“You new?”

Opening my eyes to the unfamiliar voice, everything is blurry at first. I feel sick to my stomach and my head throbs.

“If you don’t eat, those sedatives can make you puke,” the voice comes again.

Raising my head, I rub at my temples trying to ease the ache.

Wait, my hand is free. I look down, noticing I’m not restrained. Why would they release me so quickly?

“Fuckers are restraining happy around here.” I finally turn toward the female voice, finding Jessilynn sitting in the window seat of my room. Her legs are pressed to her chest, and a lit cigarette dangles between two of her fingers as she stares out the dirty glass. The little bit of sun that shines through casts a glow against her skin. She has the saddest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. They look like the depths of the ocean nobody can explore, for they’d never be able to reach the top again if they tried.

Her face is pale, a few freckles painting the bridge of her nose and her lips are so pink you’d think she has lipstick on but that’s not allowed in here. It brings life to her face that you can’t look away from.

She reminds me of one of those glass dolls you see people put on their shelves.

“What are you doing in here?” I ask with a scratchy voice. Every word I speak echoes in my head from the sedative I was injected with. My leg sore, stiff, and bruised from all the needles being jabbed into it.

“You new here?” She gazes at me, tilting her head to the side in question.

“I don’t know… am I?” I ask, not sure if I’m new and the nurses are lying about my life just being a dream… or if they’re telling the truth and everything I thought my life was is a facade.

She shrugs, looking back out the grimy window. Her gown is three sizes too big and falls off her shoulder as she situates herself in the window.

“I’ve never seen you before, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t been here awhile. The facility has another wing for the really fucked up people. They’re sedated most of the time I hear, and we don’t see them,” she looks at me with sad eyes. “Did you come from there?”

Sitting up, I sigh. “I don’t know, maybe.” I look to my hospital gown. If I was sedated the whole time I was over there, how would I know?

“So it is true. You’re the Forgotten Girl?” her statement more of a question.

“Forgotten Girl?”

“Yeah,” she holds her hand out with the cigarette, her brows furrowing in. “Like, you forget who you are, and where you’ve been.” She tilts her head to the side, placing the cigarette between her pink lips. “Or maybe someone forgot you?”

I tear my eyes from hers and look down at my feet, fighting off the feelings of emptiness and loneliness. Most likely from being the forgotten girl, everyone seems to know about except the girl herself. Me.

Hell, even I’ve forgotten myself. Who am I? Where did I come from? Is there anyone on the outside for me?

“I heard one of the nurses talking about you having a split personality or some shit.”

“I don’t know how long I’ve been here, but one thing is for sure… nobody is coming for me,” I whisper. I’m starting to think Benji isn’t real because the Benji I know… would be here by now.

“Well, Forgotten Girl. It’s movie night, get your ass up and let’s go see what they chose for us.”

“Movie night?”

“Yeah, once a week they put a shitty movie on in the caged TV. If King Kong gets lucky and Nurse Jackie lets him fuck her in the office, sometimes we can switch it to cable and watch The Kardashians.” She waggles her brows. “It’s the most excitement we get around here.”

“King Kong?” I don’t remember anyone working here by that name.

“Troll looking fucker?” She tilts her head to the side, repeating what I called the orderly when he was dragging me to my room.

“Oh,” I laugh.

Climbing out of the window, paint chips flicker to the ground around her bare feet.

Grabbing my hand, I feel every bone in her hand, it’s cold too, as she ushers me off the bed. Sliding off the mattress on wobbly feet, I follow her into the main room. I’m cold and hurt everywhere. I cross my arms feeling vulnerable, and anxious. There are four tables placed about the main room, words of anger and pain scratched into the tops, and the metal chairs rusted and uncomfortable looking surrounding them.

“Jessilynn, we’ve told you about freeing the patients,” Nurse Jackie schools as she walks into the room holding a DVD. Jackie glares at me and I quickly look away. I don’t want to be tied down anymore.

It’s crazy how fast they beat down your self-confidence here.

“Oops.” Jessilynn rolls her eyes, plopping into a random seat. She pats the chair next to her, indicating she wants me to sit next to her. Carefully I sit by her, the cold metal reaching through my gown and freezing my ass. I cross my legs and sit beside her as the rest of the patients wander in.

Nurse Jackie pulls keys from her white jacket unlocking the cage surrounding the TV and DVD player on the wall. She inserts the movie and slams it closed. Locking it, her eyes giving a once over of the group menacingly.

“Any problems and the movie is off.” She raises a brow before heading into the office behind us, King Kong following her. The door clicks shut and the blinds are pulled down.

I look to Jessilynn who smiles in knowing. It’s the first time I’ve seen her look happy since I’ve been here.

ET starts to play on the little screen and it takes me aback.

“ET?” I question, surprised by the old movie.

“Yup, it’s one of her favorites, probably because she looks like the creepy fucking alien,” Jessilynn states seriously. Looking closer, Nurse Jackie does kind of look like ET. I snicker.

Ten minutes into the movie, I grow bored. I glance over my shoulder to the office and find that the blinds are not pulled down all the way. Bending down, I peek under the blinds and see thick hairy legs thrusting in between the milky thick thighs of Nurse Jackie. The desk rocking, and tapping against the stone wall.

Jessilynn nudges me. “Told ya.”

I cringe, it’s pretty gross looking. Images in my sedative state will never erase what I just saw.

Jessilynn stands from her chair and climbs on top of the table before walking across the other three like they’re lily pads.

“What are you doing?” I ask nervously. I look to the office behind us, but Nurse Jackie and Peg are lost in their own world to see what Jessilynn is doing. Reaching the caged TV, she fingers out a pencil sitting next to it and uses the eraser to press buttons on the side of the TV. The Kardashians suddenly appear on the screen.

She bows as everyone sits up in their seat, the entire group coming to life. Memphis smiles a crooked grin and claps in excitement. Her burnt blanket hanging off her lap.

I can’t tell if Jessilynn is really crazy or stupid brave. I like her.

Jessilynn walks back across the tables and sits next to me, the smell of sweet lemons surrounding me. Her tongue slides back and forth along her bottom lip in a mischievous way, and I shake my head with a smile. However, on the inside I break for her. How long has she been locked up in here? Does she have family? Why is she even here?

The office door suddenly opens and Nurse Jackie scowls with just fucked me hair. Her uniform buttoned up wrong and her hat is missing. Her eyes whip to the TV and her mouth drops.

“WHO DID THIS!” She looks to the group. “Who changed the movie?”

Everyone goes stiff, and Jessilynn rolls her eyes. She’s not scared of Jackie and I find that admirable.

“Everyone to their room! Sedatives for everyone!”

“Chill your fucking tits, will ya. I did it. You have shitty taste in movies, Jackie!” Jessilynn admits, kicking her legs up on the table.

Black beady eyes fall to Jessilynn and goosebumps rise along my skin.

“Well then everyone has you to thank for their good night sleep then,” Jackie replies in a bitch tone. Even though Jessilynn confessed, we’re all still getting stuck with needles and toxins.

I stand, not okay with this.

“You can’t just put us out for a nap whenever you feel like it!” I defend, this can’t be legal. Who is running this place?

“I can, and you’ll be the first. Keep it up and you’ll go in the hole with Franky!”

“Franky?” I look to Jessilynn. Is that another patient or something?

“Lobotomy,” Jessilynn replies, and her eyes show fear for the very first time. My mouth drops, my heart skipping a beat. No, this can’t be okay. This can’t be real!

Jackie snaps her fingers and Peg marches toward me.

He fists me by the casted arm and I whimper in pain.

“Ow, let go!” I try and tug away from him, but my arm can’t take any more abuse.

“Get off her!” Jessilynn jumps on him, pounding on his back with a solid fist. She’s so small compared to him it makes me scared for her. I can’t let her get hurt defending me.

I scream, pulling my feet off the ground to make it harder for him to control me. I kick, slap, and even try to bite him. The rest of the group screams, cries, and some even clap that we’re standing up to the staff. The chaos rings in my ears and pumps adrenaline through my limbs.

“I want to talk to who is in charge!” I demand. “You can’t treat us like animals!”

Just when I think Jessilynn and I are gaining control, a jab in my leg warns me I’m about to fall into dreamland, and that whoever is in charge, I’m not. I fall to the floor in a paralyzed state, my head thrashing against the grimy ground.

Jessilynn slams to the ground next to me. Her fall so great, her eyebrow begins to bleed into her eye.

“See you on the other side, Forgotten Girl,” she slurs as she was sedated just like me. We stare at each other for a lost moment before we both escape the horror of our prison.

Me, Viper, and Bud riding in my El Camino we drive to June’s house. We’ve been to the shelters, the hotels in the area, and even the emergency rooms. I can’t find any trace of where Harley is.

The last person that saw her, was June. So, I’m going to find that bitch if I have to chase her across the state. June escaped though, and I know Grudge let her go. She knows what happened to Viper and Harley and I will strangle the fucking truth from her if I have to. I need to find Harley, and every day I don’t… it’s a punch in the gut that I let the one girl I love… get away.

“What makes you think this bitch is dumb enough to run back home?” Viper asks, his feet hanging out my car’s window.

“I don’t know that she’s there for sure, but if she’s not then we’ll figure something else out.”

Heading back to June’s house it looks empty. As if she moved in the last few days. Probably couldn’t stand to see the sight of blood on her perfect floor. Images of her husband and a shoe sticking out of his skull too much for her.

“Fuck,” I mumble under my breath.

“Let’s try the school,” Viper suggests. Inhaling a breath, and out of options, I head to the campus.

Pulling up to the main office I park and we all get out. College kids stare at us, parting like the Red Sea to let us walk through without skipping a step.

Going inside the main office there’s a punk behind the front desk wearing a beanie. He looks stoned out of his mind and is flirting with a young girl in glasses.

Viper gets in line and I give him a look.

“What?” He looks at me with a confused grin.

“We don’t wait in fucking line,” I tell him softly. We’re fucking big ass bikers. We don’t do the right thing, what the fuck?

He rolls his eyes and pushes past the geeky girl.

“Is June here?” he asks, slamming his fists on the counter. Much better.

“Whoa, you’re big!” The boy chuckles, looking Viper up and down. Leaning over the counter, I knock his stapler off the ledge. His eyes tear from Viper to me. “That’s not really cool, man.” His dopey tone draws out.

Bud steps around the corner and rips the phone from the wall, and this makes Dopey jump to attention.

“Uh, today is her last day, she was in her office last I heard!” He steps back, his body flush with the dirty glass behind him.

“Where is her office?” I ask.

He grabs a piece of paper off the corner of his desk and tosses it at me. I grab it before it flutters to the floor. It’s a map of the campus, and it has June’s office marked with a little star.

“Thanks.” Viper gives him a curt nod. I swear he’s the most polite outlaw I know.

Following the guide, we walk across the grass to a tall building. Going inside, it’s dark and quiet. The only sound is our breathing and boots on the clean floor. Winding down a hallway, we find her in her office placing books into a brown cardboard box.

“Leaving so soon?” My tone grave. She whirls around in a gasp of surprise. She looks a fucking mess, much like the way I left her. Her hair is frizzy, her shirt untucked from her pencil skirt, and she has no makeup on.

She grabs a letter opener and points it at me in defense.

“Don’t come any closer!”

Rubbing my chin, I laugh at her weak attempt to defend herself. Step by step, I get closer, and she does nothing. She doesn’t have it in her to do anything.

“Where did they take my girl?” My eyes feast upon her, silently telling her not to fuck with me or that cheap piece of shit weapon she has will be in her throat.

Her eyes flick to Viper and Bud behind me.

“What happened to me?” Viper points to his head. I’m sure his confidence took a hit being knocked out like that.

“If I tell you—”

“I promise to leave you alone and never bother you again,” I answer the ultimatum she’s about to suggest, a smile wolfishly pulling at my lips.

“Ha, and I should just believe you?” Her face scrunches with distaste.

I press my palm to my chest.

“Scouts honor,” Sarcasm dripping from my voice.

“You don’t have a choice,” Viper clips, slamming the door behind him. Her eyes widen, and the lump in her throat bobs as she swallows.

“I uh, the big guy.” She holds her hand above her head to indicate his height.

“Grudge?” I prompt.

“Sure, he hit you with a tool or something.” She looks to Viper.

“You sure?” I tilt my head to the side, and she silently nods. I look to Viper, and he turns, his shoulders rising and falling with anger. His hands rest on the bookcase, his fingers curl around the shelf.

He needs a second.

“And the girl?” I look back to June.

“You mean that crazy bitch?”

I grab her by the throat, my rings shining from the sunlight coming through the blinds.

“Easy now, that’s my girl you’re talking about,” I inform gravely. Her sudden cocky attitude fades as fear swims in her eyes.

“I don’t know.” She begins to cry, and it does nothing for me. Her tears are a waste of emotion, as I’m this close to strangling her.

“Try,” I seethe.

“Some guys in white coats drugged her, put her in this, um, this straight jacket of sorts.” She begins to tremble in my hold, and it makes me want to hurt her more. She’s so vulnerable, I can’t help but want to choke her.

“Grudge had her put away,” Bud says softly, nearly a whisper behind me. I look over my shoulder at him, his hat pulled down and arms crossed. The fucking mute talks.

Viper loses it and throws the entire bookcase to the ground. Little polite outlaw turned fucking Hulk.

I loosen my grip on June and slip a piece of her hair behind her ear.

“See, that wasn’t so hard,” I rasp softly.

She nods, tears streaming down her face.

“You know not to speak a word of me, my boys, or Harley to anyone?” I tilt my head to the side, her pathetic sobbing even worse from this angle.

“I won’t say anything. I’m going to live with my dad and help him on his tour. I swear!”

“I’m not worried, because if I hear otherwise… there’s more of us,” I nod my head toward Viper and Bud.

“Okay, yes,” she cries. Her cheeks red and swollen from the tears.

“Your daddy, better never come near my club again, he fucked his connection with us. Understand?”

“Yes. I promise, you will never see us again,” she blubbers.

“Let’s go, boys,” I rasp, and leave June to run to Daddy.

Climbing back into my car, Viper holds his phone up showing me a map.

“There are two state hospitals for the mentally ill in the state, and my money is on this one.” He points to red tag on the far side of Arizona.

“Why?” I furrow my brows.

“It’s funded by the state, which Governor Timothy has donated generous amounts to.” His left brow raises in telling.

“Motherfucker.” I grip the wheel tight, my foot heavy on the accelerator. Grudge really did have Harley locked away. He turned his back on his own flesh and blood. Harley being locked away protects him from everything she knows about him, and I think Harley knows more than she even knows.

“So, what’s the plan?” Viper asks, running his hand through his blondish hair.

“We get my girl.” I flick my gaze to him. “End of.”