Surrender lost souls mc.., p.37
Surrender (Lost Souls MC Book 2), page 37
“Tink!” I yelled, and her hand paused in the air, even though her eyes stayed looking down. She was panting hard, her chest heaving, and her arm shaking violently. “Tink, it’s me. Look at me, baby. It’s me, Kai. Look up at me.”
Her big blue eyes slowly lifted to meet mine, but her hand remained raised above her head. “That’s it, keep looking at me.” I touched my hand to my chest. “Do you see me? It’s Kai,” I said, and she blinked a few times. “Tink, we need to go. The building is on fire.” I ever so slowly held out my hand so I didn’t spook her. Dark smoke drifted in our direction and I coughed as some of it reached my nose. “Give me the knife, Tink.”
I coughed a few more times, the taste of smoke itching the back of my throat.
Raine looked down at the man she was straddling and then up at me.
“Kai?”
“Yeah, it’s me, Tink. We found you. Jace and Avro are outside. But we need to go.”
“He tried to hurt me.” She sniffled. “I had to do it. I couldn’t let him hurt me again.” Her voice hitched, as her bottom lip trembled.
“I know, I’m so fucking happy you did.” I kept my hand stretched out and took a deep breath as her arm lowered one inch at a time. “He’s dead. I promise you killed him, and he’s not coming back, but we need to go.” She looked at Dave’s face again. “Give me the knife.”
Hand trembling, she held out the blade that was dripping red and whimpered as she let go of the handle. I stabbed Dave through the eye up to the decorative hilt. Raine’s body slumped, and she looked like she would fall over. Reaching out, I gripped her under the arms like a small child and stood in a single motion.
“Kai,” she cried, her arms wrapping around my neck, her body shaking uncontrollably as she clung to me. “You came for me.” I hated that even a shadow of doubt existed in her mind.
“Always.” I held her tighter. “I’ll always come for you.” Her crying got louder, but she kept mumbling how much she loved me over and over.
Marching for the door as the fire spread, I kept my eyes open for other threats. I hadn’t seen Frank on my way in and hoped that Roach or someone else found him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the coward found a hole to crawl into the moment the fighting started.
The shooting outside had stopped, but I still poked my head out the door to check that all was clear before stepping into the mid-day sun. All those we captured were on their knees with their hands zip-tied behind their back. I didn’t know what Chase planned on doing with them, but if it were left up to me, I’d make sure an example was made of them.
“I’m going in, now fucking let go of me,” Jace growled as Avro, Roach, and Chase held him back.
“Snake will find her,” Roach said, but Jace looked ready to throw down with the three men.
“The fire is getting bigger. What if something happened to them? Let go,” Jace roared.
I took a moment to appreciate Jace. He sure didn’t act like a celebrity. He was as ornery and ready to fight as any of the guys in the club. I had come to terms and was at peace with them and our relationship. They’d proven their loyalty to Raine, and that was good enough for me. The rest we would figure out.
Before they all ended up in a brawl, I whistled, and they looked over. The relief was evident in their eyes as Avro and Jace ran in my direction. They didn’t even wait for me to put her down before we were wrapped up in a hug.
Roach caught my eye, and he shook his head. I knew what that meant. They didn’t find Frank.
“I love you guys so much,” Raine said.
“We love you too,” Avro said. “We were all so scared.”
“I didn’t think I was ever going to see any of you again,” she said, breaking down into sobs that shook her body.
I didn’t know what this relationship would look like six months or even a year down the road. What I knew was that all the shit I’d been worrying about didn’t matter. All I cared about was Raine. The rest would sort itself out.
The building behind us exploded, and a large pillar of smoke snaked its way up into the sky, blocking out the bright rays of the sun.
In a way, we were back to where it all started, and even though I never wanted Raine to have to defend herself, I hoped it helped her sleep at night, knowing that she’d gotten her revenge. She deserved to see them all burn in hell.
I glanced around at the burning buildings and for trees beyond that. This wasn’t over. One day I’d find Frank, and I’d make him pay.
Two down, but still one to go.
THREE MONTHS, THREE WEEKS, AND THREE DAYS LATER
Raine
I stared at the stunning, simple wedding dress in the mirror before slipping my arms into the leather jacket. Turning to see the back, I smirked at the Lost Souls emblem.
“Are you sure you want to wear a leather jacket for your wedding,” Emma, the seamstress, asked.
Smiling, I took it off and turned for her to unzip the dress. “Yeah, I really do. It’ll still be ready next week?”
“Yes, all the minor adjustments will be complete.” Emma smiled as I walked into the changing room to get dressed. I glanced at the ring Jace had given me and then at the other two rings on the same hand. I looked like I was diamond-obsessed, but fair was fair.
Kai wanted the middle finger for his black diamond arrangement. He said it was a classic fuck you to the social norms.
Avro chose my index finger, and now my hand was worth a fortune and could be used as a weapon.
I kept Jace’s on my wedding finger. It had taken the jeweler a while to get the blood off it and put it back together. My overwhelming happiness quickly fell as I pictured it coated in blood. Looking up at the mirror, I couldn’t help but turn to stare at the mark on my arm.
I ran my fingers over the area. The brand had been a firm ridge before Jace found a plastic surgeon willing to fix it. Once it was fully healed, I would get a tattoo to finish covering it up.
Dave’s face haunted me, but what I’d succumbed to haunted me more. I still remembered everything from the hours I was in Frank and Dave’s grasp, and so many times, I woke up in a cold sweat with Dave’s mangled body taunting me. I jerked my fingers away from the spot as I felt myself slipping down that hole. I hated to think about that day.
I pulled on my jeans, sneakers, and my Grimhead Crew T-shirt. Shockingly, Jace had added a small reaper to the artwork for Kai. He might be the biggest jerk of the bunch, but he could be a marshmallow that left you breathless and shocked. I turned my mind back to the ceremony next weekend.
We’d decided that I wouldn’t officially marry any of them. At least as far as the courts were concerned. But after much arguing, we decided on a fake lavish wedding for the social media sites and a promise ceremony with all three of my guys. The entire motorcycle club was invited, and Chase was handling the service. I’d seen him a few times at the clubhouse and learned almost everyone’s name. I was still scratching my head over how Chase ended up with Naomi. She was bit much and we all backed out of the room whenever she arrived.
Roach and I made up. I did end up punching him in the face and told him he would never cut me out again, but he deserved it, and luckily it made Kai laugh. I loved talking to Mannix. He was a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that touched my heart. Kai told me that Mannix helped protect him in prison, and I’d forever be grateful to him for that.
Kai was still just as broody and domineering as he always was, but it had shifted. He was relaxed at home, loved to cuddle, and was letting me in on some of the shit he never shared with me before. He joked around with Avro and seemed to enjoy the constant banter with Jace. I still didn’t want to know what he did as an enforcer. It was probably wrong of me to turn the other cheek and ignore it, but so did all the other wives. It was a conscious choice we all needed to make. If I wanted to be with him, I needed to decide what was more important to me, and it always came back to the same answer. I loved Kai more than I cared about my moral compass or my soul after I was dead.
We’d finally gotten Avro to cave and talked into selling his place, and now we were all chipping in to revamp a mansion where all of us could live. It was best to have neutral ground to start fresh and build new memories. I thought it might break his heart since he’d worked so hard to buy it, but since we found the ideal location and he was helping with the remodeling and interior design of the new house, he came around. Of course, we all knew everything was going to be overly labeled.
I’d decided to go back to school rather than work at Eclipse. It was never my dream job. I loved it there because of Avro. He decided he couldn’t go back once he got the all-clear, especially with the world knowing he and Jace were involved. Avro shocked me by deciding to be the band’s new manager. No one was more suited, with his organization, ability to tell people no—and still sound like it was a maybe—to talk his way into venues for performances, and come up with fun photo-ops and stunts for the band’s social media. You’ve never seen someone more protective, and he kept a tight hold and eye over Jace’s finances to make sure no one was taking advantage of him or the band. It was the perfect match, and Jace seemed calmer. His newest songs were all at the top of the charts, and he was home more than ever.
I had to do some serious self-reflection to understand what really made me happy. I wanted to help people, specifically those traumatized or in the system. I had firsthand knowledge of the struggles, and if I could help even one person, that was what I wanted to do. What that job looked like was still undetermined, but it felt right.
Jace and Kai were scaring me. I wasn’t sure I liked them getting along. They still sniped at one another and would take every opportunity to piss the other off, but I never felt like it would turn into a fight like it did before. There was an underlying respect now that wasn’t there previously.
I grabbed my purse and other bags from the mall and walked out to the front of the store.
“See you next week Emma,” I called out.
“See you later, Raine.”
I shouldered open the door and did the usual sweep of my surroundings. It always felt like I was still being watched. I was kidnapped twice and almost saw Jace killed, so I found myself looking over my shoulder again, and I hated it. Kai kept telling me it was normal. Avro told me to give myself a break. Jace…well Jace was always pushing me emotionally. But I still had the fear that Frank was hidden around every corner.
Avro was finally walking and working out now. He’d offered to come with me today, but I didn’t want him to see the dress and all the other purchases, like their gifts, I’d gotten for the ceremony.
Stuffing all the bags in the trunk, I wandered around the car and hopped into the driver’s seat. I couldn’t figure out why I’d waited so long to get my driver’s license. The feeling of freedom it brought was undeniable. Something thumped as I pulled out of the parking spot, and I jumped. I looked in the back seat, my heart racing, only to find that it was the container of windshield wash I’d picked up earlier and forgot was there.
“Shit, I meant to put you in,” I said to the blue liquid as I tried to tame my racing heart. My teeth ground together, the anger seeping in. Whenever I jumped like a scared rabbit, I was angry afterward. Smacking the steering wheel, I finished pulling out and drove to the exit.
“I need to find a way to get over this.”
I got over jumping at my shadow once, and I wouldn’t let what happened at the ranch hold me back or keep me scared. He didn’t get that kind of power.
My cell phone rang, and I hit the answer button, a smile already on my face at the sight of Jace’s name.
“Hey there,” I answered. “All okay?”
“Define okay,” Jace said as something crashed in the background. I could clearly hear Avro and Kai yelling at one another.
“Oh shit. I thought we were past all this. What’s wrong?” My heart sank thinking they would be on bad terms for the ceremony.
“Let’s just say I’m never agreeing to us doing any of the final renovations again. These two can’t make their mind up about anything, and now the brand-new faucets don’t work. Avro is blaming Kai ‘cause he bought them on clearance, and…anyway. I know it’s a lot to ask, but just to keep world war three from breaking out in here, can you please go and pick up a couple of new sets for the bathrooms?”
“I swear to god, Kai, you never listen!” Avro yelled, and I cringed. Avro never yelled, which meant he had to be pretty fired up.
“Yeah, of course, I’ll head to the hardware store close to home. I’ll get there before they close for the night.” I glanced at the time, knowing I’d be cutting it close since they closed at six, and it was already almost five, but I flicked on the turn signal and headed that way.
“Thanks, I’ll keep them from killing each other. Fucking children.” Jace hung up the phone, and once more, it was like the world had turned upside down. When had Jace become the calm one, and Avro and Kai argued? Men…
“Are you kidding me?” I grumbled when I saw the yellow caution tape blocking off a huge section of the parking lot for repaving. Of course, it was crazy busy, and I found a single parking spot around the corner of the building. “Unbelievable,” I said as I pulled into the lone spot at the end.
Sighing, I got out and did my usual sweep for the boogeyman, but there was only the sound of workers, birds, and cars on the road—no sign of any monsters lurking.
It took forever to find and match the right faucets to the images that Jace sent. I swear it was like they were hidden on purpose. Then I ended up stuck in a massive line to check out, and I swear if I got to the front and they said they were now closed, it wouldn’t just be Avro going postal.
Bags in hand, I marched for the car. Food was next on my list. The old kitchen was ripped out, and we still had weeks to go before it was functioning again, so I was picking up pizza. I still hadn’t found as good of a spot near us as Terry’s, but Jace was begging to invest in an expansion. He might get Terry to cave, which was amazing and dangerous. The last thing I needed was a pizza place I could eat at every day within walking distance from the new property.
My phone rang as I got to the trunk of my car, and I stuffed my hand in my pocket. It was like a trap as the rings caught, and I couldn’t get my hand back out. The gates to the back of the store opened, and I glanced over my shoulder as a large cube truck left with product.
I didn’t hear the other vehicle coming up until the whir and bang of a sliding door opening made me jump. I turned around just as gloved hands grabbed me.
“Ah!” I screamed as I was whipped off my feet. I pulled on my hand but still couldn’t get it free, and my other hand was weighed down by the plastic bags around my wrist. “Let go of me,” I managed to yell as I was tossed in the back of the van. The door slammed shut, leaving me in complete darkness inside the windowless box.
No, this couldn’t be happening again. How fucking unlucky can one person be? I rolled to the end of the van and banged into the back, the faucets banging into me as the van peeled out. The loud squealing of the tires and the rough bump and sharp turn told me we’d just pulled out on the main road.
I’d handcuffed myself.
This was unbelievable.
I was always so careful.
Shaking out my wrist, I got the bags off and then fought with my pocket to free my hand and the cell phone I was after in the first place.
Jumping to my feet, I stumbled from side to side but made my way to the front and banged as hard as I could.
“Frank! Let me out of here,” I screamed. Unlocking the phone, I tried Kai first, but it just beeped busy. How the hell was that possible? I tried Jace, and the same thing happened. “Fuck,” I mumbled under my breath.
Bang, bang, bang.
“The Lost Souls will hunt you down and kill you! You’re a dead man.”
Bang, bang, bang.
There was no response other than to turn a corner so fast that I fell to my knees.
“Dammit,” I growled with the sudden impact, which was more disorienting than painful. I tried the phone again, including 911, and nothing worked. Could this guy really have a cell jammer? What the fuck? I seriously wanted to know how I managed to piss this guy off so fucking much. He’d tortured me twice now and was aiming for round three.
Standing, I tried hollering again. “Snake will rip your fucking balls off your body while you’re still breathing. Let me out of here!”
It was no use. There was zero response, and I was wasting my energy. The vehicle drove on, even when I hit the walls and screamed like a banshee. My throat and fists were sore. The fear that hadn’t hit at first with the anger flowing became a crippling terror that wanted me to curl up in a corner and cry.
I tried to figure out where I was taken, but as the ride dragged on, I lost track of the turns and how much time went by. My thumb ran over the rings, and I let myself have a moment to think about Kai, Jace, and Avro. Our worlds were all so different, our traumas significant and fears just as great. Yet we managed to come together and became a unit that worked.
I wiped away the tears running down my cheeks. I wasn’t giving up. Frank had taken too much from me, and there was no way that I was letting him take anything else. Even sitting, I braced myself so I didn’t fall over as the van turned sharply and began driving over a rough road. We were going slowly now. It felt like an unmaintained service road or a really long driveway.
We had to be getting closer, and my pulse spiked, the blood pumping through my veins as I pictured the fight I would have when those doors opened.
The van made a wide sweeping turn and then started to back up. The sound of the reverse alarm was loud inside the empty cargo area. I got ready to spring the moment the sliding door opened. Thump, thump, thump was all I heard as the van shut off and doors on the other side of the dividing wall opened and closed. I listened hard, trying to track their movements, but I was startled when the back doors suddenly opened.
The setting sunlight poured into the back half of the van, but no one charged in to grab me. I didn’t know which was worse. If someone had rushed in, I was prepared to fight, but all the hair stood on the back of my neck, and a cold dread raced down my spine as everything remained quiet.
