Terrified, I watched him walk toward the small desk across the room. He picked up a cloth then crossed the distance between us. I backed away from him and moved around the room until he pounced on me and smothered the chloroform-soaked cloth over my face, sending me to sleep.
CHANCE
When I came to I was zip-tied to a chair. I raised my head and blinked to shift the fog from my brain.
I tasted blood.
I was in a small warehouse, lit only by one industrial light above us. Shadows crawled out from the walls. I couldn’t see anything.
Then he appeared.
Barrett.
His sinister laugh reached me before I saw him.
“Welcome. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
I didn’t say anything.
“You made a mess of poor old Clint and Billy Joe,” he said, amused.
I gave him a murderous look.
“It’s nothing compared to what I’m going to do to you.”
He chuckled as he walked over and flicked a switch, sending a beam of light over an unconscious Cassidy slumped in a chair only a few feet from me.
A growl ripped out of me.
Was she breathing?
Had he killed her?
Relief flooded me when I saw the beat of her pulse in her throat.
Barrett walked back toward me, pleased with himself.
“See that? You and your club did that. I was happy to watch from afar. For the meantime, of course. It was all part of the game, you see. I knew her silly little friend told her about what she’d done because the stupid girl called me, said Chelsea had skipped town. I don’t know if she was trying to throw me off her scent or what. In all honesty, the girl is a fruit loop. But I already had eyes on Chelsea by then. I knew she hadn’t skipped town. Knew she was hiding out somewhere. And it added to the excitement, knowing how frantic she would be. How panicked. Wondering when I would show up. What I would do to her.” An ugly smile curled his lips.
“You were using Satan’s Tribe to watch her.”
“It was like we were fighting fire with fire in our little love dance,” he replied theatrically. “She had the protection of an MC, while I used their rivals to watch her every move until I was ready.” His face darkened. “But then you and your club had to go and get involved. Threatening to run them out of town.” He tsk-tsked as he crouched down in front of me. I glared at him, realizing I was staring into the face of a madman. “Not very neighborly of you.”
He sighed and rose to his feet again.
“You won’t get away with this,” I said darkly.
Barrett looked at me as if it was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard.
“Oh, but that’s the thing… I always do.”
Cassidy woke up then, and she freaked out, lashing out with her legs and screaming.
Her pain became my pain.
“Baby, I’m here,” I rasped.
She stared at me with wide eyes, her brow furrowing, her chest heaving. But hearing my voice seemed to calm her down.
“Aww, baby,” Barrett mocked. He glared at Cassidy. “Is that what he calls you? Baby?”
He inhaled deeply before crouching at her feet and looking up at her with an evil glint in his eyes. He reached out and trailed a finger slowly up her exposed thigh. She flinched, and I felt a stronger, more murderous rage take up inside of me.
“What do you think, Chance? You like this? You like the way she squirms beneath my touch? The way she trembles. What do you think she will do when I force her legs open and force myself inside her.”
“Let her go,” I growled. “Let her go or I will—”
“Or you will what? Tell me, tough guy. What will you do?”
I looked up at him through my brow. My eyes dark. My face the mask of a man who would rain down fire and brimstone if he hurt her. “Make no mistake. I will kill you.”
Barrett feigned surprised. “How,” he challenged, “when you’re tied to that chair?”
Pleased with himself, Barrett grinned and returned his attention to Cassidy, tilting his head to the side, his eyes gleaming with wickedness.
“I know what she likes. I know how to make her… respond. Isn’t that right, Sister?” When I snarled with anger, he swung back to me. “Oh, you didn’t know? You mean, she didn’t tell you how I made her come? How her mouth said one thing but her body said something completely different.”
He launched himself so he was almost on top of her, pelvis to pelvis, chest to chest, his lips whispering against her ear as he added, “Not just once… not just twice… tell me, Sister, will you come for me again when I defile you in front of your boyfriend?”
Cassidy whimpered, and I unleashed a roar straight from my soul. I rocked the chair side-to-side, desperate to get my hands free.