“I was r—raped,” I stuttered out the word, whispering it into existence.
“What?” He seemed shocked, flabbergasted even. “By who?”
“The Hell’s Artillery…”
His grip tightened around me, his whole body going still.
“They found out that Chase wanted to leave the club and not prospect anymore, so on his final night with their club, someone grabbed me.” Images played a violent game with my memories, creating a havoc I was still combating.
“They pulled me into a room. There were four of them.”
“You don’t have to continue,” he soothed, the anger evident in his voice, his free hand curling into a protective fist.
I shook my head, willing the images away, begging the universe to erase them. “They passed me around like garbage, getting their fix then laughing about it. They forced him to watch, and when he tried to stop them, they beat him. It’s why I’m so afraid of going to your club, why I can’t bring myself to step foot in another clubhouse. I believe you when you say your club is different, I can see that. But it’s hard to trust that when all I know is the dark side of motorcycle clubs.”
Lifting my shirt, I show him the medusa tattoo scraped into my side, a constant reminder of my survival of that fateful night. “I thought this would help me work through the pain. It did, for a moment, but nothing ever erases the memories. I still feel their hands, their lips, the teeth biting at my flesh, the nails digging into my skin to keep me in place. Fuck! I hate them!” I shouted, finally finding my voice. “I hate them for doing that to me, and for turning Chase into a raging alcoholic after. He never forgave himself for it—for putting me in that situation. He blamed himself. He wanted me to hate him for it, because he hated himself. But I couldn’t hate him, Cap. I loved him with every beat of my soul. It wasn’t until he chose to drive drunk that day, leaving me alone on this cruel planet, that my hatred for him started to bloom. But even now. I still don’t hate him.”
Cap’s body shivered ever so slightly, and when I looked up, I saw the pity in his eyes. I didn’t need him to pity me. I honestly didn’t know what I needed, but pity definitely wasn’t it.
“I understand now.”
“Understand?”
“Why I couldn’t break through. Why the grief was eating you alive. I get it now.”
“Huh?”
He cupped my face, forcing me to look deep into his eyes. “I was fighting a hydra.”
“Hydra?”
“Just when I cut off one head, another one appears. I was at a disadvantage, Ruby. But now that I know just how deep your demons play, I can finally slay them from existence.”
“You lost me.”
He briefly brought his lips over the slope of my forehead, sending erratic shivers up my spine, and creating tingles in places that had been sleeping dormant for so long.
“I did… but don’t worry. I’m here to piece you back together. I know we only have a few more weeks together, but I think I know how to slay this beast inside you once and for all.”
“How?”
“By taking its heart. Once the heart of the hydra dies, so does all its heads. No more swinging swords at mythical creatures, we’re going to face this beast head on, and release you from all this mental anguish. And fortunately for you, I know someone who made it his life mission to slay every dragon, demon, and creature that has ever been thrown his way.”
Chapter Thirteen
My finger hovered over the send button for at least ten minutes before I finally pressed it. Reaching out to him was relatively easy, but asking him for help, knowing he was everything she was against, I felt like I was betraying her in some way. Her faith in God was severely broken, and rightfully so. Everything that happened to her in the past had given her every right to question life and everything that came with it.
Knight: So good to hear from you, Kane. How’s everything going in Texas?
Kane: Good. How’s the deployment going?
Knight: It’s finally over. Thank God for that. How’s Boyd doing? How are you doing? I heard about Craven. You know I’m always here if you need someone to talk to.
Kane: I know, man, thanks for that. Anyway, I kinda need your help.
Knight: Do tell.
Kane: You know about my non-profit, right?
