***
“Are you ok?”
The woman who knelt by my side looked shell shocked as she helped me to my feet. I had been dumped unceremoniously onto a hard concrete floor in a nondescript warehouse in the middle of nowhere.
My knees cracked with pain as I let her pull me upwards. She stepped away the moment I was standing, her face wary.
She reminded me of a scared animal, all wild eyes and crazy hair. Dirt and fresh bruises mottled her face. But I could tell she was beautiful. And around my age.
“Hey did you hear me, I asked if you were ok?”
“Yeah.” I stared at her. Her accent. “You’re British as well?”
She shrugged. “Yeah.” She turned, walking back towards the far wall. Sliding down it and bringing her knees up to her chin.
“Why did they take you?” With shaking legs I walked over to her before sitting down next to her. “How long have you been…?”
Tears were in her eyes as she turned to me. “Too long. Years...I’ve...don’t look at me like that, ok? No one is looking for me. I don’t have any family, they are all dead. There is no hope.”
“Years?” I mumbled, “You have been with them for years?” I couldn’t believe that. Because if what she said was true then I was fucked.
“Yeah, it’s not so bad. If you behave it’s not so bad.” She sounded like she was talking more to herself. Like she was trying to make herself believe it. “You just have to behave and…” A sob caused her body to heave. “Just behave and then they don’t have to punish you. Take any of the drugs they offer you.” Her eyes darted to me. “It makes it easier.”
“I’m being sold on I think.” I rubbed at my smarting throat, the skin felt tender and bruised where he had tried choking me.
“Me too.” She wiped at her tears angrily.
“I thought you said?”
“I’m getting too old for their clubs now. It’s…”
She started to sob uncontrollably and my arm went around her. She was a complete stranger to me and yet I couldn’t help but comfort her like we were old friends. “It’s ok, I have someone coming for me. Someone with powerful friends. He will get us out.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I can’t run, they will hurt her if I do.”
“Hurt who?”
“My daughter.” Her cries redoubled and my heart sank. No wonder she was so distraught. Not only had she had years being their captive but they were holding her child somewhere. If our roles were reversed I would have been hysterical. Tightening my arm around her shoulders I let my head rest against her hair.
It was taking everything I had not to lose hope. “How many women are here?”
“Five, three more in the room next to this one. I haven’t seen any others.”
“Havoc will get us all out,” I mumbled. “He is going to come for me and I will make sure the Savage Sons get everyone out. Including your daughter. Don’t worry.” I sounded surer than I felt but the woman in my arms needed something to cling to. Even if it was just hope.
“The Savage Sons?”
“They’re bikers.” I let my eyes close for a second before I forced them back open again. I couldn’t fall asleep. I had to stay ready, so I could be helpful when Havoc burst through the doors like my knight in shining armour. “What’s your name?”
“Iris. My name is Iris. Or at least it used to be. They don’t call me that now, they call me Candy.”
“Iris.” There was no way I was calling her by any name but the one her parents had given her. She had to start remembering who she was, “I’m Darcie. Darcie Summers. And my man is going to save us all Iris, don’t you worry about that. He is coming.”
Chapter Twenty Six
Havoc
She was close. Closer than I had ever imagined. Just a few miles from Maggie’s house in fact. The idea of her being only a few hours away and going through god knows what was enough for me to push the bike to its limit.
