REAPER: Death Row Shooters MC, page 7
Her eyes met mine and we stood there, seething at one another. I couldn’t help but notice how she’d matured, taken on a womanly air that tightened my loins for her. I fucking wanted her with every fiber of being. “You want to take your life for this shit. Do it. And I’ll bury you. But your grave will be next to mine. Six feet below this goddamn place.”
“You’re crazy!”
“Damn fucking straight I am. I am not the boy that left you that night. I’m the man who promised I’d return for you. I kept my fucking promise and now you want to shit on that. You’ve got a lot to learn little girl if you think I’m gonna let you tear my heart out and stomp on it. You want to know what pain is? Live in my fucking shoes for the last six years and you’ll know what it means to suffocate in blood, in battle, in me!”
“Ryan! Ryan!” She yelled as I slammed the door shut behind me and locked it. She wanted to act this way, like a fucking child, then I couldn’t trust her, and I’d keep her here until she learned that there was no leaving the Reaper. He had his eyes on her soul, and the only way of escape was through death, both hers and mine.
9
Cecilia
Before I could react, he reached for the door, looked back at me, those damn eyes condemning me as he slammed it shut. When I heard the lock turn I realized what he’d done. Running to the door, I tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Ryan! Ryan goddamn you!” I slammed my fists on the heavy door frame, but it was too heavy, too thick.
I turned, staring out the balcony window, but it was too high for me to jump.
He locked me in here.
My breaths came out ragged, my lungs tightening. I grabbed onto my chest as the panic started to form.
How could he lock me in?
Didn’t he know?
God, didn’t he know?
My body was drenched in sweat as I slid to the floor, trembling uncontrollably. I was having a panic attack, one I hadn’t felt in years. I screamed. I screamed as my chest constricted, as my heart seemed to leap into my throat. I screamed knowing no one would hear me. And just as I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, darkness and emptiness surrounded me.
* * *
Nine years ago…
“Where are you off too?”
My father’s voice echoed in the empty hallway. He always seemed to appear out of nowhere. I didn’t know him all that well, so I was still uncomfortable being near him. I had been brought up by my grandmother, and although I’d heard of him, I never met him until the funeral.
“And what are you wearing?”
I looked down at my white button-down shirt and blue and gray plaid skirt. “M-my school uniform?”
“You look like one of the whores in those titty bars.”
I gasped, shocked that he’d talk to me in that way. My grandmother had brought me up to be a good girl, she’d even paid for me to go to private Catholic school because she always said she wanted the best education for me. My father was the complete opposite. He was a mangy creature from another planet.
From the moment I stepped into the Death Row Shooters clubhouse I knew this wasn’t a place I wanted to be. But I had no choice. When grandma collapsed a few months ago I thought I could handle things myself, and I did for a while, until the money dwindled, and the hospital bills piled up. When she passed there was nothing else to do but to call a man I never knew.
She’d given me his name and number on her death bed. She’d told me he was the one to call if anything happened, he owed her that and so much more. So here I was, in his territory, and I hated every second of it.
“Come here,” he grumbled, and I hesitated for a moment before approaching him.
I bit my cheek and clenched my fists as he ran his hands down my arms and twirled me around, playing with the hem of my skirt. “You have a tight little ass and great tits, maybe I’ll put you to work at the bar.”
I moved away from his hand that was running up my thigh. I hated the way he touched me, like he had a right over me, or like I was his property. I hated him.
“What? You don’t like my hands on you, little girl. You better get used to men like me touching on you. The boys here don’t play around. A sweet little pussy like yours could sell real good.”
I clutched my skirt and took a step back. He gripped my wrist and I pulled back trying to get away. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
“I’m just going to school.”
“You don’t need to go to school. I’ll show you how to make good money.”
“No! Please,” I sobbed as he dragged me toward him.
“You talkin’ back to me, girl?”
I shook my head, afraid to say anything that would aggravate him. “I can see it in those damn eyes. You lookin’ down on me. You remember one thing,” his grip on my chin was brutal. “I’m still your fucking father!”
Tears fell down my face as he dragged me towards him. “Please. Please, I just want to go to school.”
I looked back at my bookbag lying on the hallway floor, the door was there. It was right there. I pulled on his arm, but he gripped me tighter making me yelp out in pain.
“You need to learn discipline! I’ll teach you what obedience means when you’re under my roof.”
“Please, Mario, please.”
He turned, fury in his eyes. Snarling he leaned over me and I cowered. “I fucking gave you life, you call me Father, Dad, Sir, but you will not disrespect me!”
I flinched as he raised his hand, clenching it into a fist, before he lowered it and continued to drag me towards the back of the bar. He opened a door at the very back and threw me inside.
“Maybe this will teach you not to disrespect the President of the Death Row Shooters!”
He slammed the door shut and locked the door.
“No! Mari-Dad! Dad, please!”
It didn’t matter what I said, he didn’t come back. I searched the walls for a light switch, but there was none. It was pitch black and it smelled like mildew. In the silence I heard scuffling and then the squeal of a rat and I screamed. I was so damn scared I couldn’t breathe. I’d never been mistreated in my life, always loved by my grandmother, respected by my teachers. I didn’t understand why he would do this to me. I kicked at the door, I banged on it, and I yelled until I collapsed on the floor. I was tired, broken, my throat dry, my voice gone.
I fell asleep and was woken up by the sound of music, the base pounding through the door. It took me a moment to remember where I was, and then I felt something on my thigh. I screamed as I brushed it away and grabbing onto the doorknob, I staggered back up. I kicked at the door and yelled, but it was of no use. With the music swallowing my screams, no one could hear me.
The only stream of light came from beneath the door and once again I tried getting around the room, but I kept bumping into things, and still I couldn’t find a switch. Feeling worn out I went back to the door, trying to scream for help but my voice was gone. In its place came silent cries as I slid back down to the floor. I curled myself against the door and cried until I couldn’t anymore.
Slowly wariness engulfed me, and I lay my head down where the light streamed in and let darkness come. Voices stirred me awake and I had no idea what time it was. But the voices came closer, they became clearer, until they were right on the other side of the door. I pressed my ear to the door to listen.
“Yeah well, I don’t know if I can trust any of these fuckers in here.”
“Have you seen his daughter? How is that little girl associated with that beast?”
“She must have taken after her mother. Poor thing, I heard she’s shaken up bad.”
Who was that?
“I don’t think she’s gonna survive this place.”
That voice was so familiar. What was his name?
“I know you like her man, but just be careful, you don’t fuck around with the Prez’s daughter.”
“She’s fifteen!”
The other man chuckled, and I remembered who he was. His name was Ryan Turner. I’d met him a few days ago when I was introduced to all the members. I remember I liked his eyes. He had nice eyes, and they didn’t look at me like a piece of meat. He always treated me kindly. He was a good man. I had to believe that. I banged and kicked at the door. I had no energy or no voice, but I had to get out. I needed help. I needed his help.
“Shhh, you hear that?” The deeper voice got closer.
“What the hell is that?”
I banged harder at the door, shaking the door knob. “What the fuck is that?”
His voice was right there, in my ear, and I shook the door knob again hoping and praying that they’d open the door.
“Is there someone in there?” His voice was at the crack of the door and I whispered his name. “There’s someone in there, Ash.”
“Stand back,” the deeper voice spoke, but as he tried to yank the door open, it wouldn’t budge.
I looked down at the doorknob and continued to pound on the door, faster this time. Knocking on it.
“Fuck!” I heard banging and the doorknob rattled until it dropped heavily onto the floor by my feet. The door swung open and I fell out, right into his arms.
“Oh shit,” he uttered, holding me tight. “What are you doing here, pretty girl?”
My eyes met his, his voice gentle. I tried talking, but I could barely whisper. He got down to his knees, cradling me. “Get her some water!” He yelled out at the other man who stood near us. I barely glanced at him while I looked at my savior.
“Hey, Firefly,” he whispered, pressing a gentle hand to my cheek. He reached up and reached for the glass, pressing it to my lips.
“How long has she been in there?” The man, Ash was his name, crouched down next to us.
“I don’t know but maybe we should take her to see a doctor. She looks bad.”
I gulped down the water and he held it away. “Slow down, Angel. Not too fast.” Pressing it to my lips again he let me drink, and I couldn’t help but stare into his eyes. He felt so safe, so warm.
“Who locked you up in there, Cecilia?”
I turned to look at Ash. “Mario,” I croaked, coughing slightly.
“Motherfucker,” Ryan whispered angrily.
He lifted me into his arms and started walking out the door. I was glad for that because there was no way I was going to be able to walk. I gripped onto his leather collar, afraid I was going to faint.
He sat me down in the back seat of the truck and shut the door. Instantly I started to feel constricted again, but then the doors opened, Ash slid into the front seat of the truck and Ryan slid in next to me, dragging me by his side.
He slid his hand along my forehead and I calmed at his touch. “Sleep firefly. I got you. Sleep.”
Closing my eyes, I let sleep take me over. When I woke up, I was in the hospital, diagnosed with dehydration and malnutrition. I was put on an IV and told that I needed to stay overnight. I lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling. I was left alone in the room while Ryan and Ash went to go get some food. I smiled when I thought of Ryan. He didn’t want to leave my side, but I told him he had to go eat. Ash dragged him out winking at me as he shut the door.
Tears fell down my cheeks as I remembered the darkness of that old storage closet. There were rats in that space and the doctors checked me for any bites or scratch marks. I did have a few on my thighs and they had to test me for rabies. This is where I had fallen, and there didn’t seem to be much escape.
Ryan walked in and he furrowed his brow as he was followed by two police officers. He stepped to my side and slid his hand into mine. “The police want to talk to you, Cecilia.”
I looked up at him and he just squeezed my hand. “Just tell them the truth,” he whispered.
But what was the truth? That my father had locked me in an old abandoned storage closet and forgotten about me. I stared up at Ryan and he nodded while the officer asked his questions.
“Can you tell us what happened to you, Miss Cepeda?”
My grandmother always taught me that family comes first. That we needed to protect each other. I was at a crossroads and I chose the path I shouldn’t have.
“I locked myself into a closet and Ryan found me.”
Both the officer and Ryan looked down on me and Ryan leaned in. “Are you sure, Firefly?”
I nodded. “Yes, I was looking for something and forgot that the door locked on its own. I was in there for at least twenty-four hours.”
I avoided Ryan’s eyes because I knew what they were saying. Coward.
The officer took the rest of the statement and left. Ryan paced back in forth in front of my bed, he’d look at me like he was about to say something, and then he’d continue to pace. He finally stopped and propped his fists on the foot of the bed.
“Why?”
I bit my trembling lip, tears forming in my eyes. “He’s all I have left, Ryan.”
He shook his head. “He treats you like shit!”
“But he’s all I have left,” I sobbed, and he came over to me, hugging me and holding me tight.
“I can be someone for you, Firefly. You can lean on me whenever you need to.”
His sincerity warmed my heart and I clung to that feeling, something I hadn’t felt since my grandmother died. This was only the beginning of my turmoil with my father, if I wouldn’t have been so naïve, but I was a little girl who needed love and thought this was the only way to go.
10
Ryan
Present day…
Digger, my main Enforcer, sat in an old brown leather chair against the far back wall. Christopher Digger Schield, had been voted in a few years back when we were just starting out. An ex-marine, brutal as fuck, and we found out quick that he was a good man to have at your back when shit went down. Especially when he saved my life on our first ride. He was savvy in all types of weapons combat and was in charge of training new prospects and the rest of the Patches who wanted to learn. Every once in a while, he was useful in doing other shit around this place. At this particular moment, he was sitting there, playing with a razor blade, removing black paint from beneath his fingertips. He’d been painting the sign outside for The Den earlier this morning.
“Hey man, I told you to paint the sign, not to paint yourself.”
“You have no idea what the fuck happened to me.”
I shook my head and smirked. “Looks like you got the bucket of paint dumped all over you.”
He narrowed his eyes on me and I chuckled as Ash walked in slapping me on the back and taking a seat beside Digger. “What the fuck happened to you?”
“Fell on his ass outside,” Poet muttered as he sauntered in with Crow. Max Sinclair, better known as Crow, was an edgy motherfucker. He’d also been part of the Devil’s Syndicate a few years back. According to him, they’d done him wrong, and he wanted out. So when he knocked on the Death Row Shooters door we had to make sure he wouldn’t turn his back on us like he did the Syndicate. A couple years back we had some issues with Tuco Moreno, and he took a shot for me. Two days later he was voted in as our new Tail Gunner.
In the opposite end of the room stood the Vindicator. Jayce Williams, the Death Row Shooters Chaplain was an emotionless, hard headed son of a bitch, but he was one of my most trusted members and friends. Although we argued all the time, he always gave sage advice and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him, Poe & Ash. He was the old Chaplain, friend to Nate, he’d left when Nate died. In order to make the Death Row Shooters what they were, I needed him by my side, and he was happy to return the help.
“What did you find out?”
Ash leaned forward and arched a brow. “You’re not gonna like what I have to say.”
“Just fuckin’ say it.”
“There’s some serious shit going down on the docks. Large fucking shipments coming in from China. I don’t think word has gotten around as to who owns those docks.”
“Sex trafficking?” I asked, wary of the answer.
Poe shook his head. “Not women, but they’re trafficking some big money items. Stolen goods.”
“Does Wolf know about this?”
“Not unless Riggs was around and I haven’t seen him for a few days.”
“Good. I don’t want the Hellbound Lovers knowing our shit. I’ve already paid my debt, I don’t want them prying in Death Row Shooters business.”
“If this continues it will be hard to keep anything from them, but I’ll try to do as you say.”
I nodded. “What else?”
“We tracked one of the men down. Guess where he went?”
I thought for a minute and smiled. “Ravenous?”
Ash shook his head. “Closer.”
I looked from Ash to Poe and then slapped my knee. “Unbelievable! My Den.”
They both nodded. Poe stepped further into the room. “I sent one of the girls to spy on him.”
“Who?”
“You ain’t gonna like what I’m about to say, Prez.”
“Who?”
“Brandy.”
I narrowed my eyes on him and heard Jayce shift behind me. “Are you kidding me? Do you not know who that girl is?”
Poe nodded. “I know, but they took a liking to her. She was the only one who could get in their heads.”
“I’ll fucking kill you, man.”
I slammed the back of my hand against Jayce’s chest, stopping him from pummeling down on Poe. He wasn’t gonna win and we both knew it. He had a soft spot for the girl, and I couldn’t blame him. Sweet tight ass, young, and she was dancing on our stages, but she had a dark past. Her husband was an ex-cop, a crooked son of a bitch, and when she came to the Chaplain he couldn’t refuse her a job. She was under his protection, the fact that Poe had used her was not in his favor.
“She’s fine, Brother. You’ve got a good one there. She knows how to work it hard and she got what we needed.”
