Tori

 

     Loud noise funneled up to the room from the party below and I felt the sting of familiarity. This behavior I understood. The Disciples were constantly drinking and partying with the local girls while I was forced to listen to the sickening sounds of free love and the purging after effects of alcohol poisoning, alone in a small closed-off room. Trench said I was free to come and go as I pleased, but nothing about those parties ever appealed to me. I tried to watch television to drown out the sounds downstairs, but I found myself becoming increasingly agitated with being tucked away in a corner. Why would Trench come so close to kissing me, only to go off and stick his dick in whatever willing piece of trash came through the door tonight? Why wasn’t he here with me? I was reading too much into his earlier attention. He was already pulling on my strings like a fucking marionette and we’d only just met.

     After a lengthy shower that did absolutely nothing to ease my nerves, I popped two Benadryl I’d found in my bag and placed a pillow over my ears. The over-the-counter medicine was better as a sleep aid than an allergy pill anyway. Thirty minutes later and I’d exchanged my thoughts of the party downstairs for a haunted slumber and a painfully revealing nightmare.

 

***

     Vita’s face was bruised and the distinctive fingerprints marking her throat still looked angry, in horrific contrast with her pale skin. My mouth fell open at the sight of her as she hiccupped on a sob and quickly ushered me in the door.

     “Were you followed?”

     “No, I don’t think so. I mean, what happened, Vita?”

     My mind raced with thoughts of Erik. Did he do this to her? Was he still here? Should I call the police? I had only experienced this level of fear when my mother died. There was no denying Vita had been brutally attacked, but we weren’t close friends so when she’d called me for help, I was shocked and a bit confused. What if she was helping Erik set me up? It was possible, seeing how Aaron and Erik were best friends.

     Still, I came when she called. Maybe it was because I wished I had someone to call too. Vita asked me to come alone, meet her in the front office of the garage. I took a big risk that Aaron would look for me and when he didn’t find me in our room, well, it would be bad. I did so because Vita was the only person I’d really spoken to in the Disciple’s clubhouse. The only one to show me any kind of compassion at all since I arrived, and I believed it had more to do with her own experiences than just being a friendly person. I knew little about her besides the fact that she was Erik’s old lady. I had seen a few small bruises on her arms before when she left them uncovered, but if Erik was beating her like Aaron did me, he’d been just as smart about where he left marks. Until now.

     Abusers tended to concentrate their attention to areas that were not highly visible, careful to strike at the back and legs, but seldom the face or arms. They wanted to damage us for other men, make us unattractive in the places their hands would want to wander if they were brave enough to try, but they didn’t want questions from anyone. We had to look normal even when things were as far removed from normal as possible.

     It was only when Erik or Aaron wanted to make an example of us that they struck in visible areas. Unfortunately, nothing I had experienced thus far could have prepared me for this.

     Vita pushed the door closed and secured the locks behind us. With tears building in my eyes, I pulled her into a tight hug. Vita winced and I immediately felt guilty and loosened my grip. For fuck’s sake, where else was she bruised? How many places?

    “Vita, what the hell happened? You need a hospital.”

     The words barely left my lips when her eyes widened with alarm and she began shaking her head violently to dismiss the idea.

     “No! No hospitals, and no police, Tori. He’ll find me no matter where I go,” her voice was laced with panic so palpable I was beginning to get a sense of dread big enough for the two of us. If Erik or Aaron found us in here, what would they do?

     “Erik did this.” It was a statement more than a question. The ironic part was Erik would have killed any bastard stupid enough to lay hands on Vita. She was his property and you didn’t disrespect another brother’s property. Though apparently, it was okay to abuse your own. “I knew he was abusing you, but -,” I paced in front of her. I needed to keep moving. It was only a matter of time before I snapped. My own restraint with Aaron was wearing thin lately and seeing Vita as broken as I felt was unraveling the thin string of sanity I clung to for support.

     “N…no. It wasn’t Erik,” she cried, but the scathing look I shot her was enough to suggest I wasn’t buying it this time. “No, it’s true. Erik’s an asshole, but he didn’t do this.” Vita pointed to her swelling face.

     I reached down and took her hand in mine, pulling her toward the small breakroom on the far end of the office. I released her hand and left her to lean against the counter. Now that her adrenaline was wearing off, I expected Vita would crash hard and soon. She needed professional medical attention, not another quick band-aid fix. The flesh would eventually heal. It was the invisible wounds that scared the hell out of me. I grabbed a couple paper towels from the dispenser hanging by the sink and walked over to the freezer, placing several cubes of ice in the middle and wrapping the ends together with the hair tie I kept around my wrist.

     Vita was staring at the floor when I lightly pressed the makeshift cold pack to her swollen cheek. She flinched and more tears spilled. This time they were mine and I angrily swiped them away with the back of my hand.

     “It’s going to be okay, sweetie. I’ve got you. Why don’t you take this to the couch and sit down? I’m going to find some Ibuprofen in the drawer up front.”

     She nodded gingerly and replaced my hand with her own before shuffling on unsteady legs towards the old couch in the corner of the office. It took every ounce of will power I could muster not to call the police and report her assault. I’d been warned of the dangers of involving the police in club matters, but I wasn’t going to let Vita die on my watch. Her injuries didn’t seem life threatening tonight, but what would happen next time? Vita seemed like a tough bitch. From our brief talks, I knew she was a recovering drug addict. Sadly, this place was as far off the mark for recovery as it got, but I never said as much. She was lonely, like me. Other than the couple nights a month Vita spent with Red, she had no true friends, no one she could trust.

     I switched on the light and searched the first aid kit in the drawer. Nothing. Save for a few feet of gauze, a nearly empty tube of antibiotic ointment and a half empty bottle of Pepto, there were no pain killers. It was probably better to keep even over-the-counter medicine stocked minimally, especially when you knew that anything in excess could become an addiction. Sex, drugs, alcohol, it was all the same she’d say. Vita was clean now and she planned to stay that way. And, while I admired her dedication, I was frustrated that we didn’t at least have Tylenol.

     I found Vita curled with her knees to her chest on the couch when I returned. The cold pack was pressed between her cheek and the cushion while she stared out the uncovered window into the night. My heart ached to watch her lie there so fragile. She still hadn’t told me who did this to her. If not Erik, who would want to hurt her this way? None of it made any sense. Hell, our lives were fucked up as it was. Now, this.

     “Vita, honey,” I approached slowly as not to startle her in her current state. It was both sad and fortunate that I knew how to care for an abused woman. I crouched down in her line of sight, stroking back the loose tendrils of hair that were sticking to her tear-stained cheek. “I didn’t see anything for pain. I’m going to run back to the clubhouse to find you something. The guys must have another kit somewhere. Okay?” Her red-rimmed eyes focused on mine in silent acknowledgment, but underneath I saw the fear. “I won’t be gone long. I’ll make sure to lock up. Don’t answer the door for anyone. I’ll have your key and anybody else on the other side of that door doesn’t need to come in.”

     I stood again and pulled a discarded coat from the back of the sofa over her trembling body. I hated to leave at all, but the inflammation wasn’t going to get better without some modern medicine and until I could convince her to go to the hospital I needed to stop the swelling. I leaned down and kissed the top of her head before leaving. Once in the garage, I checked three times to be sure the office door was secure and dropped the key in my pocket. I needed to do this quickly.

     I never expected what came next. My eyes were focused on the ground in front of me as I thought about where to look for medical supplies. There wasn’t even time to react. I plowed head first into an unmoving chest before a hand covered my mouth and a large arm wrapped around my shoulders.

     I knew him by his scent, his firm hold, and the cross tattooed on his knuckle. Vita had been telling the truth. Erik didn’t beat the shit out of her, but the man responsible was about to give me a dose of the same. 

***

     I woke up in a cold sweat to the sound of screaming and the door being closed. I knew who killed her and I was helpless to do anything. My eyes tried to adjust to the darkness as I sat up and registered where I was. The male voice to the side startled me. I jolted, pushing backwards away from the source and frantically trying to find something to protect myself with, only to bang my skull against the headboard.

     “The fuck? Are you okay?” The single lamp turned on and Clutch stood at the end of the bed confused as he tried to get my attention.

     “Ow, shit, that hurt.” I rubbed the back of my head and winced.

     “You were screaming, Tori. Sounded like someone was being fucking murdered in here.”

     “Sorry. I, uh, have night terrors. Besides, you can’t murder a person whose already dead inside,” I mumbled low.

     “You okay now?” Clutch’s usually frustrated tone wavered on the side of concerned and I looked up in the dim light to find him studying me. I hated his scrutiny before, but this close was worse. It was debilitating.

     “Yeah, all good here. Sorry I interrupted the party.” I scoffed, standing from the bed before realizing Trench’s shirt was the only cover I had and the noise below was gone. I pulled at the hem of the shirt, stretching it as low as I could manage and glanced at the clock on the dresser. It was three o’clock in the morning.

     “Party’s over. Mostly. I was on my way to my room when I heard you screaming.”

     “Oh. Have you seen Trench?”

     Clutch rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, obviously uncomfortable with my question.

     “He had a little bit to drink tonight. Crashed downstairs last I checked.”

     “Is he okay?” I asked, then regretted it, hearing the pathetic tone evident in my own voice.

     Clutch regarded me closely and crossed his arms. His silent assessment pissed me off. I grabbed a pair of cut-offs from my bag, grateful for the man or men who managed to save at least one pair of my cheap flip-flops so I didn’t have to wear boots again. I slid on the lone set of purple ones and turned toward the door. I needed some fresh air. That would have been my excuse to Clutch, and myself, so I could check on Trench, but as I crossed the room behind him and towards the door, Clutch spoke up.

     “He’s fine, Tori, but you won’t be if you go down there.”

     “Are you telling me I can’t?” I spun around and challenged him with my eyes. It was ignorant to test a man like Clutch. Even more dangerous to press my luck with the VP of Pandemonium. “Trench said I was free to come and go as I please.”

     “You are. In fact, you’d be doing all of us a solid if you decided to go. I’ll hold the fucking door open for you, but Trench wouldn’t be happy about it, and he’s the only reason I’ve kept my mouth shut. I’ve seen enough of my brothers get fucked over for less.” Clutch gave me another once over. If my eyes could cut, Clutch would be in a million tiny shards on the floor. “I’m just saying you may not like what you find if you go looking for him this morning.” He watched me a few seconds longer, caught in our stare off, before shrugging and walking out the door ahead of me, waiting to see what I would do next. He was closer than he’d ever been to me.

     “Trench is a lot of things, but he isn’t boyfriend material, sweetheart. None of us are. You should remember that.”

     He smiled like the greedy cat who’d finally caught the cunning mouse, turned around and walked two doors down before letting himself into what I could only assume was his own room, leaving me to wonder what the hell he was talking about.

     Screw Clutch if he thought he could keep intimidating me. If I was going to be stuck here for a while then these men needed to see my face, see I wasn’t going to let them run over me and scare me off. My flip-flops slapped against the bottom of my feet as I moved quickly down the walkway and stairs leading to the main room. Trash, food, and empty alcoholic containers littered the entire room along with discarded pieces of clothing, mostly women’s.

     My eyes scanned over the once clean space and finally stopped on the sofa nearest the stairs where Trench lay passed out on his back. He wasn’t alone. Draped across his torso was a topless blonde, her cheek resting against his crotch while one of his hands rested on top of her head. My stomach dropped and I felt nauseous. The sight shouldn’t have surprised me, but somehow it was painful to see, more than Aaron’s infidelity which I welcomed because it gave me a night of reprieve from his rough hands. Trench lying underneath a strange woman bothered me.

     “You okay, doll?” The deep timbre came from behind. I turned slowly in the direction of his voice. “Oh, shit. Tori, right?” I could only nod. I vaguely remembered him being in the room when Trench came in earlier, but I didn’t know his name. “He’s going to feel like an ass about this tomorrow. Trust me.” My brows crinkled in confusion. “Yeah, anyway, I’m Reaper. Sorry you had to see him like that.”

     Reaper. I took another look around the room. He must have been the last man standing. Funny, he didn’t look drunk or high and he was carrying a bottle of water in his hand.

     “Oh, that.” I pointed towards Trench and the whore on top of him. “That’s nothing. He’s free to do whatever or whoever he wants. This,” I held my arms out indicating the space, “is just temporary. It’s not like -.” Reaper cut me off, saving me from making a bigger ass of myself.

     “Of course, it’s not. Need anything before I hit the sack?”

     “Another place to bunk, maybe?” I shrugged awkwardly.

     “I think that can be arranged.”

     “And, I didn’t mean in your bed.” I blurted. Reaper chuckled and shook his head.

     “Cute. I see it now.” I stared back, confused, but Reaper didn’t offer anything else on what he meant. “While I’d love to show you a good time, I wouldn’t do that to Trench. He’d shoot my ass and I’m kind of fond of it. One of my better features. You can see for yourself,” he winked, walking around me up the stairs.

     I looked to where Trench lay again, the same sinking feeling as before assaulted me as I watched him cuddled up with the nameless bimbo on the couch.

     “Something tells me he wouldn’t mind so much.”

     “Can I ask you something, doll? And try not to get offended.” I turned my attention to Reaper, standing a couple stairs up from me, and nodded for him to continue. “Is he fucking you?”

     I felt my irritation rising to a boiling point, a litany of words forming on the tip of my tongue, when he stopped my thoughts with his next words. He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

     “I’m going to take that as a no. Trench doesn’t hold onto many things and never women. So, if you’re still here and in his bed after a couple days and he isn’t fucking you yet, that means something. You mean something to him, whether his stubborn ass wants to admit it or not.”

     “Clearly, you’re wrong about that. I’m more of an inconvenience.” My head jerked in Trench’s direction. “Why keep me so close?”

     “Sounds like you two need to work that shit out. Let’s get you settled. There’s an empty room upstairs. You can take that tonight.” He motioned for me to follow him and I did.

     “Wait? Trench told me the rooms were full.”

     “I wonder why. That’s something to think about while you sleep.” Reaper opened the room closest to the top of the stairs and stood outside waiting for me to enter. “I’m three doors down. If you need anything tonight, just knock. “Sweet dreams, Tori.” That would be a first, I thought, as I entered the cold room with nothing on the walls and locked the door behind me.