Corrupted (14 page)

My phone buzzes against the wooden end table jolting me from my sleep. I turn it over and my heart stops.

Amy: I can’t do this anymore. I know it’s a sin but I don’t want to be alive anymore.

No. I dial her number, my hands shaking as I bring the phone to my ear. When it connects all I hear are sobs. “Amy? Talk to me. I’m going to help you. I just need you to give me a few days. Please just hang in there.”

She is saying words but none of them are anything I can understand. They are masked by fear and anguish. Until I hear three words that make my blood run cold.

“Marry. Uncle. Simon.”

My heart stops. She is being sentenced to the same fate I ran from. I feel like I’m being transported back in time and hearing myself through the phone. I’m taken back to that night, when I was huddled in the corner of my bedroom. Yanking at the rope so hard I broke my wrists. Running from the only home I ever knew with nowhere to go. Only she isn’t as strong as I was. She will never leave on her own, I need to help her. Someone has to.

“Danny!” I scream for him knowing that he is always within earshot.

“Amy, I’m coming to get you. I’ll text you where to meet me.”

I end the call, standing up and grabbing clothes as my door opens. Danny is standing there gun in hand, looking ready for battle. Good. “I need to leave. I need to go get my sister. She needs my help.” I’m frantic as I gather my things, barely looking at him as I talk.

“Does Jordan know?” he asks, even though he most likely already knows the answer. If I called Jordan right now, all it would do is cause a fight. He would forbid me from going then I would go anyway. So instead of going through all of that I’ll just deal with his irritation when he gets back. The boys aren’t due home from this trip for another two days, I can’t leave her there for that long. I didn’t have anyone around to help me when I needed it, and if it weren’t for the MC, I might have died. I won’t let anything happen to Amy. My family will not claim another victim if I can help it. She won’t last until Jordan can get home.

“No, he doesn’t. Either way I’m going, so you can come or you can stay and get your ass handed to you by him for not coming with me. And before you even think about it, if you try to stop me you won’t be able to walk for days much less do anything else with your pecker.” His eyes grow wide as he watches me. Aside from my brattiness Danny has never seen this side of me. He simply nods at me, but I can tell he hates me right now. Either way, when Jordan gets back, both of us will be on his shit list. I don’t care though, at least my sister will be safe.

Fear and anger are running rampant through my veins. Going back to that place has my nerves going crazy but I can’t stay here and abandon her. I won’t sentence her to be with that monster.

I pull on one of Jordan’s black sweatshirts and follow Danny out to the truck. He hasn’t said a word to me since I threatened to make him infertile. “Listen, I’m sorry, I know I put you in a shitty position. This is something I need to do. I was her a few years ago and I didn’t have anyone around to help me.”

He simply looks over at me and nods. I text Amy letting her know we are about five minutes away and that Danny and I will meet her at the end of the driveway. My entire body is shaking the closer we get to the compound. This place was my own personal hell for so many years. It is a place that still holds so many demons, and I’m willingly returning to it.

“Turn off the headlights, we are close.” My breath is shaky and my teeth gnaw nervously on my lip.

Danny does as I say. The sounds of dirt crunching under tires has never seemed so loud, each crunch sounds like a firework in the quiet night. If anyone catches us, we are screwed.

“It’s that one right there.” I point to my old house. The wooden exterior that used to seem like bars to me. It seems ironic I fought so hard to escape and now I’m willingly returning.

Danny gets out of the car his gun is tucked closely to his side. “Stay behind me.” He whispers each word sounding like a scream in the dead of the night.

I nod, before realizing he can’t see me.

We walk toward the house, each step planned, measured, and silent. I can see Amy. Her silhouette paces back and forth nervously at the end of the driveway. I breathe a sigh of relief. She’s okay. She has no bag just like I told her. We couldn’t risk someone seeing her packing.

Danny scans the area as we approach constantly checking around us, making sure we aren’t surprised at any angle.

Once I reach her, I wrap her in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” I whisper out. “C’mon let’s get you out of here.”

I swing my fist wildly as it crashes through the drywall. “I still can’t fucking get either of ‘em on the damn phone!” I have been trying since I woke up two hours ago to call Lucy and Danny and neither of them are answering. Both of their phones are turned the fuck off. “We need to leave. Something is wrong.”

“Calm down, I called Bear a half hour ago. He is heading over to the clubhouse now to check shit out, we should know somethin’ in a couple minutes.” Twisted slaps me on the back but his assurance doesn’t mean shit.

I woke up this morning with a fucking knot in my stomach.

Twisted’s phone rings and I freeze. He answers it and as he listens the smile on his face dies. My heart drops into my stomach.

“What happened?” I roar. I knew something was wrong. Everyone stands up gathering around the two of us. Pres stands next to Twisted.

“Bear said when he pulled up he saw Danny, he-uh . . . he was nailed to the clubhouse door, crucifixion style. His cut was shredded. He also had a note taped to him that said, ‘This is what happens when you touch what is mine.’ He’s alive right now but barely, Doc is on the way.”

No. I charge for the door, plowing past anyone in my way heading straight for my bike. Right before I reach the door, Pres stands in front of it.

“You need to wait. It’s still daylight. We are four hours from home. We will go get Lucy but we have to wait until night. You go charging in there when it’s still light you screw yourself and the club.” His voice is stern, but I don’t give a shit what he is saying to me.

“I don’t give a shit what happens to me. I need to go get her from those fucking monsters!” I scream.

Pres shoves me backward. “Listen to me, boy. I fucking get it. We all care about that girl. We leave at six that way you can go straight there. I’d say we could leave here and head to the clubhouse but I don’t trust your ass not to go rogue and head straight for them.” He looks past me to the six brothers behind me. “He tries to leave, I don’t care what you all need to do, you stop him. Even if you need to knock his ass out. I’ll be back at five and we will figure out a damn plan.” He walks out of the room.

Wrench and Brick take his place. I take a look around the small hotel room. The men I call brothers all standing in my way from saving the woman I love. I turn and face the wall next to me, slamming my fists into it repeatedly making one hole after another until someone pulls me away.

All I can think about is what those fuckers might be doing to her. I made a promise to protect her and now she’s at their fucking mercy and all I can do is sit here and wait.

I look over at Wrench and Brick with the adrenaline I have in me I might just make it through the two of them. I stand up but Twisted steps in front of me.

“Don’t make me take you down, brother. None of us want to do it, but we can’t let you leave. You heard Pres, and you know he is fucking right. We go in there now they will have the cops there in a damn minute. We need to wait until it’s dark and we can surprise the fuckers. I want to get to Lucy too, I love that girl like a sister. We can’t do anything right now.”

His hand grips my shoulder as he pushes me down toward the bed. I grip my hair in my hands. “I can’t just fucking sit here! They could fucking kill her!”

He sits next to me. “No. I know men like that sick fuck. As little comfort as this might be, he is gonna gloat for a long time. The cocky bastard will want her to know how he has the upper hand, how she lost, how we lost. We will get her back alive, brother.”

Yeah, maybe we will.

But in what fucking condition?

I stand up, taking the chair I’m sitting in, throwing it against the wall and watching it split into pieces before sinking down onto the floor and staring at the clock.

I’m coming.

My head is pounding. I open my eyes and darkness surrounds me. After I adjust to the lack of light the realization of where I am sets in.

Uncle Simon’s basement.

Oh my God. I try to move and that’s when I feel them, handcuffs. I’m lying against the cement floor, behind me is a water pipe which is what my wrists are cuffed around. What the hell happened? I hear a door open and close my eyes tight.

“I’m glad you could finally reconcile my loss, Christopher.” It’s my uncle. He is talking to my father.

“Well, it took some convincing but I finally forced Amy into helping.” She helped them? I was a fool. Betrayal stabs at my heart. My eyes well with tears when I realize how stupid I was to fall for this. I should have known better. She played me and knew exactly what cards to use. I didn’t even make it hard for her.

I hear a door slam and open my eyes hoping they left. When I see my uncle looming over me, I scream. He strikes me hard across the face the taste of blood instantly filling my mouth. “I have a feeling this will be difficult so I’m going to slip you this now and make my life easier.” He forces something into my mouth and slaps his hand over it. I hold what feels like a pill up with my tongue refusing to swallow it. A cool metal presses against my throat. “Swallow it now, bitch, or I start to carve you up.”

Reluctantly I do as he says, my body instantly starting to feel more relaxed and I begin to feel tired. I look away from him at the tiny window. The darkness of night still looms. I say a silent apology to Jordan for not listening to him.

Simon grabs my face roughly bringing my gaze back to him. “We are gonna have a lot of fun.” His foul breath invades my nostrils turning my stomach even more as I stare into his cold eyes.

His menacing smile is the last thing I see before I lose the battle with sleep.

***

I hear a voice talking to me, my body feels heavy, someone is tugging at my clothes. I try to open my mouth to scream, but I can’t. Pain fills me as I try to part my lips. They are sealed together. I open my eyes to see Simon standing over me.

“You lost the privilege of being able to speak when you chose to become a dirty biker slut.” His hands grip the hem of my pants pulling them down as I shake my head groaning my disapproval. My limbs are heavy and I can’t fight him off. When they are gone, he stands over me with a pair of scissors that cut away at the fabric of my shirt and bra.

“What you can lay on your back for those animals but not for me? You were chosen for me! I was to be the one to have you! You ruined that, you bitch, and you will pay!” He strips himself in front of me and bile rises in my throat. I try to force it back down knowing I will surely choke on it.

I try to move but I can’t. It must be the drugs he gave me. Everything feels heavy. I can feel my body parts but I’ve lost all control of them.

He lowers himself down to me and I shake my head no trying to plead with him my mumbled responses useless. Tears spring to my eyes as he forces himself inside of me. I can feel my skin ripping with the force of his thrusts, his rough ways forcing my body to do things it isn’t willing to. I can’t struggle, can’t move, can’t scream. I’m completely at his mercy. My limp body being maneuvered in any way he wishes as he violently slams in and out of me. I start to sob because it is the only control over myself I have.

One of his hands reaches up grabbing one of my breasts. He digs his fingernails into it so hard that as I look down I can see blood drip down my skin when he lifts his hand. He repeats the same gesture with the other. As he slams into me, my head begins to hit the wooden post behind me, increasing my already pounding headache. My back scrapes against the cement floor my skin peeling with each thrust. My entire body is screaming in pain and begging him for mercy. I hear him groan as he finishes inside of me. I pray for him to leave me alone and that’s when I see a look of pure rage on his face. I follow his line of vision to my hipbone. My tattoo.

His face twists in anger. “You want to be branded do you slut? Well, I will give you something much more appropriate, after I remove this monstrosity.” Remove it? How the hell is he going to do that? I try to move forgetting again that I can’t. I yell “no,” knowing even with my lips sealed, he can understand me.

His hand slaps my face once more. “You still don’t know your place.”

He stands over me with a knife in his hand. “Let’s take care of this.”

The knife digs into my flesh and I squeeze my eyes shut as the pain radiates through my body. I scream, the force of it pulling my lips, causing even more pain. Blood seeps into my mouth from my lips and I decide to bite down on them instead of screaming hoping to cause myself less pain. I bite down on the inside of both my lips while still screaming from the slice of the blade. He cackles with each swipe of the blade. I feel it slicing through my skin again and again.

My head starts to spin.

My stomach turns.

I feel myself starting to slip away.

The last thing I see is my uncle’s smiling face.

***

My head aches, my stomach burns with the need to vomit. My body is face down on a cold unforgiving cement floor.

I try to look behind me only to see Uncle Simon again. His assault on me is as unforgiving as this floor. I gaze over my side and see blood dripping from my hip. Light is shining through the small window. How much time has passed?

“Now that you’re a slut, I’m sure you’ve done this.” His hands grip my ass. No. I shake my head. Mentally begging him not to do this to me. “You haven’t?” A sick smile plays over his face. His hand cups my core. “I may not have had this first like I was promised.” He pinches me hard as tears begins to fall from my eyes and my insides clench in pain. When he releases me, I take a much needed breath. “But I will have this.” His fingers dig into my flesh. Please God no.

He spreads me as I continue to plead through my moans, to pray silently. It’s no use. He jams himself inside of me and I scream internally feeling like I’m being ripped in two. It takes him numerous attempts before he can fully insert himself. My crying is inevitable but it is causing me more pain at the same time. My lips burn from whatever he used to seal them and from me involuntarily pulling at them.

My ass burns, my skin tightens, I can feel the separation and liquid dripping down my skin. I think the drugs he gave me are wearing off because I am starting to get feeling back in my legs. I try to kick. I know that it’s useless but I need to try. I need to fight. The pain is excruciating I try to distract myself, to think of something other than this.

I think of Jordan. Trying to use his image and our love to distract me from the hell I’m living through. I cry knowing that I might never see him again. Simon doesn’t want me as a wife anymore. He is going to kill me.

I can feel him tense behind me.

I continue to kick just wanting him away from me. I connect with his body and hear him yelp. He pulls out of my body, stands up and walks toward my head, his face full of anger. His chest heaves as he looks down at me before he delivers another blow to my face.

My vision goes dark.

***

I feel someone kick my leg and I slowly wake up. My entire body is screaming in pain. Simon is standing over me with a branding iron.

“You chose the wrong path. You put that sinful club’s mark on you. That dirty bikers name on your pure skin. You will forever be branded a part of this clan. You will not be branded as a wife, not be given that respect. You are no better than the cattle in our barns and that is what you will be branded as. You will be kept like that also. My pet. You will be kept down here to be played with at my discretion.” I shake my head vigorously. The tiny window showing signs of dusk. I pray for a savior. Does anyone know I’m gone yet? What happened to Danny? Has Jordan come back yet?

He leans down with the poker in hand I thrash trying to get away from him. His booted foot kicks me in my ribs and I feel them snap under his foot. He presses down onto my back holding me in place against the cold cement. When the flaming hot iron seers my skin the pain is more than I ever imagined could be possible. I try to twist away from the hot iron but his boot holds me roughly in place pushing the air from my lungs. The smell of burning flesh invades my nostrils turning my stomach, causing bile to rise once more. I convulse in pain my body arching, and jerking uncontrollably.

Even after he removes the iron and his foot, I don’t move. I’m paralyzed by the pain. I have never been through this much in my whole life. Everything hurts. The things that happened today will never leave me.

Please let me just die.