time when I tried helping the women escape, I’d been caught. I knew that was the real reason I’d been put in here and scared more than I ever had before, because the Silverman family had caused the most problems for my father and his biker gang lately. My father had suspected me, but when I got caught this time it confirmed I’d been the reason the Silverman got away a couple of months ago.

My brother, Toby, had been sent away last week, or so I’d been told. The last time I’d seen him, he had told me he’d buy some items I needed from the chemist. So, when there was a knock on my apartment door, I thought he was back from his trip and had what I’d asked him to get. It had been my father andhis goons and not Toby. I knew they’d caught on that I’d been up to my tricks again and I was about to be punished.

It had taken them a while to figure out it was me. I’d expected them months ago when I’d helped Dustan Silverman escape. I’d saved people that my father’s bikers had taken before, but this time I’d let someone important go. The Silverman family were usually surrounded by guards. The family had top-of-the-line security systems, which made them not afraid of my father and his biker gang. I knew with one of them being taken, the Silverman family would up their security and be even more alert for threats. My father’s gang wouldn’t get a chance to take one so easily again.

I’d made sure the room they locked Dustan in was open, and that the back door was unlocked too. That was the easy part; I’d copied the keys and hid them well. I had also bribed a couple of the club girls to keep the guys as busy as they could so the Silverman could escape. I’d set free some of the younger women being held in the cells in the basement, where I was now held. Most of the sweet butts, or sluts as the guys called them, had aided me before, usually it was when it involved their children. It had been easier to get all the men occupied than I’d thought. They were on a high from taking the Silverman and ready to celebrate. To help Dustan, I’d cashed in all my favors. That was why I didn’t get a warning about my father and his goons this morning.

My father had never hit me before, although his wife had, and even other members of the club, but tonight as he shoved me and my daughter in this room, he not only hit me, he also beat me to the extent that it hurt to breathe, and I knew that I had to get away for good. I hated my father’s club, the Devil’s Queens, they had kept me in their grasp for too long. There weren’t many members who were upstanding citizens. My brother even straddled the line sometimes, and by far he was thenicest of the members. Some of the other sons weren’t so bad, it was their fathers who were the terrifying psychos.

My brother Toby had called this morning to tell me that he was coming back in a couple of days. Dad had him in NSW to deal with their chapter there, or more like spy on them. If Toby had been here, he wouldn’t have let my dad trap me in here or let his men treat me the way they had. Toby had tried many times to bring Hope and I with him down to NSW, but my father had gotten Toby’s mother involved, and she thought the sun shone out of our father’s arse and convinced Toby to go. Toby’s mother was his weak spot, because even though she was a major bitch, he still loved her. I wondered if she knew I was only one of many brothers and sisters Toby and I had, and that her husband treated them worse than he did us. I’d rescued three of my half-sisters so far with Toby’s help, but this time I’d been caught, and I hated to admit it was because Toby wasn’t around.

I had been left alone most of my life, thanks to my brother’s protection, my stutter, and baby fat. I had been a chubby child. The weight hadn’t started shedding until I hit puberty. That was when trouble started for me. That was when life hit an all-time low, but I didn’t want to think about that time in my life as I got Hope out of the worst thing that ever happened to me. Hope was without a doubt the best thing in my life.

Gathering my daughter to me, I hugged her tightly and kissed both her chubby cheeks before I rested my forehead against her small one, closed my eyes, and prayed for help like I’d always tried to give others. My eyes snapped open at the loud bangs outside of the room, and then more men in black raiding gear withSWATwritten over the bulletproof vests poured in. The women around me screamed as they heard the gunshots. I clutched Hope to me tighter.

The SWAT men yelled, “Room cleared. Twenty-six women and two children.”

I knew they were here because the Silverman had gotten away and drawn attention to the club and what the men in it stood for. Dustan must have told the police all he’d seen. I blinked and wondered why they hadn’t come sooner as it had been a couple of months since I let Dustan go. I had a feeling they were gathering everything they needed to bring my father’s biker gang down for good.

My brother pushed his way into the room. Shock swept through me at not only seeing him here when he should be in NSW, but I was confused that none of the officers attempted to stop him from entering the crime scene. Toby gathered Hope and I in a huge bear hug. I stared at him speechless for a moment, surprised that he was before me. I clung to him like he was the lifeline I knew he’d always been.

“H…He sent you a…away,” I mumbled against his shoulder.

Toby eased back to gaze at me, but still held Hope. “I came back for this. No, that’s a lie, Abby rang me and told me what happened. I didn’t want to believe it, but…” He swallowed loudly and wouldn’t look me in the eyes. “I’m sorry my mother was helping.” He blinked, and his gaze met mine. The light of love he held for me left his gaze as he mumbled, “She didn’t make it after they punished her for phoning the police and telling them where their hidden rooms were. Apparently, she told the right people, because they kept the raid on the down-low, and that was why none of Dad’s informants called until it was too late.”

Toby paused and kissed my forehead.

“I’ve been working with the police for years now,” he said. “Remember when I took off for almost a year?” Oh, I remembered, it was how I was blessed with Hope. I stayed quiet, and he continued. “I was in training. I’m part of an undercover team. I’d been at a debriefing when I was informed of the raid and that you were being held in one of the secret rooms. I wasn’t going to let them go without me.”

“Why d…didn’t you tell m…me? I helped a Si…Silverman. I helped a bb…bunch of, o…of women. As many as I c…c…could. I... he, Dad, bastard, was going to k…kill him. It’s been m…months since they escaped, where have you b…been? I needed y…you.” I whacked his back. He dodged my hands, and Hope giggled at our antics.

I froze as I realized that even in the craziness surrounding us, that life can change in a moment and children can always see the good in any situation. One thing I did know was I was done with my father’s gang and anyone that had a thing to do with them.

“I knew putting my trust in the Silvermans would pay off.” He pulled me into his embrace and squeezed tight. “They helped, sister. I made a deal to help do some clean up. I’ll try to call when I can. Everything will work out, and just know that there will be a lot of help. Trust the Silvermans, they’re the good guys.” He kissed my forehead and then Hope’s before he put her back down on the ground.

We stood together in silence among the chaos. Toby let out a loud sigh and pushed his way back out of the room. I stared after him, shocked at his abrupt appearance, information drop, and then disappearance.

I’d ignored the other men as usual and didn’t respond to the SWAT team until a woman officer came to Hope with a huge smile on her face and repeated over and over, “I promise you’re safe now.” She locked her gaze with mine. “Come, we have houses that are secure, and we will protect you. I will personally make sure you and your daughter get the help you need.”

I believed her and knew my life would be changed from this moment on. I just hoped it was for the better.

Ibit my nails as I stared at the therapist that was assigned to the house tonight, Dr. Heather. She was one of the nicer ones out of the three we had. She also didn’t seem to be so judgmental of me keeping my baby, or the fact that my father was a part of the biker gang that had taken the other women. I’d also suffered at the hands of my father and his men. I was eighteen with a two-year-old little girl, who I didn’t know the father of, because I was gang raped. I didn’t like to dwell on that though. I wanted to think that I got something special: the best thing to ever happen to me came from the worst thing to happen to me.

“Ruby, I gave you that leaflet so you could see all they had to offer. In my professional opinion, I think going to the classes could be good for you.” She raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow. Her makeup was always immaculate, and there was never a hair out of place.

“I…I don’t. I can’t g…go.” I shook my head. I hated crowds. I’d barely left the house since they’d placed me there, along with a bunch of the women they’d found at the compound of my father’s biker group.

I wasn’t scared to leave. Well, that was a lie, I was without my brother, Toby, or Decker as most knew him by. He wasn’t someone people came up to—he looked scary, with his height, big build, and covered in tats, but he was a sweetheart. I feared if I left the house without Toby, people might approach me withquestions, and I also feared what I might see when they looked at me.

Before SWAT had busted in and the media had ascended, I’d been a pretty adjusted woman, or so I thought. I was sociable enough that I left the house. I’d even started talking to some women at a playground I took Hope to, and I loved my little one-bedroom flat that we’d lived in. I’d been in the paper and on the news after the SWAT team had rescued us; mind you, they weren’t real good photos as they were from a distance and I was always surrounded by people, but they were out there. I wasn’t lucky enough to be anonymous like the other women in here, as it was my father and his gang that caused this. I was sick of questions and people asking me about my feelings and only seeing females, but I feared people attacking me for what my father had done. I was ready to see men. I knew that my father and his friends weren’t what most men were like, they were a small percentage.

“It’s free,” Dr. Heather said. “I think it’ll make you feel better and may even help you heal. It even has a daycare for Hope.”

At the mention of my daughter, the reason for living to fight every day, my heart soared. The last couple of weeks all the talking and discussing of the past had my stutter flaring and my anxiety rising to new highs. I knew I needed to get out, but to a self-defense class I wasn’t so sure.

“Okay. I’ll go.” I stood and looked toward the playroom where I knew Hope was happily playing with the other little girl who was a couple of years older than her. I had a feeling my daughter wasn’t going to like leaving her friend. I loved Hope, but even as a toddler, she was very strong-willed about what she wanted and who she liked.

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