“He didn’t have a problem fucking me a few months ago,” she huffed as she lit a cigarette.
“He’ll come back around,” her friend assured her as they moved out of earshot.
My stomach dropped and heart thumped painfully as I digested her words. Rationally, I knew I’d had no claim on him. But irrationally, the thought of him sleeping with her – especially while I’d been raising our son – well, it just plain hurt. There had been no one who measured up to him in my time away. No one. Obviously he hadn’t had the same problem.
I swallowed hard, surprised at the strength of my response.
“Soph,” Connie interrupted my mental tailspin with a squeeze of my thigh. Clearly, she’d observed the same things I had. “She isn’t anything to him. We all know that,” she assured me.
My cheeks flamed with embarrassment and I nodded, swallowing back tears I had no right to shed. I wanted to get out of there and wished fervently that I could drive. Instead, I settled for moving inside away from the crowd. Kat had Maddox; he was in good hands and I could take a few minutes to collect myself.
I found a comfortable old leather chair that faced one of the windows and sat, trying to pull myself together. I heard the muted hum of everyone talking and laughing out back. It was rare for the inside of the club to be so still and I appreciated the quiet. I breathed in the stale smell of smoke and whiskey, finding the combination oddly comforting.
When Jeb approached, I smiled politely, though I was disappointed to have my time alone cut so short. This was the first time I’d seen him since I’d returned to town.
“Hi, Jeb,” I greeted, surprised he was approaching me.
“Sorry, babe,” he replied simply, his expression grim.
I had only a split second to let out a sharp scream as he placed something over my face. I struggled, my cries muffled as I breathed in the noxious fumes. It was only seconds before I was pulled under.
******
My head was absolutely pounding and my mouth felt like chalk when I started to come around an indeterminable amount of time later.
I heard deep male voices around me as I opened my burning eyes. What the hell had they knocked me out with? And why?
My blurry vision took a minute to focus and I saw that I was in a dimly lit motel room. The shades were drawn so it was impossible to tell what time of day it was. I was lying on the bed unrestrained and shifted slightly, my body feeling stiff and sore.
“She’s awake,” I heard an unfamiliar voice announce as my gaze shot in his direction.
He was an older man with jet-black hair and a goatee. His dark eyes fixed on me as I eyed the ‘Black Riders’ emblem on his jacket.
“Why? What’s happening?” I asked Jeb hoarsely as he sat in a chair across the room.
He gave me a rueful grin. “Gotta get paid,” he shrugged. “We figure your father will pay a high price for you.”
This was insane.
I wanted desperately to ask about Maddox but was afraid to have my son even enter their minds. Jeb hadn’t been around much. There was a remote chance he didn’t even know I had a child.
I let out an ear-piercing scream then, hoping someone nearby would hear and call the cops.
Suddenly, a large hand was around my neck, squeezing briefly but enough to deliver a message. Jeb stared down at me his eyes wide. “You want me to gag you? I will, if you pull another stunt like that,” he warned.
The fact that he hadn’t already, made me feel like maybe there was some part of him that didn’t want to do this. That gave me a small glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak situation.
He let me go, tossing me back against the bed like a rag doll. I coughed, trying to catch my breath. “What about the Knights?” I asked, imploring him in a hoarse voice. Loyalty was so important to them and I had serious doubts he’d survive a betrayal like this.
He shrugged again then sneered. “After all I’ve done for those fucks, they still won’t patch me in. Some shit about my dedication,” he snorted, using quotation marks. “I was fucking stabbed for those shitheads and it still wasn’t enough! So I found a club who’ll patch me in.” He shrugged as though this was perfectly logical.
I bit back the urge to retort that clearly their instincts had been right on about not patching him in.
“Enough fuckin’ talkin’,” the unfamiliar man barked. He was obviously the one in charge of this mess.
I looked between both men, racking my brain with how to buy more time. I knew Axel would be hunting for me. I just didn’t know how the hell he’d find me. I also had no idea how long I’d actually been gone. My fuzzy brain tried to piece together a plan.
I looked to Jeb. “They’re not going to let you into their club,” I blurted, figuring distraction was my only real weapon. That, and clearly I had a much bigger brain than Jeb if he hadn’t put this together.
Jeb turned to me with a mixture of anger and surprise. “What the fuck are you talking about?” he demanded.
“Come on, Jeb. Even I know enough about this stuff to know they wouldn’t do that,” I shook my head. “This guy here, I bet he’s acting alone,” I said, gesturing to the other man. “He gets the money and you’re dead, I’d guess.” I felt like my head was going to pound right off my neck as I nodded blearily. “His club isn’t stupid enough to patch in a discarded member of the Knights.” I swallowed, knowing I was taking a huge risk by pissing him off.
The smack to my face came so suddenly I didn’t even see it coming. My head snapped to the right as the Black Rider’s open hand connected with brutal force. “You want to survive this, I’d shut that pretty little mouth,” he growled.
My ears were ringing and I tasted blood. I was taking a chance in thinking that if they wanted their money, they’d know to keep me in one piece. But there was only so far I wanted to push that theory.
My hand moved to my throbbing face as I watched them both in silence.
“Dude, is she right?” Jeb demanded, his tone betraying the worry I’d planted.
“No,” the man barked. “Now shut the fuck up, both of you.”
“I want to know what the fuck she knows that I don’t,” Jeb continued stubbornly, his eyes wide with panic.
“She doesn’t know shit,” the man retorted, losing patience. “She’s graspin’, trying to stress you out. Chill the fuck out.”
I looked to Jeb, watching the slow wheels of his brain begin to crank.
“Jeb, if this guy doesn’t kill you – the Knights will if you go through with this,” I spoke up, despite knowing the consequences. I had to try to talk him out of this. Jeb wasn’t nearly as smart as the other guy – that much was clear. If I could get him scared enough, maybe I could swing things in my favor. “Let me go,” I demanded passionately as the other man stormed across the room and pulled me to my feet.
My heart pounded in my chest as fear raced through my bloodstream.
“You’re either brave or really fucking stupid.” His eyes were cold and calculating as he pulled me up so that our faces were inches apart. “You’re beautiful, too.” His eyes raked over my frame, remaining on my chest far too long for my comfort.
“You wanna give me a taste?” he leered, his head cocked to the side. His fingers moved to my top, unbuttoning the first three buttons.