Chapter 18
Summer
As I run across the forest floor my lungs burn with the need to stop. I’m ashamed to admit that I’m not in the best of shape fitness wise. It’s been a long time since I worked out okay? But still, I manage to get a head start on Cole and Deacon. I managed to get a few minutes ahead of them and for a short time I’m convinced that it’s worked. I’ve lost them. Then I hear the rattle of the bike engines in the distance again. I pull myself up and start running again, but it’s hard. My feet hurt from the uneven ground and my lungs are spent from running earlier. There’s not a chance I’m going to be able to outrun them. As the engines get closer the roar echoes through the forest. Up ahead there’s a clearing, and a main road runs across the forest. If I can get there maybe I can flag a car down. Maybe I can get help.
I push myself as hard as I can, throwing one foot in front of the other. I need to get to that road before Deacon and Cole catch up with me. The only thing that’s keeping me going is the thought of seeing Jack again. The first thing I’m going to do when I see him is slap his fucking face. Then I’m going to kiss it. I’m going to kiss it a lot.
The sound of the engines get louder and I look over my shoulder to see how close they are. In the distance up ahead I can see the silhouette of two bikes. One of the riders spots me and raises his fist. “Yee–haw!” He shouts. The other rider lifts his arm. He’s got something in it. I can’t quite make it out but it looks like a shotgun.
Fuck!
Fire comes out the end of the barrel and a bang echoes through the woods. A tree in front of me explodes into a shower of splinter and something hot hits the back of my leg. My legs gives out and I tumble onto the leaf covered floor while crying out in pain. For a few seconds the whole world spins around while I fall and then I’m on my back looking up at the bare black branches swaying silently overhead.
The roar of engines gets louder and then they stop. They’ve caught me.
“You fucking moron. You killed her. I told you I want her alive.” I hear Deacon reprimand the other biker that shot at me.
“Fuck. Sorry Deacon. I was just trying to scare her.” I lay as still as I can and listen as their footfall squishes against the damp forest floor. They walk right up to me and then something hits my side. I cry out in pain and roll over on my back.
“Heh. I knew you weren’t dead little lady.” Deacon grins. “I’ve seen enough dead bodies to know when someone’s faking. Looks like Kane here tagged your leg pretty good though. Should stop you from running off any more at least.”
I look down at my leg and see a small red hole at the top of my right thigh near the outside. It’s almost as if looking at the wound lets me know it’s there because pain flashes through me instantly.
“What are you going to do to me?” I shudder. “Rape me?”
Deacon laughs and spits on the ground.
“Nah you’re a little too old for my likings. I’m just going to kill you when Jack gets here.” Something about this guy gives me the fucking creeps. A shiver passes over me and I feel like I want to be sick. I’m only eighteen. How could I be too old?
“So kill me then.” I say deadpan. “Get it over with already.” I don’t know where this brass attitude is coming from. I think a part of me is trying to channel Jack. He’s put up with shit like this all his life and he’s survived so far. Maybe I would do well to try and emulate him.
“Heh.” Deacon rolls his head. “No can do. I’m killing you in front of Jack and then I’m killing him. I need to make him suffer, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
“He’ll fucking destroy you.” I hiss.
“He can try.” Deacon laughs. “But now we’ve got Cole on our side it won’t be long before Jack’s Crows flip on him too. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s dead already.”
“You’re wrong.” I say. “The Crows agreed to stand by Jack. Cole’s the fucking traitor here. You make a good pair I guess.”
“Girl, shut the fuck up.” Deacon lifts his foot and swings it into my ribs. The air rushes out of my lungs and I tumble across the floor from the force of the blow.
“That’s for kicking me earlier.” He lifts his leg and kicks me again, harder this time. I feel like yelling out in pain but I make a point to not make a single sound. I’m not giving him the satisfaction. Instead I clutch at my side and clench my teeth hard.
“She’s tough!” I hear Kane say. “It’s gonna be fun breaking her down.”
“Lift her up and put her on the back of your bike.” Deacon says.
“Come on.” Kane points his shotgun at me, motioning for me to stand up. I lift myself on to my feet wearily and follow him over to his bike. Kane climbs on first. I stand there hesitant. I have no qualms about getting on a bike and holding on to Jack. This guy though?
“Get on.” Deacon says pointing a gun at my head. “And if you try any funny business, I’ll shoot you right in the spine.”
I climb on reluctantly and they fire up the bikes. We ride until we get back to the clubhouse. Once we’re there Kane drags me inside by the arm.
“I was wondering where you girls had got to.” Cole growls as Deacon and Kane drag me into the bar.
“We got her, not that you lot were any help.” Deacon growls.
“So what now?” Kane asks. “What’s the plan?”
Cole nods down to the ground. Next to the two dead bar girls there’s a dead Crow. He doesn’t look familiar to me. “Found this one hidden in the meeting room. He was on the phone to one of the younger ones riding with this Jack guy. I’m under the impression they’re going to be coming back here now.”
“Perfect.” Deacon laughs. “We’ll just sit here and wait then. Once they get here we’ll kill them all.”
Deacon throws himself down into a chair and puts his legs up. Kane’s hand still has a tight hold on my arm. I try and wriggle from his grasp but he grips tighter, hurting me.
“Say Deacon. It’s going to be a while before Jack and his friends get here. If you don’t want this one, does that mean I can have a taste?”
“Do whatever the fuck you want to her.” Deacon snaps. “Just don’t kill her.”
Kane looks at me with hungry eyes, a black tongue darts out his mouth and licks his ugly cracked lips.
“Come on girlie! I’m gonna make you bleed!”
“Not in here.” Cole grunts. “I don’t want to see that shit. There’s rooms down there through the door.”
Kane pushes me hard from behind, out of the bar room and into the corridor that leads down to the guest rooms. He makes me walk ahead slightly by a few paces. I turn to look at him and see he’s got a pistol trained right on the back of my neck.
“Keep walking.” He says, laughing like a fucking prick. “Go in the room on the left.”
I look up at the door and swallow. It’s the room where Jack and I stayed last night. There’s a split down the middle of the door where Cole kicked his way in, but other than that it seems fine. Options race through my mind. I need to try and think of something. My phone might still be on the bed. I might be able to use that to my advantage somehow. I can’t outfight Kane so I’ll have to try and outsmart him.
I open the door and walk through. I can see straight away that my phone isn’t on the bed. My heart drops. One of them must have taken it.
Kane closes the door behind him and locks it.
“Get on your knees.” He lowers his gun down to his waist but keeps it trained on me. “I’m going to make you feel like a real woman.” A cold pit drops in my stomach. Everything about this creep makes me want to be sick. I lower myself down reluctantly. I have to outsmart him.
There must be a way.