Rocco took a deep breath as he steered his bike down the street. The Chasing Spirits clubhouse was just down the road. His hands tightened around the throttle on his bike. The muscles in Rocco’s jaw pressed together, and he narrowed his eyes as they approached the building.
What does Meish have ‘planned’ for Hailey? I thought that he’d be satisfied that I even went through with those fake marriage. The wheels of Rocco’s motorcycle came to a stop behind an aging Harley. He cut the engine and turned his head to look at Hailey.
Hailey wore a blank stare as she looked towards the front doors of the clubhouse. The only sound she’d made since they made their way out of the woods was a small yelp when Rocco drove his bike over a speed bump. Rocco twisted his torso around and placed his hand onto Hailey’s bony thigh. Her icy blue eyes shifted towards him when Rocco’s fingernails dug into her skin.
“Yeah?”
Rocco grinned and said, “Snap out of it. We’re back at the club.”
Hailey’s eyes fell towards the cracks in the sidewalk and she offered him a small nod. “Yeah, we’re back. It's nice to be away from a rain storm.”
Rocco slid off of the bike and held his hand out to Hailey. Her skin peeled off of the leather seat of the motorcycle. She clasped her hands in his as her feet made contact with the pavement below her.
Rocco gestured towards the front doors of the clubhouse and said, “Why don’t you go inside and get cozy while I measure the stick up Meish’s ass?”
Hailey wore a small smile as Rocco went on, “Tell him to make you a strong, hot cup of coffee. We spent all night in a wet cave, so you’re going to need something hot. Other than me.” Rocco grinned and delivered a strong pat to Hailey’s bottom.
Hailey came to life with a loud yelp, and swatted her hands against Rocco’s. “Okay, okay. I’ll ask Clyde about getting a coffee and something to eat.”
They moved down the sidewalk, and the smell of oil and rain flooded Rocco’s senses. He raised his head towards the dreary clouds that hung over the rows of parked cars and buildings that had yet to open. Rocco sighed, and pushed open the front doors of the clubhouse.
Clyde’s head snapped as the double doors rattled against the frame. There were deep lines around his mouth, and his usual calm morning demeanor had been swept away. He pushed his chair back and hopped to his feet. “Rocco, Hailey, you’re finally back!”
Rocco glanced between the deep crease in between Hailey’s eyebrows and the wide-eyed expression that Clyde wore as he walked around his desk. Clyde’s shoes scraped against the floor as he moved across the room.
Clyde pointed towards the closed door of Meish’s office, “He’s been impatient. I was running out of ways to tell him that you were on your way.”
“I don’t know what’s up his ass,” He pressed his hand into the small of Hailey’s back and said, “Clyde, why don’t you grab a cup fresh coffee for Hailey and get her a bite to eat? I’ll handle Meish.”
Clyde nodded and waved Hailey forward. He placed one of his arms around her shoulders and said, “I brought some donuts in for the riders, let’s get you a couple before they come in.”
Rocco grinned and headed towards Meish’s door. He sighed and wrapped his knuckles against the door. “Meish! Meish, I’m here, what do you want?”
Meish’s voice was laced with impatience when it came from underneath the door, “Rocco? Get in here.”
Hailey twisted her neck around and peered over Clyde’s arm. She watched as Rocco frowned and pushed the door open. Her eyes were glued to the flash of red wallpaper that appeared in Meish’s office before the door shut behind him.
What’s going on? Hailey looked towards the floor as Clyde led her to the kitchen. He dropped his arm from around her shoulders and said, “You’re awful quiet. Lighten up, we’ve got coffee.”
You’re the Vice President’s Old Lady. The better you play the role, the better this will go. Hailey stretched her lips into a thin smile and chirped, “You’re right! I’ll take a fresh pot.”
There was a blue and red box that sat on the other side of the room that stole her attention.
“You got Cal’s Donuts?” She asked, she made quick work of moving over to the counter and lifting the lid off of the box. Two dozen gourmet donuts were inside, the sweet smell of the powdered sugar and pecan chocolate teased her nostrils. Her smile faltered for a moment, as she lifted one of out of the box. Ever since she graduated from college and didn’t have to head off to weekend classes, she and her father had made an effort to stop by Cal’s Donut House and grab coffee and a bite to eat every Saturday. Clyde’s voice faded into the background as her father’s panicked texts from earlier that morning flashed through her mind.
I can’t imagine what this is doing to him.
“Hailey? Hailey? Your coffee is ready, are you going to drink it black or are you going to dress it?”
Hailey blinked and lifted her donut to her lips. She took a small bite of a cinnamon cruller, and accepted a cup of coffee from Clyde. The strong smell of the espresso roast hit her nostrils like the crack of a whip. Any thoughts of her father faded to the back of her mind, and she said, “Thanks. I think that I’ll take it black today.”
Hailey took a long sip of coffee and followed Clyde out of the kitchen. Clyde eased into the chair behind his desk and said, “I can find something for you to do, if you want. Meish has given me a ton of shit to do and I’m happy to rebrand it as ‘Old Lady Duties’.”
Hailey chuckled and tightened her grip around her coffee mug. Her eyes shifted towards the hallway that led to the barren room that Meish had been keeping Becca in. Hailey looked down at cruller in her other hand and said, “You know, I think that I’m going to hold off on that. I think that I’ll find somewhere to sit down.”
She smiled politely at Clyde before moving down the hall. Her eyes bounced off of each door in the hallway. A chill ran down her spine upon remembering the feel of Emmett’s massive hand around her wrist. A part of me still can’t believe that Rocco protected me. A few weeks ago, her mind had run wild with what Rocco, Meish and the rest of the riders might be willing to do to her to prove a point to her Dad.
She narrowed her eyes as her feet came to a stop just outside of the spare room. But what about Becca? I don’t have any guarantee that she’ll be protected as well. Hailey inhaled, and the muscles in her neck and shoulders relaxed as she exhaled. Hailey opened the door a crack, and wrinkled her nose. The musky smell of sex and sweat seeped out and into the hallway.
Hailey’s eyes watered as she stepped into the room. A few rays of sunlight lit up the dark floors. Her eyes flew around the room, and she smothered a gasp when they landed on the rickety bed on the right side of the room. A thin, grey blanket covered Becca’s frail limbs. Becca’s usually voluminous blond hair dangled limply around her shoulders. Bruises decorated the pale skin on her arms and neck.
Hailey took a couple of small steps into the center of the room. Becca’s glossy eyes looked past Hailey. Hailey looked over her shoulder and noted the cement wall behind her.
She’s completely out of it. Hailey cleared her throat and the sound echoed off of the walls of the room. She took another step towards the bed and her voice came out just above a whisper as she said, “Becca?”
Becca rotated her neck slightly and the faraway look in her eyes disappeared. She pulled her chapped and cracked lips into a smile and said, “Hailey, you came to check on me!”
Hailey nodded and said, “Yeah. I wanted to see how you were doing.” Hailey moved over to the bed and swept the edge of Becca’s thin, grey blanket off of the edge of the bed. She eased onto the bed and took a sip of coffee. “How are they treating you?”
Becca lowered her eyes to the floor and shrugged. “Could be worse, right? It’s not every day that a girl is kidnapped and not killed.” A chuckle passed her lips but it was humorless. “I mean, look at you. I’d say that you’re holding up okay too. Looks like you’re getting frequent meals and fresh coffee.” She pointed one of her bony fingers at the cup that sat in between Hailey’s hands.
Hailey shook her head and said, “Look, I’m doing what I have to survive. I’m pretty sure they’re only doing things like this,” she held up the cup of coffee, “so that they’re in a better position to use me as a bargaining chip with my Dad.”
Becca scoffed, “I never would have thought that I’d be wishing I was born into a family where my father was a motorcycle club president. I’d kill to have some sort of leverage over these pigs-”
Hailey frowned and set the coffee cup on the floor. She turned towards Becca and set her hand on top of Becca’s thigh. She’s gotten so thin. Becca had always been super model pretty, and a little bit on the thin side, but the healthy balance that she’d been so careful to maintain over the years had been completely destroyed over the last few weeks. They really aren’t taking care of her. I bet that prisoners get treated better than Becca. Rage swelled inside of Hailey’s chest, and her eyes flicked upwards to the nasty black and blue bruises on Becca’s neck and arms.
A chill passed through Hailey’s body, and she said, “Becca, how’d you get those bruises?”
Becca crossed her arms over her chest and said, “From doing what I have to do to survive.”
Hailey’s features twisted into a horrified expression, and she said, “Doing what you have to do?” She pictured Emmett’s thick, meaty hands wrapped around Becca’s neck. The vacant stare that she wore earlier was probably leftover from whomever had their turn with her last.
Hailey squeezed Becca’s thigh and said, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry that—that they’re doing this to you. If you weren’t trying to make up with me that day you wouldn’t have ever been brought into this.”
Becca sighed and brushed Hailey’s hand off of her thigh. “It’s fine, I’ll just be glad when this over.” She shifted, and the thin blanket fell off of the bottom half of her legs. A small collection of bruises had gathered on her legs.
Hailey dragged her hand down her face and cupped her hand around her mouth. A small whine slid past her fingers, and she whispered, “Oh my God. I’m so sorry. Listen, if Rocco could keep me safe, then he should be able to do the same for you.”
Becca’s steely gaze softened, and she asked, “Do you think so?” Her voice cracked with what Hailey thought might be disbelief. Becca rotated her body and turned towards Hailey. She wrapped her cold fingers around one of Hailey’s hands and said, “Do you really think that he can get them to stop?”
“Rocco might be able to help us both.” She squeezed Becca’s hand before wrapping her arms around her. Hailey sighed and rested her head in the crook of Becca’s neck. “I’ll make sure that we make it out of here.”
The sound of footsteps echoed off of the walls and sailed into Hailey’s ears. She lifted her head and sighed, “I think that’s Clyde. He’s probably wondering what the hell I’m up to.” Becca nodded and pulled her blanket over her legs again. Hailey rose to her feet and winced. I’m sure that Becca would kill to have Clyde be her only problem.
Hailey bent her knees and hooked her fingers into the handle of the coffee mug that she’d set on the floor. She whipped her head towards the door, the footsteps were getting louder and more urgent.
She extended her hand towards Becca. The sticky, glazed icing on the crueller covered her left hand. Becca’s eyes fell on the treat that sat in the middle of Hailey’s palm and she said, “What’s that about?”
“Here, it’s just a little breakfast.” Hailey said. With one last glance at Becca, she wrapped her fingers around the doorknob and pulled the door open.
Hailey pressed her face against the crack in the door and watched as Clyde leaned into the open doorway of one of the lounge rooms. Hailey stepped into the hallway, and gently shut the door. She stepped into the hallway, and moved towards the lobby.
Clyde shut the door to the lounge room and his eyes lit up as they landed on Hailey.
“There you are, are you trying to get Rocco to bite my head off?” Clyde threw his arms around her shoulders and pointed at the lukewarm sludge that her coffee had turned into. “We need to get you a fresh cup—that’s looking pretty stale.”
Hailey nodded, her eyes flickered between the lone door at the end of the hallway and the sunlight that poured through the front doors of the lobby. “Yeah, I’ll take a fresh cup.”