“Stop with the deranged monologue. Let’s get the fuck to the club so we can get to the action.” Ryder clapped me on the back.

Sage padded down the hall with Jade in her arms and a bag slung over her shoulder. “What’s going on?” Picking up on the tension in the room as she eyed the three of us – one of us being someone she would have never expected to be in our living room, especially after what had transpired only a couple of days ago.

Unless . . .

She jerked to a stop. “Oh my God. What happened to Brooke?” She slapped her free hand to her mouth, her eyes wide, pooling with tears.

“It’s going to be okay, Babe.” Rushing to her side, Ryder tugged her into his arms. “You and Jade can go hang out with Angel and Misti. The guys are going on a hunt.” His face screwed up into a savage grin.

I was sure my expression mirrored his lethal one. We would be bringing the fires of hell to their doorstep and not one of them was going to escape the wrath of my revenge for hurting my girl. The blood and body count were going to rival any horror movie imaginable.

Nine

~Brooke~

When I jerked awake, my hands instinctively clutched the sides of my head, hoping to shove back the wicked pain that indicated my brain was splitting into two. I was once again in an ungraceful heap on a cold, hard, cement floor in the warehouse he had brought me to, out in the middle of nowhere. But as long as I had fight left in me, I was fighting back. Although sadly, I wasn’t sure how much energy I had left. My brain and heart screamed, ‘Full steam ahead,’ but my body was slowly losing on that front. Because of the brutality he had dished out – not counting the sexual assault – I was beginning to think this wasn’t an act of revenge between two clubs and I wasn’t the prize they were taking back to their prez. So I wasn’t sure how much time I had left.

“I was hoping you’d wake up soon.” His disgusting voice crept over me like an oil spill. “I like a feisty girl who fights back. It makes me hard and gives me complete satisfaction when I get a taste.” He grabbed his crotch.

I swallowed the bile that shot up my throat. So far his hands were the only thing that had touched me, but I was under no illusion that was his sole intent. But I’d die before I allowed him to rape me. Although his fingers in places that weren’t welcome was rape too. I forced back those horrifying thoughts. I had to keep a level head for just a little while longer. “This isn’t over club business, is it?” I wasn’t sure why I needed that clarification.

The laugh that spurted from his mouth lacked any real humor; in fact it could only be described as demonic. “No. And your dad was a damn fool to make you give up protection like that. It wouldn’t have been so easy to get you had you still been with that biker guy. Or there was a real possibility I wouldn’t have been able to get to you at all.” He leered at me from across the room – his dark eyes cruel and his brown hair a tangled disaster from going several rounds with me – as he leaned against a storage cabinet with his arms crossed over his chest.

Yeah, it had been too easy to grab me from my home. He knew my schedule; that I wasn’t seeing Grayson anymore; and that my roommate wasn’t home yet. It hadn’t even been that dark out – I had just gotten home from work – but he had kidnapped me with ease. I wasn’t even sure there were any witnesses or evidence left behind. I prayed there was some sort of clue and that help was on the way. But as the hours ticked by, my hope slowly diminished.

“Nah, this is police business. Your dad put away my brother and he died before his parole hearing came up and he had the chance to get out of there. So I have a big problem with the chief there. He’s going to pay. By the time the police figure out where you are; it will be too late. But that club; they have their ways. And then I wouldn’t be this lucky.” He licked his lips.

I didn’t like his double meaning. And I had to hold on to that little spark of hope that they were out searching for me. Turning the damn town upside down. Deep down, I believed – although at this point it could just be wishful thinking – that my dad would suck down his pride and go to Grayson for help. And despite my hurting Grayson like I had, he would move heaven and earth and go through the fires of hell to save me.

Even though the room continued to spin, I slowly shifted to a seated position. That way I could more easily move to defend myself. The nefarious glint in his eyes signaled another vicious round was about to begin.

Shooting me an evil smirk, he prowled across the room. “I think I’ve had my fun. Now for the real enjoyment. I want a taste of you and my dick wants in on the action too. Then I can send a picture of your naked body with your brains blown everywhere to your dear old dad.”

Arms and legs shaking with the effort and a good dose of fear, I forced myself to a standing position, mimicking a fighting stance as best I could to prepare to fight for my life.

Snickering, he grabbed me by the hair and thrust his crotch into my belly. “The more you fight, the harder he gets. And I’m going to love every minute of it.”

Using every bit of strength I had, I shoved my knee up into his crotch.

His hand tightened in my hair as he slammed the butt of his gun into the side of my head.

The action made stars dance before my eyes.

Then he tossed the weapon across the room before he began tearing at my shirt with one hand and ripping at the button of my pants with the other.

Lifting my hands to his head, I tore at his face, trying to gouge out his eyes.

He roared in an infuriated fit and hurled me across the room where I crashed into a wooden table. The collision fractured the table into pieces and my ribs cracked on impact. Pain shot through my chest.

His eyes wild with fury, he stalked toward me.

In a snap decision, I grabbed one of the splintered pieces in one of my shaking hands, feeling every movement I made tear through me, leaving a fire of pain zipping along every nerve ending. I forced myself to breathe through every bolt of agony.

Because he was rabid with rage, he hadn’t noticed my makeshift weapon. Paying it no mind, he was on me in a matter of seconds, freeing his dick from his jeans.

In the next instant, using the jagged section of wood like a knife, I sliced at his offending appendage. Bellowing in pain and with his attention on his precious sliced up manhood, I sat up as far as my protesting ribs would permit and slashed along his throat several times. His blood splattered across my face and chest.

With his focus now on his shredded dick and the ragged gash slit across his neck, I dragged my exhausted body across the floor and toward his discarded gun. Beyond fatigued, my body screamed in protest the entire way, but I wasn’t taking any chances. God, it was like I slithered along the dusty cement for months, but I finally had my fingers wrapped around the cold steel. Then I pivoted so he was in my line of sight; aimed at his head; and fired off three rounds.