Looking up from the floor, I spotted several men before me, all grinning as they rubbed themselves, eager to get their rocks off. Scurrying fast, I stopped when my back hit the wall. It was hard and cold, and I didn’t care.
“Gentlemen, may I introduce Remi,” the same man from the plane began. I knew him. I’d seen him before on television. He was important. A big name around the world. He devoted his life to his philanthropic work, helping others who couldn’t help themselves. He was a genius when it came to his business. People of power sought his support and guidance. He was loved by many around the world. This man wasn’t supposed to be here. “A favorite of Mr. Reynolds but has since whored herself out to the masses. Therefore, she is of no more use to him. She will be shipped off in two weeks, so enjoy her while you can.”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked timidly. Scared, not caring if I could speak or not. “You are supposed to help people like me.”
The man knelt before me and smiled. “You are right, Remi. I do help people. People I feel who deserve my attention. You, however, are not one of those people. You sullied yourself, and all I can do now is make what little I can off you.”
“Where is Darrin?”
“Oh, he was needed at home. His wife has gotten it in her head that she doesn’t need him anymore.”
“I didn’t know he was married.”
The man smiled. “Remi, we all have a place in this life. Mine is to rid the world of the lesser, the meek, the vulnerable. To accommodate the power with their specific needs. You, however, are not important anymore.” He finished, getting to his feet.
“What will the world say when they find out about you?”
The man grinned before leaving me alone with five men. “They will never find out.”
As the door shut, my screams were heard throughout the halls of the hell I was in.
Hours, days, weeks later, I didn’t know anymore. I woke to find myself in another room. Somewhere different. This time there were no windows. I could see feet moving around outside my hell and hear men talking. My body wasn’t being used anymore, and I was thankful for that. Apparently, I was too skinny. I always had a hard time gaining weight, but I didn’t understand what they were talking about. The last time I was taken, I was beaten because they said I looked like a corpse. I wanted to smile at that, but I didn’t. Instead, I just laid there. When they were finished, I was beaten till I blacked out. I didn’t feel anything anymore. Not the heat of the day or the coolness of the night. My appetite was gone. I couldn’t remember the last time I had food. The sores on my body looked infected, but there was no pain.
Nothing.
Closing my eyes, I drifted off into what I was…nothing.
TWENTY-THREE
REAPER
The sun was just beginning to rise as we all spread out over the wet bogy area. The air was so thick, suffocating, I found it hard to breathe. The moisture and the heat of the morning was unbearable. Sweat dripped down my forehead as my heart raced, eager to find Remi. I knew she was here somewhere on this property. I had to find her. I promised her she would be safe. I needed to keep my promise.
We each picked our targets and knew what we had to do. Bayou’s cousin, the local LEO, decided to let us go in first, stating that the Golden Skulls were our business, our problem, and he wanted no part of it. I didn’t blame the man, and I agreed with him.
This was our mess, and we were responsible for cleaning it up.
We all agreed.
The local LEO’s were standing by with fire, EMT’s and lots of volunteers. Apparently, the little town was ready to be rid of the Golden Skulls, and from what I learned and saw from the previous chapter, I didn’t blame them one bit.
I, too, wanted them gone.
The fact of the matter was that when we cleaned out the old chapter, I had given my word that the Golden Skulls would vacate the area indefinitely. Though I hadn’t told the others yet. The town had been through too much, and there was no way they would ever trust a Golden Skull again. I had made arrangements with the local sheriff and the town’s council for reparations and insisted that if they ever required us, that regardless of if we were there or not, they could call me.
Looking over at Savage, I shook my head. The man was bloodthirsty, eager to get his kill count on, his eyes locked on his target. His partner, Massacre, was too busy licking his bowie knife to notice the twitch on Savage’s neck. Following Savage’s line of sight, I sighed, seeing that he was staring at Chaos and Bullseye’s position.
Bullseye showed up early that morning with new intel that we used for what we were about to do. Though I knew he was holding something back, I decided to let him keep his secret for now. My main concern was Remi, and I couldn’t handle anything more.
Bullseye and Chaos were supposed to stay hidden in the tree lines. With their keen eyes, they were the perfect sharpshooters, the best I’d ever seen. Yet, for some reason, they were not where they were supposed to be.
Nudging Ghost, I motioned to Savage and then to Bullseye and Chaos. Ghost shrugged his shoulders just as Bullseye dashed across the open yard while Chaos took off towards the back.
Something was wrong. Going with my gut, I gave the low whistle telling the men to take out their targets as I ran after Bullseye.
As chaos descended around me, I ran as fast as I could to catch up to the former Marine. Bullseye was quick on his feet, and as I rounded the corner of the house, I skidded to a stop just as he plunged a knife into the neck of a former Golden Skull member. Chaos rounded the back of the house as Bullseye pulled his knife from the dead corpse in front of him. Before I could say a word, Chaos lifted his rifle and took out two sleepers running beyond the tree line. Bullseye and Chaos then ran into the trees after someone, leaving me there with more questions than answers.
Whatever the fuck those two assholes were up to, they worked well together, but it wasn’t getting me any closer to Remi. Turning, I headed back to the front to find total carnage. In that short amount of time, my brothers had cleaned house. Bodies littered the ground, their blood seeping into the wet grass beneath them.