Chapter One
Phoebe
How had I ended up here? Figured it was much the same way most people landed in hell, or so I told myself nearly every day. I’d done something stupid. I scanned the interior of the clubhouse and wondered when I’d be able to slip away unnoticed. Being in the main room always made me uneasy. A bottle crashed against the wall and I winced as shards of glass went everywhere. It wouldn’t be long before things were out of control. I skirted the room and made my way to the hall, looking over my shoulder as I scurried away. I didn’t quite make it before a hand reached out and yanked me off my feet.
I yelped as I landed against a hard body. The patch in front of my eyes made me want to bolt, but I couldn’t. I lifted my gaze to Deuce’s, knowing there was no escape. Once he got his hands on me, he never let go until he was done. I could only hope he’d finish with me quickly.
“Where you going, whore?” he asked.
I swallowed hard. I wasn’t a whore. Not really. They might have kept me against my will, forced me to be with them, but it wasn’t by choice. I’d never willingly lie with any of them. Ever. “I need to check on Ember,” I said.
He grunted and glanced away. The monster might use her against me, but at least I’d gotten to keep her. “Got some special company coming tonight. Be ready.” He looked me over. “And change your fucking clothes.”
I gave a quick nod and hurried away from him. I pushed open the door near the end of the hall and rushed inside. Ember lay quietly in her bed. I smoothed my hand over her, marveling at how I could love someone so much who’d been born from nights of pain and suffering, but I did. She was my angel, the only reason I kept going. “One day I’ll save you from this place.”
Just as soon as I figured out how the hell to save myself.
Remembering what Deuce said about company, I showered and shaved. I’d been told lots of times how beautiful my hair was, so I took the time to dry and curl it. The long, heavy black mass hung down my back nearly to my waist. Before Deuce kidnapped me, I’d never cared for makeup. I still didn’t like it, but I wasn’t given a choice of wearing it. The black eyeliner and mascara made me feel like I was putting on a mask, becoming someone else, and maybe for a few hours each night I did.
I ran the gloss over my lips and added a tinge of blush to my otherwise pale cheeks. The girl staring back me looked a far cry from the preacher’s daughter I’d been in another life. I rubbed some scented lotion into my skin before getting dressed. I checked on Ember again, then curled up with a book in the corner chair to read until I was needed. Deuce would come find me, or send one of his lackeys. I wondered who was visiting this time.
Deuce never shared club business with any of the whores, and certainly not with me. I could only hope whatever club was coming, they wouldn’t be as bad as the Sadistic Saints. There wasn’t a line Deuce and his club wouldn’t cross, which I’d learned the painful way. When my door slammed open, I jolted and glanced at Ember. Thankfully, she didn’t wake.
“Come on, sweet cheeks. Time to do your thing.” He leered at me as I stood. Should have known Deuce would send Joe. The Prospect made my skin crawl, even more so than Deuce himself.
I left my room with Joe’s hand on my ass, and made my way to the main part of the clubhouse. I’d been right about the party getting out of control. Naked women paraded through the area, smashed bottles crunched under my feet, and smoke hung heavy in the air. I doubted they were smoking cigarettes, or at least not only that. Three men sat at the bar with colors from another club -- Hades Abyss MC was stitched on the rockers. I ran my hands down my short skirt and took a breath to steady my nerves. At least with Deuce and his crew, I knew what to expect. These guys were an unknown.
Then again, after surviving my first night here, I could live through anything.
“Get moving, whore,” Joe said, shoving me from behind.
I stumbled and made my way over to the bar. Deuce had his head thrown back, laughing his ass off at something they said. His eyes lit with an unholy fire as he saw me approaching. The smirk on his lips made my stomach flip and knot. It never meant anything good.
“Here she is, boys. The best I have to offer. The three of you are welcome to take her to the playroom, or just have your fun with her out here,” Deuce said. “The rest of us wouldn’t mind watching.”
I swallowed the knot in my throat and plastered a smile on my face. “Hi, I’m Phoebe.”
“She’ll treat you real good,” Deuce said. The look he cast my way clearly said there would be hell to pay if I didn’t. “She’ll do anything you want.”
The man closest to me turned and my breath caught at how striking he was. Handsome didn’t seem to do him justice. Ink covered his arms and peeked from the neck of his shirt. His beard wasn’t wild like Deuce’s but trimmed neatly and the perfect length. I scanned his cut and saw his name: Kraken -- Sgt at Arms. He blocked the others from my view and I wondered if they were officers too.
“They’re here for business,” Deuce said. “Why don’t you take them and show them all a good time?”
“No offense, but we don’t like sharing,” one of the others said. “If she’s your best, let Kraken have her.”
The biker stood and held out his hand. My palm slid against Kraken’s rougher one and shivers raked my spine. I’d never met anyone who looked at me the way he did. I could drown in his gaze. He led me down the hall and my heart slammed against my ribs. He drew me to a stop in the middle of the hallway and I wondered if he wanted to start here. Wouldn’t be the first time I’d been shoved to my knees or backed against the wall.
“Where’s your room?” he asked.
My… No. No, no, no. We couldn’t go in there. It felt like someone tightened their hand around my throat. My heart raced, and my knees nearly gave out.
“Not my room.”
He looked down at me, pinning me in place with his gaze. “You got something to hide?”
“I…”
His grip tightened on my hand and my eyes went wide as I sucked in a breath. Pain shot through my wrist and up my arm. I whimpered and he loosened his hold, but dragged me farther down the hallway. He stopped in front of the last three doors, eyeing each one. I dug in my heels when he opened the one to my room.
“No, we can’t… please!”
He yanked me into the room, but the moment he saw the crib in the corner, he froze. “What the fuck?”
“Please. I’ll do whatever you want, but not in here. Not near my baby.”
“Jesus fucking Christ. You look like a damn kid yourself and you have a baby? In a clubhouse?”
“You didn’t care a minute ago how young I look,” I said. I inwardly winced and wondered if he would hit me. Deuce had, and for much less. This guy was visiting the Sadistic Saints, and held rank in his club. Now wasn’t the time for me to be mouthy.
“I don’t fuck kids. I figured if you were out there on offer, you must be legal, but now I’m not so sure. Don’t know a single damn club who lets a whore keep a kid in her room. Start talking, girl. How old are you? Why the hell are you here?”
I sucked in a breath, wondering if I could trust him. He hadn’t tried to force himself on me, or demand I drop to my knees. It made him different from the men who’d come here before. I could be wrong. What if Deuce sent him here to gain my trust, see if I was loyal?