“You want to go upstairs to the bedroom instead?” Zeke asks, misunderstanding me.
“I think I should go home…” I say, trying to wiggle free from his grasp.
“You don’t need to play hard to get any more, baby girl. You’re mine. I want to get what’s mine finally. I’ve been patient, haven’t I? You came here for this. You want this,” he says as he shove my hand on his crotch.
“I made a mistake.” I push him more forcefully this time.
When his eyes meet mine, a flood of fear drowns me. That untapped, violent aggression that I’ve witnessed countless times against others is there. I realize then that he’s not going to stop.
“You’re mine, Lena, you’ll give me what I want. No more playing around.”
He pulls my jeans off as I struggle against him, but he’s too strong. I hear him unbuckling his pants, and I know I’m helpless to stop him.
“Please, Zeke, no,” I beg, hot tears starting to fall, flooding me with shame that I’m not strong enough to stop this, to hide my fear. He ignores my pleas. It’s like he’s in a trance, in some primitive state that I can’t reach him.
“You’ve denied me for too long. I’m not some fucking idiot who’s gonna put a roof over your head and protect you for nothing. You fucking owe me. I own you!” he snarls.
I know then that he’s going to rape me. I desperately look toward the door hoping that someone will walk in, but given Zeke is their Prez I don’t know if they’d help me.
“Please don’t,” I repeat as I try and break free. He grabs my wrists as I shove him away, but I realize that nothing I can do is going to stop this from happening.
***
I’m curled up on the sofa with my arms wrapped around my legs. My tears have long since dried but I don’t think Zeke notices or cares.
“I knew you’d love it,” he says with a smirk.
I glance up at him. He honestly has no understanding of what he’s just done. He thinks he can have any woman he wants, whenever he wants them. I have to get away. Even though working the bar at the clubhouse is the only job I’ve known, I can’t be near him.
But where could I go?
“Get dressed,” he says as he throws my clothes at me. I wordlessly take them and start dressing. Thankful at least,that this must mean he’s done with me for now. My hands are shaking as I pull on my t-shirt.
I’m pulling on my panties when I hear it. A low hum in the distance that’s slowly getting closer.
Zeke walks toward the window.
The rumbling sounds of motorcycles rapidly approaching gets louder. The man who went upstairs earlier comes thudding down the stairs in only a pair of boxer shorts.
“Prez, it’s the Soaring Eagles!” he says, looking panicked.
“Fuck!” Zeke swears. My racing heart slows as relief floods me. This is my chance to escape.
I’ve overheard them talking about the Soaring Eagles MC before and how the war between them has been escalating. Earlier this evening, I overheard some men bragging about how they’d put two of their men in the hospital. It seems the Soaring Eagles have come to return the favor.
Zeke and his VP start pulling weapons out of the gun safe by the door and the other men all come thundering downstairs ready for action. No one pays me any attention as I slowly get up off the sofa.
There’s a sudden crack and the sound of glass breaking.
Zeke fires off a couple of shots at the Soaring Eagles, who return fire before riding off. I know I don’t have much time. Without thinking, I go into autopilot. I rush outside into the backyard, racing out of the gate, not caring that I’m not even wearing pants. I ignore Trish, who calls out, asking what I’m doing and what’s going on. I rush into the road into the path of the leaving motorcycles, desperately trying to flag one down. To my relief, a helmeted man pulls over.
“Please, please take me with you!” I beg.
“Get on,” he replies, and I jump on the back, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist and throwing on the spare helmet he hands me.
As we tear away, I can’t help but wonder if I’ve escaped one danger only to put myself into an even worse one. I have no idea who this man is. All I know is that they’re the enemy of the club where I live and work. I just have to hope that this stranger who has taken pity on me can help me.
Once Zeke realizes what I’ve done, I’m a dead woman. No one crosses him and lives to tell the tale. He wasn’t kidding when he said he thinks I’m his. Who knows what he’ll do to get me back?
