Jauhnna Chapter 20

I was nervous as we left the compound further and further behind us. The past few days have been stressful not only due to worrying about today and how the plan for Galway and Janus would go but also because I had fretted over Diablo and his bullet wound. The man still thought Brooklyn and I were overly concerned about what he called a scratch, but he had admitted he understood why we were upset about not finding out until hours after it occurred. That was the conclusion after our drawn-out discussion with Brooklyn on the phone the day it happened.

I'd been accused of hovering too much in the following days, but I couldn't help it. The thought of losing him terrified me. He went along with most of my pampering until I suggested we postpone the takedown until he was healed if he wouldn't agree to stay home and let the club, the Dark Patriots, and the O'Sheerans take care of them. I got to see my man laying down the law to me. I found it hot, though I didn't tell him that.

He threatened to spank my ass if I dared to suggest he stay behind or wait again. I was tempted to do it just so he would, but I didn't want to cause issues with his healing if he used his bad arm, and knowing him, he would to prove a point. Last night, we had a call with the Patriots to run through the plan one more time.

Today, we were taking a roundabout way to the southernmost part of St. Augustine to an area called Rattlesnake Island. Since I wasn't familiar with Florida, I had no idea about what it was or why it would be a good place to spring our trap. I got a tourist overview and a history lesson from the guys explaining why. I found out the island was a popular picnic destination for area boaters. There were trails all over it. People loved to go there to enjoy the birds, butterflies, plants, and wildflowers as they picnicked. The section we were concerned with was Fort Matanzas. That was where the history lesson came in.

Matanzas was a fortified watchtower built in the mid-eighteenth century. Its purpose was to defend the southern approach to St. Augustine, which was then a Spanish military settlement. People came there to see not only the tower but the three hundred acres of Florida coast that were the home of dunes, marshland, forest, and various endangered and threatened species of flora and fauna.

That was where we were hoping to lead my brother, Galway, and their main flunkies, as I referred to them. The Horsemen and Patriots would be waiting for them. They'd spring their trap, capture them, and then smuggle the lot of them onto a small waiting boat. The boat would then work its way from the Matanzas River to the Atlantic Ocean, where it would rendezvous with a larger ship owned by the O'Sheerans. It would then transport everyone out into International Waters, where the real work would begin. I was shocked to learn International Water was only twelve miles off the coast.

Before we left, Micro was able to confirm that my brother and former husband, as I now refer to Galway in my head, along with a contingency of their men, were seen entering Florida the day before yesterday. They'd taken up residence in a rental not far outside of St. Augustine. Of those with them, the six who'd hurt me along with Galway were part of their entourage. The rest were personal guards of my brother.

I wished I could enjoy the ride more, but I was too anxious, which was a shame. The weather was sunny and warm. There was so much to see and enjoy if I'd let myself. They made sure to take their time. We stopped to eat and even browsed a couple of shops in town before heading out. They took a circular route rather than riding straight to the Fort. I would've rather just gone straight there, but I get why they didn't. It was hard not to keep looking behind us to see if we were being followed, but they'd stressed how important it was for us not to indicate we knew we had eyes on us. If they did this all the time, they had nerves of steel. No one seeing them would ever get a hint they were aware or worried in any way.

I did enjoy seeing more of my new home a little. It was different from Georgia and drastically different from Nevada. I was beginning to love it here. Lucky for me, I'd become used to humidity over the last three years. It had been a huge shock for me at first, coming from Nevada's dry desert heat to the raging humidity in Georgia.

Diablo and I had talked a couple of nights ago about St. Augustine being my new home. We discussed packing up my things in Savannah and moving them after this nightmare was taken care of. I hated that he was still paying my rent, so the sooner, the better, as far as I was concerned. While I'd miss the people I worked with, I hadn't really ever allowed myself to get super close to people, just in case I had to up and leave. I wasn't leaving behind anyone I was extremely attached to. I couldn't wait to get my possessions here and have that chapter of my life over.

Stopping outside the Fort, we parked together. There were other people and vehicles around, so we made sure to park away from them. Getting off the bikes, everyone huddled together as if talking about the ride and scenery before going into the watchtower. A few of the guys were pointing out things around us to help sell the lie. In reality, we were getting an update from Micro.

"Sean said we've definitely got tails. They've been with us since right after we left the compound. I spotted them. They're good, but not that good. The Patriots' crew confirmed Radigan, Vierra, and the six others we want are in the vehicles following us. They're in three SUVs. It looks like some of your brother's guards stayed behind. Are you ready to do this, Jauhnna? We're going to split off and let you, Diablo, Butcher, and Scorpion take off to explore the marsh area while the rest of us go to look at other areas. Here's the camera to make it more realistic. Once you're out far enough, they'll make their move to acquire you. When they do, the rest of us and the Patriots' hidden operatives will converge on them. Any questions?"

"Wait. If we're all going on the ship, won't it look suspicious to leave your bikes here?" I asked. I hadn't even thought of that until now.

"Don't worry. Liam and Zax are staying behind. Sean and his guys have a transporter coming in later. They'll load and transport the bikes to another location a few miles down the coast. When we return, we'll be dropped off there to get our bikes and resume our ride. The beauty of this location is there are no CCTV cameras recording everything. Even if we're suspected of having something to do with their disappearances, which, why should we, there won't be any proof," he said with a wink.

Diablo squeezed my hand. I knew he felt how clammy it was, and I had a slight tremor. "You can do this. I know you can. Just stick to me and remember, do what we say without hesitation. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I'm not concerned about me. What if they shoot you guys to get to me? I don't want any of you dead because of me. If they take me, I'll take care of removing myself from the equation."

An angry growl rumbled out of him. He scowled. The Horsemen didn't look any happier. "I don't want to hear you say another word about killing yourself. It won't happen. If by some ungodly chance they did get their hands on you, remember, we can find you. We'll come for you. Hell, even if we're dead, someone will rescue you. All you have to do is hang on."

I nodded because I wasn't able to say anything. I knew he was referring to the shot I was given last night by Wolverine. They explained it was some kind of tracking device. I didn't fully understand how it worked, but they assured me all their friends and their old ladies had them. I asked if they did. Their hesitation told me they didn't. I balked at getting it, but in the end, to appease me, they got the shot as well. It was some super-secret thing the government had. I figured they got their hands on it because of the Dark Patriots. I'd learned they still did work for our government at times. I was looking forward to meeting them in person, just as I was the other clubs.

"Alright, let's do this. Everyone, good luck, watch your sixes and keep your heads on swivels. Roll out," Diablo ordered.

And just like that, we were separating and walking off in different directions. I remained glued to his side. They were able to talk and joke easily. I couldn't speak, but I did remember to raise the camera and take pictures of the scenery around us. I'd have to come back here again and do this for real. It was fascinating to see the various plants, birds, and butterflies.

I worked to keep myself from glancing over my shoulder every two seconds. I knew the guys were all armed. I was, too, sorta. They wouldn't let me have a gun, but they did give me a knife and a taser. Tasers were the weapon of choice for this part of the plan. They didn't want to kill them, nor did they want to make noise to raise suspicion, so they were going to knock them out with tasers and then inject them with a drug that Wolverine had brought to keep them unconscious until we were out at sea.

I'd always wanted to see a taser in action. I hoped I might get a chance to use mine. It would be deeply satisfying to shock the shit out of one or more of those monsters. The problem would be not doing it until I fried one of them to death. Along with my nerves, my hate was steadily coming out. I wanted them to suffer and die in terror and pain. When I confessed this to Diablo last night as he held me in bed, he swore to me they would.

We'd walked a good distance away from anyone else. Scorpion was pointing off in the distance, calling my attention to a bird when it happened. Moments before a hated voice spoke, I heard the whisper of footsteps behind us. It was Diablo's hand on my waist that kept me from turning.

"Well, well, look who we have here. My whore of a wife and her whore masters. You guys hooked up with the wrong bitch," Galway said acidly, with underlying glee in his voice. Those with him chuckled.

Turning slowly with my guys, I met his gaze. His hate poured out of him. I let mine show, too. The days of me cowering from this man were long gone. When I left him, I'd promised myself never to be a victim again, and I worked to make it so I wouldn't be. Even Diablo and the Horsemen had no full understanding of just what I did to make myself strong. It might not be enough against numerous ones, but one-on-one, I'd take my chances.

"Look what crawled out of the sewer. I bet you guys have never seen pieces of shit this big, have you?" I asked the Horsemen. I knew my job. I was to keep their attention on me so the others could take them out. Thankfully, we were far enough out that no innocent bystanders would get hurt. My guys snorted and then laughed.

I watched Galway, Janus, and my six other worst enemies flush with anger. The smirks slid right off their faces as I smirked at them. Now that it was happening, my anxiety was settling, and my bravado was growing.

"Shut your mouth, bitch. No one wants to hear you talk. You know what that mouth is good for. I bet these guys know it too," Alfie said suggestively.

He was Galway's main enforcer and the one out of the six I feared the most. He'd hurt me more than anyone except Galway. In the past, I avoided him if I could and never spoke to him.

"At least they don't have to force a woman to have sex with them. They don't rape and beat women, either. They're real men," I told him.

"Wait until I get my hands on you, slut. I'll make you wish you were dead," he promised.

While all this was being said back and forth, my brother stood there impassively. There wasn't an ounce of remorse or brotherly love showing. I always knew he didn't have a heart. Diablo, Scorpion, and Butcher had remained quiet. I knew they ached to say stuff, but this was part of the plan, to make them seem less of a threat. Their time would come soon enough.

"I'm not afraid of any of you. You're no longer a problem," I said casually.

"Oh yeah, how do you figure that, Joanne?" Ezra piped up to ask.

"My name is Jauhnna now. And the eight of you and your whole evil lives and businesses are about to be wiped off the face of the earth. I hope you can swim," I said with a grin. Galway was opening his mouth to say something, but he never got the chance. Gio and Aryan, two other men I knew were Patriots, plus Thunder, Wolverine, Punk, and Turbo, struck from behind.

It was a thing of beauty to see my eight worst enemies jerk and fall to the ground as the electrical shocks went through them. They lay there twitching. I laughed as I noted Galway had pissed himself. I knew that would humiliate him when he recovered his senses. Without missing a beat, Wolverine went to each of them and injected them in the neck.

"Good job. Let's get these guys out of here," Gio said as he winked at me. A large panel truck pulled up. I glanced around to see if we'd gotten anyone's attention. I didn't see anyone. We were out of view of the watchtower. They quickly and none too gently loaded them in the back of it. They threw them on top of each other. Three got in the front while the rest of us climbed into the back with the cargo.

Diablo hugged me. "You did great, my sweet Serenity."

"Hell yeah, she did. You kept them right where we wanted them. They never knew what hit ‘em," Butcher said with a grin.

"Thanks. All I can think about is their faces when they finally realize what's in store for them."

"Babe, it's still not too late to let us do this alone. One of the Patriots can take you to the meeting place," Diablo offered. I'd been expecting it. I shook my head and squeezed his hand resting on my thigh.

"No, thank you. I've got to do this."

He sighed as he nodded. I sat back and listened to them talk as the truck took us to the first boat. I was reserving my energy for what was to come.

???

I stood on the deck of a boat, eyeing the ocean surrounding us. There was no land in sight. The transition of our captives from the truck to the boat on the river and then to this one had gone off without a hitch. We were now in International Waters. The real work could begin. I was taking in the salty sea air as the Patriots and Horsemen finished preparing for the fun to come. I called it fun only because they did. Yeah, they were dark, but nothing like the eight men they had below.

A hand sliding around me made me jump. I knew his touch, though, so I relaxed instantly. He held me close. "Are you ready to do this?" he asked softly.

"I am. Let's go."

He turned me to face him. He stared intently into my eyes. "If at any time you want to step away, tell me. There's no shame in it. No one will think any less of you. To torture and kill someone is life-altering, Jauhnna. I'm giving you this because you said you need it. However, the last thing I want is for you to be haunted by it. If I see you're being too adversely affected by it, I'll have you removed."

"I swear I'll tell you. Don't remove me just to prevent me from seeing you at your worst, though. I have to know the whole you, Victor."

"I know. Okay, give me a kiss, and then let's get this done." Our lips met. Our kiss was long, hot, and intoxicating. When we were done, I felt like I was floating. He winked at me before leading me below.

It was stuffy down there in the hold area, I guess you'd call it. In the middle of the empty space, the eight men were lined up in a row. They were bound to chairs by their wrists and ankles. They were awake and had gags in their mouths. They were shooting hateful looks at the men surrounding them. That hatred only worsened when they spotted me and Diablo. He walked me over to stand right in front of them. The Horsemen and the Patriots, who were not with the crew of the boat, all nodded or gave us chin lifts in acknowledgment.

"Before we get this party started, let me introduce myself and my guys. My name is Diablo. I'm the president of the Horsemen of Wrath MC. These are my men, and those not wearing a cut are friends of ours from the Dark Patriots. Let me be clear in case you think there's a chance you'll be walking out of here. There's not a snowball's chance in hell of that happening. Your recent activities in the human trafficking market were enough to guarantee that fate." He paused before continuing.

"However, what guaranteed that you'd die hard and only after being thoroughly tortured was you laying hands on this woman. See, if you hadn't done that, we would've probably just whacked your asses and been done with it. But you didn't do that. You forced her into a marriage she never wanted, then humiliated, beat, and raped her for years. Then, when she escaped, you couldn't let her go. I'm gonna fucking enjoy making you scream and beg. My friends and brothers will too, but no matter what, I'll be the one to end each of you," Diablo snarled.

He gestured to the men to our right. They must've known what he wanted without him saying a word because they walked over and began removing the gags. As they did, the prisoners started swearing. It wasn't until Galway was ungagged that a question was asked.

"You're a motorcycle club. Why the hell do you give a fuck if we sell people or what we do or did to her? She's nothing. A means to an end. There are plenty of women to replace her. I doubt she's that good of a lay that you can't give her up. She never was for me." Galway smirked.

To my surprise, Diablo laughed. I expected him to explode in anger. "If you think by pissing me off, you'll die sooner and easier, forget it. As much as I'd love to do it, I won't. As for your questions, first, we hate anyone harming others the way you do by selling them. Secondly, there's no one who can replace her. She's priceless, and she's my old lady. Do you know what that means? It means in my world, she's my wife, and you just insulted her." He growled the last words before hauling back his fist and slamming it into Galway's jaw. The wimp cried out in pain.

Diablo's revelation caused the others to make disbelieving sounds and exchange glances. My brother was the next one to speak. "Joanne, I'm your brother. I had no say in you marrying him. That was all Father's doing. I admit, I had no idea he did those things to you or that he planned to sell you. I would've never gone along with it. You have to believe me."

I moved a couple of steps closer to him. I saw what I thought was hope flare in his eyes. He thought I was stupid. I smiled at him. He smiled back, but it soon disappeared when I responded.

"Janus, you can't lie to me. I know you. You're as heartless and cruel, maybe more so than our father. You knew exactly what Galway was doing, and it was all to solidify your needs for power, standing, and money, just like it was Galway's. You knew what I'd suffer at his hands. There were enough rumors about how he treated women to know. And selling me isn't a surprise either. I have no sisterly feelings for you to prey upon to save you. You're dying along with the rest of this scum."

"You fucking cunt! You were always useless. All you had to do was marry him and give him a couple of heirs, and you couldn't even do that! What did you expect? You're a woman. You're only worth is your womb and connections," Janus hollered. I was shocked when he was hit not by my man but by Butcher.

"Cocksucker, you don't talk to our queen that way. She's the president's old lady and our queen bee. You'll keep a civil tongue, or I'll fucking remove it. Jesus Christ, what's missing in your twisted psyche to be like this period, let alone toward your sister?" he asked. Blood was running down Janus' chin. Butcher had hit him right in the mouth and busted his lips on his teeth.

"Thanks, brother. Baby, is there anything you want to say before we get this show started?" Diablo asked.

"There is, honey. I want you to know that I told them everything you did to me. I'm gonna enjoy watching every second of your torture. When you leave this world, I want you to know that I'll go on to live happily ever after with this wonderful man. I've gained a family in the Horsemen and their many friends. Your entire evil kingdoms will be systematically torn down. I'll help them find every single person they can to make sure of it. You'll be forgotten. However, there is one thing I am thankful to you for. If it wasn't for what you did, I would've never left Nevada and ended up in Florida to meet Diablo. I think that's all I have. If I think of more, I'll let you know, babe," I told Diablo as I backed away.

"I want them up against the wall. Remove everything but their underwear. Faces to the wall," he ordered.

Everyone was quick to do as he asked. The eight men tried to fight, but they were no match for the men with me. In short order, they were stripped, secured, and facing away from us. There were manacles attached to the wall and floor as if the O'Sheerans knew we'd need them. I had no idea if Diablo had told them what he'd need or if the boat was already equipped for it. If it was the latter, I wondered how many others had been dealt with in a similar way. Time to punish these bastards. I stood back to see what the first thing would be done to them. I knew whatever it was, it would hurt.