Michelle Graham

 

Demon Dogs MC, prequel

 

Copyright © 2017

 

 

 

Chapter One

 

Michigan, 1988

 

Erica stood in the corner, trying her best not to cower, but as Tank advanced on her, she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face away. It didn’t stop the stinging blow across her cheek which smacked her head against the wall and resulted in an explosion of pain within her skull. With a whimper, she slid to the floor.

“That’s it, bitch. On your knees where you belong.”

Though her ears rang, Erica clearly heard the rasp of his zipper. Knowing resistance would only earn her more pain, she withdrew into herself until he’d finished with her and left her crying on the floor.

“I’ll be back with Bones, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll do what he asks the first time. Stupid cunt.” The door slammed behind Tank.

The thought of Tank’s Sergeant-At-Arms made it difficult to breathe. He was cruel whether she obeyed him or not, and though her wolf blood ensured she healed quickly, after Tank’s beating she didn’t think she could bear any more.

“Mommy?”

Erica looked up to see Ryder standing in the doorway. Oh, God. What had he seen? Struggling to her feet and wiping her eyes, she made her way over to him, wincing with each breath. “Go back to bed, sweetie.”

“Why was Daddy hurting you?” The young boy’s wide eyes shone with fear.

Erica clenched her fists. It was bad enough Tank knocked her around and raped her in their bedroom, but here in the living room where their sons could see? Never again.

“Come on, baby, we’re going to go somewhere. We have to hurry.”

Ignoring the pain and Ryder’s endless questions, she hurried him upstairs. She woke Harley and instructed the boys to put as many of their clothes into a suitcase as they could while she ran to her room and did the same. She opened one of the drawers on Tank’s dresser and tossed the clothing onto the floor before lifting the false bottom. From underneath, she withdrew a handgun, ammo, and several stacks of cash. Tossing the cash and ammo on top of her clothing, she tucked the gun into the waistband of her jeans.

The boys had dawdled and argued about what to put into their suitcase as each tried to fill it with toys. Erica glanced at the clock. There wasn’t enough time. “Just leave it, boys. Mommy will buy you lots of new toys and clothes.”

She hustled them out of the house and into the car, buckling them into their car seats before she lifted the suitcase into the trunk. The telltale rumble of motorcycle engines echoed in the distance, growing closer. Heart thudding, she slammed the trunk shut, looked down the road, and spotted headlights at the end of the street. Terror gripped her. She had to leave before Tank made it back. She jumped into the driver’s seat, started the car, and had just thrown it into reverse when two motorcycles pulled up behind her blocking her path.

“Fuck!”

She watched in the rearview mirror as Tank slipped off his bike. Maybe she still had a chance if she could get them into the house before they noticed the boys. Hopping out of the car, she met Tank by the trunk of the car, her skin crawling when he stepped right in front of her.

“Where are you going?” When Tank yelled, it was bad, but when his voice went quiet, with just a hint of a growl, as it did now, Erica knew she was fucked.

“I’m just going to the, um, drug store. For some Tylenol.”

Tank narrowed his eyes. Damn his wolf sense of smell. He knew she was lying.

“I’ll be back soon.”

She gasped when Tank wrapped his hand around her throat. “Don’t fucking lie to me. Where. Are. You. Going?”

Erica closed her eyes and tried to think. She could still reach the gun, but the bullet wouldn’t do much damage to an Alpha Wolf, not enough for her to get back in the car and go. Plus with the bikes stopped behind it, and Bones there, eyes gleaming in anticipation, Erica knew she’d never make it out of the driveway. If she was lucky, Tank would kill her for her betrayal. She wouldn’t be that lucky though. He’d beat her. Again. And rape her. Again. And let his friends take their turns. Again and again and again. There was only one thing she could do to give herself a chance of escape.

Run.

Even though it meant leaving her boys with their monster of a father, she knew the only way to end her pain was to die or leave. Thankfully Tank had never mistreated the kids and as sons of the Alpha, they were adored as princes. But as a mere woman, she held no such value, and Tank would take great pleasure in making an example of her. She took a last glance at her boys, silently promising she’d return for them when she could. Taking a deep breath, she woke the wolf slumbering inside of her and willed it to take over.

As the change raced through her body, Tank couldn’t maintain his grip and dropped her. The clothes she’d been wearing shredded around her and she hesitated only a moment to get her bearings before taking off into the woods.