Hank’s jaw tenses, but he doesn’t argue. He knows his place. In the club our Pres’s word is final.
Earl looks around the room once more, taking his time. lingering on all of us. Especially those with ol’ ladies.
“And from now on every woman that’s an ol’ lady—or important to this club—is getting a goddamn tracker. One that can’t be removed easily if they’re taken.”
We all nod. Cause fuck yeah, women in this club are prone to being taken.
“I’m on that as soon as Vee is safe.” Bash’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.
We should’ve been protecting Vee better. It doesn’t matter if we didn’t know there was a threat out there waiting in the shadows for her. My hands curl into fists as one thought repeats in my head like a war drum.
Hold on, Vee. We’re coming.
And when we find the bastard who took you, he’s going to beg for death long before we give it to him.
Chapter 31
Vee
Myeyelidsflutter,heavyas lead, from the fog of whatever they injected me with. The aftereffects still clouding my mind. I stir on the bed, body sluggish, every muscle protesting the restraints that bind my wrists to the headboard. I try to move my feet and come up short. An urgent need building in the pit of my stomach. I need to pee.
The room smells stale, like sweat and dust, and my head throbs. But then I hear it—grunting. The noise twists my gut in knots. I know what that sound is and I freeze. It’s him. Abraham. My stomach rolls as bile rises in my throat, and I force my breathing to steady, and my body freezes.
“I know you're awake, bitch.” His voice cuts through the haze. But it's not the voice I was expecting. “Look at me.”
No. I fight the urge to open my eyes. I won’t give him what he wants. I don't move, don't open my eyes. Instead, I choose to pretend that the darkness behind my lids will shield me. Refusing him this small victory feels like the only control I have left. And I plan to hold on to any that I have for as long as I can. Iknow Luca, Josh, and Luke will find me. I just have to be strong until they do.
“Look at me!” he barks louder, his words like a whip lashing my flesh.
The mattress dips beside me. He has to have sat down. Panic spikes through me, but I keep my face turned away, eyes squeezed shut, breathing evenly. I need him to think I’m asleep so he’ll leave.
But he doesn’t.
His hand is on me. On my face as his rough fingers dig into my cheeks, forcing my head to turn toward where he is. I already know there’s going to be bruising from the amount of pressure he’s applying and the way his fingers pinch my skin, as his nails dig into my flesh.
“I said open your eyes,” he snarls, his breath hot against my face.
Slowly, reluctantly, I let my lids part, vision blurry at first. Then I see him. Abraham called him his son. If he said his name, I can’t recall. My eyes drift lower and I see he’s naked. His skin is pale, glistening with a sheen of sweat. My eyes catch sight of his hard, veiny cock. A gasp escapes me before I can stop it. Fear coils tight in my chest, my heart slamming against my ribs.
The only thing I can think is that he’s going to rape me.
Instinctively, I glance down at myself. My clothes are still on—shirt covering my breasts, jeans zipped and still in place. Relief floods me for a brief moment. Neither of them have touched me yet. My intact clothing and lack of pain between my thighs are my only proof.
He notices my sigh, his lips twisting into a cruel smirk. “Father says I can't fuck you until he gets his turn first,” he says, his voice dripping with resentment and hunger. “Says you’re to carry his child. But that doesn't mean I can't have some fun while the oldbastard's asleep.” His eyes drop from my face, lingering on my chest. My momentary relief now seems to have left.
“I can scream.” It’s not much, but I hope that fear of what Abraham would do to him outweighs his plans for me.
He laughs. “Go ahead. If you do, I'll hurt you. I’ll make you suffer.” His lips morph into an evil smirk as an amused ‘dare to defy’ him glimmers in his eyes.
My next move is stupid. I know it before I even do it. But what other options do I have? Should I just lie here and let him do who knows what to me without any protest. Fuck NO! I’ll take the punishment. Whatever it is has to be better than what this fucker has planned for me. So with my mind made up, I open my mouth, drawing in a breath to let the loudest scream rip from my lungs. I’ve barely made a sound before his hand slams over my mouth, palm rough and callused, rendering me quiet. His eyes dart to the door, his body freezing as he listens.
But there’s nothing. No footsteps, no angry shouts from Abraham as he comes bursting into the room. My attempt is a failure. But in a way, I knew that it would be from the beginning. I still had to try.
He exhales, relief twisting into triumph on his face. “Ohh, look at that. No one to come and save you.”
With his free hand, he reaches down to the floor. When he brings his hand back up, he’s holding a sock that’s stained with who knows what. Before I can comprehend what he’s doing, he’s removed his hand from my mouth and stuffed the sock into it. The foul fabric tastes like a mixture of sweat and dirt, and I can’t help but gag.
He laughs again, happy with what he’s done. “Try screaming now, bitch.”
