Reckless Fear (The Black Vipers #1)

Reckless Fear

The Black Vipers Series

BY

Micki Fredricks

Copyright 2015 by Micki Fredricks

All rights reserved

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any format without written permission from the author, except by a reviewer who may use passages for review purposes.

Editing by Kathy Anderson, Klassy Editing and Writing Services

Cover Design by Robin Harper, Wicked by Design

Dedication:

To my Mom and Dad.

Thank you for loving me through all of my unlovable moments and for never giving up on me.

Thank you to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without his grace, I wouldn’t make it through this life.

To my husband, Derek and my kids. You inspire me every day to be better, push harder and love more deeply.

Lori Rattay and Rachel Smith: My partners in life! Our daily chats are a lifeline to my sanity. Without your friendship, love and understanding, my world would be lonely.

Liz Fitgerald: Thank you for your never ending enthusiasm about this book and my career. Your, “We’ve got this”, messages are what kept me going.

There is a special group that must be mentioned. MG Herrera, Michel Prosser, Lynette Benjamen, Tracy Thompson, Caro Richards and Andrea Florkowski. They took a chance on a new author and gave encouragement, suggestions and in the process, have become my friends. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done to make this the best book possible.

To all the blogs, fellow authors and people who have shared teasers, read posts and given words of encouragement. You will never know how important this is to me. Thank you for being my small village.

**WARNING**

Dark Contemporary Romance/New Adult Novel. Contains sexual situations, violence, sensitive and taboo subjects, offensive language and mature topics. Recommended for age 18 years and older. This is the first book in The Black Vipers Series. Tight’s story will not come to conclusion in this book.

Fear.

It’s an open, oozing wound, festering inside my head. I crave it like a strung out, drug sick junkie. It gives me a high I’ve never found at the bottom of a bottle or chasing the needle and believe me, I’ve tried some crazy shit in my sixteen years. But fear, that’s a different kind of addiction for me.

It’s the only constant in my life. Slithering around my spine, it whispers to be careful, warning my stupid ass to be alert, be smarter than the next homeless screw-up.

Fear has kept me alive…and I just told it to go fuck itself because this time, I’m doing it my way.

The voices echoed upward toward me, bouncing around the dark, cavernous warehouse I’d called home for the last six months. From inside my safe haven in the rafters, I leaned closer to the thin boards that were the only barrier between me and the crowd below.

My heart lurched forward, pounding painfully, but I loved it; a little too much.

A twisted fantasy of mine played out in front of me, turning my emotions into a hurricane. I struggled to stay still. I wanted to be closer, hear the words and feel the excitement.

Six inches off the ground hung a man, naked and bound by chains wrapped around his bloodied wrists. His wild eyes searched the darkness for a rescue that would never come.

Muffled screams fell on deaf ears as he fought against the gag tied around his mouth. Sweat rolled off of him in rivers, mixing with the dirt and blood as he arched his back not wanting to leave any angle open. Crazy fucker, I’d close my eyes and let them come. Who wants to see death face to face?

A gaping hole in his thigh gushed blood around the knife left where it had sliced through the tissue.

The sight of his torture triggered something inside of me. A slow smile stretched my dry lips as I realized, for the first time ever, I wasn’t afraid. Energy snapped through my veins making me flex my fists open and shut at my sides.

I dug up the bones of buried memories I’d tried for so long to keep at bay. My soul screamed silently as the faces of every bastard who’d unleashed their punishment on me, flashed like a horror movie in my mind. Normally I would cower from these flashbacks. But today, I relished in them, letting all the pain wash over me like a new beginning.

And there I was in my memory, a small boy, unable to protect myself from sadistic hands and bloodshot eyes. Pinching, burning and unspeakable things that should never happen to anyone, all happening to me.

My constant companion, fear, tried to rear its ugly head. But I pushed it down. A small spark ignited somewhere inside of me, something I’d always wanted but never knew I could have. A desire to do more than just survive. I wanted fucking revenge.

The terror in the doomed man’s eyes empowered me, warming my chest as I longed to be a part of the destruction they had planned for him.

His captors taunted him, staying far enough in the shadows to keep their faces hidden, but close enough there was no mistaking their presence.

They circled him like the predators they were, letting it be known he was merely a play thing.

Prey to be toyed with, destroyed and discarded.

Every skeleton from my closet came out to play as I enjoyed the show.  The savage faces haunting me, now hung in place of this unlucky bastard, who had obviously pissed off the wrong people.

They were bikers. The Black Vipers to be exact and there was no denying their reputation for being ruthless. From what I’d seen in the last fifteen minutes, the rumors were true. I was sure as shit, losing my mind to think I could mess with them. But that was the plan.

The back of their denim cuts were embellished with their signature insignia, a snake with blood red eyes wrapped around a skull. The bottom rocker proudly displayed, Midwest. Most clubs claimed a state, these guys claimed the whole Midwest region.

This wasn't the first time I’d seen someone about to be butchered. The streets weren’t warm and fuzzy, they were dirty and desperate and there was always someone willing to sell their soul to the devil for their sin of choice. But this was the first time I planned on sticking around to watch and, if it was my lucky day, join in.

A man stepped out of the shadows. His eyes black and without pity. He didn't seem to enjoy the scene-didn't seem not to. The coldness he carried toward taking a man’s life made me shiver. He was a true killer.

His cut read Road Captain.

The hanging man turned sharply in his direction, hissing as the chains cut deeper into his mauled skin. His bulging eyes crazed with fear.

The Viper stepped up, pulled out a long, serrated knife, and slowly drew it across the man’s chest.

Throwing his head back, the hanging man’s eyes rolled back from the pain before screaming out in agony against the gag. Blood beaded in the cut at first as the knife sliced the skin wide open, but quickly changed to rivers streaming down his torso, pooling on the floor below him.

A dark haired man stepped up next, stopping the Road Captain with a just a nod.

I strained to read his patch.

President.

My stomach lurched as I closed my eyes and laid my forehead on the boards in front of me. Holy. Shit.

Pops Cole.

He ran The Black Vipers and was as vicious as they came. This dumb ass plan of mine…I was as good as dead.

Pops reached up, pulling the gag from the soon to be dead, man’s mouth.

“Please, Pops,” he begged. “Please, I will tell you everything.”

Pops stood with his arms crossed at his chest. His tone was calm as he shook his head.

“It’s too late for that shit and you know it.”

The hanging man thrashed around, attempting to release himself from the chains. Screaming out again and again.

The Black Vipers just watched. No one moved, no one talked. They stood quiet like angels of death, waiting to deliver their sentence.

I scoffed to myself. Even if this stupid son of a bitch got loose, did he think he could fight his way through the five or six Vipers surrounding him?

Pops began pacing in front of the man, drawing in slow steady breaths, as he meticulously rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.

A small tremor began in my core. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as the atmosphere changed.

He spoke again, anger boiling just under the surface of his controlled tone.

“I gave you every opportunity to get me the information I needed. And what do you do? Stab me in the back! Try to bring down my club, my family!”

He lunged toward the hanging man, twisting the knife sticking out of his thigh. The man arched his back, screaming and crying in agony.

“No one fucks with The Black Vipers then tries to make a deal, you stupid asshole!”

I turned quickly, making my decision. If they heard me, I was a dead man. Not like it mattered, I was probably dead anyway with the plan I had.

I reached the main floor as another scream tore through the warehouse.

“I’m done with this prick, someone call in the cleaners so we can finish him off. I want to get back to The Pit in time for dinner.”

My bare feet moved along the concrete floor toward the killers who had invaded my space. I slid in behind a pile of thrown out pallets and trash, a tingling sensation taking over my entire body. A million scenarios flashed in my mind. I had no idea how this was going to play out.

Adrenalin flooded into my veins and I closed my eyes. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this alive.

I pulled the thin t-shirt up over my head and carefully slid out of my pants, leaving only my ratty boxers to cover myself. This was the best way to prove I was unarmed and not a threat. Goosebumps covered my entire body. I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or the fact I’d totally lost my mind.

I took a deep breath and stood. Walking around the pallets with my hands in the air.

“Stop,” I yelled. Eternally long seconds ticked by as the bikers turned in my direction, yelling at me to get down on the ground, then yelling at each other.

“What the fuck? Who the hell is that?” Pops yelled.

“Don’t kill him yet.” My voice cracked as I spoke and I flinched at my show of weakness. I began a slow walk toward them, all guns were pointed at my head. “I want to talk to you first.”

The Road Captain took a step forward, his gun set right between my eyes. “Stop right there you fucking idiot, this isn’t The Oprah show. We don’t talk things out, boy. Now get on your fucking knees.”

I kept moving forward, ignoring his warning. “I need to talk to whoever is in charge.”

The Road Captain’s eyes were wide with disbelief. “If you don’t know who’s in charge, you sure as shit don’t have the right to talk to him. I’m only going to ask once more. Stop where you are or I’ll shoot your damn balls off and leave you to bleed out.”

I stopped, trying to control the tremor taking over my body since becoming so vulnerable. I’d lived my life in the shadows until now but here I was, totally exposed and in the middle of a nightmare.

The hanging man twisted around, trying to see if I was the savior he had been praying for. I wasn’t, he would figure it out soon enough.

Pops stepped forward. “Jesus, you’re just a street kid. No one here is interested in what you have for sale. Get lost before this becomes the last thing you ever see.” He gave a dismissing wave with his hand.

It pissed me off even as my cheeks warmed with embarrassment realizing what he assumed I was offering. I recovered quickly, knowing I had only minutes to keep his attention.

“I’m not some junkie whore. I want to know what I can do to join your MC.”

A few seconds of silence passed between us before he scoffed at me.

“Are you kidding? Look at you, you look like a walking skeleton. You probably have lice. Can’t you see we are in the middle of something? Now get the fuck out,” Pops said.

RC waived his gun at me like he was chasing away a pesky bug.

I moved forward, hands still in the air.

“That’s exactly why you need me and I need you.”

“You’re crazy, aren't you kid?” Pops laughed. “Why would I ever need someone like you?”

“Because, give me food and a roof over my head and I promise to do whatever you need me to without question.”

I took another step forward, only feet away from a man who had his gun trained between my eyes again.

“Pops, you want me to take this stupid kid out?” RC asked.

Pops stood with his arms crossed at his chest, judging me, sizing me up. I had to work fast.

“Listen, I have nothing to lose. There are three options for me.  One, you take me and I give my life to this club. Two, you kill me right here and now or three, I die on these streets. Like I said, I need you and you need me.”

“I don’t fucking need you, kid. I have fifty brothers who would do whatever I need without asking. You are a liability to me. You know who we are and what we’re planning to do to this guy, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you think you can live a life like this? Risk being the one strung up for this club?” He pointed to the man slowly bleeding out in front of us.

I nodded my head, reassuring him I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. I didn’t, of course but I was selling it hard core.

“I’ve been living a Hell on Earth my whole life. The streets have been my home since I was twelve years old. I’ve been beaten, raped, stabbed and in jail. I’ve overdosed twice and nearly died from a beating. I’m sixteen years old and I’ve faced everything this poor bastard is going through right now, only I do it every day of my life. Minus the pretty bracelets and audience.”

“I don't deal in junkies,” he spat out.

“Good thing I don't deal in drugs anymore.”

“I’m not a daycare.”

“I stopped being a kid the day my foster dad decided I had a pretty mouth.”

“What if I say no?”

“I go straight to the cops and tell them everything I’ve seen here.”

The guns all came up once again, aimed at my head. I slowly looked from one face to the other, eye to eye, silently promising my revenge on each of them if they left me in this warehouse.

“Now why would you say something so damn stupid, and just when I was starting to like you?” Pops said.

“Because I’ve made up my mind. I’m only leaving this warehouse one of two ways, with you, or in a body bag.”

Pops looked at RC, shaking his head like I was fucking crazy and at this point, it was pretty close to true.

“The way I see it is this…If you think I’m a rat, you’ll string me up next to him and I get my way. But, if you realize the size of balls it takes to threaten The Black Vipers with the possibility of being a rat, you might decide to take a chance on me and take me with you. It’s a win-win for me.”

They all stood silent, staring at me. I took another step forward and Pops grunted, “Let him through, he obviously isn’t armed.”

I dropped my hands taking a few tentative steps toward him, “Will you take me? I’ll do anything you want. I’m not going to survive out here much longer.”

Pops put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “Look at you. You’re terrified and I don’t need some pussy-ass needing a bed coming into my club. How do I know when I need you, you’ll have the fucking balls to go through with it.”

I turned quickly, grabbing the knife wedged in the hanging man’s leg. He moaned only slightly, his voice stolen from him as I shoved the knife as hard as I could straight into his chest. His eyes bulged and he choked on the blood bubbling out of his mouth.

His body began to tremble and I felt the release I’d been looking for. I pulled the knife out, plunging it into his body over and over as blood squirted from his chest like I’d turned on a hose. And I’ll be damned if it didn't feel good, real good.

He was still, but I didn't stop. Over and over I brought the knife down, screaming out my indifference to taking a life. A warmness spread throughout my body as I allowed myself to escape into my nightmares. Punishing every sick and disgusting person who had violated me, hurt me or left me for dead. Again and again I took out my anger and pain on the body hanging in front of me.

After I’d delivered my final blow, I turned to face the group. Blood ran down my arms, dripping off the end of the knife I held.

My wild eyes searched their faces, not caring if they accepted me or not, but daring them to make a decision.

“Kill me or take me damn it!” I yelled, dropping the knife to the floor. I grabbed at my hair with blood soaked hands, hoping to gain some control.

They stood watching as I paced in front of them. “You fuckers do not know what it’s like out here. Around every corner, someone is waiting. You need food? Sure, they have some, if you suck dick. Need a place to stay? Sure. Just sell this dope to those middle schoolers and lure that twelve year old girl over here. I can’t take it anymore. Don’t you understand? I can’t take it.”

Pops stepped forward, hands raised in front of him. “Hey, you have to keep it tight, okay? Keep it together. You might be a little fucking crazy, but I get it. You’ve had a hard life.”

I stopped pacing, looked down and ran my fingers through the blood on my chest.

“Keep it tight,” I whispered.

“That’s right. Are you tight? Can you keep it together?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m tight.” I squared my shoulders, pulling them back and meeting Pops’ eyes dead on. He reached behind him without taking his eyes off me and someone handed him an old rag.

“Wipe that shit off yourself. You can’t leave covered in blood"

“Are you taking me?” I asked, excitement making my voice rise, sounding like the sixteen year old I was.

“Oh, I’m taking you alright. But don’t get all excited. This doesn't mean you are part of the Vipers, I just don't know what the hell to do with you. Not too excited about killing a kid who’s done nothing except made some stupid threat.”

I wiped away as much of the blood as I could, realizing how ridiculous I must look standing in my boxers, covered in blood.

“Do you have some clothes you can wear out of here?” RC asked.

I nodded my head, suddenly mute with exhaustion.

“Well, go fucking get them, Tight.”

I turned, heading back to the place I’d undressed. A smirk stretched across my face as I realized he’d called me Tight.

I could do this. I could keep it all together, do whatever they asked me to do.

But first off, I needed to convince them it was a better idea to keep me than to kill me.