Prologue

Brooklyn

THE GUYS GOT me out of the bar and loaded up into a truck as quickly as they could without making me hurt more than I already was. I mean, there's no way in hell I'm not going to feel any pain because my body is beaten and bruised. This is among one of the worst times Bennett has beaten me and I wish I knew what I did to set him off. It doesn't really matter if I did anything wrong or not, but part of me wants to understand his reasoning. Why does he feel that it's okay to put his hands on me in anger? I'm not perfect. No one is. Bennett seems to demand perfection of me which means I'll always let him down and he'll beat me on a daily basis. That was never a life goal of mine at all, and I have to wonder if there's something wrong with me that keeps me with him. Because sane people wouldn't sign up for what he is doing to me.

Wheels, I think his name is, is driving the truck back to the clubhouse. You can't live in Odin's Gap and not know where the Tattered and Torn clubhouse is. It was a big deal when the guys moved into town and started setting everything up. I know it's not far from Crickets but the ride is killing me. My hand and arm are still throbbing in immense pain with every beat of my heart. I'm almost positive something is broken in there. Soul is sitting right next to me with his arm wrapped around my shoulders. From the second I wedged my body in between theirs at the bar, one of them has been touching me at all times. I'm not about to put a stop to it because for the first time in a very long time I feel safe. Some part of me knows these two men will do everything in their power to protect me from Bennett and everyone else who wants to hurt me.

"We're here, Angel," Soul says, his voice soft and gentle as if I'm a wounded animal about to run away from him. "I'm gonna carry you in the clubhouse to the medic room. Dr. Crewes is a good guy. He'll take care of you. Neither one of us will leave your side the entire time."

"Okay. Thank you both for helping me," I tell them, my voice breaking as sobs threaten to overwhelm me. The only reason I don't collapse in tears is because I know from experience how much more I'll hurt, especially this time with my hand and arm so messed up.

Wheels parks the truck on the side of the huge building that's their clubhouse while the guys who surrounded us on the short ride here park in front of the building in a line. I lift my head once Soul has me in his arms long enough to see the bikers all backing in their bikes in a line. I've never witnessed anything like that before and it makes me feel as if I'm part of something bigger as these men are larger than life and make everyone around them take notice without even trying. Laying my head on Soul's chest, I close my eyes against the bright light in the clubhouse. My head is starting to hurt and the less lights I have shining in my eyes, the better I'll feel. At least as far as my head goes.

"We're in the medic room, Angel. I'm gonna set you on the gurney so Doc can check you out. I'm layin' you down now," he informs me, his voice washing over me like a warm blanket on a cold winter's night.

"Okay," I mumble, my voice still nothing more than a whisper.

"Brooklyn, I'm Dr. Crewes and I'm so sorry to meet you under these circumstances," an older man states as I open my eyes and look at him. "Can you tell me where you hurt the most before I just start lookin' you over?"

"My hand, wrist, and arm hurt on the right side. Every single inch of my arm hurts with every move or jostle, and it makes me want to scream out in pain. I've also got pain in my stomach, nose, and jaw," I answer, my voice still barely above a whisper. It hurts every single time I talk so I want to avoid it as often as I can.

"Okay. Don't talk for now. I'm gonna give you an exam and then we can go from there. I don't have an x-ray machine for your hand and wrist, but we'll figure out somethin' to determine if there's a break somewhere in there or not. Just from first glance, I do believe the cut on your forehead is gonna need stitches. That means I'm gonna have to numb the area with a local anesthetic so you don't feel a thing. If we have to, we'll head to the local walk-in clinic for the x-rays," Dr. Crewes says, his voice remaining soft and gentle as he begins his exam of me.

I try to keep my eyes open during the exam, but the pain makes it impossible. One of the guys holds my hand that's not hurt and the instant our hands touch, that feeling of safety and warmth surrounds me once again. While my discomfort doesn't disappear, I realize I'm not alone in this any longer and it helps keep me focused on the here and now.

"Okay. You've got quite a large number of bruises on most of your body. They'll heal on their own as you know. Your ribs aren't broken, but they are badly bruised. It's gonna be a while before you can breathe or move around without feelin' the pain from them. Your jaw is bruised. It's gonna hurt for a while but there shouldn't be any lastin' damage. Don't talk if you don't have to and you can use ice to help ensure there's no swellin'. At this point, I do believe your wrist is broken. For now, I'm goin' to wrap it so it's secure and then we'll head over to the clinic. I've got a contact there who can let us in after hours so everythin' remains off the books. It took ten stitches to close the wound on your forehead. You need to keep that area clean and dry. Don't get it wet at all. The boys and ol' ladies here know how to change the bandages if you're comfortable with them doin' it.

"The last thing I have to do is reset your nose. This one is really gonna hurt and there's nothin' I can do to take that away. If you want to have some pain medicine, I can certainly give you a shot for that so it doesn't take as long to kick in. Right after I get that taken care of, we'll head to the clinic and get you taken care of. They'll have everythin' I need there to put you in a cast if that's what's needed as well. I have a lot of stuff here, but not that."

"Please," I whisper. I'm not a wimp, not by a longshot, but this is the worst Bennett has ever hurt me and the pain radiating through me has me wishing I could curl into a ball and cry hysterically.

"Then that's what we'll do, darlin'," Doc replies, reaching into his black bag. "Just a tiny prick now, that's a good girl. Now, I have to ask you an extremely personal question. Do you want the guys to leave?"

"No. I'd like them to stay please," I whisper, looking between the two guys who make me feel safer than ever before in my life.

"Were you raped by the man who attacked you?" Dr. Crewes asks, the tension in the room increasing until it's all I can feel.

"No. We were together and it's not rape if you're with the person," I state, not looking at any of the men in the room because this is a very personal matter and I don't know any of these men. Even though one is a doctor, I'm still quite embarrassed right now.

"What did you just say, Angel? Who told you that?" Soul questions me, his voice hard and cold.

"My parents and Bennett. They've told me for over two years now that it's not rape if you're with the person. So, no, I wasn't raped," I say, listening to my voice tremble because of the anger now filling the room.

"Star, I don't know how to tell you this," Wheels begins, his voice not hiding the anger he's feeling right now. "Rape is rape. It doesn't matter if you're with the person or not. If at any time you didn't want to have sex with Bennett, then he raped you. So, were you raped?"

"Every single time," I whisper, tears filling my eyes and spilling over in seconds because I've been lied to for so long by the people who were supposed to protect me above all else. Now I feel dirty, unclean, and figure that these two men will go running for the hills as soon as possible.

"Don't cry, Angel. You won't ever have to live like that again. I'll make damn sure of it and I know Wheels won't let that happen to you either," Soul promises me, the look in his green eyes showing how livid he is. I don't even think livid is the right word to use here. Soul is so angry and if his eyes could shoot lasers at whoever is closest to him, they'd be dead, incinerated on the spot.

I don't know whose room I slept in last night, but the guys surrounded me all night long. Their scents enveloped me, furthering my feeling of being safe. For so long now, I've lived my life scared of everything. My earliest memories are grounded in fear, and as I've gotten older, it's only gotten worse. The x-rays we got at the clinic showed my wrist is broken in two spots but thankfully I didn't need surgery to repair the damage Bennett did to me. Dr. Crewes believes having the cast on will ensure the bones set the way they're supposed to and then I can get the bulky cast off and go about my life. Or figure out where I want my new life to go. Right now, the only thing I'm completely sure of is that I don't want anything to do with my parents or Bennett ever again.

"Mornin', Angel," Soul says, his voice scratchy and deep from just waking up. "How did you sleep?"

"Better than I have in a very long time," I answer him, my voice only slightly louder than last night when they brought me to the clubhouse.

"Someday, you'll explain that to us, Star. For now, we have to get ready to head to church. I got a message from Anguish that he wants to see you in church this mornin'. It will be easier on you to go over everythin' once instead of havin' to talk about everythin' multiple times," Wheels says, his voice also full of sleep that deepens his normally deep voice and makes it sound like he's gargled with gravel or something.

Honestly, the voices of both men are sexy as hell. That's a thought I have no business thinking about them. Yes, they saved me from Bennett and brought me to the clubhouse to get looked at by their doctor. Then, they made sure that I'm safe and protected throughout the night. These men are protecting me and that's it. They aren't going to have any interest in a girl who's damaged and been beaten repeatedly. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Bennett raped me repeatedly over the years. It's going to take a very long time for me to even think about this information and process what's been done to me.

"How am I gonna talk in front of everyone? Dr. Crewes doesn't want me to talk very much," I remind the guys as we all start to get out of the bed. Because in addition to everything else, my jaw is badly bruised and even opening my mouth to speak has my head aching as though someone is banging against my skull.

Soul helps me get from under the blankets and sees that I'm steady on my feet before letting me go.

"We'll get you through it and then you won't have to talk for the rest of the day. We'll spend the rest of the day in the cabin, makin' sure it's all set while you rest and point out what you want done or what you need. Just whisper if you have to and we'll let the guys know exactly why they have to truly listen to you and not make you speak up louder than you can," Wheels states, walking to the dresser in the room and pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a tee-shirt before handing them over to me. "You can't take a shower or wash your hair today. Soul and I can help you get cleaned up the best we can if you don't mind."

"I don't mind," I say even as I fill with fear at the thought of these men touching me so soon after learning the revelation of what Bennett's been doing to me.

"You'll see every single move we make, Angel. If you don't want us to touch you in a certain area of your body, we won't. Today we're just gonna use wet washcloths to get the blood and stuff off of your body. Especially your face. We would've done it last night but you were so exhausted and we wanted you to sleep more than worryin' about cleanin' you up," Soul tells me,

Last night, their anger over my treatment from Bennett, as well as my parents, clouded every space we were in. Today, however, I can feel their kindness and concern and it melts something inside. Instinctively, I know they'll treat me with care, and won't do anything that makes me uncomfortable.

"Okay," I murmur. "Lead the way."

It's a little intimidating being in a room full of larger-than-life men, but Wheels and Soul have me sitting between the two of them. I don't know their history, but word around town is they were all in the same unit in the military and when they were all medically discharged, they followed Drayven here and decided to set up their homebase in our small town.

They've done a lot for the town, including revitalizing it with new businesses. They're also active with many different projects, things that are making life better for others. So, even though I feel like I want to pass out now that everyone's eyes are on me, I will push through my fear and do it anyway.

Because I can't keep living the life I was; I won't survive it.

"Brooklyn, I know this might be hard, but I need you to tell us everythin'," Anguish, the club president states. "Take your time, and Brothers, I need y'all to hold any questions until she's done talkin' if there's anythin' you need clarified."

I watch all the men agree, almost in unison, as Wheels and Soul place a hand on my shoulders, giving me the strength I need to purge everything all at once. There's so much poison clotting my soul, I worry that I'll be dead by the time I'm finished. Still, I want, no I need to do this, for my sanity, my future.

"I met Bennett two years ago. He was at my parents' trailer when I got home from work. I'm not exactly sure what they were talking about, but the second I walked through the door, they all stopped talking and looked up at me. Bennett stood from the worn chair he was sitting on and came over to me. He was the perfect gentleman. Bennett said all the right things and treated me like a princess. At least in the beginning, he did. It only took him six months before his true colors started showing. That's when he'd slap me here or there for various reasons. I didn't dress properly, my hair and make-up was too over-the-top for him, any reason he deemed appropriate to ‘put me in my place'.

"By the eight month mark of our relationship, he started alienating me from all of my family and friends. He took my cell phone, had to know where I was every second of the day, and everything else you can think of. I wasn't allowed to go out unless he was with me. Then, we were with his friends and only his friends. I was surrounded by assholes at all times. The only people he didn't remove from my life were my parents because they believed everything he was saying and agreed with his punishments to ensure I was acting the proper way. A way beneficial to him and only him. I was to be nothing more than a trophy on his arm when he decided to take me out and show me off.

"From there, it only got worse. The smallest thing would set him off. I couldn't ever really tell when Bennett was going to hurt me, but for the most part, I knew what I had done to set him off. Not this last time though. He came into my parents' trailer and just started tearing into me. Bennett destroyed everything in the place before walking out and leaving me curled up on the floor in agonizing pain. I had no clothes left but the sweatpants, tank top, and hoodie I was wearing last night. Every other piece of clothing I've had to save up to buy was completely destroyed.

"When I was able to pull myself up off the floor and get out of the trailer, he tried to run me over with his car. I was at Maude and Miriam's diner when he finally pulled away and left me alone. He's scared of them and knows they have a shotgun inside. If they'd seen me the way I am, they would've taken care of him and not cared who witnessed it. From there, I made my way to the bar behind the buildings and anything else I could hide behind. That's when I ordered an angel shot and Cricket sent me over to Wheels and Soul for help," I tell the guys, staring at the table in front of me so I don't have to worry about seeing the pity in their eyes as they listen to the treatment of me at Bennett's hands.

"Sweetheart, why would Bennett ask if we knew who his father was last night?" one of the largest guys I've ever seen in my life asks me. It's the same man who was behind the bar with Cricket last night.

"Well, his father is the Governor. That's why Bennett never gets in trouble for anything. I'm not the first girl he's treated this way. They aren't even from here, and I know that because one of his ex's reached out to me not that long ago. He beat her so badly she was admitted to the hospital at one point," I tell them, still not exactly looking at anyone around the table as Wheels and Soul continue to lend me all the comfort and strength they have to give.

"I'd like you to write down Bennett's full name and anythin' else you can think would be good for us to know," the man sitting at the head of the table says, his voice gentle despite the underlying hint of anger.

"Well, um, I can't exactly write anything down right now. He broke my dominant wrist. But, if Wheels or Soul could write everything down for me, I'll give over any details I can think of," I tell them, finally looking up at the men surrounding me.

None of them are looking at me with pity in their eyes. If anything, I see nothing but rage, anger, and violence from them. These men are angry on my behalf and it's kind of liberating to realize for the first time someone is actually on my side and believes me over Bennett. I mean, it's kind of hard to dismiss what I've said with all of the evidence on my body. Wheels and Soul definitely saw more of it than anyone else in this room, but they can see the damage that's been done to my face.

"Okay. Wheels and Soul, take her to the cabins and get her settled in one. Fetch is gonna run to the store when you get him a list of what's needed. Cricket and Fee are on standby to get anything Brooklyn might need. Make sure you air out whichever one you put her in. Nanny could probably use a neighbor. Just sayin'. I don't want either one of you leavin' her there alone. Until we can get a handle on this situation, you're her personal bodyguards. We'll take care of everythin' else," the man in charge orders before slamming a gavel on the table in front of him. It's so loud, I jump in my seat and almost fall to the floor.

I can't help myself; it's a conditioned response after two years of hell. Loud noises, slamming doors, threatening tones; they all render me virtually helpless as fear courses through my body. Hopefully, my life is changing for the good and I'll eventually leave these reactions behind.

Wheels and Soul take me from the room and lead me out of the clubhouse over to a row of cabins. There's an older lady sitting outside of one who waves and offers me a large, bright smile. I shyly wave back as she gets a good look at my face and anger fills her features. Quickly turning my head from her, I continue walking between the two men and let them lead me into where I'll be staying, right next to the older woman. I'm ready to take my medicine and go to sleep and I haven't even been up that long. So, that's exactly what I do.