Chapter Fifteen
Chains swiveled around from the computer. “It’s her. She comes from Findlay, Ohio. That’s Twisted Warriors territory.”
“That’s right. We bumped into Sniper and Jacko on a poker run last fall.”
“Yeah, that was a fuckin’ good time. Anyway, she went missing in October eight years ago. It’s been treated like an abduction from the beginning. You know her. What do you think? Was she a runaway or being held by force?”
Paco leaned back and stretched his legs in front of him. “This shows I don’t know her, but I’ve suspected she was in some deep shit. Why the fuck didn’t she tell me?”
“I don’t know, dude, but if she escaped from her traffickers, then they’ll be looking for her, and it’s something the club needs to know about. You gotta find out who the fuckers are who are keeping her.” Chains handed the flyer back to Paco. “I gotta tell Steel about this.”
Paco nodded. “I was going to after I talked to her. Fuck, I can’t believe she’s been through all this.” A deep sadness filled him as he stared at Misty’s smiling photo from when she was fifteen years old. She looked so innocent, so trusting. He stood up. “Thanks, man. How’re you doing with the layout of the West Avenue Bandits’ clubhouse?”
“Good. The assholes have some crummy thousand-square-foot dump in the sketchy part of town. This is gonna be a cinch.”
Paco laughed. “It makes our lives easier when dealing with dumb fucks. Let’s get together with Rooster and put our plan of attack together.”
“Sure thing.”
Paco went into the main room and motioned for a double shot of Jack. Since he’d kissed Misty, his mind had been reeling. Instead of relieving the pent-up sexual tension that had been brewing since he’d met her, it made it worse. He wanted all of her.
He was prepared to tell her that when he came back from his ride, but he’d decided to buy her a phone and ended up back at Walmart. When he’d passed the bulletin board, he’d stopped, remembering how Misty had practically dragged him away when he’d come over to the board. It’d been like she didn’t want him to see something, so he’d stopped and looked at the flyers.
Blood had rushed through him and he took a step back: a smiling girl in a poster looked like Misty. Then his gaze had drifted to the computerized image of a woman in her twenties who looked a lot like Misty. At first he’d chalked it up to a coincidence, but the harder he stared at the images, the more convinced he’d been that it was Misty.
The ride home had been fraught with battling thoughts and emotions. By the time he’d arrived at the clubhouse, he’d been pissed as hell at her for not telling him what the fuck was going on. He’d wondered if she was playing him like women did when they wanted something from a man. So when he’d gone into her room the night before, he’d been pissed and wanted to confront her, but figured he’d have Chains check on the details to make sure Misty was really Chelsea Sullivan. But the way she’d acted when he walked in had told him she’d been up to something, and she was lying to him again.
He brought the shot to his lips and drank, his mind going back to the afternoon before when they’d kissed. It was incredible, but now he suspected she was just acting because she wanted something from him. Women were that way—they played men until they got what they wanted, and then they walked away without a backward glance. Misty just reinforced his distrust in women. Every fucking thing that’s come out of her mouth has been a lie.
He threw back the rest of the drink.
“You wanna get in on a poker game later on?” Eagle asked as he came over.
Paco shook his head. “I’ll pass.”
“How’s it going with your hottie?”
“She’s not my anything.” He motioned for another shot.
Eagle chuckled. “She stays up in your room a lot.”
Picking up his Jack, Paco threw it back and put the glass on the bar. “See you.” He walked away and went up to his room.
When he went inside, Misty sat on the bed, her hair wrapped in a towel, wearing one of his T-shirts. The bright smile she gave him made him think she was happy to see him.
“I wondered if you were going to come by today. You seemed mad at me last night.”
He sat at the edge of the bed. “I don’t like it when people lie to me.”
The bright smile faltered and then faded. “I don’t mean to lie to you. It’s just that I don’t trust people.”
“Am I people to you?” he asked softly. Lowering her head, she shook it. “Then what?”
She kept her head down, not meeting his gaze. An awkward silence filled the space between them. He reached out and grasped her hand, and she shivered.
“I’m not gonna betray you. You can open up to me.” She looked quickly at him and then away. She’s scared to death. I’m gonna kill the fuckers who did this to her. “I know. I saw the flyer when I went back to the store to buy your phone.” Flinching, she jumped slightly and sucked in an audible breath. He squeezed her hand. “Do you wanna tell me about it? I have time.”
“I don’t really wanna talk about it,” she whispered.
“You have to. It’s important you trust me.”
“Why?” She blinked rapidly then stared at him.
“Because I like you. A lot.” And he did. He didn’t understand it since they hadn’t known each other very long, and he still wasn’t sure if he could trust her, but he couldn’t ignore the feelings building inside him. Denying it to his brothers was one thing, but he couldn’t disregard the pull he felt toward her. They had a connection that was real.
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
“I like you too,” she said softly.
“That’s good. We need to work on trusting each other.” He leaned back against the headboard and watched her.
“I was kidnapped.” She pulled her hand away from his and covered her face.
Gently, he tugged her to him and eased her head on his chest. “Tell me what happened. I’m not gonna judge you or say anything to hurt you. It’s something you need to do.”
She sat still in his arms for several minutes. The sunlight streaked into the room, casting thin gold stripes across the floor. In the distance, he could hear the drone of traffic on the old highway, and the low whirr of the club’s heater as it kicked on.
“I grew up in Findlay, Ohio. My dad died when I was seven years old. He had a brain tumor and he was gone. It was my mom, my sister Kate, and me for a long time, and then my mom married Peter. I was about twelve when they got married, and I hated her for it. Peter and I didn’t get along, and it just got worse as I got older. He was always telling me what to do, always mad if I went out with a boy, and always giving me weird looks. My mom usually sided with him, so I didn’t feel like I had anyone I could turn to in the house.”
Another pause. Paco didn’t rush her, just held her and allowed her to let him into her past at her own pace.
“I was a sophomore at Roosevelt High when I first saw Tyler. He was the star quarterback on the team, and I was a cheerleader. I had the biggest crush on him and was so surprised when he asked me out. I mean, he was a senior and I was only a sophomore. We dated for about a month when he asked me to the homecoming dance. I was so happy.” Bitterness crept into her voice.
“Did your mom like him?” he asked.
“Yeah, but my stepdad had a problem with any guy I dated. The plan was that Tyler would pick me up for the dance. When his dad picked me up, I was confused. He said that the coach had told the football players they had to be on some stupid float. I asked why Tyler hadn’t called and told me that, and his dad said it was a last-minute deal. He said he’d take me to the dance and Tyler would be there. I got in and noticed another guy in the back seat who Mr. Tarleton said was Tyler’s cousin. I got a weird feeling about it, but thought it was just nerves due to the dance. My mom and stepdad weren’t home that night, or I would’ve had my mom take me.”
She pulled away from him. “I need some water.” She went over to the mini fridge and took out a bottle, then stared out the window.
“You doing okay?” he asked.
She shook her head and took another gulp. “When his dad turned in the opposite direction of the school, fear took over. I knew something was off. When I asked where we were going, he laughed, but his face and eyes were so damn mean and cold. I started to freak, and then all of a sudden, the cousin put a rag in front of my nose and mouth. Mr. Tarleton pulled over and pinned my arms down as I tried to fight. Then everything went black. That’s the night I was sold.”
Paco got up and stood behind her, snaking his arms around her waist and drawing her back against him. Bending down, he kissed the top of her head. “We can take a break if you need to.”
She placed her hands on his, her body shaking as she took a deep breath. “When I woke up, I had no idea where I was except that I was in a small apartment. The man who said he was Tyler’s cousin came into the room.” She tilted her head back until it rested against him. “He beat me straight away, and then he… raped me.”
Paco’s jaw clenched and he breathed heavily.
“Afterward he blindfolded and gagged me, put a gun to my head and said he was going to kill me. He pulled the trigger but nothing came out. He kept doing that for hours. For weeks he beat and raped me. Sometimes he’d bring in friends and they’d… do a lot of nasty and… horrible things to me. It was awful.” The words came haltingly, punctuated by a ragged sigh and cracking voice as she confided in him.
“Oh, baby.” He kissed the top of her head and tightened his arms around her. Leading her to the recliner, he sat down with her curled in his lap, her head tucked under his chin.
“I heard other women in the next room. They were crying, screaming, and I knew he was doing the same thing to them as he was to me. I’ve always wondered why no one called the police. The neighbors must’ve heard all the crying. I later found out that the guy who held me wasn’t Tyler’s cousin. He’d bought me from Tyler’s dad. His name was Erik, and he kept me for four years. He took pictures of me and placed ads online. I had sex with ten to fifteen men a day, every day. When I wasn’t servicing the men who paid to have sex with me, I was handcuffed to the bed, or kept under lock and key in the bedroom. That small space became my prison. Erik also threatened to kill my mom and kidnap my little sister to sell her on the international auction block. He’d tell me young virgins were a hot commodity. Of course I believed him—I mean, he kidnapped me, after all. I couldn’t have let my eleven-year old sister suffer the same fate as me, so I stopped thinking about escaping. I accepted that this would be my life. I couldn’t let any harm come to my mom and sister because of me. I loved them so much.” She wiped her cheeks.
“How’d you end up with Bobby?”
“After four years, Erik sold me to him. He said I was too old for his clients, that the money was in younger girls and my value had been dropping. Bobby beat me up just like Erik, and he was a master at playing mind games. Like Erik, he kept threatening to kill my mom and steal my sister, and I believed him. Even though he wasn’t as cold as Erik, he was almost as controlling. He’d tell me what to wear, what color nail polish to put on, what to eat. He weighed me three times a week, and if I gained an ounce he’d beat me. For some reason, he picked me out as his favorite among his women. His other women loved Bobby and weren’t slaves. I was the only one. He kept a close watch on me. He made me stay in the same bed with him, and sometimes he’d make me sleep at the foot of the bed like a dog just for the hell of it. If he wanted to screw Amber Jade or Crystal or some other woman, he’d lock me in the closet for the night. Bobby heard there was good money to be made at truck stops, so that’s how I ended up there.”
She moved her head away and tipped it back, her gaze locking on his. “You’re probably wondering why I didn’t tell someone or try to get some help. The truth is that I didn’t trust anyone. Bobby was friends with the security guards at the lots, and he’d slip them money to keep the cops away. One time I went into a convenience store at a truck stop. An older woman who looked like she could be my grandmother got talking with me. She was so nice, so I told her that I was being held against my will and for her to call the police. She said she would, but she lied. The old bitch told Bobby, and he almost killed me that night. It seemed that each time I tried to get someone to help me, they didn’t, and Bobby always found out and punished me severely, so I stopped trying. I just shut down. The night I met you, I couldn’t believe how good you were being to me. I figured Bobby had planted you to check up on me. And when you let me sleep without fucking me, I thought you were too good to be true. I thought you had an angle, but you didn’t. I felt something that night.”
“Me too. I wish you would’ve told me what was going on. I would’ve killed the fucking bastard and taken you away, but I understand why you didn’t. Your trust was gone, and when that happens, it’s hard as hell to get it back. Why did the fucker take you to Silverado?”
“He said he got a good gig for us at a strip bar, but I found out that he took me there so Victor could see if he wanted to buy me. And he—”
“What the fuck? Victor Bustos from Los Malos?” The anger he’d been holding in abeyance shot through him like a wildfire.
“That’s the pig. He paid Bobby $65,000 for me. When I found the money in his pocket after he’d passed out, I knew I had to escape. I knew everything I went through up to that point would pale in comparison to what Victor had in store for me. That bastard is one cold psychopath. I grabbed the money and took off. It was so easy that I thought for sure Bobby was testing me, but when you came riding by, I couldn’t believe it.”
I’m gonna kill those sonsofbitches. “You stole the money? You have it here?”
She went over to the bed, dropped to her knees, and pulled out a bag. “It’s all in here.”
“There’s no way the fuckers aren’t gonna come looking for you.”
“I know, but I’m glad I did it. In some funny way, you indirectly gave me the courage to do it. Since the first time I saw you in the diner, I felt a connection to you. I never felt that way with a person I’d just met, even before all this shit started.”
Paco went over to her, holding out his hand. She took it and he helped her to her feet, then hugged her tightly. “I felt it too. I’m sorry you had to go through all that shit. Fuckers who do this need to die. I can’t change what’s happened to you, but I’m promising you that I’ll make sure these assholes pay for what they did. You gotta trust me. No more keeping shit from me, okay?”
She nodded. “A part of me trusted you from the beginning, but my fear held me back.”
“I know. The important thing is that we’re starting on a clean slate. No more lies or omissions, okay?”
“Promise.” She pulled away slightly and looked up at him.
The pain and despair that had been in her eyes when he’d first met her were gone. How he wished he’d been there and saved her from all the pain, suffering, and humiliation she’d endured for all these years.
Warmth filled him as he placed two hands on her face. “You’re a very strong, amazing woman,” he said, staring deeply into her eyes. “I don’t know how you have so much strength. You’re very brave.” Wet streaks ran down her face as he brushed his lips overs hers, her salty tears clinging to his mouth. “Chelsea. You’re beautiful.”
“I’m Misty,” she whispered. “Chelsea died a long time ago.”
“No she didn’t. She’s always been buried deep inside you. That’s who you are. Misty is what you were forced to be.” He traced the soft fullness of her lips with his tongue, then moved his mouth over hers, devouring it. Slick and full, her lips molded over his as she strained closer. She feels so right in my arms. He kissed her, breathing in each of her tiny moans and whimpers. He trailed his lips to her neck, licking and nipping just below the ear, then sank his mouth into the curve of her neck and shoulder.
“Paco,” she cried out. Her fingers slipped under his shirt, gliding over the hard muscles straining under his tightened skin.
Her caramel scent swirled around him, landing on his throbbing cock. “I’m fucking going crazy here,” he said as his lips brushed against the hollow at the base of her throat.
Then his damn phone rang.
Being in an outlaw club, a member always had to be available. He looked at it and saw it was Chains. “Fuck, babe. I gotta take this.”
“This better be important,” he growled into the phone.
Chains snorted. “Steel’s looking for you. I also called Jacko and asked him to check on your woman’s family. They’re good.”
“No one lurking around?”
“Nah. Jacko, Sniper, and Bull Dog said they’re all alive and well. Hung around for a bit and didn’t see anyone around checking out the house.”
“I owe them. Thanks.”
“No worries. Steel heard Victor’s pissed as shit about losing $65,000. Seems like he bought a sex slave. Do you know anything about that?”
“Yeah. I’ll be right down.”
“You’re gonna have to make a strong argument for her. And the fact that you didn’t call me out on the ‘your woman’ comment tells me you got more than a boner for her.”
Paco chuckled. “Fuck you.” He put his phone in his pocket and looked at her. “Something’s come up. I gotta go.”
“Are you coming back?” she asked in a small voice.
“Yeah. We can go out to eat. You like steak?”
Her eyes brightened and she smiled. “I love it.”
“Then we’ll go to Flanigan’s.” He paused for a beat. “You should call your mom.”
Fear crept into her face. “I can’t risk it. I don’t want to endanger her.”
“Shouldn’t you warn her? Anyway, some friends of mine live in your city. They checked on your family. They’re fine. You need to call her.” Tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded. “Don’t tell her where you are. The club doesn’t need the fucking badges coming around here. I’ll take you back to see them.”
“When? I can’t believe I’m going to see my mom and sister again. I never thought I would.” Her voice quivered.
He pulled her to him and kissed her tenderly. “We can leave in a week. I’ve got some club business to take care of, but we can go after that. Remember, don’t tell your family anything about the club, me, or Alina. Got it?”
“I won’t.”
After kissing her once more, he looked back at her and winked before he left the room.