“And?”
“She came here beaten and terrified, barely conscious, begging to be let in. I brought her inside before we opened the bar, called Doc, and he assessed her wounds. She’d been abducted, ready to be sold into human trafficking. She fought and escaped, only to make it here and she recognized this place after running about two miles.”
“Ay, Dios mio.”
“Yes, I know. The bastard had the nerve to come in here looking for her. I sent him on his way, but at the time, I had no one to protect her or who knew what happened, so I didn’t kill him outright. I wish I did.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know. The men don’t have time to keep tabs on him outside the town limits. There’s enough trouble around here to keep them busy, but if he comes back, there will be hell to pay. The thing is… she’s been reported missing. She was snatched up preparing for her cousin’s wedding and had missed the wedding completely that day.”
“They’ve been looking for her for two days now. I’ve had her here for a full two days and she’s improving, but I’m too worried to trust anyone with her safety. I don’t know who set her up, and she doesn’t either.”
“Oh no. The poor girl. Can I meet her?”
“Sure. I don’t live up there, but I stay there sometimes or I let people stay if it gets too late, so she’s the only one except for those keeping an eye on her.”
He leads me up the stairs and unlocks the door to see the young woman flinch backward on the bed and then relax. “Shit. I’m sorry. I should have knocked first.”
“No. It’s your place. Sorry. I don’t mean to be so damn skittish.” Tears fill my eyes just looking at the unfortunate thing. It’s clear she’s been through hell. There is a cream on her wrists, but you can see where the rope burns were. She’s wearing clean women’s clothes, but I’m guessing one of the several Steele Riders’ women have brought her something to wear while she’s here.
“Sorry, this is my wife-to-be, Esperanza.”
“I remember you. I’m still sorry about that bitch.”
“It’s okay. All that matters is that you get better and we get you back to your family safely. I’m sure they’re worried about you.”
“My cousin, yes. She’s probably frantic, but I know the others had a part to play in what happened. I don’t remember much except that…”
A loud commotion erupts downstairs. “Where the fuck is she? I know she’s here.”
“Dylan.”
Boss runs straight down the stairs. I follow behind, and so does the little thing on the bed. I protect her, though, because I have a feeling a fight is going to happen.
“Where is she?”
“You can’t come in here acting like you own this place.”
“I’ll buy this place and have it shut the fuck down in a heartbeat if you don’t tell me where she is.”
“You can try, boy, but that shit won’t happen.” I look between the two men, and I’m stunned. A gasp echoes through the room, and Anthony is the first to open his big mouth.
“Holy fuck, Boss. It’s like looking at you the day we met.”
Chapter Seven
Boss
Blade’s right. I’m staring at the man who wants me dead, and I see myself twenty years younger looking right at me with a fierce, fiery determination. Then his eyes look past me at the young girl on the steps.
“You put your filthy hands on her, and I’m going to kill your ass like you deserve, you sick fuck,” he roars at me, charging forward. He goes to swing at me. His men come around to attack, but the Riders are there as well.
“Dylan, no,” Harley cries out. It’s as if that’s the only thing that calms the burning rage inside his eyes. “He rescued me.”
“Rescued you or not—he’s the monster that gave me life.” This guy has lost his mind.
Everyone around the room looks in pure, stunned awe, including me. He lunges at me again, and I’m too shocked to even move and he clocks me in the jaw. I fall back, and Blade has him pinned. My men and his have everyone separated, but I’m a bit fuzzy at the moment. I’m trying to process it all.
“Enough.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Boomer roars. “I’ll kill you easily. I want answers, and that’s the only reason you’re still breathing. You walked into the wrong place, assaulting one of the best men I’ve ever known.”
“Best men? Ha. He raped my birth mother. He’s a pig,” he spits out with a busted lip.
“He would do no such thing,” Blade shouts first, followed by several calls of agreement. They know me better than anyone else.
I wipe the blood from my lip as I take a seat in one of the chairs at a table nearby, grunting, I say, “My boys are right. I wouldn’t do something like that and I sure as fuck didn’t do anything so fucking twisted.”