I bristle at his condescending tone. “How much? I can find the money, I have some stashed away, or I could sell my bike.” The thought breaks my heart. My bike is everything to me. Losing it would be like losing a limb, but for Eli, I’d do anything. It’s the only thing of value we have left. We sold everything of value long ago.
Chopper shakes his head. He seems almost amused by me. “Your brother stole twenty-five thousand dollars from me, plus interest, of course. You gonna come up with that by sellin’ shit and a rusty old hog, little girl?”
My stomach plummets with dread. This is so much worse than I expected. I try not to let my fear show.
“Fine. What are your terms? He won’t do it again. I can pay back something on a monthly basis. Is that okay?”
Chopper smiles, a predatory smirk that turns my blood to ice. “Me and your brother have already made the deal. Eli’s repaid his debt with the only thing of value he has.” I’m confused by that, but also relieved. Maybe Eli had some savings of his ownstashed away? My relief is short-lived when Chopper utters the following words.
“He’s given us you.”
It takes me a beat to comprehend what he’s saying. “What do you mean? Eli, what does he mean?” I ask, confused and panicked as I look at my brother. His one good eye fills with tears.
“I’m so sorry, Mouse,” he chokes out pitifully, using his childhood nickname for me. It has the desired effect, making me want to hug him and tell him I can’t possibly be mad at him; he’s my big brother.
But then what Chopper says next makes me feel sick and betrayed all over again. “Eli tells us you’re a virgin. Many men would be willing to pay big bucks for that prize. That’s how you’re gonna pay me back,” Chopper explains, as if we’re striking up a business deal, not selling me as a sex slave to the highest bidder.
When he said Eli had sold me to them, I was imagining a life of indentured servitude, working for free in the clubhouse, even in my worst nightmares, I wouldn’t have imagined this. For a moment, I’m rendered speechless.
When I find my voice, I can only utter one word. “No.”
“You ain’t got no choice,” Chopper says calmly.
“You can’t force me to have sex with someone,” I snarl.
Chopper looks at me with that same, mildly amused, condescending expression. “I can do what the fuck I want. You’re mine now. He’ll be taken to the hospital once you’ve made me my money.” The threat rolls casually off his tongue.
Eli feebly reaches for me, seeking a forgiveness that he knows I won’t give. I pull away from him and stand to face Chopper and let out a sigh. “If I do this, his debts are paid in full, we’ll leave town and never come back, and you’ll never contact either of us again. Agreed?”
Chopper laughs mirthlessly and walks over to clap a hand on Eli’s shoulder. Eli winces in pain, visibly recoiling in fear like a whipped dog. “You said your sister was pretty and a virgin, Eli, but you didn’t tell me she was funny too.” His cool gaze lands on me. “Because she must be joking if she thinks I will let her make demands. You’re mine, girl. Eli sold you to me. Which means you’ll fuck whoever pays for your cherry tonight, and you’ll fuck whoever I tell you to fuck for the rest of your life. You’re mine, you understand?”
Disbelief hits me like a freight train as I realize just how bad the situation is. I realize I have no choice. I’m in the wolves’ den and I’ve got to get out. Right now I hate my brother, but I can’t leave him at their mercy.
Eli makes the decision for me. “Run, Naomi.”
I pivot, racing as fast as I can to the stairs and hurling myself down them two at a time. I don’t even make it out of the door. Waiting at the bottom for me are two burly bikers. They grab me and lift me as if I weigh nothing. I kick and scream, clawing at them like a wild animal, but they hold firm.
I stop struggling as they lead me away, ready to truss me up for auction—a lamb to the slaughter. Tears sting at the corner of my eyes, not from fear, although I am afraid, but from betrayal. I can’t believe my brother would do this to me. My big brother, my protector, has sacrificed me to save his own skin.
Chapter 2
Gage
Cash and I sit to the side of the stage. Tonight, we’re in enemy territory. Our rivals, the Rusted Scythes, are hosting an auction where anything and everything illegal is available to the highest bidder. It’s probably the only time we see Rusted Scythes members without it dissolving into fighting. Even so, the air is tense and heavy with the threat of violence. One spark and this tinderbox could go up in flames.
Cash and I are members of the Road Renegades MC. Our Prez, Ace, sent us here to buy weapons. It’s the best place to find untraceable firearms and to gather intel on rival clubs. Cash is the money man, and I’m the muscle.
The crowd is growing restless. The auction has been underway for some time. The guns will be the last things sold. Bored, I sip on my too-warm beer and watch the stage, hoping that it’ll be over soon.
The auctioneer claps his hands together in one sharp motion and gives a feral grin. “And now, gentlemen, we’ve got an extra special item available for you that we have just newly added to the docket.”
The announcement captures our attention, and I sit up a little straighter, curious to know what this last-minute addition might be.
“Tonight, one lucky man can purchase twenty-four hours to do whatever they want with this beautiful, all-American, twenty-one-year-old virgin.”
I can scarcely believe what I’m hearing, and I wonder if this is some sort of fucking sick joke. I’ve heard of this kind of thing happening, but never seen it. We have no interest in getting involved in human trafficking. I’m surprised that the Rusted Scythes would even stoop that low.
When they bring her onto the stage, the world tilts on its axis. She’s breathtakingly beautiful, slim, and ethereal with wide eyes. Her white-blonde hair is cut short and spiky. Tattoos wind their way over her skin like vines, mapping the contours of her body. Her feet are bare, and she wears only a silk underdress. Her nipples poke against the fabric, hard from the cold. It’s an outfit designed to excite the audience into bidding. She is fearful yet defiant, holding her head high, a queen walking to the executioner’s block.
