Page 4 of Maximus

“Close your mouth, darlin’. Around here, you might just find something you don’t want being shoved down your throat. These animals have no shame and won’t think twice about filling any holes they see.”

His words caused me to clamp my mouth shut. That elicited a chuckle from the big man. If I could have figured out a way to walk with my legs crossed, I would have done that too. Instead, I increased my speed to keep up with him. I did not want to be alone among these men. I wasn’t escaping the hell that was my stepfather just to find myself being dropped in the middle of a train station.

What was with everyone? From the moment I crept through the front door, all eyes have been on me. Men and women alike were openly staring at me. I soon discovered things that went on inside the club were not the things I was used to. For example, the woman who was on her knees in front of a sexy man going to town with her mouth on his man meat. Another man was handling his business with a naked chick who was screaming her pleasure while bent over a chair.

The music was blasting throughout the building. There was one great sound system in this place. It seemed Nas and the Bravehearts were serenading me from all around the room. It wasn’t enough to distract me from the gorgeous black woman with blonde hair, who was obviously a dancer in this life and her past one too, doing a dance on the pool table. The chick was so determined to be seen that she was interrupting a group of men who were trying to play a game of pool. I had to give it to her, the girl was talented. Her moves were on point.

We finally made it to King’s office where he commenced to drill me for information. We were not alone, though. Another menacing looking man with the name Toad on his vest joined us. The title on his patch said Sergeant at Arms. I guess he was some sort of security for the club. He sure fit the bill, looking more like a bodyguard than anything. Like what did he expect me to do? King towered over me, and he was cut. How could I possibly hurt him? It was whatever, because the man wasn’t going to leave us alone. I really didn’t want him in my business, but I had no choice.

“Have a seat, Gia, and tell me why you’re here.”

I slid into the chair in front of his desk. To my surprise, the chair was comfortable. I chewed on a jagged fingernail because I was trying to delay the inevitable. Finally, I was ready to bare my soul to this man and beg him for his protection.

“Not long after my dad died, about a year ago, my mom remarried to this man named Bruce. He and I didn’t get along from the time we were introduced. The man gave me the creeps. Always looking at me when he thought I wasn’t paying attention. He just wasn’t a good guy, you know?”

King nodded his head but remained silent. I took that as a sign to continue my story. Shifting in my seat, I cleared my throat and resumed talking.

“Even though the house was in my name, my mom allowed Bruce to move in with us. I had already completed my undergrad degree and was in my final year of pursuing my masters, so I decided to live in campus housing to get away from him. Things were going good for me, until one day I got a call from my mom. She had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and needed me to help take care of her.

“That required me to move back home. There was a nurse that came by three days a week to help, so I could continue my studies. Mama was extremely ill, at this point, but she held on until my graduation. The very next morning, I went to check on her, and she was gone.”

I had to take a break at that point. My eyes were fighting the never-ending battle with tears. The way my hands were shaking embarrassed me. I didn’t want to break down in front of these men, but I couldn’t control my body’s natural reaction to grief. Both King and Toad grabbed tissues from the box on the desk and shoved them at me. The gesture, though rough, was sweet and gentlemanly. It made me smile to know there was a bit of empathy struggling to get out of each man. I accepted the tissues, wiped my face, and got myself together.

“Mama hadn’t been in the ground more than a few hours before it started. I was in my bedroom trying to figure out what I was going to do without my mom around. I didn’t want to be alone with Bruce, but I also didn’t want to leave that man in my house. I was packing a bag to go and stay in my apartment that I was still paying for when I heard a knock on the door. Like a dummy, I unlocked the door to see what he wanted. Bruce was there with a couple of his friends. I didn’t know men could be so evil. They burst into my room and took turns violating me.”

“Fuck!” both Toad and King said at the same time.

It startled me a bit and caused me to clam up. I sat so still and tried to make myself as small as possible. Over the past six weeks, I found it better not to be seen. Out of sight, out of mind.

“What happened then?” King barked at me.

“For the next six weeks, Bruce and his friends held me hostage and forced themselves on me. He kept me tied up in my room with very limited access to food, water, or the bathroom. This morning, I was happy to discover in his drunken haze, he hadn’t secured the ropes around my wrists. That’s how I was able to escape. I grabbed my backpack with all my important stuff in it and took off. I came straight here hoping you would help me. That’s it.”

“I’ll have to take it to church, but I’m pretty sure once the men hear what happened, they will want to protect you. Until I can call an emergency meeting, I can put you up in one of the rooms upstairs.”

He nodded to Toad, who pulled out his phone and started typing. The next thing I knew, the woman who had been dancing on the pool table when I entered the clubhouse was knocking on the door. She was even more beautiful close up. Her honey skin was flawless, and her body was to die for. I was more on the slim side, but this chick had curves that men liked. I just knew her small waist, round hips, and fat donk kept the tips flowing her way. She stood there in a pink bikini top, cut off shorts, and cowboy boots that matched her top. Her face lit up when our eyes met, and she gave me a welcoming smile that put me at ease.

“Gia, this is Kim. We all call her Chili. She’s one of the club angels. Chili will show you to your room and get you settled. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask her. Chili, I expect you to make Gia feel welcome. She’s one of us now.”

“Thank you, King,” I said as I followed Chili out of the office.

“No problem. Tomorrow, we’ll talk some more about this Bruce character and his friends. I’ll send for you after church.”

Four

Jefferson

My flight to Vegas was shorter than expected. We must have caught a tailwind or something because we arrived in just under an hour. I had taken a ride share from Oceanside to the San Diego airport, and it was a straight shot from there. As I exited the terminal, headed to the baggage claim area, I was happy to see my new brother, Aries, waiting for me. I had never met him, but I was familiar with his face from the pictures I had seen of him and my dad.

“Jeff? It’s good to finally meet you in person, brother. Is that all your luggage?”

He pointed at the duffle bag that I was holding onto for dear life. I hated being around a lot of people, and this airport was busy as fuck. Everywhere I stepped there was someone else speeding next to me. People were scrambling about trying to grab their bags, looking for loved ones or chasing their kids. My brain felt like it was going to explode.

“Nice to meet you too, brother. This is all I have. You think we can get the hell out of here? This place is fucking with my head.”

“No problem, man. I borrowed a cage to come pick you up. I figured you wouldn’t want to ride bitch on the back of my Harley.”

“You got that right.”

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