CHAPTER ELEVEN
Later in the day, Mountain finally caught up with his daughter. The clubhouse was almost empty. Melora stood at the back door watching the men make their rounds outside.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
Melora nodded and turned to glance at him. “Thanks to you I’m alive.” She looked away and licked her dry lips. “Do you really think one of Raven’s men put ground peanuts in my food?”
“Yeah, I do and I think Raven was right about who did it.”
Shaking her head, she whispered, “Wow, I’ve never had anyone hate me like this before.”
“Whiskey won’t get close to you.” Mountain shook his head.
Melora laid her hand on his arm. “You don’t know that. You can threaten all you want but he’ll use anyone and anything he needs to get what he wants. Even though at this point everyone knows the truth, he won’t stop until I’m dead. ”
“He knows it’s too late.”
Melora scoffed. “At this point that idea is moot. Now he knows he’s got nothing left to lose. I’m sure Gremlin told him Walker was here.”
“Then he knows he lost everything.”
“Yeah, but he’s gonna make sure I pay for sticking my nose in his business.” She sighed deeply. “I guess I knew this day was coming ever since that day in Raleigh. I hoped to just slip away and turn up somewhere else, safe and sound.”
Mountain stared at her for a moment then had to ask, “Why didn’t you do that then?”
Melora shrugged. “Well, I intended to, but Sam made me turn and face it. And maybe I was tired of letting the bad guy win every God damn time.” Her voice was low. “When it all came out…I finally found my courage again. I didn’t want to let this go on anymore. Baily didn’t deserve what happened to him that night either. He was stupid to cross Raven and Whiskey but he didn’t deserve to die like that. Not over something so inconsequential as money. ”
Mountain rolled his eyes. “Not everyone thinks money is inconsequential.”
Melora shrugged. “Not everyone is hung up on the all mighty buck either. Having lived with little or less than little money, I just don’t see the draw to it.”
“Sometimes it’s all that matters to some people.”
“I know and for them all I can feel is pity.”
“Pity? Why?”
“There’s so much out there that money can’t buy, like a brilliant sunrise or sunset. Like the beauty of nature at its finest, or like the feeling of loves first kiss. Or the way having a best friend can make the day better. All those things in life are more important to me than money.”
Mountain was quiet for a moment then said, “I’m sorry you and your mom had it so rough when you were little. If I’d known about you I would have come back for you.”
Melora shook her head. “She wouldn’t have wanted that. She loved you enough in the week you two were together to let you go in the end.” Shrugging she admitted, “We had what we needed even if it wasn’t always a lot. We had each other and that was enough. She taught me more in the ten years I had her than I learned after she was gone.”
“Can I ask you why you’re with the old man?” His hands fisted.
Melora touched his forearm. “It isn’t because I was looking for a father figure.” Her words were low. “Like I told Sam, you can’t miss what you never had. I went to Sam because I wanted him. I’d never needed a man before him but that night, I needed him. I never had the urge to share myself with a man before I met him. Mom always told me to save my body for a worthy man. A man who I felt deserved my love. I don’t know if I feel love for Sam or even if he feels it for me but right now, it feels right being with him. I hope you can understand that.”
Her words shocked Mountain. He stared at her for a moment then tried to say something but no words came out of his mouth.
Melora chuckled softly “Yes, I was a virgin before Sam and I don’t make any excuses for that. In fact, I’m proud of it.”
“So am I,” Mountain admitted. “Carla was a virgin the night we met too. I never told anyone about her because I wasn’t willing to share what we had together with anyone. But I think you need to know what your mother and I had together. I never had a relationship after her either. Nothing that lasted.” After a moment or so he asked, “So what are you going to do after this situation is over?”
Melora shrugged. “I have no clue. I’ve been running for so long, I don’t have any plans for the future. I haven’t been able to make any plans and I won’t be able to until Whiskey is dead or I am.” She hesitated then added, “I’m hoping we get the chance to have that talk about you and Mom. She was a special woman.”
“You won’t be dead.” Mountain growled.
“I do know that I’m tired of living on this ledge I find myself on.” She glared out at the yard and the fence. “I’m tired of looking over my shoulder all the time and I’m tired of being scared all the time.”
“We need to end this soon,” her father said.
Just then, Cassie and Peaches joined them. “Come for a walk with us,” Cassie offered. “I need to use up some energy and I imagine you do too. We’re safe as long as we’re inside the compound.”
Mountain looked troubled. “I’ll come with you.”
Melora smiled. “Down boy! I need breathing space. I’m kind of tired of the male kind right now.” She turned to gaze at Cassie and Peaches. “I would love to walk with you.” Hooking both her arms in theirs.
Mountain turned and stomped in through the back door.
The women all laughed softly.
“Dammed Alpha bikers,” Peaches joked.
The three women laughed.
“Yep, just like in the books,” Cassie added with a laugh. “Throwing their weight around all the freakin time.”
“Wait a damn minute!” Deke called from the door.
Cassie sighed and turned her head toward her husband. “We will be all right. It’s just a woman thing. We need to have that, ok?”
His eyes narrowed at her.
“And please don’t sent a posse after us, we will be right here in the compound. Please?” Her voice sounded sweet and soft.
Deke grunted while looking worried as the women walked away, arm in arm.
They left the clubhouse and began walking the perimeter of the compound.
They were quiet for a while but then Peaches burst out, “So you and Bones, what’s that all about?”
Melora chuckled. “Why is that all everyone is concerned about? Me and Sam? What’s so strange about it?”
“Well, the man is older than dirt.” Cassie laughed.
Melora chuckled. “Yeah, he is older but he’s also a beautiful human being. And he’s very sexy.”
Peaches chuckled. “Yeah, he is. If I wasn’t with Iceman I would admire him. I mean I do admire him but not that way.”
Cassie chuckled. “That’s a good thing, Iceman doesn’t do competition.”
Peaches grinned and sighed. “Yeah, I know but he’s a beautiful Alpha human being too.”
All three girls chuckled. “I think all three of us got lucky,” Cassie admitted. She glanced over at Melora. “You not only found Sam but also your father.”
Melora stumbled. Sighing heavily, she admitted, “Yeah that’s weird.”
“Why?” Peaches asked.
Melora just shook her head. “I don’t know I guess I never thought about him much. I had no one, then now I got a man and a dad? My Mom used to tell me about him when I was small but I haven’t thought about him in so long, I guess I forgot he existed. Now he’s here and he thinks he can tell me what to do. It’s just new to me.”
“I think it’s sweet,” Peaches told them. “But I can see what you’re saying. After I got back with my father and grandfather they too, tried to tell me what I could do.” Shrugging, she continued, “It took them a while to get used to the fact I was grown up. I wasn’t the little girl I was the last time they saw me.”
Suddenly, the quiet around them was shattered by the sound of motorcycle engines. The engines were loud and very close. Too close.
The three women began looking around the general area. They couldn’t see anyone outside the fence line, instead the bikes came to them from the woods. They were far enough away from the clubhouse they couldn’t get back before something happened.
On the other side of the fence line Whiskey, Micah and Lightning were astride their bikes. Slowly and carefully, Whiskey came up to the fence. Nudging it with his front tire, the complete eight foot section fell slowly to the ground, as if in slow motion.
The three women were stunned as the bikes moved over the chain link toward them in a matter of seconds.
Suddenly the three bikes surrounded them, Whiskey pulled his knife and brandished it toward the women.
Micah grabbed at Peaches and Lightning grabbed Cassie’s arm, pulling her toward him. Cassie screamed and struck out at him, catching him on the jaw.
Lightning let her go as his head snapped back. Growling, he grabbed at her again. This time he missed and Cassie’s foot struck him in the thigh.
He howled as his bike tipped over trapping him underneath the bulk of the vehicle. “You bitch!” He screamed. Pushing the bike off him, Lightning got to his feet and stomped over to where Cassie was standing. He tried to grab her again but now, Cassie was in fight mode and he didn’t get close to her. She slipped from his grasp.
“Enough!” Whiskey yelled. “We don’t have time for this shit.” Pointing his knife at Melora, he told her. “I don’t want these two but if you fight me here, one or both of them is gonna get hurt.”
Melora glanced over at Peaches and Micah.
Micah had his arm around Peaches’ throat with a gun pointed at her abdomen. Both she and Cassie stopped fighting. Lightning stepped in closer and smacked Cassie hard.
She went down to her knees and her mouth dripped blood. She glared up at the man standing beside her.
“Okay, Whiskey…” Melora gave up, raising her hands in surrender. “Let them go and I’ll come with you without a fight. But if you hurt them in any way, I’ll bring hell down on your head.”
Whiskey smiled. “And just how do you plan to do that baby girl? I’m the one with the power here, not you.”
Melora sneered. “Only for the moment.”
Whiskey laughed loudly as if what she said was truly hilarious. “Don’t worry sweetheart, I’ll make this quick. No one knows we’re even here, so they won’t find your body until we’re long gone.” His hand reached to his back and he brought out a gun. He cocked the weapon and pointed it at her. “We’ve been here too long. Get on behind Micah and don’t give me anymore problems. I won’t hesitate to kill them if you do.”
Melora hesitated then finally walked over to where Micah was parked.
Peaches stepped closer to Cassie and both women watched as Melora swung her leg over the bike.
Whiskey waved the weapon at the two women. “Because I got what I want, I’m letting you go. Don’t make me regret it.” He replaced the weapon and revved his engine. He waited while Lightning and Micah got on their bikes and then he turned and rode back into the woods.
The other two followed but Melora wasn’t done yet. They were traveling quickly over tough terrain. Despite the bouncing, she noticed Micah and Lightning were having problems controlling their bikes. They almost took a header several times.
When Lightning came too close one time, Melora lifted her leg and kicked out at him.
Lightning lost control and ran into a tree.
Micah slowed down and eventually, stopped. Turning his bike around he went back to where Lightning had crashed. Getting off, he went over to his friend and knelt down beside him. Micah could see his friend was dead. The unnatural angle of his neck and the bloody exposed wound on his scalp along with all the blood on his face and shoulders made him sick. He turned his head and glared at her.
Melora stared at the bike wrapped around the tree and blood on Lightning’s face. She swallowed hard at the sight.
Micah stomped over to her and grabbed her wrists twisting them. He enjoyed the look of pain on her face. “You fucking bitch, try that again, and you’ll be the one laying on the ground with blood all over your face. Whiskey isn’t gonna like this!” He growled as he hauled her off his bike. When she was standing in front of him, Micah reached back with his fist and punched her hard in the belly.
Melora doubled over as she tried to gasp for breath. For a few minutes, she couldn’t get the air inside her lungs and she could feel her head begin to swim due to the lack of oxygen. Then finally, she could breathe again.
Micah slapped her face not once but twice. Then he pushed her away from him and she fell to the ground. “Get up you sniveling little bitch! We have to find Whiskey and he isn’t gonna be happy about your little stunt.”
“Yeah, I’m real worried about what Whiskey’s gonna like or not like,” she gasped out as she got to her feet.
“You should be.” Micah squeezed her wrist again. “He’s gonna kill you real slow and enjoy it.”
“Do you really think you’ll even get the chance to leave this town?” She swung her leg over the bike and waited until Micah was mounted in front of her.
Micah started the bike and took off again through the wooded area. When they came out of the woods, the roar of the bike didn’t seem so loud.
Melora leaned forward so the biker could hear her. “If you stay with Whiskey he’s gonna get you killed.”
Micah laughed out loud. “Nobody walks away from Whiskey. I don’t have a choice anymore and neither do you. If you knew what was good for you, you wouldn’t have let him catch up to you.”
They headed into town, making their way through the side streets to the warehouse district.
Melora searched the shadows trying to find someone to help her but the darkness didn’t reveal any of its secrets. She could only pray there was someone out there watching.
~* * * *~
When Cassie and Peaches burst through the back door of the clubhouse, Deke, Sam Raven, Gator and Mountain were just finishing their lunch. All of them got to their feet and rushed over to the women.
As Deke’s arms went around her, Cassie peered up at him with tears in her eyes. “Whiskey took Melora,” she whispered brokenly. Her hand grasped at his shirt and she repeated her statement. “The bastard took her and he’s gonna kill her if we don’t stop him!”
“How the hell did he get her?” Mountain shouted. “She was supposed to be protected behind the fence.”
Izzy, Reva and some of the others came out of the kitchen at all the ruckus. They all stood in shock at the drama the women told them about.
Peaches shook her head. “Someone loosened part of the fence. Someone let that bastard in. He just pushed in a piece of the fence and it came down!”
Raven abruptly turned toward his men. All nine of them began looking at each other. Most eyes were trained on Gremlin.
He shook his head. “Fuck a duck, don’t you guys have anything better to do than think I’m the traitor? Sweet baby Jesus…get a life.”
Izzy gasped. “It was you…” She stared at the group of men standing there.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Gremlin snarled.
“It was you all this time,” she repeated her claim as she walked toward him.
“What are you saying?” Raven asked.
She turned to the leader of the Ghosts MC. “For two years, Whiskey forced me to work against my friend. I know you all think I betrayed her and I don’t care about that. I always gave her that much time to escape but this one…” She turned to Gremlin. “This one has been plotting with Whiskey all along. I would wake up and overhear him on the phone with Jonesy and Whiskey all the time. I never knew who the traitor was until now.”
“What makes you think it’s Gremlin?” Raven asked.
“It’s the way he said those two phrases together, fuck a duck and sweet baby Jesus. I’ve heard those phrases a lot in the past two years from the voice on the phone.”
“She’s lying!” Gremlin shouted. “She’s nothing but a lying bitch just looking for a way to save her own ass.”
Izzy moved closer and slapped him.
Gremlin raised his hand and was about to hit her back when Mountain moved in. He grabbed the other man’s fist and squeezed. Gremlin’s face showed his pain as Mountain brought him to the floor with very little effort. “You’re the real traitor here,” Mountain grumbled. “You’re the one who sold out his club for a worthless man. If Whiskey hurts my kid, I’m gonna take my time and kill him slowly, then I’m coming for you, you fucking coward. I’m going peel your skin away one layer at a time until there’s nothing left of you for the cops to identify.” Mountain turned his head to glare at Raven. “Are you gonna stop me?”
Raven gave him a slow grin. “Nope. Although taking out the trash is club business I can overlook protocol this time.”
Mountain turned back to Gremlin. “Now where the hell is Whiskey?”
Gremlin groaned from his position on the floor. Mountain was twisting his hand and the pain was becoming unbearable. “I don’t know where he is!”
“Did you loosen the fence? Is that how he got in?” Raven asked.
“No, I swear it,” Gremlin muttered in pain.
Izzy came over and began searching the man’s pockets. Her hand clenched something and brought it out of the outer pocket of his vest. When she opened her hand, everyone could see the metal twisters that held the fence to the posts. She slowly turned her hand over and the half dozen metal links fell to the floor in front of Gremlin.
They hit the floor with a metallic clinking in the quiet of the room.
Mountain tightened his grip on the other man’s closed fist. Gremlin shouted out his pain. “Where is he bastard?” Mountain demanded again.
“I don’t know!” Gremlin growled between his clenched teeth.
“I know where he is.” A voice from behind called out.
Everyone turned to see Zipper looking intently at his computer screen. When he glanced up at the room in general he said, “He’s got her in the warehouse district. The old Butler building.”
Mountain shoved Gremlin away and watched as the man slid on the floor in front of him. Looking up to where his men stood waiting he told them, “Tie this prick up and don’t let him escape. I’ll deal with him when I get back.”
Chase and Rigger grabbed Gremlin and hauled him over to a vacant chair. Pushing the other man down, they were handed lengths of rope by some of the Sin’s Bastards men. Tying him to the chair, they each took up positions on either side of the bound man.
“Who’s coming with me?” Mountain asked the line of men behind him.
Sam and Raven took a step forward, as did Deke and Gator along with several of his own men. Mountain shook his head. “A smaller party would be better.” He pointed to Sam and Raven. “If we take too many, he’ll hear us and kill her before we can get to her.” He stared at Deke. “Maybe you could send a wagon to bring the scum back for the tribunal. That way, he can be judged by his president and peers.”
Deke nodded. Glancing over at some of his men, he motioned for them to do Mountain’s bidding.
The rest of them watched as Mountain, Sam and Raven swiftly got ready to go. Each of them took out their choice of weapons and checked then replaced them. Finally, they began walking toward the door.
Before they could leave, Zipper came over and handed Sam a slip of paper. It held an address.
Sam nodded. He knew where the building was.
Izzy rushed forward and grabbed Mountain’s arm. When he paused to look at her, she was crying. Tears rolled down her face as she begged him, “Please bring her back with you. I can’t lose her now.”
Without saying anything, he tore his arm away from her hold and continued toward the door.
No one said a word as they all watched the three men leave the building. The silence surrounding them was shattered as they heard three bikes start up and the grumble of the gate as it opened.
~* * * *~
When Micah and Melora got to the warehouse and drove inside, she felt the cold of the building surround her. The place was cool and damp inside and the air inside smelled stale. They came to a stop well inside the building and the stark silence that surrounded them when they shut off the engines deafened her for a moment.
Whiskey looked around for Lightning. “What happened to Lightning?”
Micah nodded at Melora. “She ran him into a tree.”
“Is he dead?”
Micah shrugged. “He wasn’t looking too good the last I saw of him.”
Whiskey growled. Getting off his bike, he reached out, grabbed her by the hair and hauled her off Micah’s bike. “You bitch!” He growled. Turning, he dragged her by the hair to the steps and pulled her up three flights. He didn’t care that he was pulling her hair out and Melora wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her pain. He pushed her into one of the rooms along the hall to the left of the stairway.
Melora wanted to scream but she didn’t. When he shoved her into the room, she saw the dirty quarters. At some point, someone had dragged a mattress into the room and left it behind. It was stained and filthy and there were several empty beer bottles on the floor. The one window in the room looked dirty and the glass was cracked but not broken. There were a couple of mismatched chairs in the room broken and stained with what looked like old blood.
There was a cooler in the corner of the room. The lid was broken and she could see and smell the dank liquid inside. Something floated in the dirty water but Melora didn’t even want to know what it was. She shivered in dread.
Whiskey followed her into the room with a couple of lengths of rope in his hands. “Take your clothes off bitch.” Whiskey growled as he paced in front of her.
“Why should I?”
“Mostly because I told you too, but also because I want to see the goods. I’ve been waiting for two years to get my hands on you and now I’ve got you.”
“Go to hell.”
Whiskey laughed. “I will after I send you there.” He stepped closer. “Now take off your clothes.”
“Fuck you,” Melora grumbled. “But there’s something you should know before you make any more stupid plans…” Melora taunted.
“What’s that?” Whiskey sneered.
“Everyone who needs to know the truth about Baily does know what happened that night.”
He shook his head. “They only know what you told them. It’s your word against mine sweetheart. Walker would never believe your lies any more than Raven will.”
Melora scoffed. “They know the truth. They saw the video I took that night.”
Whiskey shrugged. “You mentioned a video before. How the hell did you take a video without anyone knowing?” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Videos can be doctored, it will still be your word against mine in the end.”
“Yeah, except Raven was listening to you spout off about what you planned to do when you took over the club. He was right there when I made the phone call and he wasn’t amused. Oh, and neither was Senator Walker. He thinks you’re stupid if you think he would allow you to use his office to run guns and drugs. But now that he knows what happened to Baily, he’s gonna have everyone out there looking for you. Not only the cops but Raven’s men will be looking too. You may not care about the Ghosts but you have no clue who those women you assaulted belonged to. There are three clubs here, Sin’s Bastards brought together not only Satan’s Spawn but Boston’s Sinners and Bangor’s Satan’s Bastards. Oh and then there’s my dad. He’s president of the Sons of Satan, all the way from Texas. If you hurt me, you won’t be safe anywhere. But hell, that don’t matter now, I guess. They’re all gonna hunt you down and not even worry about burying your bodies. They will leave you for the rats.”
Micah groaned. “Shit!”
Whiskey paled but recovered quickly. “So? Raven was bound to find out sooner or later. All I have to do is step up the timeline. As far as the rest goes, well they have to find me first.” He shrugged. “I know all about the Sons of Satan, our club has dealt with them in the past. I’m not worried about them.”
Melora sneered. “You should be. Raven’s not going to protect you or your crew this time. Not like he did when you shot that guy in the back when he was alone in the dark. You can always duck and run like the bitch you really are.”
Whiskey glared at her as his hands shook, but didn’t bother answering her challenge. He walked to her and raising his hand, he hit her hard. When she stumbled and fell to the floor, he grabbed her by her shirt and ripped it from her body. She jerked as he pulled the material away from her torso. He tossed the shirt and the denim vest into the corner of the room.
Grabbing both her wrists, he dragged her over to one of the chairs. Pushing her down into the seat, he tied one wrist to the arm of the chair with a length of rope. With the other length of rope, he tied her other wrist to the opposite arm.
The bindings were so tight, she couldn’t move and her fingers began to tingle as the circulation was cut off to her hands.
Whiskey’s hands went to the zipper on her pants and he ripped it down. Grabbing the waistband of her jeans, he tore them down her legs, nearly pulling her from the chair. He left her in her underwear and began to pace back and forth in front of her.
Micah joined them and stared at the girl.
Melora could see lust in his eyes.
“So now what, boss?” he asked. “What the hell are we gonna do now?”
“Shut up.” Whiskey shouted at him. “I need to think.”
“Yeah, well think fast okay?” Micah urged. “If what she says is true, it won’t take them long to find us and I want to be long gone when they get here.”
Whiskey stopped and stared at the other man. “So what? They find us, or they’ll find her barely alive and we’ll be long gone. They don’t know where we are.”
“We gotta get out of town while we can.” Micah grabbed his arm. “We don’t have time to take her out!”
Whiskey wrenched his arm away from Micah’s hold. “We got time to make her suffer. Yes, they might know we’re here but they don’t know where here is. Now settle down and let me do my thing.” He stared at Melora and licked his lips. “I’ve been waiting two years for this and I will not be denied.” Whiskey reached behind his back and grabbed the handle of his knife from the sheath inside the back of his vest. Pulling it around to his front, he twisted the handle in his hands. “This is gonna be fun.” His eyes glazed over and for a moment, he was lost in thoughts of pain-pleasure he knew was coming.
Melora’s heart pounded in her chest. Her skin crawled just having these two men this close to her. She knew the look in Whiskey’s eyes. She’d seen it before, the last time was the night Baily died. She knew how Whiskey got so tied up in what he could do with that damn knife of his and she knew he was one who enjoyed bringing others pain. She just never thought he would catch her and now she was afraid he would bring her world to a nasty ending. She almost prayed for death to find her quickly.
Her eyes focused on the vest Zipper had given her yesterday. She prayed the tracking device he told her was working. All she had to do was wait and pray the guys got here in time. She really wanted the chance to finally know her father and to find a future with Sam. In that moment, she realized something. She loved that old man. She loved him with everything she had and she desperately wanted a future with him beyond the here and now.
Glancing up at Whiskey and Micah, she knew her future was very limited. She also knew Whiskey was going to take his sweet time in delivering her to the hands of Hades.