Page 34 of Her Biker Daddy

I know it was to distract Tate, keep him from being at my side the way he was every other time I left the property. No one was getting in to get me. They had to get me out on my own and with Law in town researching another legal matter for the club, there was an opening to get to me, and I let them take it.

“I’m sorry, daddy,” I whisper softly, leaning my head back against the wall as it continues to throb. I wince as my fingers touch the spot. It’s tender but there’s no blood on my hand when I pull it back which I’ll take as a good sign.

Time marches on, how much I don’t know since I don’t have a watch, and there are sounds coming from above me. Footsteps and chairs scraping on the floor filter through and I debate about yelling, not sure if it’ll help or hurt me. Music starts and I curse, knowing they won’t be able to hear me over it. If there was someone out there with a conscious that could possibly hear me that is.

I get up, pacing back and forth, trying to come up with a plan to get out of this. There’s no way Adam will just let me walk out the door, not even if promise to sign over the company to him. He’s not going to let me live. He’ll kill me and my baby. Unless…

The tiniest bit of hope hits me, and I hold onto it, praying that it’ll be enough to give Tate time to find me—us. He’ll never stop searching for me. I know that. It’s just a question of it he finds me before Adam does something stupid or after.

I move between the chair and the floor over what seems like hours, until the squeak of a door opening and light filling more of the space draws my attention. I move behind the chair, keeping between it and the wall so no one can attack from behind or beside me without giving myself a fighting chance. I won’t go down without one this time. Won’t be sucker-punched again, that’s for damn sure.

My breath stalls when the bastard shows his face, a smirk on it that infuriates me. He looks certain of victory already, but my daddy taught me not to show weakness until victory was in hand. And my daddy’s right, because the only way to call my bluff, is to demand a copy of my will. And to do that, means having to go to daddy and Law about it, and I know Law would be able to quickly get it set up. I signed a ton of forms for him to have for the court filings. He could use one of them as a signature on a forged will. Between the guys in our club and Law’s, they’d make it happen.

“Finally, up are you? Here I was hoping they’d already taken care of my problem,” Adam states, coming closer and a sneer crosses his face as he looks me over.

My outfit is dirty from being on the ground. The once white blouse is now splotchy with grime and the black trousers show dust and animal hair all over them. “Where are we?”

“None of your business. Just know it’ll be where you die,” he replies, and I grit my teeth to not instantly throw up the idea of a will. He won’t buy it nearly as much if I make it easy.

“You’re not going to kill me. You don’t have the stomach for it,” I add when he just smirks. “You’d have your asshole buddy Thatcher do it. After all, he’s already a murderer.”

“He didn’t kill your mother,” Adam says, and I lift a brow his way, knowing for certain now that someone in his pocket did.

“I didn’t mean her. I’m talking about the half-dozen, maybe more, young gay men that he’s lured out to the woods and murdered for his and the rest of his buddies’ sick amusement,” I return.

He doesn’t show a flicker of shock at the news, but there is surprise on his face aimed my way. “Another of your sick embellishments,” he said, circling his finger near his head to claim I’m crazy.

“We both know it’s not. We’re alone, so why not drop the act because I don’t buy it for one moment. You had someone kill my mother. Why? What did she know that was so worrisome that you’d have her killed after seventeen years of keeping her silent with just intimidation?” I question, watching his face and the tells in it, gives me the upper hand. “Oh, come on, if you’re going to try and kill me, shouldn’t I know how you kept her leashed all these years? She’d have gladly brought me forward for even a hundredth of a percent of the money that Jackson Distributing brings in each year.

“Obviously it was more than some petty crime she was worried about being sent to jail for. She even came asking me to drop the suit, then you dropped her, why?” I demand, tightening my hand on the back of the chair as he moves closer to me. It’s not heavy which means I could use it against him as a weapon. It could distract him enough for me to be able to put the knife in his gut if nothing else.

“You won’t be leaving this room alive, so why not,” he says, his smirk growing as he leans closer. “Your mother was a real looker when she was younger. A hell of a fuck too. I didn’t know what she’d done until it was too late. Diane was seven months pregnant and couldn’t abort them, and I wasn’t entirely certain she was telling the truth. Not until they were born and their blood type meant it was entirely impossible for them to be mine.”

“The twins…aren’t yours?” I question, surprised that tell isn’t on his face. “How is that my mother’s fault and how would something like that keep her quiet all these years? She’d have shouted it from the rooftops if it meant getting money.”

“Your mother, like all of the town, knew where we were having fertility treatments performed. She seduced the doctor, convinced him to do a little switch with the sperm and she’d do anything he wanted. He did it and she did him when he wanted. Until one night, when the twins were about two weeks old, a pharmacy tech might have slipped him the little blue pill instead of his heart medication, so when your mother showed up, she fucked him to death. Of course, the chief switched out the pills for the correct ones before anyone noticed, putting them in her purse so her prints were all over them. And she was warned if she ever talked, ever tried to claim her disgusting brat was a Jackson, she’d wind up dead one way or another—either with my say-so, or in jail.”

“And why you can’t risk a DNA test being out there because even if I didn’t wind up being your biological offspring, it’s prove that they aren’t either, which would mean that the company gets sold off and you get nothing. No money to keep yourself in the mayor’s office. No money to bribe your way out whatever mess you and the cops create. You’re pathetic and it’s all going to come out as soon as those test results are entered into the court record. Give it up. You’ve already lost,” I say with a laugh that makes him glower my way.

“Doesn’t matter, because even if they are entered, with you dead, it’ll go to Paul when he’s eighteen—without the need for a DNA test.”

“Ah, see, we thought you might try something to off me,” I state with a shrug and another laugh that makes him glower harder. “Which is why I had a will set up. With the DNA test results expected any minute, it’ll become court documented proof that I unfortunately come from you. And with that, the inheritance becomes mine—or at least falls under my estate then—to be probated againstmywill, which leaves everything to my fiancé and/or children depending on when I die. And it won’t matter that I’m deceased, unlike other instances when who dies first matters, because your parents’ will clearly states that the company is to go to the eldest blood child. The wordlivingis nowhere to be found, so between that and the DNA results, the court would award it tomyestate then. So, really, you’re cooked. Anything happens to me, not only do you still lose the company andallthat money, but Tate will hunt you down to the ends of the earth and murder you for taking me from him.”

“Guess I’ll just have to kill him first then,” Adam snaps, moving back towards the steps and I let out my breath bit by bit. “I’d get comfortable. You’re not going anywhere until I’ve got him and a new will dealt with, I’m sure it won’t take too long to find him out again. He was out all night from the sounds of it though god knows why he’d care about losing you. I suppose it’s the money he’s after as well. No one would want you if you were actually penniless.”

His words don’t begin to sting. Before daddy, they would have cut me deep, but now, I know Tate’s love is absolute. Nothing between us is a lie and it sure as hell isn’t about the money. No, the company is just a means to an end—of the corruption in our town.

I sink down on the chair, relaxing my body from my prepared for attack state, thankful that I’ve got plenty of curves that will keep me and the baby from harm for several days at least. Water might be an issue—as well as my bladder, I concede and I get up, moving around looking for anything I can use so I don’t literally pee my pants. There’s absolutely nothing. No bucket, not even a bowl, and I groan as I slip around the other side as far as the chain will allow me.

There’s a little spigot coming out of the wall and the floor dips just the tiniest bit, drawing my eyes to a drain. It’s better than nothing and I undo the button on my pants, pushing them down before pulling the legs of them up so they don’t accidentally get splashed. It’s just camping, I pretend in my mind and my bladder doesn’t seem to care about the lie, releasing a stream as soon as I squat down over the drain.

It’s an immense relief and I buckle my pants back before turning the spigot just a hint and a little stream of clear water runs out it. I only use it to wet my lips for now. Depending on how long I’m here may change that, but I’d rather wait and see what happens next. It’s been at least one night, so I’m sure Tate’s getting close to finding me. To putting together, the fire and the text and me disappearing by now. My daddy’s smart. He’ll find me. It’s only a matter of time.

Time which I find out drags on and on, feeling like an eternity when you have no way to gauge it. At least with the sun you can tell if it’s morning, noon, or night. In here, it’s endless and I sit and wait until my eyes grow too heavy to stay open.

Shouts bring me back awake, and I sit up ensuring I’m alone before following suit of what I did before I slept, using the drain to pee then wetting my lips enough not to feel parched. At least it’s cool down here, which means I haven’t sweated out the remaining water, but I know I’ll need to get some into me soon, especially with the baby. I may have to take a chance on the water coming out of the spigot being safe if they don’t bring me anything to drink soon.

Time goes on once more as I wait, and my breath stalls when feet come down the steps again. More than just one set this time, and I cringe when I see the chief of police headed down them with Adam.

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