Chapter One
GRACE
The bar was pretty dead that night which was the first thing that rubbed me the wrong way. It wasn't unusual for guys from the club to want and meet me out for a drink. It was a super public gesture after all, and if they were trying to prove they had nothing to do with a crime they would want to be seen. Unless they were married… sometimes the married ones wanted to avoid public altogether.
Still, the bar had been too dead.
The door slammed shut behind me and the image of a coffin being pushed shut flashed through my mind for some reason. Something about it had felt… completely wrong.
But Ace had texted me, asking to meet him here, just like I'd done a million nights before. He was one of the safest clients I had. So, where the hell was he?
"You must be Grace." A man approached me from the right.
I jumped a little and then cursed myself. Two years into this you would think I'd know not to show any fear by now. I forced a smile. "Do I know you?" The guy was about twice my size, dressed in all black with longer blonde hair. I searched his arms for tattoos, for any signs of who he was or what motorcycle club he was affiliated with.
I had never seen him with any of the Red Sin members before but that didn't mean much, they had a lot of members. Plus dozens more on guest or probation periods.
It was no use. No flesh had been exposed.
Another warning?
He smiled. "I'm Fire, Ace sent me. He should be here any second, he got caught up doing something." He looked me up and down, his eyes pausing on my short skirt. "Can I get you a drink?"
Ace was never late. Not once in the last year.
I glanced around the bar. "I'm not sure anyone is working."
Fire chuckled and placed his hand on my back, guiding me further into the room. "That's okay, I ordered you something already." I noticed a pink liquid sitting on the edge of the bar.
Who knew what was in it.
The door to the bar swung open and I glanced behind me, hoping I would see Ace but it was a few other guys. Relief washed over me for a second, this was Red Sin territory, and if this guy wasn't with them they would know. Both dressed in black, they paused by the door and stared at us.
"I was starting to think you guys weren't coming." There was an edge in Fire's voice, an annoyance that told me the guys were going to pay for being late later on.
"Sorry," the first man said. He was older, bald with a long skull tattoo starting at his chin and wrapping around his neck. "You know we wouldn't miss this. Wouldn't want to let Ace down."
He and the second guy shot each other an amused look and then Skull turned around and clicked the lock over on the door. Stupid, how could I have been so stupid? I had spent months avoiding situations just like this one.
"Ace usually discusses it with me beforehand if it's going to be a group affair." I tried to keep my voice calm, the sooner they realized I was on to them the sooner they would stop being polite.
"Oh, I'm sure it just slipped his mind." The third man said. They were all right behind me now, too close. "Here, let me make you more comfortable."
He yanked my jacket off me roughly then tossed it onto the bar. "Damn, no wonder everyone goes crazy for that ass." He slapped it through my skirt.
"Let me see," Skull demanded. "Oh, yeah, that's nice." He gave it a squeeze while he and the other guy chuckled. "I bet it would look even better with my tongue between those cheeks." More laughing.
I pulled away from their touch.
"Gentleman," Fire snapped. "Where are your manners?" He looked from them to me and then down to my ass. He took his finger and traced it along the outline of my tank and bra. "You'll have to excuse my friends here, they are still learning about how one should address a woman such as yourself."
His fingers felt like slime on my skin.
"So how should we address you?" Fire continued. "Do you prefer slut or whore?" The two other guys busted out in fits of laughter. Fire glanced at them, happy that they were hanging on his every word.
They were done playing nice.
I knew it was a long shot but I made a run for it anyway. Skull had me by the back of my hair within seconds and slammed my back against the bar. "Where do you think you're going, bitch?" He leaned down and licked me across the face, grinning.
Fire turned to the other guy. "Get the shades." The guy scurried off to close the blinds. "Let me see her, Skull," Fire snapped, coming closer to us. "Remember the rules, I get to have my fun first."
Skull backed away, looking impatient.
Fire got closer to me and pushed a piece of hair behind my ear. "Are you going to fight?" He leaned in closer to me and whispered. "I love it when they fight."
I tried to control the water forming behind my eyes.
I pushed him off me and lunged for my jacket on the other side of the bar. "YES!" Fire screamed, snatching me by the neck and yanking me back. "YES! FIGHT, BABY, FIGHT!" He laughed loudly, an evil and thrilling look in his eyes. "THAT GETS ME SO HOT!"
He shoved his crotch against me to prove his point.
"Whoa, look at what we have here, boss." Skull had searched my jacket and found the small gun I carried on me. "Looks like our little whore was going to try and shoot you."
Fire looked at the gun then back at me. "Is that so? Were you going to try and shoot your daddy, whore?" He smacked me across the face and when I gasped he laughed then did it again. "What's wrong? Isn't that how you like it? Rough and hard?"
The guy who had been closing the blinds reappeared and shook his head. "No, remember, boss, she's a fake whore. Word on the street is that all those rumors about how crazy she is in bed are just that… rumors.” He moved closer to me. “I’m not so sure, though, she needs a little test run.”
He was right, but I didn't know how he knew. I didn't care that from the outside it looked like I was sleeping with an entire MC. The truth was a hell of a lot less thrilling.
Red Sin members paid me to pretend that I had been with them at times they were really off committing crimes. Or to be seen out with me at times they knew for sure certain things would be taking place.
It was pretty smart, actually. I'd gotten tons of members out of jail time because of it in the past few years.
Fire nodded. "Only a bunch of frauds would allow that. That's why she fucks around with a bunch of pussies, if she came over to The Misfits she would know what it felt like to fuck around with some real men."
Dread came over my body as I realized they were a part of The Misfits, the rival gang of most of my clients. I had made the decision to only mess around with members of the Red Sin from the beginning. It just made sense. They had been the biggest and fasting growing MC gang in the state.
"You're part of the Misfits?" I somehow found words.
"That's right," Fire said. "And what's a better way to spend a Friday night then fucking the shit out of Red Sin's whore in one of their bars?" They all laughed again.
"Now turn around and take it like a good whore," Skull yelled.
Fire grabbed me and swung me around, pushing my face down on the hard surface of the bar. It was only then that I saw Earl, the owner, tied up and gagged bloody in the corner.
Fire yanked my skirt up and pulled my panties down to my knees. "I'm not sure you've ever had a cock this big before, bitch, hope you don't cry too much." Then he paused. "Oh, who am I kidding? I hope you do!"
They all laughed and howled and I heard Fire's belt buckle jingle as he undid his pants.
"I call next," Skull announced.
I struggled and Fire knocked me in the back of the head so hard that the room started to spin. I couldn't believe this was happening, all those years of avoiding situations exactly like this.
And now it was over, all over.