Riley
"don't play games with a girl who can do it better."
—-
"Riley!" Grizzly barked at me. I was on stage, practicing on the poles next to Sawyer. The girl with blonde curly hair and pink streaks I first met here at XXX-capades. We had gotten close since my time in Bastard shutdown.
Sawyer muttered, "shit Rose. you're in trouble." She climbed up the pole, shooting me sympathetic eyes. I waved at her over my shoulder, seemingly unbothered. I checked my phone as I walked towards the bar.
From Wolf: come home please babe. God just fucking stop this.
From Trace: I believe you. I get it. Let's figure this out. Brynn raised me too.
From Dallas: shit is so fucked right now. I really need my best friend. I'm scared.
From Angel: I'm here baby. Whatever you need, come to me. Please. please, Riley.
I sighed, shoving the phone in my back pocket. I didn't have time for it.
"You summoned?" I snarled at Grizzly, still hating his guts.
He glared at me, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, Shooter wants to see you in his office." My gut rolled.
"Okay..." I paused, coming behind the bar and towards him. I leaned in close, grabbing a bottle of Jack from over his shoulder. He cringed away from me and I loved it. His repulsion to me brought me great joy these days. I was doing something right.
"Before you go," he snarled, an evil glint in his eyes. "Can you hook me up with you sister?"
I paused, raising an eyebrow. "You into fucking corpses or something? No living girls will touch you? Don't blame them." I joked, but it felt like he stabbed me in the chest. Fucker.
"Mmmm. As tempting as that sounds, I'm talking about that very much alive, little sister of yours. I saw her out today with those two dudes you always gang bang. Wolf and Angel?" He started laughing like a hyena, pleased with himself.
I gritted my teeth, turning away from him. "As if a McKenna would ever touch you. Get fucking bent."
"Oh they've touched me alright, baby and still will!" He called after me as I stormed into Shooter's office.
He was in there with Grizz's brother, Cherokee. Cherokee stopped talking, standing from his bent over position above Shooter's shoulder.
"We'll continue this later." He walked away and out the door without another word, not sparing me a glance. He never did.
"Grizzly said you wanted to talk to me?" I asked, sitting down on the black leather couch across from his desk.
"Always to the point. I like that about you."
I said nothing, making intense eye contact with him. I'd learned insecure people hated that. He looked away first. A win.
He cleared his throat. "Right. Need you at the hospital. It's Rage."
My heart skipped a beat. "What about Rage?" I was on my feet in an instant. Old habits died hard. Shit.
"Things took a turn for the worse. You'll see when you get there. You're his emergency contact. They've been trying to reach you." Shooter began shuffling papers on his desk, completely dismissing me. He didn't make eye contact with me again and I narrowed my eyes at him, annoyed. I waited for some other information. What a Piece of fucking shit.
I slammed Shooter's office door shut as I marched out to the direction of my Jeep. I could feel all the Bastard brothers eyes on me as I left and it made my skin crawl. I wondered every second what I was doing here.
My phone rang noisily in my purse. I ignored it as I hauled ass to the hospital.
I had 78 missed calls from Trace, Wolf, Dallas, and Angel. Something must have happened at the club. I could only focus on one thing at a time, though. One club at a time, one life at a time.
I rushed through the hospital, getting a visitor's badge as I stared numbly at the Halloween decorations all around. Had it already passed? I didn't even know. Rage's cute nurse greeted me, recognizing me as his girlfriend. She was completely calm, and made it seem like everything was fine.
I found Rage's large ICU room. He was up and sitting on the edge of the bed alone, slowly buttoning up a blue flannel over his scarred gnarly chest.
"Are you alright?!" I exclaimed, rushing for him. I threw my purse across the floor in my frantic state, hearing the ringtone I had for Trace going off, once again.
"What the fuck are you talking about? I'm fine. Are you fucking high?"
"What?" I faltered, halting reaching out for him and sinking into the hard hospital chair across from him instead. "Shooter told me you took a turn for the worse and I had to get up here immediately."
Rage clenched his jaw, glaring at me. "You were with Shooter?"
Of course that's all he heard. "He hasn't let me leave since the Reapers burned you."
Rage huffed out a sarcastic laugh. "It was your Angel that burned me, baby."
I bit my lip, looking away from him. Not my Angel. "Your club has me on lockdown, Rage."
"And what do you think the reason for that is?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at me. He sat back, laying across his bed, in pain. He had fresh pink burns all over most of his body. They had just stopped blistering and the nurses didn't bandage them anymore. He was burned everywhere except his gorgeous, terrifying face.
"I told you, I'm just a pawn in their game. I'm playing along."
Rage huffed in annoyance. "An all too willing pawn, I assume."
I shook my head. "Don't start."
Rage threw his covers up, grabbing his IV pole and throwing it near my head. I didn't even duck. He wasn't at his fullest ferocity. Blood spurted from the inside of his elbow as he ripped the IV out of his arm.
"I gotta wonder why you're playing along so well baby. You finally want to tell me what's in it for you?"
I almost laughed. "Act dumb. It really helps makes all this easier." I let him see the hatred I had for him in my eyes.
"My own fucking club is using my girl against me. How the fuck should I react, Riley!?"
I inhaled deeply, turning away from him and standing up. I rubbed my hands on the pockets of my overalls.
"Apply pressure to that." Blood from his arm was dripping noisily on the white, tiled floor.
Rage laughed behind me. "Fuck it, baby."
I looked out his third story hospital room, wondering how the fuck we'd found ourself here. I was pretty sure I was in love with someone else, yet I was working with a rival club to take Rage down. Against my own blood. But I'd told him in some last ditch effort to be his saving grace. I was almost an aunt, but that was taken from me with my sister, over a year ago. Shit was just fucked. I was fucked up.
"What do you want me to do?" I asked, finding my voice among my crazed, constant, replaying thoughts.
Rage huffed again. The simplest of actions took away his energy easily.
"Just try to find out what they're planning. Then you find me."
"You say it like it's simple."
Rage shook his head, throwing his head back against his hospital bed. "Nothing is simple anymore, baby."
I had to agree with that. I stood to leave, kissing him on the forehead gently. We would always have history. He was as familiar to me as my reflection. "It's almost done."
Rage turned his head away from me, seemingly dismissing me, too. "I feel it, as well. And it doesn't feel good."
-
I had left Rage, dialing Wolf as I drove back to XXX-capades. Shooter had a fucking reason for sending me to Rage and the hospital. And it wasn't with good intentions.
Wolf answered immediately. "Jesus fucking Christ, girl. I could wring your neck if I wasn't so relieved to hear from you."
I puffed on a cigarette, racing on the highway, not in the mood. "Funny. What's up?"
Wolf paused, hearing my tone of voice. "The real question is what's up with you?"
Wouldn't he like to know. "You're not really calling to hear about Bastard life, are you?"
Wolf paused. "No. Fuck. I'm calling to tell you to be out of XXX-capades by midnight."
I thought about his words slowly. Jesus. "I'll try." I pressed my foot down on the gas pedal more, hoping to make it there in time. The dash clock read 10:43pm.
"There's no fucking trying in this, Ri."
"I said I fucking got it, Wolf." I yelled. Jesus.
He said nothing in reply. I heard the usual Reaper party noises in the background. I almost wished I was there.
"I hope you really hear me clearly. I hope you tell Trace, Angel, and Dallas, too. Stop calling me. I'm not stupid, I fucking heard you, I get it! There's more important things to me than whatever your club has planned!"
Wolf remained silent. "Fuck Riley. My club? Really?" Static filtered through.
"Yeah I don't even want to touch on that. Your loyalties might be club, but I've always told you where mine lied." I muttered before disconnecting. What had the Reapers really ever done for me?
I was in the XXX-capades parking lot and I sprinted quickly inside. No one was around. No one. It was a Saturday night. This wasn't good. Jesus Christ, Riley. You've really done it this time.
I walked around, staring up at the swirling lights and around at the empty stages.
"How's Rage?" A voice asked from behind me. I turned, finding Shooter, Grizzly, and Cherokee standing there.
I smirked. "He's not gonna make it."
"No?" Shooter asked, taking lead and standing in front of me.
"Don't sound so sad, Prez. It's what you wanted." I lied through my damn teeth. I surveyed the area.
Cherokee was in front of me then, his eyes guarded. "You don't know anything about what we wanted."
I had to laugh at that. "Don't I?"
Grizzly was snarling then, "all we ever wanted was for your bloodline to die."
"You made sure of that, didn't you? Which one of you got my sister pregnant? Who's the fucking sorry excuse of a fucking man!?"
I tried to back away, very much aware of how bad this was. I reached in my purse for my phone, easily sliding it in the pocket of my jeans. I swiped blindly on the last missed call that I had. I was able to grab my handgun before Shooter snatched my bag completely away from me.
"Y'all kill women? What the fuck?"
"What are you gonna do with that?" Someone asked, all three men staring at the gun in my hands. I cocked the gun back, aiming it at Grizzly's head. Fuck him.
"Whatever I have to, motherfucker." I sneered, gasping for breath. This was it. I was done.
I fired right at Grizzly's head as someone grabbed me from behind. They hit me in the back of the head hard and blackness consumed me.
—-
I came to, my vision gone. It was so fucking dark. I tried to move my hands but couldn't. I heard the dripping of water from a pipe and focused on it, fighting the restraints against my wrists.
The material chafed against my wrists and I groaned. I tried to focus on each part of my body. My head was pounding. Something thick was trying to drip down into my eyes. My neck was fine. My chest was restrained, my back was against something stiff and hard, maybe a wooden chair. My arms were wrapped around the wood and to the small of my back, tied behind me. I still had my overalls on. My legs were fine, my ankles strapped down. I tried to move my feet but had no give, ankles strapped down.
I stayed like that for hours, I wasn't sure of the time. Was this hell? I started to count the drips of water, trying to account for some time. I tried so hard to stay awake.
22,537 drips. I stayed awake, determined to fucking live. Brynn didn't die for nothing. My thoughts were quiet. Trace, Angel, Dallas, and Wolf's faces were in the back of my mind. But there. God, what had I done????! I was so stupid. So goddamn stupid. I faded out.
A noise and light began to shine through up high and to my left. I turned to it, alert. I watched as a tall figure dragged something down the steps. Then there was someone else making their way towards me. Reaching for my restraints and testing them. I was so fucking tired and I could not focus. My head hurt so damn bad. I let it hang heavily.
I drifted out, picturing a sweet little blonde haired, green eyed baby. Brynn.
—-
Take you like a drug.
I came to, gasping. I'd been dreaming of Brynn. We were in the hospital. I was at her side as she gave birth to a dark haired, dark eyed, sweet baby girl. She cried when she saw her baby, and not in happiness. She stared up at me, stricken. I saw the fear in her eyes.
"Riley!" A voice yelled.
You ask me what I'm thinking about I tell you that I'm thinking about whatever you're thinking about. Tell me something that I'll forget and you might have to tell me again. It's crazy what you would do for a friend. Go ahead and cry little girl. Nobody does it like you do.
"Riley!!! Are you awake?!" The voice yelled again.
I struggled to place it, but it was still somehow comforting.
My lips were so dry. "I'm here." I rasped.
"Thank God," the voice was loud, and sweet. I smelled vanilla and sour candy. Dallas!?
"Dal?" I asked, feeling weak. My arms and legs were shaking from being in this position so long.
"It's me!"
"God. What is going on?" I asked.
Dallas replied with. "I don't know. Rebel and I were loading groceries into the van and then it all gets fuzzy. Fucking Bastards!"
"Rebel?" I asked, squinting in the dark. "Where is she?"
Dallas sniffed, "She was with me. I... I don't know, Ri." She was sobbing.
"Did they hurt you!!?" I shouted, trying to snap her out of it.
Dallas sniffled. "N-no. I mean they beat me up good some. They...they took Rebel to a back room, Riley. I'm...I am so fucking scared."
"Who did?" I asked, trying so hard to focus. I inched my thumb around, feeling the material around my wrists. Thin plastic. Maybe a zip tie.
"Um. The one with the long black hair and bandana. God. Are they gonna..." she was crying hysterically.
"No. No. Dallas, you gotta keep it together right now, alright?"
I began twisting my wrists, getting them as wide apart as I could. I had no give to slip out of them. I scooted forwards in my chair as far as I could to give my arms momentum. I rubbed the inside of my wrists together, bringing my fingers out wide in claws. Then I slammed them against the back of the chair. Nothing happened.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to get Rebel. Dallas, where was Trace, Wolf, and Angel when you got taken?"
Dallas sniffled more, trying to think. "Everyone was at the clubhouse. We had Twitch with us. We were supposed to hit XXX-capades last night but you've been missing for 16 hours. I had to run out to get more food for all the boys."
Wait. I was gone for 16 hours?! "Wait, I've been down here that long?" Shit.
Dallas sighed heavily. "Yes, honey. I was the one on the phone when they attacked you. I thought... God! I thought they shot you, Riley. So Trace called off the hit on XXX-capades and sent out an SOS to surrounding chapters. I was going crazy. The brothers were all planning on how to get you back. Rebel was worried, too. So she volunteered to go to the store with me too. We just needed something to do... I'm so stupid!"
I listened as I slammed my hands against the back of the chair, trying to gain enough momentum to break the zip tie.
"God. We can't die in here when I never got to shoot my shot with Trace!"
"Dallas. Shush. Focus. What did you see when you came in?!" I yelled, slamming my wrists against the back of my chair hard enough that the plastic snapped. Yes!
I extended my arms out and around, feeling thick rope against my chest, restraining me to the chair. I felt blindly for the ending of it. It was at the center of my chest. I fumbled with the knot they secured.
"Um. I think we're still in XXX-capades. They dragged us in and I saw the stages and poles. It's similar to Sirens, but way grosser. They roughed me up and took me down a set of steps. Down here. The basement, I'm guessing. When the door was open I could see that you were passed out."
I undid the rope. "Good Dallas. That's so good. Now tell me the direction they took Rebel in."
I leaned over, feeling smooth duct tape at my feet. I tried finding the end, but couldn't. My heart was beating so fast, I was almost free. I just couldn't rip the fucking tape.
"Hold on, let me think. They threw me to the ground. Then they dragged her away down a hall. A door on the left. The bar was to my right and they brought us through the front." Dallas spoke. My mind spun and I leaned down, using my teeth to try and tear it. It sounded like they took her to Shooter's office.
"Okay. I think I know where she is. How much time has passed since they took her there?" I bit into the tape, feeling my incisors sink in and make a small hole. I used my hands to rip it enough to start unwinding the tape from my ankles.
"It feels like maybe 15 minutes. What are you going to do?" Dallas whispered, scared.
I stood up, peering around and seeing a crack of light seep in at the top left of the room.
"I'm going to get her."
I reached out for Dallas, making purchase with her hair. She shook my hands away.
"Where are you tied up at? Let's get the fuck out of here." Dallas shook her head again, violently.
"Get Rebel. Riley. Don't let them fucking rape her." I paused, terrified. That thought did cross my mind. I ached for Angel, Wolf, and Trace. Whether she really was my sister or not, I'd help her. I felt it in my chest that she had my blood.
"I have to get you out!" I whisper-shouted, shaking violently, scared to death.
Dallas scooted her chair back and away from me. "Save her Riley, she's your sister!"
"You're my best friend! I can't leave you here!" I yelled, as we both heard a woman's piercing scream from above.
We both shut up, breathing heavily.
Okay. Okay! I made my way towards that crack in the ceiling, fumbling blindly. I ate shit, and hit my head on the ground.
"Get her, then come back and get me." Dallas called out to me as I found and crawled up the stairs clumsily.
"I will, Dallas. I'll die before not getting you too."
I heard her say "I know. Just go!" as I reached for the basement door knob. It was unlocked. That's sloppy, I thought, as I stepped out of the basement and peered around the brightly lit, and very eerily empty XXX-capades.
I crept around, searching for someone, anyone. Or a weapon. I went to the bar on my left and saw nothing but a dull butter knife to cut up lemons and limes for drinks. I grabbed the heaviest, fullest bottle of alcohol from the shelfing that I could find.
I twisted off the cap, swigging it as I tried to quietly run as fast as I could to Shooter's office. Yuck, vodka.
I heard more screaming and banging around. Jesus Christ!!
I slowly and carefully tried the door knob. Locked. I took a Bobby pin out of hair, always keeping one there, and shoving it in the lock and twisting. It took me five tries, my hands were shaking so bad. I finally gained purchase and access.
I opened the door slowly and quietly, finding Rebel on her back across Shooter's desk. She was in her bra and Grizzly was in the process of trying to rip her pants off. The office computer, papers, and pens littered the floor. Rebel was fighting him like a feral animal, thrashing and punching at him. Grizzly was bleeding everywhere, a visible hole in his left shoulder. I must have really shot him. Good.
I sprinted for him, bottle in one hand, knife in the other. I slammed the glass liquor bottle over his head hard, and it shattered, raining down on Rebel as she screamed wildly, petrified. I caught a glimpse of Rebel's beautiful, swollen, beaten face as I jumped on Grizzly's back. No one would hurt my sister. I quickly moved the knife to my dominant hand and drove it into the right side of his neck with as much strength as I could muster.
It made purchase, slicing through his skin with a "squish" sound. Grizzly roared, the knife sticking out of the side of his neck down to the hilt. He thrashed as I began laying punches to the back, side, and front of his head. Motherfucker!
He reared back, slamming my back into the wall. I hung on.
"RUN REBEL! FUCKING RUN!!" I screeched, continuing to try and incapacitate him. Rebel scrambled off the desk, bolting through the door. There was so much blood gushing from his neck. He slowed, his actions becoming sloppy. He stumbled around, falling face first into the desk and rolling to one side. I let go, stumbling back, and watched him carefully as he fell and landed on his back.
"Who got my sister pregnant?!" I screamed, jumping on his chest, squatting and punching his nose and face, over and over again.
But he was gone. And I was covered in his blood. I tried to catch my breath, my vision starting to black out, dizzy. I tried so hard to hold on. I crawled off his dead body, and out the office door.
I heard male voices behind me approaching and tried to crawl away faster. With no luck though. I felt a heavy boot come down on my body and the back of my head.
"You're fucking dead, bitch!"
-
Someone was screaming my name. Over and over. The voice was so raspy, scared, and broken.
I tried to shake my head, the pain now so completely overwhelming.
"Riley! Riley! Riley! God! Answer me!" The voice screamed.
I blinked through the darkness again. Fuck. Not again. "I'm here." My voice didn't sound like my own.
"Thank God. Did you get her out?" Dallas asked me. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I couldn't remember.
"Who?" I asked, dazed. Shit...
"Rebel! Riley! Jesus, Rebel! Rebel!" Dallas' voice was practically gone, it was so hoarse. I tried moving my body but found that I was tied up again. I was laying on the wet, cold cement floor.
I struggled to think. Rebel. Grizzly. I killed him. "Yeah. Yes. I got her away from him." Had she found her way out, though? Jesus, I hoped she had. If she hadn't, this really might be the end.
"Thank God. Thank God." Dallas kept repeating. I faded out, focusing on those words. Yes, thank God. One McKenna sister can live..
I woke up to the loud sounds of gun fire. It was non stop. Dallas was crying again, begging me to wake up. I curled in on myself, petrified. God, just take me. I can't do this.
The basement door was kicked in, lights flashing as guns went off.
—-
music:
Daddy issues -the neighborhood
Let Me Sign -Robert Pattinson
No guidance (remix) -Ayzha Nyree
Written in the stars -Lauren Sanderson