Chapter Thirteen

Pit

"It's not our problem," yells Axel as I slam my fist against the window.

"He's fucking hurting her," I shout. "Turn the car around." We're already in a line of traffic, but all I can see is the image of Tessa as his fist connected with her face.

"He's right," says Grizz. "Turn around."

"And risk our deal?"

"Fuck the deal," I roar.

"We have to shift the fucking gear," he yells. "I can't keep hold of it any longer. If we get caught, we're all gonna end up inside."

I bury my head in my hands. "She thinks I fucked London," I mutter. "Shit."

"Who told her that?" asks Grizz.

"I did," I spit. "I was pissed with her fucking dismissing me."

"You could've saved us all the headache if you'd have just told us how you felt," snaps Axel.

"The deal was more important to you," I remind him bitterly.

"Fuck you, Pit," he snaps. "I asked you outright, and you lied. I ain't begging for truths. I had a tough call and I chose the club, like I always do."

"Hero," I mutter.

Axel swerves the car, taking a corner too fast before slamming on the brakes and jumping out. "Fuck," mutters Grizz, unfastening his seatbelt. "Now, you've done it."

Axel pulls my door open. "Get out." I do, too tired to argue and too exhausted to care. "If you've got something to say, big man, say it."

"You care about the money," I spit.

"Half a mill is a lot," he snaps. "But I don't give a shit about that if it means you're suffering."

"Bullshit," I argue. "You knew I was falling."

"And I asked you."

"What was I meant to say?"

"The fucking truth," he bellows in my face. "Pres, I like her and I can't let her go. But you said you wanted the road. You said you couldn't settle, it wasn't for you. So, I put the club first. I chose to offload those guns so we can all breathe again. You know the sentence if we get caught with that shit? I've never held onto that amount for longer than a week. That's what we do. We buy, we sell, we move it. That's why people deal with us. We're quick and reliable." He shoves me hard. "I asked you not to get involved with her. I told you we were gonna make a deal."

"I didn't plan on it," I yell.

"If we could all just calm the fuck down," says Grizz, stepping between us. "I have a solution." He holds up a piece of paper between his fingers. "Turns out, Pavel Oleg doesn't trust Alec either. He slipped me this with his phone number on. I assume he'd like a call."

Axel snatches it, opening it and staring wide-eyed. "Why the fuck didn't you say?"

"Because I didn't want Romeo to fuck anything up in there. We have to call him and check he's on the same page. If I'd have said anything there, Mister Muscle here would've crushed Alec's skull, and what if I've got it wrong?"

"Call him," I snap, getting back in the car.

"Let's wait until morning," says Grizz. "We don't want to appear too eager."

"What about Tessa?" I demand.

"She's faced worse, right? What's a day going to do?"

Tessa

The pain is blinding, literally. White lights dance in my eyes and my face throbs. I feel my legs dangling off the edge of the bed, and I try to drag myself higher, giving up when dizziness takes over. "Not so fast, firecracker," hisses Alec, and I breathe a sigh of relief when he unzips my dress, thankful that the crushing of my ribs is easing. He tugs it down my body, almost pulling me off the bed, and then his face comes into view. He leers down at me, and I feel my hands being lifted above my head. "Tie them," he says to someone else, then he's back to leering at me while my hands are pinned above my head and tied in place. I frown, unable to work out what's happening. My head feels fuzzy. "Don't worry, you'll come back fighting soon enough. The drug is wearing off."

Drug? I have a faint recollection of Alec placing a cloth over my face when we were in the car coming home.

Alec pulls my underwear from my body, and as much as I want to protest, I have no energy. And then his fingers are inside me, and I wince. It's uncomfortable and sore, but he doesn't stop when he notices my facial expressions. "I paid a lot of money," he whispers in my ear, "and I better get what I paid for."

I scream when he pushes his erection into me, and suddenly, I don't feel as fuzzy. I try to kick out, and he laughs, digging his fingers into my thighs. "That's it, firecracker, show me how much you want me." As my vision comes back, I glance around the room to find another man watching. Alec pulls from me and looks down, inspecting between my legs. "Would you look at that," he says calmly, "not a fucking drop."

"I don't know what you mean?" I rush the words out, sounding desperate.

"Jason, take over."

Alec steps back, and the other man gets into position, unfastening his trousers. "No," I yell, thrashing around to try and free myself. "Please, no," I scream as he pins me to the bed.

"You lied to me, firecracker. I'm about to make your life hell."

I wake and groan aloud. My body aches, and I already feel the swelling in both eyes and my lips. My wrists are sore from the ropes, and I try once again to loosen them to no avail. I push to sit up and wince as more pain shoots through my body.

"Ready for round six . . . or was it seven? I've lost count."

Alec is sitting in the armchair watching me. He's still naked, and I shudder with repulsion. I remember seeing his body when he sent me pictures online. His muscles and toned abs had me reeling. Now, they disgust me. "Jason had some work to get on with, but I can find a replacement if you'd like?" I'd never thought about having two men at once. It just hadn't crossed my mind. And after last night, I don't ever want it to happen again.

"Don't pretend you're some shy little virgin, Tessa. We both know it isn't true."

"I am," I lie. I've been saying the same thing all night.

"But your body responded like a pro," he mocks.

"I can't help my body's reaction," I spit angrily.

"Maybe we should try more men?" he muses. "Three, maybe four?"

"No," I say firmly, bringing the sheets tighter around my body.

He sneers. "Oh, this isn't your game, Tessa. It's mine. I decide who and how many."

I begin to sob. "Please, Alec. This wasn't what I wanted."

He laughs loudly. "You sold yourself to a stranger on the internet. Were you expecting me to be a decent man?"

I'm once again reminded how na?ve I've been and humiliation burns me. "I have a special guest arriving shortly," he adds, standing. "You haven't seen him for a while." I frown as he heads for the door. "Get some rest."

I must nod off, but I wake with a start to find Alec sneering down at me with his hand around my throat. "Are you ready for your surprise, firecracker?" I shake my head, and he grins. "Of course, you are." He grips a handful of my hair and pulls my head up to look into the eyes I know so well. "Steven," I whisper. Horror fills me when his smile is just as evil as I remember.

"The one and only."

"I'll let you get reacquainted," says Alec, heading for the door. "Keep her in one piece. Those bikers might pull the deal if they realise she's gone too soon."

Steven Kendal sits on the bed. He's bigger now, his shoulders wider and his arms muscly. "It's been a while."

"What are you doing here?"

"What do you think?" he asks, running his hand up my inner thigh. I try to move, but he pins me in place. "Don't be shy, Tessa. I've waited years for this."

"Jesus," I cry. "Have you been holding a grudge all this time? We were fucking kids, Steven."

"And now we're adults."

Tears leak from my eyes. "Haven't you moved on, gotten married?"

"I'm not here for a happy reunion, Tessa. You were a fucking bitch to me."

My mouth falls open in shock. "You hated me. You made my life hell."

"Because you looked down your nose at me, thinking you were too fucking good."

"I didn't," I say, barely believing his words. "I was terrified of you. You bullied me."

He laughs. "Now, now, let's not make me the villain. I tried to befriend you, and you made it impossible."

"Because I wouldn't have sex with you?" I scoff. "Christ, shit happens. Move on."

He stands. "That would be easy if I wasn't so affected by you. I saw your little ad online," he says, unfastening his belt, "selling yourself like a prostitute."

I gasp. "You saw it?"

"I'm married, so I couldn't follow through completely. That's when my brother stepped in." My throat tightens. "And then it all got messy. And now, Alec tells me you're not a fucking virgin?"

"I am . . . I was. He took that away," I cry.

Steven climbs onto the bed, fisting his erection. "I told him to have his fun. What was the point in keeping you untouched if you weren't . . . untouched?"

"Oh my god, you've been behind this all along?"

"Firecracker," he says, winking. He lines himself up at my entrance. "And now, I have my very own toy to play with whenever I feel like it."

Pit

We file into church and take our seats. "I called our Russian dealer. He's willing to cut the middleman out," says Axel with a wide smile. "Apparently, he doesn't like or trust Alec or his brother, Steven." The name strikes something inside me.

"Steven?" I repeat.

"Yep. Apparently, they're adopted brothers, crazy and reckless. He doesn't want them involved at all and actually offered us more of a cut if we didn't use them."

"Have you got a name?" I ask, frowning. "A full one?"

Axel takes out a piece of paper and throws it on the table. "I'm running checks on them both," he tells me as I take it and stare at the names.

Steven Kendal.

"Jesus," I mutter, throwing it back on the table. "He bullied Tessa when she was younger."

Axel's frown deepens. "There could be more than one Steven Kendal."

"But what are the chances? He was cruel to her. There's every chance this could be a vendetta."

"Okay, well, the second I get the addresses, we'll head out. We're ending Alec for pulling the shit with our guns in the first place. It makes no difference if we take out his brother too."

Relief floods me, and I nod in agreement. Knowing I'll have Tessa back with me brings a sense of calm.

It's another few hours before we get an address for Steven and I'm standing outside the pristine house. "She's not here," I mutter.

"How do you know?" asks Grizz.

"It's my job to know. The house is too nice. The neighbourhood is too quiet. He wouldn't bring her here."

"So, let's knock and ask," says Axel, walking up the path.

A woman answers cradling a baby. Both her eyes are bruised and she looks exhausted. She eyes us warily. "Yes?"

"We're looking for Steven."

"He's out."

"Do you know where?" asks Axel. She gives her head a shake. "Anything you can tell us would be helpful."

"I don't even know you," she mutters, gently stroking her baby's head.

"No, but looking at you, I'd say you could do with our help," I cut in. "If we find him, it might relieve you of a troublesome life."

She bites her lower lip, thinking over my words. "Let me get my phone," she offers, heading back inside.

She returns, holding it out to us. It shows a map with Steven's location. I smile, snapping a picture. "Thank you."

"I didn't help you," she says. "He can't know."

I give a nod. "Same goes, you never saw us before, we were never here." And we head out.

The apartment is in a nice area, but it's lacking security, and as I scan the labels for the doorbell, I smile. "Alec," I say, pressing the buzzer for his neighbour, and a man answers. "Hey, man, it's Alec from next door. I forgot my key. Can you let me in?"

The door clicks, and I pull it open. Grizz slaps me on the back. "I forgot what a buzz it is to be out with you."

We take the elevator, stepping out onto the landing and listening for any sign there's someone here. After a minute, Grizz takes the lead, gently turning the handle to the door. It's locked, like we expected, so I knock hard. "Delivery," I call out, pressing a finger over the spy hole.

After a moment, there's a voice on the other side of the door. "I didn't order."

"Erm . . . it's for Alec," I say, sounding confused.

"Fuck's sake," I hear him mutter before the lock clicks and the door is yanked open. "I said I—"

I shove the door back, taking Alec by surprise. Grizz takes hold of him, slamming him against the wall. I continue through the apartment, pushing doors open as I pass, and then I hear her. She's crying out, like she's in pain, and I run towards the sound, shoving open the last door and filling the doorway. There on the bed is Tessa, and between her open legs is a man. I can already see the bruises on her inner thighs and blood smeared there. A painful roar rips from me as I grab him by his neck and drag him from her. She immediately scrambles towards the head of the bed, tucking her knees to her chest.

My chest heaves with anger, my throat tightening with each breath. "Name?" I bark.

He sneers. "You're fucking up my plans," he says calmly.

I squeeze harder, and he winces. "Wrong answer," I growl, pulling a blade from my jacket and holding it under his eye. "I'm guessing you're Steven."

"You've done your homework."

I press the tip of the blade to the soft skin, nicking it and watching the blood bead to the surface. "Te, are you okay?" I call out, not taking my eyes from the monster before me. A sob escapes her, and I press the knife into the flesh under his eye. He grits his teeth, refusing to let me hear his pain as blood drips from the wound. I drag it out slowly.

"Why do you even fucking care?" he grits out, spittle flying from his mouth. "You were only holding her to get to Alec."

Axel appears in the doorway. "Why's he still talking?"

"You're right," I mutter, gripping the blade tightly and shoving it up through his jaw. I savour the feel as it slices through the skin and then through his tongue. I twist it, and he begins to choke, grabbing my wrist with both his hands. I shove the blade one last time, piercing his brain, watching as the life leaves his eyes.

He slumps, his knees giving out, and I release him so he hits the floor hard. "Piece of shit," I mutter, spitting on him.

Axel gives a slight nod to the bed, and I spin to see Tessa with her head resting on her knees, sobbing quietly.

I wipe my hands down my jeans and move towards her. I lower onto the bed, and she jumps in fright. "It's just me," I reassure her. "I'm going to untie you," I add, carefully reaching for the ropes. They're tied tightly, and Axel sees me struggling and passes me his own knife. I cut through the binds and release her. She rubs her wrists, which look red raw, and I clench my jaw in anger.

I take off my shirt and wrap it around her shoulders. "Let's take you home," I tell her, sliding my arms under her legs and around her back, lifting her into my arms. I feel the way she stiffens, but she doesn't protest, so I carry her from the room and out the apartment.