Tori
“Wake up, princess. Did you miss me?”
A familiar voice woke me. I jerked away from the sound on instinct, but groaned when the tight rope behind my back dug into my wrists. He was hiding in the darkest corner of the room, watching, waiting to pounce at the first opportunity. Aaron always loved that part of our one-sided relationship, the ability to make me squirm helplessly.
I turned my head, taking in my surroundings. He’d brought me to an abandoned warehouse. It stank of stagnant water, wet dirt and grease. How long had I been knocked out? We could be miles or hours away from Sparrow Creek. By the time Trench discovered I was gone, I would probably be dead, or worse, wishing I was dead.
“There’s nowhere to run this time, Tori. I made sure of it. Even if you tried, you wouldn’t get far and we’re a long way from anyone who can hear you scream.”
Aaron made a dramatic entrance. It was pathetic, the way he stalked into the room, his outstretched hands the only thing bigger than his smile. I wanted to respond, but the duct tape across my lips prevented me. He prowled towards me, a predator in his truest form, and when he was close enough to touch, the backs of his knuckles dragging down my face in an imaginary lover’s caress, I felt physically ill. His fingers stopped at the edge of the tape and in one painfully swift motion he ripped the material from my face. It stung, but the sensation was worth it to have my voice back.
“I hate you,” I spat at Aaron, but my mouth was too dry to produce much. “Where’s my father? I want him to look me in the eye when I tell him how much I loathe him too.”
“Sorry, princess. This little reunion is a private affair. Daddy’s on a run.” He smiled, enjoying my discomfort and vulnerability. Preacher didn’t go on runs. My stomach twisted tighter. “Looks like we finally have some time alone.” He crouched in front of me and paused. “Want to know a little secret? I hate your father too. Don’t worry though, I have a feeling his reign will be over soon.”
Aaron grinned like the cat who had finally caught the mouse. I swallowed hard against the fear he invoked in me. He was a lunatic, a liar, and now he could add traitor to the list. He had no idea what he was up against if he challenged Paul Jensen. Aaron was a sadistic bastard and the Disciples Death Dealer, but Preacher was homicidal on his best fucking day. He wouldn’t think twice about putting a bullet between Aaron’s eyes if the mood struck him.
Colorful ink ran along the length of his neck on either side and disappeared into the collar of his black t-shirt, his familiar lip ring caught the light whenever he turned a certain way and I noticed his dusty blond hair had a bit more length than I remembered. The pierced smirk he offered me was enough to know he was enjoying my distress, the way a lion might play with its prey before delivering the final deadly blow.
“Everyone hates my father, Aaron, but they’re too scared to stand up against him. What do you gain from taking him out?”
I wanted to keep him talking, prolong the inevitable. Aaron was vane. He liked the attention he got from a job well done. I was just exploiting one of his weaknesses to save my own ass. It was ludicrous, really. To be discussing my father’s death as easily as what would be on the menu for Thanksgiving. I should be disgusted by the thought, but the man had never been a true father. He’d been my warden on death row and his concern for my life was nonexistent. I was just returning the sentiment.
“Power. Position. Money. You,” Aaron replied.
I laughed at his wishful thinking, his delusional take on reality. He squeezed my cheeks painfully between his hand and forced me to look at him.
“Whether you like it or not, Tori. You belong to me. I own every part of you. Trench isn’t coming for you. By now, he’s taking a long dirt nap.”
My eyes widened. Was he telling the truth? Was that why I hadn’t heard from Trench in the last twenty-four hours? My stomach churned at the thought of something happening to him.
“I’m going to let your little tantrum go this time. Forget you left me. This time, but mark my words, if you run from me again, I won’t be as forgiving.” He stared into my eyes with sinister finality, released my jaw, and placed a kiss atop my head. Aaron trailed a finger across my collarbone and further down, pulling the top of my shirt with it. He paused when my cleavage came into view, his eyes glazing over.
“Why can’t you just let me go, Aaron? There are plenty of women who want your attention. You gave it to them freely before. Why me?” I yelled, then flinched as he threw his fist into the wall above my head. The sheet metal rattled behind me.
I could read his posture, his demeanor like a book. Aaron was teetering on the edge, trying desperately to get his emotions in check as he backed away and circled the lone metal chair set up across from me. He straddled it, his arms dangling over the back so he could observe me too. It hadn’t escaped me that he was taking his time, as if the last thing on his mind was someone interrupting us. He’d implied Trench was dead. Was he? That I could scream and no one would hear. Could they? What if this was all a new form of mind-fuck he’d developed? He was an expert at the art of manipulation and a man who doesn’t fear death, only delivers it, is never someone you trust your back to.
“Now, why would I do that? You and I are far from finished.”
“There is no you and me. You’re the sick bastard who can’t accept it.”
I internally chastised myself for challenging him, seeing the way Aaron’s eyes widened with excitement. He wasn’t accustomed to me reacting this way, so much less submissive than before, and he was relishing my opposition. I couldn’t stop the shiver of fear that ran through me.
“That’s five for flinching, Tori,” Aaron chuckled and my jaw tensed. “I guess you’ll never learn.”
His loaded threat loomed between us and my fists clenched in response as I kept fighting against the knot around my wrists. I just needed to keep him talking. The rope chewed into the tender skin and added to my discomfort, but freeing myself was the key to survival. Until then, I was helpless to do anything but glare at the man.
“I’m not afraid of you anymore, Aaron. I look forward to making you suffer.” I lied. I was scared out of my mind. It was stupid to pretend otherwise, but it was the only defense I had.
Aaron stood so abruptly the chair fell forward with a loud clang. Apparently, the time for games and banter was over. He reached down and pulled out the fixed blade nestled inside his boot, twirling the lethal tip around his forefinger as though it were a child’s toy. His eyes glazed over as he pressed the knife deep enough to break his own skin. The tip of his finger bloomed red and he fixed me with his stare once more. He made a show of kicking the chair aside, waiting until the echoes died down. He wanted to make certain I knew the sounds were falling on deaf ears outside. I straightened as much as possible in my restraints as he approached, but Aaron had the upper hand. Towering over me he grabbed my long hair and yanked it back until I was seeing stars, leaving me no choice but to give him my full attention.
“You shouldn’t make threats to me, princess. Especially when I’m close enough to taste your fear. You always were the sweetest.” He replied, wiping his bloody finger across my cheek. The warm liquid was sticky against my skin, making me feel dirty all over. I drew in my reserves, the strength I’d discovered within, and managed to offer a response of my own.
“Fuck you, Aaron.”
I was done submitting.
“Keep fighting, Tori. It turns me on. I like you feisty. You were a little boring before.” Aaron slid the tip of the knife along my neck and I held my breath in suspense, waiting for his next move. I just prayed he could not see the tension of the rope around my wrists lessening.
“Why didn’t you just kill me? You had plenty of opportunities.”
He released my head roughly, stepped back and laughed. The sound of his sick amusement was scarier than the knife that threatened to steal my life. He was maniacal.
“Do you want me to kill you, Tori?” Aaron pointed the knife in my direction and paused as though giving the idea careful consideration.
“I’d rather die here and now than let you keep fucking with me.”
“I knew she was in there,” he sheathed the knife back in his boot. “The tough bitch that daddy didn’t get to raise, but you see…you owe me.”
“I owe you?”
“You know you do, princess. I saved your pretty little ass too many times from Preacher. I took the proverbial bullet for your privileged place in that club and now I want to be compensated.”
Motherfucker. I should have pushed my throat towards the blade and let him kill me when I had the chance. Was he serious? Me, Privileged?
“You’re out of your damn mind. You both abused me and you expect what, compensation?”
“What I want is so much better, Tori. I want you. I want your loyalty and obedience.”
I laughed and the shrill sound that came out of me was frightening.
“You want me to be loyal to you? Obedient to you? No more, Aaron. This sick arrangement you had with my father to own me. It’s over. I’m not your puppet or your toy.”
“I decide when things between us are over, Tori, and one day soon, I’ll be sitting in Preacher’s vacant seat.” Aaron ran a hand down his face, laughing. “You really had me going though. You surprised me with your little vanishing act. I thought you’d be smarter, but instead of fleeing somewhere far away, you go straight from the frying pan and jump in the fryer. Right into the arms of another MC. You really think Trench is so different from me, princess?”
“He’s not just different, Aaron. He’s better. In every possible way.”
Aaron’s lip curled in irritation.
“Better, huh? Your father is mixed up with the Cartel and your new boyfriend is keeping friends with the Russian mafia. If you hated your life so much why keep company with Trench? Maybe you’re afraid to admit you enjoy the thrill of it all.”
“Pandemonium is nothing like the Disciples. Trench is nothing like you,” I yelled.
“As I recall, I used to treat you like you had a golden pussy too…in the beginning. Once I realized how boring you were going to be I had to find other women to keep my dick wet. And you loved it, watching me thrust in and out of one dirty whore after another, knowing I was thinking of you the entire time,” Aaron grinned.
“Right, and next you’re going to tell me how much I loved the drugs you force fed me, tested on me.” I snapped back and instantly regretted letting him hear the pain in my voice.
“Yeah, you might be right. I was harder to convince than the others.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means, in the beginning, I kept my nose clean for you. Then, one day, Preacher made me choose. Me or you. One of us was going to test product. Preacher was jealous of the way you listened to me early on. Guess you weren’t the only one working through your daddy-daughter issues.” Aaron shrugged. “He said you were making me too soft to be an Enforcer and offered me an ultimatum. I could keep you if I tested Crush for the club or I could lose my patch and my piece of ass to one of the older brothers. I just didn’t tell him I was testing it on you before me.”
“You nearly killed me. More than once.” Anger boiled over inside and I felt the growing heat in my face. “You’re as bad as him. Maybe worse, because you made a bogus deal with the devil.” Aaron’s eyes beamed with pride.
“He might be the devil, darling, but I have an army behind me. Preacher is delusional. I saw you. I wanted you. I took you. The same way Preacher took your mother. The apple really did fall from the same tree.”
The rope loosened enough that I could free my hands. I launched myself forward at Aaron like a woman possessed, but I made a fatal mistake. Aaron was quicker than most and stronger than me by a mile. The gun was out and the bullet piercing my shoulder before I had a chance to retreat, ripping through flesh and muscle as I stumbled backwards and screamed in agony.