Reckless Abandon (10 page)

“What are you doing?” I avoided looking at Hunter and the limp heap he was in.

“Bring him closer,” Jax demanded as he pulled me off the bed. My knees hit the ground with a thud. I tried to cooperate, and move in the direction of where he was pulling me in. He brought me right in front of Hunter. The prospect gripped Hunter’s short hair and yanked his head back. I gasped in shock. Hunter had been beaten. I could see a busted eyebrow, lip, and a bruised cheek. Hunter moaned in pain, as his eyes focused on me.

“I don’t understand,” I cried out when Jax slapped me across the face. Hunter strained against the men holding him.

“He does, why don’t you?” Jax pointed back to Hunter. My watery eyes glimpsed over to Hunter. Jax released his grip on me and walked up to Hunter. He gripped his chin and punched Hunter, just to line him up for another shot. Three hits in, I couldn’t take it.

“Stop! Stop it!” I screamed out.

“Maybe this will help you understand.” Jax whistled again.

Nicole

After Kit left, I felt numb. I felt comforted by his story. I felt like we connected in some weird way. I mean, I know I am his daughter and all, but I felt a connection that I haven’t felt since my parents were alive. It’s wild to think that Kit and my mother’s story seemed romantic. Like an MC fairy tale gone wrong. A gunshot broke the silence. I shot up off my bed.
What the fuck is going on?

It sounded like World War III was happening out there. I quickly threw on my combat boots- ready to kick some ass, or whoever the fuck was about to come through my door. I grabbed the small stool that sat at my vanity. There was a gunshot and a thud outside my door. I jumped and tightened my grip on the wood legs. This little ass thing better save my life, or I’ll be pissed. There were voices that I couldn’t make out. Keys jingled in the door and I positioned myself behind the door. I brought my arms above my head, and the first person into my room I swung at. They went down hard, with their hand gripping the back of their head. I went in for another
swing;
with the cylinder of wood I had remaining.  Men shouted and started to go for the man on the ground.

“Fuck!” I would know that voice anywhere.

“Jer?” My arm paused overhead.

“Nic? What the fuck, baby!” He looked up at me from the ground. He caught a glance of his palm, and thank God, I didn’t cause any real damage.

“Oh God, Jeremy!” I threw myself into his arms as soon as he sat back on his haunches, tipping us both over on the ground. It felt like fucking years since I’ve touched him. Jeremy stroked my hair, and pulled my face back to look at me. As soon as my eyes hit his, his mouth claimed mine. His short and soft beard grazed my skin as his lips worked over mine. My body inched up on his as I fisted his cut.

“Alright, alright, you two. Break it up. Save that shit for later.” Chase gripped Jeremy’s shoulder and pulled him upward, bringing me with him.

“See if I ever come between you and Rox, you fucker.” Jeremy drew me against his chest.

“We have got to move. We need to keep moving, get Derrick!” Moretti’s voice boomed in our room. The hallway lights were halfway shot to shit; the door across from mine was open.

“I was here, across the hall from you. All this time?” I slowed down as I glanced into his room.

“Not now, Nic, we have to get the boys and get the fuck out of here. Take this.” Chase dropped a handgun in to my hands. The men watched me as I looked down at the weapon. I checked the chamber and cartridge. After I palmed the cartridge back into the handle, I looked up at surprised eyes.

“What?” I shrugged them off. Yes, this woman has packed heat before. Fuckin’ men.

“Where is Derrick? I’ll start down here, we meet in the middle.” I waved my gun down the right wing of the dimly lit hallway. Jeremy started on the doors opposite of me.

Nicole

“D?” I unlocked the doors as I went, Jeremy just kicked in the doors on his side of the hallway.

I heard shuffling and a clanking noise from the bathroom, and I barged through the doorway. Just as I rushed through the door, there was Derrick with his handcuffed wrists wrapped around a ceramic toilet. He stood up from a squat, with interlaced fingers around the back of the bowl. His strength pulled the toiled off the ground, and the links on his cuffs broke apart. Water sprayed everywhere. Derrick was drenched. His white t-shirt became transparent, and his bulging muscles and inked chest appeared through the wet fabric.

“Derrick?” I tried to get him out of the “hulk trance” he was in. His head turned toward me- his dark eyes were threatening and fierce. He charged at me, shoved me against the bathroom doorframe. His body went flush against mine. Derrick’s hands caressed my face; blood and water trickled down his wrists.

“Reese?” I barely heard him over the water spraying.
Reese? Why would he be calling for her?

“Brother, back off her.” Jeremy was at my side, he gripped Derrick by the shoulder and tugged him away from me. The front of my shirt and jeans were soaked.

“What happened?” Derrick shook his head, and he seemed to come back from his trance.

“You with us?” Jeremy gripped the back of his neck.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Derrick stared at me. His eyes said it all. He knew what I heard. Yet, I didn’t say a word.

We quickly gathered Derrick and the three of us made our way down the original hallway. Jeremy called out to the others so we could move to get Hunter. 

Hunter

Before I was brought to Eva, Jax paid me a visit, him and his pussy brothers. He let those motherfuckers take their good ol’ time taking their rounds of pounding on me. My ribs fucking killed, my face was numb and swollen. Jax just stood against the doorframe and watched as I took my beating. I knew exactly the reasoning behind it. My girls. It took me a few minutes to realize that they stopped. My body went limp against the cold cement ground, now splattered with my blood.

“Hunter, is it?” Jax’s voice filled the small room.

“Yeah, you mother fucker?” I spit out the blood collecting in my mouth.

“I want to show you something. Or maybe even teach you rather.”

“What could you possibly teach me?” I grunted as I rolled to my side and cradled my ribs on my left side.

“I want you to know what you’ve missed since you let Eva go. Know what you’ll never have. And if you ever touch her again, I’ll kill you myself.”

“Go ahead, do what you feel like you need to do to take care of your insecurities. Sounds to me like you have some real trust issues.” I chuckled as my fist pushed off the ground and I gradually sat back on my heels.

“Bring him!” Jax demanded, and my elbows were gripped before I collapsed into their hold. The next time I came around, I was in a different room. My eyes, or at least the one that wasn’t swollen shut, blinked. My vision came into focus. Eva stood before me, with Jax’s grip on the back of her neck as he tossed her to the floor in front of me.

“I don’t understand,” Eva pleaded, only to be slapped across the face by Jax. A surge of adrenaline pumped through my veins as I struggled against the men who held me. I was going to destroy that fucker. Eva’s small hand cupped her red check. Before I knew it, he headed my way and laid out his punches. I could hear Eva’s pleas in the background. I groaned as Jax’s fist stopped mid-air, with Eva holding him back.

“Stop it! Stop it!” she screamed at him. Jax shrugged her off and whistled to his men. Signaled them for something. Before I knew what had happened, a pair of shoes came into my line of sight. I glanced over; there were a petite pair of black Vans. My gaze drifted upward and saw a head full of thick, unruly black hair. The same color hair as mine. The little girl stood a little taller than me on my kneeling knees. She wrung her hands nervously as two men guided her by her shoulders. She caught a sideways glimpse of me. Those eyes. My eyes. Isabella.

“I swear to God, Jax,” Eva cried out as she clung to his leg.

“You’ll do nothing, Eva!” Jax shouted back at her. Isabella jumped next to me.

“Daddy, stop it!” God love her, Isabella stomped her foot as her little fist flayed about. But fuck me, hearing her call Jax, Daddy, ripped my heart to shreds.

“Come here, baby.”
He
crouched down on his haunches.

“She isn’t a part of this, please, Jax. Just leave her out of this.” Eva’s voice cracked slightly.  He gave her a glimpse over his shoulder.

“Don’t tell me what to do with my own daughter.” I couldn’t help but to chuckle at that. I already felt Eva’s eyes on me before I even lifted my head. 

“Care to enlighten me, Hunter?” Jax encouraged Isabella to stand behind him, and toward her mother. My focus was now on the two of them. Isabella was the perfect combination of the both of us. She had my hair, and eyes. Her fair skin, heart- shaped face, and full dimpled cheeks were her mother’s. She was beautiful. I could tell that she had Eva’s spunk.
My girls.
Something in me snapped. I don’t know if it was my pent up frustration with Eva and her lies, or the smug as shit look on Jax’s face, the fact that my brothers and I have been held in this pisser of a club, or that I’ve been beaten. I think that’s one too many fucking reasons for my next action. Clearly, I couldn’t take back the next set of words to leave my mouth.

“Your daughter?” I sneered at him.

“Hunter,” Eva cut me off. I glanced over at her. Tears brimmed her big round eyes. She shook her head from side to side, silently pleading for me to stop. But fuck it; my mouth wasn’t functioning when I heard another man claim my daughter as his own. Not today, you fucker. Jax glanced at Eva as soon as my name left her mouth. Her eyes darted back to Jax, pleading.

“What is he saying?” His hand curled around Isabella’s small arm. I thrashed against the two men holding me.

“Nothing. He’s saying nothing.” Eva hurried her words.

“Tell him, Eva
.
” I encouraged her. Time to come clean, baby.

Many thanks to my other half, Jon. You have been so patient through all my takeovers, writing sessions, PicMonkey creations, and more. You pushed me to stop reading, and WRITE all of those nights, while you entertained Sofia. Thank you for your support and pushing to me to continue and reach my goals. I couldn’t have done this without you.

Mandy- you and the team at Raw Books are amazing. You never let me down, and always help me grow and learn. I can only hope that I’ve gotten better through this series. Ha! But, seriously- you rock and I can’t say how much I appreciate your help, constructive criticism, and advice. It’s helped, greatly.

Brenda, thank you for being the lucky lady to make this steamy cover! You know I had to take it back to tats and nipple piercings haha. I can’t wait to reveal Dark Paradise’s cover with everyone.

Max Henry- girl you rock my world. I can’t wait to show off this bad boy after you’ve gotten your talented hands on the book. You make it all come to life and give all my books the facelift they need.

My Beta readers- you ladies are AMAZING, and I greatly appreciate you making time in such short notice- you are fantastic

Love Between the Sheets for hosting my Blitz and Blog Tour, Mary- what would I do without you?

My Street Team, Heather’s Hell Raisers- you ladies are simply fantastic, thank you for your dedication, time and loyalty.

Amy Donnelly, thank you thank you thank you, for all your support, advice, help, creative ideas, and graphic designs. I can’t wait for our author event and the projects ahead of us!

The readers- I couldn’t do this without you. You’ve been awesome. Helping me mold myself and letting me know what you want, like, love, hate. I can say that writing has been so much fun and I love making people happy, get an escape for a few hours, and make them laugh. I hope you liked Reckless Abandon and will look forward to Dark Paradise.

What would you like to happen in the next part of the Condemned Angels MC Series???

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Condemned Angels MC #1