“Cut it out you stupid bitch,” he hisses, clearly angry that I’m objecting to my own abduction.
“Let me go, asshole.”
He jerks my property cut so hard the shoulder seam of the cut tears. I follow Garret’s good example and fight like a wildcat, stomping on my brother’s foot, kicking his shin and going for his eyes with my nails.
“What the fuck? We’re trying to save your dumb ass, sis. Calm the fuck down.”
That must be what my father told him to get him to kidnap his own sister. “Get your hands off of me! I’m not going back.”
“Fuck off with that shit,” he says dragging me down the hallway. “You’ve had your fun with the Sons. We’re here to rescue you. It’s time to get home to your duties.”
When his arm clamps around my waist to get a better hold and his fingers dig into my stomach, I feel that familiar tug of pain and freeze. I’m supposed to be on bedrest, not having a physical altercation with my brother. I don’t know if this would hurt the baby, but I can’t chance it. So, I do the one thing I swore I would never do. I stop fighting and let them take me. It’s the first thing I’ve ever done to protect my child but I’m sure it won’t be the last.
Once we’re out of the building, Brave flings me at another biker. Before I can figure out who it is, the man whispers in my ear, “There’s my beautiful fuckin’ blushin’ bride.”
“Stripe, let me go. I don’t want to marry you.”
His hand comes out hard and fast around my throat. He doesn’t even stop walking. Instead, he drags me along behindhim. “Shut the fuck up, princess. Money changed hands and you belong to me now.”
Stripe hauls me through the back parking lot with my heels dragging on the pavement. Behind us, I can hear the Sons brothers fighting their way to my side. Jinx is shouting my name, telling me he’s coming.
Stripe breaks his stride long enough to raise his gun and take a shot. I just know he’s shooting at Jinx, so I take a wild swing. My hand collides with his arm, moving it just enough for him to miss his shot. He curses under his breath and keeps moving.
They throw me into the back of a van and Stripe climbs in behind me and slams the door.
“Ride!” he barks. “We got the girl. Let’s get the hell outta here.”
The engine’s already running. The van peels out with me still struggling to get out. It’s cramped and smells of motor oil and unwashed bodies. My eyes are still watering from the tear gas and I’m having trouble focusing. Despite that, I try to pay attention to where we’re going so I have some hope of getting back home again. We turn left, branching off onto another county road.
I stare at Stripe, who hasn’t taken his eyes off me since we got into the van. He looks older than I remember around the eyes. But he has the same cold, emotionally vacant expression that chills me to the bone. He glances at the torn shoulder of my property cut and frowns.
He reaches over and slams his hand into Brave’s chest. “Don’t fuckin’ manhandle my old lady again. You won’t like my reaction.”
Brave brings one hand up to rub his chest, “Stupid bitch tried to run, what did you expect me to do?”
Looking back at me, he asks, “Why did you run, girl?” he says.
“Because I didn’t want to be your old lady,” I state plainly.
“You wanted that Rager, you’re wearing his fucking property cut.”
“I didn’t at first. He kind of grew on me.”
“I’ll grow on you as well,” he throws back.
I drop my eyes. I let my shoulders sag, because there’s no use talking to him about this. My hand slides up to rest on my stomach under my shirt. No one notices but connecting with my child reminds me why I have to find a way out of this situation, some way, somehow.
My mind says what my mouth can’t in this moment. Hold on, little one. Your dad will be along any minute now. He won’t leave us hanging.
Chapter 15
Jinx
Whatever the Hyenas put into our ventilation system is still moving through the building. We fought our way through several dozen Hyenas in a desperate attempt to get to Nora before they took her.
Garret is down with Queenie on her knees beside him. She has both hands pressed to his head to stem the blood. The other women are running around getting medical supplies and seeing to another prospect who was injured.
I squat down beside Queenie. “What happened?”
