Kip had wrapped his arms around his knees while he was sitting on the beach, looking at the sea. He felt hollow, weak. With a sigh he bent his head and stared at the Reaper on the inside of his lower arm. He wished he could scratch off the ink. Guilt was burying him as he thought about his brothers. He wasn't worth being a Son. Not only had his old lady betrayed everyone, which he considered as a personal failure, he also hadn't managed to do a damn thing in all the weeks he was here now. He was the only one near Dana, he was the only one who could protect her and it still felt like he was chained.
He had tried to figure out where they were, he had scouted the whole island and the largest part of the house, looking for information. For hours he had stared at the sea, hoping to see a ship, so that he could at least figure out for a bit where they were.
There were three boats in the dock, but there was a large fence around it and it was always guarded by armed men. It was the only place that was guarded. The boats weren't large; just a little bigger than speed boats, which meant they had to be close to the shore. But what shore – that was still a mystery.
The ocean was big, and they could be at the east and west coast of the US. Or even further. He didn't know.
His glance was attracted to the dock again. He counted three man. There were machine guns hanging over their shoulders, but the men were talking and smoking and didn't pay much attention to their surroundings. And with good reason. What the hell could he do? Trying to overpower three armed man on his own? If he had been alone, he might have tried it. But he wasn't. If he failed – and he most certainly would – Dana would pay the consequences. Maddox would punish her.
A shiver crept down his spine as he thought of Maddox. There weren't many people who could scare him, but this man did. He was so unpredictable, so complicated that Kip was alert all the time. He had tried to observe him, but it turned up nothing. He knew nothing about him, he couldn't even read his expressions.
In the first weeks Maddox had given him a job now and then; cleaning things up or making dinner, but he had stopped with it after a few days and since then he paid no attention to him at all. As if he was invisible. Of course it was better than being ordered around, but it made him insecure. He didn't know what to think of it and all this free time drove him crazy. He was rather busy; now his thoughts wandered off to things he didn't want to think about. To his parents, who had no clue what had happened to him. To his brothers, who were with so few. And to Cherry. Always to Cherry.
When he thought about his girlfriend, there was such a wave of emotions washing over him that he could barely control himself. Yes, he was angry with her. Furious. He still couldn't believe that she had really been so stupid to hand over Dana. Everyone should have known Maddox wouldn't keep his word! She had been there when Chibs and Gemma were killed. What in the world had convinced her that Maddox would set him free? And what if he had done that? Then what? Did she think the others would just forgive her? Had she hoped he would turn his back to the club and flee with her? That wasn't him. He had fought for his place within SAMCRO and they had became his family.
Where was she now? He knew she had no one else. Did she roam through the streets, had she gone home and been arrested because of the arson? Was she behind bars now? Did she think he was dead? Maybe she had joined another motorclub and was she sleeping around until someone wanted to get to know her better. Like he had done all those time ago.
Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. Dana sat down next to him and stared forward for a while without saying anything. In silence Kip watched her face. Something had changed, he could feel it.
"Did he touch you?" Kip asked, his voice tensed.
He had known it was just a matter of time. Maddox might pretend to be a normal human being, but he was still a sick son of a bitch.
Dana didn't answer. Her thumb rubbed the lowest finger bone of her left ring finger and his eyes went wide as he realized she no longer wore her engagement ring.
"Did he want you to take it off?"
Dana bent her head. "No. He doesn't even know that I'm engaged."
Kip turned a little more towards her. It felt like there was a stone on his stomach that was growing exponentially. "Then why did you take it off?"
"It tears me apart, every time I look at it." She bit her lip, blinking her eyes, but there were no more tears. "And I don't want him to see that." Dana heaved a deep sigh. "I'm going to play along this game, Kip. I have to get him to trust me." Her hand found his and she squeezed. "But I'm working on a plan. I'll get us out of here."
Kip dropped his eyes. It should have been the other way around. He should have made her that promise.
"You gonna sleep with him?" He felt how his muscles tensed and as he heard her swallow, a vibration went through his chest.
"Soon."
Protesting, he squeezed her hand. "You don't have to, we'll..."
"It's okay, Kip," she said quietly. "I'm scared and it disgusts me, but I won't get a chance to kill him before he trusts me completely. And that will take a lot of time. So waiting... that will only endanger the baby."
Kip raked a hand through his blonde hair, that was growing too long. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to admit out loud that this was the only chance he could see too.
"It's nothing I haven't done before," she said. "But please, Kip. Whatever changes after tomorrow, don't interfere." She lifted her head, giving him a pleading look. "For he doesn't want to lose me, but the only reason he tolerates you, is because it pleases me."
Kip gritted his teeth. "I don't know if I can do that, Dana," he whispered eventually. "Juice is my brother. My friend. I can't do nothing while you are being raped."
"He won't rape me," she answered firmly, with a dark tone. "I want this. I'm going to give myself to him."
But her words sounded hollow.