Sting, page 6
“Look, I get it.” Atlas continued to turn in his seat. We couldn’t see his face, but his voice was pitched low. I suspected he was trying to be soothing, but he wasn’t built for it. Honestly, I wasn’t sure the girls needed soothing. They needed to know they had strong protectors. “You don’t know us. Right now, though, we’re the best chance you’ve got. You can’t go back to the group home, and you can’t be out on the streets. You give the men and women at Black Reign twenty-four hours. They don’t earn your trust, I’ll personally take you anywhere you want to go. No questions asked.”
“We ain’t got nowhere to go.” Monica’s voice was little more than a whisper.
“You don’t like it at Black Reign, I’ll take you back with us to Iron Tzars.” Sting’s voice was as soft as Atlas’s. It surprised me he made that offer. Which told me he was probably counting on the people at Black Reign to make things so good for them the kids didn’t want to leave. It would be easy to do. They had children of their own in the compound, and they made a tight community who welcomed others willingly.
“I want to stay wherever Iris is.” Monica hugged my middle tightly. “I promise I won’t be no trouble. Can you adopt me like you’re gonna do Jerrica?”
Sting interrupted before I could answer. I was thankful, because I had no idea what to say to the girl. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Right now, the important thing is to get you inside the Black Reign compound where it’s safe. Just hang on a little longer.”
The girls didn’t say anything, but I felt Monica nod even as she tightened her arms again. Clover didn’t even whimper. I could feel her warm breath against my neck. She had something close to a stranglehold on me, but I wasn’t about to tell her to ease up. The girl needed me. Same as the other two. Same as Jerrica.
There was no putting on seat belts, but Atlas was careful. Once we rolled inside the gates to Black Reign, he seemed to breathe easier. I know I did, and I had no idea why. Apparently, I’d come to recognize this place as a haven. The girls noticed too, because Daisy eased away from me and looked out the window. There were several men outside the building, but even more women. The wives and girlfriends of the members were out in force. They all looked anxious but waited until their men gave them the OK before surrounding the vehicle and helping the girls out.
“You ready, hellcat?” Sting helped me out of the vehicle. Jezebel took Clover who, surprisingly, went with her without a fuss. El Diablo wrapped another blanket around the little girl in his wife’s arms and brushed one big hand down her tangled hair. I looked up at Sting, tears in my eyes, and nodded.
“Did you take care of those fuckers?” I didn’t really want to know, but I needed to know. I needed to know what kind of man I was dealing with. If he’d let them go, it would break the attraction I felt for him. If he hadn’t? Well, I wasn’t sure what I’d do with that.
“We’ll talk about it later. Your sister will need you once Brick has her.”
“I thought he’d rescued her already.” My heart rate skyrocketed. “I thought she was safe.”
“By the time we get there, she will be. Let’s go.”
He led me to a motorcycle and handed me a helmet. “Put it on. When we get there you can ride with your sister. I’m sure she’ll need you as much as you need her.”
“I’m scared.” Sting would never know what that admission cost me. I wasn’t even sure why I blurted it out.
“I know, hellcat. This is where I earn your trust.” He pulled me into his arms, and I stiffened. I wasn’t used to affection, even from Jerrica. She thought she was too old for it, and maybe she was. But I craved it. I inhaled sharply. The sharp, masculine scent of sweat and gasoline should have been off-putting, but it wasn’t. It was comforting in a way it never should have been. This was a man who worked. He did what he said. He got the girls away from the warehouse, and he had men he trusted getting Jerrica. When I looked up at him, he leaned down and brushed a kiss across my lips. Just like before, it sent butterflies loose in my stomach. He didn’t do more than press his mouth to mine, but it was enough to make me crave more. The sensation was as unsettling as it was exhilarating.
When he pulled away, he looked straight into my eyes. “It’ll be OK, Iris.”
I nodded. For the first time in three months, I felt like it might be OK. That was Sting. His charisma. I wasn’t sure when I chose to believe him. It wasn’t even a conscious decision on my part. But I believed him. I was all in, putting my hopes in the hands of a man I didn’t know.
God help him if he couldn’t deliver.
God help me.
Chapter Five
Sting
“Give me a rundown.”
I sped down the road with Iris’s arms around my middle. Inappropriate as it was, my cock responded to her proximity. Filing away thoughts of my little hellcat writhing under me in pleasure for after I got her sister back, I listened through my earwig while Wylde gave me an update. It was standard equipment on an operation like this, along with a tiny microphone clipped to my shirt.
“Jerrica is the only girl in this group. Not sure if the others were already sold, or if something else happened.” Wylde sounded like he’d been through the wringer. He was good at his job, but he was in a strange place with strange people working with him. To say he didn’t play well with others was the understatement of the century.
“Best guess?”
“They’re dead. Still prudent to question those motherfuckers, though. If the girls ain’t dead, I’d like to give Black Reign a place to start lookin’ for ‘em.”
“Keep digging, Wylde. Get all the information you can. I’ll see if Brick left anyone alive to question.”
“He did. Though none of them are in good shape.”
It was another half an hour before we made it to the rendezvous point. Brick had loaded up the bad guys and tied them inside the bed of the F-250 they’d brought along. Jerrica was in the back seat, huddled under a blanket. Iris opened the door, and Jerrica launched herself at Iris and sobbed uncontrollably.
“I’m here, baby. I’m right here.” Iris was crying right along with Jerrica.
The two of them clung together, and my heart swelled. I’d kept my promise to Iris. Iris had kept her promise to Jerrica. I was sure the girl would have a lot of therapy or something to go to, but she was with her sister, and they were both safe. We’d figure out the rest.
Iris looked up at me. “Thank you, Sting. Thank you so much!”
“I’m here to slay your demons, Iris. I’ll always be here.” I could tell my words confused her. She looked over Jerrica’s head and met my gaze, questions in her lovely eyes. There was no way I could not take her in my arms, even with her sister clinging to her. So I wrapped both of them up and let them lean on me.
Iris went willingly, one arm wrapped securely around Jerrica, the other around my neck. Jerrica stiffened and pulled away from me but retained her death grip on Iris.
“It’s ok, baby.” Iris smoothed Jerrica’s matted, dirty hair away from her face. “I found him at Black Reign. They sent him and his crew after you.”
“Told you, little badger. Promised I’d take you to your sister, and here she is.” Brick stepped close and put another blanket around Jerrica’s shoulders.
The girl looked back at Brick before addressing me. “You know Brick?”
“I do. I’m with your sister too.”
She didn’t acknowledge me but gave me a solemn look. “Brick saved me.”
“We all did, honey.” Brick’s voice was gruff. “You’ve got a bunch of badass protectors now. You and your sister.”
“Did you kill ‘em?” Jerrica didn’t look scared now. She looked… fierce.
“Not yet. I promised you we would, and we will. Just want to get some information from them first.”
“You promise? I want you to kill ‘em.”
Brick nodded once at Jerrica and knelt before her. He put one hand on her shoulder. “I promise, little badger. I’ll make ‘em suffer.”
“Good.” The child swiped her arm over her face, then put her chin up and turned back to Iris. “Can we go home now?”
“Yes, baby. We’re going home.”
“Wait!” Jerrica’s eyes got wide, and she shook her head. “Not that home. I don’t wanna ever go back there!”
“You’re coming with us, Jerrica. You and your sister.” I couldn’t keep quiet any longer. The quicker Iris realized she was mine, the better.
“Back to Black Reign. Hope has been so worried about you.” Iris continued to brush off streaks of dirt and strands of matted hair away from the child’s face. “Everyone has.”
“Back to Black Reign, then we’ll talk, Iris.” I spoke softly, not wanting to alarm Jerrica into thinking I’d put her in a bad situation. “You’ll both be protected.”
Iris gave me a wide-eyed look but didn’t say anything else. I hoped she didn’t think I intended to separate them, but now wasn’t the time to discuss it. I met her gaze with a steady one of my own and hoped she understood.
I stood there, embracing both my charges. Roman pulled up in a Bronco Sport that was smaller than the one we’d used at the warehouse and a different color. I was glad to see he’d brought something for the girls to ride in, but I’d be damned if he was going to be the one to take them back.
When he got out of the vehicle, I jerked my head in the direction of my bike. Roman nodded before taking charge of it. Normally, I’d never trust someone other than perhaps Brick with my bike, but there were more important things to consider. I wasn’t leaving Iris and Jerrica with anyone. I was their protector. I’d be the one to see them back to the compound safely.
Iris and Jerrica clung together in the back seat. I noticed Iris had put her seat belt on and had pulled Jerrica’s around her hips. The younger girl clung to Iris as best she could, her slender shoulders shaking as she cried silently. Several times during the ride, I met Iris’s gaze in the rear-view mirror. Yeah, she was anxious. She kept rubbing her sister’s back over and over, murmuring softly to her. Anyone could see they loved and needed each other.
The Bronco was flanked by the three bikes. The truck was farther back. Wrath was on standby in case we had any law trouble, but the farther away we could keep the girls from anything about to happen with these fuckers the better.
We rolled into the compound and didn’t slow down. The prospects had the gate open and shut it the second we were inside. Rycks and Samson directed us to a garage at the back of the property. Iris still held Jerrica securely but looked around as we went deeper into the property.
The Black Reign road captain, Mechanic, promptly pulled every vehicle -- bike or cage -- into a garage, and several men descended on them with water and cleaning solution and lots of rags. By the time the man was finished with them, there wouldn’t be a trace of anything that could point to us, the girls, or our cargo. They’d be clean as a virgin’s honey pot.
“Nice work.” Rycks held out his hand, and I took it. “You’re welcome to be in on the interrogation if you want. This was your operation. We’ll handle the cleanup. You go as far as you want. After that, El Diablo will finish with anything left of them.”
“I got what I came for.” I nodded in the direction of Iris and Jerrica. “How are the others?”
“Skittish. Though, the one called Daisy is demanding to talk with Atlas. She said she’s not leaving Iris no matter how much she likes it here.”
“If they want to come with us, I’m good with it. Though, I’m gonna need some legal way to keep them. I won’t have social services or some shit hunting them down and trying to put them back into a group home. They don’t need the stress, and I don’t want Iron Tzars under that much scrutiny.”
“You willing to be their guardians? Because Shotgun and Wrath can make a legal adoption happen.”
“I’ll talk with Iris. If she’s good with it, I am. Ain’t got another patched member at Iron Tzars who’s married, though I can still see if a couple of them are willing to be guardians. Two of the older guys have kids around the same age, other than Clover. She’s a little young.”
“Talk to Iris. I can have them set something up ready to be executed after you get back to Evansville, but it would be better if we had it straightened out before you leave. No chance of accidents that way.”
“Understood.” I needed to get Iris and Jerrica back to their room so Iris could get the younger girl to sleep. Then she and I had some things to discuss. Not the least of which was her not trusting me and running off on her own. I fully intended to punish her for that.
“Lyric has the ol’ ladies together. They’ve got the other girls with our daughters and a few puppies.” Rycks grinned. “Nothing puts a female at ease like a puppy.”
“I’ll have Iris take Jerrica to them after Fury and Noelle check her out. The other girls get checked over?”
“Yeah. Surprisingly, other than some bruises and being a bit on the malnourished side, they’re in pretty good health. Noelle said there was no evidence of sexual assault, and all three of them deny it.”
“Thank God for small favors.” I sighed. “I can’t wait to get my hands on those motherfuckers.”
“We’re taking them to an interrogation room.” He nodded in the direction of a wooded swamp area off in the distance. “Basement room. It’s damp and not very comfortable, but it’s also damned near impossible to find unless you know what you’re looking for. Chief and Loki are waiting for them.”
“Chief? Not the Chief.”
Rycks grinned. “The one and only.”
Chief was a legend in Black Ops and in the MC community. No one really knew how old he was, or where he came from. But he was of Native descent and not someone you wanted to cross. Ever.
“Fuck me. He gonna do this?”
“Only if you want him to. He and Loki were just going to soften them up. Though, Chief says your man Brick did a beautiful job.”
“Brick isn’t the most subtle of interrogators. He was givin’ ‘em a taste of what’s in store for them.”
“One hour good? You need more time?”
“Give me two. Iris and I have some things to discuss, then I’ll be back. I’ll see what I can get out of them, then let Chief have his way with them. Ain’t really interested in much since my job was to retrieve the girls. You guys want us on the second part of the job, the shutting down the ring part, let us know. Otherwise, I’m good to head back to Evansville first thing tomorrow.”
“I assume Brick’s gonna want a part in this too?”
“Yeah. He made a promise to Jerrica. Never known the man to go back on his word.”
As if I’d summoned him, Brick stepped out of the shadows and next to us. “Promised that girl I’d make ‘em suffer.”
“Anytime you’re ready, Brick.” Rycks was all business. We could have been talking about the weather instead of having a discussion about torturing the men we had captive.
“I’ll watch while Chief goes to work. Once I’m satisfied, I’ll let him know.”
“I say God help them, but they don’t deserve any help. Do your worst, Brick. Chief will get any information he can get out of them, then you can have at ‘em.”
Brick nodded and headed to the building where Rycks had indicated they held the men. With a nod at me, Rycks followed Brick. I took a breath. Iris and I had a myriad things to discuss. First of which was the fact that she was mine, and I wasn’t letting her go. The sooner she figured that out, the better.
* * *
Iris
I found the other girls in a suite on the second floor of the center building in the compound. They were cleaned up and looking much better than when I’d found them. Clover sat in Jezebel’s lap with a fuzzy blanket, quietly watching while the other girls giggled around a table. They’d set it up with basins of water, washcloths and towels and various face creams including scrubs and masks, as well as a big case of high-end makeup.
Two enormous Saint Bernards sat on the floor watching everything around the girls. Every so often someone would reach over and scratch the head of one of the dogs. When she stopped, the dog would simply move to another girl at the table until someone started petting her again.
Every woman in the room I’d met at the Christmas party the month before. Some were married to men in the club, while others were their children. Dawn was Jezebel and El Diablo’s daughter. She seemed to be the ringleader of the bunch, encouraging the young women in the group to try various things. It wouldn’t have been something I’d have chosen to do, but everyone was all smiles, seeming to enjoy themselves.
Clover looked up at me and smiled. She pointed to the table.
“Hi, sweetie. No, I don’t think I’ll join, but Jerrica might want to.”
Clover nodded vigorously and climbed down from Jezebel’s lap, going to Jerrica and taking her hand with a pleading look. Jerrica looked back at me.
“Up to you, honey. Do you want to take a shower first?”
Jerrica nodded, squeezing Clover’s hand. “I’ll be right back. OK?” That was my sister. She was always looking out for those smaller than her. Clover in particular had taken up with Jerrica the last few months. Instead of letting Jerrica go do her thing, Clover kept hold of her hand as Jerrica went to the bathroom.
“You can stay with me if you want, Clover.” I wanted my sister to have some privacy. I figured she needed it.
“It’s OK. I don’t mind if she stays with me.” Jerrica saw the blanket Clover had been holding and picked it up, handing it to the younger child. Clover took it and rubbed the thing against her face with a smile. The blanket was obviously a source of comfort.
“Do you want me to go with you, honey? I can watch Clover while you shower.”
“We’ll be OK.” She smiled down at Clover. “Won’t we, kiddo?”
Clover smiled and wrapped her arms around Jerrica’s middle in a fierce hug. Jerrica kissed the top of Clover’s head.
“I’ve put some clothes on the vanity for you, Jerrica.” Jezebel spoke softly. The girls at the table continued to do their thing. All of them acknowledged Jerrica’s presence with waves but didn’t stop what they were doing. Monica kept glancing at us but didn’t offer to welcome Jerrica into their group even though they’d been friends before. I figured it was a mixture of uncertainty and knowing Jerrica had been gone far longer than any of them. They likely had no idea what to do or what to say to their friend.
