Chapter 15 – Sasha
“Hey, Acid,” a deep and familiar voice rumbled just as Hector yanked my body cruelly by the hair to my feet.
Hector already slapped me for my disrespect but the fire in his eyes proved it had turned him on too. I was certain he planned to make me suffer and I could see it in his hungry and malicious gaze.
My head whipped up at the sound of Bodie’s voice and a small whimper left my throat as he sauntered through the door followed by Grim, Hannibal, and a new guy I didn’t recognize. They were all Royal Bastards. There was no denying that fact since all of them looked like dead men walking. Dark hallowed out eye sockets, pale faces, blackened noses, and macabre teeth that looked like they could rip apart flesh without much effort. Each man’s eyes glowed with a feral and sinister gleam.
Trish screamed as I sucked in a breath, shocked to find Bodie and the others the same as the night they took that Devil’s Ride. Since I had seen it once already, I wasn’t as shocked. But in the light of day it was decidedly freaky. A part of me couldn’t help feeling scared even when I knew Bodie and the others wouldn’t harm me.
Hector dragged my body away from Bodie as his upper lip curled into a snarl. “You like this female?”
I hadn’t realized we were close to the window until Hector shoved me close to the sharp, jagged shards with a gloved fist. I fought him but only ended up closer to be sliced as he pushed my neck up to one of the largest pieces. Gulping, I didn’t dare move.
“You’re making a terrible mistake.”
I heard Grim talking to Acid and then a scuffle, but I couldn’t focus on anything but Bodie’s wild eyes. One moment he was staring at Hector with a vicious hatred that churned my stomach and the next he was surging forward so fast I blinked and missed his entire approach. I ended
up on the floor and scrambled away from the window as Hector released me and Bodie pinned Hector up against the wall.
“Who are you?”
“El maestro, cabrón.”
Bodie’s hands tightened around Hector’s throat as I felt a hand clamp down on my ankle. Screaming, I turned to find Zook pulling me toward him with a determined sneer. Kicking my legs, I managed to get free but wasn’t able to fight him off completely. He was on top of me fast, his hand landing on my cheek so hard that when it connected my ears rang and my blood pulsed through my head, causing my body to weaken and my vision to tunnel.
Through my disoriented view, I heard Bodie yell and then another scuffle before Hector cried out and a loud thud could be heard outside the window as something heavy hit the ground. The fight around me grew vicious and I heard the sounds that confirmed fists punching bodies and several gunshots. Cries of horror and rage mingled with screams of pure terror. One ended with a funny gurgling sound seconds before a body landed next to me on the ground. Zook’s lifeless eyes stared up at the white crackled ceiling.
Looking around the suddenly silent room, I gasped.
The Royal Bastards MC were the only men still standing.
Each of the bikers stood in front of their enemy, opening their fists as a swirling wind blew into the room. The exact opposite of what I expected, the air was scorching hot and filled with lingering flames that flickered up and down their arms just like the Devil’s Ride and their motorcycles in the desert. Lifting up through the dead bodies of Acid, Zook, Dawg, and a few others, a filmy version of their spirit or soul appeared.
My mouth gaped open wide as I watched the souls of these Scorpions crying out in silent pain. Their expressions of agony and torture were almost too much to witness. My head throbbed as I blinked rapidly and stared with disbelief. Each of the Royal Bastards seemed to be holding a scythe or sickle that shimmered in the light, not quite real but not only a mirage. I had the distinct feeling that if they desired, they could cut these souls down and the souls would be gone forever.
That isn’t what happened.
The souls were gathered into a small group as the Reapers moved in as one. Tossing their scythes to the ground, they each released a primitive war cry and lunged forward, ripping and tearing into the gossamer spirits with vicious and delighted growls. The souls ended up in hundreds of pieces, drifting around in the air like someone had torn a fluffy cotton ball apart and dipped it in light blue glitter.
The ground beneath our feet rumbled as a huge fissure opened in the center of the room. I scrambled back against the wall, searching for Trish but she was unconscious, Grim standing guard in front of her as his eyes focused on the hissing sounds and roaring flames that shot up from below ground. I vaguely realized Bodie had moved in my direction as the torn pieces of the Scorpion souls were gathered up in a gust of hot air and sucked into the fissure. After a few seconds, nothing remained. The hole began to slowly close as I felt Bodie scoop my weak body into his arms.
“I have you, Sasha.”
Warm, soft lips pressed to my injured cheek as he held me tighter.
“I’ll always protect you.”
Eyes fluttering from fatigue and the combination of my injury, I let them close as darkness enveloped me in a tender and soothing embrace.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’re going home.”
Bodie
SASHA HADN’T SAID MUCH since we returned to the Crossroads. It had been two days, and in that time, we’d barely spoken. I gave up my room to her and Trish as a peace offering and also to keep Grim from losing his shit. Trish wasn’t speaking to him either. The silence was killing us both.
Nearly half the Scorpions had been wiped out during our attack, but a good number had been at the Scorpions clubhouse and others had been running production at their other warehouses. I wasn’t stupid enough to think we’d done that much damage since the Scorpions had chapters all over the country just like we did. They weren’t easily defeated.
But that was a problem for another day.