Chapter Fourteen

EVA

Adrenaline floods through me at a fast rate. Being tethered to Nycto has my pulse spiking all on its own, let alone the fact I’m about to be free of this bedroom, even if only for a short time.

“Here we go.” His deep voice sends a shudder down my spine as his grip on the door handle guides a wave of excitement through me. I bite my bottom lip as he turns it, then pulls open the door. My stomach flutters with butterflies but also with eagerness and nerves.

I have no idea what the other people are like here.

What is he about to take me out into?

It has to be better than living alone in his room.

We step out into a darkened hall. His eyes remain on me as I take it all in. I thought I’d be anxious—scared, even—about stepping out into this new world, but all I am is eager to take a look at the rest of his clubhouse. I glance behind me. The hall is long. I’m assuming there are more bedrooms down there. He slides his cuffed hand into mine, making my head snap back to him. My skin prickles as he looks at me. Even in the dim light, his face is clear enough.

“You ready for me to introduce you to everyone?”

I thread my fingers with his. I’m shocked at how excited I am to meet everyone. I was stolen from my home, and now I’m here. I’m not sure why, but for some reason, I feel safe. In Cuba, it was just Ivy and me. Two girls in a country that failed us but still trying to get by on our own. I did my best to support us, but since being here, I feel like even though I have been trapped in a damn room, I haven’t wanted for anything— except Ivy. It’s probably not right to be feeling this way, to be feeling safe, but for some strange reason, I do. I just wish Ivy was here so she could feel safe too.

“Yeah. More than ready.”

Nycto leads me out of the hall and into a vast open space. My senses burst into overload as I try to take everything in. After being in a small room with the same stuff and that unearthly red light for God knows how long, seeing so many new things and people at once is overwhelming.

He tightens his grip on my hand as we stand, not moving. The noise dies off as his people look to us, observing me. Bikers and club girls stand, some smiling, others looking like they’re simply waiting for an okay to come forward… but it’s not them I’m awed by. It’s the clubhouse itself. The grandeur of it.

I’m definitely in some kind of underground bunker. There are no windows to let normal light shine through. The ceiling is rounded, like I’m in some weird doomsday dome, but it’s kind of cool at the same time. A bar is off to the far left. They even have a pool table, sofas, tables, and chairs to sit at. It’s a pretty neat setup they have here.

There are three rooms off to the back. I don’t know what they are, but I’m assuming one is the kitchen because I smell something cooking, and the aroma floating out from there is amazing. Trixie is standing by a tall guy who’s watching me curiously, arms folded across his chest, his tattooed biceps bulging.

All this attention on me is a little daunting, and no one says anything, so I figure maybe I should break the ice. “Hola , ” I say with a little wave. “ Soy Eva. Un placer conocerte .” Hello, I’m Eva. Pleased to meet you.

Nycto raises his brow as everyone widens their eyes in confusion.

“She not an English speaker?” one of the guys blurts out.

Nycto doesn’t reply, letting me play my game.

I straighten my shoulders. “ Por supuesto que sí. Solo estoy jugando contigo. ”

Trixie steps through the crowd. “Stop being a shithead, Eva. She said her name is Eva, it’s nice to meet us. Then she said, of course, she can speak English, she’s just playing with us. Roughly translated, of course. Good to see you again,” Trixie offers, coming over and leaning in for a brief hug.

I wrap my free arm around her. “Beautiful, great cook, and bilingual. Is there anything you can’t do?”

She snorts. “Deep throating… you’d think with these dick-sucking lips I’d be a queen at it, but nope, my gag reflex is fucking terrible.”

Everyone bursts out laughing as I widen my eyes. She winks at me, then turns, walking back over to where she was. I lean into Nycto’s side. “Is that true? A club girl who can’t…” I trail off, and he says nothing.

Instead, he turns toward his brothers. “Everyone, this is Eva. As you can see, she has a wiseass side to her, so feel free to give it back. I want you all to make her feel welcome, though. She’s been through a lot. I want to give her some freedom and let her know she’s got a home here at Defiance.”

His words make warmth flow through me. Everyone comes off as hard and tough like they’ve seen a lifetime of bad decisions and hardships, but their eyes tell a different story. They’re kind and forgiving. It’s how you tell a true man’s soul. That’s how I know that even though Nycto’s moods are all over the place, he would never hurt me. He harbors demons, sure, but the way he looks at me makes my concerns about them disappear.

“Thanks, everyone, for taking me in. You didn’t need to. You could have let me be taken by those men. I don’t know where I would be now if it weren’t for this club…” I tense but continue, “Probably wherever my sister is now.” Heads sag as gazes shift to the floor. They must feel bad for not rescuing her too. “I hope we can find her soon.”

As I look around the room, I realize I’m thankful to be here. They saved me from who knows what. With how everyone is watching me, I can’t help but feel secure.

A man I recognize from the night I was taken steps forward. He was handling Ivy and put her into the van. His eyes are haunted as he approaches me. “Eva, I’m Void. I’m the VP around here, and I want you to know I’m personally looking for your sister. I won’t stop until she’s found.”

Nycto narrows his eyes on his VP. Something’s unspoken between them, but I don’t care right now. Void is telling me he’s working on finding Ivy, and that’s all I need to know.

“Thank you. I really appreciate it. I hope you find her soon. I don’t want her alone and scared.”

Void narrows his eyes on me. “I have an inkling she’s close by. Don’t worry, Eva. You’ll see her again.”

For such a strong, angry-looking man, he comes across as a genuinely nice guy. I reach forward to give him a hug, but he pulls back with a grimace. “Nothin’ against you, Eva, just not the huggin’ type.”

“I understand. It’s nice to have someone on my side when it comes to Ivy.” I side-eye Nycto with a raised lip.

Nycto rolls his eyes. “Do you think Void would have any interest in Ivy if it weren’t for me?” He tuts.

I purse my lips. “I know you’re doing everything you can to find her. It just kills me to imagine what those men could be doing to her. Of the…” I pause, contemplating the horrendous sexual acts they could be putting her through and my eyes well. “I feel bad for even considering enjoying myself out here with you all while she’s suffering.” I sniffle and glance at Void. A flash of anger crosses his features as he looks to Nycto, but it’s quickly hidden. I’m not sure what that’s about, but I choose not to say anything.

Nycto tightens his hand in mine and exhales. “Just enjoy your freedom for now. How ’bout I take you on a tour?” Nycto slaps Void hard on the shoulder, then leads me to the bar. It’s a long concrete slab with black marble on top. Tall black metal stools line the length of it, finishing off the décor. Not what I would have normally pictured for a biker bar, but it suits this place.

A tough-looking woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and a nose ring stands behind the bar area, wiping the bartop down. Her arms have scattered, mismatched tattoos. I suspect she’s had a few hard years in her life, but she smiles at me kindly.

“Hey, Eva. I’m Stacey. You want something to drink?”

I shrug. “I’d kill for a Cuba Libre.”

Stacey’s eyes shift to Nycto, and he dips his chin in approval. She throws the cloth over her shoulder. “Cola, rum, and lime coming right up.”

“Thanks so much.”

Stacey turns to where the wall is lined with alcohol and glasses, similar to a real bar. She moves around like a bartender, and I’m impressed. “Wow, girl’s got moves.”

“Stace is our resident bartender. We pulled her out of a dive bar that was going under. She wouldn’t have been able to pay her rent, so we offered her a place here instead.”

Stacey turns, pouring the lime juice into the glass. “Haven’t looked back since.” She throws a straw into my glass, then slides it over.

“I’m glad you found a home here, Stacey. It certainly is… interesting .” I raise my Cuba Libre in cheers to her.

“You have no idea, but I’m sure you’ll find out. Enjoy your drink, hon.”

I bring the straw to my lips and take a sip. The refreshing coolness from the ice, the fizz from the cola, and the tang from the lime all make for a flavor explosion in my mouth. Then, the warmth hits from the rum. She’s mixed it perfectly. No wonder they like having her here if she makes drinks this well.

Next, Nycto pulls me over to the left. We walk toward the first big room, and that fabulous smell from the kitchen hits me again. Nobody seems to mind us—we casually stroll around as everyone moves about doing their own thing. We enter the room, and the large stainless-steel kitchen makes me envious. I did all the cooking back home. I would have loved to have something like this. By the looks of it all, no expense has been spared. There are two large industrial ovens, two six-burner gas stovetops, a walk-in pantry I can’t see the end of, and two giant refrigerators, not to mention a chest freezer the size of a wall. It’s the perfect kitchen for mass production.

In the middle is an island, where another beautiful woman is standing, stirring something in a bowl. Her hair, a rich chocolate color, is tied up in a messy bun on top of her head. Her eyebrows are perfectly manicured, and her shirt is so tight I can’t be sure it’s not glued to her skin, but she looks amazing.

I’m not ugly by any means, but this woman is the epitome of perfection.

“Freya, how are you doing with that batter?” I didn’t even notice Trixie was in the room until she called out to the stunning woman.

“All done and ready for you.” Freya’s face lights up like the dawning of the first sun of the day. “Oh, hey, Pres, anything we can do for you and Eva? We’re just getting lunch ready.”

Trixie turns around to face us. “Eva, it’s so good to see you out and about. Just wish Pres would let you have a little more freedom so us girls could have some time together.”

Nycto groans. “Don’t give her any ideas. Eva’s aware this is a process. It’s all about trust.”

“He doesn’t trust me. Though, I am beginning to gather you guys are all pretty amazing around here,” I add.

Trixie rolls her shoulders. “Damn straight we are.” She turns to face me. “Eva, I know you wanna go find Ivy, but the more you fight, the harder life will be. You need to trust Pres is trying to do the right thing by you.” Nycto stiffens beside me. “I know that’s hard to believe, but he’s saved us all in one way or another.”

Using it as an excuse to look down, I swirl my glass, tinkling the ice in my drink. “I know. It’s a tough situation to be in.”

Nycto clears his throat and abruptly changes the subject. “When’s lunch ready, Trix?”

“Just have to deep fry everything.”

“Well, hurry it up. And make sure there’s enough for Eva too,” Nycto says gruffly, gripping his hand on mine, then turns us to exit the kitchen.

Freya whispers to Trixie, “When is there ever not enough food?” But Trixie shakes her head subtly in a look of ‘don’t question him.’

As we walk out, I try to wave with my glass in my non-handcuffed hand, which is difficult, but the girls merely smile and continue cooking.

Nycto’s change in mood is a little strange.

As we leave, I lean into him. “That was rude.”

He glares at me. “Don’t start your shit with me, Eva. People will hear.”

“Let them. What’s going on with you?”

He grunts, effectively ignoring me as he walks us over to the sofa behind the pool table where a couple of the brothers are playing pool. He gestures for us to sit on the sofa, and we drop at the same time. Being cuffed makes moving more of a joint effort. He slides closer to me so our bodies are completely aligned and pulls my hand over to rest on his thigh.

Swallowing a nervous lump in my throat, I bring my drink to my lips, slowly sucking through the straw. He still doesn’t tell me why he’s crabby, so I begin to people-watch, simply loving that I’m out in the open and have something to occupy my mind. I need to enjoy this time because I don’t know how long it will be for or when I will get this luxury again. I don’t even care that I’m not talking to people. The fact I’m not alone, confined to a room, is giving me a euphoric feeling.

So, for now, I’m going to sit next to Nycto and enjoy his company.

Even if he is being a bastard.