(Hades Hangmen #1) It Aint Me, Babe - Tillie Cole

It Ain’t Me, Babe

by Tillie Cole

It Ain’t Me, Babe Copyright© Tillie Cole 2014 All rights reserved Cover Design by Damonza at www.damonza.com Copyedited by Cassie McGowan at www.gatheringleavesediting.com Formatted by Polgarus Studio at www.polgarusstudio.com eBook Edition No Part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written consent from the publisher and author, except in the instance of quotes for reviews. No part of this book may be uploaded without the permission of the publisher and author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is originally published. This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, actual events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters and names are products of the authors imagination and used fictitiously. The publisher and author acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book.

Dedication To the brave people who inspired this story. May you finally find your happiness. And may your voice be heard.

Contents Page Author ’s Note Glossary Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Epilogue Playlist Acknowledgements About the Author Follow Tillie at:

Author’s Note I just wanted to take a moment to explain why I wrote certain aspects of this book. For my undergraduate degree, I studied Comparative Religion. Due to outstanding lecturers, many who were considered experts in their chosen field, I was given the opportunity to meet various people from an array of cultures and faiths. One of my specialised areas of study in my final year was in ‘New Religious Movements (NRM’s), Cults and Sects’. I was lucky to meet, and work with, members and former members of such religious groups. Most were happy with their lifestyle choice, others were not. I would say that ninety percent of the people I interviewed and worked alongside belonged to the former, but I will never forget the harrowing, and sometimes disturbing, testimonies and witness statements from the latter. Unfortunately, amongst the genuine and sincere members of some NRM’s, there are also a very small number of opportunists and individuals who, for reasons unbeknownst to most, choose to use religion, and its influence on innocent people, for their own personal gain—whether it be for power, control, or sadly, for something much more sordid. ‘It Ain’t Me, Babe’ was inspired by the testimonies of ex-members from several NRM’s and the leaders that abused the power they had over their members—especially the women. The female protagonist in this novel, ‘Salome’, endures situations inspired by real events told to me personally by survivors of such groups. Addressing this topic was very important to me, as it is an area of life, of humanity, in which most people are unaware. Victims of these ‘opportunist’ groups are often not given a voice and I wanted to give the many women I was so fortunate to meet a chance to be heard. ‘It Ain’t Me, Babe’ is a work of fiction, but the doctrines, practices and experiences of ‘Salome’, her sisters and The Order in this novel are also inspired by several brave women who chose to share their story with me. I am a thorough believer in the freedom of religion and respect, and have many friends, from many faiths. Most NRM’s that I worked with were honest and good people and do not deserve the bad reputation many of them acquire. What I do find unacceptable however, is when certain people take vulnerable, pure and God-fearing people and abuse their trust and kindness for their own selfish gain. Thank you for taking your time to read this note and I hope you enjoy the novel. Tillie x

Glossary (Not in alphabetical order) The Order Terminology The Order: Apocalyptic New Religious Movement. Beliefs based on selected Christian teachings, strongly believe the apocalypse is imminent. Led by Prophet David (declares himself to be a Prophet of God and a descendant of King David), the elders and the disciples. The members live together in a secluded commune; based on traditional and modest living, polygamy and unorthodox religious practices. Believe the ‘outside world’ is sinful and evil. Have no contact with nonmembers. Commune: Property owned by The Order and controlled by the Prophet David. Segregated living community. Policed by disciples and elders and stocked with weapons in case of an outside world attack. Men and women kept in separate areas of the commune. The Cursed kept away from all men (except the elders) in their own private quarters. Land protected by a large perimeter fence. Elders: Comprises four men; Gabriel, Moses, Noah and Jacob. Charged with the day to day running of the commune. Second in Command to Prophet David. Responsible for schooling the Cursed. Disciple Guards: Male members of The Order. Tasked with the protection of the commune lands and the members of The Order. Follow the command of the elders and Prophet David. Lords Sharing: Ritual sexual act performed between male and female members of The Order. Believed to help the male get steadily closer to the Lord. Performed in mass ceremonies. Narcotics often used for a transcendental experience. Females are forbidden from experiencing pleasure as punishment for carrying the original sin of Eve and must perform the act when required as part of their sisterly duties. The Cursed: Women/Girls in The Order deemed too naturally beautiful and inherently sinful. Live separately from the rest of commune. Seen as too tempting to men. The Cursed are believed to be significantly more likely to sway men from the righteous path. Original Sin: Augustine Christian doctrine that says mankind is born sinful and have an innate urge to disobey God. Original Sin is the result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God when they ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. In The Order’s doctrines (created by Prophet David), Eve is blamed for tempting Adam to sin, thus sisters of The Order are seen as born seductresses and temptresses and must obey men. Hades Hangmen Terminology Hades Hangmen: One-percenter Outlaw MC. Founded in Austin, Texas, 1969. Hades: Lord of the Underworld in Greek mythology. Mother Chapter: First branch of the club. Founding location. One-percenter: The American Motorbike Association (AMA) were once rumored to have said that 99% of bikers were law-abiding citizens. Bikers who do not abide by AMA rules name themselves ‘one-percenters’ (the remaining non law-abiding 1%). The vast majority of ‘one-percenters’ belong

to Outlaw MC’s. Cut: Leather vest worn by outlaw bikers. Adorned with patches and artwork displaying the club’s unique colors. Patched in: When a new member is approved for full membership. Church: Club meetings for full patch members. Led by President of the club. Old Lady: Woman with wife status. Protected by her partner. Status held to be sacrosanct by club members. Club Slut: A woman who comes to the clubhouse to engage in casual sexual acts with the club members. Bitch: Woman in Biker culture. Term of endearment. Gone/Going to Hades: Slang. Referring to the dying/dead. Meeting/Gone/Going to the Boatman: Slang. Dying/dead. Referring to ‘Charon’ in Greek mythology. Charon was the ferryman of the dead, an underworld daimon (Spirit). Transported departed souls to Hades. The fee for the crossing over the rivers Styx and Acheron to Hades were coins placed on either the dead’s eyes or mouth at burial. Those who did not pay the fee were left to wander the shores of Styx for one hundred years. Snow: Cocaine. Ice: Crystal Meth The Organizational Structure of Hades Hangmen President (Prez): Leader of the club. Holder of the Gavel, which is symbolic of the absolute power that the President wields. The Gavel is used to keep order in Church. The word of the President is law within the club. He takes advice from senior club members. No one challenges the decisions of the President. Vice President (VP): Second-in-Command. Executes the orders of the President. Principal communicator with other chapters of the club. Assumes all responsibilities and duties of the President in their absence. Road Captain: Responsible for all club runs. Research, plan and organize club runs and ride outs. Ranking club officer, answering only to President or VP. Sergeant-at-Arms: Responsible for club security, policing and keeping order at club events. Reports unseemly behavior to President and VP. Responsible for the safety and protection of the club, its members and its Prospects. Treasurer: Keeps records of all income and expenses. Keeps records of all club patches and colors issued and taken away. Secretary: Responsible for making and keeping all club records. Must notify members of emergency meetings. Prospect: Probationary member of the MC. Goes on runs, but banned from attending Church.

Prologue “You stay here, River. Got it?” Turning up the air-conditioner in the truck, I nodded and signed, Got it. Slamming the driver ’s side door, my pop and the prospect headed off into the woods, the first body bag of the four dead Mexicans being carried by them. Waiting until they were all out of sight I jumped out of the truck, my feet making a crunching sound as they hit the dried grass. Tipping my head back, I breathed deep. I loved being outdoors, loved being on the back of my pop’s bike, loved being anywhere away from people expecting me to talk. Making my way toward the bed of the truck, I snapped a long spindly branch off a nearby cedar and began whacking the reeds around me just for something to do. Sending stiffs to the boatman could take hours—digging, lime, and cover-up—so I made my way toward the trees and set to searching for snakes in the high grass. I don’t know how long I walked, but when I lifted my eyes, I found myself deep in the forest, the air around me completely still and me completely lost. Shit. Pop’s instructions were as clear as day. “Stay here, River. Got it?” Hell, he was gonna kill me if he had to come looking. The rules for dumping stiffs were simple: dig, dump, dodge. Searching around me, I spotted a rise and headed for higher ground. I intended to work my way back to the truck before my pop turned up and got pissed. Using the trunks of the trees to hold on to, I climbed the steep hill and, when I reached the top, began dusting the dried mud and bark scum from my jeans. When they were sorta clean, I scanned the horizon and frowned. About two hundred yards ahead was the biggest goddamn fence. My mouth dropped at its size; it was higher and wider than anything I’d ever seen before. It reminded me of prison, with curls of razor wire wrapped ’round the top wall. I looked all ’round me, but there were no signs of life, nothing to be seen behind the fence but more forest. I wondered what it was. We were deep in the boonies, miles and miles from the outskirts of Austin, miles and miles from anywhere. Folks don’t really come this far outta town… they know better. My pop said only bad things happen ’round these parts: death, disappearances, violence and other unexplainable things. It’d been that way for years; that’s why my pop chose it as a drop site. Now completely distracted from finding a route back to the truck, I began wading through tall grasses toward the edge of the fence. Curious excitement buzzed through me. I loved to go exploring, but then I jumped out of my skin when, suddenly, something behind the fence caught my eye. Someone was there. I froze, focusing my eyes on the outline of a tiny slim person, the small frame of a young chick dressed in a long gray dress, her hair pulled back in a funny style at the back of her head. She looked ’bout my age. Maybe a couple ’a years younger? Heart beating fast in my chest, I crept toward the chick, her tiny, frail-looking body drowning in the dark material of her dress as she curled herself in between the roots of a large tree. Her shoulders were shaking as she cried, her body shuddering with sobs, but not making a sound. Dropping to my knees, I threaded my fingers through the links of the fence and stared. I wanted to say something, but I didn’t—couldn’t—speak to anyone but Kyler and Pop. Even then it weren’t often.

I closed my eyes, concentrating on trying to loosen up my throat, fighting to free the words that never wanted to come. A battle I always tried to fight but one I rarely won. Dropping my mouth, I set to relaxing my face muscles when the tiny chick froze on the spot and her eyes locked on mine. I stumbled back, my fingers slipping back through the fence. She had huge, blue eyes rimmed with red marks. Her small hand moved to her face to wipe at her wet cheeks; her bottom lip quivered and her chest heaved hard. From my new position, I could see her hair was as black as coal and her skin so pale. I’d never seen no one like her before. Then again, I didn’t know many kids my own age; no one did in club life. There was Kyler, of course, but he was my best friend, my club brother. Suddenly, the chick panicked; her face blanched, she shot to her feet, and her head turned back toward the forest. I scrambled to the fence again at her movement, the metal screeching at the contact. The chick froze and looked back, gripping a branch as she watched me. Who are you? I signed real fast. The girl swallowed nervously and tilted her head. Cautiously, she edged forward in silence, curiosity etched on her tiny face. She was staring at my hands, watching me sign, her dark eyebrows pulled down real low. The closer she got, the more my breath came short and I felt warm all over. Her jet-black hair was tied in a tight knot at the back of her head, covered by a weird white cloth. I’d never seen anyone dressed like her before. She looked so strange. When she stopped ’bout two yards away, I sucked in a breath, squeezed my stomach muscles tight, and signed again. Who are you? She didn’t speak, just stared at me blankly. Goddamn it! She didn’t understand ASL. Not many folks did. I could hear just fine, but I didn’t speak. Ky and Pop were the only folks who could translate for me, and right now I was on my own. Sucking in another deep breath, I swallowed and tried really hard to work loose my throat. Closing my eyes, I thought through what I wanted to ask and, holding a slow, controlled exhale, I tried my damnedest to talk. “Wh-wh-who a-are y-y-you?” As I fell back in shock, my eyes widened. I’d never been able to do that before, speak to a total stranger. My hands fidgeted in excitement. I could talk to this chick! I could talk… that made her number three. Driven by curiosity, the chick moved closer still. Only a few feet away, she slowly knelt on the forest floor, her head cocked to one side, just staring at me with a funny expression on her face. Her big blue eyes never once moved away from me. I watched her slowly scan me from head to toe and then back again. I thought about what she must be seeing: my dark, messy hair, black T-shirt and jeans, heavy black boots, and leather cuffs on my wrists showing the Hangmen patch. As her eyes met mine once more, her lips seemed to curve upward slightly into a small kinda smile. I crooked my finger in her direction, urging her to come closer. She quickly turned, searching all ’round her. Seeing we were alone, she stood up—slowly, as before—and she inched forward toward me, the bottom of her long dress dirtying on a patch of muddy ground. Now, as she stood before me, I couldn’t help but notice again how tiny she looked. I was tall, so she had to tilt her neck back to look up at me. As I pressed into the fence, my stomach churned. She looked so tired and her blue eyes winced in the corners as she shuffled toward me, like she was in pain. Noticing she was uncomfortable, I pointed to the forest floor, indicating we should sit. She nodded her head, lowered her eyes and slowly, painfully, dropped to her knees.

She didn’t make a sound. Hoping for another miracle, I inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. “Whwhat i-is this p-p-p-place? D-d-do you… l-l-live h-here?” I stuttered, occasionally pausing and thinking through my words as I struggled to push them out. A wave of excitement washed through my stomach… I was talking… again! Her eyes focused on my mouth, but she still kept quiet. Her black eyebrows were pulled tight and her pink lips were pursed in concentration. I knew she was wondering why I talked funny; everyone always did. She would be wondering why I stuttered. I didn’t know. I just always had. Gave up trying to fix it years ago. I talked with my hands now. Didn’t like being laughed at for having a stammer… but she wasn’t laughing at me… not even a little bit. She just looked, well, confused. As I glanced down in embarrassment, I noticed her hands were right next to her side of the fence, only inches from mine. Without thinking, I reached through and ran my finger across her knuckles. I just wanted to touch her, make sure she was real. Her skin looked so soft. With a gasp, she snapped her hand back as if my touch were fire and she cradled it next to her chest. “I-I-I w-won’t h-hurt y-you,” I croaked as quickly as I could force out, worried about the terror on her face… a face that was the same shape as a heart. I didn’t want her to be scared of me. My pop told me that folks needed to fear me, had to distrust me so I’d be safe. Most folks in my world, I knew, would see my signing as a weakness, so my pop told me I had to toughen up and use my fists instead of words. Now folks just thought I was dangerous. Like Ky said, I was born to be feared: the Hangmen Mute. But right now I wished more than anything that I could trade all that in just to know how to talk right. I didn’t want her to be afraid of me. Not the chick with the blue eyes—blue eyes the color of a wolf’s. Sitting back in a trance, her wolf eyes drew me in. She looked like a ghost—no, a goddess—like the paintings on the wall at compound. Like the goddess Persephone, wife of Hades, the underworld God the Hangmen wore on their patch. With a flicker of movement, the chick brought her shaking hand forward to the fence; the ice-blue and white flecks in her irises never broke my gaze, the whites bright as she stared at me. I stayed completely still. The girl was like a frightened rabbit and I didn’t want to spook her. I’d never seen no one like her, my hands were getting damp and my heart was beating real fast. Nervously, she ran a fingertip along my hand, a pink blush bursting on her cheeks. I fought to breathe, the too-fast thumping of my heart making me lose focus. Bending my index finger, I hooked it softly ’round hers and pressed my forehead against the hard mesh wire. The girl pursed her slightly parted pink lips and wiggled the tip of her nose. I stopped breathing… She was beautiful. “C-come cl-cl-cl-closer,” I whispered, a hint of desperation in my voice. Her nose twitched again and I smiled. “Y-you’re so-so b-b-beautiful,” I blurted out, biting my lip as an afterthought. My fists clenched as I grew more and more frustrated with my speech. She frowned and shook her head and I realized she could understand me. I so badly wanted her to talk back to me. “Wh-wh-why are y-y-you out h-here a-all a-alone?” The girl began to tremble, the whites of her eyes seeming to take over the blue. She looked so lost and I wondered what made her that way. I wanted her to feel better, wanted that look on her pretty face to change from sadness to happiness. I didn’t know what to do. Suddenly, I thought of the brothers at the club and how they made the club bitches happy. Before I knew what happened, I quickly leaned in and pressed my lips against hers through the tiny open space

of the wire mesh. Her lips were so soft. I didn’t move my mouth, unaware of what to do, so I just left my lips locked on hers. I peeked open my eyes and her lids were squeezed tight. I closed my eyes immediately, hoping the moment would last a while longer. Lifting my hand, I ran my finger slowly down her face, but she pulled away with a gasp. She stumbled back on her hands wiping furiously at her mouth, tears tumbling down her cheeks. Fear overtook me and I blurted, “I’m… I’m… I’m… s… s… s—” I stopped and hit my hand against the fence, cursing God that I couldn’t ever speak properly. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and tried to speak again. “I-I’m s-sorry… s-s-sorry, I-I-I d-d-didn’t m-mean t-to sc-sc-scare you,” I managed to force out. She curled herself beside the tree again, her gray dress loose on her tiny body and her hands clasped tight as she silently mouthed something. It sounded like a prayer. I listened closer as she rocked back and forth, tears springing from her eyes. “Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned. Do unto me what ye deem fit. Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned. I was weak and must atone.” “T-talk to m… m… m-me. A-are you okay?” I asked loudly, my voice growing stronger as I shook the fence, trying to find some way to get through to her. I didn’t understand it, but for some reason I needed to hold her. I knew I needed to make things right. She was so sad… so scared… I hated it. The girl grew still, hushed to silence, and just watched me again. “River? Where the fuck are you?” My pop’s deep voice cut me from my trance as he called me back from deep in the forest. I dropped my head in my hands. Not now, not now! Straining my head back to the girl, I rushed out, “T-tell me y-your n-n-name.” I was desperate and I glanced over my shoulder, watching Pop stomp through the edge of the forest in the distance, searching for me. “Puh… puh… p-please… a n-name… an-an-anything…” The chick rocked faster, her pale lips moving once again in her prayer. “River! You have five seconds to get the fuck down here! Don’t fuckin’ test me!” “A n-name! I’m be-be-begging you!” The chick stopped dead still, looked up at me—no, she looked through me—her blue eyes weirdly wide, and whispered, “My name is Sin. We are all sin.” She choked on her words, expelling a frightened whimper as she heard my pop screaming from the bottom of the hill. Ducking into the heavy bush, she scrambled away on her hands and knees, suddenly crying out loudly as though in pain again. “No! Don’t go!” I shouted clearly to her retreating form, but it was too late. I stepped back from the fence, watching the last of her long dress disappear into the darkness of the forest. An empty, sinking feeling almost made my legs stop working, but then my eyes widened and my fingers touched my lips in shock. My speech… my speech for the first time ever was clear and without a stutter… No, don’t go… “River!!!” I turned quickly, running down the hill toward my pop. “RIVER!!!” Pumping my knees higher I pushed through the tall grass, running back to my life—back to my pop and the MC; all the time wondering if I’d ever see Sin again… …the chick with the wolf eyes.

Chapter One Salome Fifteen years later… Run, run, just keep running… I willed my tired legs to keep pumping. My muscles burned as though injected with venom and my bare feet were completely numb as they slammed onto the cold hard forest floor, but I would not give up… could not give up. Breathe, run, just keep moving… My eyes darted around the dark forest, searching for the disciples. None to be seen, but it was only a matter of time. They would soon realize I was missing. But I could not stay, could not do my preordained duty to the prophet; not after what happened tonight. My lungs burned with the severity of my sharp gasps and my chest heaved with overexertion. Push through the pain. Run, just run. Passing the third watchtower, unseen, I let myself feel a momentary sliver of joy—the perimeter fence was not too far away. I allowed myself the hope that I might actually get free. Then the emergency siren wailed and I shuddered to a stop. They know. They are coming for me. I forced my legs to move even faster; thorns and sharp sticks jabbed into the soles of my feet. Gritting my teeth, I told myself, Do not feel pain. Do not feel pain. Think of her. They could not find me. I could not let them find me. I knew the rules. Never leave. Never attempt to leave. But I was fleeing. I was determined to escape their wickedness once and for all. Spotting the tall posts of the perimeter fence, my arms pumped with renewed vigor as I made the final steps of my sprint. I smashed against the rigid metal with a crash, the posts grinding at the force of my collision. I frantically searched for a gap. Nothing. No! Please! I ran along each post—no gaps, no holes… no hope. In a panic, I fell to the ground, clawing the dry earth, tunneling, digging for freedom. My fingers raked at the hard mud—fingernails snapping, skin ripping, blood flowing—but I did not stop. I had no choice but to find a way out. The siren wailed on, seeming to scream ever more loudly, like a countdown to my recapture. If I was found, I would be watched constantly, treated worse than ever before—I would be even more of a prisoner than I was right now. I would rather die. How long have I been gone? Are they close? Panicked thoughts whirled in my mind, but I kept digging. Then I heard the dogs closing in; the barking, snarling, rabid, vicious fury of The Order ’s guard dogs and my digging became more frenzied. The disciple guards carried guns; large, semi-automatic guns. They defended this land like lions.

They were brutal and they always got their prey. I would be captured and punished, just like her. Tortured for my disobedience. Just. Like. Her. The search hounds were louder now, harsh, heavy panting and nerve-jangling barks getting ever closer. I swallowed back the cry threatening to rip free from my throat and continued digging, burrowing, scooping, shoveling—to be free. Always yearning to be free… Finally free. I stilled momentarily as I heard a babble of voices. Sharp commands sounded out. Gun barrels were loading, the echoes of safety catches clicked; heavy boots stomped closer and closer. They were too close. I almost shrieked in frustrated terror when I judged the gap under the fence did not look big enough to fit me. But I had to keep going. I did not have a choice. I had to try. I could not live one more day in this hell. Headfirst, chest grazing the newly-excavated ground, I slipped through the tiny gap under the fence. The flesh of my shoulder grated on the ragged metal of the mesh wire but I did not care—what was one more scar? Using my hands as claws, I dragged my body forward. I heard clear voices, the crystal timbre of the brothers; their savage dogs, consumed by bloodlust, as they howled with deliberately induced hunger. “She’ll be searching for gaps or weak links. Secure the second team along the north gate. We’ll head for the south, and no matter what, FIND HER! The Prophet will bring the wrath of the Almighty on us all if she is lost!” Quelling an anxious cry, I pushed and scrambled forward. I scurried through the dry mud, legs flailing in desperation. Deep scratches covered my skin. My white gown ripped and tore into shreds on spikes of jagged barbed wire, and I watched helplessly as my blood trickled onto the dry ground. No! I almost screamed out in frustration. The hounds would smell my blood. They were trained to scent blood. With one final push, my body was through, only my legs were left to go. I shuffled onto my back, heels digging in, striving for freedom. A feeling, no, a flood of elation at the realization I was all but free quickly evaporated at the sight of a black hound skirting round a nearby bush. Focusing on a tree outside the fence—a goal to crawl to—I tried to pull myself forward, when a jolt of pain seared through my left leg. Razor-sharp teeth sliced into my flesh, and when I looked down, a heavily muscled guard dog held my left calf in its grip; snarling and shaking its head, tearing into fragile skin and muscle. Paling with the severity of the pain, I fought back a growing sense of nausea. I slapped my palms on the forest floor, finding purchase on a large stone. Choking back a scream that was clawing its way up my throat, I dragged my mauled leg away from the fence toward my goal. The dog tried to force its large head under the fence, tightening its grip on my limb, shaking it back and forth like it was playing with a stick. With the last of my energy, I attacked. The stone I had dragged myself with came loose in my hands and I hit the dog’s skull over and over and over, its bared fangs dripping with white-red foam, its hellish black eyes burning bright with anger. The disciple guards starved their hounds to make them bloodthirsty and forced them to fight each other to make them permanently angry. The disciple guards reasoned that the hungrier their dogs were, the more vicious they would be when hunting down deserters. Inhaling through my nose, I tried to keep focus; I just needed to loosen the dog’s grip, just a fractional release to let go of my injured left leg.

And then it happened. With a final crack of the stone, the incensed canine reared back, shaking its bruised head. I dragged myself free of the shallow gap, my breath coming in short sharp bursts as my body reacted to the shock. As I shuffled away from the fence, a wry thought sped across my mind; I had actually done it. I am free. The dog, though groggy and recovering from its hit, lunged for the gap. Once more it snapped its large jaws and sharp teeth and with it, me from my haze. Edging forward, I quickly filled the gap with as much mud as I could gather, then tried to stand, but my injured leg could not take the strain, could not bear my weight. Inside, I cried, Not now! Please, Lord, just give me the strength to keep going. “Here! She’s here!” A black-uniformed disciple emerged from the dense foliage, glaring furiously at my crouched form beyond the fence. He removed his balaclava and my heart fell. I would recognize that long scar on his cheek anywhere. Gabriel, Prophet David’s second-in-command; his brown heavy beard hiding most of his face, as was custom with all the brothers at The Order. However, Gabriel was the disciple my people feared most, the man responsible for the atrocity I witnessed tonight… responsible for me losing her… Tutting and shaking his head, Gabriel inched forward, crouching low to meet my eyes. “Salome, you foolish girl. You didn’t think you could just leave, did you?” A smirk spread across his face and he leaned even closer to the metal barrier. “Come back through and face your punishment. You’ve sinned… badly…” He laughed patronizingly, the other disciples followed suit. Every square inch of my skin crawled in horror. “It must run in the family.” I tried to ignore his taunts. With a subtle search, I scoured my surroundings, searching for an escape route. Gabriel suddenly straightened and narrowed his eyes. “Don’t even think it. We will find you if you run. You belong here, with the Prophet, with your people. He is waiting at the altar, and after the events of today, he is eager to proceed with the ceremony. There is nothing for you outside of the fence. Nothing but deceit, sin, and death.” Crawling to my tree, my goal, I used the rough thick bark to lift myself up off the forest floor. I tried with all my might to block out his words, but I faltered in my footing. More disciples broke through the dense brush to watch me stumble; their large guns aimed, with perfect precision, at my head. They could not, would not, shoot. Prophet David would not allow it. I knew I held the balance of power right now. But even if I managed to break free today, they would never give up the search for me—I was what they all believed had to happen. I looked down at my tattoo on my wrist, rubbed across the script and read the inked passage that had been forced upon my skin as a child. I just did not believe in The Order anymore. If this made me a sinner, then I was glad to be a fallen. Ignoring my trembling hands, I reached down, ripping along the bottom of my gown, tearing a long strip of material from the hem. I tied it around my open leg wound to stop the blood. “Salome. Think it through. Your disobedience will cause severe punishment on all of the daughters. Surely you would not do that to your sisters? On Delilah and Magdalene? Cause them pain because you were weak and gave unto temptation?” Gabriel’s calm tone chilled my heart. My sisters. I loved them, loved them more than anything… but I had to do this. I could not go back, not now. I had the wake-up call I needed to finally take the leap, to escape. I knew there had to be more to life than this existence… than with them. With one final glance at the only family I had ever known, I turned, dragging my left leg in my wake, and fled into the murky denseness of the forest. Run, just keep running…

“Damn her to hell!” Gabriel screamed, his voice shrill with his command. “File out. Take to the gates and spread out. DO NOT LOSE HER!” They were on the move. The gates were not far away, but far enough to give me precious time. I just needed time. Shuffling deeper into the forest, I forced myself to move quicker. I pushed myself hard, running my body to its breaking point, my prayers accompanying every step. I did not scream, did not even cry when I was hit by low branches that tore at my face or when every inch of my body was being flailed by overgrown bushes. I knew I was bleeding badly. I was hurting, but I kept going. Even bruised and battered, I knew my alternative back in The Order was far worse. Passing tree after tree, the darkness closed in. I avoided snakes and critters as the hours passed, but I did not stop. The moon shone high above me as daylight faded and I grew weaker—my blood flowing in a constant slow-moving stream from my leg. I re-dressed my wound with more soiled material but, most of all, I was not found by the disciple guards. I was tired… but I kept pushing myself on. Then, finally, when I had reached my physical limit, hope almost lost, I found a road. With renewed vigor, I stumbled down a steep hill, landing hard on the graveled concrete of the bumpy pavement. My conscience congratulated me that the disciples had not found me… The disciples did not find me. But I could never let down my guard. I could not be free until I was far, far away. I limped along the side of the road, a quiet deserted lane. The chirping of crickets and the hoots of owls were the only sounds in the darkness. I did not know my location. I had never before left The Order. I was completely lost. As I tried to work out my next course of action, lights suddenly flared round a tight bend. They blinded me. I lifted my hand to protect my eyes from the glare, when a huge vehicle hove into view. A large, black vehicle was slowing. A large, black vehicle that stopped beside me. The window wound down from its place up high to reveal the shocked face of an older woman. “Hell, honey! Why you out here all alone? You need some help?” An outsider. Prophet David’s teachings bombarded my thoughts; Never speak to the outsiders. They are the devil’s people. They do the devil’s work. But I had no choice. “Help me. Please,” I croaked. I had had nothing to drink in a long while and my throat felt like I had swallowed sand. The outsider leaned forward and the massive door popped open. “Git’ on in, honey. This road is no place for young girls like you, especially at this time of night. Dangerous folks ’round here and you don’t want them finding y’all alone.” Limping forward, I gripped the long silver rails attached to the side and climbed up into the warm seat. I reminded myself to be alert; to keep up my guard. The lady’s brown squinted eyes widened, her gray hair a fluffy halo around her head. “Honey, your leg! You need a hospital. How’d that happen? You’re a mess!” “Please just take me to the nearest town. I do not need a healer,” I whispered, my head feeling light and my breathing slowing in my tight chest. “Nearest town, girl? That’s miles away. Y’all need help now! What happened? You look like hell.” She suddenly gasped. “Please tell me you haven’t been attacked. Tell me no man has forced himself on you.” Her eyes tracked down my body to the blood now trickling down my leg, then she searched

behind her using the large mirrors attached to the door. “Oh no… have you been… taken against your will?” I did not meet her eyes. She could control me; I had been taught that anyone outside of The Order would tempt me. I was one of Prophet David’s chosen people, envied by all others. I had to avoid her trap. “I have not been attacked. Please. Just… take me to a town,” I pleaded once more. The large vehicle pulled onto the unlit road with a deafening blare from a horn. Wincing at the sound, I stared out of the large window, deep in prayer. Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be— “Where did you come from, honey?” The woman’s voice interrupted—soft and enticing. She sounded like a lullaby. Was she guising evil intent? Or was she being honest? I did not know… I just did not know! My head was a swirling fog and I could not focus. I kept my silence. “Did you come from that forest? If so, how? Where? There’s nothing in there but trees and bears. No one in their right mind goes into those woods. Too many unholy things lurking in them ol’ trees. I even heard rumors of a government testing facility in there or something.” I dared not look in her direction. She kept talking, but I managed to block out the sound. We traveled far and many hours passed. I did not know where we were, but with every inch of new road, I let myself relax. I was tired and, to my happiness, my leg no longer hurt. It was completely numb and I was sleepy. I fought with my eyes to remain open and when I knew I could not keep consciousness too much longer, it was time to make my move. “Please stop,” I urged, pressing my palms against the large pane of window glass. My eyes searched the barren outside area for a place to take refuge. I sighed in relief when I spotted a square gray building set way back off the main road. I could take shelter there… hide there… rest there, until I regained strength enough to continue on with my journey. The woman slowed the vehicle and shook her head. “Hell no! I’m not leaving you here! Downtown’s still quite far ahead. A girl like you don’t belong in a place like that. It’s dangerous. Filled with bad, bad folks. Do you even know what this place is?” My vision became blurred and tunneled, threatening to move to black. “My friend is here. She is waiting,” I said in panic, the deception coming surprisingly easy to my lips. The vehicle suddenly pulled onto the crunching gravel and jerked to a stop. “You have friends here?” Her voice was filled with shock. “Yes.” “Well, I’ll be damned. Didn’t take you for one of those girls. I guess the devil comes in many forms. Kinda explains the state you’re in. S’pose they all decided to teach you a lesson, huh? Dumped you and left you to make your own way home? And here you are, crawling bloodied and bruised back into the den of evil.” I did not understand her meaning. Who were those girls? I pushed open the door and fell down to the hard ground without another word. I needed to hide. I just needed to muster the strength to take a few more steps. With a loud hiss, the large vehicle crawled away into the distance as I staggered down the long road toward the far-off building. It was vast, imposing, and fenced in. But most importantly, it was near and the heavy-looking tall gate was open just enough so I could squeeze through. I made it through, my sight fading fast. I knew I could not go on anymore. My energies exhausted, I lay down on the rough, hard ground behind a row of large, wide containers and I submitted to the urgings of my eyelids for sleep. The last image I saw as I glanced up was… Satan… painted on the wall of the building opposite. He sat on a grand throne with a blue-eyed female by his side. Startled awake, I shook in panic at the image, echoing the words of the lady who drove the large

vehicle. Where the hell am I? Soon after, no longer able to fight sleep, one final thought filtered into my mind as I slid into unconsciousness: There is nothing on the outside but deceit, sin and death…

Chapter Two Styx Crashing through the doors of the compound, I was seething. Several club sluts scattered outta my way—wise move. Bursting through the door of my office I paused at the nearest wall, my hands slapping against the cement. I closed my eyes and breathed slowly, carefully thinking over my words. I couldn’t lose it in front of the brothers. My VP and best friend, Ky, quietly closed the door behind me, his boots heavy on the hardwood floor. Turning to face him, he nodded his head to signal we were alone. I expelled a long, frustrated breath. “F-fuckin’ Di… Di… Di-Diablo s-s-s-scum!” I manage to push out of my damn defective mouth. Ky stared at me, no expression in his eyes. He walked to the bar and poured me a bourbon—he knew the routine. Holding out a full glass of source, Ky supplied my kinda medicine. I knocked the liquor back in one practiced action… then another… and another still. At last, I felt it loosen, the everpresent rope choking the fuck out of my throat. “More?” Ky stood ready at the bar, Jim Beam bottle in hand. Clearing my throat, I tested that shit out. “I… I… I… I—” Shit! Waving my hand, I signaled my VP for another shot… and another… and just one more to be sure. His blond eyebrows rose, silently asking if I needed more. “It… it… it’s better,” I said, expelling a sigh of relief. The room was kinda spinning, but at least the fuckin’ python wrapped around my vocal cords had decided to catch forty. “K-Ky you better get to the b-bottom of this… sh… sh… shit or we go… to war, you hear? I-I’m ’bout done with the whole lot… lot… lotta ’em!” Ky’s expression changed. He went as white as a damned ghost and lifted his hands for emphasis. “Styx, man. I swear we had it all worked out. Some fucker cut the deal behind our backs.” This fucked-up run had been his deal and it was clear he had no idea what the hell’d gone wrong. Rubbing one hand across my forehead, I pointed with the other to church. Ky nodded his head, getting my instruction. Reaching for the half bottle of Jim, I drank directly from it, feeling the burn of its fiery liquid down my throat. Ky took off to gather the brothers, giving me time to pull it together. As I paced the floor of my office, I knew Ky was telling the truth. The fuckin’ Diablos. It had to be the Diablos! How can a deal made with the Russians after months of talk just turn to shit in a few days? Someone sold us out; it was the only explanation. And some asshole will die for it! I left my office and entered church, still pouring the hard brown liquor down my throat. It helped the words flow more easily. Those fuckin’ just-out-of-reach words that stuck in my throat, never wanting to play ball. The brothers quickly filled the room, tension leaking from their pores as they stared at me, in fear. They should. I was ’bout ready to tear someone a new asshole. I smelled a rat. A rat in my own fuckin’

brotherhood. My old man would be turning in his stone-cold grave. No one turns coat on a brother. Well, no one who wants to live a long and pain-free life. I smiled to myself as the brothers almost pissed themselves watching me. The one thing that stops people ripping on you for being a mute pussy is being a cold-blooded killer with fists of iron. Funny how no one openly says a damn thing ’bout choking on vocab when one smack in the mouth can paralyze from the neck down. Ky shut the door, which signaled that all of the Hangmen were present. I grabbed another swig of bourbon and sat at top seat, gavel in hand. My VP was to my right, eyes tight as he studied my rigid face, waiting for me to begin. I pulled my favorite KM2000 German Bundeswehr knife from my boot and stabbed it into the wood of the table before me, the blade cutting through the thick oak like flesh. Eyes widened around me. Point made. I sat back and signed Ky to start translation. If someone knows what the fuck went on tonight, they’d better start talking… Now. No talking and no meeting of eyes. I felt a tick of annoyance in my jaw. Elbows on the table, I further signed, That deal’d been on the table for four months. Drop off, transport—the whole fuckin’ nine yards. Every minute detail was planned to perfection. Then we get to location, hauling truckloads of gear, only to be told we’d been undercut by some other supplier, someone trading on our turf. Commi bastards! Question is… Ky sat back in his seat, watching my hands move furiously the more irate I became. Who’s stealing our business? More important, how the fuck did they know ’ bout the deal? That info’s been locked down tight. Taking advantage of Ky’s pause in breath, I picked up my knife, pointing it along every brother at the table, meeting them eye to eye, before placing the blade between my teeth, signing, Fifty crates of AK47s, ten crates of M82A1 sniper rifles, and ten crates of top-grade semiautomatics—all now without a buyer. The Colombians ain’t gonna take that shit back. So this is what’s gonna happen, Ky said with rising anger, waiting for me to finish. Licking along the tip of the blade, I smelled the sick stench of betrayal in the room. Intimidation always flushed out a rat. I was a shittin’ goddamn expert in intimidation—my old man taught me well. I ain’t got a soundproofed shed out back for carpentry, that’s for fuckin’ sure. I slowly slid the sharp blade back into the table before me, then signed, We’re gonna find a new buyer soon as… so our friends the ATF don’t come a’knockin’. Then we find out who dared fuck with this club. My—Styx’s—suspicions are firmly on the Diablos, but right now anyone’s a goddamn possibility. Fuck knows our enemy list is as long as fuckin’ Pennsylvania Avenue. Ky cleared his throat. “Am I okay to speak freely, Prez?” A sharp nod gave him permission. “I know you got beef with the Diablos, brother. Hell, I want ’em gone to Hades as much as you, but they’re into snow. Never known ’em to trade guns. Just sayin’. My opinion, it don’t smell like Mexican to me.” He had a point. Mexicans ’round this part of Texas shifted for the cartel—narcs through and through. Traded easily ’cross the border. Cracking my knuckles while in thought, the leather from my cut creaked at the movement. Suddenly, I launched the KM2000 across the room. I watched as it slipped like butter into the back wall, right into the center of the club patch. Flicking my chin at Ky, he watched me sign and translated. Who else could be a possibility? We good with the Austin Crew? Viking—Secretary, mid-thirties, red hair, pale skin, long red beard, fuckin’ giant of a man—

nodded his head. “We’re good. Pay good coin to cross their turf. No beef with ’em.” “Irish?” Ky asked. “Laying low after the drug bust. Tommy O’Keefe shipped back to the Emerald Isle. Six brothers doing time,” drawled Tank—Treasurer, ex-white power, built, thirty-one, inked to all hell. He ran his hand along the prison shank scar on his closely shaved head. I blew a long, drawn-out breath, took one huge swig of my liquor, and signed, Any idea who’ll want the guns? Ky shared my question. AK—Sergeant-at-Arms, high-tower, long brown hair, goatee, late twenties, could hit any mark perfect, ex-marine sniper—lifted his chin. “Got a contact within the Chechens. They may be interested. They’re at war with the Reds. Could be perfect revenge. We tell ’em what the Russians are packing. They’ll wanna match it. We supply it, sends a message to the red fuckers never to undercut us again.” I nodded, a sliver of relief settling in my bones. Set it up, I ordered in ASL, and the brothers all around the table seemed to relax. Flame—crazy faux-hawked motherfucker, twenty-five, orange flame tattoos up his neck, with scars and piercings covering half his body—got to his feet, snarling, pacing the room, slapping his arms one after the other. He’d spent most of his life in and out of the nut house, total anger issues, then got out and went killing scum for kicks. Some real messed-up shit. Couple’a years later, he found us. We recruited him. He helped us in the Mexican war, proved a hundred percent club loyalty. We patched him in. Now we let him loose on those who deserve a completely fucked-up way to die. Crazy bastard gets real inventive. Flame grabbed my knife from the wall, lifted it to cut a slice on the underside of his arm, then groaned like some slut was sucking on his dick. Blood ran to the floor. He hissed in pleasure, wired eyes closing. Shit, the dude was built. He’d be pretty damn good-looking if he didn’t have death permanently in his eyes. Bitches were right to stay the fuck away from the psycho. If any of them touched him, he’d fuckin’ rip out their hearts with one hand. Ky rolled his eyes at me. I got what he was saying. Flame needed a release. He’d get one soon enough. We all would. War was coming. I could fuckin’ feel it in my bones. “You good, brother?” Ky asked Flame. We all just stared at him, fuckin’ bloodletting, his hard dick straining in his leathers. Flame walked toward me, presenting me with my bloodied knife. His black eyes blazed. “Need blood spilt. Snitch needs teaching a lesson. I got revenge burning in me, Styx. Got venom stirring my veins.” “Brother, when we get a lead, you’re up,” Ky assured Flame as I nodded in agreement. Flame smiled, his white teeth shining, his black, tattooed scripted gums reading Pain silhouetted against pink flesh. “Fuck yeah!” Facing the rest of the brothers, I scanned for twitches or signs of fear. Still nothing. Not one. Fuckin’. Thing. As I shifted in my chair, I signed. My VP read out loud, “Any other business?” A wave of shaking heads answered the question. I grabbed the gavel, slamming it down on the hard wood. Turning to the brothers, Ky flashed his winning smile. “Now, don’t know ’bout y’all, but I’m getting me some pussy.” I rose from my chair and the brothers fled to pick their slut-for-the-night, each one silent and clearly pissed. Ky stayed behind. Fuckin’ Kyler Willis; twenty-seven, model-perfect looks, tall, lean, straight blond hair that had

bitch pussy creamin’. My oldest friend. His old man was VP to my old man. After they both met the boatman in the Mexican war last year, I was voted Prez, Ky VP—only the best for the mother chapter Hangmen. We lived, breathed, and bled for Hades. When our old men died, I tried to shake the vote. Who the hell wanted a stammering, fuckin’ mute as a leader? But the brothers voted unanimous. Hades Hangmen would stay with the rightful historic line. At the age of twenty-six, I found myself Prez of the most notoriously lethal MC in all the States. No fuckin’ pressure. Yeah fuckin’ right! Ky put his hand on my shoulder. “We’ll get ’em. No one crosses us, Styx. Everyone knows how we run things ’round Texas. Fuckers just signed their own death warrant.” I huffed a laugh and ran my hand over my unshaven cheeks. “M-me and y-you gonna sort this quick. R-right?” I winced as my stutter came into full effect, the liquor only able to give me a fuckin’ few moments before the python’s vise took back its hold. I’d grown to fuckin’ hate signing, but for some messed-up reason, I could only talk to Ky. Now my old man had gone to Hades, I could only talk to one person. He smiled that damn cheesy smile. “Right.” Sighing, I said, “F-F-F-FUCK! Y-you… you sh-should be P-P-Prez, K-Ky.” Ky went nose-to-nose with me. “Should I fuck! You can’t speak for shit; I get that. But you use your hands as your words. You lead by example, brother. You’re always there at the front line, taking and delivering the first round of fire. You are the Hangmen’s Prez, so shut the fuck up! Your old man always meant for you to follow him, just like his old man before him. Yeah, it may have come a few years early, but you’ve been taking names ’round these parts for years. Age ain’t nothing but a damn number in this life. It’s all about fuckin’ guts and you got that shit in spades! Christ, Styx, you’re the infamous Hangmen Mute!” Stepping back, Ky rubbed his hands together, smiling wide. “Plus, I’m too damn pretty to be in charge. I get on just fine with being your mouthpiece. Don’t y’all know I fuckin’ love the sound of my own voice!” Hell, he had that right. Sometimes I wondered what the hell he was doing wasting his life in this club. His looks, his personality giving him what he needed to succeed elsewhere. But like me, it’s all we know. We’re lifers—born and bred to wear a cut. No way out. Didn’t want out neither. Ky threw an arm around my shoulders. “So now you’ve quit being a weeping pussy, you gonna get Lois to relieve some stress?” “Y-yeah.” “Cool. I got dibs on Tiff and Jules. You wanna see them licking on each other, man. Fuckin’ makes me blow every time. Even better when it’s in one of their tight asses. Crackin’ view…” He waited for my response. “You get it… crackin’… ’cause of the ass…” Christ, he’s a slut… and a shit comedian to boot. As I walked outta the office, the whole room quieted as I tipped my chin toward Lois across the bar. Brothers hated being on the outs with me, but this kinda fucked-up shit didn’t go down at my club. Not without some serious fuckin’ consequences. Lois slipped off the stool and began making her way to me, her tall, lithe body strutting like a damn model in her short black dress. Her old man used to be a brother until a collision took him out five years ago—Harley totaled, head split open, asphalt roadkill, skin hangin’ like fuckin’ ribbons from the trees. He went to Hades—Lois became another club whore.

The sound of heeled cowboy boots on the wooden floor followed me out back into the yard. Stopping at our usual spot against the clubhouse wall, I pulled out a smoke from my pocket, lit up and took a long, hard pull. Without a word, Lois dropped to her knees, her big tits busting out of her dress and she pulled out my cock, wrapping those lips around it like a fuckin’ wet fist. The back of my head hit the wall, my eyes closed as she worked that tongue ’round the tip, and I enjoyed my smoke as she suckled down hard. Fuck. This was what I needed. Stress draining from my body with every scrape of her teeth along my dick. I wrapped my fingers in her long brown hair, slamming in farther and farther until it was time to blow. Lois just took it, mewling, lapping at my cock like a starving kitten at milk. My legs bent as I braced and came, shooting to the back of her throat. She drank it down, moaning. Sighing in relief, I opened my eyes and took one final pull of my smoke before flicking the cherry to the ground. Backing her off my junk, I belted up my jeans. As I pushed off the wall, I noticed a red pool on the asphalt beneath my feet. Blood lay below Lois. Red streaks were dashed all over the inside of her thighs. Lois caught my hard stare and, frowning, she glanced down to her knees. “What…? Shit! Is that blood on my legs?” She jumped up and tried to wipe the red liquid from her skin. “Where the hell’s it coming from?” I tracked the blood with my eyes and noticed a thin, fresh stream coming from around the back of the dumpster. “Jesus! Is there a dead body out here again?” Lois said, trying to cover herself with her arms. Bitch was too soft for this kinda shit. Without paying her attention, I rolled the blue dumpster to the side, revealing the source. A bitch’s body—young, black hair mangled around her face. Slim body covered in mud, her white dress ripped and sopping with blood. I searched for the wound… Her leg. A huge, gaping gash, deep enough that her muscle was exposed, some pitted fuckin’ rag attempting to stop the flow. It weren’t working for shit. Checking her pulse, not able to find even a lick of movement, I could only surmise one thing: bitch had croaked. I turned to Lois, who was hovering behind. “Is she dead?” she asked. Go get Ky, Pit and Rider, I signed. Lois ran for the door, hand over her mouth. Moving forward, I pushed the stiff’s hair from her face and immediately let out a long breath. Christ. She looked like she used to be a fuckin’ stunner under all the mud and shit—creamy skin against that long black hair, big pink lips, killer frame. Damn shame she’d gone to the boatman, she’d have been one hot fuckin’ bitch. Reaching into my pocket, I laid two dimes on her eyes. Poor bitch needed to pay up to go to a better life. I put one arm behind her back, one behind her legs, and lifted. She weighed almost nothing. She was fuckin’ tiny. Ky, Pit and Rider burst outta the doors behind me. My VP rolled his eyes and groaned as he pulled up his zipper—brother must’ve been busy. “Not another one of ’em! I know. I’ll kill a bitch and dump the stiff on the Hangmen. Cocksuckers. Fuckin’ had to tear myself from underneath the licking twins for this shit!”

I tipped my chin at Pit, the prospect moved forward and I dumped the bitch in his arms. Get the van. You’re gonna dump the stiff. Usual place. Make sure the coins stay on, I signed. Ky translated, still pissed he’d been dragged away from his sluts. And then I fuckin’ froze—lungs stopped, eyes bugged, heart jumped—froze. The bitch in Pit’s arms flinched and moaned, dimes slipping off her face to clatter on the ground. “She ain’t dead!” Pit blurted. As usual, statin’ the fuckin’ obvious. “Shit! We gonna dump her? Or we keeping her here? The Feds are watching us, Styx. Viking said we got two agents stationed undercover half a mile away. The good ol’ senator ’s still on our backs. It’ll be risky to carry some bloodied bitch outta here without being pulled and questioned. Ain’t got those fuckers on the payroll.” Ky slapped my back and pointed to the bitch. “Could be a message from someone, or she could’a been planted to put us in shit with the law.” I heard what Ky was saying, but I couldn’t stop glancing at the bitch’s pale face. She looked familiar somehow, but I couldn’t place from where. Shaking my head, I looked to my best friend. Yeah. No getting out tonight. Bitch is gonna have to stay. Fuck! Just what we need. I looked over to Rider, who was standing silently behind Ky. Brother had almost as much to say as me. Rider was ex-marine and fully trained as a medic. Saw some shit he couldn’t deal with in Afghanistan and left. Fortunately for us, all the brother wanted to do when he got off service was ride and serve this club. Rider could stitch something fierce and even operate if need be. Saved our outlaw asses more times than I could count. I indicted for him to take possession of the half-dead stiff. He would see what’s up and either be able to fix the bitch or not. Hell, it’s not like death was a stranger around these parts. Sent more brothers to Hades this past year than are still standing in this club, fuckin’ war. Death’s a cycle. Sooner or later we all gotta meet the boatman, pay up for the fucked-up shit we’d done in this life. Rider reached for the bitch, when suddenly, she jerked in Pit’s arms, her eyes springing open, fixing right on mine, pure fear bursting through for less than a second before shuttering down again. Fuck me. Those eyes. Even through all the blood, mud, and shit on her face, those eyes fuckin’ shone—ice-blue, like a goddamn wolf’s. Only seen one pair of eyes like that before… I couldn’t help but think of that fuckin’ young bitch from behind the fence fifteen years ago. She was one of the only folks I ever spoke to in my life. Hell, I’d spoken to her. That howled fuckin’ volumes. She was number three. Ain’t talked to none since. A long, pained groan slipped from her mouth, causing me to refocus. Shit. Ky moved to pull her from Pit’s arms. “Give her to me. Gonna dump her in your room, Rider, then get back to licking Tiff’s and Jules’s pussies. Fuckin’ bitch ain’t cockblockin’ me no more tonight.” I watched as Ky touched her skin and all I could see was that young bitch behind the fence. Fuck! What if it was her? Nah, impossible. Load’sa bitches have those eyes. Right? Right? Thinking I’d pulled my shit together, I relaxed. But when Ky took her in his arms, I fuckin’ lunged for him and grabbed his arm in my hand, dropping it only to sign, Back the fuck off. Give her to me. My VP stepped back, his eyebrows bunched, trying to read my mood. “What the fuck?” he said out loud. The other brothers frowned in confusion. Lois’s red-lipped mouth dropped open. Shaking my head, I signed, Back off. Give her to me. NOW. Ky looking confused as all hell, put her in my arms, and raising up his hands, backed away. Pit gaped at me like goddamned fish. “What the hell, man? I’m back, I’m back. Okay. Calm the fuck down!” I cradled the bitch to my chest, some possessive voodoo shit taking over my mind, body… my

fuckin’ soul. I headed for the door, ignoring everyone but the bitch in my arms—pasty dying skin… white dying lips… bleeding, dying body. Shit! “Where’re you taking her? What the fuck’s got into you?” Ky stayed behind me, his roll of questions pulling in the attention of the whole damn club drinking and whoring in the lounge. I pointed to my private apartment above the garage, clutching the bitch to my chest. “Your apartment?” Lois caught up to my fast stride, trying to catch my eye. “Your bedroom in your apartment? You’re taking her to your apartment, above the garage? No one goes there but you. Said so yourself.” Stopping short, I faced her and jerked my chin, telling her to get the fuck outta my face. “Are you serious?” she whispered, all hurt and upset, before seeing my pissed expression and walked off slowly back into the bar. Ky flanked me as I ran up the stairs and kicked open the door to my place. Laying the bitch on my king-size bed, I leaned over, shoving back the clumps of dirty hair from her face. Mud and blood instantly stained my black sheets. “Styx. What the hell? You gotta start explaining, brother,” Ky said, running his hand through his hair. We were alone, Pit and Rider outta sight. Clenching my hand into a fist, I tried to calm and stuttered, “R-R-Rid… R-R-R…” I took a quick, deep breath, eyes squeezed shut, and tried again. “R… R… R—Argh!” I hissed, too frustrated at losing control of my fuckin’ words, again. Ky grabbed my arms and kicked my bedroom door shut, immediately blocking out the noise from the brothers who were gathering downstairs, and growled, “Calm the fuck down. Look at you! You’re too wound up to speak. Brothers’ll hear you and I know you’ll regret this shit later.” I stopped fighting him off. Getting my breathing under control, I felt the tightness in my throat loosen up. Ky, seeing me simmer down, relaxed his hold. “Rider ’s on his way. Had to get his med kit.” He nodded to the bitch on my bed. “She’s in a bad way.” I nodded and he released my arms. I walked into the bathroom and wet a towel, then set to clean up her face. Pale skin, black hair… just like that young bitch behind the fence. My VP watched me as though I’d lost my damn mind. Maybe I had. “Seriously, man. What the fuck’s happening?” He stood at the other side of the bed as I mopped up her blood. Ky just gaped at me. I was distracted by her leg—long, slim, porcelain, per-fuckin’-fection. Hearing Ky cough, I sighed, then pressed the rag down to apply pressure to her wound. “R-rremember th-th-that story I t-t-told you w-when I was a k-k-kid?” Ky’s face straightened, expression disbelieving. “Not this shit again, Styx. The girl behind the metal fence? The ‘wolf-eyed’ bitch you obsessed over for years until your old man forced you to finally shut the fuck up? If it’s that story, then, yeah, I remember!” Dragging my bottom lip ring between my teeth, I talked myself back from punching my best friend’s nose through his goddamn brain. “Y-yeah, that girl.” “So? You were like, eleven? Personally, I always thought you fuckin’ dreamed it.” All the brothers back then thought I made it up or imagined it. So did I after a while. Thought maybe I’d had a fever or some shit. I don’t know, maybe I’d talked to a fuckin’ ghost. I pointed at the bitch and stared at my VP. Ky walked over to where I sat and leaned against the wooden wall, arms folded. “You think this dying bitch is her?” He started laughing, head thrown back. Fuckin’ hysterical laughter spouted from his mouth. “You have lost your mind. Too much stress with the fucked drop tonight. The chances of

this piece of pussy being her are not good. I’ll never understand why you still remember that bitch anyway. If your old man was here, he’d beat the shit outta you… again.” Too wound up to speak, I met my VP’s stare head on and signed, I’ll give you exactly five seconds to shut your fuckin’ mouth before I shut it for you and ruin your goddam pretty-boy looks. Ky cleared his throat and wiped the grin off his face. Good choice. No one messes with me and walks away. He knew it. My brothers knew it. Hell, every damn MC in the US knew it. If my old man was still alive and tried to knock some sense into me, I’d shove his teeth down his fuckin’ throat too. “So you think this random bitch, is Wolf Eyes? The weird Amish Pilgrim-looking girl you met fifteen years ago… behind a metal fence… in the middle of some fuckin’ forest… while your old man was putting a damn Diablo in the ground? Have I got that right? The piece of ass you turned into a weeping, pining pussy for?” With only a hunch of my shoulders, I managed to ignore his dick tone. Those wolf eyes. I stood and began pacing. I know I sound like a whining fuck. But what if it is her? What the hell’s happened to her leg? And more importantly, where’s she been all these bastard years? Still caged in that fuckin’ concentration camp that I’ve never found since? Still not talking, scared of her own fuckin’ shadow? Ky stared down at her on the bed, an expression of pure disbelief on his face. She looked like a fuckin’ angel that just dropped in on me from the sky—tiny, fragile… I bent beside her, just staring. Ky moved in front of me to catch the movement of my hands. Never found out what was behind that fence. Tried to get information—none to get. No one’s even heard of the place. A fuckin’ Auschwitz near Austin. ’Course, don’t help when you don’t even know the fuckin’ location—my old man kept that locked up tight, I was too young to remember the directions. Wherever she’s come from is iron clad. Protected. Can only mean there’s some seriously fucked-up shit going down. Fucked-up shit protected by powerful people. People who’ll no doubt be looking for her right now. Carefully, Ky watched me. I could see real worry in his face. “I ain’t ever seen you like this, brother. You going soft on me? Bikes and pussy, Styx, that’s how we live. Ride hard; die harder. Club first, no distractions.” Yeah, he was right. I was being a sappy shit. No way this was her anyhow. Fuckin’ wishful thinking. Moving over to the table, I poured two glasses of Jim, downed mine, and passed one to my VP. I’ve thought ’bout that girl every day. Fifteen fuckin’ years. You and me grew up in hell… darkness. She was the first bit of good I ever saw. I choked on a laugh. Fuckin’ first kiss, man. Ky slapped me on the back, grinning. “And two years later, you fucked your first club slut and never looked back.” Yeah. Sunk my dick deep in one of Hangmen’s favorite sluts at age thirteen, courtesy of my old man trying to make me forget about the pilgrim bitch. He even changed the stiff drop site so I’d let go of anything to do with her. Ky lost his smile and stood right in front of me. “Look, man. Don’t look like she’ll last the night. Make peace, brother. You meeting that girl was a moment in time, and if this is her, which I’m pretty fuckin’ sure it ain’t, ’bout time you put that shit to bed. She’s on her way to Hades, Styx. Time to wake the fuck up and get back to being the Prez. We’ve too much shit going down to be distracted by pussy.” He reached behind me and passed me the full bottle of Beam. Rider knocked on the door. I quickly gripped my best friend’s arm, signing, None of this shit to the brothers. This info stays between us. Just another Jane Doe dumped on us, right? His stiff head nod told me he understood. Rider walked in, his long brown hair in a ponytail, ready for business. “Let me take a look at her,” he said, moving to the bed, all business.

“Styx found her behind the dumpster. She’s bleeding out from her leg. Looks like a bite, dog maybe? Pulse is low too. Bitch is dying,” Ky informed. Rider set to examining the bitch as I watched. For the first time in my life, I prayed to a God I weren’t on good terms with. No one here was. In this kinda life we were tight with the other side of the coin. But she had to survive. That much I knew. That’s what I prayed for, bartering with promises I no doubt couldn’t keep. Truth was I just had to know if it was her or not. Finally put that fuckin’ weird chapter of my life to rest. “What the—” My eyes shot up to Ky, who hovered over her newly cleaned wrist, the one Rider was holding out as he checked her pulse. Moving next to Ky, I frowned as he read her small tattoo out loud. “Revelation 21:8. What the fuck?” “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Ky and I froze as Rider started spouting some Bible shit like a preacher, never missing a beat. Seeing us gaping, he cleared his throat, cheeks blazing red, eyes darting between us and the ground, mumbling, “It’s scripture about sinners going to hell.” Then he set back to work. Ky elbowed me in my ribs and raised his brows in question. I shrugged. Whatever a brother believed in private was his deal. After twenty minutes of watching Rider silently sterilize and stitch practically every inch of the bitch’s body, he led me outta the room, shaking his head. “Don’t look good, Styx. She’s lost a lotta blood. Savage dog bite. Rottweiler or pit bull’s my guess —ripped muscle and tendons, probable infection. She’s gonna need blood. I got a contact. I’ll get her blood type with the kit from my bag, put in a call. Supplier can normally be here within thirty minutes. Don’t come cheap, though, and then we’ll see if she’s strong enough to pull through.” Rider glanced across at the bitch unconscious in the bed and rubbed a hand across his head. “Fuckin’ gonna be a rough few days.” I nodded stiffly and placed an appreciative hand on his shoulder. With that, I headed back into the main base and over to the bar. Pit asked, “You good, Prez? I nodded and he pointed to the bottles of liquor behind the bar. “What can I get you?” Sucking in a deep breath, I pointed to the Beam. I needed it large and I needed it to keep coming.

Chapter Three Styx “Wh-wh-what’s your n-name?” Silence. “Wh-wh-what’s this p-place?” Silence. “Styx… STYX!” “Puh… puh… please… Wh-what’s your n-name?” “I am Sin. We are all sin…” I snapped outta my daze. Someone was shaking my shoulder. I looked up. Lois. She pulled up a stool beside me as I refocused on the amber liquid, almost empty, in my glass. Shit. How many had I had? “What’s going down with that girl?” I didn’t bother giving her a response. “Are you okay?” she asked quietly, hand on my shoulder. Bitch was a total fuckin’ sweetheart. Shouldn’t have got handed this shit deal in life. Tipping back the last of my fifth Beam, I stood and began walking out of the bar to my club room. Halfway to the exit, I glanced back over my shoulder, seeing Lois watching me go, fuckin’ eyes shining. With a tip of my chin at her, I set to walking once more. As I opened the door to my room, I sensed her behind me. Spinning around, I took her by the top of her arms, ripping off her dress. “Styx…” she moaned breathlessly. “I love you, Styx. I’m here for you, baby…” As I ripped down the straps of her black bra, her lips sucked at my neck. Shedding my cut, I tugged off my black shirt and yanked open the zipper of my jeans. No boxers to shed underneath. Turning Lois to face the wall, I guided us to the unmade bed—the bed I saved for fucking, stained with cum and sweat. Pushing on her neck, head to the mattress, I kept her full ass up in the air—no panties, pussy bald, just how I liked it. Easy access. Reaching into the back pocket of my jeans, I picked out a Trojan and wrapped it on my cock. “Take me, Styx. Take me… hard.” Grabbing her boney hips, I slammed into her wet pussy, throwing my head back on a silent hiss. Fuck. This was why I kept her around just for my personal use. Lois whimpered beneath me and started rocking back along my dick. I knew I was fucked the minute I imagined Lois’s tanned skin pale in color, her shoulder-length brown hair grow out to her back and deepen to jet black, and when her head turned and her brown eyes faced me, I only saw a pair of ice-blue irises looking back, the lids hooded in pleasure. Squeezing my eyes shut, I pictured Jane Doe below me, thrashing wild, screaming out in pleasure and coming over and over again while I took her raw. The thought had my cock twitching and my neck cording, coming so hard I had to use my fists to balance on the mattress. “Baby…. That was… amazing.” My eyes flew open as Lois panted below me, her back dripping with sweat, a huge smile on her lips as she looked back at me.

Shit. Pulling out, I snapped off the rubber and zipped up my jeans, just as a hard rap sounded at my door. Throwing on my Black Sabbath shirt, I ran a hand through my hair, checking to make sure Lois was dressing too. She was. She knew she weren’t welcome to stick around. The door opened and Ky and Rider stood before me, my VP shaking his head. “There you are, man. I’ve been calling your name for the last few minutes.” I looked at Rider and hid my anxiousness with my usual indifferent scowl. News? I signed. Rider sighed as I led the brothers into the bar. I caught Lois closing the door to my room. Throwing me a small smile, she headed in the direction of the other club whores. Rider, Ky and I sat at my usual table, and I leaned back to hear the verdict. “She’s sticking around for now. She’s had three pints of blood, an IV of strong antibiotics. Temperature’s come down, vitals’ stablizing. She’s strong, healthy. Early twenties I’d guess, but fuckin’ dangerously undernourished. We’ll see how the night plays out. She gets through the next twenty-four hours, she’ll probably make it.” Probably. Not good enough, not nearly good enough, but if it’s all I got, I’d take it. I tapped the bar, Pit slipping his short pale ass behind it. “What you guys want? Beer?” he asked, his usual fuckin’ happy grin on his face. The brother was the happiest damn recruit we’d ever had. The kid seemed too pure to deal with what this club throws your way. Giving a nod, I signaled for two, passed the Buds to my brothers, and tipped my chin at Rider in thanks. Slapping Ky on the back, I headed to my apartment. Getting through the hallway and up the stairs, I immediately froze in the doorway to my room. If possible, Jane Doe looked even hotter the second time around, despite the wires poking into her flesh, but she needed cleaning up. Beauty. I’d get Beauty. Walking into the lounge of the clubhouse, brothers watched me as I entered, lying with their sluts for the night on the red leather sofas, some pausing in their pussy fingering, as did those chilling, playing pool. I’d obviously caused some talk as everyone stilled when they saw me, eying me weird. Signaling to Tank to meet me at the farthest bar, out of earshot, I sat down. Two bourbons were waiting, courtesy of Pit. First glass went straight down the hatch. “S’up, Prez?” Tank slumped into the chair, knocking back his amber shot, all in one fluid motion. Gotta job for Beauty, I signed. Tank was one of the brothers who’d been ’round long enough to understand my ASL. Him and his old lady, that is. Most prospects make learning sign a damn priority, a way to make sure they impressed. Made my life fuckin’ easier, that’s for sure. “What you need?” he asked. I slammed back a second shot. Need her to come and clean the Jane Doe at my place. No fucker in here’s touching her. Beauty’s the only old lady I trust… and can stomach to be around. Tank cracked a small, proud smile. “I’ll give her a call. Anything else?” He needed to smile. Brother knew he lucked out with his woman—older by a couple’a years, blond, busty, total fuckin’ sweetheart. The ex-white supremacy member done good. Still looked like he belonged in the fuckin’ KKK, but he was cool now. No beef with anyone so long as they don’t fuck over the club—his family —even went so far as to cover his Nazi ink with Hades shit. Need clothes too. Tell her to get them from the club stash at her store. Put it on my tab. She’ll need to see her first for her size. She was wearing some weird white rag when I found her. Tank ran his finger ’round the rim of his empty glass, eying me weird. “Why the special treatment, Prez? We’ve had injured dumped here before. They’d normally be gone by now, not sleeping in your

bed. Why’s she different? You got the brothers talking.” Only Ky knew ’bout that night years ago. Not into sharing it with the others. None of their fuckin’ business. I rolled my head in his direction and just eyeballed the fucker. “Message received.” Tank flicked his phone open, and made the call to Beauty. Brother knew when to dig and when to quit. Years doing time inside, fighting rival crews for his life taught him that lesson. I listened to him give his old lady the instruction, then hang up. “She’ll be here in ten.” Send her straight in to my place. Backdoor. No one else disturbs me until then. Right? “Right, Styx. I’ll let the brothers know.” A couple’a minutes later, I entered my room, slipping off my leather cut, hanging it on the hook on the back of my door. The bitch lay motionless in the middle of my bed. Taking advantage of the alone time, I checked Rider hadn’t yet returned, then moved to the bed. No change. Walking into my bathroom, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My dark hair was sticking up all over the place, cheeks unshaven and hazel eyes tired. I glanced to the inked sleeves on both arms. The right depicting Hades on his throne with Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog. The left, a map of Underworld: Tartarus, the Elysian Fields, the Three Judges, the Five Rivers, and above them all, Persephone, the pure goddess wife of Hades, proud to be at her man’s side. My version of Persephone had long black hair and crystal-blue eyes. Go fuckin’ figure. I chuffed at my reflection. Styx, man, you’re losing your fuckin’ mind! Slipping off my black shirt, I stared at my bare chest, free of ink, with my Hangmen patch tattoo covering my entire back. I worked out hard to relieve stress and for intimidation purposes—boxing mainly, bare-knuckle since eight years old. My old man pushed me to fight. Knew my damn signing would cause me shit in the MC world, so he decided to give me another way to communicate. Keeps me feared. Being Prez of a club like the Hangmen comes with some serious shit. I keep built to ensure respect. The fact that I’m six foot four and two thirty pounds helps too. Jane Doe shifted in her sleep as I scanned her frame through the reflection in the mirror. I wondered what the fuck she’d think of me. Big, scarred, mute, and inked with Death himself. She’d be petrified, no doubt. Switching on the shower, I undressed and stood under the stream, Jane Doe’s red blood pooling in the drain.

Chapter Four Styx “Styx?” When I cracked open my eye, Beauty stood before me, clutching two bags with Ride, the name of her biker store, written on the front. Tank leaned against the doorframe, quietly watching, taking in the scene before him. After my shower, I’d dressed in black jeans and a black shirt, then slumped down in my chair. I must’ve fallen asleep. I turned my attention to Jane Doe. Still the same. “You okay, Styx.” Beauty’s voice pulled me ’round, her brows drawn down tight. I nodded and signed, You good with cleaning her up? Tank explain? Beauty edged closer, blond hair down, dressed in tight black jeans and a black Hangmen tank, her leather vest reading Property of Tank on the back. She stopped at the side of the bed and caressed the bitch’s head. My body froze, my stomach churning with possessiveness. Didn’t like anyone but me touching her. Suddenly felt like ripping Beauty’s arm out of its socket. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I had to stop myself from tackling Beauty outta the way. What the fuck, man? Get it the fuck together! I told myself. Beauty fixed her blue eyes on me. She saw the conflict in my fuckin’ psycho glare. I was sure of it. “She’s beautiful.” Her forehead lined. “She just turned up outta nowhere, injured?” Jerking my chin, I ordered Tank to split. He nodded, pulled the door shut, and I stood against the wall and signed, She turned up bleeding, dying and covered in dirt. She needs cleaning. Not gonna do it. I only trust you. That’s why you’re here. She can’t leave yet. Too many Feds on our backs. Need to find out who the fuck she is and why she’s here. I could see the questions swirling in her blue eyes, but she knew not to dig. Beauty: best of all the old ladies. Knew when to shut her fuckin’ mouth, unlike most of the sluts who littered the bar. “I’ll clean her, change the sheets, and get her some clothes. I’ll call you when I’m done if you’d like.” Tipping my chin in agreement, I left Beauty with Jane Doe, her eyes burning holes in my back. I headed to the lounge, signaling to Ky to join me. Ky tore himself away from Tiff and Jules sucking on each other ’s tits, giving the boys a porn floorshow, and he followed me into my office. “S’up, Styx? The bitch good?” Ky asked, shutting the door. Shrugging, I sat down behind my desk. “St-still not s-sure. B-b-beauty’s cl-cl-cleaning.” He slapped a hand on my shoulder without saying a word and sat down. “You wanna talk?” “St-stays between us, r-r-right?” “Right.” I paused, gathering my suspicions. “W-w-we have a r-r-rat.” Ky froze and spoke through gritted teeth. “You certain?” I threw him a single nod. “Th-that or a c-covert agent maybe?”

“Shit.” Nothing a brother hates more than a rat. “You’re always right over shit like this, just like your old man was, fuckin’ born intuition. Any guess who?” “N-n-not yet. S-s-some f-fucker told the f-f-fuckin’ m-m-mystery supplier about the C-commi deal, n-n-no two ways ’b-b-bout it.” I took a deep breath, loosening my throat, but the more pissed I became, the tighter that rope pulled. Giving up, I decided to sign. Just have to work out who and why and then send them to the boatman. “Plan?” Not yet. Gonna see how it plays out. But I’m watching. Ky stood, pacing. “Who’d do it? I trust every one of these brothers, every fuckin’ single one. It’s gotta be a groupie or a nomad. Shit!” I stared out the small window and shrugged. He could be right. Something just didn’t feel right. Something big was going down. Ky swiveled his chair away from my desk and sat on it backward, arms resting on the backrest. “You and me never would rat. Tank, Viking, AK and Rider—in for life, no question.” Rider? You certain? I signed. Ky shook his head. “Not a chance he’s the rat. He’s got no family but us. Best damn rider we got. Does anything asked, always stitching us up after fights, works next to me in deals, goes on any run given, never questions shit. He doesn’t deserve our doubt just ’cause he’s young or that he’s quiet. You’re only twenty-six, brother, twenty-five when you got Prez. No one questioned your age or the fact that you don’t talk. Brother may only be twenty-four but was recruited just before twenty and been a fuckin’ golden asset ever since.” I jerked my chin. Point made. Ky kept going. “Smiler—lifer. Bull—loyal as fuck. That only leaves Flame, who we both know is fuckin’ psycho. The only thing keeping him from murdering a packed mall on a Saturday is his love for this club. Only leaves Pit or the new hang arounds. They got no intel. Never get word on details. Brothers are good with Pit, wanna patch him in soon.” He shook his head and hit the back of the chair in frustration. “FUCK! Who could it be? Gotta be Feds or some cunt—tapping cells or using hidden surveillance.” For once, I didn’t give a fuck about any of it. My mind was back in my room with Jane Doe. A hand slammed on my desktop. “Styx! Christ, man. Get it the fuck together!” Ky was scowling right in my face. My eyes narrowed and he tried to hide his flinch. Don’t. First and only fuckin’ warning, I signed. He pushed out his palms and backed the hell off. “Fine. Look, your head’s not straight with the bitch here. Let me do some groundwork, set some feelers out under the radar. Keep it just between us.” I exhaled. Yeah. Need to know who’s new to running guns in Texas. Standing up, I walked to the door, turning back to sign, Going back to my place. Beauty should be done by now. Not waiting all fuckin’ night. Heading through the lounge, around the back of the compound, I climbed the stairs and knocked at my door. Pushing it open, I saw Beauty was in my bathroom, washing her hands. She looked up as I walked in. You done? I signed. “She’s clean. I’ll bring clothes tomorrow after my shift at the store, she’s got on a robe for now.” Walking beside the bed, she looked up at me, shaking her head. “She’s slim, Styx. Too friggin’ slim if you ask me. The girl don’t eat shit by the looks of her.” I finally let myself check out the bitch on the bed. Damn. She knocked the breath right outta me:

smooth complexion, freshly washed and dried black hair free of blood and dirt. Hell. It had to be her… Beauty gathered her things. With a small smile, she paused to say, “She looks like Snow White, Styx. Dark hair, pale skin, red lips. She’s fuckin’ stunning, not a scratch of makeup, but still looks like that. Shit! Not fair! No wonder the club sluts are bitching ’bout you keeping her back here to yourself. They’ve got fuck all on her.” I released a pent-up sigh. Snow. Fuckin’. White. I could feel Beauty looking at me funny, her hands twisting together as I stared in a damn trance at the bed. Her gaze dropped, nerves pulsing from her awkwardness. Frowning, I signed, What? Beauty closed her eyes briefly and opened them on a sigh. “She has a hell of a lotta scars on her body, Styx.” I stilled, heart pumping, rage building, and asked, Where? But Beauty’s eyes were fixed on the bed. Spinning her around by her arm, I signed, Where? “Mostly her back. Look like pretty severe lash marks. They go from side to side like someone’s whipped her good. But… who the fuck would do that? Who gets lashed nowadays?” I raised a questioning eyebrow as Beauty’s gaze saddened. “Has some on her inner thighs too. Look like old cuts, blade marks… or… something worse.” She didn’t go further, letting the implication hang in the air. Fuck. Beauty walked toward the door, laying a hand on my rigid arm as she passed. “I hope she pulls through, Styx. Looks like she deserves a better life than the one she’s got.” I couldn’t respond. Couldn’t think. Scars on her fuckin’ inner thighs… I sat on the chair next to the bed, watching the bitch’s chest rise and fall. I leaned in, took a deep breath, working my throat like hell to manage a whisper. “I-i-if you c-can hear m-me, p-p-pull through. W-wake the f-f-fuck up. I’ve b-been w-waiting on you coming back to me for f-f-fifteen fuckin’ years. No d-dying on m-me now, you hear me?”

Chapter Five Salome A long sleeveless flowing gown of white stared at me as I huddled against the cold wall on the floor of my room with my legs pulled firmly to my chest. A gown. A white marital gown mocking me, teasing me, telling me by sundown today I would be married. The seventh wife of Prophet David. The wife revealed to him by God. I would be the one to bring eternal blessings to all in The Order—his chosen people. I would help redeem the status of the Cursed, absolve us of our sins. Leaning my head against the gray brick wall of my quarters, I closed my eyes, imagining what it would be like to be free. What was life like outside of the great fence? Were people truly evil out there? Did everyone on Earth want to inflict harm on us? Did men really just want to possess and ruin women? I did not know. Sometimes I doubted Prophet David’s teachings, but I would never say that out loud. No one questioned the teachings—at least those who wanted to avoid punishment. I knew nothing of life beyond these walls, and after tonight, my duty would be as head wife. I would never be able to leave. Rubbing my shaking hands down my face, my stomach flipped. I just could not do it. And worse, I had no idea where my oldest sister was. My blood sister, Bella, who disappeared weeks ago—no sign, no contact, simply vanished. No one would tell me where she had gone. After too many days of silence, I had begun to fear the worst. Brother Gabriel knew something. The way he looked at me, smirking, almost gloating, gave it away. He had grown obsessed with Bella over the years, but she never returned the sentiment. You could see in his eyes that he wanted her to pay for her indifference toward him. A sharp knock interrupted my wayward thoughts. Sister Eve walked into my room, clutching a garland of fresh white flowers in her wizened hand. She spotted me on the floor and stomped in my direction. “Get up, you insolent child. Why are you not in deep prayer? Do you realize the significance of this night, of your marriage; the significance to us all?” I was jerked off the floor as her hand gripped my upper arm and pulled me to a standing position. Sister Eve, one of the twelve Originals and the woman I both feared and disliked most, was here to aid me in my preparations. The feeling of dislike was mutual. The envious jealousy seeping from her large, aging body was so intense it thickened the humid air around us. I was one of the four Cursed. One of four females classed as too tempting to men. One of four who were segregated from the rest of the commune, as it is believed the devil had a hand in our creation. The four consisted of my blood sisters Bella and Maddie, our friend Lilah, and me. “Sister Salome! You best pull yourself together and get dressed.” Sister Eve wrenched me closer to whisper in my ear, “You are not worthy of Prophet David in my eyes, but God chose you as the seventh wife and I cannot doubt the revelation.” I bowed my head. Sister Eve was a superior and I did not want to face the punishment of disobedience. Lashes, lots and lots of lashes.

“Yes, Sister, I understand. I will begin to dress immediately.” She walked to the table and laid down the floral head garment, fragrant vanilla oil, and white ceremonial sandals. She held the edge of the table for a few seconds before facing me, lips tight, hesitation in her stance. “You will need to take special care this evening in your consummation.” I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat. Prophet David had a disease. Puss leaked from huge, gaping sores all over his skin and I had been instructed on how to care for him, but the duty made me feel sick at the thought. “Prophet David, due to his ailments, finds it difficult to become… aroused sexually. You will need to take great care in preparing him for your joining this eve. Your union will change the fate of us all and must be sealed under God’s eyes. You must fall pregnant to complete the prophecy.” My legs wobbled as I thought of what I must do. Prophet David was in his seventies, very overweight, and apparently smelled… badly. When I was thirteen, he declared I would be his wife when I reached the age of twenty-three—the Lord revealed it to him whilst he was in exile out of the The Order. My fate was sealed from that day forth. Sister Eve took my chin in her hands. “You understand, Salome?” I bowed. “Yes, Sister.” She nodded curtly. “I must go to the altar. I shall return within the hour to bring you to your wedding. Be ready.” With that she exited my room. Sinking to the floor once more, I resumed my staring at the long white gown. Trepidation swelled in my stomach as I thought of the task I must endure. I had no idea why I was deemed worthy, but then I would not wish this duty on anyone else. I dressed quickly in my gown after pouring anointing vanilla oil on my naked skin. Letting my long hair down from my wrap, I placed my flower garland upon my head and crept to the door, searching for a disciple guard. The hallway was deserted, so I quietly ran along the corridor and out into the courtyard. The entire house was empty and silent and I needed to breathe fresh air. “Salome!” A loud whisper sounded from the west side of the building. Turning my head in search, I spotted Delilah. Picking up the bottom of my gown, I ran forward, ushering her behind the tall brick wall, out of sight. “What are you doing here? You will be punished if you are found!” Checking over my shoulder, I failed to immediately notice Lilah’s red eyes and flushed skin. “Mae…” Lilah whispered, softer this time, her quiet tone sending chills down my spine. “What? What is it?” Reaching out, Lilah’s hand encased mine and squeezed. I knew in an instant what was wrong. Bella. “What has happened to her?” I asked quietly. “She… she… Maddie and I just found out where she is being kept…” Jerking my best friend forward, I prompted, “Where? Where do they have her?” Sucking in a shaky breath, Lilah revealed, “Imprisoned… but…” “But what?” “Mae, she did not look well. She met my eyes, but her expression was not right. I fear… I fear she is fading. I think she has been there for a long time. We were ordered to deliver dinner to the guards at a new location and… and we… saw her, Mae. My goodness…” She failed to finish her sentence, her pale hand covering her mouth. Feeling as though my heart had just been ripped in two, I set off at a run. “Mae!”

I glanced behind me and spotted Lilah chasing after me. Thrusting out my hand, I grabbed hers and asked, “Where is she? Show me!” A long moment passed before she said, “I shall lead.” We headed down a tree-lined path and over two gardens. My heart raced, my pulse throbbed, my stomach churned, and a light sheen of sweat spread across my forehead. Turning in the direction of the altar, we passed through the forest rather than risk the exposed path that would lead to the ceremony and the waiting congregation. As we neared the forest edge, I spotted a stone building: a stone building with a small black-barred gate. And just through the iron bars of that gate was a body, the slight frame of a young female lying face down, unmoving on the hard floor. A sob clawed its way from my throat as I burst from the trees, my legs moving of their own accord. My sister. Approaching the rear of the building, I was about to break the tree line when I was knocked down and roughly pulled back under the cover of the trees. I scrambled to be free, clawing at the skin of the person who held me back. “Salome, it is Delilah. Stop!” she whispered gently but firmly. I froze, tears streaming down my cheeks. “What have they done to her? She is not moving!” Delilah held her hand to her mouth, lips trembling, shaking her head in sorrow. “I do not know. I do not know what has been done.” As I scanned the area, I could not see a guard. I ran to the bars of the gate. Clutching the thick steel rods, I whispered, “Bella?” My sister lay on the floor, dirtied and bloodied, her body too thin and her black hair matted in clumps. The twitch of her finger signaled that she had heard my voice. With painfully slow movements and great effort, Bella managed to raise her head just an inch off the stone floor and then I noticed scripture painted along on the ceiling of the cell. “Revelation 2:20,” I whispered out loud. “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols,” Lilah recited from memory and my stomach churned. My hand automatically went to my mouth. What had they done to her? She was so thin. “M-Ma—” Bella tried to say my name, but her voice was almost non-existent. She tried to open her eyes, but they were bruised and swollen shut, her crusty lashes covered in a mass of dried blood. “I am here, Bella. Lord! I am here!” I said, slamming myself farther against the iron bars, reaching through as far as I could to grip her boney finger with my hand. Bella exhaled and her lips curved into a broken smile. “I am glad.” She coughed and moaned in pain, struggling to move an inch. “I am glad you found me before it was too late.” “What have they done to you?” I hissed as I gazed at her battered body. Huge pools of dried blood covered the stone floor, her dress was ripped at the back, and her skin was marked with deep gashes from the leather lash. But the bottom of her dress… the blood… Oh no… they… I… could not even think it, let alone ask her if she had been taken against her will. Handprint bruises covered every inch of her thighs. There were discarded whips leaning against the wall at the back of the cell. “Disobeyed…” she whispered. Bella tried to crawl closer to me, my hand now fully encompassing hers as I aided her tired movements. “Disobeyed what… who?” I questioned as she resettled near the gate, smiling weakly as she inhaled the fresh air of the late afternoon, the sun warming her cheeks. “Gabriel… disobeyed in my duty… to be with him… resisted… he said I was selfish…” Her brows furrowed in confusion. “I cannot… remember the rest… It is all blurry…” Sucking in a sharp breath, I whispered, “No, sister!”

A quiet sob slipped from her throat, but the tears could not escape her swollen eyes. “I cannot remember… anything… I think… I was drugged… I…” “Bella, I am so sorry…” “Shh… it’s not your fault…” Wincing, biting back pain, Bella managed to shuffle slightly closer, then settled back, only to say, “Gabriel has taken every part of me since I was a child: my innocence, my body, but never my heart. He is not worthy of my love, Mae. The disciples never gave me the chance to find the one man in the world who deserved it. Gabriel is a bitter and twisted monster.” Pressing my stomach flat to the mud, not caring if I soiled my wedding gown, I leveled my gaze to look straight at my sister’s swollen blue eyes, eyes just like mine. “Bella, you are pure of heart. You are a good person, no matter what he did to you.” “You are right, my sister, and I will meet our God with a clear conscience,” she rasped in a barely audible, gravelly voice. My muscles tightened and my breath came in short, sharp bursts. Meet our God? Lowering her hands, then gripping the iron bars, I frantically pulled at the gate. Lilah joined me. Even working together, it did not move an inch. “Bella, I shall get you out—” I assured her as we shook the gate harder, but to no avail. “Stop… stop… I am dying, Mae…” “No!” I cried in despair as I slumped down to the ground once more, Lilah this time following suit. Stretching out her boney hand, I grasped my sister’s fingers once more and kissed the broken skin on her palm. “I want to go, Mae. I want to be with our Lord. I cannot keep living like this,” she confessed. “No, Bella, please… I need you.” “I think she has been in this cell, kept like this, for a long time. Maddie and I heard a guard say it has been weeks. Too long, Mae. Bella is badly injured… badly… hurt,” Lilah whispered. “Where is Maddie?” I suddenly asked, fear seizing my body at the thought of my younger sister being taken too. Lilah ran her shaky hands down her face. “Brother Moses took her for his Lord’s sharing.” I winced. She would come back even more of an introvert. Every time Moses took her away for his release, he did things to her. Maddie was a shell: never speaking, barely living. She was a walking ghost. “Please…” I cried out in frustration to no one, but Bella’s weak squeeze of my hand in hers showed me how far gone she truly was… that she was fading away. “Please… please stay with me, just while I—” She coughed up blood; streaks of red dripped down her chin. Squeezing my eyes shut, I stroked her head in comfort. With a sigh, she forced out, “I must go now, Mae. I must rest. I am so tired…” Her eyes cracked open a fraction and with renewed determination, Bella urged, “When the last breath leaves my body, you run, my sister, you run… and keep running…” Tears flowed freely down my cheeks, and I whispered, “I love you, Bella. I am so sorry…” That small, sweet smile of hers returned to her bruised lips but for a moment, and she hushed out, “And I you, my beloved sister. More than you know… tell Maddie… good-bye…” I do not know how much time passed as I watched her chest slowly rise and fall, but I knew the moment my sister left me. Her hand fell limp in my hand and an eerie stillness seeped into her tiny, broken frame. A tear slipped down my cheek, and I felt Delilah wrap her arms around me from behind, rubbing at my back, trying to be a comfort. My throat became so clogged that I scraped at the skin of my neck with frantic fingers just

searching for relief. “Delilah, I cannot lose her. She is my family, my best friend, besides you and Maddie. She is my everything.” “I know, sister, I know. But it is God’s plan.” “Salome, where are you going?” I had not even realized I had stood up and started running, that is until Delilah’s hand grabbed my shoulder and stopped me in my tracks—her fingers firmly gripping the material of my bridal gown. “Wait!” she commanded. In reply, I gripped her hand and pulled hard, demanding, “Come with me. We will find Maddie, then go.” “Where?” “Outside.” Her blue eyes widened. “Outside where?” “Outside the fence. I cannot stay.” “But you are meant to marry Prophet David within the hour! Salome, do not disobey or you too shall be punished. I can take no more. Maddie can take no more!” “Gabriel and Prophet David have killed my sister! How can I marry the prophet now? How can I stay here a moment longer when he sanctions such punishments?” “But… but… the revelation. You are twenty-three today. You must marry for all our sakes. We will all be damned if not!” My boiling blood cooled rapidly and my previously unshakable faith cracked like ice on a winter lake. “May God strike Prophet David down and may he burn in hell for all eternity! I believe in good, not sacrifice. I believe in forgiveness, not revenge. The Lord I believe in is compassionate and good. I see none of that in the prophet or the disciples. Where was forgiveness with my sister? Where was compassion with the sisters all of our lives? I am through with this miserable life! This cannot be God’s way; I refuse to believe it any longer. Prophet David has bastardized a pure faith. I no longer believe in anything he and his loyal disciples say!” Delilah gasped and backed away. “You blaspheme, Salome.” “I DO NOT CARE!” I screamed, my eyes darting around to check I had not been heard. Delilah was watching me with tears falling down her cheeks, the rise and fall of her chest betraying her fear. Pushing my hands out in surrender, I begged, “Please, Delilah, escape, come with me. There must be more to life than this. For us all.” Her head shook back and forth. “No, outside is evil. Evil stalks. It waits for us to be weak—you know the teachings, the warnings. You will be in danger outside. You will be swayed from the righteous path. And Maddie… Maddie will not go with you either. She does not even like to leave our quarters, never mind go out there!” She was plain wrong about outside. Had to be. There was no righteous path to be found here. I will take my chances out there, outside the fence. “I must go. Do not tell anyone you saw me, please.” “Salome, I cannot lie. It is a sin. I will be punished.” She was right, of course. “Then disappear for a while. Give me time to get free, anything.” “The fence is too high. They will not allow you to leave. You will have to pass over miles of harsh land, and then where will you go? We have never been outside, Salome. We do not know what is out there. The disciples will find you. They always find those who try to break free.” Her breath hitched. “You know how they treat deserters, Mae. I… I cannot lose you too…” “That may all be true, but I will try regardless. Go back to your room and stay hidden. If they find you, do not lie about what I have done. Protect yourself first. Protect Maddie.” I moved toward my

closest friend and held her tightly in my arms, memorizing her comforting embrace, then whispered sadly, “I will pray for you every day. You will see me again, Lilah… Tell Maddie… Someday, I you will see you both again…” I withdrew. Delilah backed away in the direction of the Cursed quarters and shock, fear and sadness contorted her face. I lifted my bare feet and ran toward the perimeter of the fence. I had to leave. I told myself to run… run … just keep running…

Chapter Six Salome Letting out a sharp gasp, my eyes sprang open and fixed on a dark wooden sky above me. My vision pulsed around the edges. It was a dream. It was only a dream… My momentary feeling of peace quickly evaporated as I stared at the strange ceiling and I stiffened as I realized I did not recognize my surroundings. The room was dark and smelled different from anything I had known. Hmm? Perhaps leather and an oil of some description? Glancing to the right, barely opening my eyelids, I noticed a man stood at a long table. He had long brown hair and he was taking instruments or pills from a black bag. His back was turned away from me and there was a picture on the back of his leather vest. For several seconds I struggled to make out the image, but then my stomach fell as recognition hit—Satan! I controlled my breathing, striving to keep calm, trying to focus my fuzzy mind. Thankful for small mercies, I rejoiced that he had not noticed I was awake. But then he turned to face me and his short brown beard came into view. A disciple…? My mind was a foggy mess as I tried to remember why I was in such a strange place. It had been the day of my twenty-third birthday… my wedding day to Prophet David… but… but… something happened to make me run. My heart pumped my blood like white rapids within my chest, the currents burning under my skin. What was it? What did I see…? A gate… a body… my… No! Bella! Bella… in that cell… dying in the cell… beaten, bloodied… neglected. She had told me to run as she took her last breath. I could not save her. I ran… but… but… I could not remember the rest. My breaths came in short, sharp pants and I tried to move my hand, but something was poking into my flesh. My fingers began tapping nervously. I could not remember what had happened to me, what led me to this bed, unconscious, but I knew I must leave, flee this place. I began counting. One… two… three… four… five… and inched my fingers to the sheets blanketing my body. I was wearing some form of robe. Six… seven… eight… nine… I took a deep breath. Finally reaching ten, I slowly lifted my body, my limbs feeling too heavy. Kicking my legs over the side of the bed, I pulled the robe tight around my waist to protect my modesty and landed on shaky feet, a sharp pain ripping up my left calf. Abruptly, the strange man spun around; my sudden movement obviously shocked him. He dropped whatever was in his hands and he inched forward, palms thrust out, surprise clear on his face. My eyes darted around the room: a large set of wooden drawers, one single black leather chair, black painted walls, washroom, bed. Feeling a sting, I glanced down and noticed something was in the back of my hand, a wire attached to a strange clear bag hanging from the bedpost. Reaching down, I pulled the needle out, crying out loudly as it ripped my flesh and a stream of

blood trickled down my arm. “No! Fuck! Wait. Calm down. It’s… it’s okay.” The man attempted to soothe me with his deep voice. I did not recognize him from commune, but he was a disciple, I had no doubt. This meant I had to leave. I realized Gabriel must have tracked me down after all. This man was my captor. I was about to be punished. Scanning the room, I spotted a door behind me to my left. An exit. The man moved forward two steps, his words slower and clearer this time. “Please. I won’t hurt you.” I cocked my head to the side. He was being kind, even gentle, but I knew it must be a trick, an evil ruse. He raked his hand through his hair and rolled up the sleeves of his black shirt, large, bulging forearms on display. I stumbled back, hitting the hard wall. His arms. His arms carried the picture of the devil. I stared. I could not stop staring as my body seized in fear. He looked down to see what had me so scared. His bright-brown eyes widened as they focused back on me. “No, fuck! It’s not what you think. Don’t be scared of me.” A lifelong teaching set off an alarm in my mind: Evil is stalking. Evil will catch you. Evil will destroy your very soul. Attempting to reach the door, my feet were sluggish. Too tired to function, my leg felt as if it were on fire. Somehow I kept going, taking advantage of the fact that he was on the other side of the large bed. “No! Wait! Ah, shit!” I did not. I continued forward. Gripping the handle, I pushed through on unsure feet, slamming the door behind me. The winding path of a dark, narrow corridor became my guide and I continued down a set of stairs, using the wall to keep me upright. I could hear people at the end of the corridor and I glanced over my shoulder just as the man burst through the bedroom door, yelling at me to stop. His whole frame appeared to fill the hallway. His face was intent and he was scaring me now. The way he stalked me unsettled my nerves. I tried to run even harder, but my injured calf protested with each step I made. A large steel door separated me from voices of people—people who could perhaps help, or maybe not. I did not know, but it was my only choice. I pressed down on the long handle with all my strength, bursting through, falling to the floor. My legs had finally given out, my vision hazing, and an intense dizziness took hold. I slowly looked up, the room seeming to tilt on its side. Many pairs of eyes focused on me sitting dead center of the room and people began circling around me. Lots of people. Strange people. Frightening people. It looked as though they were swirling around. I wanted to cry. I fought back a sob. Maybe the teachings were right. Maybe I was in hell after all. The walls of the large room were mostly black, though adorned with picture after picture of Satan in hell—infernos, blood, demons, evil beasts, and dark rivers swarming with lost souls. My hand muffled a scream as I realized Prophet David had been right; outside of The Order was evil. I had been protected yet escaped. I surveyed the immediate area, my dizziness ebbing a fraction. Loose women wearing scant clothes dominated the room. Rough, unkempt long-haired men wearing leather touched them in very intimate places and the women clearly invited such provocative actions. Even as they looked at me, amusement flickered in their eyes as they cowed me with their stares. Men and women alike were smirking at me, some seemingly in kindness, others in blatant lust. A deadly sin.

The door behind me crashed into the wall and I froze—the passive deer surrounded by a pack of lions. Chills ran through me as I felt the man from the bedroom approach. I flinched at a loud screech. A chair scraped slowly on the wooden floor, the noise flowing around and through the crowd. Many heads turned toward the source. “Baby, where are you going?” I heard a soft female voice ask from across the room. The crowd parted but no answer greeted her question. Tightly holding my breath, I waited for who would be revealed. Then a tall, hugely built man broke through the wall of people, walking straight toward me. His hard gaze locked on mine and I could not divert my attention away from his large, hazel eyes, rough, unshaven cheeks, and dark messy hair as he towered over my slumped form. I dared not even breathe. Though he looked like Satan himself, he was quite simply the most beautiful man I had ever seen: ruggedly handsome and the most commanding man I had ever encountered. Shuffling back a few steps, I hit the legs of the man from the bedroom. Kneeling down, he steadied me by placing his hands on my arms. But the man with hazel eyes kept closing in, only stopping when he was two feet away. Crouching down, he gazed at every part of my face, his nostrils flaring as he drew in long breaths. His lips parted slightly as he exhaled and behind him, someone coughed. Distracted, his eyes darted to the side and away from my stare. I placed a palm over my pounding head. It was all too much and I could not focus. My heart slammed in my chest and pure fear seized control of my body. I willed myself to stop trembling; this only seemed to fuel my anxiety further. At the snap of his fingers, someone moved closer and I started. The man with the large hazel eyes began waving his hands around in controlled yet unfamiliar movements. Then someone ordered, “Go to him.” What? What was happening? Stretching my head up to follow the voice, I saw a man with long blond hair to his shoulders stepping forward. “Calm yourself. You’re safe,” he assured me gently. He had kind eyes and was very handsome. But so is the devil, I reminded myself. The dark-haired man edged closer still, now only mere inches from my chest. Even in my weakened state, his scent stirred something in my stomach; he was intoxicating, dangerous but intoxicating. I lifted my wary eyes to meet his and his hands began to move once more. “You have nothing to be afraid of. No one will hurt you. You have my word,” the blond man said, continuing to watch his friend’s busy hands. He seemed to be translating. I wanted to scream out in confusion. I did not understand anything that was happening, did not understand where I was, who I was with, and why the man before me did not speak. In a flash, I suddenly remembered the boy I met at the fence when I was eight. He too spoke with his hands. Maybe some people talked with their hands on the outside? I rubbed my hand down my face and squeezed my eyes shut. I was delirious, my mind wandering to silly, idle thoughts. “Styx, man. What the hell? Who the fuck’s this bitch? Why’s she freaking out?” My gaze was drawn to a man with straight, long black hair that dropped to the middle of his back. His features were so different from mine, his width so, so… big. He was almost as wide as he was tall. His skin was a caramel brown, eyes almost black, mouth fuller. Strange dark patterns were etched into his entire face… a large tattoo of swirling black lines and symbols. “Bull, not fuckin’ now,” the blond man snapped, but Bull had addressed the dark-haired man. The man before me with hazel eyes was named Styx? Styx leaned even closer and I let him. What other choice was there? I was no stranger to men

taking from me what they wanted. I learned at a very early stage in life that a person can do just about anything to survive. Placing a hand over his chest, he moved it over his heart, and the blond man stood beside him. “My name’s Ky. His name’s Styx. He found you behind the dumpster a few days ago, bleeding out. You were dying. You remember?” A few days ago! I looked down to my leg, now covered in bandages, feeling the tightness of my damaged skin and the nauseating pain when I moved. Guard dogs. Of course, a guard dog bit me. Gabriel’s dog mauled my left leg when I was trying to escape. I had been unconscious for a few days? “This is a clubhouse, for bikers. The Hangmen.” Ky gestured around the room. I frowned. His face reflected my own expression. “You do know what a bike is, yeah? A motorbike?” M-o-t-o-r-b-i-k-e. I sounded the word in my head, but it was not familiar. Someone laughed loudly in the background, mocking me. Styx turned his head slowly and he glared at the mocking man, whose laugher immediately stopped. At that moment, I feared him. His expression was intense, severe, his dark, sharp features hard and steely. As I shifted on the spot in obvious discomfort, his gaze met mine once again. His hands moved. “No one laughs at you, right,” Ky verbalized the message with appropriate emphasis. For some reason, I relaxed on hearing Styx’s vow of protection. Ky cleared his throat and continued. “A bike is something you ride, travel on. You know what a car is?” I nodded my head once. Styx’s nostrils flared and his lips twitched. “It’s like a car but with two wheels instead of four,” Ky explained. There was a deathly hush in the room as I tried to picture such a machine. I turned, looking each person in the eyes. They were all so different. I felt like I was in another world, so different to the one I had known all my life. It was a darker world, a sinful world. I supposed now I was sinful. I no longer had the protection of the great fence against outsiders. A pretty blond-haired woman smiled as she moved to the front of the crowd. She waved at me, then stopped beside a huge man with no hair, taking his hand in hers. He unsettled me tremendously. He sported more tattoos on his skin than anyone else; even his neck and head were covered in bright, intricate images. He was menacing; in contrast, the woman seemed kind. She reminded me of Delilah. I flinched and almost screamed. Lilah… Maddie! “Listen to me.” I faced Styx once more as his hands began their intricate dance. Ky’s voice gave the command. The significance of what I had done began to seep through the barriers of my mind. In sympathy, my limbs started to tremble. “Do you remember me?” Ky said, pointing to Styx. Did I remember Styx? What a strange question, I thought through my mind’s thick fog. As I looked into those large, hazel eyes, Styx suddenly seemed nervous. His gaze broke and he anxiously glanced around the room. People began to murmur, giving him quizzical looks. A woman with long brown hair approached him, laying a hand on his shoulder, and without even looking back, he shrugged off her gesture of comfort. Her pretty face fell and she stared at the floor. Styx’s hands moved once more, this time quicker but also seeming more intense. “Do you?” Ky pushed. But I could not take my eyes off the woman behind Styx, nor she off me. I could see by the way she hovered around the man that she wanted to belong to him. It was the same way Sister Eve reacted around Prophet David: longingly… unrequited.

She was in love with Styx. “Look at me!” Ky snapped impatiently, giving Styx a voice. “Do you remember me?” Styx pounded at his chest with his finger. I studied Styx’s face more deeply. He was even larger than I first realized, his neck and shoulders wide and strong, his arms bulging in the sleeves of his black shirt. But those eyes… green with flecks of brown mostly sprinkled around the outside… beautiful. Styx’s eyes reminded me of the forest, of fall colors and fallen leaves. I watched as he swallowed under my attention, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he stared me down. Ky sighed in disappointment, breaking the moment and he crouched down to whisper, “Styx, man, it’s not her. She’s scared shitless. It was always a long shot anyway. It’s not the bitch you saw and kissed behind that fence all those years ago. Time to let that shit go.” Fence? Kissed? No… wait! Was it… him? Impossible… Styx sighed and lowered his head, his shoulders slumping in disappointment, nodding his head in agreement. I brushed my finger across my lips. That strange boy… that kiss… A boy stood at the fence, pressed against the links, frantically waving his hands. I did not know what he was doing. Moving closer to the boy, I watched as he tried again. Sighing, he closed his eyes, took a long deep breath, and asked, “Wh-wh-who are you?” He could not speak properly. The words fought to escape his mouth. I tilted my head, watching him silently. Who are you? the boy asked me. Who am I? I thought tiredly. I am Salome, a born temptress, a Cursed. I had just been introduced to my duty, my service to the cause. Shown how to help the elders get closer to God, to rid me of my born sin. I had to get away for a while… They had hurt me. I did not speak to the boy on the other side of the fence. I was prohibited from speaking, so I just stared, blocking out the events from earlier that day. I did not know how he found us, why he was even there. But at that moment, I did not care. The boy dressed strangely: all-black clothing, strange metal bracelets on his wrists. He was dangerous, with dark-brown hair and large hazel eyes, the most beautiful fall-colored eyes. “What is this p-p-place? D-d-do you live here?” the boy asked softly. My eyes slipped down to study his mouth, but I did not speak. No one must know of The Order, for our protection. I was not allowed to speak to boys. It was forbidden, a sin, and he was an outsider, one of them. “Puh… puh… please… Wh-wh-what is your n-name?” “My name is Sin. We are all sin…” I gasped loudly. Styx was that boy? No… I swept my eyes across his strange black clothes and down to the silver bracelets on his wrists, the metal bracelets embossed with the same strange emblem. I remembered that day as though it were yesterday. He had cared about me, wanted to know my name… kissed me. Then I never saw him again. I visited the same part of the fence often in hopes of seeing him once more—especially after those days—but he never came back. I had never been kissed before or since. He was my only secret… my biggest ever sin. He had become almost like a dream to me. Lifting my shaky hand, I gently placed it on his cheek. Styx sucked in a breath as his eyes met mine. I shuffled closer still, just to be sure it was truly him and his lips parted on a small, ragged breath. Choking on a sob, my eyes widened and I faltered backward, recognition slamming into my conscience. My reaction to who he actually was gripped me. From deep inside me, it stirred feelings I

had never known. It is him. My River. He has found me again… Styx clutched my arms, simply staring and staring. “Do you know, Styx?” Ky asked, still beside me. Styx’s fingers squeezed my arms, as though prompting me to speak. I lowered my hand, playing with my fingers, and nodded once. Styx closed his eyes, freed me from his hold, worked his hands, and Ky asked, “Where from? Tell me where from… just so I’m sure it’s you.” I wanted to speak, but I was too nervous and I did not know if these people could be trusted. There were so many strangers encasing me in a claustrophobic circle and I felt trapped. Thinking of another way to prove my identity, I slowly reached out for Styx’s hands and brought them up high to mirror the position they were at the fence. I then wrapped my index finger around his, just as he did with me all those years ago. I saw in his floored expression that he understood. With this realization, he rolled his eyes, then ran a hand roughly through his hair. Shock and disbelief were clearly etched on his face. Ky gave me a peculiar look before stating, “I… I can’t believe it. It’s really you? Fuck!” He looked to Styx in shock. Styx had yet to remove his gaze from mine. “Fuck! It’s the fuckin’ pilgrim bitch!” “What the fuck’s going on? Who’s she? Why’re the two of you being so fuckin’ weird over a piece of pussy?” a tall man with fire-red hair asked as he stepped forward stroking his long goatee. Styx’s face hardened. He pulled me to stand beside him, one arm gripping me tightly, and I winced as pain pulsed in my calf. His fingers moved quickly. “Off-limits. Y’all get that now? She’s under my protection and is none of your fuckin’ business. Any one of you goes near her and I’ll kill y’all. That’s a fuckin’ iron-clad promise,” Ky translated. I flinched at his violent words, his aggressive tone. The men in the room frowned and watched me with assessing narrowed eyes, then gaped at Styx in shock. “Who is she, Styx? How do you know her?” That same feminine voice from before cut through the grumblings of the men. The brown-haired woman confronted Styx, her wary eyes assessing the mood of the crowd. Styx blocked her from getting closer with his hand and curtly shook his head. That hard, severe look was back on his face. “Styx—” she whispered brokenly. Stepping forward, Styx’s hands moved fast. The woman obviously understood the strange hand gestures Styx made. Her eyes filled with tears and she turned and hurried away. Styx took my hand in his and walked toward the corridor, Ky shouting, “Beauty!” as Styx pointed to somebody with his free hand. With a glance back, I noticed the men and women remained standing as if frozen in place. They watched us go, staring in questioning fascination. The brown-haired woman watched too from the back of the room, a haunted, devastated look on her face. Her tears now streamed down her cheeks. We entered the bedroom where I had previously woken up. Styx guided me to the bed, pushing on my shoulders to sit me down. The pretty blonde walked in through the door after us. Styx turned his attention to her, saying something with his hands. “They’re in Tank’s room. I’ll go get them. I’ll leave them outside your door,” the blonde answered in response. She turned and left the room. We were alone. Styx moved the black chair opposite the bed, then sat down and stared at me. His large hazel eyes checked every inch of me and, in response, my body began to tremble. He did not say a word, but those hazel irises never once left mine. Weirdly, the silence in the room seemed deafening.

Searching for a distraction from his intense gaze, I turned my head to admire the large picture dominating his wall. The picture was of a large, two-wheeled machine. I smiled and realization dawned. It must be a motorbike. Standing up, I walked to the picture, running my fingers over the shape of its frame. Casting a glimpse back to Styx, I saw he was still watching me, his large frame now leaning forward intently, elbows on his knees. With a smile, I pointed to the picture and he walked over to stand beside me. With a nod of his head, he signaled that he knew what I was asking. Giving him a small smile, I went back to sit on the edge of the bed, suddenly feeling very tired. Styx followed my every move. Prophet David taught us that desiring material goods was a sin, but I liked the expression on Styx’s face when he looked at the picture of the motorbike. It seemed to make him happy. Rubbing at my sore eyes, feeling drained, feeling empty, I knew I would have to face recent events soon. I would not be able to block them out forever. Styx moved to the chair, sitting before me yet again, as though he could sense my dismay. He tilted his head in question, asking silently what was wrong. I had managed to evade my reality long enough. Part of me could almost pretend it was just a horrible nightmare, more so as I sat in this strange darkened room with Styx. However, flashes of Bella, motionless, lying broken on the floor of that cell, stabbed relentlessly at my conscience, piercing emotional walls. I shook my head profusely, trying to rid my mind’s eye of those horrific scenes. Severe punishments were common amongst my people, a necessity to prevent others from falling from the path of righteousness. But Bella was my sister, she could not love Gabriel, and that was her downfall, plain and simple. I would rather live in eternal damnation here on the outside than marry the man who sanctioned the relentless abuse of my true flesh and blood. Awkwardly, Styx moved toward me. He gently ran his thumbs over my cheeks, wiping away the wetness. It took me a moment to realize I was crying. Emotions were forbidden in the commune, but I could not stop the tears. My chest tightened and I gripped his wrists, needing his support. Silent involuntary cries ripped from my chest and I let the pain take hold. I really cried for the first time in my life. Styx moved beside me and an arm circled my shoulders, which made me jump. I glanced up at Styx’s rugged face: those hazel eyes, big soft lips, rough cheeks marked by a few small scars. His tongue licked at the silver ring through his bottom lip and a large set of dimples set on his cheeks. Those dark, soft delves made him seem less… severe, more human. As I once more fixed my eyes on this big, silent man, so different from the boy I met, I crumbled. I gave in. This was everything I had been taught was wrong, but I could not help but cherish his touch. His strong arms encased me, warming me, comforting me, letting me feel safe. I held on tightly to his leather vest—he smelled of leather, soap, and smoke, and something else, something really… good. I had never ever been held like this before, never soothed. The only type of affection I had ever received was on those days. Even then, touching like this was strictly prohibited. Styx guided my head to the crook of his neck and only then did I set my sobs free. I cried for a long time before I gave in to exhaustion and drifted off to sleep, still unsure if I was being lured into a den of evil. But I felt completely and utterly safe in the strong arms of the only boy I had ever kissed…

Chapter Seven Styx I swear that fuckin’ twitching nose is gonna destroy me. She’d fallen asleep in my arms, her soft breath fanning my neck. For the first time in my life, I got a goose bump. A goddamn fuckin’ goose bump. Pulling in the tiny bitch tighter, I exhaled, my eyes shut tight in agony. I was so fuckin’ hard, painfully hard. She was so damn beautiful I couldn’t believe she was actually real. I’d always wondered what she’d look like older—filled out, hair down, eyes bright—but the reality was mindblowing. Having her in my arms was the best thing I’d ever felt, and when that nose of hers twitched like Samantha the fuckin’ witch, blood pumped into my cock and thoughts of being inside her drove me friggin’ insane. Fuck. I didn’t even know her name. Rolling my head back against the wall, I groaned. Pull yourself together, Styx. You’re the Prez of a fuckin’ gun-trading MC and you’re acting like a damn bitch pussy. The bitch moaned in her sleep and nuzzled closer to my chest, her small hand moving to grip my cut, her leg bending slightly to lie over mine. I couldn’t deal with it. If she moved one more inch, I was gonna lose my restraint and fuck her into the mattress. Scooping her too-thin frame in my arms, I pulled back the black sheets and settled her underneath, smoothing her hair from her face, watching as her full lips tilted into a peaceful smile. Fuck me, she was beyond beautiful. Even at eleven, I thought that shit true, but now she was way more than a goddamned ten. Leaving my room, turning the lock, I headed to the lounge and over to the bar. Only a few brothers were left, most gone home or to their bedrooms with their bitches for the night. Lois’d clearly split too. Good. Didn’t want no questions flying my way. Had no answers to give her anyhow. Walking behind the bar, I poured myself a large bourbon, Ky and Rider sitting around a table, watching my every move. Pit ran across the room and jumped behind the bar. “Fuck, Prez, I’ll get that.” I waved him away with my hand, but the brother took his place as bartender, one of his prospect duties. I took a seat beside Rider and Ky, meeting their eyes. “Prez,” Ky greeted. Frowning at the fuckers, I saw them shift in their seats—they’d been talking. Out with it, I signed. Ky rubbed his hand over his mouth. “Styx, man. What the fuck’s up with the bitch?” Edging forward, I met his gaze head on, my eyes twitching in annoyance. “I’m not ripping on her. What I mean is that she’s clueless, naïve. She didn’t even know what a fuckin’ biker was or even a motherfuckin’ bike! She don’t speak, looked at the brothers like she was staring at the face of evil. Turns up outta nowhere, bleeding out. We don’t know where she’s from or if someone wants her back. She could be trouble. In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re over-occupied with that shit right now. Don’t need no more.” Ky shook his head at me, like he didn’t even recognize the man next to him. The man who’d been

his best friend for fuckin’ years. “Feds are watching our ass twenty-four-seven. We walk out with a timid, bruised bitch… they’ll be on us and no fucker will believe the truth ’bout her. I mean, fuck! We got the Chechen run tomorrow. We’re gonna be on the road weeks reclaiming our turf. Don’t need this now.” Downing my bourbon in one, I savored the smooth, peaty taste. I let the alcohol numb my throat. Slowly opening my eyes, I dropped my glass to the table and buried my hands in my hair. It’d been one… long… fuckin’… day. “Where’s she now?” Rider asked as he tightened his black Hangmen bandana ’round his head. “Do you need me to check on her?” Shaking my head, I inhaled and signed out, Sleeping. Rider nodded. I swear the fucker looked disappointed. Then he skittered his eyes around the room before they landed back on me. He looked like a man who wanted to say something. “Look, Styx. When I was younger and my folks died, I was left alone. Wandered for years, scared shitless at first, then hardened up pretty damn quick. Life on the road, y’know? This club was my second chance.” “What you sayin’, brother?” Ky asked as he placed a hand on Rider ’s shoulder. “Just that she may be scared shitless now, but she might come ’round at some point. I was brought up in a strict religious household. Never told anyone here that before. Never felt the need. That’s not my life anymore, fuckin’ far from it. Anyhow, when my folks died, I had to relearn life all over again. Lost my faith, my church, my support network. Lost my way for a while. I found my family here again with the Hangmen.” You think she’s a Bible nut? I signed. It made some serious fuckin’ sense. He shrugged. “Not sure exactly. Maybe? Just saying that was my path. But she ran from something; that’s for damn sure. She turned up confused, mute, bleeding. She had tattooed scripture on her wrist ’bout the end of days. She needs protecting by the look of things. She’s obviously been sheltered. She don’t know shit about life, like she’s been locked up in solitary for twenty years.” Leaning back, I stared at the brown-stained ceiling. I sighed and rubbed my head. What if I didn’t come on the run? You take the lead and I stay with the bitch, get to the bottom of her deal? I signed and looked at Ky. He laughed and shook his head in disbelief. “You’re kidding me, right? Fuck that! Don’t even think it, Styx. You gotta be there. You’re the fuckin’ Prez! Chechen’s are expecting you to be there. Club first.” Fuck! If I ever see the bastard Russians again I’ll fuckin’ slit their throats. I’ll be gone nearly a fuckin’ month, had to go. Needed someone I could trust. Someone who’ll watch out for her while I’m gone, then sort through this shit when I get back. Clearing my throat, I glanced to Rider and exhaled. He paled. You take responsibility for her. Don’t come on the run to the Chechen deal. Stay here with her. You protect her until I get back. I watched him swallow, then shake his head. “Prez, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Not asking you, brother. It’s a fuckin’ order. Need someone I trust watching over her while I’m gone. Someone who ain’t gonna fuck her while she sleeps. His face twitched in nerves. “I… I’m not good with bitches, Styx. Never know how to talk to ’em. I’m not the right guy…” He trailed off apologetically. That’s exactly why you’re the right brother for this job. While she’s here, you watch out for her, fix her leg. I don’t know, teach her shit, rules and such. Hell, what about fuckin’ life? You know the brothers will chase her tail if she isn’t owned. Can’t keep her here with no protection. Last thing we want is a fuckin’ rape. She’s already been through enough shit.

“Prez…” He rubbed his hands down his face. I had no idea why the fucker never pulled pussy. Never smoked, didn’t drink. Thought for a while he may’ve preferred cock, but I saw him watching the club sluts, fuckin’ ’em with his eyes. Just never touched them. His business. We all wrestle with our own demons. Just so happens that attitude helped me with Jane Doe. You’re doing it! No questions. Right? I signed aggressively; making things real fuckin’ clear. Rider frowned and began shuffling in his seat. “Right,” he agreed. Ky leaped from his stool, face stern. He fetched the Patrón from behind the bar, slamming three shot glasses on the table and poured, not meeting my eyes. “Just putting this out there, Styx. That girl is from a different world, whatever the fuck that is. Doubting whether she can be in this type of family, this kinda world. We both know you’re in for life. You’ll never leave.” Point made. Leave it, I signed, losing my patience with both my VP and Rider fuckin’ squirming on his chair. Ky didn’t. “Just saying you need all your focus on this damn deal with the Chechens. We lose this deal and we’re fucked. Focus on life on the road. We got bigger issues than caring for some religious pilgrim nutcase right now. Like the club’s a goddamn charity. I mean, what the hell? How’d you get to her age and have no fuckin’ clue about life? She could be big trouble. She acted like a kid tonight, man. A fuckin’ Kindergartner. You want pussy, you got Lois to suck your cock. Stick with that shit.” Rider tossed back his tequila and stood awkwardly. “Going to crash.” I quickly signaled to Pit behind the bar to get the fuck out to. As soon as I heard the door slam shut, I turned back to Ky and let the aggression being kept on hold fly loose. “Y-you and me are b-b-brothers, best f-friends, loyal ’t-t-til the fuckin’ end, but you quit this shit now. I-I-I’m not l-liking wh-where it’s h-headed.” I stood up, towering over him, but the stubborn motherfucker never broke eye contact. He laughed without humor. “So what? Gonna make her your old lady now? Or your new club slut? Lois out, new Amish bitch in? That how it’s gonna be? She gonna be sucking on that cock daily too? She gonna have your back when you’re shot or when you fuck a whore just because you fuckin’’ feel like it? Never happening. She won’t deal with club life. Cut… and… run… Don’t sacrifice the club for a piece of pussy.” Fisting his cut, I slammed him down against the table, empty glasses shattering on the wood floor. “Y-you better sh-shut your f-f-f…” I gritted my teeth and managed to push out, “F-fuckin’ mouth! Don’t f-forget who you’re t-talking to!” Pushing me back, he spat, “Right.” Ky straightened his cut and, giving me the finger, walked to the door, then suddenly stopped, hands clenched as he looked back over his shoulder. “You act different around her, man. I’m saying your girl in there will fuck… you… up… You’re obsessed with the bitch, losing your damn mind if you think she belongs here. Christ, let’s be honest. You lost your damn sanity age eleven when you met her and never let this fucked-up goddess-worship thing go. I’m your best fuckin’ friend, not just your damn VP. I remember how meeting her changed you all those years ago. She’s not gonna be the perfect angel you fantasized about, Styx—she’s flawed and majorly fucked up by the looks of things. You’re puttin’ her on an unattainable pedestal for you. Don’t be a fuckin’ selfish prick and put her before the club, your brothers. “She won’t deal with what you do, things you do, things you gotta do for the club. Let her go. Club first, remember. Nothing else comes close. I’m fuckin’ watching out for you, brother. I’ll always have your back no matter what.” With that, he turned and left the compound, leaving me alone in the deserted bar, my messed-up thoughts my only company.

Fuck! I slammed back another tequila, then another, and on the fifth, I smashed an empty bottle against the wall. I knew my VP was right. She’s probably best outta this fucked-up life… but I wanted her gone ’bout as much as I wanted a shittin’ hole in the head. I’d just found her again, but it was too fuckin’ late. I’d found her too goddamn late. Hades’d already pulled me into Hell. She didn’t deserve to go down with me. She deserved a clean man—that so ain’t fuckin’ me. Sitting back down at the table, I scanned the empty room, staring at the pictures that had the bitch so scared so many hours ago. I tried to imagine seeing them with innocent eyes—eyes that had only seen good, eyes that didn’t belong following the example of the underworld’s dark lord. Some sick feeling wound tight in my gut, and I knew I’d not be getting any sleep tonight. My head was far too busy. I needed my smokes, a tall bottle of Beam, and my music.

Chapter Eight Styx I picked up my first guitar at six, my old man telling me the only things I’d need in life were my Harley, the love of an old lady, and my Fender. The code I’ve lived by all my life. Had my Harley, MC brothers, had money, had my guitar—didn’t have an old lady, and Lois weren’t ever gonna be it. Twenty-six, bagged lots a’ sluts, no old lady prospects, but a constant pair of wolf eyes constantly haunted my dreams since the age of eleven. Talking always came hard to me, but singing and playing… fuckin’ natural as breathing, and no problems pushing out the words. I’d never felt more comfortable than when I had my guitar in hand, the lyrics flowing out my loose throat like the fuckin’ wind. I strummed at the strings of my Fender acoustic, growing more and more pissed at my situation. Switching seamlessly from Cash to Waits—needing the comfort of dark and painful melodies—I took a pull of my smoke, dropping it in the ashtray, feet propped up on the table, when an old song spilled from my lips. “Well, I hope that I don’t fall in love with you, ‘cause falling in love just makes me blue.” I sang with my eyes closed, shutting out the world for a while, my fingers dancing on the strings. I zoned the fuck out, only to see Jane Doe smile shyly at me in my mind. Feeling a burn in my chest at the image, I opened my eyes and, fuck… She was there on the sofa to my right, knees bent, arms wrapped ’round her long, perfect stems, head resting on top, wolf eyes staring… like I’d fuckin’ conjured her to life. I instantly stopped playing, hands freezing on the strings, unable to look away from her. She just stared, a slight blush to her sallow cheeks. Shifting forward and lifting up my Fender, I turned away to put it down. But when I was halfway to putting the guitar back on its stand to my right, the sound of her deep breathing made me look her way. She slowly opened those full, pink lips, the tip of her wet tongue peeking out, and whispered, “Again.” I swear my heart missed a fuckin’ beat. She was talking. Edging forward, I tipped my chin, urging her to repeat herself. A deep blush crept up the entire length of her face and she swallowed, shifting slightly, long black lashes fluttering like fuckin’ butterfly wings. “Again… please, play it again. I very much enjoyed hearing your voice.” What the hell was that accent? That button nose of hers scrunched and I knew what was coming. Fuck! And there it was, the tiny twitch betraying her nerves. I couldn’t look away. Christ, I never took my eyes off hers, holding her gaze while I grabbed my guitar, sitting back, taking a deep breath, thinking over the words, picking up where I left off. “…And I hope that I don’t fall in love with you. I can see that you are lonesome just like me, and it being late, you’d like some company…”

Tears glistened in her eyes as I sang each line, a pleased smile ghosting her lips. Fuck. To see that look on her face or hear her talk again, I’d sing “Over the fuckin’ Rainbow” soprano, if she wanted. Clearing my throat, I sang out the last of the song. “…And I think that I just fell in love with you…” I let the last note hang in the air, our breathing the only other sound, the string humming until the vibrations faded to silence. I stared at her. She stared back. Tension built. Shifting to the side, I placed my guitar beside me, picking up my smoke and finishing it off, stubbing the cherry on the table. She watched, button nose twitching and her tongue licking those fuckin’ fat lips. Christ. I moved slightly to try and hide my hard dick. You good, babe? I signed, but her forehead wrinkled with a frown and she shook her head. Shit! Sitting forward, my head fell in my hands and I rubbed along the temples. I could do this. I could talk to her again. Shutting my eyes, I tried to focus on working my throat, loosening it up. I reminded myself that I’d talked to her before. I could fuckin’ do this again. At least I thought I could. But the python wouldn’t let go, and I was close to murdering mad. All these damn years waiting to see the bitch again, and fuck me, I couldn’t speak for shit. Suddenly, a soft hand landed on mine, and lifting my head, she smiled and said, “You use your hands to talk?” Fidgeting, I nodded and watched her every move. “Because you struggle to get the words out?” She stroked her hands down her neck, as if trying to understand why. I nodded once more. Her blue eyes flickered between the floor and me until she said, “You spoke to me once before, did you not? Try to again, please. I would very much like to hear your voice.” I fuckin’ wanted that too. As I looked into her wolf eyes, I worked my throat loose again, my leg bouncing in agitation, eyes twitching as I played out the words on the tip of my tongue, and with a deep breath, I managed to push out, “Y-y-you h-heard music b-b-before?” Giving me a huge, relieved smile, she dropped her eyes to the floor, her expression almost shameful. “Yes… only once.” My fuckin’ palms began to sweat and I ran them down my jeans. Her voice was as tiny as she was, but it was the sweetest damn thing I’d ever heard… and too long in coming. Fifteen fuckin’ years to hear that damn voice again, and apparently, she’d been waiting for mine too. “Y-y-you g-got a n-name?” She stilled, eyes shooting up, her breathing all over the fuckin’ place, and intense fear took over her features. “N-n-not gonna hurt you, r-r-remember? T-t-tell me your n-n-name, b-babe.” I sighed in relief as my words began to come clearer. It was her—fuckin’ number three. My goddamn miracle. “Salome,” she said almost inaudibly. I edged forward, convinced I was fuckin’ hearing things. “Wh-what?” “Salome,” she hushed out again, swallowing loudly, staring at the exit, then back at me and to the

exit again. She was gonna bolt. “Y-y-you kn-kn-know where that n-name comes from, b-babe?” I couldn’t disguise the anger in my tone, a red haze fogging up my mind. Blue eyes darted to anywhere but me, and her head lowered. “Yes. In many writings, it is said she was King Herod’s niece. She demanded John the Baptist’s head for her birthday and danced the dance of seven veils. She is a reminder that women sin and tempt men to do evil things. All women are born sinners—some more than others—and we must be reminded constantly that we are the reason mankind fell from Eden. Born with the original sin of Eve. My name assures that people are always aware of this fact and that I never forget my place in the great order of life.” What. The. Fuck? She regurgitated that shit like it had been pounded into her brain, a rote speech. Her eyes lost life, her voice dropped all feeling, and every part of her body tensed. My fists clenched over and over, and I stared unseeing at her face, biting on my tongue to stop me from screaming and hurtling abuse at the fucker responsible for her spewing brainwashed shit at me. Rider had to be right. She had to be from some fucked-up cult, spouting shit robotically like that. Hell, that’s nothing new in Texas. Everyone still remembers Waco like it was yesterday, and there’s plenty of extreme religious fuckers ’round here, talking in tongue and exorcizing demons day in, day out. ’Course, as Hangmen, we know all of these cults, especially the Davidians. My gramps got the gun trading business the poor fuckers lost when they all fried, courtesy of a few friendly shots from the good ol’ ATF. Gramps made a killin’, took over their turf, extended Hangmen control in Texas. As my vision snapped back to focus, I heard Salome whimper, cowering slightly, her black robe drowning her tiny body on the seat as she wrapped the excess material round her shaking limbs. Her eyes were huge as she stared at me, pure fear on her face. I edged in her direction, noticing a flinch of her shoulders and a subtle wince around her eyes. She thought I was gonna hurt her. I pushed up my palms. “F-f-fuck, b-bitch, I-I-I ain’t g-g-gonna h-hurt you.” Her head hung in submission. That just pissed me off more, and before I knew it, I yelled, “D-ddon’t b-bow to m-me. L-l-l…” I paused, refocused on my words, and inhaled. “Lift your f-f-fuckin’ head!” I rolled out in one long breath. On command, her head snapped up, completely obedient, confusion radiating from her rigid body. “Wh-what do you want of me?” she whispered, her teeth chattering, face ashen, her palms now pressed flat to the floor. I barely heard her question, the blood rushing in my ears almost drowning out her soft tone in her prostrate position. Her entire body was shaking in fear. Crouching to her height, I assured, “N-n-not you f-f-fuckin’ fl-fl-flinchin’ when I m-move, ththat’d be a d-damn good st-start.” She tilted her head up, regarding me warily, the shaking stopping, her pouting pink lips forming a small, confused O. Rubbing my hand over my head, I dragged my fingers through my hair. If she was any other bitch, I’d grab her and kiss the fuckin’ life outta her, make her mine, fuck her ’til she knew I wasn’t gonna hurt a damn hair on her head. But she weren’t like other bitches. She was staring at me like I was gonna kick her black and blue, all ’cause I got pissed at her fuckin’ shitty name. Reaching for the table, I grabbed my smokes, ignoring her flinching and protecting herself with her arms. If I acknowledged it, I’d probably go kill someone; that’s how fuckin’ incensed I was. I pulled a smoke out with my teeth and lit it with the lighter from my pocket. Taking a drag, I closed my eyes, leaning back on the couch, mentally talking myself down off the ledge.

I opened my eyes seconds later and Salome was fiddling with her fingers, nose twitching, white teeth worrying her lip. Groaning, I moved before her—right before her—locking straight on her terrified gaze. “L-llook, b-babe, I g-got p-pissed at your n-n-name.” I rubbed at my throat, forcing it to relax. I could feel my eyes twitching again. “I-I don’t kn-know wh-where you’ve c-c-come from or who d-d-dared fuckin’ call you S-S-Salome, but y-you should n-n-not be called it. N-never will be b-b-by m-me. It’s a f-f-fuckin’ shit name for a b-b-beautiful bitch like y-y-you, a f-f-fuckin’ insult. R-r-right?” She nodded, a small smile hooking on the corner of her top lip. Fuck. I took another drag of my smoke when she said, “Mae.” I cocked my head, staring at her, and she shifted nervously in her seat like she was gonna admit to committing a murder. “My sisters, in secret, would call me Mae. We did not like the derogatory names either.” A small, coy smile spread over her pink lips. So she had some fuckin’ spark after all. Slowly flipping my hand, I clasped her fingers around mine. She gasped but let it happen. I stared at the two limbs intertwined and huffed a quiet laugh to myself. I’d fucked a lot of bitches in my life, done every messed-up position imaginable, stuck my cock in every hole, tried every drug, drank every whiskey, but nothing had felt quite like her tiny pale hand wrapped in mine; nothing even came close. And it killed me knowing she didn’t belong here. For the first time in my life, I wanted to do right by someone, and her being a part of this club, a part of me, wasn’t doing right by her. “Styx?” My name out of her lips, Christ, it almost stopped my breathing. Looking up, I saw her deep frown; she knew something was up. “B-b-babe…” I whispered. “Are you well? You have paled.” Sighing, I ran our fingers down my cheek. She sucked in a breath, and I confessed, “I… c-can’t kk-keep you.” Her hand flinched in mine. “You wish me gone?” she whispered, pulling her hand back to cradle in her lap. Reaching forward, I gripped her wrists in my large hands and pulled her toward me. She had no choice but to drop down to my lap. I still didn’t look at her, but rested my forehead against her shoulder. She felt too fuckin’ right sitting on me. “Y-y-you’re too p-pure for this life, M-Mae. Y-y-you’re not s-safe. D-don’t know how to b-be in all this… b-bad.” Mae said nothing for a long time, then confessed in a small voice, “I feel safe with you. I do not know anyone else here on the outside and I cannot return from where I came.” Her small body jerked as if a thought slammed into her mind. “Please do not take me back, please! Not to them!” I finally glanced up and her face was broken. It hurt more than the machete hit to the chest I’d taken in the Mexican war last year. Fuck! Gripping her shaking hand, I said, “I-I-I won’t, b-b-but where, b-babe? Where c-can’t you return?” “Where I am from,” she said evasively. “The f-fence? Wh-whatever ’s b-behind that f-fence? That wh-what you t-talking ’bout?” She nodded silently. I reached up and palmed her face in my hands. “Y-you’re t-too innocent for this life. Y-you’ll grow to h-hate me if you st-stay.” “I believe in forgiveness. I will never hate, especially not you,” she hushed out.

“I-I’ll lay it on the l-line for you, b-babe. I t-trade illegal weapons for c-cash and d-drink far too m-much. I f-fuck sluts regularly and d-don’t commit to no one f-for long, maybe n-n-never will.” I made sure I had her full attention for the last part. “I-I’ve killed p-p-people. I-I’ve even l-liked it, and”—I knew I was bringing the final death blow—“I’ll d-do it again. Y-you want someone g-g-good to take c-care of you. I-it ain’t me, babe. I g-gotta go away t-tomorrow on b-business. We’ll t-talk when I get b-back, f-figure shit o-out.” Her breath grew faster and she gripped my wrist so damn tight. On shaky legs, Mae stood up and I dropped my hands from her face. I watched as she walked toward the door to the back stairway leading to my apartment. Then she stilled and looked back at me over her shoulder. “You have light within you, Styx, and I feel it shining through like the rays of the midday sun. It is beautiful. You are a good man.” Fuck. What the hell was I meant to do with that shit? “I am truly happy that I got to see you again. I thought about you often, the boy behind the fence, the boy on the outside… the boy who stole my first and only kiss, and I nightly prayed for your safety and happiness. It is a ritual I will forever keep.” Mae sighed and drifted toward me, and I could see the torment she battled on her face, but at what, I didn’t fuckin’ know. After several seconds, she stood before me, slowly bent down, and pressed a soft as fuck kiss to my cheek, moving to my ear to say, “I will be forever grateful that you saved my life, Styx, and sang to me so perfectly on your guitar. You have shown me more compassion in a matter of days than I have had my whole life.” She laughed out one single laugh, and it was the purest, most beautiful sound I’d ever heard. “You will never know, but in the two darkest moments of my life, you have shown up. You say it ain’t you who is good and who will keep me safe, but you already have. You have saved my life twice.” I reached forward for her hand, no idea what the hell I was about to do, when a voice from the doorway caught my attention. “Styx?” Lois stood watching me with Mae, her eyes wide as she watched me gripping her hand. Jerking my chin in her direction, I lifted my hand and signed for her to wait in my club bedroom. She hesitated for a moment but walked away, and I heard the door to my room quietly open and close. Looking back at Mae, I said, “I-I-I gotta g-go.” With a disappointed smile, she hobbled out of the room. Grabbing my guitar, I made my way to the corridor holding all of the brother ’s bedrooms and hammered on the very last door. After a few seconds, Rider opened the door, rubbing sleep from his eyes and half dressed, and said, “Prez?” Move her into your room, outta mine. You stay at your home. Don’t let anyone near her while I’m gone. Right? I signed. Rider ’s eyes widened, but he just nodded in acceptance. “Where’s she now?” Rider asked, sticking his head out the door to search the hallway. “My room. Go get her. Brothers are leaving for the run first light.” Blowing out a long breath, he headed back inside and threw on a shirt, his cut and jeans. As he turned back around, I realized I was still standing there watching him like a fuckin’ stalker. Turning, I headed back to my room where Lois was already naked, eying me weird. I dragged my hands through my hair and took a deep breath. Shit! I needed Lois to fuck Mae right outta my goddamn mind.

Chapter Nine Salome Mae A soft knock sounded from the door, and I wondered if Styx had changed his mind. Walking to the door, I tightened my robe and unlatched the lock. As I opened it a fraction, the bearded man from before stood in front me. His big brown eyes fixed on mine and he flicked his chin. “Can I come in?” Backing away from the door, I tried to stand, but the pain from too much walking made my injury throb. “Sit down,” he ordered, seeing my discomfort. I carefully lowered myself onto the end of the bed and, moving before me, he crouched down. He looked up through impossibly long lashes. “Can I check your leg?” My eyes widened. I would have to lift my robe, to expose myself. “I’m a doctor. I took care of you, fixed you up. Name’s Rider.” He must have detected my shock. “In a previous life, I was a soldier and a medic. You’re in good hands. I ain’t gonna hurt you.” Ducking his head, almost in nerves, he set back to his work. He seemed so concerned for me, so sincere. He was not as hard-faced as Styx, not as abrupt in the way he spoke. I felt strangely at ease in his presence but his short beard looked too much like the disciples’ to be of any great comfort. However, Rider ’s personality was completely different, his actions toward me kind. “My name is Mae,” I said quietly. He lifted his head, a timid smile ghosting across his lips. “Nice to meet you, Mae,” he said so politely. Then, with a stiff hand, he raked back his brown, shoulder-length hair. He sat back and quietly asked, “Can I check your leg, now that I know your name?” Silently nodding, I lifted the robe, dipping my chin in embarrassment. Revealing my bandage, I could see small traces of blood seeping through. Rider ’s large hands were as soft as feathers on my calf and he unwrapped the bandage, allowing me to see my wound for the first time since I had woken up. “It’s healing real good. I’ll apply some more cream; rebandage.” Rider stood and walked to the large medical bag he had left on the table. He applied the ointment, the strong smell burning my nose. Then he applied new bandages, the medicine already taking away some of my discomfort. When he closed the bag, he turned, leaning against the table, arms folded, and he watched me. I focused on the floor, no idea what to say, when he spoke. “Gonna take you to my room, Mae. Gonna watch out for you while Styx is gone.” He could obviously see the shock in my gaze and edged toward me, dropping down to sit on the bed. “Styx and I talked ’bout it. He’s off tomorrow morning on a long run. He ain’t gonna be around to protect you. So you’ll come to my room and I’ll watch out for you ’til he gets back.” My stomach fell. “If I am such a burden, I can leave now. I do not want to stay where I am not wanted.”

“Not happening, Mae. The ATF are on our backs, the Feds just itching to haul us over the coals. Got agents stationed twenty-four-seven from here to downtown Austin. Explaining you bruised and battered, not knowing fuck about life, ain’t gonna do us no favors. Club has too many enemies to risk getting raided right now. Too many fuckers wanting to move on our turf. You’re here until Styx says so. And knowing Prez, you best do what he tells you to.” I stared at him with incredulity. I did not really know who was watching the compound or understood much of anything he said, but I knew one thing: I was trapped… again. I had exchanged one perimeter fence for another. Rider just shrugged in response to my cold reaction. Standing, he held out his hand. “Let’s go.” “I am not sleeping with you. You are a stranger. Do not expect anything from me,” I warned in a shaky voice. He laughed, a huge grin lighting up his face. “As tempting as that sounds, sugar, that’s not on my agenda. Not into raping bitches who know fuck all about this life. This is Styx’s private apartment and we’re moving you outta here. You crash in my room. I’ll stay at home. I ain’t wantin’ in your pussy.” My mouth gaped open. It was truly shocking how crass all the men spoke. Their words were harsh, but so far, their actions were nothing but kind. With a heavy sigh, I stood up and followed Rider back to the clubhouse and into his room. It was sparse but clean. He stripped the bed and, from a drawer, removed fresh but discolored old linen. Rider shrugged apologetically. “It ain’t much, but it’ll do.” Wrapping my arms around my waist, I asked, “Why are you doing this?” “What?” he asked in confusion. “Helping me. Taking care of me?” Rider moved beside me, his short, rough beard disguising what I imagined to be a friendly face. “Ordered to.” My stomach flipped. I hated feeling like a problem they all had to deal with. Rider sighed and leaned against the wall. “Let’s just say I’m paying it forward.” He pulled a tiny smirk at my confused frown. “Found myself in a similar situation to yours years back. This club pulled me out of it. I got my reasons for helping you that aren’t of your concern. All you need to do is heal. That okay?” Exhaling a resolved breath, I nodded and dragged my tired body to the large bed, slumping down. “Looks like I have no choice. But I am thankful for your help, regardless.” After a while, Rider left and I lay in a proper bed for the first time ever. As a Cursed, I was ordered to sleep on a hard mattress on the floor. Surrounded by comfort, I quickly fell into a fitful, disturbed sleep. I tried to convince myself it was the visions of Prophet David, Gabriel, or even my poor Bella that kept me from a peaceful slumber. But that was a lie. Styx. I could not stop thinking about Styx.

Chapter Ten Mae One month later… I finished dressing in the long black dress and cardigan Beauty had given me and moved to sit on the bed. Picking up the Bible Rider had bought me, I continued reading and could not help but sigh. It had become apparent that The Order did not follow the teachings correctly. This book was not the one we would read from, learn from… believe with all our hearts. It was clear Prophet David had used passages and verses that suited his goal and his ideology. We did not know… my people were living in ignorance. I felt an infuriating tidal wave of anger at how I had been living my whole life. It all felt like such a waste. Twenty-three years of living a lie. Living under strict rules and stern men. It almost brought me to tears. My life over the last month, however, had been so different. At commune, my days were hard and mundane, but I suppose I had purpose: to serve the brothers in any way they saw fit. At the clubhouse of the Hangmen, my days and nights were spent locked in Rider ’s room, healing and hiding from the world on the other side of the door—no purpose. Only at certain times was I permitted to leave the room—when women were allowed to be at the compound—mostly Friday and Saturday nights. In the two short trips I had made into the lounge area, with Rider glued to my side, I had been horrified. Most of the men were gone on the long run with Styx, but a few remained to protect the compound. The men I saw used women in indescribable ways, the women happy to be of service, high on opiates… on show for all to see. One woman even invited me to join in, to engage in explicit sexual acts with the other girls in the center of the room. Before I could react, Rider appeared as if from nowhere, chasing them away, just a simple nod of his head in my direction in acknowledgement. That was enough to usher me back to the safety of his bedroom. Rider visited often, checking my wound and redressing the bandage. Sometimes he would disappear for short periods of time. In fact, most of the men did, out on something they called “handling business.” I got the feeling there was more to it than simply riding their bikes somewhere, but I knew from the club rules, explained to me by Rider, that women “don’t ask no questions.” Rider and I had become close. He was always kind to me and I never saw him with the loose women, much to my relief. In fact, he would spend his time sitting in this room with me, quietly reading or patiently teaching me about the world outside. I thanked the Lord every day that he had been given the task of caring for me while Styx was gone, and not one of the other brothers. A knock sounded at the door, pulling me from my daze, and closing the Bible, I jumped up in excitement. It would be Rider. He had left early this morning to get some things from the store for me to try. Racing to the door, I pulled it open, smiling wide in excitement, but I faltered at who was before me and my heart immediately began racing in my chest. Styx. Styx was back… leaning against the doorframe, staring at the floor, deep in thought. When clearly sensing me before him, he slowly lifted his gaze. His nostrils flared and his tongue licked along his

bottom lip as his eyes drifted over my body. “Styx,” I whispered, and standing up straight, he brushed past me and walked into the bedroom. I moved out of his way and quickly closed the door, turning and leaning against the wood, just watching him look about the sparse room. He eventually turned back to me. His dark, messy hair had grown over the last few weeks, wayward stands flopping over his beautifully warm hazel eyes. The dark stubble on his cheeks was longer, making him look harsh and rough and, if possible, he seemed even bigger in size than the last time we spoke. He was so rugged and unkempt, but he was still the most handsome man I had ever laid my eyes on. And his scent, Lord, his scent had me inhaling in long, deep breaths. I had not realized how much I had missed him being close. Styx cleared his throat, his fists clenched at his sides, and his eyes blinked quickly, almost twitching in nerves. I watched his throat swallow repeatedly before he pointed at my leg and managed to ask, “L-l-leg?” A small, proud smile spread on my lips as he managed to speak to me, and his chest heaved at my reaction. He watched me like a hawk as I moved before him, and I lifted my floor-length dress and revealed my almost-healed calf. “It is much better, thank you.” Styx crouched down and ran his finger softly along the pink scar, and I stopped breathing, my cheeks heating as I blushed. Clearly noticing me freeze, Styx looked up and met my eyes, his upper lip hooking up in a smirk, then he stood, just staring at me once more. The air around us almost crackled with electric tension, like magic. I was hypnotized by him, completely and utterly enthralled. “How was your run?” I asked quietly, and he nodded curtly, shrugging his shoulders. I took from that response that it went well. Styx ran his hand through his hair and stepped forward even closer to me. His warm breath blanketed my skin, and I closed my eyes, that strange swirling feeling in my stomach appearing again and I lost any control I had over my breathing. Eventually opening my eyes, Styx’s lips parted and he tucked a long strand of my hair behind my ears. His lips closed together and his eyes began to twitch again; he was going to speak. “M-M-Ma—” He stopped, exhaled, and his fist clenched my hair as he worked himself up to speak. I laid a hand on his and stroked my finger over his rough, callused skin. Inhaling through his nose, he asked, “M-Mae—” “Mae?” a deep voice called from outside the door, and a second later, Rider walked in to the bedroom, holding a bag, routing through its contents, paying no attention to what was happening before him. “I got you some things you need to try—” His voice cut off and he ground to a halt when he saw Styx standing before me in the center of the room—hand wrapped in my hair and his body only a hairsbreadth from mine. “Prez,” Rider greeted, wary. His eyes narrowed just a fraction as he darted his gaze between Styx and me, as if assessing what he had just interrupted. Styx’s faced abruptly hardened and he pulled back, glaring harshly at Rider. I watched as Styx began moving hands, informing Rider of something, and Rider nodded in understanding. Without another word Styx left the room and I winced as the slammed door shut. I turned to Rider who was watching me curiously. “What did Styx say?” Rider dropped the bag on the table and faced me. “Club’s riding out in thirty minutes.” “What is—” My question was interrupted by another knock at the door and I rolled my eyes in exasperation. A moment later it flew open. Beauty and Letti entered, chatting loudly, carrying bags and dressed head to toe in leather. Letti was Bull’s old lady and had been visiting me over the last few weeks along with Beauty. I had never met anyone like Letti before, so big, so fierce. But she was lovely to me and very protective of our new friendship. She and Bull were Samoan, which only confused me—I had never been taught much about other cultures. In commune, it was not a top

priority learning of the outside world. Letti showed me on a map where Samoa was and I loved being educated about new things, but I felt foolish that I did not know anything about her home country. Letti simply found it amusing. “Mae! Get your ass in gear. You’re coming on the ride out,” Beauty said, planting the full bags down on the made bed. Rider shook his head, smiling, and ducked out of the room. Over the past few weeks Beauty had assigned herself as my personal protector and friend. “A ride out?” I asked, confused again, refocusing on Beauty. “Yeah! The Hangmen Ride Out. And you’re coming,” Beauty began pulling a mass of leather from the large white shopping bags and thrust them in my direction, Letti silently watching in amusement. “Wait! I cannot! I do not know how to… ride.” “Sure you can, girl. You’ll go with Rider. He ain’t got no one on the back of his bike. You just gotta hold on tight.” “But Styx—” “Styx’ll be fine with it. Mae, you gotta feel what it’s like on a bike—the wind in your hair, burning up road, the power, the freedom. Then relaxin’ at The Falls, eating barbeque and drinking beer. You’ve been cooped up in here for nearly a goddamned month. You’re getting out. You gotta start living, honey. The men are back and will protect you, and you’re gonna start having some fuckin’ fun!” I held out the tight black leather clothing and my mouth gaped. The trousers were so small, the Hangmen motif emblazoned on the skimpy black tank top, and a fitted leather jacket to match. “Beauty, I cannot—” “Girl, I swear if I hear that word outta your mouth anymore, I’ll be fixin’ to scream!” Glancing at Letti, who simply smirked and pointed in the direction of the washroom, I gave in. Beauty beamed a smile at me and shouted, “We’re all outside in the yard. Catch ya out there!” As I stared at myself in the mirror several minutes later, a mass of leather covering my body and my stomach sank. I fought with myself over wearing the skintight attire. It was not modest by any means. I was not covered as I had been taught to be my whole life. I was dressed sinfully, seductively, showing my every curve, but I had to tell myself I was no longer in commune and would not be punished by the brothers for being a temptress. You are free now, Mae, I assured my frantic and conflicted heart. You are free… With a deep breath and another hesitant glance at my reflection, I could not help but expel a short, disbelieving laugh. If only Lilah, Maddie, and Bella could see me now. I looked so different. With my hair hanging down my back and black boots on my feet, I looked like one of them, a “biker bitch” as they were affectionately known, much to my utter confusion. Shaking myself down, and with a long deep breath, I tentatively walked out of the bedroom and through to the empty lounge. The place looked so strange; deserted, now free of the hedonistic acts normally being carried out within its confines. Clearly hearing the roar of bike engines and the deep graveled voices of the brothers itching to ride just beyond the door in the yard, I made my way outside. Over the last few weeks, I had noticed the brothers would become restless if they did not ride out at least a few times a week, especially Rider; hence, I supposed, his taken name. Walking through the plane of the main door, I threw back my shoulders and stepped out into the boiling sun—Texas at midday. My eyes closed as I stood on the top step of the cement stairs and I relished the feeling of the warmth on my cheeks. Smiling, I opened my eyes only to find a sea of bikers and their women all gaping in my direction. I spotted Beauty waving from near the front of the group, one arm wrapped around Tank, who flicked his chin in greeting.

Catcalls and wolf whistles bombarded me; some women curled their lips in distaste and several of the brothers gawped. But Rider was the one who really caught my eye as he observed my form and finery from his bike. A long, loud whistle silenced the men and movement at the very front of the line caught my attention. Styx and Ky stepped forward and Rider dismounted and followed suit. I walked to meet them face to face, stopping at the bottom of the stairs, fidgeting with my hands in nerves. Ky smiled and shook his head. “Fuck, Mae! You’re one hot bitch!” I squirmed on the spot and risked a glance at Styx. His hungry stare was almost burning holes into me, and for the second time that day, I lost my breath. Styx’s hands moved and Ky dropped his smile. He cleared his throat and I could see the rapid fire of Styx’s hands, but instead, I drank in what he was wearing: typical blue faded jeans, black shirt, and leather cut. There was awe in his gaze and his chest heaved hard. I felt like an animal, caged, put on show for the masses. A hand suddenly gripped my arm. As I looked up, Styx was before me, immediately dragging me back into the clubhouse. Bursting through the door, he pushed me against the nearest wall, the brothers now out of sight. As I looked at his face, his nostrils flared and his hand ran down my cheek, then along my hair, his eyes following suit. I bit my lip as his hand continued to travel downward, skirting along my arms, along the indents of my waist, and feathering across my hips. My breath was short, fast, and out of control. Styx was not faring much better. One large foot moved toward me, then another, until Styx’s breath blew warm on my cheek; it was sweet, enticing. His forehead dropped to mine, his hands cupping my face. I could not take my attention off his perfect mouth, his strange metal ring dead center on that full bottom lip, glinting in the light above. He inched in, panting now, and my palms flattened against the wall. “Styx?” I whispered, heat building in my stomach, swirling and slowly traveling downward between my legs. As the sensation took hold, my eyes widened in fearful anticipation, and I instinctively clenched my thighs together. I gasped a confused questioning whimper. “Styx?” Something in him broke the moment and he pulled back, just as his lips were about to brush mine. He slowly surveyed me from top to bottom, along my every curve, like a painter watching his muse. I felt stripped bare… naked… wanted. Sucking in a shuddering breath, he said, “I-I got L-Lois on the back of m-my fuckin’ b-bike.” His lip curled, almost in disgust. “Y-you g-go with R-r-rider.” His hand slapped the wall above me and he hissed, “F-FUCK!” With that, he turned, walking toward the door. Stopping, head still facing away from me, he rasped out in a graveled voice, “Y-you l-l-look real f-fuckin’ g-g-good.” My heart squeezed in my chest and closed my eyes but for a moment. As he pressed on the handle to leave, I whispered, “I have missed you.” His back bunched under his leather cut, his head lowered, and he hissed again, “FUCK!” before wrenching the door open and storming out. Slumping back against the wooden wall, I tipped my head back, trying to still my heart and gather my wits. Was Styx actually going to kiss me? Did he want me to ride with him and not Lois? What was he thinking about me? Did, did, did—? “Mae?” Hazily, I tried to focus on the door as Rider walked through. His eyebrows narrowed at my position against the wall. “You good?” Clearing my throat, I pushed the hair from my eyes and nodded. Flashing me a rare smile, he said, “Come on. You’re riding with me.” We walked through the crowd to Rider ’s black-and-chrome Chopper (he had told me this, the

make of his bike, one night when I had asked). I stood awkwardly at its side as Rider climbed on the front. I could see Styx two bikes ahead of us, his broad back stiff, facing straight forward and Lois’s arms wrapped tightly around his waist. My heart sank. Rider patted the seat. “Climb on, sugar and wrap your hands around my waist,” he instructed. The sudden, deafening growling roar of the bike’s engine startled me. When I glanced up, I could see Styx staring at me through his wing mirrors. His lips were tight, teeth bared, hazel eyes blazing… “Mae?” Rider called again. Painting on a smile, I climbed onto the warm leather seat. Taking the proffered helmet from his hand, I placed it on my head. “Wrap your arms around my waist, Mae. Hold on real tight,” Rider instructed once more. Swallowing hard to calm my nerves, I slipped my arms around Rider ’s waist, clutching tightly to the leather jacket, inhaling the smell of the fresh summer grass. The unmistakable scent of old leather permeated the air and the thick aroma of engine smoke whipped around the pack of bikes. Rider revved his engine, the entire bike vibrating against my legs. Styx held up his right hand and pointed forward and we moved out of the compound as one, in a staggered cavalcade. Styx led the way; a large truck filled with food and drinks took up the rear. We began to make our way down the long, deserted road. I had never felt so alive, so free…

Chapter Eleven Mae I confess I had never seen anything like it. Tall buildings dominated the skyline, streets teamed with people, and music of all kinds played on every corner. We had traveled about an hour to the center of Austin, Texas and I was instantly in love with the experience. So this is what the outside world looks like, I thought. This is a world filled with evil? Viewing the happy smiling faces of the people we passed, I struggled to believe this truth. My eyes could not drink in all of the new sights. I especially found it fascinating how people would stop and watch us pass by, some staring in awe and some in blatant fear, often hiding their small children behind their backs. We slowed as one at a red light. After Rider explained that red lights mean for traffic to stop, I scanned the surrounding area. I noticed people pointing small black devices at us. Turning to Rider, I asked, “Why are people acting like that?” He shrugged. “Folks know us ’round here. Wanna get it on video. It’s a rare sight, us all out together.” He did not say any more about it. I was not sure if this was a good or a bad thing. We rode through the center of the city, out to a less busy area, green fields suddenly coming into view. The countryside looked beautiful and flowers of every color lined the sides of the roads. There were rolling acres of corn and wheat farms and animals grazing on the pastures. I did not realize I was fisting Rider ’s jacket until we slowed and he told me with a quiet grin it was too distracting. Blushing profusely, I loosened my hold. The open landscape soon turned into clusters of trees and, turning left, we entered what I read was McKinney State Falls Park. Gathered all around were pockets of families and young people. My eyes widened at what they were wearing: tiny tops and shorts… and nothing else. So much exposed skin and flesh. They looked happy, though, until they heard the growl of the Hangmen pack streaming in. The families ran for their cars, throwing their possessions into their vehicles, rapidly discharging from the park. The young girls and boys scattered, generally in the opposite direction to our heading. The Hangmen rode on through, the brothers unfazed. We passed a sign reading “no vehicles,” but Styx paid no mind to the order. The pack dropped into single file and cruised down the shady narrow path. We stayed on the trail for a while, bending and winding down little valleys and up hills, until we hit an open space where we slowed to a stop. Rider switched off his engine and, unclasping my hands from around his waist, I kicked my leg off the seat to stand. But my legs had other plans. As soon as my boots hit the ground, my legs wobbled. Rider reached out to steady me, pulling me to his chest. “Careful there, Mae. You’re gonna be unsteady after your first ride.” Unable to stop the giggle climbing up my throat, I burst into laughter. Rider smiled in response as he unclipped my helmet. He lifted the helmet off my head, then slowly smoothed back my unkempt hair. I met his brown eyes and swallowed. A sharp tinny sound beside me prompted me to look around. Styx was lighting a cigarette, all the while glaring at Rider ’s hands like he wanted to rip them from their wrists. Then with a sharp turn, Styx walked away.

Rider lowered his hands, and gathering a bag from the side of his bike, he guided me to a footpath surrounded by trees. All of the Hangmen began to follow, carrying a few small grills and the sacks of food and drink. They were all happy and it was a nice atmosphere to be around. As we neared the end of the path, I could hear the sound of flowing water. Then we burst into a huge open space and I gasped at the beauty before me. Breaking away from Rider, I hurried forward and stood on the edge of a sprawling rock. I looked down into the crystal-blue waters, a heavy waterfall crashing into the rippling pool below. My hands flew to my mouth and water glistened in my eyes. A hand rubbed at my back, and when I turned around, Beauty stood beside me, staring at the view. “Beautiful ain’t it, honey?” Nodding my head, I huffed out a single laugh and replied, “The most beautiful sight I have ever seen. It looks like what I imagine paradise to be.” Hugging me close, she said, “When you’re ready, we’re setting up the grill. Come join us.” I glanced behind me and saw the entire club looking back, mesmerized by my reaction. Styx was already sat back against a tree, sipping a beer, watching me, always watching me. My lips pulled into a happy smile. Ignoring the men staring at me, I sat on the edge of the rock and gazed upon the sight before me. A tear rolled down my cheek as I thought of Bella. I knew how much she would have loved this place— the turquoise waters, the sandy rocks, and, most of all, the freedom. Closing my eyes, I raised my head skyward and offered a silent prayer for my dear sister. I smiled. Despite my loss of faith in The Order, I still believed she was in a better place than the commune. I just felt it in my heart: a sense of peace. Hopefully she was looking down on me, seeing this exact moment, sharing in the freedom, and most of all, seeing me happy for the first time in my life. After several minutes of solitude, I slipped off the black leather jacket, too hot in the summer heat, and fiddled with the small straps of the tank. I had never… would never… wear something so revealing. Baring my arms for all to see was taking some getting used to. Standing up, I turned around and headed back to where everyone was sitting. Several of the women, including Beauty, had stripped into the tiniest of bathing suits and they were sitting with their men, proudly holding them in their arms, kissing them all over, their hands roaming, touching, and stroking. Styx was still by the tree, Lois and Ky at his sides. He was not touching her, just watching me like a hawk. Warmth spread in my stomach from his attention. Spotting Rider with Beauty, Tank, Letti, and Bull, I walked toward them. Rider shed his jacket, spreading it out on the ground, gesturing for me to sit down and I acknowledged his politeness with a bow of my head. Letti thrust a brown bottle in my hands. “Drink. You’ll like it.” “Thank you.” I tentatively put the bottle to my lips. I took a tiny sip and immediately spat out the liquid. Laughing echoed all around me. I confronted Letti. “What was that?!?” Winking, she said, “Bud. Beer. Hops. The drink of the fuckin’ gods! But I take it you’re not a fan?” With a shudder, I shook my head. Bull took the bottle from my hand and drank the whole thing in one long, appreciative gulp. “More for me, then.” He grinned. Giggling, Beauty leaned over a shirtless Tank to a large blue box. She pulled out a small can, opened the top, and said, “Here, try this, honey.” This time sniffing the contents first, I brought it to my mouth, slowly trying a sip. This one tasted a

whole lot better. In fact, it was amazing! “That better?” Beauty was now sat in front of me, practically bouncing with excitement. I nodded my head and took another sip. “What is it?” “A cooler. It’s what I drink, though I get shit from all’a these dicks for doing so. Too girly, apparently. But not anymore! Drinking buddy!” Beauty trilled and tapped her can to mine. The grill was smoking behind us. The smell of the barbeque sausage and steak made my mouth water. I had never eaten so well as I had this past month, never knew food could be so enjoyable to consume. The minutes rolled on as someone played music, the men mostly lazed around, and a few brave souls moved, jumping off rocks and into the cool pool of water. I was actually having fun. Up until now I had not known what fun was. “Hey! Snow White!” I watched as Rider turned his head behind me, then met my eyes. “They’re talkin’ to you, Mae.” Glancing around, I saw Viking, Flame, and AK all huddled together, looking my way. They had been on the “run” with Styx and only just returned. I was not sure about this trio. Of all the brothers, they were the scariest in the club—by far—particularly Flame. As handsome as the man was— perfectly sharp features, toned physique, dark hair—the soulless look in his black, dead eyes froze me to the bone. The way he watched everyone with constant suspicion, the way he could never sit still for more than a few minutes at a time, the way he always held a blade, rolling it between his fingers and stabbing it into his flesh, did nothing to make me feel safe. I looked at Rider, who had stripped to a white T-shirt, his bronzed, muscled arms now on display and his trademark bandana keeping back his long hair. “What or who is Snow White?” I enquired. He smirked and a playful glint flashed in his eyes. “She’s a cartoon character.” I frowned. I had no idea what a cartoon was. Rider had clearly seen this in my expression. He laughed. “She had black hair and blue eyes, pretty damn hot for a moving drawing. It’s what they call you.” I swallowed hard as his eyes bore into mine. Over the last few weeks, the way Rider looked at me had become more intense. The way he treated me became less aloof and more considerate. The distance he tried to keep seemed to lessen daily. A piece of bread from a burger bun hit my arm. Turning, Viking jerked his chin, trying to get my attention again. “You gonna tell us where you came from, mystery girl?” My heart seized as he asked the question. I looked at Rider for help. “You don’t need to answer that question if you don’t want to,” he assured, a deep frown on his face. The chatter that had been filling the humid air quieted. Most folks now listened in. “I… I do not know the location,” I replied quietly. “It was forbidden.” Viking looked at AK and Flame, and laughed. “You don’t know where you lived, grew up? Are you fuckin’ joking?” Shaking my head, I said, “No, the women were never allowed to know. We, the sisters, never left… ever. I was never permitted to leave my quarters, apart from on special occasions. The brothers left commune from time to time, but even then it was only rarely. They did not want to be away from us too long in the sinful outside world.” “Left where? What the fuck you gettin’ at?” Flame asked, with a wide grimace. Chills shivered down my spine as I read the word PAIN tattooed on his gums. Swallowing back my fear, I answered, “The… the commune. The Order. My… home… my people.” The confused faces of the club members began to suffocate me, and my hands set to tremble. Rider ’s denim-covered leg was flush next to mine and I felt him stiffen at my words. I did not

understand what was wrong with them all. Was my upbringing that peculiar to them all? By their shocked expressions, I surmised it was. “I… I ran away, found a way out and got injured as I did so. That is how I hurt my leg,” I added quickly. AK leaned forward. “And how the fuck did you find us? We live in the middle of nowhere. You weren’t sent here, were you? Some us have some real suspicions ’bout a bitch turning up outta the blue, setting up camp at the compound.” “No… no… I… A woman in a truck found me on a deserted road and after a couple of hours traveling, I felt sick, due to my injury, so I asked her to let me out where we were. The clubhouse was the closest thing nearby, so I made my way there. The next thing I remember was waking up in bed… in Styx’s room.” I pointed in Styx’s direction but did not look his way. “And how d’you know Prez? That was quite the reunion in the bar and he ain’t saying shit about it or about why he’s protecting you. You open those long-ass pins and pussy-trap him? You convince him to let you stay with a good fuck?” Viking asked. The other brothers laughed at his crude comment. I dropped my mouth and hesitated in my answer when, suddenly, Viking looked up with his palms thrust out, shuffling back against a rock. Turning around, I saw Styx behind me, his white T-shirt off and tucked into the waistband on his jeans, a frightening look of fury on his face. I squirmed as I stared up at his wide bare chest, muscles bulging under taut skin. His shoulders were perfectly formed, every inch of skin covered in colored tattoos. His stomach; Lord, his stomach was outlined with hard packets of muscle. Beads of sweat trickled into the low waistband of his jeans and down a deep, defined V on his lower abdomen. I suddenly felt too hot in my leathers. Blushing, I caught Beauty’s knowing gaze at my reaction but Rider ’s expression of concern. “Fine, I’ll leave it,” Viking said, interrupting my impure thoughts. I faced the redheaded giant of a man and answered, “I do not know him, not really and especially not the way you are suggesting. He is kind and gentle to me, though. I like him very much.” It seemed as if tens of breaths were held in unison as Styx’s hazel gaze collided with mine. Suddenly, a peel of laughter let rip, snapping us both out of our reverie. “Gentle? Kind? Fuck, she don’t know him too well at all!” AK staggered to his feet, clearly having had too much to drink, waving his bottle of liquor in his hands, shirt off, jeans unbuttoned at the top, a huge cross tattooed on his chest. “He’s the fuckin’ Hangmen Mute, the giver of permanent smiles!” Ky stomped over to AK. Walking straight up to him, Ky punched AK square in the face, knocking him to the ground. As Ky hovered above AK’s out-cold body, he hissed loudly, “Shut the fuck up. I’m tired of your damn voice!” I did not realize how close I had shifted to Rider for protection and I blushed when I found myself sitting in the warm curve of his stomach, his arm behind, but not touching, my back. A rustle of leaves attracted my attention and I turned only to see the heavily tattooed back of Styx entering the thick forest, leaving us all behind. My heart dropped in sadness. “Stop what y’all are doing!” A man wearing a beige uniform came on unsteady feet through the north of the trees, a large rifle shaking in his thin arms. “You’re not allowed vehicles on this land, so I’m gonna have to ask y’all to leave.” Ky threw back his head and laughed, Viking and Flame flanking him, doing the same. “Well, if it isn’t Ranger Fuckin’ Smith!” Ky barked out. Viking strutted forward, ignoring the safety of the gun clicking. “Where’s Yogi, busy butt-fuckin’ Boo-Boo?” I had no idea what he was talking about, but it seemed humorous to the brothers and women around me.

Viking met the man up close, his chest flush to the end of the rifle’s barrel. “Run along, little ranger, before we stop playin’ nice. You’re lucky you caught us on a fuckin’ good day.” The man’s eyes darted anxiously around the group, all the men casually standing on their feet, the girls carrying on talking and drinking as though oblivious to the threat of Viking being shot through the chest at any moment. “I’ll… call th-the police!” he threatened weakly, falling over his words. Ky threw up his hands. “Oh no! Not the police!” He smiled his devastatingly handsome smile and said, “Go ahead. They’re all on the fuckin’ payroll anyway. They won’t do shit. They, unlike you, you jumped-up little runt, know not to fuck with the Hangmen.” The man’s eyes widened at that piece of information. He began backing away, pointing his gun at several of the brothers before fleeing into the bushes. Whooping and whistling, the brothers pulled out their guns and fired them into the air. The noise was as deafening as thunder. Ky turned around, unbuttoning his jeans. I closed my eyes before he completely bared himself, but I heard him shout, “Bitches get naked, tits and pussies out! Brothers, I’ll see you in the water!” Squeals and laughter echoed off the large rocks, and I opened my eyes to behold bare bodies launching off the high ground into the water. Beauty was on her feet and reached down to me. “Let’s go!” Shaking my head, I insisted, “No. You go. I shall stay here.” She rolled her eyes, clearly about to protest but Tank ran for her, scooping her over his shoulder and raced over the edge. Beauty screamed a bloodcurdling scream. Letti and Bull had moved to lower ground to watch the antics… That only left Rider and me sat up at the camp. “You not going in?” I asked. Rider rubbed his bristly brown beard and smiled. “Not my thing.” Tilting my head, I studied him. “You are nothing like the others.” One dark eyebrow rose. “What I mean is, you do not drink, smoke, or use the women. Though they seem mighty disappointed at that. You are never angry. You are quiet, a thinker… a healer.” Rider shrugged. “Don’t mean I haven’t done my fair share of bad shit, sugar. Life on the road’s a whole lot different to what you’re seeing back at the compound.” “But still. It has been nice to have you around. Thank you… You make me feel safe.” Rider ’s dark gaze locked on to me. Sensing a worrying shift in my mood, I stood up quickly and looked down at his startled expression. “I think I will go for a walk.” Rider sighed quietly and tightened the bandana around his head. “You wanting company?” “I shall be okay. But thank you.” With that, I headed to the sandy trail and into the tall trees, knowing Rider watched me with every step I took. Walking slowly, I wrapped my hands around my waist, a hollow feeling in my stomach. I felt so out of my depth on the outside: the references people made to things I did not know, the rules of the Hangmen, and worse, the fact that I was a “freak” to them. As Letti had said, a girl shielded from civilization all her life, with no idea how to survive on her own. At age twenty-three, I felt like the only two people I could turn to were Styx and Rider. Rider, about whom I had no idea what he was thinking perhaps ninety percent of the time. And Styx… yes, Styx… the man who, when near, made me feel ashamed of the impure thoughts that occupied my mind. He confused me more than anyone I had ever met. The mute man with so much responsibly at such a young age, a man who already had a woman who adored him, a fact that made my heart break into a million shattered pieces.

Stopping in the center of a circle of trees, I looked up at the bright-blue sky and inhaled the earthy scent of the forest. Scooping my long heavy hair off my back, I held it to my head, relishing the breeze kissing my bare skin. It felt divine. Hearing a twig snap, my eyes flew open, fixing on a tanned bare chest, thick tattooed arms bunching in strain, fists clenched at the sides. Styx. Styx only feet away. Styx with blazing hazel eyes, licking his bottom lip ring, completely focused on me. As I sucked in a deep, shuddering breath, I let my hair drop as he began to approach—no, not approach, stalk. I stumbled back, trying to escape his too-strong intensity, only for my back to smack straight into the trunk of a tree. No place left to run. The closer he got, the heavier his breath blew from slightly parted lips. The tips of his feet met mine and his arms arched over my head, the smell of his addictive smoky, leather musk coming off him in waves. It made my head spin. My eyes stayed low, focusing on the slash mark scars on his chest. As his hot breath blew against my cheek, my heart beat ever harder in my chest. A hand ghosted down my hair, and Styx’s fingers ran softly against my cheek, the callused pads skirting over my lips. With a step closer, Styx’s chest pressed flat against mine. With instinct trumping logic, my hand gently touched the hot skin of his back. A low groan slipped through his lips, my eyes shifting to meet his. That was all it took. Styx’s lips crashed against mine, his strong hand gripped the back of my head, and his tongue probed and slipped between my lips, immediately stroking against mine. I jumped at the sudden intrusion. I had never been kissed since Styx, as a child, and that kiss was nothing like this. Afraid of losing my footing, both hands gripped onto his arms as I submitted to his onslaught. His lips were soft and his taste addictive. I worried I was doing it wrong. I worried that he would be displeased with my lack of skill. But then I felt it. His hard crotch against my stomach. He was aroused. He wanted me… carnally. And at that moment, I moaned—I wanted to give myself to him too. And Lord forgive me, but instinct drove my actions and I dug my nails into his arms, lost in his touch. With every passing second, his kiss grew more frenzied, like this was it, like this kiss was all we would ever have. This time everything was different. The boy River had grown into Styx the man and, despite his flaws and his harshness, he was all I wanted. All I had ever wanted. I was completely consumed by his every touch, his taste and smell, and at that moment, I gave my soul whole-heartedly, to a sinner. His right hand began tracing down the front of my tank, my stomach clenching under his touch. His hand dipped lower, plunged past my waistband, his fingers cupping between my legs—flesh against flesh. My legs braced in shock, but when a low grunt vibrated in my mouth, I gave in and his hand began to move along my folds. A whimper slipped up my throat, and I began to rock. I felt strange. Too hot, but not hot enough. Styx’s fingers moved too fast, yet not fast enough. Tingles spread up my thighs and arms. I could feel I was teetering on the precipice of something great… something huge… like nothing else. My hands ran up the strong planes of Styx’s muscled back, to his ribs, counting each one as I

passed, then finally stroked down the front of his stomach, his muscles contracting and his head snapping back on a hiss, breaking from the kiss. As I watched the cords of muscle strain in his neck, the sound of the brothers leaving the water broke me from my gaze. This was not right. Lord, what am I doing? Reality gradually seeped back into my body like a pail of iced water being thrown over my head. Pressing both palms on Styx’s chest, I pushed him back, his fingers slipping from my leathers. Styx, caught off guard, stumbled backward, surprise in his hazel eyes until they narrowed. His body tensed and he marched back over and his hands cupped my face in a vise-like grip. “Wh-why… wh-why did you st-stop?” His nostrils flared as he fought for control of his words. “Please… It is too fast. I… I do not know what I am feeling. It is too much, too soon. And… You came here with Lois. This… us, like this, is not right.” He let out a single, humorless laugh. “Sh-she’s not my w-woman. She’s j-just a f-fuck. She d-don’t matter.” “Styx. She matters. How can you be so unfeeling?” I scolded. “To you she may mean nothing, but Lois; Lois loves you. I cannot—I will not—be with you like this. It is not right.” Dropping his hands, he drew back two steps before hissing, “Y-you like him?” I frowned in confusion. “Who?” “R-Rider!” He began pacing. “I-I saw y-you. Y-you like him.” “I—” “I-I came to s-see you f-first thing this m-morning, wh-when I g-got back. D-door was open. Yyou were with him. L-laughing. Y-you were t-too close. I-I d-don’t f-fuckin’ like it.” I sucked in a sharp breath. “Styx, how can you say that to me when you are here with Lois?” He stilled. “Th-that’s your p-problem? L-Lois? Fuck, M-Mae. D-done.” I did not get a chance to say anything in response. Instead, Styx stomped off, leaving me alone in the woods, breathless and wet between my legs. I tipped my head to the sky, catching my breath. Why was I so wet between my legs? Why did I ache… there? Why was everything on the outside world so hard to understand, these new feelings impossible to decipher? A lump clogged my throat, but I fought back my tears. I chose to leave The Order. I simply had to learn to adjust to all of… this. I immediately made my way back to the waterfall in a daze. When I broke through the cover of trees, Styx was already back at his bike, shirt and cut back on, and Lois stood beside him, tears in her eyes as she watched him sign. Her arms were wrapped over her chest as though to shield herself from his words. “Please, Styx. Don’t do this to me. You’re all I have left. I wanna be with you… just you. You know this,” she begged, checking no one was watching. But we all were. They were causing quite the scene. My heart broke at the utter devastation in her voice, the gutting expression on her pretty face. Styx’s hands moved again, a tired, defeated look on his face, until he glanced over at me and it softened a fraction. Reality dawned: he was giving her up for me. Oh… no… Lois… Lois followed the line of his vision and all hope seemed to drain from her body. She turned back to Styx. “It’s because of Mae, ain’t it?” Styx did not answer. Lois reached out for his arm, but he stepped back, a harsh coldness in his glare. I suddenly felt warmth at my sides as Letti and Beauty joined me. Beauty laid a hand on my shoulder as she watched the scene play out. “Poor bitch. She’s loved Prez forever. Was a club brat with him and Ky. Known him her whole life and always wanted him. This’ll fuckin’ kill her,” she

whispered and tears, this time, did drop down my cheeks. I was the cause of her pain. I hated myself at that moment. Maybe I was a Cursed after all. “Styx, please. Listen to me,” Lois pleaded, but Styx turned his back and walked away. Lois wiped at her cheeks and turned to face the watching club. She faltered slightly at the attention, then began to walk right toward me. My heart beat furiously the closer she got. I expected her wrath, her disdain but, instead, a wash of tears streamed down her cheeks and she trembled. Standing before me, her eyes ran over every inch of my face and she stroked a hand down the length of my hair. “So soft,” she whispered, and I swallowed back my nerves, not daring to move. Leaning down to my ear, she said, “He never forgot you, Mae. Growing up, I watched him sign to Ky about you all the time, his chick with the wolf eyes. The chick behind the fence, the chick he kissed. It was constant. His precious number three, whatever that meant.” She drew back to stare me down and offered me a small smile, taking my hand in hers. “I think it was always you he wanted. Of course, no one believed you were real. His pop thought he was not only mute but insane, for a while, when we were kids. But now here you are, in the flesh, dropped on the club outta nowhere, answering all his prayers. You’re the one thing he couldn’t ever let go.” Her head tilted to the side in appraisal and her eyes saddened. “You’re a sweet, sweet girl, Mae, but why did you have to come here? Why couldn’t you just’ve stayed away? I’ve loved him forever, and then you turn up and take him away with a single flash of those beautiful wolf eyes he adores so much. First my daddy leaves me, now Styx. I have absolutely no one left. There’s no point to life anymore…” Swallowing back the lump in my throat, I started to answer her, when all of a sudden I heard a screech of brakes and gunshots fired. Before I had a chance to turn around and see what was happening, a bullet pierced Lois’s forehead, her stunned face frozen in time as her body crumpled to the ground, her soft hand slipping from mine. Spinning round, I panicked. Bullets sprayed around our area, the trees shaking with the impact of the metal shells. Chunks of bark splintered into wooden chips. Beauty and Letti fell to the ground for cover. I froze, well out of my depth. My pulse beating at a frightening speed, I glanced sideward. Styx, Rider, and Ky sheltered behind the provisions truck, Styx rapidly signing orders, Ky shouting the commands. They pulled out concealed weapons and, rising up through gaps between attacking shots, fired back. The red truck holding the attackers slowed, two men wearing balaclavas took aim, and my arm suddenly burned. When I looked down, blood was seeping from my arm where I had been grazed by a bullet. But I felt no pain. I looked for Styx and his wild eyes met mine. He saw my blood as it trickled down my arm, saw Lois dead on the dry ground, eyes still open. “MAE!” He screamed in full fury. Styx stood up, intending to run to me when Ky hauled him back to ground, a bullet narrowly missing his head as he scrambled behind the shield of the large wheel. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! he shouted again. Even in the madness of gunfire, several of the brothers paused to look at Styx in disbelief. He had spoken out loud. Spoken my name. Acting only on instinct, I ran for the shelter of the trees. But something made me turn, the sound of a commanding male voice screaming something from behind. I glanced back at the attacking gunmen and I froze as a masked man appeared out of a hole in the roof of the truck. He aimed his gun straight at me. “NO!” I heard Styx roar. But I could not look away from the man before me. I watched as the attacker flipped the safety and fired. As if everything were half-speed, I saw the trigger pull and smoke pop from the chamber. I closed my eyes, preparing for the worst, catching

snippets of Styx’s tormented screams and the noisy hail from his gun. My body braced for impact. Suddenly, I was tackled to the ground and the breath knocked out of my lungs with the force of the contact. A heavy body lay still, pinning me to the sandy ground and the stench of burning flesh instantly filled my nostrils. “Shit. SHIT!” somebody hissed above me, as though in pain, and within seconds, the heavy man was moved. It was Rider. Rider had been shot in the shoulder… Good Lord! Rider had saved me. Styx and Ky came running over, Styx’s face ashen as he saw my bleeding arm and Rider rolling on the floor, clutching his left side. “K-Ky, get Rider in the tr-truck. I’ll g-grab M-Mae!” Ky did as instructed. Styx picked me up in his arms and sprinted back to the provisions truck. I looked around the area from the shelter of Styx’s arms, but the attackers’ were gone. Brothers mounted their bikes, fury on their faces and Flame, Viking, and AK roared off in the direction of tire marks. They were going after the gunmen. Ky dived in the back seat with Rider and Styx tucked me in beside him in the passenger seat. I heard a thud on the bed of our truck and when I looked back, Bull was putting Lois’s limp body in amongst some blankets, then he wrapped her up in a tarp. I felt sick and tears streamed like rain from my eyes. The wheels gained traction and we raced down the trail. “Rider. Rider!” I panicked, swerving in my seat to see him clutching his arm in pain. “Mae, y-y-you o-okay?” Styx asked, spittle flying as he forced his words. My head snapped to face him. I lifted my hand to my arm, seeing my blood. Numbly, I nodded my head. Styx then looked in the mirror back at Ky. “H-how’s he d-doing?” Rider. He was asking Ky about Rider. “Shot straight through the shoulder. Entry and exit wounds, lotta fuckin’ blood. Should be okay. Seen worse last year in the war. I’ll ring through for Doc Brett, though. Got half the brothers heading to guard compound, half tailing us. The psycho trio have gone after the bastards who shot at us.” Ky busied himself with making calls, while Styx drove ridiculously fast back to the compound. I could not speak and Styx was clearly furious. I could tell by his gritted teeth and white knuckles gripping the wheel. As we turned into the compound, half of the brothers were outside, loaded with huge guns. As we stopped, they whipped open the doors of the truck and dragged Rider out of the back seat and into the clubhouse. An older fat man holding a large black bag puffed behind them. Doctor Brett, I presumed. Styx walked round the truck and picked me up, running straight inside the bar. Beauty came barreling over. “Jesus Christ! What the hell happened? One minute Lois was alive and breaking her heart crying, the next, fuckin’ carnage!” She stilled, her hands beginning to shake. “Fuck. They killed Lois…” she whispered. “Poor bitch… she… she…” Beauty trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. The bar quickly filled with brothers and Styx held me against his hard damp body as Beauty pressed something against my wound, fighting back tears. Fuckin’ drive by! Ky’s voice shouted. I realized Styx was furiously signing, his arms tight around my shoulders as Ky translated. What the fuck! First the fuckin’ Russians drop the deal. Then we get a fuckin’ drive by!!! Styx looked right at me, Ky following his ASL, and he ran his cheek along the top of my head. Lois took a slug between the eyes and they even fired at Mae. WHAT. THE. FUCK??? I shivered in fear as I listened to his harsh words. Beauty hugged me close.

“Styx, you’re scaring the fuckin’ shit outta her,” she said quietly. I could not stop picturing Lois’s shocked face in my mind, her lifeless body slumping to the ground. Why did you have to come here… I have nothing left… Poor Lois! Styx bowed his head and he was handed a drink by Bull, which he threw back in one. He still did not let me go, his arms tight around my neck. Styx slammed his hand on the tabletop twice and the room grew silent, all eyes on him, Ky, as always, moved beside him to translate. Bull, Tank, Smiler—find out what you can from the good sheriff. He should know if any new fuckers have moved into our territory. Asians, mobs—any new movement. Someone is playing on our turf and the fuckers don’t even have the balls to do it face to face. Bastard Balaclavas. Shit keeps going south and we’ll be on lockdown. There was a mixture of firm head nods and miserable groans around the club. I had no idea what a lockdown was, but I could hazard a guess. Some fucker’s trying to mess with the club and I won’t rest ’til we have fuckin’ answers and some asshole dead!” Bull placed another drink in front of Styx and he tossed that one back too, then he went back to signing. We find out who it is and take them out. Styx pointed at Tank, Bull, and Smiler, who were preparing to leave. Under the radar, yeah? The last thing we need is that asshole Senator Collins breathing down our neck. The three men nodded their understanding and went out the front door, the sound of their bikes soon fading in the distance. Finally, Styx turned to the rest of the men in the room. Mae—Styx pointed at me, Ky’s voice loud and stern as if Styx were saying something important—is under my protection and y’all know what that means. I frowned and looked to Beauty, who offered me a watery smile. My heart broke for her. She had lost a friend today and she was hurting. The entire club was. Mae was nearly killed today… Lois fuckin’ was. We were either tailed by the fuckers from compound or someone leaked intel last minute. And by Christ, it better’ve been the first or I’ll rip the rat apart limb by fuckin’ limb. I shivered at his threatening words. The men in the room were clearly uneasy too. Rider’s been shot in the shoulder. Doc’s with him now. I’m fuckin’ raging at this whole cock-sucking mess! Ky’s cell phone rang, cutting through the heavy atmosphere Styx’s words had generated. “Yeah?” he answered, and after a few seconds looked up at Styx, slamming the phone back shut. “Flame, the faux-hawked motherfucker, just caught him some Balaclava meat. The cunt who killed Lois.” That devastatingly handsome smirk spread on his face. Styx tipped his head back and sighed in pure relief. ETA? he spelled out, Ky voicing his question out loud. “‘Bout an hour. Told Flame to take him out back. You want the honor, right?” A hungry grin tugged on Styx’s lips and he cracked his neck as he rolled it from side to side. I did not need this response translated. He had a look of revenge in his eyes. Glancing around the room, he signed, We find these cunts… Then we send them to the boatman, right to Hades. Styx had quick words with Ky and a few other men I did not know, then came to me. He took my hand and dragged me away. When he entered the main door to his apartment, he sat me down on the bed, meeting my gaze. “Yyou okay?” He nodded toward the graze on my arm that Beauty had packed and bandaged.

“It is just a graze.” He began to pace before me on the hardwood floor, each step becoming more and more angry. “Wh-why the fuck d-did they attack?” “I… I do not know?” I whispered, keeping my head down. I did not like this side of Styx. I suddenly understood why he was feared by so many people—he had a dark side… a frightening side. Walking to a large panel of wood that separated the bedroom chamber of his rooms, Styx screamed loudly and punched his hand straight through the wood, leaving a large hole, his fallcolored eyes untamed and wild. Unable to conceal my shock, I shrieked and covered myself on the bed. Styx ignored my fright and disappeared through to the linen closet. He came back with a towel, throwing it on my lap. “G-get in the shower and clean that f-f-fuckin’ blood off you.” Losing the battle with my trembling lip, I took the large white towel and scurried into the bathroom. As soon as the door shut, I let my emotions flow freely. Styx was so angry. His attitude toward me had turned cold and sour—just like every other man I had ever known. I honestly believed that Styx was different. The man outside was Styx, the Hangmen Mute, the president of an outlaw MC, the man capable of killing with zero remorse. The man outside was no longer the man I knew. He terrified me. I walked to the mirror, staring at my rough appearance: wounded arm, messy hair, scratched skin, and dirtied clothes. I was a mess, but all I could think about was Rider injured, Lois dead… and Rider had saved me. Jumped in front of me and saved me. He saved my life. He could die and I— A hard fist hit the wood of the door, making me jump and bang my elbow on the vanity. “Wh-what the fuck are you d-doing in there? I don’t hear w-water.” I quickly wiped my eyes and turned on the faucet. I flipped the lever for the shower. I laughed without humor. It was just like the one I had at The Order, and the situation felt all too similar. “I am going in now,” I shouted back with a shaky voice and set to undressing. I showered quickly and wrapped the towel around me to dry. I had no other clothes but the filthy heap on the floor, so taking a deep breath, I opened the door and tiptoed through in my scant state. Styx was on his bed, a cigarette hanging lazily off his bottom lip, strumming a morose melody on his guitar, the lyrics haunting. “You can run on for a long time, but sooner or later, God’ll cut you down.” Styx looked so dark and powerful as he sat on his bed singing quietly around the smoking white stick in his mouth. My breath caught at the sight. His dark hair fell over his fall eyes and his huge arm muscles flexed with every strum of his fingers on the strings. He was sin personified… A sin I craved… but right now I was out and out afraid of him. Coughing gently to draw his attention, I fidgeted on the spot, and Styx looked up. His hands froze on the strings as his head lifted slightly. He followed the path of my body, right from my toes to the top of my head. Blowing white smoke through his nose, never breaking my gaze, he stood, placing his guitar on the chair beside the bed, and slowly walked to where I stood. Combing long hair out of his eyes with his fingers, he then stroked a finger down my arm, my skin reacting to his touch, shivers blazing up and down my spine. His finger ghosted down to the knot in my towel, the knot just above my breasts. “Fuck, Mae, I can’t deal,” he muttered gruffly, tugging at the towel, his large hazel eyes seeming to turn a bright jade green. “I want you so fuckin’ bad. So fuckin’ bad…” Then he left to go to the bathroom, slamming the door as he went. He did not stutter. Not even once.

My fingers remained gripped on the towel and I shook with nerves. I knew what he wanted and my stomach fell like a rock dropped into a lake. He wanted what all men wanted from me; he wanted what a woman was meant to do for a man… what we were created for. He wanted what I had done for men since I was a child. With a deep breath, I walked to the large bed, dropped the towel and braced myself in the required position for his pleasure. In no time at all, I heard the tinny pipes of the shower whine to a silence. The water switched off and I bowed down in preparation, forehead to the bed, spread my legs wide, grasping my hands behind my back and sent my mind to the place where I did not feel… anything.

Chapter Twelve Styx They’d tried to kill Mae. Some fucker ’d tried to kill Mae. Shit! They’d killed Lois. Lois. Dead. Gone. Known the bitch since I was a kid. Lois, a goddamn sweetheart, beautiful to the core, and I’d fuckin’ crushed her before she was taken out by a rival’s slug. FUCK! A red mist fogged my mind and I was spittin’ mad. I wanted to hurt something, hit something… kill someone… bad. My brothers had looked to me for explanations when I came through the bar. Viking, Flame, and AK off like fuckin’ Ghost Riders, burning road after the bastards who dared fuck with their brothers. But I had no answers. I knew they all had my back, but I couldn’t get my head focused beyond Mae, couldn’t rid the image of Rider saving Mae’s life. That should’ve been me. I fucked up and if it wasn’t for Rider taking a fuckin’ bullet in the shoulder, I would’ve lost her. It weren’t sitting well with me. One thing was certain; Mae would never be leaving me again. Fuck trying to do good by her. She was staying right here with me, where I could watch her… protect her. At compound she was safe. I’d done everything but drag her back to my room, and seeing her holding her fuckin’ injured arm, looking tiny and pale on my bed again, made me almost explode. I’d ordered her to the shower like a fuckin’ top-grade Nazi, unable to bear looking at her perfect skin tainted by blood, to be confronted with the reality of what could’ve happened. What had happened to Lois… fuckin’ loyal and messed-up Lois. And now here I was, in the bathroom, freshly showered, dressed only in my jeans, having to face the repercussions of acting like a total prick to the only bitch I’d ever wanted. I’d scared her shitless. I could see the fear in her fuckin’ wolf gaze. She feared me and it was all my fault. Inwardly cussing and dumping the wet towel on the floor, I walked outta the bathroom and froze on the spot. Mae? CHRIST, Mae! She was buck-naked, pink pussy on show, tight round ass up, with her arms gripped behind her back in submission, forehead pressed against the mattress. My fuckin’ woman was braced on the bed, ready to be fucked… Real fucked-up shit! I was wrong. What I’d felt before this moment wasn’t rage; it was a slight fuckin’ flicker of annoyance, a whisper of fuckin’ anger. It had to be, because seeing the bitch I was turning crazy for waiting for me in some bastard abuse-victim pose had me in cold-blooded murdering territory. Despite my best efforts, my cock hardened until it was almost painful, that tight pussy too much to deal with. I’d wanted to fuck Mae since she woke up in my bed. Wanted to rip those fuckin’ leathers off her all damn day and sink into her warm pink hole. But any picture I’d painted in my head of what she’d look like naked was surpassed by fuckin’ miles. But her like this, braced for me to rape her, had me spinning.

What the hell had she come from? What the hell had they done to her in that commune? And why the fuck did she think she still had to do it right now? And then I saw them: layers of scars on her back. Lots of ’em. Scratches, chain marks, lashes? I didn’t fuckin’ know. Unable to see her like this anymore, I snapped, “M-Mae! What the f-fuck?!!” She didn’t move. Not even an inch. Not even a flinch. Moving around to the head of the bed, I beat my fist in my hand. She was zoned the hell out. Off in some la-la land or some shit. My jaw clenched with anger, rage building up in my body, causing me to scream. “GET THE FUCK UP!!!” Mae snapped out of her molestation trance and fell to the side, curling in on herself, peeking up at me through those beautiful long, black lashes; adopting the fetal position. “Wh-what was that?” I asked through clenched teeth. Her eyes were as big as motherfuckin’ saucers and her pink lips popped open with a gasp. She didn’t speak, just… stared. Leaning on the bed, my muscles straining, I asked her again, “Answer the f-f-fuckin’ q-question, Mae. What. The. Hell. Was. Th-that???” She swallowed so loud I swear you could hear it all the way to Mexico. “D-did… did… I displease you?” Her devastated face cut through me. Out and out fear. Me. She fuckin’ feared me. I dropped to the bed, groaning low as I drank in the sight of her perfect round tits, smooth with big fat dusky nipples, big enough to spill out over my fingers when cupped and a flat smooth stomach, milky skin. Reaching down, I adjusted my cock, which was gonna smash through my jeans any fuckin’ second. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, calming down. Opening them again, I picked up my cut from my chair and passed it to her. “C-c-cover yourself.” Mae snatched it from me and hid her body, tucking her legs and arms under the mass of leather. Hades grinned up at me—no. Taunted me. Mae looked so small. Petrified and small. And I couldn’t help but note that she looked so fuckin’ hot under my cut. Old lady good. Shit. Wrong time! Shifting my legs slightly, I faced her. “B-b-babe, wh-why d’you do that?” Lowering her eyes, she whispered, “I had made you angry. I was trying to make you happy. Is that not what women do here, on the outside?” My fists clenched. “Mae, I was p-pissed at what just happened, not at you! B-b-babe, I shouldn’t have shouted, b-but I couldn’t calm d-down. I have a short f-fuse. You g-got fuckin’ targeted today, Lois died and it was my f-fault! You coulda fuckin’ d-died if it weren’t for Rider!” “Why was it your fault?” she asked quietly. “‘C-c-cause I kept you! The club’s g-gettin’ shit, some other or-or… organization is t-trying to take us out. J-j-just have to figure out now wh-who and take the fuckers out first—a-a-ain’t the first attempt; won’t be the last.” I took a deep breath, relaxing my throat. It was getting easier to talk to Mae.

Yet another fuckin’ thing to like about her. “What will happen now?” she whispered. I could still hear the fear in her shaky voice. “You’re st-staying with me. G-gotta protect you. That means st-staying right by my side.” I watched as she closed her eyes and sighed in relief, and Christ if I didn’t spit some cum in my jeans. At a sigh. Fuck I needed to get laid. I was too pent up, needed a release. Running a hand over my head, I said, “Y-you gotta tell m-me why you were sh-shoving that fuckin’ perfect p-pussy in my face, babe.” A pink blush covered her whole face and she sank lower into the leather of my cut. “You were displeased. I was providing you with pleasure. As a woman, that is what is expected of me. It is selfish and a sin to deny you pleasure.” I swallowed back the growl about to let rip from my throat. “Y-you do that a lot wh-where you from? G-get fucked like a d-damn sex-slave?” She hesitated for a moment, eyebrows drawn, then nodded reluctantly. That did it. I stood and had to shake out my shoulders. I needed to fight. Hurt someone. “Th-that how you fucked, b-babe? Were you f-forced into that sh-shit?” Hearing the catch of breath, I turned to hear the answer. “It is essential for sharing the Lord’s love, for the sacrificial exchange of bodies. For the leaders of my people… for the men of my people… I… I did not have a choice in this act… None of the sisters did.” “Sh-sharing the Lord’s l-l-love? Sacrificial ex-exchange? What the fuck’s th-that shit ab-about?” “Where the disciples got closer to God through… their sexual release… through the vehicle of our—the sisters’—bodies.” I hesitated. Sometimes I got so damn confused with the shit she spouted. Who the hell’re the disciples? And why the hell were they fuckin’ Mae like an animal? “And y-you? What did you g-g-get from it?” I asked, rolling my lip ring to stop from going Flame-level psycho. Tears filled her eyes and her full bottom lip wobbled. “Nothing. I got nothing from it. In fact”— she paused and drops fell down her cheek—”I hated it. My Lord, I hated it. Every single time. None of the sisters ever got pleasure from it… We were forbidden to do so. Women should not feel pleasure. Sharing is for duty, not for love.” She took a hesitant breath. “We would be… punished. We had to adopt the position and endure it until the brother—or in my case the elder—was done.” A pink blush brightened her porcelain skin and her lashes fluttered, her baby-blues meeting my attention. “I have never felt… gratification… from a joining. I do not know what that kind of pleasure is like… if I am even capable of feeling that kind of pleasure at all.” My heart cracked, right down the damn middle. I moved across the room to Mae like a pussy. “Bbabe…” I wrapped her in my arms and she cried, fuckin’ cried a river on my shoulder. I couldn’t stand it, couldn’t stand seeing her so torn. What the hell had she been through? “Shh… Y-y-you’re outta that hell now. I g-got you… I got you… You’ll never have to go ththrough that a-a-again…” “They will be searching for me. They will not stop until they have me back in commune,” she cried. Gripping her hair, I replied, “Far as y-you’re concerned, th-they’re dead. They’ll n-never find you here. Fuckers a-are nothing to th-the Hangmen.” She sat up and shook her head. “The devil’s greatest trick was convincing the world he did not exist,” she said softly. “I know the guards, Styx. They are coming. They exist and they are coming. It is only a matter of time.” “They c-come for you, they d-die,” I said through clenched teeth, and her eyes flared at my words as her hand ran down my arm.

I jerked as I felt her lips press to my bare chest, her tiny hand graze down my stomach, the sensation zinging straight to my cock. “What should it be like, Styx? What should it feel like… to be intimate with someone… you know… normally?” She lifted her head from caressing my body, seeking out her answer, her glossy blue eyes staring at my lips and then up to my eyes and back again. “You c-can’t be looking at m-me like that, b-babe,” I rasped out, trying like fuck to rein myself in. “Wh… why?” “B-b-because you l-looking at me like that is t-telling me you fuckin’ wanna be in my b-bed… Wwant me to show you how f-fuckin’ good you should f-feel taking my cock. W-w-want me to fuck you ’t-til you can’t walk.” Then that nose twitched, and my cut covering her naked body fell to the floor, leaving her naked, on offer like a damn platter. Bare-assed naked, perfect curves on show—heavy tits, tight fuckin’ frame. Wolf eyes hooded, pink lips moist, ready for me to make her come… for the first time in her bastard life. Begging me with her eyes to make her come so damn hard. “River…” A plea. A breathy, desperate plea slipped from her lips, like she was channelling her inner Marilyn Monroe or something. The voodoo possessive shit took hold of my controls once again. She’d called me River. I hadn’t been called that name in over a decade. She’d remembered my fuckin’ real name. “Mae… You need a b-better man. It ain’t me, babe, no matter how much you th-think it is… or want it to be,” I croaked, my cock painful with need and iron stiff. I couldn’t believe I was actually thinking it, but I wasn’t sure taking Mae as mine was such a good idea. I always took what I wanted, no care for anyone else. Fuck, Lois was stone-cold dead because of her want of me, but taking Mae after the last few weeks, after today, just seemed so… so… fucked up and wrong. “Styx…” she hushed out, riding a small, needy moan. Her nipples were like damn bullets, her hips slowly rocking with need. “It is you… It has always been you…” And then she was on me. Mouth pressed right against mine, her tiny hand gripping my hair in her tight fist, pushing me farther against her hungry fuckin’ lips. I took what she gave, battled it, fuckin’ conquered it, and when that tongue pushed through to meet mine… I snapped. With a move like lightning, I thrust Mae back to the bed, tearing at her mouth with my lips, my hands moving to grip her tiny Jane Mansfield waist, pinning her below me. She whimpered as my tongue wrapped around hers and her skin felt like it was on fire. Feeling outta my mind with desperation, a desperation to touch every part of her, brand her as mine, I shifted my hands down to her tight thighs and in one move, wrenched them apart, my cock now lying flat against her pussy. Christ. She was ready, so fuckin’ ready. It was gonna happen. I was gonna take Mae. Had to. It wasn’t a choice as she squirmed underneath me, grinding against my dick. Breaking from her mouth, I hissed as her legs wrapped ’round my waist. “F-f-fuck, babe. Y-you’re ready, huh? R-r-ready for me to make you c-come?” Wolf eyes widened as I pressed against her clit with my denim-covered cock, and Mae choked out a moan. “Styx! What? What? Ugh…” Her mouth dropped open and I leaned in to lick around the seams before sitting up and staring down at the most amazing sight I’d ever seen. Beautiful, stunning Mae all laid out for me to take. Her eyes cracked open at the loss of my weight and a tiny smirk tugged on her lips. She drank me in—every cut muscle, shredded arm, bulging vein, every inch of ink. She loved it, creamin’ at what she saw. I knew I looked good. That’s not arrogance; I worked hard and knew I was cut. My gaze dropped to her tits. I needed a taste. Before Mae knew what had happened, I latched onto

her nipple, sucking, pulling at the hard flesh. “Ahh… Styx… That feels… so… Ahh…” I smiled against the soft skin, flicking my tongue back and forth, lapping on the sweet taste. After one tit was done, I moved on to the next, only increasing the pleasure. Fingers suddenly held on to my hair and pulled and clawed like a woman gone wild. I loved it, almost burst at every tug. I needed in. Sitting back, Mae aggressively fisted the black silk sheet. “Styx… I need… I need… Ah! What is it I need? I feel… I feel… on fire… I cannot stand it.” A satisfied grin spread across my lips as I watched her writhe for me. Yeah, she fuckin’ needed it, needed me. I shifted down her body, my eyes looking down her stomach to her pussy. Her bare, wet pussy. “Fuck, b-babe. You’re goddam p-perfect.” I stroked along the inner side of her thigh, still nipping at her tit. “I’m g-gonna get you ready with my f-fingers. Then I’m g-gonna eat this pussy u-until you cream in my m-mouth. Then, wh-when you c-can’t take no m-more, I’m g-gonna fill y-you up with m-my cock until y-you scream, so fuckin’ loud.” “Styx… please…” My middle finger ran along her pussy lips, her legs widening to let me in. I then pushed it in and watched as her head threw back with a long moan, hands over her head, gripping onto the head of the bed. I picked up speed, skirting across that fuckin’ sweet spot that I knew would make her lose her mind. Her toes curled and she squealed, bright eyes flashing at me. “What… what was that?” “Th-that, b-babe, is what real f-f-fuckin’ should feel like.” “Oh… Again… please…” she asked breathlessly. Adding a second finger, her hips rocking faster now, I lifted the plunging digit to search for her release. “Styx… I need… I need… Ahh…” I knew what she needed, what she was begging for, so taking my thumb, I pressed the pad against her clit, rubbing in hard circles, and fuck, she went off like a damn firecracker. Her head turned and her scream muffled in the pillow she pressed against her mouth to mute the sound. Bringing her down, I slowly removed my fingers, making sure she watched as I licked along each digit. Gripping her bent knees, I lowered my head. I needed to taste her more than I needed to breathe. But as I moved in and focused on my target, I stopped. Scars. Lots of fuckin’ scars. Slowly, and trying to stay calm, I moved back, sitting on my haunches, just staring down. Mae shifted up on her elbows, alarmed. “What is it? Did I do something wrong?” My fists clenched and I breathed in deep through my flared nostrils. I knew I probably looked like the devil incarnate, but I was seething—fuckin’ scars! Beauty had said as much. Mae must have been tortured for years, raped for years, and I jump on her like a beast at the first chance. Christ. I was no better than those rapists at her cult. I felt sick, a hungover-as-fuck sick feeling in the very pit of my stomach. “Styx? Please… what did I do?” I shook my head as I realized I’d been staring at Mae’s thighs and met her worried gaze. She was beautiful. Even confused, she was stunningly gorgeous. Her skin was flushed from coming so hard, her black hair messy from rolling around in pleasure, but those wolf eyes… those wolf eyes were

filling with tears, glossing more and more as she followed the path of my attention. With a cry, her thighs slapped shut and she scurried back against the headboard, her arms wrapping around her legs. “Wh-wh-wh-wh…?” Argh! Breathe. Loosen up. “Wh-what are they, Mae?” Her skittish eyes darted to everywhere but on me. “Nothing… they… they do not matter anymore.” “Well, th-they m-matter to me!” I boomed out, watching as she flinched at my tone. “Please… Styx…” she pleaded. “F-F-FUCK!” I jumped off the bed, grabbing my shirt off the floor and pulled it on. “Where are you going?” she asked frantically. “O-out.” “Are you angry at me?” Swinging round to face her, I groaned. That nose was twitching again and her small hands were beginning to shake as she pulled the black sheet over her naked body. “M-my cock’s hard as fuck, so y-yeah, I’m p-pissed, but I’m f-f-fucked off at myself by what we just d-did… Wh-wh-what I just d-did to you… F-f-fuck!” “Did what? Showed me pleasure?” She swallowed and curled in on herself, shielding her body from… What? Me? My rejection? Christ, if I knew. “You regret it?” she probed, her long hair falling forward to curtain and shield her face. One glimpse of her hurt expression nearly killed me. It wasn’t her, but I couldn’t get the words out to tell her. Never been one for letting people know my feelings. Not being physically able to speak for most of your damn life kinda makes you close in. The signs were there for my stammer about to break through, loud and fuckin’ proud—the suffocating clogging, the strangling tightness of my throat as I tried to think of something to say. My blood was pumping, pulse thumping, head spinning, and I needed to get the hell out of the room and away from Mae’s fuckin’ lost face. I wanted to tell her I shouldn’t have touched someone who’d been abused her whole life, that she deserved better, someone who had a whole bunch of jagged scars on her inner thighs where some fucked-up device had clearly wrenched them apart. CHRIST! But the goddamn words wouldn’t come. So I answered a clipped, thoughtless reply and instantly knew I’d completely fucked up in doing so. “I-I-It shouldn’t have h-happened.” With that perfect fuckin explanation, I left the room, feeling like a creepy bastard, but no matter how much I condemned myself, I was unable to shake the vision of Mae as she came. I was so fuckin’ hard but so fuckin’ mad. Bursting into the bar, most of the guys were gone, hounding the cops for intel or fuck knows what else. And, hell no, fuckin’ Dyson was pouring drinks. Storming straight over to her dyed-pink hair and fake tits, I slammed a fist on the bar top. She stumbled back, sensing my fury. “I c-came to see Tiff and Jules.” She said, lowering her gaze in an act of pure submission. “I heard what happened today and we all came to help out. Thought the guys would need pussy to take their mind off things. Thought they could use someone they were used to.” That answered my question as to where everyone was, shacked up in their rooms. The pussy cavalry had arrived and Christ knows a brother wanted nothing more than serving his dick after he’d just survived a shit storm of bullets flying at his vital organs. Damn manipulative slut. Dyson, the bitch who took my virginity at thirteen. Hell, she must’ve only been about sixteen herself at the time, come to think of it. Some underage runaway who found herself a home in a den of outlaws. The pink-haired junkie used the brothers for ice until she fed that shit to a newbie whore with some real fuckin’ potential. The bitch OD’d on the compound floor. Dyson was cast out after that by my old man, warned never to return. Of course, her lounge room sex shows

were missed by the brothers, but no one wanted her for more than a blow job. Hence her name, Dyson: excellent suction and ball control. Reaching out and grabbing Dyson’s wrist, I pulled her forward, pointing at the exit door. Her bottom lip began to tremble and tears ran down her heavily made-up cheeks. The makeup hid years of acne scars. “What the hell’re you doing here?” I whipped around at the high-pitched shrill, only to see Beauty storming over to me and Dyson like a fuckin’ bull charging a rodeo clown. Dyson paled, as she should. Beauty may look like Goldilocks, but she is a fuckin’ Rottweiler in a terrier ’s body. Dyson had made a move on Tank once and only once; Beauty didn’t appreciate the aggressive move on her turf. Dyson wore shades for two weeks, hiding the two black eyes Beauty had gifted her. Dyson swept her eyes between me and Beauty, fidgeting with her hands, head twitching, waiting for a rescue. Ah. It then struck me the reason she was back made complete sense. She was desperate for her next fix, hoping some brother would slip her some cash for meth. “I came to see Tiff and Jules,” Dyson answered unconvincingly, eyes shifty, trying to avoid our glares. “Don’t give a shit! Get-the-fuck-out! No one wants to see your skanky sex show no more!” Beauty stood almost nose to nose with Dyson, the tension building too high for my liking. Beauty— I signed, trying to calm her the fuck down. She thrust a palm in my face, the other hand gripping my fingers, silencing my voice. “Don’t, Styx! Don’t let the temptation of fuckin’ her rancid pussy again make you change your mind! Think of Mae. Get rid of the whoring bitch!” You know what, Beauty? I signed. I’m getting beyond pissed at you trying to tell me how to live my fuckin’ life. Beauty gasped. She was the only old lady I never had crossed words with. She was the only bitch I could tolerate for more than two minutes, and we were good. Hell, she even learned ASL for my sorry mute ass. But her letting her mouth go, to me, the Prez, needed to stop before she completely robbed me of my fuckin’ balls! I saw Dyson smirk. Quite honestly, I felt like wiping the evil grin off her face myself, but I just wanted to drink a fifth of whiskey and not picture Lois dead on the sandy ground, blood pooling beneath her, or Mae curled up crying in my bed, covered in rape scars. Pit, like he was reading my fuckin’ mind, slid a fifth of whiskey my way from behind the bar. Down went half and I could feel myself going numb. In my drunk-ass state, I noticed Beauty move to the end of the bar, keeping a close watch on Dyson. Ten minutes later, I wasn’t noticing much else. *** I could’ve sworn the five rivers of the underworld painted on the bar wall were on the move. They seemed to be swirling, but then again, the whole room had started to swim. Making an attempt to get up and off the barstool, I stumbled only for someone to prop me up by my arm: Dyson. Her eyelids hooded, lips frozen in a smirk and her hand reached for my cock. My drunk-ass body lurched to life and Dyson gripped onto my shirt and began dragging me to the hallway. The look my favorite blonde shot me from her position at the bar would have incinerated a lesser man on the spot. Dyson led me into the hallway, finding the darkest spot. Her smile was wide and she licked that fuckin’ talented tongue over her teeth. I needed this, needed to fuck all the rage outta my system—

hard, rough fuckin’. Had to get Mae and her fucked-up scars outta my head before I lost it and went hunting for people to rip apart for fun. Needed to get Lois’s hurt face outta my eyes before the guilt tore me apart. Dyson reached up and ripped the top of her tank down to her waist. Her massive plastic tits popped out—no bra. Dyson’s eyes shone with arousal as she plucked and squeezed at her fuckin’ huge red nipples, groaning loudly, getting herself off. Dirty fuckin’ whore. Dropping one of her hands, Dyson lifted her skirt and slipped her finger against her clit. This was why the brothers craved her—the fuckin’ pre-fuck floorshow. The infamous Dyson special. I watched her grinding on her hand, squeezing her tits, almost coming at my fixed attention, but I felt… nothing. Not one fuckin’ spark. Yeah, I was still hard as fuck, but that was all Mae, all WolfEyes in my mind, and the feel of her perfect little body beneath me, her perfect face, and… Fuck, I couldn’t do this. For the first time in my bastard life desire for another bitch stopped me from fuckin’ a slut. “Styx!” Dyson let out a long, satisfied squeal as she came like a pro, her smug face showing she thought I was getting off on her porn. She dropped to the floor, lunging forward, tearing aggressively at the zipper of my jeans. I reached down, gripping her wrists to push her away. Then I heard it; a whimper, a pain-filled fuckin’ whimper from my right. Even through my whiskey-brain I sensed who it was without even looking up. Turning slowly, I found Mae staring at me in shock, devastation written all over her face. She was dressed in a tight Hangmen tank, tight black jeans, with my cut swamping her tiny body. Fuck. She looked so damn hot. Dyson threw her head back and laughed, pulling me from gawking at Mae, my mind catching up to what Mae was seeing. “What, darlin’? You wanna a fuckin’ picture? Wanna watch us fuck?” The pink-haired bitch taunted Mae from her place on her knees, facing my—thankfully still covered—hard cock. I hauled Dyson back with my foot, her junkie ass slamming to the floor. I took a few hesitant, guilt-ridden steps toward Mae. Big fat tears fell from her wolf eyes and her hand slapped over her mouth, trying to stop the broken cry she couldn’t help but let loose. I tried to speak, but before I even had a chance to explain, Beauty and Letti burst through the doors, searching for the source of the wail. They immediately froze at the sight of me—in a dark corridor with Dyson on her knees, tits out… and to the side, Mae decked out in club gear and in my cut, sobbing into her hands. Could things have got any fuckin’ worse? “Mae! No. Don’t cry. Come with me, honey,” Beauty soothed, gently placing her arm ’round Mae’s shuddering shoulders. Beauty ushered Mae round the corner and outta my sight, my cut thudding onto the floor in their wake. Shit. Mae’d shed my fuckin’ cut. The chase was on. I set off stumbling, the room tilting on its side, only to be met by Letti’s renowned death stare. She stepped forward, cracking her knuckles at the slut on the floor. Dyson scurried back on her hands as the larger-than-life Samoan closed in. “Listen up, slut. You have ten seconds to get the fuck outta this club. I see you here again, I’ll shank you myself… and I’ll take my own sweet time. Comprendo?” Dyson looked at me, pleading for support. Fuck that! Jerking my chin, I nodded in the direction of the exit. Righting her clothes as she passed, the Hangmen’s biggest slut hightailed it outta the club. Letti glowered at me, shaking her head in disbelief. Don’t fuckin’ look at me like that. I ended it before y’all came crashing through, making this shit

worse. Yeah, it looked bad, but I didn’t fuckin’ touch her. She didn’t even get to my cock, I signed. Letti looked like she didn’t want any excuses. Flipping me the bird, she turned on her heel and followed Beauty down the corridor. What a fuckin’ clusterfuck! Ky chose that moment to come ’round the corner, glancing at Letti as she made her prissy exit. “Styx, man! I’ve been looking all over for you. The psycho trio are back with their prize catch.” His eyebrows danced in excitement as he rubbed his hands, smiling. His triumphant smile quickly turned to a frown when he saw me leaning back against the wall, running my hand down my face, fixing my jeans. “What you done now?” he asked with a shit-eating smirk. Don’t fuckin’ ask. Now, where’s the fucker? He talking? I signed. “Nope. Not a damn peep.” Smiling a hungry smile, I signed, Perfect. Just what I need right now. Let’s go.

Chapter Thirteen Mae One hour earlier… I was a child when it happened. A tiny, innocent child… “Salome, come with me.” “Where are we going, Sister?” I had asked, as Sister Eve took my hand and dragged me down the corridor from the safety of my room. Her hand had squeezed my hand so tightly that I recall feeling intense pain. For reasons I could not fathom at the time, Sister Eve would not look me straight in the eye. “You are to be taken to the great room.” The great room. I remember feeling my stomach churn on hearing those words. I had tried to resist Sister Eve, tried very hard to pull her to a stop. She had looked down at me and her pale eyes seemed to soften a touch. This was so strange that I had become anxious. Sister Eve did not like me, never had. I was a Cursed. One of the segregated sisters. There were four of us and she hated us all. Told us we were inherently evil. Born baring the original sin of Eve. “Why have you stopped, child?” she asked calmly, her cold voice devoid of any affection. “W-why am I to g-go to the g-great room?” I enquired in a shaky voice over which I had no control. I remembered Jezebel had been taken to the great room for the first time three years prior. She had not been the same since that day. She had changed; she became angrier, withdrawn, and colder. She never spoke about what happened. I even recall I asked Jezebel five times about it, but I was rebuffed on each occasion. She point blank refused to say a word to me or anyone else for that matter. Nevertheless, Jezebel went to the great room every time she had been summoned by Gabriel. She had no choice. Lilah had been the same several months prior when she had been called in too. Maddie and I had never understood why it changed them so. But I knew at that point I was about to find out. “You are of age now, Salome. You must do your duty as a sister.” Sister Eve sighed loudly and bent down from her tall height to meet my eyes. “I will not lie to you, Salome. Today will be a very strange and uncomfortable experience for you, but it must happen. You have reached the appropriate age. There is no way around it.” “What will happen? What am I old enough for?” I had asked. Sister Eve simply stood back up and tugged me until I again fell into step. I tried to ask more questions. But Sister Eve refused to answer. She would not listen to me. After many more vain attempts to obtain information, I had reluctantly fallen silent and dutifully followed her to the great room. What I witnessed had made me simper with fear. I remember the air was hazy with a thick earthyscented smoke. Large bottles with pipe contraptions littered the large space. White cushions and bed mattresses covered the floor; all were occupied. The brothers—the disciples—were all without clothing, behind sisters of all ages, young and old, doing something to them. The sisters were bare too. They were bent over with their heads to the floor, hands clasped behind their backs. The Prophet David sat on a raised stage with three older sisters. He had touched their naked bodies. Then he had touched himself… there, as he watched the many couples positioned around the room.

Sister Eve felt me resist as I scanned the room. She then bent down and whispered, “If you refuse, you will only make this harder on yourself. Believe me, girl, the punishment for your lack of cooperation will be much, much worse.” I remember nodding slowly in trepidation. I knew I could face the lash no more. Terror gripped me as I followed Sister Eve to one side of the room and Brother Gabriel had watched me pass. He had smiled at me even as he rocked back and forth behind a dark-haired sister on the floor. I did not understand what he was doing to her at that point. The sister stayed silent as he grunted and groaned loudly and his hands had pawed at every inch of her bare skin. I remember watching in horror. Sister Eve then whipped off my gown and pushed me to the floor, positioning my body—head down, hands gripped behind my back… mirroring every sister in the room. In panic, I struggled to stand, but Sister Eve’s heavier weight pinned me down. This made me struggle even more. Sister Eve sighed in exasperation. Suddenly, I was freed of her downward pressure and I slowly sat up. But I remember all too well blanching when I realized what the sister was about to do. Sister Eve quickly walked back to me, holding a device. It looked like a bear trap: two metal handlike claws held together by hinges, each claw had large, spiky teeth. I remember I stopped breathing as she knelt beside me. “I will place this between your legs. Move and the claws will cut into your skin. We use it to encourage the sisters to keep still. A word of advice, think of a good place and take yourself there. Learn to block out the pain.” Pain? I thought. What did she mean by that? Sister Eve then turned me back to face the floor. She repositioned me. As my legs widened, she then thrust the device between my thighs. The sharp metal teeth dug into my flesh as soon as I struggled to free myself. I recall crying out in great pain as the metal teeth sank into my flesh, then delved deeper into my thigh muscles as I struggled for the last time. After a while, I knew resisting was proving hopeless. I could not move. I had been trapped in the position that would very soon become all too familiar. Breathing heavily, I remember I tried with all my might to stay calm. My eyes darted around the room. Then the girl next to me turned her head and caught my eye. It was Bella. My sister. At the same time, she realized it was me beside her. Tears dropped from her eyes and she mouthed, “Will be okay. I love you.” Another wave of panic swept through me when I felt large, rough hands grip my hips. Bella’s eyes widened in empathy. I screamed and squirmed, trying to escape. Of their own volition, my hands clawed an inch forward, but the trap ripped at my thighs. And after a few short seconds of struggle, as Sister Eve foretold, it simply became too painful to move. And that is when it happened… My innocence had been lost forever and my duty as a sister had begun. Not once did I break eye contact with Bella. Both of us had been united through our blood bond. We supported each other, helped each other find Sister Eve’s recommendation: a good place to block out the pain. Bella told me she loved me over and over again, through every moment of the horrific act. Then when it was over, I ran from the smoky room. I remember glancing back only to see Brother Gabriel sully Bella once again. I jumped over brothers taking their rest. And I will never forget how the sisters looked; so numb and unfeeling. We all looked like ghosts. After that, I ran into the forest. I did not let myself stop until I reached the perimeter fence. Five minutes later, I heard a rustling sound and a boy appeared on the other side of the high wire mesh. I

remember thinking he could not have been much older than me, maybe only a few years. He was dark and tall with the most lovely hazel-colored eyes I had ever seen. He had been beautiful. Spotting me lying on the forest floor, he walked over, moving his hands but he said nothing. He made me feel safe. He distracted me from the pain. He had been a light in my moment of darkness… He had given me a kind, soft kiss. Then he left, never to be seen again, until fifteen years later… when he gave me a fragile precious gift once more… renewed hope. I could not help but reminisce as I sat still on the soft mattress in Styx’s quiet room. The mattress that smelled like him. I had been so young when I was forced to join with men and I hated every minute. What Styx had just given me was like nothing I had ever felt before. It was a fire, a burning fire at the bottom of my spine. It was a pressure, a pressure too intense for words. Then it spiraled into a frenzy, way out of my control. I had gripped the headboard, pulling to escape the emotion yet at the same time pushing to bring the delicious feeling even closer. And then he touched me… there… and I exploded. I shattered into tiny fragments, my soul bursting with light—too much yet not enough. I was instantly addicted. Greedy, needing more, I pressed harder against Styx’s hand. Prophet David had been so wrong— nothing this good could ever be a sin. Women should feel pleasure too. Then it had been over. Styx regretted touching me. He recoiled in horror the instant he saw my scars—the inescapable and permanent link to my past. How swiftly he had left me, alone and naked in his large cold bed. He had left me. Left me here, confused, hot, yearning… wanting him. I refused to let loose the tears threatening to break free. His rejection would not destroy me. I could not, would not, let another man break my spirit. Even if Styx might be the only man able to do so… irreparably. Gathering my composure, I shifted off the bed, wincing as my feet hit the cold wooden floor. I walked into the washroom, switched on the shower to its hottest temperature and let the flow of hard water pound my skin. Since my arrival, Styx had viewed me as weak, someone who needed constant protection. He had no idea of the life I had lived, of the tenacity of my spirit or the multiple horrors I had to endure on a daily basis. I am a survivor. The scars he found so repulsive were a testament to my strength. I cannot, will not, be ashamed of actions thrust on me by others. As God is my witness, I was a child! What troubled me most was that I knew Styx’s concern for me came from a good place. I knew his cold reaction and his abrupt departure was fed by his anger. His speech, his lifelong disability that prevented the words he so desperately wanted to say to me, was his burden. No doubt he would be in the bar, drowning his sorrows with the amber liquid I had seen him drink so much. I resolved to go to him, to demonstrate to him all was well, and to say that I loved what we had done together… and still wanted more, if he did too. I dried off and ran Styx’s comb through my long hair, brushing out the knots tangled on the back of my scalp. Earlier, Styx had brought in the luggage bag from Rider ’s room and I opened the zipper, pulling out a pair of black pants and a tank adorned with the Hangmen motif in the center. Once dressed, I took Styx’s leather vest—no, cut—and inhaled the familiar scent—tobacco and leather, all Styx. My skin tingled and my scalp pricked. This unfamiliar sensation both frightened me and exhilarated me and I felt an increasingly familiar need building between my legs. Sighing, I slipped the large, warm leather cut on my shoulders and walked to the door, then out into the hallway. As soon as I left the room, a high-pitched moan and a low growl grabbed my attention. The sound

came from the darkened end of the long hallway. The sounds signaled exactly what was happening, exactly what I had been doing not too long ago. Not wanting to intrude, I turned toward the exit door at the opposite end of the long corridor, then stopped dead in my tracks as I heard… “Styx!” Ice-cold shivers ran down my spine as the very recognizable sounds of intense sexual pleasure drifted toward me. Styx was with another woman? He had switched straight from me to someone else? After everything that had happened between us… My feet were leaden I as shuffled to the secluded corner, the sounds of heavy breathing and whimpering moans increased with every step. Gathering my courage, fearing the worst, I forced a quick peek round the wall and instantly wished I had turned away and left him to it. My heart missed a beat when I saw he was with a peculiar-looking pink-haired woman. It was clear what she was doing, on her knees, braced at his most private parts as he leaned back against the wall, eyes closed, his face scrunched up. I could not stop it. No matter how hard I tried, a cry forced its way up my throat. My hand covered my mouth, but I could not contain the sob. I felt utterly devastated at what he was doing here, right in front of me. I felt like screaming in disappointment and rage. Here was the evidence I had not wanted to believe of Styx: all men are the same. They take what they want, when they want it… from whomever they want. Styx had shunned me and turned straight to her to “fix” his problem, less than hour after leaving his room. In his mind, he must see me as damaged, lost in this world, the fact of which I was well aware. In his mind, I must not be worthy of the task of giving him pleasure. Styx abruptly stopped, held her wrists in his hands, and swung his stunned gaze in my direction. His beautifully rough face contorted in panic and there was a whooshing in my ears. I was unable to hear anything but white noise. I was unable to do anything except stand and stare—stare into his hazel eyes, those eyes that always entranced me, stare at the betrayal unfolding before me. I truly believed that Styx was different… I was sick and tired of being wrong. Feeling like I stood there for an eternity, I jumped as an arm lay across my shoulder. The action forced me out of my stupor. Beauty was hugging me close, glaring at Styx and that woman, who was still on her knees. The woman kneeling on the floor smiled wickedly. She said something to me, but I could not hear what, not in my state of shock. Letti, who was stood behind Beauty, had heard though. As my pretty blond protector pulled me away, the large heavy woman walked menacingly toward the pink-haired girl. Quickening our pace, Beauty and I walked down some corridors and up a flight of stairs, but not before she fisted Styx’s cut and, in disgust, threw it to the floor. “Where are we going?” I eventually asked. Only here, when we were out of earshot, did my senses and clarity of thought make their unwelcome return. They brought a crushing hurt. “I need to check on Rider. Tank’s still on the road. He sent me a text asking me to check Rider was okay. I ain’t fixin’ to take you back to Styx’s apartment. He can stew a little on what he did back there. Might force him to come to his damn senses. Stupid drunken ass!” Tensing up, I swallow hard, expecting the worst; I slowly and deliberately asked, “Did he… join… with her?” Beauty’s blond eyebrows arched. “Join?” “Yes. Did Styx and that woman have sexual intercourse?” Her sapphire-blue eyes widened, then relaxed. “Nah, honey. Doubt he even touched her. She was getting off all on her lonesome. Putting on that fuckin’ porn show she just has to do.” I felt my shoulders relax as pent-up tension drained away. I expelled a sigh of relief. Beauty jerked

on my arm. “Hey, still doesn’t get the dick off the hook. He was fixin’ to do something with the slut. Christ knows why, when he has you! He’s drunk off his ass, pissed at today, grieving for Lois. I can tell, ’neath it all, he’s real worried ’bout the state of the club. Still doesn’t excuse that fucked up shit though,” she said as she stabbed a thumb in the direction of their tryst. I knew why he had been in that hallway. The very sight of my scars repelled him, diminished his affection for me. Was he scared that how he had reacted was a fundamental wrong, somehow a grievous slight against me? But… but… but to go directly to that woman was something I would find difficult to set aside lightly. Beauty planted her hands on my shoulders. “Leave him be a while. Wait it out. He’ll be back. Then it’s up to you, girl. But just between us, the guy is nuts about you. He just don’t know what the fuck to do with his feelings yet. He’s never ever been with anyone like he is with you. He talks to you. We all see it. He watches you, protects you. Ain’t normally his way. Kinda sweet, really, in his own fucked-up way.” Her hands rubbed at my arms soothingly. She reminded me of Lilah—her kindness, light coloring, her protective spirit. For the first time since I escaped The Order, I actually missed home. I missed my best friend. Missed my quiet little sister, Maddie. I missed feeling like I belonged. “You okay?” I nodded at Beauty’s concerned face. She turned to knock on that familiar dark wooden door behind us. “Yeah?” a distant voice called out. “Rider, it’s Beauty and Mae. Can we come in?” There were a few moments of stretched-out silence before a quiet, “Yeah, sure.” Beauty cracked open the door. Lying in the center of his large metal bed at the back of the room was Rider, shirtless, only wearing jeans. A tight cream bandage covered his injured shoulder. “How are you feeling, honey?” Beauty asked softly and walked over to Rider ’s bedside. “Numb in places, sore in others, but I’m alive,” he replied, trying to be strong, but his voice sounded strained. It hurt me to see him so broken, the bandage on his arm, the pain he was obviously in. Tears welled up, filling my eyes. The sacrifice Rider had willingly made to save my life struck me hard. He had always been perfect to me. Tears slipped down my cheeks at his show of strength and I stood as if waiting for a summons, nervously toying with my hands. Rider rasped, “Mae, get over here.” Raising my head slightly, I did as he asked and moved toward his prone body. I stood awkwardly beside Beauty. “Hey, you okay? You don’t look so good,” he gently enquired and frown lines crossed his forehead. Rider seemed genuinely concerned—concerned for me. He had been shot, near mortally wounded, yet here he was, protecting me still. Beauty groaned and shook her head. “Fuckin’ just caught Styx with Dyson.” Rider raised his brown eyebrows and looked at me with sympathy in his gaze. “What she doing back?” “Fixin’ to suck Styx’s stupid cock by the look of it!” Beauty disapproved. I flinched, feeling nauseous and stupid; no, naïve. “Beauty!” Rider reprimanded harshly. She turned to me, a grimace on her face. “Sorry, Mae. He’s just got me spittin’! Sometimes bikers in this club can be real fuckin’ pricks!” “Hey!” Rider complained. Beauty grimaced again. “Fuck! Can’t say anything right, can I?” “It is okay,” I whispered with a small laugh.

Rider fixed all of his attention on me, shedding his humor. “He’s a fuckin’ fool to choose that bitch over you.” I tipped my head in contemplation. My head always hurt when trying to figure out Rider. This time a sense of peace gently settled on me, like snowflakes, when I heard his words and drank in his friendly demeanor. Without meaning to, I beamed a smile at Rider. His lips parted with an audible gasp, then he smiled right back at me. My heart fluttered. He was such a good man. Beauty coughed, her wide blue eyes darting between us both, her tanned face getting paler by the second. Thankfully, a very loud knock on the door broke the obvious tension in the room. “Rider? Beauty and Mae in there with you?” Letti bellowed through the barrier of the closed door. Rider shifted position, wincing with the effort. He held his shoulder with his good hand as he shuffled up the bed. I noticed his torso ripple and I could not help but admire how he looked. “Yeah. Come on in!” He shook his head, muttering to himself, “The more the fuckin’ merrier.” Letti walked in, shutting the door, and gently placed a hand on my shoulder. “The slut is long gone, Mae. She won’t be back if she values her life.” “And Styx?” Beauty asked. “Fuck if I know. Left the stupid asshole on his own.” She affectionately pulled on a lock of my hair. “He was signing at me like he was in a damn rave. The drunken douche said he didn’t do anything with the slut, couldn’t go through with it. For what it’s worth, I think he’s telling the truth. Prez don’t normally lie.” I nodded appreciatively at her words and the final remnant of coiled tension in my stomach unraveled. Everyone was watching me and my reaction. I rubbed at my arms, feeling a sudden chill in that dark, windowless room. “You cold?” Rider asked. I nodded. “Beauty, go in my closet and get her a sweater.” Beauty frowned at Rider but turned to the closet and did as she was told. Finding a hooded black sweater, a picture of a Chopper on the front, Beauty handed it to me. As soon as I slipped it on, Rider said, “Looks good.” “Thanks,” I replied, feeling my cheeks blush. I caught Beauty and Letti bouncing worried looks at each other. I chose to ignore them. Today had been traumatic enough without me trying to figure out what concerned them too. “You need anything before we go, Rider?” Beauty asked, squeezing his hand. “Nah, I’m all good.” Beauty turned back to me. “You wanna go to the bar, get a drink? I stocked up on coolers.” I firmly shook my head. I did not want to see Styx yet. I could not deal with it all. “Well, I can’t take you back to my place. Styx would pitch a fit if I took you from the club, especially with folks out there targeting the place.” For the second time since I had arrived, I felt out of place, the intruder who did not belong. “You can stay here.” Letti, Beauty, and I spun our heads round in formation to stare at Rider. Shrugging, he held up his hands. “What? I’m just lying here, bored shitless. Stay.” “Oh-kay…” Beauty sounded out, then smiled at me brightly. “You seen a movie before, honey?” A movie? Obviously, the confusion on my face gave her my answer. “Stay here. I’m gonna grab one.” Letti groaned. “Don’t you fuckin’ get The Notebook. I can’t watch that shit again. Get something with a high body count!” “I second that!” Rider shouted at Beauty’s retreating form.

Beauty put one hand on her hip and batted the other in front of her face in dismissal. “Shut it. I’m gonna show Mae what it should look and feel like when a man really loves a woman, okay? I mean, shit! She needs it after today!” “Whatever, Sunshine Barbie. I’m gonna catch a nap.” Letti moved to the sofa and sat down, closing her eyes. Beauty, after sticking her middle finger up at Letti’s back, left the room to get the movie. “How’s your arm?” Rider ’s question startled me. I stepped closer to his bed and ran my finger over the faded linen of the sheet. “It is fine, just a scratch.” I lowered my eyes, filling up once more, my emotions taking control. Then I lifted them to look right in his eyes. “Thank you for saving me today. You do not know what that means to me.” He smiled, his light-brown irises shining. I felt my heart begin to pound. “Anytime. We’ll find who did this and we’ll make ’em pay. Styx won’t rest until they’re all dead.” I did not respond. I did not want to know what would happen to the men when caught. I did not want to know the details of their demise. Feeling a gentle tickle on my hand, I glanced down to see Rider ’s fingers pressing against mine. Flicking my eyes up to meet his, I noticed his long shoulder-length hair was free of its ponytail and bandana. It lay loose and free. For the very first time, I saw Rider in a whole new light. He was beautiful… Beauty came bursting back through the door, waving a plastic box in her hand, causing Rider to abruptly withdraw his hand. “I’ve got it! Come on, Mae. You gotta see this!” “Go have fun,” Rider urged. Fun. Tipping my chin in thanks, I walked to the couch, glancing back over my shoulder one more time, only to see Rider watching my every move. His brown eyes shone. As I tucked my nose into the wide neck of the sweatshirt, I inhaled. It smelled like Rider: outdoors and fresh air. “You ready?” Beauty asked as she dropped to the seat beside me, switching on the large black box. Reluctantly, I switched my focus from Rider to the large black screen in front me—a TV, Beauty termed it. She picked up a long black device and pressed a button. Lights and sound came blaring out of the screen, and I jumped. Beauty and Letti laughed on seeing my reaction. “Still not used to TV, Mae?” As I shook my head, Letti slapped me on the back. “Best fuckin’ invention ever made. You’ll learn to love it!” Pictures flooded the large screen and I settled farther back into the soft cushion. “You mind if I join you ladies?” Rider asked as he made his way to the sofa, protecting his injured arm. He stood before the three of us, still shirtless, causing my palms to itch. He was a lot softer than Styx. He was free of scars and he had the kindest smile. In contrast, Styx was all hard edges and gruffness. He was brooding, dark and unkempt, and had the most amazing eyes I had ever seen. Styx was sin; Rider was peace. A wave of nervousness swept over me as I contrasted and compared the two of them. Beauty snapped me out of my reverie by answering Rider ’s question. “Sure thing, honey.” She nudged my side and winked playfully. “Didn’t think romance was your thing.” Rider huffed and flicked his middle finger in the air. “It’s not. I’m bored and if I have to lay in that bed for one more hour, I’m gonna wind up killing someone.” Rider took a seat on the floor in front of me, his shoulder leaning flush against my curled leg. I stiffened and glanced at Beauty who was staring daggers at Rider. I watched in amusement as her

eyebrows furrowed into a frown and her arms crossed her ample chest. The act was innocent. He had been shot. He was probably craving affection. Being ordered to stay at the club instead of being allowed to go home must have been hard on him. If Beauty, Letti and I had not invaded his state of forced isolation with our impromptu session, he would have remained alone, no doubt feeling sore and ill. Feeling better about his nearness, I settled back and commenced watching the movie. It was breath-taking, soul-shatteringly beautiful and I clenched the shabby fabric of the sofa in my fists. A huge lump formed in my throat as a flock of white birds flew across a lake, depicting the closing scene of the movie. Beauty was sniffing beside me. Even Letti’s tough exterior seemed sorely tested as she squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. She was trying in vain to feign indifference to the deeply emotional story. Rider reached for the black device—I was told it was a remote—with his good arm and switched off the TV. The four of us sat in complete silence. Beauty wiped off the last of her tears and her cheeks glowed red. She deliberately turned to me and asked, “So what did you make of it, honey?” “I… I… I did not know it could be like that between two people.” I swallowed and wrapped the sweater tighter around my body. “So this is true love?” “This kinda love is what people want, Mae. Unfortunately, only a few seem to get it.” “Do you have it with Tank?” Her whole face brightened. She smiled so widely that I immediately envied her. “Yeah, darlin’, I do. Took a lot to get us here. He had a past. Hell, so did I. But we found a way out. We got through some tough shit together, but I wouldn’t change a damn thing. He’s my entire world, and I know I’m his.” Reaching over, I gripped her hand and squeezed hard. “You are very lucky, Beauty. I envy what you have.” She squeezed my hand right back and leaned in to kiss me on my cheek. “So, Rider, what about you?” Letti asked as she glanced down at Rider on the floor. He tipped back his head, his brown eyes bright. “What?” “Been in love? In the years you’ve been with the Hangmen, I’ve never even seen you even pick up a slut. Got some bitch you pining for somewhere?” Rider bowed his head and muttered, “No, no bitch, anywhere.” “You want to be with someone you love,” I whispered knowingly. Turning to face me, he shrugged his uninjured shoulder and ducked his eyes. “Way I was raised. Can’t shake it. My momma used to quote something all the damn time. Can’t seem to get it outta my head. Love is patient. Love is kind…’” “It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud,” I whispered. Rider ’s eyes looked up, softened and he shifted all the way around to face me. “It does not dishonor others. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs.” “Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” We recited the scripture back and forth until the last line, when he spoke these words: “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Our eyes locked, our bodies unmoving, as the words took hold. He was just like me. Lord, he was just like me… I did not know… Letti shattered the moment. “What the fuck’re you two talking about?” Coughing, Rider met Letti’s gaze. “It’s from the Bible, Letti. We were quoting scripture. First Corinthians.” “Hell, I know Mae’s from some damn nut-job cult, but I didn’t know you were too!”

I flinched at Letti’s words. Nut-job cult? Is that what they all thought of me? Rider gave nothing away. He never talked about where he had come from or how he had been raised. I was desperate to know. The fact that Rider was like me made me feel as if I had a friend, someone who truly understood. What I could not understand was why he was here, a part of a club like this, one of the Hangmen. Styx had told me himself that the brothers kill, trade in guns, use violence on an everyday basis. I could not see how that life fit with his faith. But then again, I concluded that he was just like me. I no longer wanted to be bound by my faith’s rigid bonds. I wanted to try new things, move on from that stifling existence. Part of me was not even sure I believed in a God anymore. Then again, hearing Rider recite that verse made me feel safe, whole again. Ugh! I just did not know who or what I was without The Order, without the duties of being a sister. Beauty instantly jumped to her feet, looking down at me, smiling, but I could see it was forced. Her blue eyes were tight and she kept glancing to Rider on the floor. “Come on, Mae. Let’s go.” “Go where?” “We should leave Rider to rest. Now, come on!” Her voice raised in volume to emphasise what she wanted me to do. “Oh, yes. Rider, I am sorry. We have probably outstayed our welcome. We should—” “You haven’t outstayed your welcome.” He interrupted. I paused; relieved, I sat back down. “Thank you.” “Thanks for the offer, Rider, but we need to see Styx.” Beauty moved to grab my arm, but I held it back. “I do not want to see him yet, Beauty.” “But—” Holding up my hand, I asserted, “No, Beauty! You and Letti go. That is fine. I am not ready to go. I would prefer to stay here away from Styx. I cannot face him… yet.” Beauty’s mouth dropped at my firm words, then she pointed to Rider. “You better watch out. When Prez hears you’re in here with Mae, he’ll go fuckin’ crazy.” Rider smoldered. Only then did I see the biker shine through, the outlaw lurking beneath the surface. “We ain’t doing nothing wrong. She’s simply staying a while. Fuck, she’s been living in here for weeks anyhow. And now you choose to act shady ’bout it?” Beauty cocked her eyebrow and laughed. “Right. You keep telling yourself that.” And walked out of the room. Letti tapped me affectionately on the shoulder as she passed and followed Beauty out into the corridor. They left the door open and once we heard them leave the corridor for the bar, Rider stood and sat beside me on the sofa. He smelled of soap and outdoors, and I found myself leaning in closer. “You still pissed about Styx and Dyson? That why you don’t wanna leave?” I could not meet his eyes. “Yes and no. I know I do not know Styx well, but he hurt me being with her. I thought he was better than that. We share a… connection, but I feel he always pushes me away.” “Styx is a biker. He makes his own rules, his own laws, and lives any way he chooses. As do I, as do all the brothers in this club. He’s not like these dicks on the sappy movies, Mae. This ain’t an easy life. You ain’t gonna get a happily ever after here. You stay for the love of the club. Prez was born to be in charge, but it ain’t easy on him either, not with…” He trailed off, clearly referring to Styx’s speech impediment. Sighing, I said, “I know, but right now, I just cannot be near him. Plus…” “Plus what?” I shrugged. “I like being with you. I like spending time… with you.” Rider ’s hand landed gently on mine.

Reaching over, I ran my fingers down his long hair, catching a strand that fell over his eye. It was so soft and Rider ’s bare stomach tightened in response and his breath paused. Snatching back my hand, I said, “You look different with your hair like this.” “Do I?” he said betraying a small smile. “Mm-hmm. I like it free and wild. It suits you.” I watched as Rider ’s lips rubbed together, his chest erratically rising and falling. My hands began to shake as I stared at him and my nose twitched in nerves. Clearing his throat, he asked, “How about we watch another movie?” Sighing, thankful for the distraction, I answered, “I would like that.” He stood and walked to the TV, allowing me to slouch back and—if only for a moment—relax.

Chapter Fourteen Styx Throwing open the door to my shed, I walked into the wide-open space. A large skinhead was strapped to a lone chair. I caught the fucker lift his head and spotted “SS”, “KKK” tattoos and swastikas plastered all over his skin. Skinheads. Motherfuckin’ Neo’s! Ky followed behind me as Viking, AK, and Flame stood to the side, glowering at the dick. Frantically, his eyes darted around at the five of us. Shedding my shirt as I made my way to my blade cabinet, the White Power bastard decided to open his stupid fuckin’ mouth. “I won’t talk!” He tracked my movements, his eyes widening as I picked out my starter knife. “Yo, man! Ain’t nothing you can do that’ll make me talk.” Taking out my strop, I set to sharpening my Bowie hunting knife, the hard steel scraping on thick leather. “Hey, you with the knife! I’m talking to you!” Flame lost his shit and cracked the cunt ’round his face, then gripped his cheeks in his hands. “He don’t talk. Haven’t you heard the rumors over in Hicksville?” Placing the strop down, I walked to stand in front of the steroid-pumped-up son of a bitch who took out Lois. He swallowed and a bead of sweat trickled down his face. “The Hangmen Mute…?” he whispered, as realization hit. I simply smiled in response. Yeah, it’s the motherfuckin’ mute. The chair began rocking as the Nazi fought to get free of his restraints. I just shook my head and tutted. He froze as I got closer and I could smell the stench of his piss pooling on the floor. “Shit, Prez, your reputation preceeds ya!” Viking clapped his hands together, booming out a laugh along with AK. I jerked my chin, instructing Ky to join me. Spinning the blade in my hand, I clutched the handle. To get things moving, I pressed the tip to the fucker ’s already bare chest, then I began carving out part one of my signature mark—a torso-long H. I ripped deep enough into the skin to cause nail-biting pain, but not enough to puncture any main organs. Now this shit takes skill. Getting a damn hard-on from the Nazi’s agonized scream, I stood back admiring my handiwork. AK stepped up behind me and whistled low. “Prez, now that’s one fine piece of fuckin’ art!” The Nazi, now delirious with pain, squirmed in the chair. The thick, rough ropes constantly rubbed his wrists, exposing more and more raw skin. “I ain’t talkin’,” he spat out in a thick Texan accent. “If I do, it’ll only bring me death, either by you or by my crew. Way I see it, I’m dead either way.” The summer heat was a fuckin’ bitch in this shed and, three hours later, the KKK fucker ’s resilience was starting to crack. Intel gained so far was that the guy who put up the bid for the Hangmen hit was new. He didn’t affiliate with any existing gang, mob, or MC. Some suit. Some rich

suit who promised to get their Grand Wizard outta jail—the shitbag was serving twenty after slaying some Jew who’d refused to work his taxes. Question was, how did some suit know where the fuck we were today? The skinhead needed to tell me who was leaking intel about or within my club. Ky brought me a towel and I wiped the dripping sweat from my chest, dropping it to the floor. My jeans were covered in the Neo’s spattered blood. They were past saving. Wiping the hair out of my face, I stepped forward, smiling; the guy swallowed hard. Part two of my signature. “You heard of a Chelsea smile?” Ky asked the skinhead. His eyes widened and he nodded slowly, darting his gaze between me and Flame, who was beside me clapping his hands and slapping them on his head in excitement. The Nazi’s nostrils flared as I approached his chair, spinning the Bowie knife in my fingers. Crouching before him, I signed, One last chance to give up the name of who tried to take us out today, or you’ll be wearing a permanent red smile for the rest of your bastard life. Ky translated. “I said, I don’t know! But…” “But what?” Ky hissed. “But we were told not to stop until you were dead. Take your bitches too.” His Klan eyes met mine. Some fucker wanted me dead? Nothing new there. But they’d wanted Lois dead, the women dead; no one fucks with the brothers’ bitches and lives to see another day. Flame roared and flew forward, digging his nails into the sides of his neck. “Where’s your fuckin’ crew’s base?” The Nazi shook his head, sweat pouring down his face. “Tell me or I’ll rip off your cock and shove it up your ass!” “An… abandoned… garage… just outside of Airport Boulevard.” Flame stood, throwing me a smirk. Turning my back, I clicked my neck and swung back around, the knife at the perfect angle to slice my target. The skinhead screamed. He screamed a whole fuckin’ lot. The chair screeched on concrete and the bastard’s head cracked loudly against the hard surface when the chair tipped over. Flame began banging on the wall, laughing hysterically. He really was one sick motherfucker. The screaming continued, but Ky stepped forward and shouted, “No use, man. Ain’t nobody gonna hear you out here, you racist fuck!” He paled. With his head flopping from side to side, he whispered something and I stepped closer. What? I signed. Ky voiced my question out loud. Raising his dazed-to-fuck eyes, his cheeks flapping open, he rasped, “Suit… had something… to do with… Senator Collins.” My head snapped to meet Ky’s gaze. He left the room, cell pressed to his ear. He’d be calling Tank to gather more intel. Dropping the knife to the floor, I signaled for Flame to take the reins and left him to do what he did best. Viking and AK stayed to watch the fucked-up show. I burst outta the door into the warm summer air and breathed deep, only to find Pit next to the shed, ear pressed to the wood. He jumped when he caught my movement. My eyes narrowed. What you doing out here? I signed. Pit swallowed and couldn’t meet my eyes. “I… I was t-taking out the trash.” I stared down the prospect and he ran like lightning through the door to the club bar. What the fuck was that all that about? Rubbing my hands down my face, I leaned against the hard wood of the shed.

Fuck. I need Mae. I’d fucked up. Big time. She was all I was thinking about when I was sticking my knife in that Nazi, cuttin’ into his flesh, and I couldn’t get focused. I badly wanted the shit who took Lois—who tried to take Mae from me—dead, sent to the boatman and on into Hades. I wanted revenge for Lois’s death. Didn’t give her much in this life; the bitch deserved that much from me now. It would come. The fucker wasn’t leaving that shed alive. Then it was on to take out the rest of his crew. With one final sobering breath, I made my way to the bar. When I stepped in, most of the men were back from their rooms and Pit was back serving behind the bar, the brother still avoiding my eyes. My teeth clenched with suspicion, but I decided to leave it for now. Too much shit went on tonight and the brothers needed a break. I scanned the crowd looking for Mae, when Beauty’s blond hair and Letti’s big build caught my eye. Making my way over, Ky fell into step beside me. “Tank’s still on the road. Gonna contact the payroll inside the senator ’s office, see what he can scope out.” I gave a curt nod and Ky headed for the bar. His favorite slut, Tiff, almost creamed when he approached. I couldn’t help but smirk. He sure had no problems finding pussy. Letti nudged Beauty when I reached their table and she smiled. Something was off. Thought you were pissed at me? I signed. Her fake-ass smile dropped. “I am.” Yeah? Then why the smiles? I deliberately glanced around the room. And where’s Mae? Yup, there was her weird smile again. What? I signed to Beauty, my jaw beginning to tick. Ky slung his arm around my neck from behind, slammed my beer on the table, and asked, “Why does everyone look so damn pissed?” I gripped Beauty’s arm and signed again, What you acting fuckin’ weird for? Where’s Mae? “She’s with Rider,” Beauty whispered nervously. I swear it was like the movies when the music cuts and everything stops. Rider? Ah, shit! “We went to check if he was okay. He let us stay. Then they started spouting some Christian shit at each other and she refused to leave. They seem pretty damn close.” I squeezed my eyes shut. Close? Snapping my eyes back open, I asked, Why’d she refuse to leave? “‘Cause she don’t wanna see you!” “Christ, you sure know how to fuck things up!” Ky laughed. Pushing Ky aside, I powered through the bar in the direction of Rider ’s room. Beauty tried to pull me back. “Styx, wait. It won’t do no good, you bustin’ in there like that!” I pulled back my arm and barged into the room, the pair of them sitting on the couch, side by side, laughing at some shitty movie… and, fuck, Rider was half naked. As I stumbled in, Mae and Rider sat up straight, staring in disbelief at me as I thundered toward them. What the fuck is this? I signed, pointing at them both on the couch. Rider translated for Mae, which just fuckin’ pissed me off. “Not what you think, brother,” Rider said quickly. Too quickly. Mae’s ice-blue eyes burned. At that moment, she looked so fuckin’ beautiful my chest ached. But when I noticed his clothes on her body, fury instantly possessed me. Yeah, then why is she here with your shit on, in your fuckin’ room… Alone! The about-to-become-dead brother translated again. Mae shot to her feet and screamed, “Because… I… do… not… want… to… see… you!” Shocked, I ran my fingers through my hair a couple times. So… what? You gonna be Rider’s bitch now?” Mae looked to Beauty, who reluctantly relayed what I’d signed.

“It is not like that,” she snapped. “I just cannot see you right now. You hurt me, Styx. I need space.” Fine. But you’re in my room. If you’re in my fuckin’ club, you’re in my fuckin’ room. That’s the way it is. Let’s go! On hearing my orders voiced by Beauty, I stabbed out my hand. Mae didn’t take it. I watched her cast a shocked look at Rider. Well, that just pissed me off even more. Now, Mae! I ordered again, no translation required. I knew I was being a possessive dick… but I didn’t like the way she was looking at Rider and him at her. We got a problem, brother? I signed to Rider. “No problem,” he replied. “I want to stay in here,” Mae announced quietly. Not fuckin’ happening. Rider again translated, looking more like a dead man by the minute. “Then I shall leave!” I froze. Much to my annoyance, so did Rider. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t know what the fuck to do. I could see in her eyes that she meant it. Sure as hell, I didn’t want her to leave. Fuckin’ classic. A Mexican standoff! “She can have the bed. I’ll take the couch until I can get back home,” Rider offered. Like fuck she can. I fumed. “What did he say, Rider?” Mae asked, measured menace in her voice. She had more edge to her than I’d given her credit for. “He don’t want you staying with me,” Rider replied neutrally. Her ice-blue eyes narrowed. “Agree to it or I leave. I mean it, Styx. I cannot stay with you right now. You must take responsibility for what you have done!” I laughed to myself. Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it? You know what, Mae? Do what the fuck you like. I then pointed at Rider. You touch her, I kill you. Threat made, I turned sharply. “You hurt me!” Mae blurted, her voice breaking. I froze. “You made me feel ashamed of myself… my past… things that I had no control over.” I slowly turned around and saw the fuckin’ shredding pain on her face, in her stance. Christ. Mae folded her arms across her chest, dropped her gaze from mine, and moved to sit next to Rider on the couch… right next Rider. My jaw clenched as her head fell on his shoulder. The brother looked shocked, but I watched that shock turn to a whole lot more. I walked forward and placed my hand on her shoulder. She tensed and shrugged my hand away. “Just go, Styx…” she whispered, and my heart fuckin’ sank. I was such a dumb fuck. With that, I left, intent on drowning my sorrows in my room with my buddy Jim Beam… …Far, far away from any club sluts called Dyson who wanted to suck my cock.

Chapter Fifteen Styx Lois was buried five days later: black-and-chrome casket, dimes on her eyes, and laid to rest next to her folks in our compound’s cemetery—too many bodies filling that space of late. Every brother and their old lady attended… and so did Mae. She linked arms with Rider, propping the brother up and fussing over him like a goddamn nurse. It took everything I had not to launch over the open grave and empty a 9mm into Rider ’s skull. But even a sinner like me can respect the funeral service of a sister. Mae was stoic throughout the whole thing, Rider ’s eyes constantly watching her and me always watching him. I was finding it really fuckin’ hard to deal with his wandering attentions on my bitch. That’s right, I reminded myself. Mae is mine. Just had to convince her of it somehow. ’Cause if she chose Rider over me, blood would be shed… and it ain’t gonna to be mine. Two hours later, dusk settled in. We all gathered in the yard of the compound for the wake, grill lit, Black Sabbath’s “Heaven and Hell” blaring from the speakers, and liquor on free flow. Mae stayed next to Beauty and Letti on the only patch of grass in the entire yard. The three of them were tight as sisters now. I was glad. She needed friends outside of Rider, fuckin’ far, far outside. Time to time, Mae would throw me a glance. Her eyes would bore into mine, but the warmth she’d always had for me was gone. The lust was still shining through as she checked me out, but the happiness and the softness had died. She was fuckin’ all smiles for Rider though, the brother looking kinda different now his hair was loose down his back and his trademark bandana was free from his head. Fuck knows what inspired his change in appearance, but we all noticed him changing before our eyes. He was talking more, socializing more, honing in on my fuckin’ property. Five days. Five damn days of watching Mae grow closer to the club doc while he recovered from his injury. Five days of sitting in the hallway like a fuckin’ stalker, fighting back nausea when he made her laugh. And five days of blue balls and hangovers and not one fuck. Christ, I hadn’t even jacked off. But there’d been one hell of a lot of bourbon. I’d watched her last night in the brother ’s room as she and Rider sat next to one another on the floor, playing some lame-ass board game. A fuckin’ biker playing a board game. Hades himself would be laughing his ass off at the thought. But I wasn’t. Rider was teaching her the rules, guiding her through each play. Her face became more animated as she began to work that shit out on her own, achievement and victory in her expression. One thing was clear: she looked happy. Now, I felt like killing myself every time she flashed him a perfect smile. The smile she used to throw at me. The smile I’d chased away trying to be fuckin’ noble. The smile I’d chased away getting drunk off my ass, fuckin’ things up with Dyson the cum vacuum. To make matters worse, the Nazis’d vanished. They knew one of their own had been caught. They knew he’d spill his guts about their location. The Hangmen had stormed that joint, fully loaded, to take the fuckers out, but the place was a ghost town: overturned tables, drawers emptied, and tire marks on the broken asphalt road. One thing was for sure, with a bid on my head, we had to find the skinhead base before they came at us again. I had too much going for me now. Weren’t ready to burn

in Hell just yet. The beer flowed. Tributes to Lois were made. The wake rolled on. The brothers slipped from paying respects to a fallen sister to an outlaw’s usual acts of debauchery. Ky and the psycho trio led the whoring and drinking. Taking a beer, I walked to the other side of the yard and hunkered down on the ground, leaning against a bale of hay beside the barrel fire. I grabbed my Fender, lit a smoke, and let my fingers take a lyrical walk. Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain” hummed on the strings. Lost in the music, my eyes glazed by the orange glow of the flames, the words slipped out of my mouth. “Someday when we meet up yonder We’ll stroll hand in hand again In land that knows no parting Blue eyes cryin’ in the rain…” With a final strum, the song played off. Casting a quick glimpse around to check I weren’t puling in a crowd, I relaxed. The brothers were now clustered in small groups ’round the yard, some gone home with their families, others fucked off their face, the trio taking target practice at a can perched on Pit’s head. Fuckin’ chaos. As I searched around the yard, Mae was nowhere to be seen. Rider stood beside Smiler, the two of them cutting a fuckin’ miserable picture, all long hair and sullen expressions. But Rider ’s attention was fixed firmly behind me, his eyebrows drawn and his teeth worrying his bottom lip. Only knew one thing to make him act like that of late. Or one person, should I say. Turning my head, I froze when a flow of long black hair whipped in the wind ’round the side of the garage wall. A second later, Mae’s blue eyes peeped around the corner, that small sweet smile on her pink lips. She’d listened to me play… again. But she didn’t want me to know she was there. Leaning forward, I saw Mae’s full face come into view. Her small smile froze when she realized she’d been caught. As she braced to run, I jerked my chin, ordering her to come to me. Her chest rose high in her skintight, floor-length black dress and perfectly fitted leather jacket. Beauty had kitted her out good. With a deep breath, Mae reluctantly, cautiously, came to me. She stood awkwardly at my side, playing with her hands and her eyes were lowered in nerves. Christ, she was stunning—all small in height, perfect tight figure, long black hair, and those huge red lips and crystal-blue eyes… No. Fuckin’. Flaws. Making sure no one was in earshot, I tapped the bale. Mae, flicking her eyes in Rider ’s direction, sagged her shoulders and dropped down onto the bale next to me. She sighed a defeated sigh. We sat in silence for a while, Mae looking out into the trees, me pretty much looking up at her. I was trying to plan how I could make up for being such a prick with Dyson. My jaw had locked, my throat clenched tight. I tried to calm, but shit, I was fuckin’ slammed by nerves. With a heaving sigh, Mae flickered her eyes to me, then back to the fire. Then she broke the awkward tension. “The service today was beautiful, Styx. I have not seen a funeral like that before, the words by the pastor, so considerate of who Lois was. You did well informing him about all her good attributes. I think I would have liked to have known her better.”

I could only nod. I weren’t even thinking ’bout Lois right now as cold as that sounded. It was all Mae. Mae next to me. Mae looking hot as all hell. “When people died in commune, they were anointed with oil and buried, no ceremony. We believed they were with the Lord, so no grieving was necessary. But I believe Lois would have been happy if she could have seen her service. She was honored properly, as every human being should be.” I closed my eyes for a moment, savoring the fact she was done giving me the cold shoulder. Nodding, I reached up and ran my finger along her pale hand. She stilled and watched the action, her eyes fluttering to meet mine. “I-I f-fucked up, Mae. Real b-bad.” Her sharp inhale of breath made me look up. Her blue eyes glistened, fixed back on the fire, her lips tight and white. “Mae, l-look at m-me.” Subtly wiping the tears from under her eyes, she did as I asked. “I fucked up.” Mae took in another deep breath and pressed her fingers to my lips. “Your speech is better.” Rearing back in shock, I asked, “Is it?” “Mm-hmm. You sound less… strained. Your eyes do not twitch as much and your words come quicker.” Raking back my dark hair, my other hand still flush with hers, I smirked. “M-missed talking to you. Missed h-having you watching me. Maybe th-that’s why.” A blush raced up her pale skin and she whispered, “I have missed you too.” She sighed. “Very much. I feel like all I do is miss you: as a child after our first meeting, when you went on your run for a month… when you took another woman instead of me…” “I f-fucked up, Mae. I r-really f-fucked up,” I said again. Her hand squeezed mine and she whispered, “You hurt me. I am so tired of being hurt by men.” Shifting closer, I smoothed back her heavy curtain of hair and brought her hand to my lips. I carefully kissed the back. “You f-forgive me, babe?” Closing her eyes, she laid her head on my shoulder. Christ, did it feel right. “I forgive you. I shall always forgive you.” “Babe,” I whispered. My heart pounded against my ribs. “I n-never touched D-Dyson. She put on a show, but I c-couldn’t do it. I-I was dr-drunk off my ass, and I—” “I know. Beauty and Letti explained it to me,” Mae interrupted. “Mae. That n-night…” I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. “The s-scars…” Her eyes were huge and so fuckin’ blue. I was making her nervous. “I d-didn’t know how to d-deal. I felt like a… a… rrapist, p-pouncing on you like I did. Lois dead. You were n-nearly killed. I weren’t d-dealin’ with shit like a Prez shoulda.” Rubbing my hand along my throat, I said, “I-I just g-got you. I t-tried to stay away, do the right thing. B-because I ain’t no good for you. But fuck, I want you so b-bad I feel like I-I c-can’t breathe. Can’t p-push you away n-no more. Need to have you c-close.” We stayed silent for a fuckin’ age before Mae spoke, her hand gripping mine tightly. “I was eight when I met you that day, you know.” I jerked in shock. We hadn’t talked much about the past. Shit, we hadn’t talked much about anything. My fault for pushing her away. Knew she’d escaped some cult behind that fence. Didn’t know why or how, but I could guess it was bad by the way she never brought it up… and those fuckin’ rape scars… Mae stared unseeing into the fire, then slipped slowly to the ground beside me. She leaned back

against the bale. I pulled her closer between my legs, her back right to my chest. I had a feeling she’d need me for this shit. She was breathing so hard, so I rolled back her long black hair and kissed up the side of her neck. She trembled in my arms, then a long exhale seemed to calm her right down. “I-I g-guessed you were around that age. I was el-eleven.” I finally replied. Relaxing back against my chest, she sighed. “I… I had just taken part in my first brother-sister sharing. I was stupid to resist the act. But I was so young and terrified. I tried to fight back when they forced me on the mattress and ripped off my dress. I had the bladed trap forced between my legs… to…”—her timid eyes flashed up to mine in embarrassment before once again dipping to the ground —“keep my legs… wide open to the chosen disciple. His name was Jacob. From that day on, it was almost always him who selected me. He was in his thirties at the time. That first day, my ‘Awakening’ as they called it, I resisted until I was broken in. As I grew older, I just grew… desensitized to it all.” My hands gripped Mae around her waist and I shook in anger. A thirty-year-old man fucked an eight-year-old chick with some bear-trap contraption prying her innocent pussy open. Sick motherfucker. What kind of pervert does that shit to a kid? Sick motherfuckers, the lot of ’em. “B-babe, you t-telling me y-you were r-r-raped at age eight?” I bit out. “Yes,” she whispered. “And I ran into the forest afterward. I had to get away from it all. I had no idea what had happened. I didn’t even know what sex was before that day. We were kept separate from boys and men. We lived in separate buildings within the commune. It was quite the introduction to life with the opposite sex. I wanted to die, Styx. I was so sore, so ashamed.” She swerved and ran her soft, shaking hand down my cheek. “And then I met you. You made me forget it all for a while. I was fascinated by you, entranced by your face; well, all of you—your dress, your beautiful hazel eyes. I had never seen an outsider before. We were instructed to believe that outsiders were evil, but when I saw you trying to communicate, trying to help me; you, instead, looked like my savior. You were my savior that day. I never once told anyone about you, but I thought of you all the time. I dreamt about you often. You were my assurance, my guarantee that beyond the rigid metal cell I had been trapped in, there was real hope. I watched you try to speak, the struggle you had. I was so confused by you.” I coughed out a short laugh. “I b-bet. I c-couldn’t speak for shit b-back then. The only two people II’d ever uttered a word to were my ol-old man and Ky. But seeing you, curled up in that p-pilgrim dress and w-whimpering, forced me to talk. Y-your beautiful eyes d-drew me in.” Mae’s pouting red lips tugged into a shy smile. “Still do. B-been torture you sh-shutting me out like this for d-days.” I had to ask the question burning in my mind. I just had to know. “You l-like R-Rider, Mae? You want h-him?” She sat up, shocked, and her mouth dropped. “It is not like that! Rider is a good friend. He has never been anything but nice to me. He risked his life for me at the park, for goodness sake. He saved me, took a bullet to save my life. He understands how I was raised, Styx. I like him. He is a kind and honest man.” “You t-told him ’bout your b-background?” “No, I did not tell him! You now know most about me, Styx, but he understands the scripture I—we all—had to live by. Rider has lived by it too, I think. He helps me make sense of this outside world… this club… even you, your role as President, things you must do to protect your brothers.” As she stroked my cheek, the bristles of my unshaven jaws scratched underneath her short nails. “You have to understand, Styx. Life out here, outside the commune, is so confusing for me. Half the time I have no clue what people are talking to me about. I just smile and nod, hoping they do not realize my confusion. I do not know all the modern devices that dominate your day-to-day life. I certainly do not understand the rules and the behavior of the men at this club. The way you speak to

each other, to women, seems so wrong. It scares me at times. Rider understands my faith; no, my old faith. I do not know what I believe anymore or what to believe for that matter. Rider has not pushed me to be any different than I already am. He really did care for me when you were away, when you entrusted me to his care. I admit I do like him. Rider is my closest friend here in your world. I shall not give him up willingly, Styx. I… I need him.” A great fuckin’ sinking feeling materialized in my stomach. I didn’t know shit about her, did I? I wasn’t sure I could deal with Mae being that close to Rider and sleeping in my bed. I was possessive and not into sharing. But I’d fuckin’ pushed them together. I wanted to shoot my own ass for being so goddamn stupid. Of course the brother would fall for Mae. She was fuckin’ perfect. The brother had clearly fallen hard, and shit, he was a better choice for her than me, that was for sure. Didn’t mean I was giving her up, though. No. Fuckin’. Way. Mae cleared her throat and her big blue eyes lifted up to meet mine. “I have only ever liked one boy in my life. I have only wanted one man to have as my own. I have only ever had one dream since I was eight. Styx, the dream is you. You stole my heart fifteen years ago and you still haven’t given it back.” “B-babe,” I murmured, my heart fuckin’ slamming. Flattening my palms to her stomach, I ran them up and down her torso, smiling at her hitch in breath as my nose ran along her neck, my teeth scraping against the exposed skin. Pressing my lips to her ear, I whispered, “I w-want you too. F-fuck, I want you in m-my bed, by my side, on m-my bike. I w-want you as m-my old lady. Taking c-care of me, n-needing me… letting me inside you.” Her breath paused, but the release of a long, relieved sigh said it all. Mae wanted that too. As she laid her head in the crook between my shoulder and neck, she reached up around my head with her hand and played with the back of my hair. Damn. I actually felt happy. Despite all the shit threatening the club—the Russian deal, the shooting, Lois taking lead to her skull, and the Nazis gunning after me—I was happy. For the first time since my old man had gone to the boatman last year, I felt fuckin’ good. Mae was mine. Fifteen long years of wanting her to be mine, and here she sat, curled up in my arms—a fuckin’ angel in hell. “Styx?” Mae asked as I pulled her even closer. “Mmm?” I murmured, licking around the shell of her ear, loving her tensing her stomach in need as I did so. “I loved what you were playing. When you play the guitar and sing, it… well, I think it is my most favorite thing in the world. We were prohibited from listening to music at commune. When we were younger, my sister and I found an old radio in the forest. We managed to listen to it for thirty minutes before a guard found us. He took it away. I have never forgotten it, though, hearing the melodies, adoring the poetry of the lyrics. Prophet David issued an order shortly after that. Music was banned from then on. “He preached that the devil could speak to us through the lyrics.” She let out a disbelieving laugh. “I believed it with all my heart. After all, Prophet David was God’s vessel on Earth. For years I worried that being entranced by the music had made me a bad person and that the devil had tried to make me fall. Now, I think it was all a falsehood. In fact, I am beginning to think all I have believed my whole life is a falsehood. I find myself questioning if there is even a God. Or is religion used to control people, for a small group of people to get what they want?” She lifted my hand to stare at my fingers. “But hearing you play, it is so pure, so sincere… it frees

you. This is when I believe there is more to life than what I have seen so far. I cannot imagine anything so beautiful being so evil. You make me find my faith once more.” “I-it’s the only t-time I can sp-speak right. When I sing, I d-don’t feel no pressure. It’s my p-peace.” As she smiled, I brushed my lips past hers and said, “That and y-you. Something in my brain freezes when I t-try to speak to folks. B-but with you, my throat just o-opens up and l-lets that shit flow.” Squeezing my hand, she said, “You have a beautiful voice. I wish I could play and sing like you.” Reaching to my left, I lifted my treasured Fender and laid it across Mae’s lap. “Done.” Turning her face slowly to meet mine, she frowned and said, “What?” “You. G-guitar. I-I’ll teach you.” “You will?” she asked as her whole damn face lit up in excitement. “Mm-hmm.” Placing the guitar neck to the left, I placed her fingers in the first position on the strings. “This h-here’s a ch-chord.” Taking her right hand, I placed it below mine and guided it to strum. G-chord sounded out. Her eyes met mine and she smiled, urging, “Okay, keep going.” Moving the fingers on the neck to the next position, we strummed again. “D-ch-chord.” Her shoulders danced in excitement and my fuckin’ heart swelled. “Teach me a song.” “Wh-which one?” Her smile faded. “I… I do not know any songs to suggest.” Her lips suddenly hooked up again in an addictive grin. “The one you were playing in the bar when I first arrived. I want to learn that one.” I tried to think back and, a second later, I smirked. “Y-you l-like Tom Waits?” Her excited expression told me she did. Pressing a kiss to her shoulder, I said, “Bitch a-after my own h-heart.” “You play it first. Show me how.” I set my fingers on the right chords about to begin, when she cut in. “And make sure to sing. I want to hear your voice.” Giving her a nod, I fixed my eyes on hers and strummed the intro, singing the opening line close to her ear. “And I hope that I don’t fall in love with you, ’cause falling in love just makes me blue…” Replacing her hands for mine, I helped her get the right chords. Just as she was about to strum, I said, “M-make sure to s-sing. I want to h-hear your v-voice.” Her black eyebrows shot north. “I cannot sing!” I couldn’t help it, but I had to laugh. “Sure you can.” “But—” I flashed her my stern stare. Shaking her head, she smiled. “Okay!” “P-play.” Keeping my hands on top of Mae’s, her small hands played over the strings, the intro stilted and choppy, but I helped her fumble her way through and just as she built up to the lyrics, her nervous eyes flitted to mine. “Well, I hope that I don’t fall in love with you, ’cause falling in love just makes me blue…” Holy shit. She was beautiful, all of her, outside and in, including her soft, breathy voice. My breath caught in response and my hands fell away from the top of hers, causing Mae to stop and grimace my way. “Was it that bad?” she asked. Swallowing hard, I shook my head. “B-babe. That was p-perfect.” Grasping the neck of the guitar, I yanked it off Mae’s lap. Gripping her chin between my fingers, I drew her face to mine. “Styx?” she whispered as her eyes glazed and they flickered to my lips. My hands fisted through her hair and I began pulling her in. I needed those damn lips back on mine.

“Mae?” I froze as someone called her name beside me. Mae’s eyes widened in embarrassment. Drawing back from my grip, she looked up to find Rider a couple yards away. He held his shoulder as if in pain and stared down at the two us. As Mae shuffled back a few inches, I jumped to my feet and charged in Rider ’s direction. “Styx, no!” Mae shouted from behind me as I met Rider chest to chest, teeth bared, and getting more pissed by the second. He didn’t even look my way once, too focused on Mae, showing no fuckin’ fear of what was about to happen. Look at me! I signed, my hands moving right in front of his face. “Are you ready to go in now, Mae? I’m tired. I wanna hit the hay.” Rider spoke forcefully, like I didn’t even fuckin’ exist. Before I knew what happened, I’d shoved my palms against his chest, launching Rider back about five yards. “Fuck!” he hissed, stumbling back, wincing as he held his injured shoulder. Fucker is seeing me now! “I said stop!” Mae swerved in front of me, holding me back with her hands on my pulsing chest. I met her pleading eyes. “Please… he is hurt. Do not harm him.” Removing her hands from my chest, she hurried over to Rider, helping him get upright. Her hands fussed all over his body as she whispered something to him. His tight eyes softened as his good hand ran down her arm. I walked to where they were, seriously considering ripping that arm from its socket. I barely noticed the brothers lifting their drunk asses off the floor and staggering to their feet, watching the show. “What’s going on, Mae?” Rider asked in a quiet voice, looking at Mae like she should be on his arm, in his bed. The brother fuckin’ wishes. “I…” She flashed a worried look back at me. “I—” She’s with me. She belongs to me, I signed, the brother this time reading every spelled-out word. Something lit in Rider ’s expression, an emotion so severe I didn’t think he was capable of feeling. “He right, Mae?” Mae frowned, unaware of what’d been said. I tried to speak in front of Rider, but my jaw locked and I couldn’t push it out. At that moment, I fuckin’ hated my retarded speech. I tried to get the words out, my eyes blinking hard, but only a quiet wheezing grunt was heard from my mouth. “He said you’re his. Said you’re his property now. That right?” Rider said rigidly. Mae glanced over her shoulder to me and her upper lip curled into a smile. “Is it true?” He pushed but this time in a harsher tone. You fuckin’ questioning me, brother? I signed real fast. Rider ’s lips tightened in response. Mae reached down and took Rider ’s hand, cutting off his glare. “We have been talking. Working things out.” “Is that right?” Rider countered. “Rider. Look at me.” I watched as his chest heaved and his eyes narrowed on me. Never had a problem with Rider before but, over Mae, it was fuckin’ game on. As I stepped forward, pressing against Mae’s back, only a couple of feet from Rider, she slammed a palm on each of our chests. “Rider! Look at me!” With an exaggerated sigh, Rider gave her his full attention. “You are my best friend. Please, do not be like this. Be happy for me.” He sighed and his fuckin’ face fell. “Is he what you want?” “He has always been what I want.” Mae’s hand weakened on my chest. “It is him and only him. It is

Styx. It will always be Styx.” She spun around to take Rider by both arms. “But I need you too… You mean so much to me.” Rider seemed to stare at Mae for an eternity before he nodded stiffly at her and began backing away. Mae cried after him. “Rider, please!” Fully turning his back on my woman, Rider thundered to the clubhouse and out of sight. He left Mae standing alone. Brothers were all standing around gaping at us. Viking jerked his chin at Mae and laughed. “Fuck, girl. You got beer-flavored nipples or some shit? Why’re Prez and Doc going nuts for your skinny pale ass?” Ky walked past Viking, hit him upside his red head, and ordered, “Shut it, Vike.” From behind, I hooked my arm ’round Mae’s neck and whispered, “C-come on, you. Y-you’re with me.” Mae reluctantly tore her eyes from the door Rider had just walked through. I tucked her under my arm and strolled past the brothers. Ky shook his head as we passed, a knowing grin on his face. I suppose that was him finally approving. “She yours, Styx?” Beauty asked from next to Tank. Tank winked in my direction. Mae’s my woman, my property. Spread the word, I signed back. Beauty beamed a smile and translated for everyone else. “‘Bout fuckin’ time,” AK shouted out to our retreating backs, quickly followed by jeers and several beer bottles smashing to the ground. Entering the garage, we walked up the back staircase to my apartment. As we entered the door, Mae announced, “Back again.” Hooking an arm around her neck, I replied, “You sh-should never have f-fuckin’ left.” Slipping off her leather jacket, she laid it over the chair and slouched down on the worn flat cushion. Moving to crouch before her, I cupped her face in my hands. Tears were brimming in her eyes, falling down her cheeks. “Y-you okay?” I tried not to show my worry for her. “He looked so hurt.” She sniffed as she wiped at her eyes with her hands. I clenched my jaw, kinda pissed she was so upset for Rider. I stood up and holding out my hand for her to take, said, “Get y-your l-leathers.” I needed to get out of this fuckin’ place for a while. Her eyebrows pulled down in confusion. “Why?” “You’re c-coming with m-me.” A short laugh graced her lips. “Where are we going?” “Out.” Her happiness soon faded. I raised an eyebrow in question. “My leathers—all my things—are still in Rider ’s room.” As I turned for the door, Mae’s hand gently gripped my arm. “I’ll go.” “Fuck, n-no!” “Styx…” “I’ll g-get them. N-no arguments.” I leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. With a low moan, her hands wrapped in my hair and she pressed her chest flush against mine, her pert tits pushing into my chest. My hands laid flat against her back, and skirting them down the thin material of Mae’s dress, I found the globes of her tight ass, groaning against her mouth as my cock hardened in my jeans, pushing against her stomach. Finding my sanity before I fucked her on my unmade bed, I broke the kiss, pressing my forehead to hers. Flushed and breathless, Mae stepped back and I raced down the stairs to the clubhouse and toward Rider ’s room, tucking my boner into my jeans.

Hammering on the door, I then tried the handle when there was no answer. As I entered the dark room, I didn’t notice the brother on his couch, clutching a bottle of Patrón. His dead eyes snapped to mine as I moved to the closet and began ripping down Mae’s clothes off the hangers, stuffing them into her bag lying on the closet floor. As I zipped up the bag, making sure her tiny leathers were on top, I turned only to find Rider throwing back the tequila, his lifeless eyes boring into mine. Throwing the strap over my shoulder, I made a move to pass when he muttered, “You ain’t no good for her, you know.” That stopped me on a dime. Walking three steps back, I signed, And who is? You? A flash of white teeth shined through from beneath his dark beard as he grimaced and he shrugged. “Hell no. No fucker is. She’s too good for anyone in this fucked-up club. But I do get her, Prez. Do know her. And I know you. You’ll only fuck her around, break her when you cast her aside. Look at Lois, miserable her whole bastard life, now gone to Hades… because of you. You made her think she’d be your old lady one day. She stuck around, put in her time. Then Mae turns up and you shit on Lois, and then on Mae, with fuckin’ Dyson for fuck’s sake! She deserves more than you. More than all of us.” Springing forward, I fisted Rider ’s cut, really talking myself down from stabbing him in the chest and pissing in the open wound. Throwing him back to the couch, the shit didn’t even try to protect his injured arm. Mae’s mine. Nothing to do with you. How I treat her and what we do ain’t none of your concern. And as for Lois… Talk ’bout her again and I’ll cut out your fuckin’ tongue. You wanna keep that patch, you better learn to fuckin’ respect me, I signed, laying a punch to the Road Captain patch on his cut. As his biker boots planted to the floor, Rider sprang to his feet. He smashed the bottle against the wall, the liquor and glass spraying around the room. First time I’d seen the brother break. “You made her my concern when you handed her to me! When you didn’t want her fuckin’ things up for you! Now after weeks and weeks of you treating her like shit, she’s straight in your bed. It’s a fuckin’ joke. She should be with me!” Why? ’Cause you were a Jesus freak growing up? Don’t mean ’cause you know how to spout the fuckin’ thing she’s learned to despise, the thing that ruined her damn life, you’re meant to be with her. Strutting forward, I got right in the brother ’s face, the strong liquor reeking on his breath. You and me, brother. Got no issue as long as you stay the fuck away from Mae. She wants you as a friend. I don’t. Heal, do your runs, but if you get in my way with MY bitch, I’ll have no problem slitting your fuckin’ throat. Laughing in my face, drunk off his ass, he smiled. “Yeah, she’s gotta damn Prince Charming in you, Prez. The bitch is beyond beautiful but I’m starting think she has no fuckin’ sense.” I saw red. Wrenching back my hand, I knocked the fucker out with a crack to his jaw. As he crumpled on the couch, I grabbed the bag and stormed from the room. Tossing the bag on my bed when I arrived back in my apartment, a startled Mae shot up from the chair. “I’ll b-be outside. Five m-m-minutes.” With a nod from my woman, I headed to the yard and revved up my Harley. I just fuckin’ needed to ride.

Chapter Sixteen Styx Exactly four minutes later, Mae stepped out into the warm night, head to toe in skintight black leather. My hands tightened on my Fat Boy’s handlebars, my leather gloves grinding at my too-tight grip. Her long black hair was back in a braid and she rocked a pair of kickass black, short round-toed cowboy boots on her small feet. Stepping toward me, she held her hands out to the side. “What do you think?” Biting my lip ring between my teeth, I smiled and gave her a slow appreciative nod. Heeling back the kickstand, my two feet planted on the ground as Mae sat behind me, her arms instantly wrapping around my waist. Briefly closing my eyes, I exhaled. It felt so damn right. She belonged on the back of my bike. It killed me seeing her like this with Rider. No. Fuckin’. More. My bike or none at all. With a click of the control, the large metal gate opened and we rolled out of the compound. The warm breeze instantly whipped against my face and Mae buried her head into my cut, clutching me close. I knew just the place to take her. Passing the two agents that were always on surveillance for the ATF, I flicked them the middle finger. Mae giggled into the Hades patch on my back. As we cruised down the open back roads, I was able to breathe, reboot, relax. I’d always loved being on the open road: no pressures, no expectations, no fucker needing me to talk. Spotting my turnoff, I leaned left, scrambling down a narrow trail road coming out on the Colorado River. Slowing to a crawl, I heard Mae gasp. I knew she’d love this route. I was trespassing on private land, of course, but no one would stop us. I was the motherfuckin’ Hangmen Mute! They’d run far, far away. Mae’s hands unclasped from around my waist, her arms lifting in the air. Checking her out in my wing mirror, I watched her tip back her head, hands touching sky, eyes closed, her face lapping up the sweet taste of freedom. I wanted her. Right fuckin’ now. Rolling to a stop, I hit the kickstand, parking the Harley beside a large oak. Turning around on my bike, I grabbed Mae’s thighs and pulled her onto my lap, right over my hard cock. Her blue eyes widened, their pools of color reflecting in the moonlight. Then that fuckin’ nose of hers twitched. In an instant, my hand wrapped around her head and I smashed my lips to her mouth. Mae was into it, giving me everything right back. Tucking my hands under her ass, I groaned when she rocked against my dick. Breaking the kiss, my head dropped back to a hiss, a small knowing smile spreading on her lips. Mae clasped her hands ’round my neck and shifted forward, her pussy slipping right along my cock. “Ah,” I hissed and, using my neck for balance, Mae began to grind that pussy back and forth, her eyes widening, immediately getting off on it too. Reaching up with one hand, the other hurrying the movements of her hips, I zipped down her jacket, her thin Hangmen tank underneath. Palming her tit, I massaged the flesh and my eyes rolled

back—no fuckin’ bra. Jesus. This bitch was gonna kill me. Wrenching down the neck of her tank, her smooth milky skin came into view, her fat dusky nipple hard like a pink bullet. Ducking down, I wrapped my mouth around her tit, a loud moan slipping from her mouth as she worked her hips even faster. Fuck, it was too good. I was gonna come… from a bitch dry-humping me through my jeans, on my bike… fuck. Mae’s breath came hard and fast, the nails on her fingers digging into the flesh of my neck. Moving back, I leaned against the Harley’s handlebars and Mae released her hold and palmed her hands on my chest. Sucking on my lip ring, my hips jerked as she rocked back and forth, her eyes locked on mine as her breath paused. A long, guttural moan ripped from her throat. The sight of her head flung back, firm round tits out on show and coming like a tidal wave made me come, my cock so hard under her warm pussy I thought it was gonna burst through the zipper. As her hips slowed, Mae’s jerky movements sent aftershocks right through my groin, and I gripped her tank at the waist as she wound herself down. Finally done, Mae crashed forward, her chest meeting mine, her warm breath blowing against my neck and her hands tucking around my waist. I watched the sea of stars up above and as we lay in silence, I wrapped Mae’s braid around my hand. Then she lifted her head, a pink blush spreading on her cheeks. Moving down, she brushed her lips against mine, rearing back a fraction to whisper, “Sinning never felt so good.” “Am I c-corrupting you, b-babe?” I said, unable to stop from smirking. Mae’s finger traced lazy circles on my chest. “You are my biggest temptation, Styx, my personal forbidden fruit. But I want you regardless of if it is deemed wrong or immoral. I want you to… to…” Her eyebrows pulled down as she struggled to find the right words. “What do your biker women say…?” Her nose scrunched in thought, then she smiled excitedly and looked up at me with her stunning, huge wolf eyes. “I want you to own me.” She lifted to her elbows, her hips twitching in need. “I want you to… to…” Mae blushed and dipped her head. I placed my finger under her chin and forced her head up to see me. “You w-want me t-to f-fuck you, Mae.” Her tongue darted out and she licked along her bottom lip, nodding her head. “Tonight, Styx… despite the scars. I want you to show me what being with a man should be like. What giving my body and soul to you should be like.” Fuck… Me… Sitting upright, I pressed a kiss to the pulse on Mae’s neck and announced, “L-let’s get the fuck hhome.” Forty minutes later and too many repeats of Nine Inch Nail’s “Closer” ripping through my head, we rolled down the country road to the compound, Mae licking and biting at my neck, her hand drifting over my still-granite cock, unable to keep her hands off me. It was the fuckin’ worst form of torture and, for the first time in my life, I almost crashed my bike. As we approached the back road to the clubhouse, a blacked-out truck parked off to the side caught my attention. Cutting the headlights, plunging us into darkness, I signaled for Mae to be quiet as I turned slowly into the gravel side road. I moved quietly to higher ground to check out who was scoping the compound. Rolling to the top of the grassy hill, I could see the black Chevy truck about fifty yards away from the main gate. It had a fuckin’ ton of ammo in the back, what looked like homemade IED’s, and a big ol’ swastika bumper sticker on the tailgate. “F-Fuck!” I hissed quietly. “What is it?” Mae asked, concern in her breathy voice.

“FUCK!” I spat out again. Mae’s whole body stiffened. “What, Styx? You are scaring me.” “G-Gotta take you b-back.” “No! What about you? I want to stay with you—” “Mae! G-Gotta get you back inside. G-Gotta be p-protected.” As quietly as possible we rolled down the hill, engine cut, then I hit the remote for the gate, the metal grinding as the gate started to move. That got the Neo fuckers’ attention. Wheels began burning rubber and they jetted off down the road. Pussies. Don’t have the balls to take on the Hangmen on even ground. My bike’s engine roared to life as I hit the ignition and gunned it to the gate. I skidded to an abrupt stop. “M-Mae, off. Tell Ky to call me. I g-gotta chase them.” We had to know where they were hiding out. It was my only chance. The pricks were getting too close to getting their hit. Too fuckin’ close. Mae began shaking her head, tears filling her eyes, gripping too tight to my waist, refusing to let me go. Jumping off my bike, I lifted her up and planted her feet on the asphalt instructing her exactly what to tell Ky. “Y-you g-got all that?” I asked when I’d finished speaking. She nodded and I jumped back on my bike. She still didn’t move. “Mae! D-do it!” “Styx—” she cried, stepping forward. “B-BABE! GO!” Stumbling away, she begged, “Come back to me… please…” and ran full force into the clubhouse. FUCK! Roaring away with a screech on the empty road, I pursued the Chevy. I was sure I caught sight of the fucker a few miles down the road. Dropping back, I killed my headlights, smirking when the skinheads slowed, thinking they got away good and free. They had no idea of the fuckin’ shitstorm about to blow their way. Forty-five minutes later, the Chevy turned onto a dark dirt road, leading to a rundown cattle ranch. The skinheads in black balaclavas got out and entered the old barn. The fuckers were all together, easy targets, but Ky still hadn’t called for the location. Parking my Harley off the side of the road, I checked my cell. Fuck, it was dead. SHIT! I knew I should’ve waited for the brothers. As much as I knew I could handle shit myself, I weren’t sure I’d come out of this alive. But I had no choice. The fuckers could move again and we’d be back to square one. I needed to protect Mae. Couldn’t have her taking a slug in the skull for me too. Mind made up, I pulled out my handgun from the waistband of my jeans, checked it was loaded and drew two Uzi submachine guns from my Harley’s saddlebags. Now armed, I ran across the field to the side of the barn, ducking down beside an old rusty Dodge Coronet RT. I glanced through the loose panels of wood. The Nazis were sitting around on tables, the assholes deep in conversation, debriefing no doubt, planning their next step. No weapons in sight, but the fuckers would be packing heat for sure. There were nine Neo’s in total. ’Bout the right size for a small Klan out here in Austin—but it was eight more than my posse of one. Gripping an Uzi in each hand, I took a deep breath and ran round to the front entrance. With a kick of the shitty gate, the skinheads were right in my line of fire, shock clear on their ugly fuckin’ faces.

Only one thought went through my head as I opened fire, a spray of bullets ripping through their bodies like butter; chunks of brain plastering the wooden walls of the barn and blood gushing outta ’em like geysers… … Heil Hitler, motherfuckers!

Chapter Seventeen Mae I could actually hear my heartbeat thunder in my ears as I crashed through the doors of the clubhouse. I made a beeline for the lounge where really loud music blasted out of massive speakers. I threw open the door and immediately searched the room. No Ky! Flame was sat on a chair, a sharp blade in his hands, slicing down his left arm, smiling as he looked at the dripping blood. Running in his direction, I paused before him, but he was too entranced. Grimacing at what he was doing, I sucked in a breath, trying to ignore the tinny smell of copper. “Flame!” A spurt of blood gushed from his wrist onto my jacket and his head rolled back with an ecstatic hiss from his mouth. I pushed at his shoulders. “FLAME!” The brother snapped open his coal-black eyes and, gripping my wrists, pulled me forward, his teeth bared and covered in a watery sheen of blood. Recognition soon flooded his features and he instantly let go of my wrists. “Mae?” he half asked, half stated, his black eyes softening a fraction. As I rubbed my sore wrists, I shouted, “Where is Ky?” Flame got to his feet, no shirt on his completely inked chest. I immediately removed my gaze from his bare torso with its scars—long, red, angry, raised—and burn marks, hundreds of them edged in scar tissue. My goodness. What had happened to Flame? “His room’s third on the right.” Nodding, I again averted my gaze from his self-mutilation and took off for the room. I slapped frantically on the beaten dark wood door but Ky’s music was too loud. Too impatient to politely wait for answer, I shouldered the door and instantly froze as I stumbled into the room. Naked, Ky was on his back, Tiffany riding his erect length. Jules, all her body exposed, had her privates over Ky’s mouth as she sucked on Tiffany’s breasts. It was a sinful den of hedonism and not one of them took the slightest bit of notice as I stood there in disbelief. The music and their noises, the slapping and sucking sounds of their joining, had drowned out the crash of the door. “Ky!” I tried to scream over the cacophony, but he did not stop. Spotting the stereo beside the bed, I ran over, almost tripping on an array of peculiar-looking plastic toys. Some were vibrating and rotating as they twitched along the wooden floor. Making sure not to stare at the writhing figures on the bed, I began hitting the stereo and after several slaps, managed to mute the volume. As if in a daze, Tiffany looked up first, yet she did not stop in her joining. “Mae?” she confirmed, breathlessly. Obviously hearing my name, Ky unseated Jules’ spread legs from across his mouth, pushing her to one side. With a yelp, the blonde almost toppled off the bed. Rising to his elbows, Ky wiped her juices off his lips with his arm.

Concern immediately washed across his face; Ky asked, “Mae, what’s up?” Ky pushed against Tiffany’s shoulders, halting her grinding, her back hitting the iron railings on the foot of the bed. His hard manhood came into view, so I turned away, speaking over my shoulder. “It is Styx. He has gone after them on his own. Ky, I am terrified. There were so many of them!” I rushed out, my voice betraying my panic. Ky’s blood drained from his face. He jumped out of bed and dressed rapidly in his jeans, black shirt, and leather cut. “Who’s he gone after, Mae? Explain, now!” He hopped as he tugged on his boots. I followed him out to the hallway. He accelerated hard as his fists pounded on the doors of the brothers’ private rooms. He screamed, “Business! Move out now!” Turning to face me once again, he said, “Mae, talk!” Viking, AK and Smiler shot out of their rooms rubbing at their bloodshot eyes. “Styx and I went for a ride. When we came back to the compound, there was a big black truck parked to the side of the gate. A… a…” I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to remember what Styx had said. Snapping my eyes open, I blurted, “A Chevy. A black Chevy truck. He told me to tell you it was full of ammo and it was the… Nazis?” I looked Ky straight in the eye. His mouth had tightened into a thin line. “Is that right, Ky? The Nazis?” He nodded and turned to punch the wall. “Fuck! He’s gone in alone. The fuckin’ stupid dick!” The brothers as one ran into the lounge. Flame still sat on the chair, the tip of his long blade now pressed into his thigh, making deep cuts. His heavily tattooed, flamed neck strained and he sported a large bulge in his jeans. My Lord, I thought; his self-inflicted pain excited him… sexually. Seeing the commotion, Flame stood, his black eyes twinkling at the implication of danger—no, death. That was the only way to describe it. Death was just lurking under the surface. Flame had demons tormenting his soul. “What?” Flame asked in a deep guttural tone. “Nazis. Styx. The stupid bastard’s gone in alone,” Ky explained tightly. Flame’s teeth clenched and his thick neck strained, writhing with corded veins. He released a roar and began slapping his chest, his blade still clutched in his hands ripping into his already marred skin. I wanted to reach out for him to stop, to stop hurting himself so badly, but it was as if he had an impenetrable aura wrapped around him, which kept the entire world at bay. “He said to call him for his location,” I recalled, dragging my attention back on the matter at hand. Ky dug into his pocket as Tank, Beauty, Letti, and Bull appeared through the front entrance. Obviously they had been in the yard. Tank and Bull stormed over to the brothers; Viking brought them up to date on recent events. “Shit!” Tank spat out. “That branch of the Klan are real fucked up. And I mean like real fucked up. Grand Wizard is Johnny Landry. The worst man I’ve ever met; total fascist bastard, as in extreme. He’s serving time right now, but he’s trained his crew well. No loyalty to no one outside of White Power. They get Prez, he’s dead. They’ll peel his skin off his damn bones just for fun. That or they’ll lynch him—it’s their signature. They’re old school.” Tank rubbed a long prominent scar that ran from the back of his shaved skull to the left side of his forehead. “I should know. When I got out of that life, this was their parting gift.” My mouth dropped open. Tank used to be a Nazi? Beauty listened to her man with shining eyes as Tank informed the brothers of the Nazis murder preferences. Suddenly, I choked out a small cry, trying to force back the wave of nausea building in my stomach. Immediately, Beauty ran over to me, throwing her arms around my shoulders. “Shh, Mae. He’ll be good. It’s Styx. Ain’t no one getting that stubborn man to Hades without one

hell of fight first. He’s The Hangmen Mute. He’s invincible.” “FUCK!” Ky screamed. I froze in Beauty’s arms, my full attention on Ky. He looked me straight in the eye, intense worry in his gaze. “His cell’s dead.” Ky marched right up to me and planted his hands on my shoulders, his blue eyes imploring. “Where did he go? Think, Mae. Think. Any intel’s good.” I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. “He just drove off. North, I think, after the truck. It had a sticker on the back, a swas… erm, a-a swas… I cannot remember the name!” “A swastika?” Ky prompted, desperation haunting his expression. “Yes, that is what Styx said, a swastika. He said he had to follow them to find their base. He told me to get you to call him immediately so he could give you the location. He said it was his only chance to go get them.” Ky’s head lowered in disappointment and Tank stepped forward. “Ky, orders? A plan? You’re in charge now.” Ky dug the heel of his hands into his eyes, groaning out loud. Shaking himself alert, he pointed at the brothers. “Viking, AK, Flame, Smiler, get on the road. Try and find tracks, signs of Styx, fuck, anything. Call me if you find him. Meet back here in two hours if nothing.” The four men nodded and immediately headed out the door. “Tank, Bull, get the brothers mobilized, the ones who’ve gone home. Get onto the cops on payroll, face to face. Make the bastards talk. Find out if any of them know where the skinhead fuckers might be hiding out. I’m hitting the road too. Meet back here in two hours. I’m hoping Styx is found before then, then I’m gonna kick his fuckin’ ass myself.” Ky looked to Letti and Beauty. “You two stay with Mae. Styx’ll appreciate that. She’s probably gonna need y’all.” My stomach sank at his ominous words. Ky left in a hurry. He did not look back. Ky thinks Styx is going to die. My knees grew weak as I half collapsed onto the long brown couch. My hand covered my mouth. “If anyone can take those fuckers out, it’ll be Styx.” Letti tried to be of comfort. It did calm me slightly. She always spoke her true feelings. Beauty stroked hair from my face. “You okay, honey’?” A sobering thought hit me hard. “He is going to kill people tonight,” I proclaimed. Beauty flashed a worried look to Letti, who just shrugged. Beauty gripped my hand. “Mae, it’s the life they’re in. If he don’t kill them, they’ll kill him.” I sat back, feeling deflated. The harsh reality of how Styx lived hit home… hard. He killed. Styx killed often and in large numbers. I had been taught that to kill a person was a mortal sin; killers go straight to hell. But I knew Styx, that is, the good side. Even knowing he takes lives, I could not bring myself to think ill of him. Lord, I want him… just him. One fleeting memory of his handsome face made me feel hot and I struggled to sit still. He was so strong and so… raw. He must return to me. He must make me his… in every way. We were fated to be together. The door behind us crashed open; its wood smacked against the wall with an enormous bang. Propelling me from my dazed state, I saw Rider staggering through to the lounge. He looked distinctly disheveled in his rumpled white shirt and crumpled jeans. Rider rubbed his bruised and swollen jaw. I had never seen him like this before. Not once. Rider was drinking. Rider did not drink. Ever.

Jumping to my feet, I ran over to him and pushed away his hand from his face. I gently lifted his chin and asked, “Rider? Good Lord! Are you okay? What happened to you?” Rider stared at me for just a moment too long, then gently pushed away my hand. The bleak look in his tired brown eyes cut me in half. “Ask your man.” “What?” I whispered, my stomach churning. “Styx did this?” “Yeah, sugar. He knocked me the fuck out after we shared a few words when he came and collected your stuff.” “Why are you both fighting over me?” I asked brokenly. I covered myself with my arms, suddenly feeling cold. “You are both important to me, so why…?” Rider regained his composure; then raked back his long hair with his hand, a small disbelieving smile on his lips. “You know why, Mae. You can’t be that blind.” My eyes widened, reality dawning. “Rider, no!” I reached for his hand. “Please, do not say any more. I cannot hear it.” I fought back the swell of tears in my eyes. “Rider… I am with Styx. You… to me… you are my closest friend. Not…” I trailed off, not wanting to hurt his feelings. Rider took back his hand and his entire body stilled. “You know what, Mae? Maybe Lois was right. Maybe it would’ve been best if you’d never come here to the Hangmen. Right now, the way I’m feeling, I wish I’d never met you at all.” I stepped back in horror, unable to believe the words that had fallen from Rider ’s lips. I did not believe him capable of being cruel or mean, and it felt like I had been stabbed in the heart. Rider ’s words hurt more than a dagger. “Doc,” Letti warned. “Prez’ll give you more than that damn bruised jaw if he hears you talking to his bitch like that. In fact, keep upsetting Mae, and I’ll tell him myself.” Brushing past me, Rider ignored Letti and went behind the bar. Pit stepped back, clearly not wanting to get in his way. I frowned. I had not even noticed the prospect had been here all this time. I could not understand why he was not out searching for Styx? Grabbing a cloth, Rider filled it full of ice with his good hand, then pressed it to his jaw. Rider ’s eyes then scanned the room. He frowned and asked of no one in particular, “Where’s everyone?” Letti walked over to the bar and confronted Rider. “Styx went after the Nazis alone. They’re out looking for him.” Rider ’s face reddened with rage. “Why the fuck wasn’t I called? I should’ve been told. I don’t believe this shit. I’m the fuckin’ Road Captain!” Letti slammed her fist into his injured shoulder. Rider gritted his teeth and roared out in pain. “I’m guessing because of that!” Letti replied, a sarcastic tone in her voice. She smiled to herself as she walked back to sit on the couch. Rider glared at Letti, then Beauty, before looking at me. A flash of guilt followed by pain crossed his brown eyes. Turning to the shelves of liquor at the rear of the long, well-stocked bar, Rider chose a green bottle with an elk on the front. He then staggered back to his room without uttering a single word. I stared at Rider ’s bunched-up back and watched him go, his good hand favoring his injured shoulder. Beauty linked arms with me. “Let him be, Mae. He’s just in a whole worlda hurt right now. Brother spends ninety percent of his time on his Chopper, out on the road. His shoulder ’s keeping him caged here at the compound, and it’s killing him. Seein’ you with Styx, looks like it’s killing him too. But your focus needs to be on Prez. You’re his old lady now. Rider ’ll sort himself out on his own. Mae, you pull up those big girl breeches and live the life you made for yourself. Styx, he’s Prez of the Hangmen mother chapter. Girl, you need to be the perfect old lady for him.” Mother chapter? Once again, I had no idea what she meant, but I got that she thought I should be

acting stronger than I had been of late. I could do stronger. Slowly inhaling a deep breath, I asked, “What do we do now?” Beauty pulled me back to the couch. I was sandwiched between her and Letti. “We wait,” she replied. “We just sit and wait and pray our men come back in one piece.” Beauty then added, “With their hearts still beating in their chests.” *** Over two hours passed and one by one the brothers made their return. No Styx. Each time the front door swung open, my stomach muscles tensed to the point of agony. My lungs seemed to stop working and crushing disappointment followed crushing disappointment on seeing every face but that of my man. The only brother left to arrive was Ky. I felt if anyone could find Styx, it would be him. Ten minutes later, Ky returned, empty handed. No Styx. It was at that point my heart finally broke. Ky had ripped through the entrance like he was being chased by the devil himself. He immediately scanned the lounge, his blue eyes desperately seeking Styx’s face. When Ky realized his best friend was absent, a distraught expression contorted his chiseled visage. It was obvious. Ky now believed my Styx, my River—his best friend, his brother—was dead. No one talked; brothers and sisters alike barely moved. A pall of silence hung heavily in the room as each brother contemplated the inevitable. The large Harley Davidson clock above the bar ticked loudly, telling us all that time was running out for Styx. The Hangmen sat on couches and chairs around the room and they all stared at the floor… waiting, just waiting. All any of us could do was wait. Ky walked toward me and Beauty gave up her seat. She walked across the room to sit on Tank’s lap and she pressed her lips to his as they shared a gentle embrace. I envied Beauty at that moment. I watched her lovingly caress Tank’s cheeks, press her lips against his head. And there was Tank, holding Beauty as if she were the only woman in existence. I realized this is how a couple in love should be with each other. Would I ever get to be like that with Styx? Perhaps… perhaps not. The brown leather couch sagged as Ky sat down beside me and I picked up my clenched-withworry hand and gripped it in his; his hand was equally tense. I lifted my head. Ky looked straight at me and blurted, “I kept you apart.” Startled by his confession, I could only muster a weak frown. Ky squirmed in his seat, his blue eyes darting around the brothers to check they were not listening, before landing back on me. “I told him you weren’t right for him. When you arrived. I told him he was selfish for wanting you. Told him you weren’t cut out for this life. Told him to stick with Lois and let you go.” Ky shook his head slowly as if in contrition. “I’ve been such a fuckin’ dick to him.” “Why?” I swallowed hard, feeling the pain of his betrayal circling in my stomach. “Why would say such a thing?” “He’s my family, my brother, and I pushed away his one chance at happiness for the sake of the club. Fuck. I railroaded him. He already gets enough shit with his speech. I thought taking on a brainwashed ex-cult bitch weren’t gonna help his rep. Gotta be a certain kinda woman to be with a brother, never mind the fuckin’ Prez. Was convinced you weren’t it. Styx asked Rider to watch out for you… reluctantly.” Ky’s head dropped, chin touching chest, as he stared at the floor. “I could see it killed him, letting you go.” Ky lifted his hand and my hand to press against his

forehead. “He would’ve owned you from the beginning if it weren’t for me. All I can think of is what if he don’t make it? What if he don’t come back? Then, fuck…” He sighed heavily, eying me in sorrow. “He just got you, after fuckin’ years of waiting. He talked about you all the fuckin’ time, the bitch with the wolf eyes. Even searched for the fence for years. He’d drag me with him. We’d scope the forests all around Austin for hours. He only stopped searching when we went to war with the Mexicans. He’d about given up hope. His old man wouldn’t tell him where the drop site was, no matter how much he asked. Honestly, the places we dumped stiffs changed so much, I don’t think his old man could even remember. Then his old man went to Hades and that was it. Zero chance of finding you. “ My heart ached so much. Styx had been looking for me for years? He had been driven to see me again, to come back to the little broken girl he had briefly met one summer ’s night? Dear Lord, I may never ever see him or feel his touch again. I did not feel I could cope with this pain in my heart. “Mae?” Ky prompted quietly. I took a deep breath. “You had your reasons for keeping us apart. You are a good friend. I can see he loves you very much.” Ky’s blue eyes widened as he whispered, “Fuck, bitch! Rip my balls off. Rim my ass. Don’t just forgive this shit. You would’ve been with him all this time if it weren’t for me. Fuck! Lois probably wouldn’t have died either!” I did not give a response. I could not. I was numb, silently terrified that Styx was dead. Someone else I cared about dead. The long creak of a floorboard groaned behind us and I glanced over my shoulder to see Rider enter the room. His tired face broadcast confusion as we all sat motionless and in total silence. Then as the realization for our silence dawned, Rider ’s face lost all color. It was all he could do to flop down on a barstool. Despite his differences with Styx, Rider seemed genuinely devastated by the apparent news. As our eyes met, Rider ’s expression slowly changed from shock to sympathy, and he mouthed, “I’m sorry.” This only served to rip my heart apart even further. They were both such good men. Both held a special place in my heart. The clock ticked slowly, very slowly. After fifty endless minutes of waiting, the mood in the lounge changed from that of vain hope to one of resolved certainty. Ky reluctantly released my hand, my fingers feeling numb from holding his so tightly. Ky stood, the Hangmen, Beauty, Letti, and I watched him with bated breath. Tiff and Jules hovered in the cover of the doorway, eavesdropping on their lover. “Brothers,” he began with a quiet, strained voice. “I—” Ky’s voice cut off as a distant growl of an engine sounded outside. Ky’s eyes sought mine before he sprinted for the exit. There was such a clamber of bodies jumping to their feet. The brothers were like a herd of buffaloes as they stampeded for the door. Much to my great annoyance, my legs could not move no matter how much I willed them to. Beauty grabbed my hand, pulling me from my seat. That was all it took; my muscles jump-started, my mind hopeful and I sprinted out of the door and across the yard to the compound’s closed metal gate. A single headlight approached and my heart jumped to my throat. I closed my eyes and prayed, Dear Lord, please let this be Styx. Please let this be Styx. The roar of the engine grew louder and my eyes snapped open. Under the glare of the compound’s lights, a bike came into view. The rider? It was too dark to make out who… No… I could hardly believe my eyes.

Styx! Gripping the gate, cold metal beneath my palms, my heart beat faster as the bike revved down. Oh no, something was wrong. Styx’s movements were all wrong. Balance! He was slowly losing control of his bike. “Open the fuckin’ gate!” Ky screamed at Pit. Pit ran to the gate’s lever and slammed it down. The heavy contraption made clunking noises, signifying movement, only to shudder to a stop. “For fuck’s sake!” Ky called out and squeezed through the small opening between the fence and the gate. Pit ripped off the gate’s electrical panel and began fiddling with the wires, trying to fix the problem. Just in time, Ky grabbed Styx as he fell off his bike, no longer able to precisely balance its heavy weight. He appeared to be badly injured. Before Styx collapsed completely, Ky wrapped his large arms around Styx’s chest. Styx’s eyes were glazed and unfocused. Leaning heavily on Ky, Styx whispered something. I could not hear what was said, but Ky nodded in my direction. Styx’s head lifted up, searching my way, then his beautiful large hazel eyes fixed on me. Shrugging off Ky’s aid, Styx began limping toward me, blood drenching his clothes, cuts and slashes marring his face, and his dark hair was almost black with blood. He looked like he had been mauled by a pack of lions. Every inch of his body seemed to be bleeding, soiled or injured. The brothers were silent as they watched their president weakened. Flame literally growled beside me, AK and Viking restraining him by his arms. From what, I was not sure. I ran along the bars of the gate, heading for the small gap, but Styx aimed for where I had been standing and he slumped to the ground. With great difficulty, Styx tried to remain upright. He used the steel bars of the gate to bolster his waning strength and, kneeling on the tarmac opposite my man, I pressed my chest against the bars, grasping his face in my outstretched hands. Styx, my Styx, badly injured but still oh so beautiful: large hazel eyes, perfect nose, sharp stern features, and his rough, unshaven cheeks. He was so beautiful… so strong. And he desperately needed me. “Styx,” I whispered as our foreheads touched. A sigh of relief slipped from his cut lips. Drawing back a little, his bloodied finger ran softly down my cheek. I did not care that the wet blood now staining my face probably did not belong to him. At this precious moment in time, I did not care what he had done to those men, even if he had killed them. I lost part of my soul to darkness as these thoughts strayed across my mind. Because if Styx was damned to hell, so was I. I would follow him into the fire. Styx’s swollen lips parted. He was trying to speak. Suddenly, his eyes widened as if he had just realized there was crowd of brothers right behind me. Styx’s hazel eyes blinked and twitched furiously, and his Adam’s apple bounced up and down. He swallowed rapidly, desperately trying to loosen his throat and I saw his jaw stiffen, tension mounting in his lost expression. Styx was lost… confused… he was hurting. He was trying so very hard to speak, his eyes furiously twitching. But he could not, and I could see it was breaking him up inside. “Shh,” I whispered for his ears only. “Do not try to speak. I have you… I have you.” His cheek turned in my hand, seeking comfort. I knew then his emotional walls had come crashing down. Abruptly, the gate lurched into action and, Ky, who was stood behind us, signaled for Tank. The two of them lifted Styx and carried him into the yard; his hand immediately reached for me. Running to him, I grasped his outstretched hand. And at that moment, I made a vow to never again let go. “Get him to his apartment!” Ky ordered. We raced to the clubhouse and Styx’s pained eyes strayed not once from my eyes. I will be strong for my man. I will be the perfect old lady.

As we hurried past the bar, Rider jumped off the barstool and seemed to stand to attention. Ky jerked his chin at him. “You’re up, Doc.” I stiffened a little, unsure how Rider would react, but he nodded his agreement and sprinted to get his medical bag. Rider was going to help Styx and I could not have been more thankful. When we entered the apartment I switched on the light. Tank and Ky carefully laid Styx down and running to the washroom, I grabbed the closest towel then raced back toward the bed. “Tank. Out,” Ky ordered. Without hesitation, Tank left the room. I glanced up at Ky and he motioned for me to clean Styx. He knew Styx could not talk with Tank present. Lifting my knees onto the black sheets, I hovered over Styx, his eyes squeezing shut, stoically fighting the pain. Brushing a fallen piece of hair from Styx’s face, I leaned down. “Styx, speak to me. Are you okay?” “B-babe… M-Mae…” “Are you hurt?” I waved at Ky to help me remove Styx’s leather jacket. “S-safe,” he whispered. “What, Styx?” I asked. Ky rolled down one side of Styx’s jacket as I rolled down the other. “Y-you’re s-safe… n-now…” he said and the lines of worry marring his face disappeared. I stilled at his words and my stomach dropped. He had killed them all. “Fuckin’ cunts!” Ky spat out, seeing the extent of his injuries. Slashes. Large bleeding slashes up and down the arms. Blood seeped through his shirt and when I slowly pulled the blood-soaked shirt up and over his head, Styx clenched his teeth in pain. I froze. “What? What is that?” I pointed, then whispered to Ky. Ky did not reply. When I looked up, I thought he would explode. Rolling up the towel, I pressed on the gaping wound covering Styx’s top right chest. Styx squeezed his eyes tight together as I applied greater pressure, then I noticed Ky had still not moved. “Ky, what is this symbol? What have they engraved on him?” Ky inhaled through his nose. Teeth gritted, he spat out, “A swastika. The motherfuckers carved a FUCKIN’ SWASTIKA ON HIS CHEST!” he screamed. Disbelief had given way to incandescent anger. Swastika. The sign beloved by the Nazi gang. “If they are not dead already, they fuckin’ die tonight.” Rider chose that moment to walk in. He had removed the sling from his injured shoulder. His jaw clenched as he saw me on the bed, caring for Styx, but he quickly composed himself and walked forward. Rider opened his black leather bag and enquired, “How’s he doing?” I leaned back and removed the towel. Rider gasped loudly. “Cock suckers!” he growled, his cheeks reddening in rage. “Rider. Please help him,” I begged. Styx groaned and reached out his hand, slapping the mattress. I looked down, worried he was in too much pain. Ky interpreted. “He’s wanting you, Mae. He’s searching for you. Go to him.” As I grasped his hand in mine, Styx immediately relaxed. I bent down, whispering for him to be calm. Shining through his cloud of pain, Styx’s lips twitched and a small smile spread across his bloodied face. “He needs stitches,” Rider said tightly. I glanced in his direction. Those brown eyes were stone as

he watched me comfort Styx. “Then fuckin’ do it!” Ky commanded, his words kick-starting Rider into action. Styx had fifteen small slashes, plus his newly carved swastika measuring three inches in both height and width. Rider also found rope marks on Styx’s ankles and wrists; he speculated that Styx had been tied to a chair and tortured. Tortured; yet somehow Styx had made it out alive. After an hour of treatment, Styx clawed his way back from the shock of his injuries. His eyes were focusing better and Rider had given him medication for the pain. Styx was still filthy and some of the detritus Rider picked off him made me retch. Flesh. He had chunks of flesh and fragments of bone all over his clothes. What had he done to the other men? I tried very hard not to think about it. “We gotta get all this shit off him,” Rider stated. “Don’t wanna risk getting the sutures infected. I’ve covered them with waterproof strips. We don’t know what kinda shit those fascist bastards had in their blood.” “I’ll do it,” Ky volunteered. “He’ll hate it, but I’ll do it. Stubborn bastard hates getting help.” Ky edged toward Styx, who fought to sit up in protest. “I will do it,” I whispered, the words escaping my lips. Ky’s surprised eyes fixed on me. “I shall care for him. It is my responsibility,” I said with growing confidence. Styx squeezed my hand in thanks or adoration—I did not care which, but I found that I could not look directly at him. My heart thundered in my chest at the very thought of what I was about to do. I would see Styx naked… I would bathe Styx. In commune, it was regarded to be a sensual act between man and wife. The act of bathing was a rite sacred to lovers. But we had become lovers in a fashion… At least we were about to be. It was going to happen soon. Our bodies and our desires were in perfect balance. I needed Styx; he needed me. I wanted him; he wanted me. “Like fuck you will! Ky does it,” Rider suddenly demanded. His voice felt as cold as ice. Styx’s chest tensed, then he dragged himself up off the mattress. A pained grunt accompanied his movement. As I surveyed Styx’s face, I knew things were going to escalate very quickly if I did not intervene. I shook my hand free from his and jumped up. Styx’s hazel eyes narrowed and I knew it was his way of warning me not to go with Rider. But Rider was my best friend and, right now, he was hurting badly. Walking to Rider, I gripped his arm and led him from the room into the hallway. I quickly closed the apartment door behind us. I could still smell the strong scent of liquor on Rider ’s hot breath as I swung around to face him. “Rider, Styx needs my—” Rider cut in. “I can’t stand the thought of you with him!” Torment was etched on his features. His brown eyes were bloodshot and his long hair ratty and wild. My heart fell. What have I done to him? When I reached for his arm, he snatched it back, shaking his head. “Rider, please—” I begged. “Are you fuckin’ him, Mae? You his bitch whore now? I mean, isn’t it against your religion or some shit?” I stumbled back in shock; my back hit the concrete wall with a dull thud. “How dare you?” I managed to whisper. I stared at the man before me, a man who definitely looked like Rider. But this man had transformed into a bitter version of my best friend. Leaning forward, Rider went nose-to-nose with me, his anger ebbing, and a flash of sadness ghosted across his face. As I swallowed in nerves, his hands cupped my face. “Have you fucked him,

Mae? Have you given yourself to him? It’s driving me insane. I can’t picture you like that with him. It’s fuckin’ killing me… killing me…” I tried to push him away, but I could not move him. “Rider, what I do privately is none of your business.” “Are you kidding me?” he hushed out quietly. “Of course it’s my business!” His head tipped back and, taking a long, deep breath, Rider met my gaze and confessed, “You’re mine, Mae. I fuckin’ want you in my bed, not Styx’s. We’re good together, Mae. Real good. I’d never fuck with you, never fuck anyone behind your back—” “Nor would Styx.” I interrupted. Rider regarded me as though I was simple. “You sure about that, sugar? Styx ain’t who you think he is. He fucks sluts. Drinks. Kills. He hasn’t earned the rep he’s got for nothing.” “He is very different with me. And anyway, you kill too. People in glass houses should not throw stones!” “Maybe I do kill, sugar, but I’d leave all this shit for you. I’d leave this club behind for you. I’d change. Go straight if you wanted me to.” Rider ’s breath became ragged as he stared longingly at my lips. He edged closer, almost pressing his lips to mine but at the last second, I turned my head. Rider groaned in exasperation. “What is it you see in him?” I stayed silent. He could not, would not understand. “Answer me, Mae!” he demanded, then pressed his forehead against mine. “Please…” “Everything,” I said quietly and Rider stopped breathing altogether. “He is everything to me. I see everything in him. We share something no one else can understand.” Taking two steps back, scoffing in disbelief, Rider ran his hands down his face. I could have sworn I saw the shine of moisture fill his eyes. “Then you know what, Mae? Go get your fuckin’ everything. If you can’t see with your own eyes what’s the truth, then stay blind.” On that final note, Rider leaped down the steps. Grief overwhelmed me; my legs gave way, my back sliding slowly down the wall until I sat like a ragdoll on the floor. Folding my arms on my bent knees, I lowered my head and let the tears fall. How had things become so bad so quickly with Rider? He is my best friend! However, as I thought back over the last few weeks, my chest constricted. The signs of him growing to like me were there: the touches, the secret smiles, increasingly intimate conversations—at least on his side. How could I have been so blind? I had been too wrapped up in Styx to notice. Who was I kidding? I had been wrapped up in Styx since the age of eight. I have only ever had eyes for Styx. He was my world, my everything. My almost losing him tonight had served only to double my desire for the silent man. He needs me. And I need him. I want the opportunity to get to know him. I want our journey to really begin. “Mae?” Blinking in shock, I lifted my head to see Ky at the doorway of Styx’s apartment, looking down at me, brow furrowed. “You okay?” Wiping my eyes, I climbed to my feet. “Yes.” “Where’s Rider?” he asked, craning his head to look down the hallway. “He left.” Ky stared at me, a knowing glint in his eyes. I expected him to say something, but he just opened the door, jerking his chin for me to go inside. The bed was empty.

“Where is he?” I asked, hearing the door close. “In the washroom. He’s rinsed himself in the shower, but the stubborn fucker can barely stand. Won’t take my help. He’s running a bath now. Safer than falling on his face, I suppose.” I nodded and headed that way, but Ky’s hand on my arm stopped me. “He’s got you, yeah? For real? You’re his?” He wanted confirmation I would not hurt his friend, his best friend. Pressing my hand on the top of his, I nodded. “I have always been his. I will never see anyone else. I will always be his and his alone.” Sighing in relief, Ky headed for the door. “You’re good for him. I see that now.” He did not turn round as he spoke. Then all of a sudden, Styx and I were alone in his apartment, no sound but the running water from the faucet in the bathroom. Bracing myself at the door to the bathroom, I pressed down on the handle and pushed my way through. I immediately froze. Styx stood in the center of the room, his broad muscled back to me… naked. His head was bowed, his body sagging with exhaustion, his heavily tattooed skin raked with long gashes. Heat pooled between my legs as I absorbed every inch of his bare body and I began to pant. The sight of this man’s body revealed was something for which I could not prepare. Every inch of his body featured hard, protruding muscles. From his lower back to his lower calves Styx looked like he had been sculpted by an artist—to perfection, pure… male… perfection. The urge to reach out and stroke his back—to feel he was real—grew. As my eyes scanned lower, I almost whimpered out loud in lustful need. His behind comprised of two rock-hard tanned globes which swept into thick thighs, both dusted with a light covering of dark hair. My stomach clenched over and over as I imagined kneeling before him, kissing every tattoo, every scar… taking him in my mouth. I had never before performed this act, the act of oral pleasure, but I had observed women here at the clubhouse performing it on the brothers. At the time, I confess it horrified me. Right now, staring at Styx’s almost impossible perfection, I wanted nothing more than to taste him on my tongue. For a moment I was ashamed of my sinful thoughts, but I pushed them from my mind. Guilt should play no part in the act of love. As I moved forward, I winced with guilt. I was wet. Wet between my thighs… within my sex. That same burning feeling I had felt before with Styx began stirring in my body. When I reached his back, the warmth from his skin caused me to roll my eyes back and inhale his manly scent: leather, soap, and him. Lifting my hand, I placed my finger on the nape of his neck and softly guided it down his back. I watched as thousands of goose bumps rippled over his skin and with an audible hiss, his head lifted. He looked at me over his shoulder. The tightness that had been surrounding his hazel eyes faded and was replaced by something primal. I felt the soft grasp of his fingers wrap around my wrist and with a sharp tug, Styx guided me round his body. My hand still placed on his spine dragged around his ribs and as I drifted along his waist, I paused to stroke his solidly-packed stomach. Styx’s thick bulging fully tattooed arms tensed and flexed in sympathy with my attentions. Catching Styx swallowing hard, my eyes drifted to meet his. I slinked forward to press a kiss on the evil mark now carved into his skin and his head tipped back and his hand fisted my braid. He yanked me to his glistening skin. With a low groan, Styx pushed me back, lifting his hands tentatively to free the leather jacket from my shoulders. He rolled his lips together, only for his tongue to lick along his lip ring. His face was clear of

blood now, only scratches and a long slash on his cheek remained. The straps of my tank were next and he never once took his eyes off me as he pushed down the thin fabric of my vest. My nipples hardened as the cool air caressed my bare skin. Flicking his gaze down, Styx’s nostrils flared as his rough calloused hands palmed my breasts. A pang of pleasure shot straight between my legs. “Styx!” I whispered as my hands planted on his wide chest. With a quick yank, my vest shredded and fell to the floor. Before I knew it, my leathers were warming my ankles. My tiny black panties were the only barrier separating us from being fully exposed to one another. Styx’s deft fingers worked the string ties on either side of my hips. In a flash, the thin scrap of material joined the rest of my clothes on the black-and-white checkered tiles. Absolutely nothing was left between us. Styx’s hand coiled around the back of my neck. Wordlessly, he pulled me against his body, tipped back my chin, and brushed his lips briefly against mine. The broken skin was rough, but it felt so perfect. As we parted, my hands ran down his chest, over the peaks and valleys of his firm torso, then on to the long length of his rigid erection. Styx stilled as I wrapped my hand around his manhood, my eyes widening as I struggled to wrap my fingers around its girth. Boldly glancing down, I gulped. Never, had I ever seen one so big. The disciples measured poorly against Styx’s size and, as I stroked my hand slowly up and down, I shivered at seeing him so raw, so under my spell. I wanted to take him inside me, to feel him move within me… to make love for the first time in my life. To bring me pleasure. Releasing my hand, I drifted backward, drinking in the sultry sight of my man. My mouth watered, my nipples ached, and my core throbbed. Pure rugged male perfection; so dangerous to the touch. As a distraction, I turned away to gather my wits and I bent down to turn off the faucet. I started as I suddenly felt Styx behind me, his rigid length slipped seamlessly between the apex of my thighs. His manhood dragged deliciously between my legs… the sensations—so overwhelming… Straightening up with my back flush to his chest, I lifted my arms and wrapped them around the nape of his neck. Styx’s tongue licked along my neck, his hands pulling and pinching at my nipples before they ran down to my sex, slipping gently along the folds. “Styx…” I moaned. His fingers stroked back and forth, hitting a spot that fired wave after wave of electric currents under my skin. The tips of my fingers and toes tingled in my state of ecstasy. Styx was silent, his lack of words only heightening the intensity of the moment. His fingers increased in speed, until I was writhing in his arms, his hips pushing closer to my behind. That same fire I had felt only a couple of times before began building at the base of my spine, only to suddenly shoot to my sex and burst into flames. My eyes closed as I worked myself against Styx’s hand, his length now grinding between the gap in my thighs. A slick wetness trickled down my legs and my chest heaved with jagged breaths. “Mae,” Styx hushed out and slowly, teasingly, he withdrew his hand from inside me. Turning in his arms, I almost crumpled to the floor as Styx inserted his fingers into his mouth. His tongue ran around the digits, licking and tasting, before he dragged them down his bottom lip. Thrusting them out, he gently pushed them in the direction of my mouth. “Suck,” he instructed. Quivering, partly in fear and partly in anticipation, I tipped my head down and wrapped my mouth around his outstretched fingers. Styx’s eyes flared and his length nudged my stomach. Releasing his fingers from my mouth, I stepped backward and guided him to the large white tub, now filled with hot water.

“Let me bathe you.” Styx’s bright eyes softened a touch and I helped him into the tub. When submerged, he lay back; his eyes were watching me… always watching me. Spotting a natural sponge and soap on the far side of the tub, I dipped it into the hot soapy water, as I kneeled beside Styx’s head. As I ran the sponge over his dark hair, he groaned, then reached out and grabbed my wrist. “G-get in,” he ordered, his expression expectant. Nerves thrummed through my body and I heard Styx groan again. Before I knew it, we were face to face and he planted a kiss on my nose, his hand gripping the nape of my neck. Pulling back slightly, I frowned in confusion at this strange act. His lips twitched. “Th-that fuckin’ nose is g-gonna kill me,” he confessed, a hoarse timbre in his voice. “Now. Get in.” His pain seemed to fade quickly. Styx used his strength to pull me forward, and standing on shaky feet, I climbed over the edge of the tub, sinking down into the hot water. I was facing Styx. Naked. In the tub. My mind struggled to believe this reality… this dream come true. He just stared… and stared, until, reaching for the sponge once more, I continued to bathe him. His tense, veined muscles relaxed and his eyes closed. Hands ran up and down my calves until his fingers tightened and he pulled me forward, my wet body slapping flush against his. He was so big and hard against my petite slight frame, his tanned skin dark against my pale. Without hesitation, I crushed my mouth to his, his tongue instantly plunging to duel with mine. Styx’s hands pressed to my bare back then continued on to grip my behind, his fingers feeling rough as they massaged my skin, guiding my sex to rub against his hard length. I wanted him. Wanted to join with him so badly. Fright took hold of me as Styx’s hard flesh sawed pleasure from my sex and frantically, I clawed at his hair until he broke away. “F-fuck me,” he implored, desperation in his eyes. “Fuck me, b-babe. Fuck me slow. F-fuck me hard, j-just fuck me…” Fear gripped my senses. I tried to scurry back, out of his reach; it was all too much, but Styx’s iron grip held me close. “Wh-what’s wrong?” he asked, getting concerned. My stomach fell and I lowered my head. “I do not know how… to please you.” I averted my eyes to avoid his gaze. “I am frightened I will fail.” “Babe?” Crooking his fingers, Styx signaled for me to go to him. His angry gashes were bright red, yet he still looked so good to me. I had nothing to fear. This was Styx. Shifting to carefully straddle his thighs, I confessed, “I do not know how to join with you. That is, I do not know how without being in the required position for the Lord’s sharing.” Styx went eerily still before lifting up his chest and cupping my face. “Let me sh-show you.” His large hands dropped into the water and he held my thighs in his hands, pulling me flush against his length. “Let m-me inside, babe. P-put me in-inside you.” “But you are injured. You are in pain,” I protested. “Th-that’s why you n-need to ride me. You f-fuck m-me, babe. I’m n-not so hurt that I don’t w-want your t-tight pussy milking my c-cock. You’re in con-control.” I am in control.

“Styx,” I groaned as two of his fingers suddenly plunged into my sex. “Drenched… wet… ready…” he whispered before withdrawing and lying back against the tub. “Rride me, Mae.” But his hands never left my body, caressing, feeling, being connected to me. Kneeling to my thighs, I reached down and placed Styx at my entrance, shivering slightly in trepidation. I was worried I would do something wrong. I was worried I could hurt him more. But when I looked into those large hazel eyes—the eyes that had given me comfort all my life—my worries melted away. In one quick motion, I lowered myself down and filled myself to the hilt. Styx’s teeth gritted and his pulse throbbed in his neck. Pleasure shot through my body and I planted my palms on his torso, making sure not to touch any raw scars. “Styx… Oh, Styx…” I murmured over and over the farther he thrust inside me. With every inch, my pleasure increased until I sat still, savoring the feeling. “Babe! Fuck me, babe!” Styx hissed. Gripping my wrists, he eased me down, and pressed his forehead to mine. “What do I do now?” I asked, only slightly embarrassed at my inexperience. Styx made me feel safe. “M-move your h-hips. Move th-them up and d-down.” Doing as he said, I began rolling my hips and the water from the bath began making small waves, threatening to spill over the side. “Mae! F-fuck!” Pleasure instinctively drove my actions, and with every drag of Styx’s length within me, bright sparks of pleasure burst behind my closed eyelids. My hands stroked along his muscles, which jumped and twitched with every thrust. Styx’s hips began rising to meet mine, forcing me to cry out in pleasure, the feeling of fullness too much to take. Minute after minute went by and our movements grew more and more frenzied; the water now flowed freely over the edge of the bathtub, splashing noisily onto the floor. “Styx, Styx, Styx… Styx!” I moaned, and my eyes popped open to fix on his, he was watching me, always watching me. His hand slipped effortlessly between my legs and his thumb started to massage me there, that place, that spot. The spot that makes me lose control of my senses. The pleasure was almost too much as burning flames of desire ripped through my body, igniting like pure octane in my veins. My hips pounded quicker against Styx’s, stimulated by his sympathetic movements and his erotic grunts and groans. Styx’s thumb moved faster, his length seeming to expand to an unbearable fullness within me. My chest pounded as Styx rolled his lips, but his eyes stayed firmly on me. Then, like a bolt of lightning, an indescribable feeling took hold of my whole body and I screamed out in ecstasy. Styx’s lips parted as his hips thrust hard; once, twice, then stilled. His large hazel eyes widened, his face contorted momentarily as in pain and a hot spurt of semen flooded inside me, filling my womb. I felt as though I were floating in the hot still air of a summer ’s afternoon, as the heat of the water wrapped around us both. I flopped to his chest, drained but oh so perfectly content. As I listened to the furious beating of Styx’s heart through his chest, I smiled. His strong hands stroked at my long wet hair trailing down my back as we came down gently from our mutual high. So that was making love… I had just made love to Styx. I had been right all along. We were always fated to be together. He is my everything. He is my entire world… … Styx is my salvation.

Chapter Eighteen Styx Jesus H. Christ. Mae. All Mae. All mine. Me inside her tight pussy, coating her with my cum. Fuckin’ perfection. Her light breath blew evenly against my damp chest; she’d fallen asleep. “Mae,” I called out quietly, rousing her from sleep. Two of my fingers ran along the tight crack of her ass and disappeared into the soaking slit of her well-fucked pussy. Mae’s hips rolled instinctively and a whimper escaped her lips. Suddenly, her blue eyes opened wide, then hooded to half mast as she writhed on my hand. “Styx…” she moaned, her voice clogged with sleep. Her palms stretched out and gripped the tub’s ledge for leverage, and I had to suck my lip ring into my mouth just to keep calm; she looked so damn beautiful riding my hand. Her pink, fat nipples beaded, her heavy tits heaved, and her lips parted, hissing out breath with every stroke. Unable to cope with my cock’s neglect anymore, I withdrew my fingers and plunged the fucker right inside her. Fuck! Mae’s shocked eyes fixed on mine and I smirked. This time, I was taking control—stitches be damned. Gripping her hips, I spun us in the water, flipping Mae onto her back. She yelped as I rose above her, tucking my arms around her back and I felt her legs wrap around my ass. She flashed me a shy smile and I pounded her pussy relentlessly, ripping moans from her throat as her nails dug into my skin, our chests slipping back and forth. In no time at all, she came. I followed a second behind. We panted together as Mae stroked back the hair from my face. “That was quite a way to awake,” she rasped out. Smirking back, I said, “Every fuckin’ d-day from now o-on.” “You promise?” I nodded slowly and meaningfully. Small hands ghosted down my chest, carefully tracing my stitches. “How are you feeling?” Sore, pissed at Nazi scum, but so fuckin’ good. Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to her lips. “Ggood.” Pulling out my still-hard cock from inside my woman, I kneeled and rolled my stiff back straight, wincing at the burn of tight stitches now about to leave even more scars all over my body… including the permanent motherfucker of a swastika on my chest. “Out. Water ’s c-cold.” As I glanced down at Mae, I literally stopped breathing. I had her now. No one was taking her away from me.

As I held out my hand, her scowl looked harsh on her usually soft face. I raised an eyebrow in question. Ignoring me, Mae stood up and got out of the tub without my help. My jaw clenched. I wasn’t some weak pussy, but as she shuffled closer and gripped my arm, she insisted, “Let me take care of you. This is my job… as your old lady.” I closed my eyes, savoring what she’d just said, my old lady. My old man was fuckin’ right; I did only need three things in life: my Harley, my Fender… and the love of an old lady—Mae; only Mae. Smiling, Mae wrapped me in a towel, then herself and we walked—stupidly fuckin’ slow—toward the bed. We stopped at my chair and she guided me to a sitting position. “I must change the bed linen. It is soiled with your blood.” She cupped my cheeks, stroking around the fresh slash mark. “Then we will sleep. You must get your rest.” “With you n-next to me, r-right?” Breaking out in a huge grin, Mae replied. “Yes, with me next to you.” Mae pressed a soft kiss to my forehead and I sat back in my chair to watch her as she found freshly laundered black sheets. Picking up my Fender, I lay it across my waist and set to strum, catching a happy smirk spreading on Mae’s lips, only pausing briefly as she heard the strings begin to vibrate. As The National’s “Gospel” flowed from my lips, I thanked Hades that I’d returned tonight, to my club, to my brothers… to my old lady. Weren’t sure for a while that I was gonna get out. Took out seven Nazi skulls with my Uzis before being tackled to the floor by the last two. Tied to a chair, cut, beat, bled—the fuckers forgot about my blade. Ironically, my favorite German blade, the blade I always kept hidden in my cut. Slit the throat of one skinhead, plunged five inches of steel into the heart of the other, but only after I’d had my fun. Found my way back, a pair of blue wolf eyes calling me home. “Darlin’, can you tie my string? Killers are callin’ on me…” As I finished the last chord, I looked up to see Mae perched on her knees before me, listening to me play. “Bed?” she asked with bright eyes and put my fender gently to one side. She took my hand to help me lie flat on my mattress. Nervously, Mae lay down beside me so I pulled away my towel, telling her with a flick of my chin to do the same. We were face to face on our pillows, and I reached out to take her hand. “Wh-why’d you r-run from the c-cult?” Every muscle in her body seemed to tense and tears instantly filled her eyes. I didn’t speak, just waited, waited for her to open up. After several minutes, she whispered, “They killed my sister. I could not stay. She told me to run, I did as she asked.” My lip curled in anger and my stomach tensed in disgust. Mae tried to cover her naked body with her free arm, as if cold. Kicking up the quilt, I covered her up. She smiled appreciatively as she shifted closer. Her head lay next to mine on my pillow and then her shittin’ nose twitched. Her nerves were getting the better of her, but she needed to start fuckin’ talking. “We…” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. I gripped her tighter. “We were full blood sisters. That did not happen often in commune. Parents have the children, then you are raised by a collective. I never got to know my parents. My mother died of a disease and my father left, he was sent on a mission by Prophet David and never returned. “I have another sister, Magdalene, but she had a different mother. She is painfully quiet, nothing like Bella and me. Maddie is so frightened by men, by everything really. But Bella was my best friend.

We were always so close.” As she lifted her eyes, she smiled. “She was beautiful, Styx. You should have seen her. So stunning. So perfect. So unbelievably kind. But that was Bella’s downfall, her allurement and exquisiteness; it was the thing to ruin her life.” I held her gaze as I tried to picture someone more stunning than Mae. I couldn’t, but she sure believed it to be true. “Beautiful women were treated worst of all by the brothers. Prophet David and his chief elder, Gabriel, would say the devil had a hand in their looks. That they were designed, no, created, to tempt men. They had to be treated differently from plain females—watched… broken in like a horse. They were seen as cursed.” Mae shifted uncomfortably and a tear fell down her cheek, so I moved over and kissed it. Her breath hitched before she exhaled slowly through her lips. “Bella and I, we were classed as such ‘Cursed’ women; my goodness, we were referred to as the ‘Cursed’. My friend Lilah and my sister Maddie were with us too, all four in our own private quarters in the commune. We were kept separate for the high elders’ personal attentions—their special trainings. Brother Gabriel had Bella. Brother Jacob had me. Brother Noah had Lilah. The most sexually cruel brother, Moses, had Maddie—Magdalene. Moses said she harbored demons because she did not speak often, did not leave her room. But she was just quiet, reserved, barely spoke or revealed her true feelings to me.” Her eyes crinkled in pain. “The things he would make her do…” Mae trailed off and her throat caught on a cry. “Shh, babe.” I tried to soothe her. But fuck, how could I respond to this fucked-up tale? “Gabriel grew more obsessed with Bella as she matured, even after he married another sister, then another. He joined with Bella every night, slept beside her every night. She ate with him, he made her bathe with him. He became crazed with his possession of her. But she hated him, Styx. She hated him with every fiber of her being.” Mae drew in a deep breath and continued. “When I was thirteen, Prophet David declared me to be the prophesized seventh wife. The wife who will signal the return of Christ, the End of Days. When I turned twenty-three, I would wed the prophet. I had no idea why I had been chosen. I had never even spoken to the prophet. He was always kept away from his people. We only saw him at ceremonies, sharings, and prayers. But he would get the elders to video the young sisters of the commune… to see which ones he wanted to… bond with. Perhaps he saw me on one of those…” She pressed a kiss to my chest as though it gave her strength. I gripped her hair in my hand and my teeth gritted to the point of pain. Videoed? Shit! Oh, and I fuckin’ knew why she’d been chosen to be his wife. Hell, it was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes. “The day I ran was to be my wedding day. The day you found me,” she explained. It all made sense now. “The w-white d-dress—” I pushed out, unable to finish my sentence. I was losing control of my speech, too coiled up with the growing rage inside me. She nodded. “Weeks prior to my wedding, Bella just disappeared. No one would tell us Cursed where she went, but Gabriel was always absent from our sector after that day. He was obviously with her. Then…” She sniffed back her sadness. “Then on my wedding day, Lilah found her. Bella was in a dark dirty cell; beaten, starving… dying. I stayed with her until she passed. Then I ran.” Suddenly, sobs wracked her body and, gripping the back of her neck, I pulled her to my chest. “I left them, Styx! I left Maddie and Lilah.” “F-fuck Mae,” I said as I tried to work my throat free. Abruptly rearing back, her face swollen and red, she said, “They will be searching for me. They will never stop. They believe I am the vessel who will save their mortal souls.” Glancing down at her tattoo on her wrist, I ran my thumb across the scripture, then looked once more to Mae. “The End of Days is upon us. My marriage is the act that must happen to transport my people—

The Order—into paradise.” And there went that robotic shit spouting from her mouth again. Glazed eyes and all. “Y-y-you…” I paused, breathed deep, calmed myself, and tried again. “Y-you ain’t l-leaving m-me. Th-they come f-for you, th-they g-gotta go through me… th-through the Hangmen.” Her tight face softened. “Styx… I never want to leave you, but—” “Gonna pr-protect y-you,” I assured, cutting her off. “I know you will,” she asserted and tucked herself into my side. A fuckin’ sinking feeling dropped in my gut. I could always feel when something weren’t right. I’d had the feeling since Mae turned up; it was even stronger now. “What about you?” Mae whispered, her fingers stroking down my tensed bicep. “Wh-what?” “Your mother? What happened to her? Who was she?” I let out a single laugh. “Club slut. L-left my old m-man for the Di-Diablo scum.” “Diablo?” she questioned, confused. “M-Mexican MC. Rivals. Been at war ever s-since. My old man k-killed my mother wh-when I was ten. Sanchez, their P-Prez, killed my old man l-last year. I killed Sanchez t-two days later.” Propping herself on my shoulder with her hand, Mae’s expression was sad. “You have led such a turbulent life. Surrounded by so much death. I have always wondered why you had Hades as your emblem, the devil. I saw the mural when I arrived. It is such a strange thing to worship.” “Not in th-this l-life.” She raised her ebony eyebrows and my lips twitched. Rolling her to the side, I moved off the bed and kicked my legs over the side. “Where are you going? You need rest. You are still injured, remember!” she protested. I waved my hand in dismissal. I reached for her black robe and threw it at her. “P-put it on.” She eyed me curiously as I slipped on my jeans. I stood and held out my hand, leading her down the back staircase to the yard. I led her out of the door and into the summer night’s breeze, the crickets singing and not much else about. Her eyes resembled a deer ’s in headlights as she scoped the outside of the clubhouse. Too much shit’d happened of late to make Mae feel safe out here. A large fence kept us in, barbed wire lining the top, cameras perched on every corner post for protection. The bike shop sat on the corner, brothers’ Harley’s and Choppers lined up in front. I pulled gently on Mae’s arm. “Th-this way.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and let me lead her to the west side of the yard. I felt her falter in her step when she saw the mural again. Bringing her back to my chest, I placed my hands on her shoulders and leaned in to her ear. “I want y-you to meet H-Hades and P-Persephone, his w-w-wife.” A small sigh escaped her lips and she treaded forward on light feet, neck bent back, staring up at the painting, in awe—no, at the goddess in awe. I stepped back, giving her space, and folded my arms across my chest unable to stop watching her. Mae lifted her hand and ran her fingers across Persephone’s pale face. “We were not allowed pictures or paintings in commune. They were regarded to be false idols, yet I have never seen anything more beautiful than this portrait of her. Persephone is beautiful.” Mae looked back at me and smiled a wide smile showcasing perfect teeth. She turned back to trace the outline of the goddess’s long black hair. Fuck. I was pussy-whipped. Mae turned once more, looking at me from under the shade of her lashes. She had a confused expression on her face. “The goddess looks like me. She has my color eyes.”

I stepped forward to stand beside Mae. “That day, wh-when I saw you, you re-reminded me of her. St-stuck with me all th-these years.” Mae’s silence spoke volumes. I shuffled my feet, feeling nervous all of a sudden. “You kn-know who the r-rest of the p-people are on this p-painting?” She pointed at the central figure, all soulless eyes and dark robes, a slight tremor to her voice. “Hades. I know him to be Satan.” Her lips pursed and that adorable scowl of hers was back. “He looks just like how the devil is described in scripture.” I signaled in the direction of the brown bench across the yard. “Sit.” Mae followed my instruction and we headed to my favorite spot—opposite the mural, a place I liked to sit, smoke, and think. ’Course it used to be to think of her. Didn’t tell her that, though, or how fuckin’ weird it was that she was now sitting beside me. Tiredly, Mae sat down, checking her robe was in place, her legs primly bent, and her hands on her knees before leaning into me. “You h-heard of the Gr-Greeks?” “Yes, a small amount. I imagine now that it is not much. I have realized of late that what little we were taught in commune about life outside the fence was false.” Smirking, I answered, “Th-the ancient Greeks d-didn’t just believe in one g-god. They b-believed in m-many.” She gasped and placed her hand on her heart. “Blasphemy! There is only one true God.” I shrugged and pulled out a smoke from the back pocket of my jeans and lit it. Religion didn’t play any part in my life, and I couldn’t give a shit who I offended. Bikers weren’t exactly the kind to conform to what society wants. In fact, it’s the fuckin’ polar opposite. Mae coughed. “Why do you inhale those things?” “It… it…” I paused and cleared my throat. “Calms me,” I answered tensely. Seeing her wrinkled nose, I couldn’t help but smile. “They smell,” Mae exclaimed. I laughed. “You th-think so, b-babe?” She nodded with certainty, her beautiful face comical. I threw the stogie to the ground and turned back and tapped the end of her nose. “And that’s why you’ll n-never start smoking this shit. R-right?” I was being nice… playful. Shit! Ky would rip me a new asshole for this. “Right.” Mae agreed and watched me for several seconds before inching back along the bench, shifting closer to my outstretched arm. “You were talking about the Greeks, Styx.” Taking a deep breath again, I began. “Ac-according to the ancient G-Greeks, there were th-three god brothers: Zeus, P-Poseidon, and H-Hades. They overthrew their f-father, the ruling g-god CrCronus, in a battle. They d-drew lots to decide what domains th-they would each take ch-charge of, now that Cronus’d b-been ex-exiled.” Mae nestled closer. “What happened next?” “Z-Zeus got the p-power of the sky, P-Poseidon of the water, and H-Hades of the underworld—not the j-job any of them r-really w-wanted.” I pointed to the picture of the underworld: dark rivers, fireridden levels, morbid as fuck pictures of demons. “So the underworld is like Hell? Hades was given Hell? How unfortunate.” I huffed a silent laugh at the way she spoke, like some old-world novel shit with a slight edge of good ol’ Texan twang. “Yes and n-no.” “How is it different?” “Underworld h-holds the entrance to ev-everything, all the r-routes that the soul can take at ddeath. When a p-person dies, they g-go to the underworld where they’ll b-be judged on their lives and

s-s-sent to either the Elysian F-Fields, which is like h-heaven, I sup-suppose. The river of forforgetfulness, Lethe, where a soul d-drinks to forget their l-life, enabling them to be re-reborn. Or if a soul has l-lived a b-bad life, they’d be sent to T-Tartarus, which is like what y-you think of as Hell, the worst p-place p-possible. Hades r-rules over the whole thing, m-making sure it all g-goes r-right.” Mae was quiet. I wondered if it was all too much for her to understand again, when she said, “That river on the picture is called the River Styx, yes? It is your club name.” “That’s right.” She sat up, studied the large river, then her wolf eyes bored into mine. “If Lethe is the river of forgetfulness, what is the river Styx for?” I blew out a pent-up breath. “Hate.” Mae ran her finger over my injured cheek, sorrow in her expression. “They represent such sad things.” I placed my hand on top of hers, stilling them on my cheeks. “Yeah, b-babe, they d-do. Life’s hhard. D-Death’s even harder. No use su-sugar coatin’ that sh-shit.” “Why would your club want to be named after the sorrowful part of the story, the misfortunate— why not after the sky god or water god?” Her face grew excited, then hopeful. Thought she’d found us a better path, found us redemption— it was foreign to anything I’d heard in a long fuckin’ time. No use though. “The m-mother chapter—the f-first cl-club—of Hades Hangmen was f-founded h-here in Austin. My granddaddy was f-founding member. He f-fought in Vee-Vietnam. The war f-fucked him up ggood. Couldn’t c-cope with life wh-when he came b-back. Only th-thing he knew was killing and rriding H-Harleys. Couldn’t hold a j-job for shit. H-he and more vets l-like him created this MC. Been my f-family’s way ever s-since. D-don’t know no different.” I could see in her face she still didn’t get it. “B-babe, the vets saw sh-shit in that war that k-kept them from sleeping at n-night. Th-they did things that h-had them dreading d-death. No sky god, wwater god, or any god coulda p-pulled them outta that living h-hell. They w-were seen as murderers, r-r-rapists, kid k-killers when they came back to the US. When f-folks h-heard what the war made ’em d-do, they were cast out, r-rejected. Just like H-Hades was. You l-live in hell long enough, b-babe, you b-become a sinner too. Why try and b-be good when f-folks already decided you’re too f-far gone to b-be saved?” She sighed and placed her hand on my bare chest. “You are not as evil as you think, Styx. You are a good man.” I wanted to believe it, to agree, but she deserved the truth. “Yeah, b-babe, I’m evil. I’ve s-sinned more than you’d b-believe.” I ran my hands down my face. “Truth t-time. I’m bad… p-p-poisoned to my fuckin’ damned s-soul.” Mae’s expression went blank and she pulled away from my arm. Abruptly, she stood up and I thought she was gonna run. My jaw clenched, bracing for it but instead she stared at the picture, her back to me, her black long black hair blowing in the breeze. Goddamn beautiful. Turning, Mae stepped in between my legs and stared down. I saw her fingers twitch as she chewed on her full bottom lip, then she raised her hand and gently ran her fingers through my hair. I leaned into her hand. Twenty-six years old and a single touch was gonna make me blow in my jeans. “B-babe—” “You should not be named after hate, Styx.” “I-I’ve done some f-fucked-up shit. Honestly, I a-ain’t gonna change. I’m d-damned. I’ve made ppeace with it.” Mae just stared at me and kept running that tiny hand through my long hair. “You have been

nothing but kind to me.” Swallowing, I rasped, “Only you.” “Why only me?” she asked, frowning. I shrugged, reached for her hand, and threaded it through mine. As I looked up at her twitchin’ nose, I pressed a kiss on the center of her palm. “C-can’t be askin’ sh-shit like th-that.” “Why not?” she whispered as she watched me caress her hand. “B-because I don’t have a f-fuckin’ an-answer. Never like th-this with n-no one… but I am with yyou.” With a sigh, I let my head fall to her flat stomach. Dropping her hand, I gripped her tightly around the waist. I kept a tight hold. The way that felt floored me, fuckin’ first round knockout floored me. I felt her relax into my hold and her fingers touched my head. “I’ll l-lay it on th-the line for you, Mae. I k-kill people. I-I even like it, a-and”—here comes the final death blow—”I’ll d-do it a-again and again. Have to in th-this life.” Her breath grew faster and she gripped my wrist so damn tight. On shaky legs, Mae stood up and I dropped my hands from her face. She walked to the mural again, leaving me on the bench and ran her hand over Persephone’s face. “I already know many things about you, Styx. I have neither been deaf nor blind to the goings-on here. But you cannot drive me away.” She walked back over and straddled my thighs, pressing her forehead to mine as I gripped her ass. “Persephone, the goddess, lived with Hades, did she not? She supported him even when others thought she was wrong to do so?” I nodded slowly. Her long lashes met her cheeks, then fluttered up. “She fell in love with the dark lord, even though it did not seem right, did she not?” I nodded again. Where the hell is she going with this? She sighed happily and blushed. “Just like I have done with you.” I stilled and, putting my hand on her face, thrust her back, catching the blush creeping up her pale cheeks. Was she saying she loved me? Fuck. She was saying she fuckin’ loved me. I slammed my lips to hers and shifted her up on my hardening cock. Breaking away with a gasp, Mae asked shakily, “Did Hades love Persephone in return? Against the complaints of others, did he want her to stay by his side too?” Exhaling hard, I replied, “Yeah… yeah, he d-did… a wh-whole fuckin’ lot.” Her responding huge smile knocked the goddamn air from my lungs, and this time, her mouth crashed to mine, only to break away and lick up my jaw to my ear, whispering, “I want you again…” Keeping hold of her tight ass, and not giving a shit if I popped a stitch, I stood with her legs wrapped around my waist. Spurred on by her surprised yelp, I headed for the back stairs to my apartment, Mae’s small hands already pushing down my zipper and fisting my cock. I stilled. I weren’t gonna make it to my room. Spreading her out on her back on the wooden stairs, I hitched up her robe, put my cock at her entrance… then the door at the top of the stairs burst open. “Shit! Styx! I—” Ky. Mae squealed in embarrassment, wrapping her arms around my back, her bare tits to my chest as I shielded her with my body. Looking up at my VP, I had the fuckin’ threat of death set in my glare. “G-get the f-fuck out!” I ordered. Ky shut the door but left it open a crack so he could shout, “Prez, we got business to handle.”

“Later! I’m f-fuckin’ b-busy!” “Prez! We need to act now.” I could hear the hardness in his voice. The seriousness of his tone told me something was going down. I groaned in exasperation, my cock throbbing in pain. I was still half in Mae’s warm pussy when my head fell to her chest. “Mae, g-go to bed. I got cl-club b-business,” I mumbled into her full tits, sucking on her nipple one last time. Moaning, she lifted my face, disappointment in her eyes, and pressed a long kiss on my lips. She then made her way upstairs. I zipped up my fly jeans and leapt up the stairs where I slammed the fuckin’ door in Ky’s face. He stumbled backward holding his nose. “Fuck, Styx! What the hell?” “In-interrupt me and m-my w-woman again and I’ll sc-scalp you with my B-Bowie!” Wiping a spatter of blood off his chin, Ky’s face hardened. I knew that look all too well. “Then brace yourself for more blood, Prez,” Ky warned through gritted teeth. “Because we just caught ourselves a rat.”

Chapter Nineteen Styx “Wh-what?” I growled, my jaw already locking down and the python ’round my throat taking my voice. I’d be signing from now on, no more speech to give when fuckin’ rage set in my bones. Ky finished wiping his sleeve across his bloodied face. “That Nazi shit weren’t sitting right with me. Couldn’t get it all from my head.” Why? We’ve had enemies at our gates before. He began to shake his head back and forth until his back hit the wall of the stairwell. “You went after the fuckin’ Neos alone.” He pointed and looked right at me. “Which I’m still gonna kick your ass for by the way. But when Mae came pounding in my room and told me what you’d done, I checked the security tapes.” Yeah. And? I signed. Ky ran his hand across his neck in a cutting motion. “Dead. The lotta ’em. Some fucker wiped the tapes. Couldn’t get a visual on the truck, on the men. Nothing.” Fuck! “The tapes cut out an hour before you took off after the Klan.” His head shook back and forth again. “It was a fuckin’ inside job. And I found out who.” My hands fidgeted at my sides and I began rolling my lip ring ’round with my tongue. My new scars began throbbing from the tension suddenly wracking my body. A rat. A motherfuckin’ rat. I knew it. Don’t just stand there looking pretty. Who the fuck is it? Ky sighed before he flicked his narrowed eyes to me. “Pit.” Shit. “I fuckin’ vetted him myself, Styx. Brothers all like the kid. Bit too skinny, bit too short, but the brother has balls of steel when on the road and the hand of God with a wrench. My baby never ran so good as when she’d been serviced by him. Would’ve been patched in the next couple of months, no doubt. Probably would’ve given him a full-time gig at the bike shop too.” Ky began pulling something from his pocket. “But when I get suspicious, I go searching, you know that. And everyone’s rooms were clean. All but his.” Ky passed over a small disc and a black cell phone. “Disc is the missing footage, along with messages on that cell, telling some unknown private number the location and times of the Russian deal, the ride out, and when you’d be here at the compound. He didn’t count on you going riding with Mae and getting the Klan first. The cunt even reported that we took out the Neo who killed Lois.” My hands fisted, cracking the thin silver disc in my hand. Ky snatched the cell away before that became dust too. Where is he? I signed in rapid fire. “Just called him in. ETA ten minutes. All the rest are in the bar. They know nothing yet.” Walking over, I slapped Ky on the back in thanks. Gripping the tops of my arms, he pushed me back. “You good?” I nodded. Explains why the rat was outside the shed that night acting shady, and he was always

behind the bar… listening to everything being discussed. Fuck! “What the fuck happened with the skinheads?” Took out seven with my Uzis. Then got caught, carved up. I managed to get my Bowie from my cut, plucked out the last two fuckers’ eyes and made them eat that shit. Then I smashed up their skulls just to be sure, slit throats and stabbed hearts.” “Shit, Styx,” Ky said in a tight voice and swallowed back bile. “You’re one sick motherfucker. Effective, but sick.” I know. “So… you and Mae…” He nudged me and his eyebrows danced. “She look after you good? You finally get up in that pilgrim pussy?” Grabbing him by the collar of his Zeppelin shirt, I threw him up against the wall, my hands in his face. Never talk of her like that again unless you wanna lose your fuckin’ tongue. Right, brother? He tried to lose his smile but failed. “‘Bout time, Styx. ’Bout fuckin’ time.” I looked at Ky’s damn smiling face and shook my head. Let’s go. The son of a bitch was a real pain in my ass. As we entered the bar, the psycho trio shot to their feet. “Fuckin’ Prez!” Viking shouted, walking toward me, arms wide. “Taking on the Nazis on his own and living to tell the tale!” Viking tried to pick me up, but I punched the redheaded fucker in his stomach. AK slung an arm around my shoulder as Flame stopped in front of me, muscles twitching. “Did you kill ’em all?” he asked with urgency. I nodded, the flame tattoos on his neck dancing beneath his bulging veins. “Did they suffer?” he asked coldly, his pitch-black eyes wide with excitement. The brother looked like a walking demon, irises so dark his pupils were lost in one black pool against white. Badly, I signed. Flame broke out in a wide smile, tipped his head back, and raked his over-long nails down his arms. “Fuck yeah,” he hissed, blood beginning to spill. One by one, every brother in the chapter greeted me, leaving only Rider at the end of the bar. I met his eyes. He stared right back, then stood and came over. “Good to see you made it out safe, Prez.” He held out his hand for me to shake. I glowered at his outstretched arm and thought of him back in my room, forbidding Mae to bathe me. My lip curled in disgust. She’s my fuckin’ woman. “Prez, come on, brother. I was wrong. I get it now. She’s yours,” he said just for us to hear. I reluctantly reached out to grip his hand. My eyes said it all to him. Back the fuck off Mae or we’ll have problems. Okay? The brother nodded his head. He knew what I was saying. “You been fuckin’ your bitch?” Viking said from behind me, sniffing the air. He looked at me and smiled. “I can always smell new pussy, and you’re stinking of that shit, Prez!” He laughed loud for everyone to hear. Rider ripped his hand away from mine and he staggered back, slumping to his seat, eyes down. The brother was in a whole world of pain. Ky appeared at my shoulder. A second or two later, Viking was knocked out on the floor. “Shit, Ky!” Viking shouted from the ground, rubbing his chin. “Stop with the fuckin’ punching!” “Then start shutting the fuck up!” Ky shouted back. I signaled for the brothers to move in. Ky stood beside me, ready to translate, as the brothers watched us with alert expressions. Pit’s a rat, I signed, as Ky’s voice carried the intel round the room.

Deathly silence. I’ve thought we’ve had one for a while now. Ky found the evidence today. Of the whole fuckin’ thing. Leaked details on the Russian deal, the ride out shooting, and the Nazis near-attempt on our compound tonight. “Who’s he working for? The Feds? Another MC? Mexicans?” Viking asked. The idiot shit gone, stone-cold killer in its place. I shook my head. Don’t know. Ky called Pit in. He should be here—” The sound of a bike rolling into the yard stopped me dead. Right about fuckin’ now, it seems. Flame growled and began punching his fist in the other hand. “Is he mine? Please say he’s mine. I want him to be mine.” The door opened and Flame flew at Pit, the prospect didn’t even see the first fist coming… or the second… or the third. Flame picked Pit up off the floor, his feet dangling as he was smacked up against the wall. “You fuckin’ piece of scum!” Flame ground out through clenched teeth. “Did you think you could turn coat without us finding out? Without us stripping off your skin, piece by piece to eat your flesh for barbecue?” Pit’s face reddened and shock spread all over his features. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about! Flame, I don’t!” Get him to the shed. Now. Ky voiced my command. In minutes, we were all in the shed out back, Flame and AK strapping Pit to the chair in the center of the room. Pit looked my way. “Prez, honestly, believe me. I don’t know what you think I’ve done, but I ain’t no rat. I’m all in. This club’s my life. I ain’t got nothing else.” Ky flew at Pit, his hands braced on each arm of the slaughter chair. “Found shit in your room, brother. Security tapes and a cell phone with messages showing dates of all the drops, the location of the ride out, everything. Tank, Smiler, and Bull are out tracing the receiving number now, but I’m thinking it’s gonna come back to the Feds or Senator Collins. Am I right?” Pit paled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” he screamed. “What tapes? What cell? I didn’t have shit in my room!” I walked to my knife cabinet, feeling Pit’s eyes on me the entire way. Fucker was lying, his eyes twitching all over the place. “Styx. You have to believe me, please…” he pleaded. Finding my Bundeswehr knife, I moved before him as Flame ripped open Pit’s shirt, his thin body gonna prove all kinds a’ interesting to carve up. Less fat, harder to miss organs. Then again, he was gonna die tonight regardless. So who gave a shit? Spinning the handle in my hands, I pressed the tip to his sternum and began dragging it down, the stench of copper filling the room, Pit’s screams ricocheting off the high walls. I stood back after a few minutes admiring my signature Hangmen “H” now forever imbedded in his chest. Now everyone will know who he fucked with. Flame ripped the knife from my hand, wiping the blood across his now bare and scarred torso, laughing hysterically. He got in Pit’s face. “Who’re you working for?” Pit’s head rolled to the side and he puked all over the floor. Flame held Pit’s cheeks back upright. “Who are you working for, motherfucker!?” “No… no one. I… swear. I SWEAR!” The shed doors burst open and Bull, Tank, and Smiler walked through. “Number was traced to… have a guess…” Tank said glaring at Pit. Seething, I spat at Pit’s feet.

“The great fuckin’ Senator Collins! Our insider in the office tells me several men in suits have been turning up once a week for the last few months to ‘do business.’ Insider thinks they are ATF related or maybe mafia,” Tank informed. Mafia? I signed. Tank shrugged. “Could explain the shift in activity. New blood. New tactics. It sure ain’t nothin’ we’ve seen before.” Stomping over to Pit, I took my knife back off Flame and held it to Pit’s throat. “Prez, it ain’t true,” he croaked out. Clenching my fists, I turned and threw the knife into the wall. Glancing over my shoulder, I gave the nod to Ky to take down the rat. One by one, the brothers had their fun until Pit was just a bloodied heap on the chair. I looked over to Rider, who was leaning against the wall, fury in his gaze as he watched Pit. I held up my hand to stop the brothers. Ky whistled and the room fell silent. I walked back to Pit, holding a new boning knife. His teeth were littered on the floor, eyes sealed shut with blood, his arms and ribs broken in pieces. Circling Pit’s chair, not once did I take my eyes off Rider, who shifted nervously in my constant glare. Stopping behind Pit, I lifted my knife and plunged it into his right shoulder. Why? Some shit I’d read the Romans did. Hands now free, I signed. This is what happens to a brother who turns coat. No brother works undercover for the Feds or another club… and no brother fucks with another brother’s property… Rider ’s eyes widened, but he stayed still—he got my meaning. I signaled for Flame to pass me another knife, and I stabbed it into Pit’s left shoulder. The brother stopped moving, just the sound of erratic wheezes slipping from his lips. I retrieved my knife, my treasured German blade. I stepped four paces in front of Pit and, on the turn, launched the five-inch blade arcing through six yards of clear air. The knife flew true and drove in where intended, right between Pit’s fuckin’ rat eyes. Pit, the rat, went to the boatman with no dimes on his eyes. The brothers watched me leave, mouths gaping as I stormed out of the shed. No one dared follow. My stomach was churning with the betrayal by Pit. I felt sick at the thought of a rat slipping under the radar for nearly a fuckin’ year. He’d infiltrated MY club and shared intel on OUR business. I smashed through the door of my room and made a beeline for the bed. I froze. Mae was fast asleep, naked. Her back-length straight black hair fanned around the pillow. Fuckin’ stunning. And she was all mine. That calmed me the fuck down. Mae shifted in her sleep and a long, slim leg kicked over the sheet… her tight pussy now on show. I slipped off my jeans and crawled over her relaxed body. Skirting down her thigh, I pushed her legs open. Still unconscious, she moaned quietly. Smirking at the thought of what I was about to do, I laid a row of kisses from her knee to her thigh, passing the scars that once had me running for the hills. Mae’s hands suddenly threaded through my hair; as she looked down, those hooded wolf eyes were fixed on my pussy-hungry lips. “Styx…” she moaned in a sleepy voice. I didn’t waste any time and took a long lick along her slit. Mae’s long groan told me how much she liked it. My hands gripped her thighs and I dived in, relentlessly sucking at her clit, my finger plunging in her pussy. Her hands became frantic in my hair with every lick, every suck, every kiss, every thrust. My woman fuckin’ loved it. Mae’s breath shortened in labored gasps and her thighs tensed around my head. Momentarily, she stilled; then a scream ripped from her throat. My tongue slowed into lazy circles and I wound her down. Drawing back, I smiled at her flushed-out body.

“Styx… what was…?” She trailed off, squeezing her thighs together and rolling her eyes in pleasure. “Lord…” My hands crawled beside her head on the mattress until my whole body hovered over her. “You lliked it, babe? L-liked me eating y-your wet pussy?” “Yes! Styx… yes! But…” Her gaze dropped as her hands covered her scars. I pressed a kiss to her lips, pulled back, and declared, “Th-the scars d-don’t mean sh-shit.” Tears filled her eyes and she pulled me beside her onto the bed, then launched into my arms. We stayed silent for a long while. “Did you get your… business sorted?” she tentatively enquired. “D-done,” I answered curtly. Mae leaned on her elbows and stared up at me. “Can I ask what the business was?” I shook my head, signaling an emphatic “no.” Mae sighed loudly, indicating her disappointment. “Way c-club life is, b-babe. Old ladies d-don’t get involved in club sh-shit. Same for y-you too.” She slumped down, now dejected. “Okay.” I ran my hand up and down her spine, staring unseeing at the brown ceiling, just thinking shit through, when Mae said, “Play me a song, Styx. Sing to me.” I smiled and, kicking my leg off the mattress, fetched my Fender. I held it out for my woman to take. Her brow furrowed and her nose twitched. Stifling a groan, I placed the guitar in her hands. “Pplay.” “Will you continue to teach me?” she asked with a knockout fuckin’ smile. I sat down on the mattress beside Mae and nodded. I will teach her how to play.

Chapter Twenty Mae One Month later… “One more box, honey,” Beauty said as she carried a large brown box of men’s biker leathers toward me. “Sure, no problem,” I replied. Beauty stood beside me in her tight red leathers and black Hangmen tank. She wore her fitted Property of Tank cut too. In fact, she rarely took it off. Four weeks had passed. Four weeks of being with Styx, exploring each other ’s bodies, riding on the back of his bike, tasting the heady rush of freedom. And four weeks of him teaching me how to play the guitar. I truly loved it. Music had become my passion. My obsession. Each set of chords moved something within me; when I played music, I felt like I had truly found myself, found the person I was always meant to be. Sharing that love with Styx only made my passion more intense. Styx had even begun schooling me in ASL. I hated not being able to communicate with him when we were in the company of other people, so I reminded Styx to teach me sign at every opportunity. Beauty had helped me too. I also had a job. I persuaded Styx to let me work for Beauty now that Pit had been… disposed of… and the threat to the club was gone. I tried very hard not to dwell on that side of things. I could not bear to imagine Styx that way; so aggressive, so brutal. I knew I was being naïve, but I wanted everything to be positive and settled for a while. And Styx was nothing but beautiful with me. Styx had been reluctant to let me work, Beauty’s store being away from him and the compound. He worried the outside world would be too much for me, but ultimately, he allowed it and I adored him for it. He understood I needed to experience life beyond him… beyond the club. Beauty had taken me under her wing and I had been working in her store, Ride, for two weeks. Every single day, Styx would drive me to work on the back of his Harley and pick me up at the end of the day to take me home. It was all so… normal. I cherished feeling normal. When you have been cast out by people your entire life, normalcy becomes… beautiful. The leather uniform I had to wear at Ride was… different: tight black leathers and a black skintight Hangmen tank, but I actually kind of loved that too. I was gradually building my own life with a man I adored and friends with whom I enjoyed spending my days. Most days, Letti would drop by the store and “shoot the shit,” as only she could say. Letti worked in the bike garage next door with Bull, Tank, and a few others who I did not really know too well yet. All in all, life was progressing well. That is apart from Rider. After Styx was injured, Rider went on a long run to Louisiana and several other states on club business. I had not heard from him since and I missed him so much. I missed talking to him. I missed laughing with him. He had not even told me goodbye. Beauty placed a cup of steaming coffee beside me, readying herself to help me shelve the rest of the leathers. “So Styx picking you up today?” she asked, striking up a conversation. “Yes.” I checked the clock on the wall behind the counter and smiled. “He should be here anytime.” “You okay to work again tomorrow, darlin’? We’ve been swamped lately.”

I beamed a huge smile at my friend. “Of course! I love it here. I am not good at anything except folding garments, but I enjoy keeping busy all the same.” “Hell, girl, you’re the best shop girl I got. The cult you grew up with may have been backward as all hell, but they sure taught you some damn good domestic skills!” Beauty stopped and looked at me. “Shit! I’m sorry, Mae, sometimes my mouth just runs away!” I could not help but laugh. “It is okay. You are right. We did have to perform our chores well or risk punishment. Believe me, we all became quick studies.” Beauty’s blue eyes filled with sympathy. “Mae, I know you never talk about what happened back there, but I’m here if you ever want to. I won’t tell no one, not a soul.” Clutching a pair of wide leather pants to my chest, I swallowed back a lump in my throat. “That means so much to me. Thank you.” Beauty wrapped her arm around me and squeezed before quickly letting go. We went back to work in silence. “You remind me of my friend,” I said quietly, a short time later. “Really?” Beauty stopped in her task and smiled my way. “Yes. Her name is Delilah, or Lilah, as I know her. She is beautiful with long blond hair and blue eyes. Beautiful… just like you.” I could feel Beauty watching me, but I continued shelving clothes, feeling a little exposed, unwilling even to glance her way. “Do you miss her?” she asked softly. My eyes closed and a pang of searing pain shot through my chest. “Incredibly so, I… I…” My eyes darted to Beauty, then quickly away. “My eldest sister, Bella… died. This is why I left commune. I wanted… I asked Lilah to join me, but she refused to leave. She was scared. My younger sister, Maddie, is still there also. I miss them both so much that sometimes when I think of them, I find it impossible to breathe. I am here, free, experiencing life and in love with the most incredible man. And they are there in that prison… alone.” “Mae,” Beauty whispered sadly, rubbing her hand along my back. I continued. “I believe I shall see them again someday. I pray every night that I shall. They are my family. But… they would not leave with me. They believe in The Order and are too afraid of the world outside.” “Have you ever thought about trying to find the commune? The club would help you get them back.” I started, my heart kicking into a too-fast rhythm. “No! I do not even know where to begin. I never want to see that place again… ever. It is evil, Beauty. They would never let me leave if I went back. I never want to set foot on that land.” “Hell, girl! Styx’ll keep you safe. That man is crazy over you!” Beauty blushed and bit on her lip. I could not interpret her expression, but then she said, “Mae?” “Yes?” “He speaks to you, don’t he?” “Yes,” I answered warily. “We talk… He is very good to me.” “You know, in the whole time I’ve been associated with the club, I’ve never really heard his voice. No one but Ky has. I know he called for you in the shooting, shocking the brothers to all hell, but too much was happening to really take note. What does he sound like?” I blushed. “Deep, graveled, strong Texan accent, almost like he has gargled with broken glass… perfect. I adore its sound and could listen to him talk all day.” I blushed even more. Beauty beamed, her smile lighting up her whole face. “I’m so happy for you both. I used to worry ’bout the guy. I’m glad you give him a voice, a safe place to be himself. He has a tough job, being so young. But Christ, the guy is one helluva good Prez. Even the old guys—Smokey and Bone, who’ve

seen three Hangmen Presidents in their lives—they say Styx is the strongest, the best. Born to wear that patch.” I quickly finished shelving the last pair of pants and pulled Beauty in for a hug. It shocked her. I could tell by her sharp gasp. I did not show affection often, it was not natural to me, but I really appreciated Beauty’s friendship, especially right now. “Ahem.” Someone cleared his throat behind us. Letting go of Beauty, I glanced over her shoulder. “Hello, Flame,” I greeted, spotting him standing awkwardly at the main door. His eyes darted all over the place, from the floor to the ceiling and over his shoulder. He was always uneasy, always on guard. “Mae. Beauty,” he greeted flatly with a nod. Flame was dressed in dark jeans, white shirt and his cut. His strangely-cut dark hair was messy and windswept from riding, but his large, almond-shaped black eyes shone with their usual eerie glare. He addressed me blankly. “Styx had business to attend to. Sent me to pick you up and take you home. Straight to his apartment. Okay?” “Oh, okay,” I replied. “When will he be back?” Flame shrugged. “When he gets back.” I knew that was as much information as I could expect. Club business after all. I quickly ran into the back room to collect my purse, then waved good-bye to Beauty. “See you in the morning!” “Bye, honey!” she called as she made her way to a rather large grizzly customer in the helmet section. Flame was already waiting for me on his Harley, back stiff, eyes roaming and head twitching. I had only ever ridden with Rider and Styx. Strangely, it felt like I was betraying them by getting on the back of Flame’s bike. In truth, he unnerved me at the best of times. Even more so in such close proximity. Awkwardly clambering aboard, I reached out to grip his waist but he leapt forward on a low growl. “Don’t put your fuckin’ hands ’round my waist!” I lifted up my hands, showing they were clear from his body. “I am very sorry,” I hushed out quietly. After a few moments, he appeared to relax. “I can’t be touched on my waist, my stomach or any lower. Okay, Mae?” My heart beat fast with nerves and I frowned in confusion. “Okay,” I confirmed. Then I enquired, “Can I grip onto the side of your cut? Just the material, not your body? I will not touch you, I promise.” Flame nervously glanced back, his obsidian eyes wide. Surprisingly, his hands began shaking on the handlebars. Then, hesitantly, Flame answered, “That’s fine. Just… don’t touch… don’t fuckin’ touch…” I nodded my head in agreement, fisted his cut, and abruptly we rolled away. Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the compound. As we parked, my pulse accelerated. A black-and-chrome Harley was parked out front—Rider ’s Harley. He was back! Dismounting the bike, I thanked Flame and went to make my way inside the back stairwell to Styx’s apartment. Flame rode off out of compound with a roar and I stopped mere inches from the backdoor. With Styx gone on business, I should be able to speak to Rider alone, to try and get my friend back, to try and salvage whatever relationship we had left. For the last four weeks I had been told to use the back entrance to Styx’s apartment unless the club was open to wives and old ladies. It was not a Friday or Saturday night, or a Hangmen family day for

that matter, so I knew I was breaking the rules if I went in the bar without Styx. I did not want to anger Styx but… The need to see Rider won and I found myself pushing through the doors to the bar. The first thing to greet me was the thick fog of tobacco smoke, followed by the strong scent of liquor. Rock music was blasting through the speakers and I spotted Smiler at the bar, nursing a beer. “Good afternoon, Smiler,” I said. His eyes stuck out like organ stops on seeing me alone in the brothers’ bar. Smiler never smiled—his soubriquet was ironic—and he rarely talked. He jerked his chin up in greeting. “Were you on the run with Rider?” He nodded his head slowly, eyes inquisitive. Looking down, I fidgeted with my hands. “Where is he now?” “His room.” I went to walk off, when Smiler added, “Might wanna stay the fuck out of there, though.” “Why?” I asked casually as a tight throat suddenly afflicted me. “Just a heads up. Not the type of thing Prez’ll want you ’round, if you catch my drift.” Smiler turned back to the bar and switched on the TV. Some sports game was playing. His heavy curtain of brown hair fell over his eyes, blocking him from my view. I walked carefully through to the hallway hosting the brothers’ private rooms and knocked on Rider ’s door. I could hear loud music coming from inside and after several minutes of no response, I knew he had not heard my call. But he was in there and I was not going away without seeing him. Sucking in a breath and checking that the hallway was empty, I pressed on the handle and pushed in… and my breath immediately caught in my throat. Good. Lord. Rider… Rider was naked, muscles bunching, veins throbbing, limbs tense. Rider was on his bed… on his bed with a slight black-haired girl prostrate at his crotch. Sucking enthusiastically at his length. He was laid back on the mattress, his eyes squeezed shut, full lips slightly parted. And the girl… Urgh! The girl was without clothes, her small body tucked right between Rider ’s legs, her big blue eyes hungry as she gorged on his flesh, her attention always on Rider ’s face. Past conversations ran through my head. You got a bitch pining for you somewhere, Rider? Letti had asked. No. No bitch anywhere. You want to be with someone you love, I said knowingly. Rider shrugged. I can’t shake it. It was the way I was raised. This was not right! This entire scene was so messed up. Rider wanted more for himself than this; he had told me so. Deserved to award himself with more than this act of desperation. He wanted to wait for someone he loved. That is you. He loves you. My mind tormented me with conflicting thoughts. There was only one thing to do. I stormed across the previously neat bedroom, now scattered with dirty clothes and empty liquor bottles, and pulled the plug on the deafening stereo. I was still holding the stereo’s cord in my hand when Rider lifted his head off the mattress. He looked straight into my eyes, which widened in shock, before dulling back to their previously glazed state. The girl on her knees tried to lift her head too, but Rider ’s forceful hand kept her taking his fullness in her mouth.

She whimpered and began fighting against his hold. Rider smirked. I retched. This was not the Rider I had come to know. Dropping the cord, I walked toward the bed, collecting the girl’s small pink dress and high shoes as I went. Gripping Rider ’s wrist, I heaved it back from the girl’s head and she broke away with a loud gasp. She looked up at me with watering doe eyes. “Leave,” I ordered. She did not hesitate. My goodness, she looked all of eighteen, perhaps nineteen at most. What was she doing in a place like this? With brothers too old and too… rough for a girl her size and age? Rider shot to his feet, his manhood still erect and flat against his stomach. I averted my eyes. Men being nude was nothing new to me. The disciples would always be free of clothes in the sharings and I was used to ignoring their flesh; I would simply treat Rider in the same manner. Rider ’s bullet wound scar met my eyes. Grabbing the girl by her arm, he yanked her back. “Fuck off, Mae. Snow White here was sucking my cock. The bitch ain’t going nowhere.” Snow White! Really? Vomit crept up my throat. My stomach churned as I surveyed the girl. She was like me… in every single way: looks, height, frame. Poor Rider. As I pushed on Rider ’s chest, he fell back to the bed with a grunt. Quickly scrambling to his feet, a murderous look formed his stern expression. I turned to the girl again. “Leave. Right now. Leave and never come back. I will not ask again.” The sound of soft feet padding on the hardwood floor graced my ears and the bedroom door slammed shut a few seconds later. I swerved round to confront Rider, who was now standing flush to my front, his chest panting hard, his teeth clenched as he stared me down. “What. The. Fuck. Are. You. Doing?” He emphasized every word through gritted teeth. I lifted my eyes to meet his and saw conflict swirling in their depths. He wanted me. I knew this look now. I knew what it meant. Lust was boiling up; I could see it in the way his lips tensed as he glared at me. I listed more: the way his fingers clenched, fighting the urge not to touch me… and the way his length was harder now than it ever was with the poor girl braced on her knees to take him in her mouth. “Rider. Do not do this to yourself,” I begged in a quiet voice. “Do what? Fuck? She was sucking my cock real good ’til you busted in shooting it all to hell.” “You do not believe in this kind of thing! This… mindless whoring is not you. You told me over and over how you wanted to be with someone you loved. It was the way you were raised. Just like me, remember?” “Yeah,” he said breathlessly. His shoulders drooped and his brown eyes softened a touch. “The someone I love’s with someone else though. What the hell am I meant to do about that?” “Rider…” I trailed off, not knowing what to say in response. He lifted his hand and stroked it down my hair, rubbing the black strands between his fingers. “I can’t deal with it, Mae. I can’t stand that you’re with him.” His low voice was broken and pained. My chest ached. I reached for his hand and squeezed it in mine. “Rider… I love him.” His head tipped back to the ceiling and his lips tensed under the cover of his short brown beard. He released my hand. “And I love you, Mae,” he confided, voice hoarse. His chin lowered and he cupped my face in his large hands. “I fuckin’ love you. I can’t stop thinking about you. I drink to forget that you’re with him… in his room… fu—” He winced. “Hell, I can’t even think of it right now! I found that young bitch with Viking. I just wanted to forget you for a while. I don’t sleep. Can’t

eat…” “Rider, please. You are my best friend.” “I don’t wanna be your fuckin’ ‘best friend’, Mae!” “Rider…” I lowered my head as tears began dropping freely. “No, Mae! We’d be so good together. We want the same things, believe the same things. Your future could be with me.” “I am with Styx, Rider!” “Fuck Styx!” “No!” I pulled back from his embrace. “You will not speak of him in such a way! I love him, Rider. I love you too, but in a completely different way. Stop making this so difficult! I feel like I am being torn in two!” “Difficult! DIFFICULT! You don’t know the meaning of the word! You stayed with me for weeks. Just you and me. You talked to me about everything: your faith, your worries, your hopes. You laughed with me, fell asleep with me, fuckin’ RODE ON THE BACK OF MY BIKE! You were mine first, Mae. Not his! MINE!” “That is where you are mistaken, Rider,” I rasped out, my voice small. His brows furrowed. “How? How am I mistaken?” “I have been Styx’s since I was eight years old.” His breathing calmed down. “What? How—” “I met him years ago, only briefly, but it was enough. Our fate was sealed from that day on.” He exhaled in shock. “He found the commune? Where? How?” I nodded my head. “He found us by mistake, but I believe I was meant to meet him that day.” Rider shook his head as though shielding himself from that truth. As he stepped forward, I retreated until my back hit the wall. I had nowhere else to go. Rider leaned in against me, still naked, eyes blazing. “I don’t care what happened years ago. I don’t care if the brother speaks to you or you think you share some childhood connection. I want you right now. Forget the past! I want to be with you, Mae.” My palms pressed against his hard, bare chest, but he refused to move. Rider towered above me, pouring his heart out. All I could offer in return was to break it more with every pain-filled confession. His tongue snaked out and licked along his lips, and my heart began to pound. If it were not for Styx, I would be drawn to Rider, no doubt. If it were not for Styx, I would fall for Rider. But Styx was my life… he was my heart. “I am so sorry, Rider, but I can—” I did not get the chance to finish my sentence before Rider ’s lips smashed against mine. His hands held my face in a vise-like grip and I struggled to move. His beard hair brushed against my skin and, unable to break away, I resolved to let him have this. Let him have me this way only. Just this once. His tongue probed my lips open and I could taste liquor in his mouth. My tears dropped freely from my eyes as his touch deepened, his soft beard growing wet. I did not return the kiss, but still, he did not stop. His hips pressed against mine, urging me to respond, his length hard against my stomach. I could not give anything in return. I just stood and let him have his way. Eventually, he pulled away and I could see clearly the guttering hurt in his expression as he stared me down. “Mae… I feel like I can’t breathe anymore,” he confessed, his voice tight. “I watch you watch him with that look on your face. The look you have only for Prez.” He peered up at me, face sullen—a little boy lost. “Why can’t you look at me like that?”

Lord, the pain behind those words… My chest heaved with the gut-wrenching sobs leaving my body. “I do not know, Rider. Please, I am not trying to hurt you. But I cannot see you this way, it is breaking my heart.” He stopped dead. “You are hurting me, Mae and I can’t stand it anymore! If I have to sit in one more meeting with Prez, knowing he was in your pussy only minutes before, I’m gonna go insane. If I have to ride out with him anymore, him chasing road just to get back into your arms, I’m fixin’ to explode! This is my goddamn home and I ain’t got nowhere else to go.” He carefully approached and began wiping at my tears. “But I can’t be here with you and him.” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. A strange expression flitted across his face. “Styx ain’t got no future, Mae. If you stay with him, only trouble will find you.” “What do you mean by that?” I asked suspiciously. His emotional walls went up immediately. “He’s a man wanted by a lotta folks. He’s on borrowed time, Mae. He has no future. You do… I do.” “Rider, stop it!” I yelled. Rider stumbled away. “I can’t stay here with you and him no more. If you’ve made your choice… I’m smoke.” I gripped his wrist and pulled his palm to my face. He sucked in a breath. “I do not want you to go.” “Why?” he demanded as he moved in and pressed his forehead to mine. I could smell that woodsy soap on his skin… it made me feel so safe. Rider had always made me feel safe. But all we did of late was rip each other to shreds. “Because I will miss you,” I answered honestly. He sighed long and hard through his nose. “It’s not enough, Mae. That’s not nearly enough.” “I know, but I had to try…” I sniffed through my sobs. Rider ’s hand shook as he pressed a chaste kiss to my head. “I love you. How could I not? You’re perfect,” he whispered, his graveled voice almost inaudible. Warm breath blew in my ear and he whispered, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of all is love.” My heart melted as he quoted my favorite Bible verse. Then my heart broke because I knew this was Rider ’s farewell. “Please tell me you will be safe. Tell me you will be happy,” I urged through a tightening throat. His nose ran along my jaw and pressed into my hair. He inhaled and whispered, “I’ll never be happy without you, Mae. Fuck. Why him? He’s gonna lead you straight to hell.” “Is that so, motherfucker?” The click of a gun loading froze us both. Rider ’s brown eyes met mine and I began to shake in fear. Closing his eyes, Rider backed away from our place against the wall and the barrel of a handgun greeted his head. I glanced over my shoulder to see Styx stood behind, with Ky beside him. I had never seen Styx look so angry before. His hazel eyes were flat and dead as he glared at Rider. Rider, who was naked—I had forgotten he was without clothes. This had not been about sex. It never had been with Rider. This was about giving my best friend closure. It was about letting him go. “Styx, keep Mae outta this,” Rider said firmly. Styx’s eyes narrowed as they met mine. Hurt was evident in his stare. “Styx. Please. It is not what you think,” I begged, blood draining from my face at the sight of Ky’s gun pointing at Rider ’s head. “Then you better explain, sugar. And do it damn fast.” I glanced up at Ky; he was equally pissed. Rider had gone against a brother, a mortal sin in the Hangmen world. “Styx… baby,” I pleaded, catching Rider ’s flinch at my soothing tone to Styx. Styx rewarded

Rider ’s reaction with a swift hit to the back of his head with his fist. “Styx, I came in here to help Rider. He has been finding things hard lately. I was worried about him,” I said in panic. “Fucker ’s creepin’ on Prez’s property; that’s what he’s been doing,” Ky said, cracking his neck from side to side. Styx and Ky were going to hurt Rider… all because of me. Why the fuck’s he naked? Styx furiously signed, drawing my attention. I now understood some ASL through Styx’s intense tuition, and I most certainly did not need his question translated. Styx’s palpable emotions alone conveyed his rage at the scene before him. “We weren’t fucking, if that’s what you’re getting at,” Rider hissed out in a stabbing tone. That response obviously got to Styx, and I screamed as he dragged Rider to the wall, slammed him up by his throat and, ripping Ky’s gun from his hand, inserted the barrel into Rider ’s mouth. Rider was a dead man. I ran over to Styx, trying to lower the tension. I tried to take hold of his arm, but he shrugged me off. I rubbed his back, but he stiffened and shrugged me off again. Styx focused only on Rider. I knew I had to get through to Styx, to help Rider, so I did the only thing I could think of. Walking to his left side, I pulled his arm from across Rider ’s throat and, wrapping my index finger around his, lifted it up high and pressed it softly to my lips. With a hard exhale, those beautiful fall eyes I adored so much finally focused on me. “I burst in on Rider… He was with a girl. Having relations with a girl. It was my fault he is like this… free of clothing. The blame is all mine.” “Then why the hell was he all over you, pawing at your fuckin’ face, trying to get in your pussy, a pussy that’s owned by Styx?” Ky asked from behind. Styx stiffened once more and pushed the barrel farther down Rider ’s throat. Rider was completely unafraid. In fact, he seemed to be resolved when he closed his eyes and bit the barrel with his teeth. I paled. “Styx! Stop!” Mouthing something to Rider that I could not make out, Styx pulled back his gun and tucked me under his arm. His hold was consuming and Rider watched us heatedly, until his expression hardened. Rider ran his hands down his face. “You know what, Styx? Fuck this! I fuckin’ love Mae and I needed her to know. So, I kissed her, and I would’ve done more if she’d a’ been into it. I wanna be her goddamn future… not you.” Styx released a feral growl. My head fell. Rider had just signed his own execution. It all happened so fast. Fists and the weapon went flying. Rider and Styx became a blur of tangled bodies in a fight. “NO!” I screamed, but Ky gripped my arms and pushed me back toward the door. I struggled to get free as Styx and Rider hit the floor, but Ky pushed me into the hallway, locking us both out. “Ky, let me back in!” I yelled as I ran at his chest, but he was like a granite boulder barring my way. “Reel it the fuck in, Mae. This has been coming a real long time. Shit’s just hit the fan.” “Styx will kill him!” He shrugged nonchalantly. “Probably.” “Ky!” Ky rolled his eyes and gripped my arms. “Listen up, bitch. You being in Rider ’s room, not cool. Him being buck-ass naked, work it the fuck out. Styx needs this. Maybe if you were more concerned with your man than fuckin’ Rider, we wouldn’t be here right now!” “Screw you, Ky!” I bit back, shocking myself with my choice of language.

His blue eyes widened at my outburst, then we quickly resumed our silence. The bedroom door suddenly crashed open and Styx carried a bloodied and beaten Rider by his neck. Styx was mostly unmarked, and he threw Rider to the floor, right at my feet. My hand flew to my mouth and I choked out a cry. Get the fuck outta my club. You’re done. Leave your cut and patch at the door, Styx signed. “Styx—” “Just shut the fuck up, Mae!” Rider ordered from the floor, slowly getting to his feet. Blood from his mouth and nose pooled on the floor. My gaze shot to Rider ’s eyes. All I saw was disappointment in his stare. Styx threw a pair of jeans and boots at Rider ’s face and Rider shoved them on. As he stood, he looked me dead in the eyes and held out his hand. “Mae…” he whispered, looking so broken stood before me, imploring me to choose him. I drank in his large frame, his brown eyes, and his soft rugged beard. His long straight brown hair hung wild over his broad shoulders and his Hades tattoos stood out proudly against his tanned skin. This was it. I knew I would not see him again after this moment. I was losing another friend and it was killing me. “Rider…” I cried as I turned my head to Styx, who was watching me intently, a hint of fear in his beautiful hazel-eyed gaze. “Mae?” Rider pushed again, and facing him once more, I repeated, “I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry…” Rider smiled in disbelief and shook his head. “You’ve chosen wrong, Mae. You’ve chosen so fuckin’ wrong.” In a flash, Rider stormed out of the door and out of the club. The loud thrum of a Chopper ’s engine disappeared into the distance. Rider was gone—for good. Styx stood before me, panting, glowering, his ripped muscles bulging under his black T-shirt. He lifted his hand, wiping blood from his lip. Ky hightailed it from the hallway, leaving us all alone. “Styx—” Styx flew at me and slammed me back against the wall, his mouth crashing to mine. I broke away, palming his chest. “How could you do that? How could you hurt him like that? He is broken-hearted! You did not need to beat him!” His eyes seemed to burn. “Fucker d-deserved it. I’m d-done with the c-cunt trying to have you. You’re mine.” Styx’s fingers ran over my mouth and my eyes rolled back at his gentleness. “I own ththese perfect d-damn lips.” His fingers then ran across my cheeks. “Th-these wolf e-eyes.” Then he cupped my face and kissed my nose. “This f-f-fuckin’ t-twitchin’ nose!” Styx leaned in and his tongue ran around the shell of my ear. “You n-need to let him the fuck g-go. This is m-me, Mae. This i-is whwho I am! You w-want this… us… you t-take me as I am.” “Styx—” I cried as his hands crept up to fist in my hair, my tears falling at his words, and he locked me in his embrace. I could not move an inch. Styx’s lip ring scraped against my lips as his tongue fought and plundered its way into my mouth. His tongue found mine and it dominated, demonstrating his absolute control. He was so raw, so unrestrained when it came to me, and my thighs clenched together in need. Lord, I wanted him so much… exactly how he was. A long moan ripped from my throat, my anger quickly forgotten as a hand slipped under my tank and aggressively palmed my breast. His fingers rolled and plucked at my nipples and I broke away with a hiss, Styx’s hazel eyes wild and untamed. My hands smacked down hard on his back; his wide, huge muscles shifted and twitched under my fingers as his teeth bit into my neck. “Styx!” I yelled as his fingers moved to rip at my leathers, wrenching them down my legs, my

panties following shortly after. He stepped on the center of my pants around my ankles. “Off,” he growled. Moisture pooled between my legs at his order, and I lifted my feet from my leathers. I was open, bare and more than ready. Styx’s nostrils flared, then his fingers plunged in me. My hands roamed around his hair and I clutched the messy dark strands, already feeling the butterflies building in my stomach. Then all too soon, he withdrew, only to fill me to the hilt in one hard thrust with his hard length. Gripping my thighs around his waist, Styx pounded me against the wall. We had never made love like this before—hard, rough, wild… so desperate. “Mine,” Styx groaned, deep, guttural, possessive, against my neck. His busy mouth latched onto my breast, his teeth grazing and pulling at my nipples. “Ah! Styx!” “Mine!” he growled, pumping even harder, his fingers circling my clitoris as my shoulder blades burned with the friction of the wall. I had never felt so full. My hands gripped hard on Styx’s shoulders, clawing and raking at his skin. It was too much—the fire, the burning… the pressure—too much, and with a final slam, light burst behind my eyes, pleasure a rolling thunder through my body—jerking, invading, overwhelming. Styx’s hold became almost painful on my thighs, and he stilled. “MINE!” he bellowed, spraying his warmth into my womb, his hot sweet breath panting into my neck. My thighs shook with overexertion and our bodies were slick with sweat. Not a word passed between us as we caught our breath. Styx nuzzled his face into my exposed chest, his hot tongue lapping and kissing at my breasts, red teeth marks decorating my pale skin. I combed through his hair with my fingers, deep sounds of pleasure rumbling up from his throat. “Mine… mine… mine…” he murmured over and over before kissing across my collarbone, up my throat, and finally onto my mouth. The kiss was deep and meaningful but short. Styx pulled back, staring into my eyes, his length still twitching inside me. “I love you,” I whispered, gazing into his eyes. “M-Mae,” he groaned. “You’re n-not going an-anywhere. R-right?” “Right, baby,” I assured as I ran my finger down his cheek. “Mine,” he sighed in relief. “Yours.” I cupped his rough, unshaven cheeks. “I did not kiss him back.” Styx stilled and I could see the anger seeping back into his ruggedly handsome face, his muscled shoulders expanding. “Styx, I did not. He was drunk and sad and reacted poorly… erratically. He is my friend… but he is not you.” “He’s never fuckin’ coming back,” Styx said with authority. “N-no one touches what’s m-mine. If you weren’t standing there, I’d have killed the fucker.” “I understand,” I said, relieved it had not progressed that far. Water filled my eyes and my heart broke. I will miss my friend, but Rider himself had told me he could not, would not, live here with Styx and me together. And I was not leaving Styx. As hard as it may be, Rider needed space and Styx needed me. I prayed to God that Rider would find his way.

Chapter Twenty-One Mae “Won’t you guys come? Please,” Beauty begged. Styx wrapped his strong arms around my shoulders, his hands free to sign. I’m locking us away. Alone. No fuckin’ interruptions. No more fuckin’ drama. I wanna be with my woman. “Beauty! Leave them the fuck alone!” Tank shouted as he gripped Beauty’s arm and yanked her to his side. “Fine!” Beauty folded her arms and glowered at Styx. “But a ride out’s meant to have the Prez, you know! Just saying!” Tank rolled his eyes and slapped his hand over Beauty’s mouth, successfully shutting her up. I felt Styx’s unshaven cheeks rub against mine, and he leaned in to my ear. “B-be back in five.” I watched him walk toward Ky and the psycho trio, signing something as he went. He was so dominant, so commanding as he strutted through the room in his jeans, white shirt, and cut, his muscles rolling beneath the tight shirt, his hair still messy from making love to me this morning. “You got it bad, girl.” I looked beside me and Beauty was watching as Tank joined Styx and the guys in a deep, serious discussion. She smiled a huge smile and nudged my arm. I blushed. “I do have it… bad, as you put it. I love him more than life,” I confided. “Really? I’d never have guessed!” I grinned on hearing Beauty’s playful tone just as Styx glanced back my way, fire igniting in his eyes as he noticed my attentions… all strong and male… and all mine. Beauty stepped in front of me, blocking my path to Styx. I met her worried gaze. “What?” I asked, suddenly feeling cold as dread filled my bones. “Tank told me something last night,” she whispered low. “What?” Her eyes darted around us, checking we were not being observed. Satisfied, Beauty confided, “Tank said a group of the brothers went ’round Rider ’s yesterday, you know, just to check on him.” I reached out and grabbed her arm. “And?” Beauty raised her eyebrow at my hold on her arm. I immediately let it go. “I am sorry.” “It’s fine.” She took a breath and leaned in close. “He weren’t there.” “Where do they think he has gone?” “Here’s the thing. Tank said it was like Rider ’d vanished. His things were still there, his Chopper still parked out front. He even had a half-full glass of liquor by his chair. He’s disappeared, just like some damn ghost. They got the new prospect, Slam, watching his place twenty-four-seven… But there’s still nothing.” An ominous feeling crept over me. Something was very, very wrong. “Beauty!” We both jumped as Tank shouted Beauty’s name across the room. “We’re out. Let’s roll!” Beauty gripped my hand and squeezed. “Don’t tell Styx I told you. I’ll be in a whole worlda hurt if you do. I’m not meant to know club business.”

“I promise.” I caught sight of Styx heading my way and faked a happy smile. With a wave, Beauty headed over to Tank and, as one, the brothers and their women left the compound. We were all alone. Styx towered over me and, clutching my face, pressed a long promising kiss on my lips. When he withdrew, I was breathless. “R-ready for a d-day i-in bed?” he asked confidently, accompanied by the playful arch of an eyebrow. I threw my arms around his neck and wrapped my legs around his waist. “I have been waiting for this day all my life.” I was rewarded with a wide smile. Beautiful. *** “I can’t get enough,” Styx said breathlessly as he laid kisses along my inner thigh. He had taken me three times. Three lots of hot, sweaty, and oh-so-intense sex. I ran my fingers through his hair as he crawled up my body, hovering above me. “I love you,” I whispered. He smiled and his dimples stood proud. “Babe. Fuckin’ love you.” “Your stammer is better.” His teeth dragged along his bottom lip ring. “It’s y-you. Ain’t near as m-many barriers in my way, no python choking me t-tight when I’m around you. It’s freedom.” Placing my palms on his chest, I pushed him to the side, climbing on to straddle his waist. I drank in his naked form: muscles, tanned skin, colorful tattoos, pure masculine perfection. My finger began an exploration starting at his beautifully rugged face, down his rough cheeks, down his neck, over his raised pink swastika scar. He flattened my hand to his chest. “It don’t b-bother me.” I glanced up in surprise, then frowned, questioning, “Does it not? Those men carved up your chest.” He shook his head. “It f-fuels me, babe. Makes me st-stronger.” I bent down and pressed my lips to his. As I pulled back, I slipped off his waist and climbed off the bed. I caught a glimpse of him over my shoulder and he smirked in response. Walking to the black leather chair in the corner of the room, I picked up Styx’s Fender and made my way back to the bed. Styx rolled to his side, leaning on his hand. “You want me to teach you again?” I shook my head and lowered my eyes, placing the Fender in my lap. “I want to play you something.” My eyes fluttered up to meet his. Styx’s mouth dropped open, then closed again. “You w-wanna play… f-for me?” “I have been practising. Beauty helped me get some music and well, while you have been out on runs, I have learned a song for you.” I knew I was blushing bright red. I could feel the fire under my skin. “Babe…” Styx whispered. When I glanced at him once more, he urged me to play with a jerk of his chin. Taking a deep breath, I positioned the guitar and began clumsily strumming the first chords. I watched as a proud smile spread across Styx’s handsome face. This spurred me on; it was time for me to sing. “I hope you’re the end of my story. I hope you’re as far as it goes. I hope you’re the last words I ever utter. It’s never your time to go…” I sang each line exactly like I had practised. Styx’s face lit up,

showing pride had given way to utter adoration. I meant every word of the song, the lyrics a benediction on my lips. As I let the last chord of Pistol Annie’s “I Hope You’re the End of My Story” drift to a close, Styx ripped the Fender from my arms and tossed it to the floor. “Styx!” I squealed as he trapped me below his huge body, his length hardening against my thigh. “Fuck, Mae…” “Did you like it?” I asked as I squirmed against his chest, my arms wrapping around his broad back. “Mmm… babe. Y-your voice… p-perfect.” Styx lifted his hips. With one swift thrust, he plunged himself within my depths. A long groan cascaded from my mouth at the feeling, the pressure, the fire… the perfection. Linking his fingers around mine, Styx powered forward in long, forceful thrusts. His hazel eyes never left mine as he burrowed himself farther inside me, the tip of his length hitting my womb. “Styx,” I moaned as his movements became frenetic. “Come,” he commanded in one long growl. “Come. N-now.” Spurred on by his commands, an irresistible pressure built at the base of my spine and suddenly exploded, bright stars dancing behind my eyes. “Mae!” Styx hissed from above me, body stilled, neck corded, tendons straining, his length expanding almost painfully inside me. With soft thrusts, he relaxed above me, slipping to the side to rid me of his massive weight. His warm seed trickled down my inner thighs. A large hand pressed against my cheek and Styx guided me to share his pillow. “I c-can’t believe you c-came back after all th-these years.” My heart danced in my chest. “It was meant to be.” Styx shifted uncomfortably on the bed before inching in closer. “M-Mae?” “Yes,” I whispered, my breath held. “I—” Heavy footsteps suddenly pounded outside the door, interrupting Styx. “PREZ! MAE! Watch out!” a muffled voice shouted from the hallway. The bedroom door burst open with a terrific bang and I screamed as a bloodied man was pushed into the room, hitting the floor with a dull thud. Four men in balaclavas then charged in, guns instantly aimed at our heads. Styx lunged out of bed and stormed toward the men, but he was felled by the barrel of a large gun crunching into his temple. I screamed again, realizing Styx was in danger, then scrambled to cover myself with the sheet and caught sight of the other beaten man on the floor. No… no… no… no… Rider! Rider, half naked and hurt. His swollen eyes opened a fraction and his brown-eyed gaze met mine. Sadness surged through me and my stomach sank. This is why he has been missing from his home. He has been abducted, I thought, staring at his beaten, bloodied body. “Get on your knees!” the man leading the group shouted in a deep, rigid voice. A second man leapt at the bed and aggressively gripped my arm. “You too, whore!” His hand slipped into my hair and, wrapping it around his fist, he threw me to the floor. My scalp screamed in pain as I was roughly pushed between Styx and Rider, who were braced on their knees with heads down. As I hit the floor, the sheet covering my body slipped away and a pained hiss slipped through Styx’s teeth. I risked a glance to see him glowering my way; death stalked his hazel eyes as he stared

daggers at the man above me… the man who was staring at my exposed flesh. I was bare, for all to see. The room grew silent and I heard Rider suck in a sharp breath. When I glanced up in his direction, his brown eyes roved lustfully along my frame. The man in charge walked to the door and grabbed my black robe from the peg on the back of the door. He threw it at my face. “Cover yourself, whore,” he ordered. With shaky hands, I wrapped it around my body, tying the belt in a double knot. “Put your hands behind your backs.” I did as ordered but the leader rapped the butt of his gun on the side of Styx’s jaw when he refused. “All of you! Now!” Tears ran down my cheeks as Styx reluctantly did as he was told. I could see his throat working, his chest heaving and his lips shut tight. He was trying to speak. He was trying to speak but could not. My heart broke for him. I met his seething stare and tried to reassure him that I was okay. It did not work. The tendons in his neck pulsed with rage and his face turned bright red. Three of the men took ties from their pockets and, roughly grasping our wrists, bound them together. The plastic ties were too strong to break. We were now their captives. Rider swayed and leaned against me, his body covered in blood and mud. He was so tired he could barely hold his head up straight. The men in balaclavas stood over us. All dressed in black, they aimed their guns at our heads but Styx kneeled up straight, defiant, his eyes promising revenge and retribution. Even outnumbered, Styx’s strength and courage shone through. The leader saw the challenge in Styx’s stance and laughed a long, harrowing laugh—my blood turned to ice. That laugh. I would recognize that laugh anywhere. A whimper escaped my throat and the leader of the hooded group turned his head in my direction. He walked toward me slowly and crouched low. I sensed both Rider and Styx stiffen. The two men I loved most flanked me. But they could not protect me from this man. I believed, no, I knew he would find me in the end. The man slowly lifted his hand and swiftly removed his balaclava. All of the air in my lungs left my body. “Brother Gabriel,” I hissed through clenched teeth. I could hear Styx grind his teeth in anger beside me as Gabriel smiled the widest smile; his hand stroked his long, brown beard. “Salome,” he said very slowly, my name a curse on his tongue. “You’ve been a very bad, very insolent woman.” He tutted and waggled his index finger in my face as though reprimanding a simple child. “We’ve been searching for you for a very long time.” He turned to the others and laughed. “And here we find you, soiling yourself with his seed.” Gabriel pointed at Styx. “In the place we despise the most… with the people we have been working so hard to bring down.” I did not understand what he was saying. How could The Order know of the Hangmen? How had they been trying to bring the Hangmen down? I flashed a glance to Styx; his expression mirrored my confusion. I remained stoic toward Gabriel, my face acquiring the same blank expression I had adopted for many, many years. I was proficient in the art of hiding my emotions. “Now here’s what’s gonna happen,” Gabriel announced, interrupting my inner musings. “You’re gonna come back with us. You’re gonna shut that mouth like a good lil’ woman and repent for your whoring ways. You’ve tainted your purity with this sinner.” He snarled and curled his lip. “You still have his semen dripping down your thighs.” One of the men pushed his gun barrel along Styx’s temple. Styx looked ready to erupt in fiery rage.

“Then you’re gonna finally marry Prophet David, as revealed by the Lord, and seal our people’s place in Paradise.” I inhaled a shaky breath and closed my eyes, only to snap them back open and glare straight into Gabriel’s eyes. “I will do as you have requested,” I meekly conceded. I had to swallow the lump rising in my throat when Styx thrashed around in protest. The guard struck him on the stomach with his gun. Styx took the hit without a flinch. I pleaded, “Let Rider and Styx go. Please.” Gabriel laughed. “Now, Salome, that’s not your call to make.” “Please! They are innocent. Just let them go!” One by one, the brothers in the room revealed their faces—all the elders: Gabriel, Noah, Moses… and Jacob. His gray eyes fixed on mine and he stalked toward me, stopping behind Gabriel, then smiled wide. I felt as though hundreds of spiders were crawling over my flesh and I shuddered in revulsion. “Salome. We meet again,” he hissed, coldly. “Jacob,” I spat out, disgust coiling my stomach. His years of abuse flooded into my mind’s eye. I squeezed my eyes, trying to stem the flow of horrific memories: the touching, the taking… the shame. With a roar, Styx jumped to his feet and charged at Jacob. I screamed as Styx launched into him, and in a tangled mess, the two of them hit the floor. Styx maneuvered himself to stamp his foot across Jacob’s jaw. I heard a dull popping sound, followed by Noah swatting his gun on the back of Styx’s head. Styx crumpled flat to the ground. Jacob jumped to his feet, holding his injured jaw and I watched as he clicked it back into place. Jacob made to charge at Styx and Rider edged closer to me, his large chest shielding me from view. “Enough!” Gabriel ordered. The brothers instantly froze. “Secure him to the bedpost!” Brother Noah pushed Styx into the bedpost and tied him securely. Styx thrashed wildly, but the bed did not move. I met his wild eyes and mouthed, I love you. Styx stilled. “So you want me to save these men, Salome? These fallen savages?” Gabriel pointed at Rider and Brother Moses reached down, dragging him to his feet. Rider swayed on unsteady feet. “No! Please! Do not harm him!” I cried. Gabriel spun Rider in his arms and Rider glanced down at me, a strange expression on his face. Was he tormented… conflicted… regretful? Gabriel removed a large knife from the inside of his boot and held it in the air. “You want me to save this savage, huh?” Gabriel was clearly enjoying himself. Rider appeared numb. My cheeks were wet with tears. I watched as Gabriel took his knife and ripped apart Rider ’s hand ties. I felt like I could not breathe. Gabriel was going to kill him. I was about to watch the two men I cared for most die before my very eyes. Gabriel gripped at Rider ’s arm and he spun his victim around, knife braced to strike at Rider ’s throat. I heard Styx take a loud, expectant breath and I followed suit. Gabriel moved closer to Rider. “Are you ready to die?” Rider glared at Gabriel impassively. Why was he not fighting back? I wanted to scream at him to fight back, but my voice found no sound. Gabriel stood still as he watched for Rider ’s reaction, then abruptly dropped his knife to the floor with a clatter and spread his arms wide. “Brother Cain! It is so good to see you again!” My eyes widened as Rider straightened. A huge smile graced his face, his injuries suddenly seeming painless and all his tiredness was forgotten. “Brother Gabriel!” he responded in kind, as they embraced.

Each heartbeat in my chest was louder and more pronounced than the next. Everything around me slowed to half speed as I watched Rider and Gabriel basking in a joyous reunion. Gabriel’s words suddenly sounded in my ears. Brother Cain, it is good to see you again… NO! I slumped to the floor, depleted. My body had collapsed in shock. My eyes denied the scene before me; Rider embracing the elders one after the other. Brother Cain, it is good to see you again… My eyes looked to Styx. His eyes looked to me. Rider’s the rat. Rider’s the fuckin’ rat! He communicated with his gaze. Rider’s a disciple? I relayed back. Wait! Brother Cain? BROTHER… CAIN! “No,” I barely croaked. The elders and Rider all turned to meet the sound and I met Rider ’s nowalien brown eyes. I found more energy and queried, “You are Brother Cain? You are Prophet David’s nephew? The heir of The Order?” Rider just stared. He was a stranger to me now. Cain was the disciple who would inherit The Order when Prophet David passed. Rider is Brother Cain. Rider does not exist. Sobs ripped up my throat and I broke down right there on the floor. I could hear the sounds of Styx thrashing around again, trying in vain to break free to get to me, to comfort me. I could not handle it anymore. I could not take any more loss. “Get her. We need to move out.” Rider ’s—no—Cain’s command broke me from my sorrowful thoughts. Rising to my knees, I shuffled over to Styx, throwing myself into his body, slick with exertion. “Styx… I love you… I love you.” Styx growled and snarled as he fought to be free, fought to wrap his arms around my waist. His lips moved as if trying to speak but in vain—only silence… only silence. His words would not come and I could see the frustration on his face. “Baby, look at me. LOOK AT ME!” I shouted as his desperate eyes met mine. I pleaded, “Do not try and find me.” He frantically shook his head. I pleaded again, “Please. Do not look for me. They will never let me go again. I will never be free of this life. Let me go… Let me go. Protect yourself, protect the club… your brothers.” Suddenly, large hands gripped my arms. I fought against the strong hold, smashing my lips to Styx’s, needing that connection. I tried to savor his smoky taste, his musky scent. But our fleeting touch was over too soon. I was lifted off my feet and into a tight iron grasp: Cain. “Noah, Moses, send the Hangmen a message,” Cain commanded and the elders closed in on Styx. “No! NO!” I screamed over and over. “I love you, Styx. I love you!” Rider carried me out of Styx’s room and to the stairwell that led to the yard. “Damn you to hell, Cain. Damn you to hell!” I yelled as I fought to get free. Cain stopped and slammed me against the wall and his blazing eyes bored into mine. “I’m already in hell! This is fuckin’ hell! Seeing you with him… is hell! I’m bringing you back home, away from this sinful place! Back to our people! And away from him!” Anger blazed through my body. Before I even knew what I had done, I spit in his face. Cain froze as my saliva trickled down his cheek, then into his beard. “I hate you! How can you take me back to that den of evil after what they did to me for years? You told me you loved me! That was a lie! If you loved me, you would not take me back there. You might as well kill me. JUST KILL ME NOW!” Cain leaned in real close and once more slammed my back against the hard cement wall, the action robbing me of my breath. “That’s the fuckin’ problem, Salome. I do love you. I’m not meant to. It is forbidden. I was meant to free you for my uncle. Deliver you to Prophet David. And I must. It is the

will of the Lord. But I do fuckin’ love you and it is my burden to bear.” I was even more confused. “What? If you love me, you should let me go. Please…” For a moment, the Rider I knew and loved as my best friend stared back at me, but when Moses, Noah, and Gabriel dragged Styx through the bedroom door, the cold Brother Cain persona reasserted itself. “Styx!” I screamed as they dragged his bleeding body past me, my heart slamming against my ribs. His head, weak from the pounding he had just taken, lifted at my words. “STYX!” I cried out louder. My body crumpled against the wall… I could not get free. My heart broke as the elders hauled Styx into the yard, and all the time, he fought his restraints, fighting to get back to me. He will always try to protect me, I thought. I refocused and stared at Cain. “I will never forgive you for this, Brother Cain,” I hissed, my voice steely and even. For a moment, a flash of pain sped across Cain’s face as Brother Jacob stopped beside us. Cain straightened my left arm. “Do it!” he ordered Jacob, sternly. My attention moved to Jacob and I watch helplessly as he held out a long needle and injected it into my outstretched arm. As my consciousness began to fade, I fought against Cain’s hold. “Never… never… forgive you…”

Chapter Twenty-Two Styx I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t get the words out to say a damn word. Rider. Fuckin’ RIDER! He was one of them. All this time, years of being Road Captain… five years of riding with the Hangmen, front line at gun runs and deals… and he was one of them! Motherfucker! “Noah, Moses, send the Hangmen a message,” Rider hissed as he grabbed Mae and dragged her from the room. All I saw was a red misty tunnel. “Styx! I love you… I love you!” Mae cried, tears pouring down her cheeks. Rider is taking her from me! Mae! I wanted to scream, but the words wouldn’t come. The words were a cluster, a fuckin’ lump in my throat, choking me, lodged in place, refusing to move. The door to the hallway closed and two of the bearded fucks approached. I bared my teeth, fought against the restraints, but the fuckers kept coming. I promised myself if they got any closer I’d head butt the bastards, crush their noses, fracture their jaws… anything. “So. You’re the famous Hangmen Mute?” The first one taunted. I just stared, trying to goad them into coming closer. They looked at each other and laughed. “I’m thinking, by his silence, we got it right. Funny, he doesn’t seem so tough on his knees, begging like a bitch.” Movement up ahead caught my eye and I spotted Jacob pacing. He was glaring at me, snarling. So this is the pedo, I thought. This was the sick fuck who’d raped my woman. Raped her at the age of eight. His lip lifted in a knowing smirk, his jaw clicking at the movement. He stepped forward, crouching right in front of me, and started to taunt me. “She was so tight all those years ago.” I tensed, my muscles feeling as though they were ripping apart. “She fought me at first. Struggled to get free, but the trap kept her in her place. She squealed at first, you know, when I ripped through her virginity. But, she soon learned to enjoy me.” His head lowered, as did his voice. “I fucked her in every hole, in every way humanly possible… and she was always dripping wet for more.” Fury boiled my blood. I lunged forward, sinking my teeth into the side of his neck, ripping off a chunk of his flesh and spitting it on the floor at his feet. The taste of copper filled my mouth. He roared in pain, and I smiled as his blood trickled down my chin. The other two brothers attacked, punching, hitting, kicking me in the ribs. I held Jacob in a stare, smiling as the bothers’ blows down rained on me. “Moses, Noah, take him outside,” Gabriel ordered as Jacob held his neck, still glaring at me in shock. Moses and Noah gripped me by my arms and dragged me through the door. Mae.

Mae was held up against the wall by Rider. His face far too close to hers. She looked so damn scared. Our entrance to the hallway caught her attention and her wary wolf eyes snapped to mine. “Styx!” she screamed. “STYX!” Work. Speak. Come on. Just talk. Anything. One word. Only one word. A sound. Something… FUCK! I tensed my chest as I tried to push the words up my throat. I could feel them lurking, mocking me, but they just wouldn’t come. The two shits holding me were towing me past Mae so quickly I couldn’t get the words out in time. I couldn’t speak to my woman. Reassure her. I couldn’t help her. I was choking. Choking. “Jacob. Do it!” I heard Rider order. Planting my feet to the ground, I managed to turn just in time to see Jacob plunge a huge needle into Mae’s arm. “Never… never… forgive you,” Mae mumbled as she fell unconscious, the pain of her tone mirrored in Rider ’s face. Within a few short seconds, Mae was gone and I was being pushed down the stairs and out the door into the yard, the summer night sticky and too humid to fuckin’ breathe. “Gate!” Moses commanded. Noah nodded and we halted at the front gate. One of the bastards reached behind me to cut my hand ties. Taking advantage of this brief freedom, I swung my fists into their ugly faces, one by one, only to be tackled to the ground from behind. “Stay the fuck down,” a deep voice threatened. Rider. “Tie him up,” Rider ordered. I was lifted off the ground and spread out against the metal bars of the gate. My wrists were bound to the sides and my muscles burned with the movement. Finally, my feet were tied together at the ankles with cable. I laughed internally at the messed-up position they had me in. Nice touch… Jesus-lovin’ pricks. My fingers stretched and curled, but I couldn’t get free. And then Jacob arrived, holding a towel to his neck, blood drenching the cloth. I smiled until Rider looked my way. “She secure?” He checked. Mae. “She’s secure,” Jacob replied, glowering my way. Rider stared just a touch too long at Jacob. His eyes tightened just a second too long. If Brother Cain loved Mae as much as he claimed he did, he’d scalp that sadistic fucker for raping her… for years and years of sadistic abuse. If Rider didn’t come through, I’d make sure I got my fuckin’ revenge someday. This time nothing on Earth would stop me from finding Mae. She was fuckin’ everything to me. Some messed-up cult weren’t taking her away. “All of you go wait in the van,” Rider demanded. The men slipped on their balaclavas and left us the hell alone. I stretched my neck back to the yard and caught sight of a blacked-out Ford van. No plates. No distinguishing features. Nothing for me to locate it with. Mae was in the back, unconscious, and I couldn’t move. I couldn’t move to save my woman. “Styx.” Hearing my name, I turned my attention back to Rider, who had moved ’round and now stood before me. The fucker looked relieved… like he’d finally won. “She caused this by choosing you, y’know.” My jaw clenched and I tasted my own blood as my gums began to bleed with the pressure. “I mean, what the hell does she see in you? The way she watches you. The way she’s obsessed with you. It’s completely alien to me.” I almost couldn’t breathe as he talked about my woman. Shit. She did want me. Hell, she loved me, and this asshole couldn’t take it.

Rider punched me in the face, my head blowing to the side as a result. The brother had one hell of a right hook. “It’s time for you to listen, brother.” My eyes narrowed. “For years I’ve had to put up with a shitload of sinful acts and the pure evil poison of this brotherhood: the brothers fucking anything that moved, killing for kicks, drinking, turning against the Lord. I earned your friendship, your trust. All the time, I despised you and the rest of the sinners in this chapter. What you didn’t see is that The Order acquired a lucrative contract several years ago. A contract for a whole lotta guns, guns to give us revenue to expand our… commune. It was gonna take a few years to set up. But that was good. We needed a few years to scope the market, get to know our competitors. We shipped weapons in from Gaza, top-grade shit. But someone was already on our turf: you. “The plan was real simple: infiltrate the Hangmen, move through the ranks, and shoot the intel back to Prophet David and the elders. And I did. Did it to damn near perfection. It was us who undercut the Russian deal—I told them the details—began to phase the Hangmen outta the gun game. We got better guns. Russians had no complaints. Your old man going to the boatman was just the icing on the cake. I mean, his young kid, a mute bastard, taking the gavel? Putty in our fuckin’ hands. “It was us who put the bid on your head with the Nazis. Pit eventually took the fall. It weren’t too hard to make you think the prospect was corrupt—like taking candy from a baby. But then Mae turned up, bleeding out. Everything changed for me. The whole fuckin’ game changed.” Rider stroked his brown beard and a smirk appeared on his lips. I made a silent promise to myself to cut off Rider ’s head and mount it on my wall, a trophy to smirk back at every day for the rest of my life. I’d never wanted to maim and kill a motherfucker so much. I wanted him to feel pain… lots of pain, so much pain that’d he’d beg me to end him. “I didn’t know who Mae was at first.” He continued. I tried my best to refocus. Anything he said could be useful. I needed to listen to every damn word out of this traitor ’s brainwashed mouth. “I’d never seen her before. I was kept away from the commune, kept away to study The Order ’s leadership, study our teachings… study medicine, and learn how to heal. I was to be secluded until called upon to ascend. Things changed, though, and I was given a different mission: to infiltrate the Hangmen. I’d lived outside of commune, knew about life. I was the obvious choice to fit in with an outlaw MC. “I’d heard of the four ‘Cursed Sisters’ of the commune, of course; the famed four beauties of The Order. We all had—Salome, her two sisters, and one other, Delilah. We, the brothers, were warned to stay away from them. They could tempt any man, cause them to fall. Salome was rumored to be the most beautiful of them all, but fuck, the rumors of her beauty were underestimated—that hair, those eyes… that sinful body. It wasn’t until I saw the tattoo on her wrist and the marks on her skin that I knew she was one of my own. I just couldn’t understand how she’d escaped. Then I got word from Gabriel that Salome had run away on her wedding day and I knew who you’d just taken in—one of the Cursed… the prophesized seventh wife of Prophet David. Taken her in and set out to make her your own. You turned her into your whore. Swayed her from The Order ’s path of righteousness.” Rider suddenly snarled and rushed me, slamming his fist into my stomach. The blow almost had me puking. I sucked up the pain. This asswipe would never break me. My hatred of him and his brothers was keeping me numb from pain. “I wanted nothing to do with Mae. I had to let The Order know where she was, to organize the pick-up, and never get too close to risk all my work. She is Prophet David’s. But then you go and push her on me! You made me want her! Made me obsess about her!” He gripped my cheeks in his hand. “You ruined me! And now I have to deliver Mae back to him. My time’s up, keeping her away. I have to give her back!”

My lips curled over my teeth. Breathe. Swallow. Speak. Fuckin’ speak! I ordered my throat. But no words. Yet again. Fuck! Rider laughed. “Still nothing to say, Prez?” he stepped back. “You’re pathetic. You couldn’t even grow a pair and speak to your woman when she was calling for you… crying for you. You never deserved her.” I jerked so far forward off the gate my limbs bent too far. I felt my shoulder pop, probably dislocated, but I welcomed the pain. It would drive me. Fuel me on the path to revenge. Rider edged in to say quietly, “I ain’t gonna kill you. No, it’d be too easy, and I don’t need no more blood on my hands. I’ve sinned too much for this club as it is.” The rat’s face fell at that, but then it immediately hardened the fuck back up. “I want you alive, Styx, knowing Mae is out there, knowing you ain’t gonna see her again. See how you like living the hell I’ve been through over these past few months. And don’t bother looking. You’ll never find us. No one ever does.” “Brother Cain! We must leave now!” one of the men shouted from the yard. Rider stalked off and never looked back. My heart pounded as the van engine started and I fought and fought against the ties until I had nothing left. I watched, strung up like a damn crucified mute pussy as the van rolled south, down my country road. Hauling away my woman. I shook with uncontrollable rage, and opening my mouth, I released a long, silent scream. *** “Styx! What the fuck!” I opened my heavy eyes and saw Ky, Tank, and Bull dismount their Harley’s, running my way. Rows of burning-with-rage eyes watched me. Tens of brothers sat on their bikes at the compound’s entrance, staring at me hung up, naked and beaten, in some ancient Roman execution pose. The Hangmen had finally returned from the ride out and I had no idea how long I’d been out here, but only one thing was on my mind: revenge. And Rider: dead. Bull pulled out his Swiss Army knife from inside his boot and cut me down, some brothers propping up my weak ass when I couldn’t fuckin’ stand on my own. “Who the fuck did this?” Ky hissed, his voice like a scream in the quiet of the watching brothers. They killed their engines and the brothers quickly moved me inside. Once through the main doors of the bar, they dropped me on the nearest couch and someone threw a blanket over my beat-up, naked body. Beauty. The psycho trio stood before me, seething, fidgeting on anxious feet. The whole club seemed to pulse with rage. “I said what happened?” Ky pushed again. Letti came gunning into the bar from my apartment. “She’s not there,” she said flatly. Shit. I’d never seen Letti shaken, but her dark eyes were huge now she’d found Mae’d gone. “Where’s Mae?” Tank asked tightly. They already knew she’d been taken. I sat forward and ran my fingers through my hair. AK pushed a bourbon in my hand and I knocked it back in one, feeling the slow burn down my throat. “Who was it, Prez? Neos? Mexicans? We need to take out more of the Klan?” Flame growled as he constantly paced the floor like the goddamn fuckhead he was—the brother was thirsting for blood. Good. I’d need him soon enough. There was a whole lotta blood to be shed. I glanced up at Ky, lifted my hands, then clumsily signed, R-I-D-E-R.

All the brothers who could understand sign froze in disbelief, including Flame. That was a first. The brother could never stand still, too many demons rattling around inside. “R-I-D-E-R?” Ky spelled out loudly and slowly. “Rider took Mae? Strung you up on the gate like you were being fuckin’ crucified?” He confirmed for all to hear. The room fell deathly quiet. He was the rat all along. He set up Pit. Rider’s been getting our intel for years. He wanted our turf for guns. “Who did? Who did the fucker work for?” Viking snapped. I exhaled and fought the nausea at losing Mae. I felt like my stomach had been shredded. What the hell was she going through right now? What if they…? Shit! I couldn’t even think it. I wanted to crush skulls, cult skulls, and grind them into dust. “Prez!” Ky bit out. I refocused. Mae’s cult. Motherfucker’s the goddamn heir or some shit. Beauty’s hand slapped over her mouth. “Rider ’s in Mae’s cult? No…” I nodded stiffly. “Did he take Mae?” she asked, tears brimming in her eyes. The room seemed to vibrate with tension as they waited for my response. I nodded again. “No!” Beauty gasped. “They’ll punish her for running away. She told me herself.” Tank grabbed Beauty by the arm and turned her into his chest to keep her quiet. Shaking with impatience, I turned to Ky, signing, You call on every chapter within the state, fuck, within an eight-hour ride. Call Oklahoma, Louisiana, Florida, New Mexico, and Alabama. Get them here. I’m calling war on the commune. Me, you, Tank, Bull, and the trio are gonna pay the senator a visit. That fucker has something to do with this shit. He’s the key to getting Mae back. Hit the ammo hangers and move the guns. We’re gonna need everything we got. “Then what?” Bull asked, the rest of the brothers readying to action. I stood, held my fucked-up shoulder, and crunched it back into its socket, working out the cracks in my neck. Then we go get my old lady back. I’m fixin’ to bring the wrath of Hades on the whole damn lotta the brainwashed, abusive cunts.” *** “Senator fuckin’ Collins!” Viking shouted as we burst open the master bedroom door of his mansion, down in Tarrytown off Mopac—some rich-ass gated community right on Lake Austin, where folks have more money than sense. As one, we all froze. The good ol’ senator removed his shriveled-up cock from deep up the ass of some Thai toy-boy and dived for cover on his bed. Ky stepped forward and grinned. “Well, well, what do we have here, Senator Collins?” “How the hell did y’all get in here?!” Collins snapped. AK walked to his closet and began rooting around, pocketing a few top-grade Cuban cigars. “Your staff ain’t too loyal. Seems they value their own lives above yours.” He looked up and peered across the bed. “And that of your little underage twink, by the looks of things.” The senator paled. The rent boy held up his hands—he was all of sixteen, seventeen maybe? Perfect ammo for us. Maybe Hades was watching after us after all. Flame stormed to the kid and lifted him from the bed by his black hair. “You have ten seconds to get the fuck out of this room before I castrate you and feed your cock to his dog!” Flame threw him to

the floor and, in less then ten seconds, the kid was smoke, slamming the door behind him as he went. Ky sat down on the end of the bed and leaned back, staring at Collins. I stood against the drawers just watching as the old dickhead met my hard stare. He swallowed… hard. I smirked. He whimpered. Pussy. “So? Collins? Seems you’ve been keeping secrets from the good ol’ folks of Texas, eh? What would they say if they knew their perfect family man liked to suck cock?” “What do you want?” he asked quietly, his beady eyes constantly darting among the brothers now stationed around the room. “I got lots’a money. How much d’y’all want?” Ky raised his eyebrow and laughed. “We got plenty of money.” Ky jerked his chin to Flame. Flame, the constantly twitching brother, glided to the bed and lifted up Collins by his throat, pinning him high against the wall. “NO! Don’t kill me! I’ll tell y’all anything you wanna know!” Collins screeched, his words barely audible through Flame’s iron-tight grip. When the senator ’s puffy face turned purple, Flame dropped his puny naked ass to the hardwood floor. “Who put the Neos on us?” Any blood left in the senator ’s face completely drained on hearing Ky’s question. “I don’t… I didn’t—” Flame flew at him again. Collins pushed his hands out, screaming and scrambling against the wall. “Okay, okay… just don’t hurt me!” Flame looked to me for instruction. I called him off with a flick of my chin. “I’ll tell you what,” Ky said, moving to confront Collins. “I’m gonna start counting down from sixty. If I get to zero, I’m gonna get Flame here to give you a lobotomy. Let’s just try and jog that memory of yours.” Flame threw back his head and laughed hysterically, flicking open his Persian switchblade in readiness. “Fifty,” Ky counted down. The senator rubbed his sweaty, bald head in obvious fear. “Forty.” Flame began loosening up: cracking knuckles, rolling his neck, slicing along his arms, blood dripping to the cream-carpeted floor. Collin’s face visibly reddened with fear. “Thirty.” “Twenty.” “Ten.” “Five… four… three… two… one… zer—” “Okay! Okay! I’ll make you a deal!” I jerked my chin, ordering the senator to speak. “It was some suit. He came in and I put out the hit. Neos took the bid. The suit wanted the mute dead, the Hangmen took outta the gun game.” He looked up at me. “The order came from the governor ’s mansion downtown. The suit carried a letter with the governor ’s signature and I was told to overlook all gun trades from some new organization, Gaza-funded or such shit. To approve noflight zones and enforce trespassing laws around some piece of abandoned land north of the city. I didn’t ask no more about it. Less I know the better.” “What did the suit look like?” Tank asked. Collins pinched his nose. “Tall, good suit, normal. Oh, he had a long brown beard and a scar down his cheek.”

Gabriel. Ky turned to me for orders. Find out the location of that land. It’s the commune. No doubt. The suit was one of the fuckers who took Mae. Ky nodded stiffly. He was pissed. “We’re gonna need the location,” Ky demanded. Collins frowned. “Can’t give it.” Flame approached, licking his bloodied blade, and he screamed, “Wait! Wait!” I held up my hand signaling Flame to halt. “The governor has shit on me. Shit that could destroy my political career, my family. He told me he would ruin me if I ever gave that location away… especially to you… the Hangmen. Can only mean he’s getting serious bank from them.” “You mean he knows you like to fuck little boys?” Viking queried. Collins’s lips tightened in annoyance. Viking smiled. “The only folks who could give a shit if that location is found will be dead within twenty-four hours. The governor only cares ’bout what comes back on him. We’re fixin’ for no one to be left talking once we’re done. They or he won’t be giving you shit.” Collins sighed. We had the fucker over a barrel and he knew it. “And you guys. What will y’all do with this piece of… personal information on me?” “Fuck all… if the location works out,” Ky emphasized. “And I’m meant to believe you won’t use it against me in the future?” “Not at all. Help us, we’ll let you fuck road kill if y’wanna. Don’t give us the location, you’ll be national news in the morning.” Ky leaned down to where Collins sat. “Let’s just say we have some connections who’ll enjoy spreading this story.” “Fuck!” Collins hissed. “I guess I have no choice then, do I?” “Sweet. Fuck. All.” Ky agreed. Five minutes later, we had our target location. As we sat on our Harleys outside, Ky answered a call. “Yeah… ETA… Right…” He closed his cell and looked to me. “Many as seven states of Hangmen en route. ETA eight hours.” A feeling of relief stirred in my stomach. I was gonna get Mae back. In less than twenty-four hours, I’d have my old lady back on my bike and in my bed. The fuckers who took her would be long gone to the boatman, no dimes on their eyes. And that bastard Rider, he’d pay and pay good. Tipping my head back, I closed my eyes. Hang tight, babe. I’m coming for you real soon.

Chapter Twenty-Three Mae “Babe,” Styx hissed as I kissed down his taut, packed stomach, licking between the valleys and hills of hard muscle. Following the patch of hair leading to his underwear, I pulled down the waistband, his length springing forward only to land next to my mouth. Glancing up, Styx’s eyes were hooded at half mast, his teeth biting the silver ring that sat through his bottom lip. “Mae… fuck…” he hushed out. Smiling at how I could bring him to his knees, I leaned down and licked along his rigid flesh. A long groan escaped his mouth. “That feels so good, babe. So fuckin’ good,” he murmured, his tattooed arms flexing at his sides. Planting my hand on either side of his hips, I crawled to straddle over his thighs, wrapped my lips around his length, and sucked him deep into my mouth. I loved his salty musky taste. His hand wrapped in my long hair and his hips began to lift, slowly plunging his erection farther into my mouth. “Babe… babe…” he said, each word synchronized with each thrust. Reaching up, I spread my hand on his chest, digging my nails into his skin, picking up rhythm, his harsh breath panting, faster and faster. “Mae… Mae, Christ! Love you…” Freeing Styx from my mouth, I sat up, spurred on by his words, lifted my hips, and, bracing him at my entrance, slammed down to push him all the way inside. His chest reared off the mattress. “MAE!” he roared. Palming my behind, he ground me furiously against his hardness, the movement hitting that spot, that spot right there. “River… oh, yes…” I mewled. “I fuckin’ love it when you call me River…” he whispered, licking along my neck, down my chest, and over to suck on my nipples. “River… River…” I moaned, my stomach tensing, thighs squeezing. As I threw my head back, I shattered into pieces, the pleasure lighting me up from the inside out. “Mae. Babe… You’re milking me so good… so… tight… argh!” Styx stilled and every muscle in his ripped, hard body strained. His neck veins corded, his mouth dropped open and a flood of warmth spread within me. Pushing back the damp hair from Styx’s face, I pressed my forehead to his as I caught my rasping breath. I smiled as his hand ghosted up my spine and gripped the nape of my neck, holding me in place. “You did not stutter,” I casually commented, a happy smile on my face. He drew back in disbelief, a deep V between his brows. I moved in and kissed the crease. “I didn’t?” I shook my head. Styx exhaled and a wry smile emerged. “It’s like… I can… breathe around you… It’s… getting easier… I forget I can’t… speak when… we’re alone… It makes me feel… normal.” Styx spoke each word with crystal clarity. He paused several times, his eyes twitched as he spoke the sentence and he took several deep breaths, but there was no stammer. I positively beamed with

pride for him. “You know… I had every kind of treatment growing up… until eventually, at six, a… specialist recommended I… learn to sign. You know, just… to give me some kinda voice. The docs couldn’t… ever work out the cause. I had no… fuckin’ clue. Just knew my… words didn’t come like… everyone else’s. I never let… anyone get too close, ’cept… my old man and Ky… and this… chick I met through a fence… when I was a kid. Then years later… she stormed back into… my life.” He cupped my cheeks. “Babe… you’re my best… kinda therapy.” I stared into his large hazel eyes and tipped my head. “I thought you said, ‘it ain’t you who’s meant for me’?” He laughed. He rarely laughed, but when he did, I rejoiced at the sound of it: husky, deep… male. “Oh, it’s me, babe… Ain’t no other man for you… but me.” Pressing my forehead against his, I brushed a kiss on his lips, my tongue licking along the silver lip ring. “Mmm…” he groaned. I began rolling my hips, his length hardening once more. Styx laughed. “Again, babe?” I nodded and pulled at his dark, messy hair. “Again… and again… and again… and again…” A finger stroked my arm, waking me and I smiled. “Mmm… Styx? I dreamt of you again.” The hand froze on my skin and I frowned. Even in my sleep, I sensed something was wrong. “Styx?” Still heavy with sleep, my eyes opened slowly and I wrestled with blurry vision. Sitting up, I felt a tidal wave of nausea roll around my stomach and I rubbed at my eyes to wipe away the fog of my deep sleep. “Styx?” I called. As my sight improved, two figures emerged from the mist; females, one blond, one dark-haired. “Mae?” a soft voice whispered, gently calling me into the world of reality. Delilah? Why can I hear Delilah? I quickly scanned my surroundings: gray cement walls, wooden floor, a large wooden cross on the north side of the room. And a large hand-painted picture of someone… Prophet David! No… no… no… please take me back to my dream. Styx. Styx, Styx… Shaking, I jumped from the narrow bed, trying to run, walk, crawl—I did not know. My weak legs were unable to support my weight and I fell to the floor. Tears welled up as realization hit. The commune; I was back in the commune. Not the compound. No more Styx. Abducted against my will and returned to Hell. “Mae?” I lifted my head in response. Lilah and Maddie stood before me. Their wary eyes watched me closely; each wore the same worried expression. They were clothed in the commune’s standard long gray dress and their hair was held back with white cloth—modest and conservative. I held out my arms and the two of them launched into my embrace. “My sisters…” I whispered, tears now streaming down my cheeks. “I have missed you so much.” It felt so good to hold them again. The intensity of our bond hitting me as I clutched them in my arms. They held me close and I could hear their sniffles and soft cries. After long minutes, they pulled back. Lilah brushed the matted hair from my face. “Are you well, Mae?” she asked softly, then continued. “You have been unconscious for many hours. We have been caring for you.” Drawing in a deep breath, I tested my muscles and stretched out my aching limbs. I was weak, my arm throbbed but I concluded I was well. When I looked down, I froze. Me, back in the sisters’ traditional gray attire, a large poorly shaped floor- length dress. Rolling up my sleeves, I spotted a red mark and I racked my brain to remember where it had come from.

My mind was still foggy, but as I fought the haze, scattered memories began to surface. Singing to Styx… making love to Styx… then men in balaclavas storming the room… and Rider… NO! I jerked and my eyes snapped open, staring straight at my sisters. “Rider! Where is Rider? Did he bring me back? Is he here in the commune?” Maddie and Lilah looked to one another in surprise. Lilah took hold of my hand. “Mae, who is Rider? You are not making sense.” I gripped her fingers tightly. “Rider… he…” I swallowed back bile as I remembered him embracing Gabriel and the elders. Brother Cain, long time no see! No! Impossible! “Mae,” Maddie whispered. “You are frightening me, sister. Who is Rider? Where have you been all this time?” I shook my head and blurted, “Brother Cain! Rider is Brother Cain.” I could tell by their sudden stillness that he was here, here right now. “Mae. Brother Cain brought you here, with the elders, earlier this afternoon. The commune is holding a dinner for him as we speak. Everyone is so joyful. He returned you to Prophet David. Brother Cain is our savior. We were banned from attending. We have been shunned and kept in isolation since you left.” Maddie took my other hand. The gesture surprised me. Maddie was never affectionate; she was always alone, preferring her own company to that of others. She was never that close to Bella and me. Obviously something within her had changed. Her bright-green eyes would not leave mine. As I looked more closely, I noticed she had lost weight since my escape. Her long black hair was limper, her skin paler. As I brought her hand to my lips and pressed a kiss to the back, a single tear rolled slowly down her cheek. “I have missed you, sister,” I hushed out quietly. “You left me,” she said almost inaudibly. My heart plummeted. I had left her alone. She had just lost Bella and then I abandoned her too. She was only twenty-one, the most timid of us all. And I, her only family, had abandoned my Maddie here, in commune, with Brother Moses, the cruelest of all the elders. “I am so sorry. So sorry…” I pulled Maddie to me. “I will never leave you again. I promise. I was so selfish.” “Can you promise me that too?” I glanced to the side at Lilah. She was kneeling, watching us with huge blue eyes. With Maddie refusing to untie herself from my neck, I managed to inch closer to Lilah and she embraced the both of us. I restated my promise to Lilah and Maddie. “I will never leave either of you, ever again. You have my word.” “Oh, Mae, it was so bad when you left. The people thought God was punishing us. They were frantic. And the elders…” Lilah paused, and I felt Maddie stiffen and whimper into my hair. I stroked her head and rocked her in my arms. Lilah sat back, watching Maddie with sympathetic eyes. “What about the elders?” I asked through gritted teeth. Lilah swallowed. “They were so angry with you. When they came back hours after their search, they came in here, to us.” Maddie’s whimpers turned into gut-wrenching sobs. “They came for us,” Lilah murmured. “Who did?” I snapped. “All of them! All of the elders: Gabriel, Jacob, Noah, and Moses.” Maddie clawed at my back, trying to get even closer. She was like a frightened child, so I shushed her, my alarm increasing with every sob. Lilah wiped her eyes.

“Maddie, calm. You are safe now. I am here.” I looked up at Lilah and mouthed, What is wrong with her? Lilah swallowed and looked away. “They wanted divine retribution. The elders became obsessed with punishing the sisters for your disobedience. They were livid that you had somehow fled the commune and that you were out there living in sin.” She took a deep, sobering breath. “They said the Cursed were shameful, a hex on The Order: you… Bella… They said your bloodline was tainted with evil. Said Satan used you as vehicles for temptation.” This time I stilled. Maddie. She was of my bloodline. Did they believe she too was a vehicle of temptation and sin? I held my sister even tighter. “They said they needed to make sure Maddie did not go the same way… That they had to break her once and for all. Exorcize her demons.” Maddie was now crying uncontrollably. Her heart pounded against mine and her chest jerked with the intensity of her sobs. “They took her so brutally for hours and hours until she passed out. One after the other… sometimes at the same time. They made me watch but I could do nothing. Then they turned their attention to me…” “How often? How often did this happen?” I asked, tightly squeezing Lilah’s hand in support. “Several times a week…” She glanced down at the floor, then back up again. “Every week since you have been absent. It truly has been a living hell. Trapped in this room, taken until we bled, time after time. Mae, we cannot take any more… We cannot keep living like this…” We huddled together until all the tears that could be shed had been shed. Eventually, Maddie shuffled back to sit before me. Her hand stayed welded to mine though. I do believe she planned never to let it go. “Where have you been, Mae?” Lilah asked. “What was the outside world like?” Where do I begin? “Sisters, it is like nothing you can imagine—the technology, the way people live. It is so, so different. When I left here, the elders found me at the perimeter fence.” Maddie jumped and frowned and I rubbed the back of her hand. She calmed. “I only just made it to the other side of the fence, but not before Gabriel’s dog attacked me. My leg was badly injured, yet I managed to run. I made it to the edge of the forest and discovered a country road. A truck picked me up a short time later. The woman driver, a good lady, drove me far, far away.” “What… what is a truck?” Maddie asked quietly. I cast her a small smile. “It is a large vehicle, like the prophet’s car but much much bigger.” Her green eyes widened, so did Lilah’s, as they tried to imagine such a thing. I wondered what they would make of a motorbike, of the Hangmen’s Harleys and Choppers. I realized at that moment just how sheltered I must have seemed to the Hangmen when they found me in the compound believing I was in hell. “And then what?” Lilah pushed, eager to hear more. I imagined, to her, it sounded like a fictional story. I shuddered and continued. “I was losing blood… dying, I think…” Maddie gasped and her hands began to shake. “The driver of the truck dropped me at the side of a road and I found shelter in a compound of sorts. Next thing I knew, I woke up in a strange room, alone and confused.” I shuffled forward and tugged at their hands. “Sisters, outside is not evil like we have been told. It is filled with wonder and good people. Yes, it is dangerous at times, sinful at other times, but no more than here. I made new friends, discovered who I truly am… and… I fell in love.” This time they both gasped loudly. “Love?” Maddie questioned, clearly in shock. Love was not something females experienced here at commune

“Yes, love. Such deep love with the most incredible man. He is strong, protective and cares for me greatly. I have been with him all this time. I love him so much, but…” “But what?” Lilah urged me to continue, her normally restrained features had become animated. “There was another there. Someone I believed to be a friend.” I laughed mirthlessly. “Foolish me, I could not have been more wrong—” “Is that so?” I craned my head in the direction of the doorway. There stood Rider—no, Brother Cain. Rider was a falsehood, a ruse to blind the Hangmen to his real purpose. Rider is dead to me. Cain’s formidable frame seemed to engulf the entire room. He was dressed all in black, his long hair down and falling over his shoulders—just like every other disciple. He just looked plain wrong without his standard jeans and cut. “Greetings, Brother Cain.” My sisters dropped prostrate in his presence, their heads to the floor, arms stretched out in front—complete and utter submission. Cain cast them a brief disinterested glance, then focused his brown eyes on me. I stood on shaky feet, trying to meet him face to face, on equal terms. His eyes narrowed. “Leave us,” he commanded. Instantly, Maddie and Lilah jumped to their feet, their wary eyes questioning. Lilah took Maddie’s hand, but my sister refused to move. Cain addressed them once more. “I said leave!” he snapped, obviously losing patience. “Don’t you dare shout at her!” I threatened, stepping right up to his broad chest. Lilah sucked in a sharp, shocked breath at my action. “Mae, be quiet,” Cain growled in warning, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. “I will not be quiet! I shall never obey another order given by any of you people ever again!” Maddie ran to my side and clutched my arm. I glanced down at my sister. She was petrified. I pressed a kiss on her head. “Go, Maddie. I shall be fine. Wait for me outside.” She shook her head, her huge eyes squarely aimed at Cain. Brother Cain sighed. “I shall not hurt her. Despite what y’all believe, I have never harmed a female. I don’t intend to start with Mae. Especially not Mae.” I scoffed at that obvious lie, earning me another glare from Cain. Turning to Maddie, I said, “Go, Maddie. Lilah will care for you. I shall find you when our business is complete.” Lilah took Maddie’s hand and pulled her to the door. They left and the door closed. “I have nothing to say to you.” I sneered at Cain. Turning my back to my former friend, I walked over and sat on the end of my bed. “I know you think I have betrayed you, but everything was real, Mae. Us, our friendship, everything I said… especially the way I feel about you.” He edged closer to me and I held up my hand, signaling him to stop. He did so. “Really? Was it all real, Rider—Oops! I mean Cain! Forgive me if your kidnapping me and returning me here, to Hell, can be construed as a mere slight against me.” Cain ignored my sarcasm and ploughed on regardless. “You don’t belong out there in that world, Mae. You belong with your people… with me.” His voice was so soft, so persuasive. My heart sank. I wanted my Rider back. The person stood before me confused me and at that instant, I just did not know what to believe.

“It can’t be what you want,” he stated. “You want to be an old lady? You want to be surrounded your whole life with guns, drugs, and violence? The Hangmen are poison, Mae. Deep down you know it.” “No,” I countered. Cain remained relaxed, a small happy curve forming on his lips. I looked him dead in the eye. “I want to be with Styx for the rest of my life. Wherever he is, is where I will be. He is my life. If he remains president of the Hangmen, I will be standing at his side.” Cain blanched, then thundered toward me. He pushed me back on the bed then crawled above my body, pinning down both of my arms. “What are you doing? Get off me!” I hissed, trying to throw him off. “Well, you ain’t gonna see Styx ever again, okay?” I stopped fighting and closed my eyes, only to open them again and ask, “Am I to marry Prophet David?” Something akin to pain flashed in Cain’s eyes, but he nodded and my eyes filled with water. “Please leave me,” I whispered. I just wanted to be left alone. Cain’s head lowered and his forehead pressed to mine. “I love you, Mae. I love you so much. I ache for you to be mine.” “You were never meant for me, nor was Prophet David. I am Styx’s.” Cain suddenly punched bed beside me, his arms shaking with frustration. “Styx ain’t here! He’s gone, Mae. Long fuckin’ gone. No one will find you here! This commune is protected.” “Rider…” I sighed. Damn, I had to stop myself. “I mean, Cain—” “No.” He interrupted, skimming his finger down my cheek. “I like you calling me Rider.” I frowned in disagreement and he ran his fingers through my hair, his eyes soft. “When I was Rider, I think a part of you loved me, didn’t you? Now, all I can see is hatred.” No matter how hard I tried to hate him, at that moment I could not. He was right. I did love him in a fashion and I could not just switch off those feelings, no matter how hard I tried. I loved the person he was on the outside, but not here, not as Cain. Not as a brother of The Order and certainly not the prophet’s nephew! “Mae?” Cain whispered, wanting me to respond. I shifted beneath him and laid a hand on his cheek. He nuzzled into my palm. “Everything about us screams that we belong together: our faith, our upbringing, our interests. But that is not everything,” I whispered. “You need that raw, primal lust. That connection that you cannot describe… that incandescent, instinctive knowledge that someone is meant solely for you. Love, Cain, love is transcendent. I have that with Styx. Even if I have to spend the rest of my days here, at commune, nothing can change that, not even death itself.” His brown eyes glistened. “I never stood a chance, did I?” I shook my head. “We cannot fight fate, Cain. I know that now. The universe has its way of placing you where you belong. With whom you should belong.” Cain moved from above me and kneeled on the bed. “The elders will come for you soon. Your marriage to Prophet David will happen tonight.” I quickly sat up. “You are still going to allow that to happen?” His head dropped. “Not if you agree to marry me,” he whispered. Cain lifted his chin, his handsome face so earnest, so hopeful. “Cain… I cannot marry you. It is crazy to suggest such a thing. You kidnapped me!” I felt his hand take mine and he stroked along the back with his finger. “I would never take another wife, Mae. It is our people’s way, but I could never love another as I love you. You would be it for me. You are it for me. I wasn’t raised like the rest of the brothers here at commune. I would care for you, protect you… treat you like a queen.”

“Cain…” I whispered, my heart breaking for the little boy lost sat before me pouring out his heart. “You forget, Mae, that I am a victim of circumstance too. I was raised to inherit The Order. I have no way out either. We could be each other ’s solace. Each other ’s salvation. We would be bonded in the eyes of the Lord. It would be pure… It would be perfect.” Tears tumbled down my cheeks. “I cannot stay here. There are too many nightmares of this place tormenting my mind. Too many demons disguised as ‘righteous people’ who have used me… scarred me.” He blew an exasperated breath through his nose, and I got to my knees, mirroring his position. “Tell me something.” His expression was open, awaiting my question. “Have you ever been part of a Lord’s sharing? Have you ever seen an eight-year-old girl raped, her legs pried apart by a bear trap because she was too scared to understand what was happening to her? Have you ever forced yourself inside a child, Cain, because you believe it will help you get closer to God and because the prophet deemed it so? Well, have you?” He went eerily still. “Well?” I pushed. “Did that happen to you? Here?” he asked through clenched teeth and I frowned, unable to find my words. “Mae! Answer me! Were you… taken as a child… like… that?” I nodded and he positively fumed. “Are you telling me you have never been in a brother-sister exchange?” I asked again, this time in disbelief. Cain dropped his head, almost in embarrassment. “I am the heir. I remain pure.” I thought back to the weeks we had spent together and remembered that he had never shared his bed with a woman. In fact, the only time he seemed to have taken a woman in any form was the girl that looked like me. My gaze shot to his. “Are you a—” “I am not ashamed, so do not dare pity me!” He cut in. “So the woman I found you with, in your room…” I trailed off. Cain’s shoulders slumped. “Was a lapse in judgement. A moment of weakness. I have atoned for it. Have prayed for the Lord’s forgiveness.” “How have you atoned?” I questioned, curious. Cain straightened and lifted his shirt to display his back. My hands flew to my mouth. “Cain, no…” Lashes. He had taken the sin from his own flesh. Whipped himself in punishment for his moment of weakness with the girl. My fingers ran along the raised angry lash marks, now marring his oncebeautiful back. The Hangmen patch tattoo was still present, Hades still staring back at me with his mocking smile. I removed my hand and he slipped down his shirt. Cupping his face, I forced him to look at me. “Let us both leave, Cain. Let us leave this place once and for all. There is more for us outside of this fence. We can take Lilah and Maddie with us. We can escape our prison. Escape our forced destinies.” Cain moved his hands to gently grasp my wrists, pressing a kiss to my left palm. “And where would we go?” he asked, hope clear in his eyes. “To the Hangmen. We could explain what happened. We could—” “Fuck, Mae! They’ll kill me. Don’t you understand the gravity of what I’ve done? I turned coat on the club. Set up Pit as the rat. Basically killed Lois, and worse than that, I took you from Styx.” A stone-cold expression hardened his features as I shook my head in disagreement and he threw away my hands. “What am I fuckin’ trying so hard for, Mae?” he said in exasperation, a gutting pain in his deep voice. “You sold your soul to Satan when you chose him, and turned your back on the cause. You’re blinded by darkness.” “Wait! Rider!” I shouted as he got off the bed and made his way to the door. He stopped dead and

his wide back bunched. He turned slowly… menacingly. “It’s Brother Cain, Salome, and it’s about time you learned your place! You’re a temptress, a sinner… Styx’s whore. I wash my hands of you. Sister Eve will be by shortly to prepare you for the ceremony. And this time, do not even think of running away. You will be punished… severely if you do.” Cain stormed through the door and, with him, took my best friend Rider.

Chapter Twenty-Four Styx A knock sounded at my door. I didn’t answer, too lost in my own thoughts as I sat on the edge of my bed, preparing for the shit about to go down. I always got like this before we went to war, but this time, I had much more to lose. A moment later, the door opened. Ky. “Prez, everyone’s here. We’re all waiting for you,” he said, walking into my room. “H-how m-many came?” Ky stood before me, dressed in his full leathers, his long blond hair tied back, battle ready. “‘Bout four hundred.” I raised my eyebrows, impressed that so many brothers had managed to make it here in time. Sucking in a deep breath, I got to my feet, casting one last look at my closet door. Ky followed my line of sight. “She’ll get to wear it, Styx,” Ky stated with conviction. I stared at Mae’s vest, the one I’d had made especially for her fuckin’ tiny size, Property of Styx stitched on its back. I was gonna give it to her when the bastards burst into my room, ripping her from me. I just hoped my VP was right. “I’ll m-meet you out f-front,” I informed. Ky left me alone and I move to suit up: full leathers, strapped on my holster holding my Uzis, my 9mm, my Bowie hunter, and my favorite Bundeswehr knife. I was gonna carve up a few fuckers with these, leave some lifelong smiles. Walking to my black leather chair, I ran my hand down Mae’s leathers laid over the arm. Her Hangmen tank still smelled like her, all sweet and completely fuckin’ Mae. Taking this small piece of black cotton, I brought it to my nose and inhaled deeply before I tucked it into the waistband of my leathers. She would be my talisman. As I entered the yard, a sea of Hangmen on their bikes stared expectantly at me. My chapter was front and center, all waiting for my command… all waiting for me to talk. Ky stepped beside me at the top of the stairs and asked quietly, “You sign, I translate?” I nodded my head curtly and stepped forward, signaling with a wave of my hand for the hundreds of brothers to quiet. All I could hear were crickets. All I could see was leather and chrome. All I could feel was the python wrapped around my fuckin’ throat. Setting aside my worries, I lifted my hands and began to sign. Brothers, y’all have been called here as we’re going to war. A new organization, some fucked-up extreme religious cult has been threatening this club. Threatening our name. Threatening our turf. The Hangmen began shifting on their bike’s seats as Ky spoke my words. Teeth were bared; fists were flexing. They were pissed. Good. The commune we’re going into is heavily guarded, some serious concentration camp shit. Acres of land. Huge perimeter fence. We got aerial shots from the senator—ain’t nothing like we’ve took on

before. We go in teams. Split into chapters, work our way into the center of the commune, the stronghold. Ky has given you the entry points and maps. The brothers nodded, assuring me they understood the plan so far. We think there are about two thousand folks living there. More than half are women and children. Leave them the fuck alone. This ain’t no Waco massacre… unless, of course, they come at you first. We don’t know who’ll be armed until we go in. It’s a blind mission; that’s for fuckin’ sure. The Order, as they’re known, trade guns, good quality shit from Gaza: Carbines, Jerichos, Tavor Rifles, Uzis, snipers. That’s only the ammo we know of. That got some impressed reactions and Titus, fifty-year-old Prez from the New Orleans chapter, jerked his chin. “When we take these Bible fuckers out, what happens with the guns?” I looked at Ky and he edged forward, answering the question. “We load up the trucks, take it to our private hangar, and split the shit evenly amongst the chapters. Good?” Titus smiled, his full mouth of gold teeth gleaming off the compound’s floodlights. “Good.” There’ll be guards, or disciples as they’re known, equipped, trained to fight. There’ll also be fuckin’ dicks who call themselves elders. If you can, keep them alive. Those cunts belong to this chapter. Tank, Bull, Smiler and the Trio all smiled my way. They wanted the kills. Whoever takes out an old dude going by the name of Prophet David, I’ll personally credit twenty grand. But, Rider, the rat who got us in this shit. He’s mine. No one touches him ’cept me. Cult name is Brother Cain. Big bastard. Brown hair. Beard. “Any more than that?” Country, Sergeant-at-Arms from the San Antonio chapter, asked. I nodded and my teeth began to grind. Three bitches. Stunning fuckin’ bitches. A blonde, Delilah, she goes by Lilah. Magdalene, dark hair, goes by Maddie. And… I paused and sucked in a painful breath. Ky looked up at me, confused as to why I’d stopped signing. I looked up and stared the brothers in the eyes. Each one was willing to die tonight to bring Mae back to me. No one takes an old lady and gets away with it in this MC, no one. The brothers needed to hear this from me, needed me to tell ’em ’bout Mae. Brothers began twitching, confused at me acting weird. “Prez? You good?” Ky asked in a hushed voice from beside me. I walked to the front of the steps, my chapter frowning at my strange behavior. I closed my eyes and swallowed, working the python loose from my throat. It weren’t working for shit. I could get the bourbon, but it’d be no good. Not in front of all these brothers. I thought back to what Rider ’d said as I was strapped up on the gate, unable to reply, my hands tied, my voice taken away. “You’re pathetic. Can’t even find the words to speak to your woman. Not even when she’s crying for you.” My fists clenched and my breathing came in hard pants. I opened my mouth, breathing in the humid air, but only silence came out. It only got worse the more I tried to talk. The lump at the base of my throat swelled, choking the fuck outta me. My eyes twitched; my head ticked. I was fuckin’ losing it. Dropping my head, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a smoke. I lit up, taking a long drag. I thought of Mae and how easy it was around her, how the words just flowed. ’Bout when I sing, playing my Fender and the words just slip from my lips. I pictured Mae’s wolf eyes watching me with my guitar, her smile fuckin’ beaming with pride at me when I talked stutter-free, You did not stutter, not even once… She was my medicine. Fuck. Mae. I froze when I realized I could breathe. Wolf eyes in my mind opening up my throat. My woman

had done more for me in months than therapy had done in fuckin’ years. My eyes snapped open in shock. I could swallow. If I thought of Mae, the choking lessened. Yeah, it was still there, but it was better. Maybe it was enough. Maybe it would give me the time I needed to get it done. I realized the whole club was watching me, just waiting, eyes wide at the notorious Hangmen Mute prepping to try and talk. Letti and Beauty were hovering at the side, Letti smirking with… what? Pride? Beauty with tears streaming down her cheeks. The bitches were hurting. They wanted Mae back too. I cleared my throat and saw Ky’s eyes widen in shock. “Styx!” he hissed. I glanced at my best friend and held up my hand. His nostrils flared; he didn’t want me making a fool outta myself. Ky held up his hands in surrender and shook his head, stepping outta my way. He thought I was gonna choke. Maybe I was. I faced the brothers. Eyes twitching, I opened my defective mouth… and spoke. “Th-th-there’s alalso a bi-bitch called S-Salome. G-goes by M-Mae.” Hundreds of mouths dropped as one. I glanced down to my own club, my own brothers. The look of disbelief on their faces said it all—The Hangmen Mute was fuckin’ talking. Breathe. Swallow. Think of Mae… Think of Mae. Imagine you’re talking to Mae, I told myself, needing to last just that little bit longer, knowing I might not be able to speak any more. “Sh-sh—” I stopped. Breathe, Styx, fuckin’ breathe. “Sh-she’s m-my old l-lady.” A rumble of anger spread like thunder around the lot. “Th-they t-took her fr-from m-me… ti-tied me u-up an-and t-took her from m-me. And I f-f-fuckin’ want h-her bback.” I lowered my head and pinched at the bridge of my nose, my stomach tight with tension. Every muscle in my body braced, hungry for war. Breathe. Swallow. Fuckin’ rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat… My hands curled, stiff by my sides. I snarled, anger seeping into my mind and voice. “Y-you f-f-find h-her. Y-you k-k-keep h-her s-safe. Br-bring h-her back to m-me.” Brothers howled. Bothers slammed their fists over their chests, signing me their support. I exhaled; my talking was done. The python wrapped itself back in its place. But I’d said my piece. I actually said my fuckin’ piece… A rough hand slapped my shoulder. Ky. “Fuck, Styx,” he said in a tight voice. “Shit, brother…” He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. I pulled him into my chest by his hand, slapping his back. “W-we get her b-back,” I said only to him. He drew back and smiled that fuckin’ cheesy Hollywood smile. “You know it.” I made my way down the steps toward my Harley at the front, Ky following behind. Every brother slapped me on my shoulder in support. They all had my back. Swinging a leg over my Harley, I took a deep breath. I held up my hand and pointed forward, signaling it was time to burn up road… …A pair of wolf eyes spurring me on.

Chapter Twenty-Five Mae “The guard will be right outside. Do not even think of leaving this room. Am I clear, Salome?” Sister Eve glared at me, her milky eyes stern with reprimand. I nodded meekly. She left the room, seeming quite impressed at my show of compliance. I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection. Déjà vu. A floor-length sleeveless white dress. Hair down in soft curls, sections along the top of my crown pinned back by a flower garland. The smell of vanilla oil on my completely-waxed skin—but did they make a happy bride-to-be? Not at all. What I wanted to do was cry. The padding of feet sounded outside the door and, as I turned the handle, Lilah and Maddie were already sneaking inside. “Be quick,” I whispered, checking the hallway was clear of guards. My sisters ran inside and I shut the door as quietly as I could. “Oh, Mae. You look beautiful,” Lilah whispered, as I ushered them onto my bed. Water began to fill my eyes. “Mae, do not cry,” Maddie begged, reaching for my hand. “I cannot marry him. I have not even spoken to him. He is old and decrepit.” My hand flew to my mouth as I choked on a sob. “They will force me to join with him. I… I cannot do it. I love Styx. I will not betray him! What am I to do?” My sisters were sympathetic to my plight. “There is nothing to do, Mae,” Lilah said apologetically. “You are back now. They will never let you go. You must do as they command.” Something within me shattered with the realization. A part of me died. I looked up and stared out of the tiny window at the setting sun. “How long do I have?” I questioned. “Ten minutes,” Maddie whispered. I nodded numbly. “Will you be taking me to the altar?” “No,” Lilah answered. I faced my sisters. “Why not?” I asked, confused. Maddie shrugged. “We were told by Sister Eve to wait here until they come for you. We were told we will not be attending the ceremony, that we are still shunned. Banned from public events.” I sucked in a breath through pursed lips. My Lord, I will have to go through with this hellish act alone. Nothing was said for the full ten minutes. What was there to say? The three of us sat in complete silence as I awaited my fate. For the full ten minutes, I thought of nothing but Styx. I wondered what he was doing right now. I wondered what they had done to him when I had been drugged. My Lord… what if they had—no! I could not think of such a thing. I focused on remembering his ruggedly handsome face, his unshaven cheeks, rough under my touch, his deep dimples that shone when he smiled, his full lips so soft when caressing me and his large

hazel eyes the color of Fall. I will see him again one day. I felt it in my heart. I reached forward, taking Lilah’s and Maddie’s hands. “I love you, my sisters, no matter what happens, okay?” They both frowned and Maddie flinched. “What do you mean?” I resolved not to stay married to Prophet David. I could not join with him, under any circumstance. I also knew what would await me if I refused. I was prepared to face any consequences. I pulled Maddie in for an embrace. “Be strong, sister. Keep strong,” I pleaded. “Mae—” Lilah was interrupted as my bedroom door opened… Gabriel. Gabriel in his white ceremonial garments. He ogled me as I sat on the bed and I shuddered as he smiled. “My, my, Salome, you look exactly like Jezebel sat there.” My heart sank and my fingers grasped the bed sheets for security. “Do not talk of her ever again! You killed Bella. You are a murderer, Gabriel. You will burn in hell for your crimes.” His smile faltered. “I did the world a service, ridding it of her darkness. She was a whore, a temptress of the highest form. She deserved to die. She was too disobedient to be broken into the righteous path.” My fists clenched. “Why? Because she refused to love you? You made her a whore, kept her—us— locked up in this… prison. We are toys for you and the other elders to have your wicked way with… for your own entertainment! You raped us over and over and over again! And you took poor Bella, whipped her until she could not move. You left her to die from her injuries, bleeding out on a dirty cell floor! You bastard!” Gabriel stormed forward and grabbed me roughly in his arms. I heard Maddie and Lilah whimper from behind me. “It is the Lord’s way. It is what was revealed to Prophet David through his writings.” I locked my gaze with Gabriel’s. “Bullshit! If you believe that, you are a fool! This whole setup, the teachings, the rituals, is all for the enjoyment of men. I read the real Bible when I was out there, the one not doctored to suit The Order ’s purpose. I read about what normal people on the outside believe… and it is nothing like this!” Gabriel went wide-eyed, completely shocked. He recovered to state, “Well, the outside world has surely corrupted you.” He leaned in close. “Must have been all those hours you spent under that mute devil worshipper.” My eyes burned with rage. I lifted my hand and set to strike it across his face, but Gabriel seized me by my wrist. “I will enjoy breaking you back into our ways. Now Bella has gone, I have been needing a new project.” Gabriel grasped the tops of my arms and abruptly spun me around to face my sisters. “Guards!” Gabriel yelled. Two disciples entered the room and made a beeline for Lilah and Maddie. Maddie scrambled to get away, but a disciple grabbed her by the hair. She froze, pure terror gripped her. “NO!” I screamed. “What are you doing with them?” I whispered as I watched Maddie zone out, go numb to her surroundings. She was taking herself to the place that no one could touch her. The place we all had learned to find. Lilah stood quietly obedient, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. “They are to be put away for insurance, just in case you decide you want to try and escape again. You run, they pay the consequence.” Every fiber of my being tensed and all the fight left my body. I went limp, passive and quiescent.

“Why, Mae, you seem to have found your obedience again,” Gabriel mocked once again. With a wave of his hand, the disciples led my sisters out of the door and out of sight, but not out of mind. Gabriel spun me around and grasped my face with his hand. “We are to go to the altar now. You are to marry Prophet David, with no trouble. Do you understand?” I nodded meekly. “Good. Let’s go,” he said. Gripping my elbow, Gabriel led me from the room. We traced a familiar trail through the forest to the altar and no words were spoken. I would not put my sisters in harm’s way ever again. My stomach churned as my life’s path became more and more real. I would marry the prophet and that was all there was to it. Styx was a fleeting fantasy, a dream. I was again trapped. As we rounded into the ceremony space, I beheld hundreds and hundreds of guests. They were dressed in white, sitting cross-legged in rows, facing a large wooden altar… the altar at which Prophet David stood, looking bloated and old. Next to him stood… Cain. As Gabriel slowed us to a halt at the end of the walkway, I stared at my former friend. He looked thoroughly miserable, standing dutifully next to his uncle. He looked drawn and his head remained bowed. Even now, I found it hard to believe that Rider is Brother Cain. Lord help me, it just all seemed so surreal. Gabriel signaled for the ceremony to begin. The waiting witnesses silently turned their heads to look my way, as did Cain. I met his brown eyes and a sadness swept across his face. He looked like he was in agony, suffering; he looked as miserable as I felt. A hand prodded my back. “Move, girl.” Sister Eve stood behind me. Her crepe-thin skin gray, as she stared me down. It took all the will I had to lift my foot one step forward. My hands shook as I gripped my small bouquet of wildflowers as if they were a lifeline. The witnesses watched me make my way slowly down the scattered rose petal aisle. Some were happy, some indifferent, others annoyed—they knew I had escaped once, most probably believing I was evil incarnate. I kept my head high and my back straight. Screw them all! The guards surrounded the crowd, their guns visible and ready for any problems. The elders flanked the prophet… and, of course, Brother Cain. Bewitched, he could not stop watching me. As I approached the altar, I braced for the inevitable. But then a cacophony of gunshots rang out in the near distance, deafening, threatening… welcomed. In a matter of seconds, hundreds of men swarmed into the center of the commune. Hundreds of men, all dressed in black leather… My heart sang. It was the Hangmen. Styx has come for me. “Mae!” Cain screamed from the altar. Prophet David was dragged away by the elders. I ignored them, my eyes glued on the Hangmen. The witnesses jumped to their feet and the place instantly became a seething frenzy of terrified people. Women headed for the children, scooping them up, then ran for shelter. The disciples broke from their positions and charged the Hangmen, firing shot after shot at the black leather wall headed directly toward them. The war had begun. I stood firm in the aisle as I was buffeted by scattering witnesses fleeing the gunfire. I scanned the Hangmen for Styx, but I could make out very little. Everything was moving too fast. “Styx?” I screamed. Somehow I hoped he could hear me. The noise of the battle and the sound of panic was deafening. I stood transfixed as men began falling to the ground, writhing in pain from being shot or, worse, dead. The Hangmen were well equipped and stormed forward, taking out

disciple after disciple. It was rapidly turning into a massacre. Most of the Hangmen were ex-armed forces; the disciples did not stand a chance. And I was glad. Lord, forgive me, but I was glad. “Styx?” I tried to move, this time with some success and I reached the end of the altar when I saw him, Styx. Dressed all in leather, his dark hair messy and his muscled arms held out, two guns in his hands rapidly firing out bullets—bullets that ripped through the flesh of the disciple guards. He did not stop. He kept on coming, taking out disciple after disciple. Bullets shredded through limbs, stomachs, and heads. But all I could think through the carnage was, He has come back for me… “STYX!” I screamed as he scoped the area, I hoped, for me. He stilled, obviously hearing my call, then his hazel eyes connected with mine. Babe, he mouthed as relief spread across his face. Then he stopped dead and his expression hardened with murderous intensity. Dropping my flowers, I lifted my dress, ready to run to my man but I was suddenly grabbed around the chest and I yelped as I was aggressively dragged away. “Mae, calm. It’s me, Cain. I’m getting you outta here.” “No! Let me go!” I struggled to get free. I could see Styx running like a man possessed toward me and I knew he had seen Cain. Styx’s nostrils flared and he picked up speed but Cain was pulling me back too fast and I was unable to get away. Then I watched in horror as Styx was tackled to the ground by a disciple. With Styx on the floor, fighting, I then spotted Ky, Tank, Bull, Viking, AK and Flame sprinting out from the cover of the forest. Cain stiffened on seeing his former brothers, then two arms hooked under my legs and Cain lifted me clean off the ground. He began to run for the fence, but not before I heard a roar and Styx scream out, “MAE!” Cain stilled and turned us around just in time to see the elders trying to stealthily get Prophet David to safety down a secluded trail. “Styx! Over there!” I shouted, pointing to the decrepit old leader. “Mae! No!” Cain hissed as Styx followed the direction of my finger and his eyes narrowed in rage. Cain and I watched as Styx searched around the Hangmen, fixing his attention on AK. Putting two fingers in his mouth, Styx let out a piercing whistle and AK’s head lifted up. Styx signed something; what, I could not make out. AK nodded in understanding, looked toward the prophet and the elders, propped his rifle into position, and fired a single bullet with perfect precision into the back of Prophet David’s skull. Stunned, the elders shrank back in horror as the prophet’s body arched and dropped to the ground. Glancing back briefly to Styx, the elders ran into the cover of the forest. Styx then turned back toward me and I mouthed, thank you. Prophet David was gone forever. I was freed from being the seventh wife. “Shit! SHIT!” Cain spat as he held me. His arms tightened around my chest and legs, and with a strong jerk, he carried me from sight until I could no longer see Styx or the Hangmen. I knew exactly where we were heading: the perimeter fence. “Cain, put me down!” I protested. “Shut up, Mae! You’ve just helped them kill our fuckin’ prophet!” he snapped, trying to pick up speed. I began thrashing around in his arms, fighting to get free. Cain increased his hold so I dug my nails in his shoulders, but still he kept hold. Finally, I bit into his arm… as hard as I could. “Fuck!” Cain hissed as he dropped me to the ground. I scrambled to my feet. Cain made toward me. I thrust out my hand. “NO! Cain. You have to stop this!” I said breathlessly.

He darted his gaze around us, the sounds of bullets approaching. “Mae, come with me. I’ll get us out.” “I don’t want to go with you. I want to go with Styx.” “Mae, please. I’m begging you. They’ll kill me if they find me here. We must go now.” “Where are my sisters? They were taken away. Where are they being kept?” “Mae, forget them—” “Tell me where they are!” I shouted hysterically. I would not leave them again. I made them a promise. Cain sighed in exasperation. “In the cell. They were taken to the cell.” The cell… the cell where they had imprisoned Bella… the cell where Bella had died in my arms. “SALOME!” Our heads whipped around toward the sound of my name being called somewhere in the shelter of the surrounding trees. Hope blossomed in my chest for a brief moment. It quickly gave way to mortal dread when I recognized the voices of elders, barking out commands, hot on our trail. “Fuck!” Cain spat out and grabbed my arm. He yanked me into step, only to stop dead when Brother Jacob stepped out from behind a large oak tree, gun aimed squarely at Cain’s chest. “Brother Cain, where are you taking Salome?” Jacob asked, knowing full well we were trying to escape. Cain stayed silent and squeezed my hand in support. “Brother Cain, your silence betrays your guilt. You were taking her, weren’t you?” Cain braced himself and thrust me behind him. “Brother Jacob, step away,” he warned. I recognized this side of Cain. His protective instincts were kicking in… he was embracing his Hangmen side. Jacob smiled and cocked his head. “I don’t think so. Salome stays here, where she belongs. How quickly you forget the teachings, brother.” It all happened so fast that my mind could not take in what had occurred until it was over. Cain reached forward, disarmed Jacob, then wrapped his hands around Jacob’s neck from behind. With one quick twist, Cain snapped Jacob’s neck and the sound of breaking bone launched vomit into my mouth. Jacob’s lifeless body fell at my feet. My hand flew to my mouth. Cain panted with the exertion and he towered over Jacob’s dead body. “Mae?” I looked up at Cain, his face ashen, voice breaking and I raced to his side. Shaking, he pulled me into his arms and I fell into his embrace. I held him for saving my life for a second time. I held him for the friend he once was… I held him in a final farewell. “I love you, Mae,” he whispered. I could hear his heart breaking with every word. I squeezed him one last time, letting him go. “You must leave, now!” He stared at me blankly. “They are here to kill me, Mae. The Hangmen. They’re here for their revenge. Styx, he’ll—” “And that is why you must flee!” I asserted and pushed on his arm. His head dropped. “I deserve to die. What I’ve done, Mae… I’ve been so confused with what is right… I… I… don’t know who I am anymore…” He stared down at Jacob’s body. “Everything I’ve done to you is unforgiveable. I should never have brought you back here… I didn’t realize what they were really like…” He gripped my hand and water filled his eyes. Stepping to meet his chest, I lifted to my toes and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. Cain did not move as I drew back and his brown eyes filled with pure adoration. Part of me wished I could love him as he desired. Deep down, he was a good man. He deserved to be loved. He deserved more than this…

Cain sighed in defeat, his palm was feather light on my face, then he whispered, “I would have given you the world…” I ran my hand down his cheek in return, his soft brown beard tickling my palm. “Run, Cain. Please… Run…” As the noise of firearms grew closer, Cain shook his head, refusal in his stance. “Run, please… Save yourself… For me, if you love me, run… for me…” Cain stepped away slowly with a pained sigh, tears cascading down his cheeks, until he disappeared into the heavy foliage of the forest. He was gone. Stifling a sob, I cast my eyes around me and found my intended route; I had to find my sisters. I took off, sprinting toward the cell, my heart slamming into my chest with every stride. Smoke billowed around me, bullets ricocheted off trees, but I had to reach my sisters. They will be trapped and frightened. I had to free them, then I had to find Styx. The sounds of people’s screams tormented me as I ran quickly to the cell and I rejoiced as the path began to narrow; the cell was just ahead. “Help! Help us!” Maddie and Lilah’s frantic screams pushed me to double my efforts. Speeding into the clearing, I spotted the claustrophobic gray cell in which Maddie and Lilah were confined. They scrambled to reach me through the bars. “Mae! Mae!” Lilah shouted as I skidded to a halt and began pulling at the bars. They did not move. “I need a key. Where is the key?” I yelled, desperation coursing through my veins. “The guards locked us in!” Maddie exclaimed, fear written all over her sweet face. “I cannot open it. I cannot open it!” I cried as my hands grew numb shaking the thick bars. Helpless, Maddie and Lilah sat back as I worked for several more minutes trying to open the gate. But it was hopeless. I dropped my head as two hands reached through and grasped mine. “What is happening, Mae?” Lilah asked in a quiet voice. “Are we being invaded?” A small smile ghosted across my lips. “It is my love. He has come for me.” Maddie gasped. “The man from the outside?” “Yes. He has brought his men to free us.” They both paled. “We cannot leave commune,” Lilah whispered. “It is too dangerous out there.” “We must. There is no other choice,” I pushed. “But the teachings, the prophecies!” Lilah stressed. Beads of sweat formed on her head in the sweltering summer night and Maddie began rocking in fear. “You will have me. We will survive. We will all survive.” “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Every inch of me froze. I slowly turned my head, only to see Gabriel, Noah, and Moses. All three stood, towering over us, covered in blood, gripping their rifles. Vehemence was clear in their stares. Standing up, I spread myself to cover the gate, ushering Lilah and Maddie with my hands to withdraw to the rear of the cell. “Gabriel, be gone. They will be coming for you,” I warned, but my voice broke, betraying my fear. The three elders approached. “Do you know what your sinner and his butchers have done?” he asked in a deep, gruff voice. Darting my eyes around the line of trees, I shook my head and whispered, “No.” Gabriel knew I was lying. I could see it in his murderous glare.

“He killed Prophet David. He murdered our Messiah!” Gasps of shock burst forth from inside the cell and dread seeped into my bones. The elders were beyond furious and their wrath was aimed at me. “Prophet David gave us one final revelation: if he is to be taken by force from this Earth, his people must follow.” I stopped breathing and my eyes widened. They must kill us all. Reaching forward, Gabriel grabbed my arm, pulled me to the center of the clearing and threw me to my knees. He lifted his gun, loaded a magazine and hissed, “Say hello to Jezebel, Satan’s whore.”

Chapter Twenty-Six Styx It took about ten minutes and the interrogation of a whole lotta guards to finally get a sound lead on Mae after Rider hauled her the fuck away. Two hundred yards north in the forest, we found the ring of flowers she’d had on her head caught on a low branch, and her tiny footprints in the dried dirt path. She was close. And so was Rider ’s death. Holding up my fist, the brothers came to a sudden halt behind me. Mae. Mae was at some kinda holding cell and the elders were closing in on her as she knelt on a patch of grass. She had a fuckin’ terrified expression on her face and that bastard Gabriel was pointing a gun right at Mae’s head. The other two bearded fuckers stood beside him, smirking. Where the fuck’s Rider? I signed. My brothers scoured around, but he was long gone. Fuck! Then I heard Gabriel speak aloud. “Say hello to Jezebel, Satan’s whore.” My blood boiled and I fuckin’ broke. I’m done dealing with this cunt. Lifting my 9mm, I open fired at the sadistic bastard; two bullets, one through each of his knees. Screaming like a fuckin’ baby, Gabriel hit the deck as Flame and Ky ripped outta the forest cover to tackle Noah and Moses to the ground. The Hangmen easily took control. Ky held Noah by the neck; Flame held Moses by the hair, his switchblade braced at Moses’s throat. I pounded out into the clearing and kicked Gabriel’s AK47 outta his reach. Mae had curled up on the ground, her hands protecting her head, eyes down. I walked straight to Gabriel, lifted the fucker by his long hair, took my Bowie knife from my boot and sliced open his throat, watching him flop to the ground and choke on his own blood. I spat on his shocked face and signed, Burn in Hell, asshole. Mae was still on the grass so I bent down beside her, gently running my hand down her back. She stiffened and scrambled to the side, wolf eyes huge; until she caught sight of me. Her big blues instantly filled with tears. I stood and jerked my chin. I needed my woman back in my arms. “Styx?” she whispered in disbelief. Standing up on shaky legs, Mae suddenly ran right at me and jumped, wrapping her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. Her nose tucked into my neck and she sobbed, her tears dripping onto my skin. I clutched her to me as tight as I could, breathing her in. Mae reared back, wiped her cheeks, and met my eyes. A huge fuckin’ watery smile spread on her lips and she crushed her mouth to mine, her tongue plunging into my mouth, frantic, desperate… relieved. Breaking the kiss, Mae pressed her forehead to mine and placed her palms to my cheeks. “I knew you would find me. I knew you would come. I love you so much.” I nodded in agreement, unable to find my voice and squeezed her closer. With a knowing smile, Mae whispered, “I understand, baby…you love me too.” I groaned at the sight of her fuckin’ beautiful face and crashed my mouth to hers. “I am going to take that as a yes.” She giggled against my mouth as I pulled back. She could take

that as a huge fuckin’ yes. “Err… Mae?” Mae turned her attention to Ky. Brother Noah lay at his feet, a knife sticking up from his heart. I looked next to Flame who was walking back from the edge of the forest, blood spatter on his leathers, his black eyes crazy fuckin’ wild. He gave me a curt nod and smirked. Moses was with the boatman. I dipped my head to see the clear path to a large tree set a few yards inside the forest. Moses was staked to the trunk, four knives in his torso to keep him off the ground. Flame: fucker always got inventive. “They friends of yours?” Ky’s question to Mae caused my woman to gasp. She shimmied down my legs and ran to the low stone cell. “Lilah, Maddie!” she shouted. “Are you okay?” We all watched, fascinated, as four hands reached outta the cell toward Mae. Ky moved next to me. “Who the fuck’s in there?” I went to answer, when Mae turned to face us. “Can you get them out? They are trapped! I do not have the key!” Bull stepped forward, holding the wire cutters he’d used to rip through the perimeter fence. “These’ll cut through the lock.” Mae moved outta the way as Bull snapped open the lock. His eyes widened and when he walked back toward us, a look of approval spread across his face. Tank, Smiler and the psycho trio moved in to join me and Ky—we were all watching the cell like fuckin’ hawks. Mae yanked open the stiff gate. “Come,” she coaxed soothingly. Nothing happened. Mae cast a nervous look at us and crouched to kneel. The brothers and I were completely silent. “They will not harm you. You have my word. You need not be afraid. They look different from us, but they are good men.” Mae shuffled back, then stood, holding out her hands. Nothing happened for several more seconds. Then a small hand was planted on the dried mud, then another, and a cult bitch came into view. Mae bent down and helped her stand. The bitch immediately turned to face us. “Fuck. Me…” Ky hissed from my left. I looked at my best friend. The brother ’s mouth was hanging wide open as he stared at the blonde. She was one stunning bitch: blue eyes, long blond hair, though not a patch on Mae—in my eyes. Then the blonde glanced down and screamed, pushing back into Mae, horrified at the sight of the elders slaughtered and bleeding out, on the ground. Mae caught her in her arms. “Hush, Lilah.” “The elders,” she whispered, the same fuckin’ strange accent as Mae tripping from her lips. “They had to be killed, Lilah. That or they would have killed us. The Hangmen saved our lives.” “My cock just got real fuckin’ hard,” Ky informed me, his voice sounding like he was in pain. I rolled my eyes. Of course the horny bastard was feeling Lilah. She was exactly his type: damn supermodel looks and stacked tits. Lilah stared us down like she was looking at the devil, but her eyes flared and her lips parted as they landed on Ky. “Shit. I’m in love,” he rasped out again. I slapped the fucker upside his head. Mae crouched down again and Viking moaned out loud. “You telling me there’s more in there? What is this place? A fuckin’ breeding farm for Victoria’s Secret? First Mae turns up, looking all kinds’a hot, then the big titted blond playmate, and now someone else?” I flew at the redheaded fucker and gripped him by the collar, snarling. “Chill, Prez. I ain’t making a play for your old lady, but you can’t deny she’s one hot bitch. Fuck, and when she’s in those leathers—” I planted the dickhead on his ass and moved back next to Ky,

leaving Viking smirking on the floor. AK shook his head in exasperation. My VP was still transfixed on the blonde and she on him. Great. Mae took another hand from the small cell and a flash of black hair, the same shade as my woman’s, was seen first. Mae immediately bundled a tiny bitch in her arms. She was wrapped so tight in Mae’s arms I couldn’t even see her face. Mae ran her hands down her hair and lay kiss after kiss on her head. “Lilah?” Mae called to the blonde. Lilah looked up from Ky and took Mae’s outstretched hand. As one, the three of them made their way to us, Mae smiling so fuckin’ big at me. We’d gotten her sisters out. My chest tightened and my cock twitched. She was so damn beautiful. And all fuckin’ mine. “Styx, Ky, Tank, Bull, Viking, AK, Flame, Smiler; these are my sisters.” Mae pushed the blonde to step farther forward and her big blue eyes met Ky’s again. The brother actually groaned out loud, causing the bitch to frown. Mae immediately looked pissed and her eyes narrowed at my VP. “This is Lilah.” Mae smiled wide. “Lilah, these are the Hangmen.” “The Hangmen?” Lilah questioned. Shit, she reminded me of Mae when she first came to the club. Completely fuckin’ clueless. Mae let out a giggle. “It is a club of sorts, Lilah. They ride motorbikes.” Lilah’s hand ran nervously over her tied-back hair. “What is a motorbike?” Mae’s eyes caught mine and she giggled again, then looked to her friend, rubbing along her back. “All will be explained in time.” Mae then turned to the dark-haired bitch in her arms and whispered something in her ear. She flinched as Mae pulled back her hair, revealing the side of her face. She slowly lifted her head. Holy. Fuck. It was Mae. Mae with green eyes instead of ice-blue. “Jesus Christ! Please tell me there’s more hot bitches in that cell, Mae. One for each of us,” AK said. Mae humored the brother by flashing him a shy smile, then shook her head. “This is my sister, Maddie. She is my blood sister.” Maddie straightened at that, almost proud, darting her doe eyes along each of the brothers and then to the dead elders on the floor. With a pained sob, she clung to Mae’s hand. “Shh, it is okay,” Mae said soothingly. Maddie began to tremble and shook her head. Lilah flanked her and ran her hand across Maddie’s hair. “What is it, Maddie?” Maddie seemed to pull herself round. She turned to face the Hangmen. Mae and Lilah’s mouths dropped open in shock. I took by their reactions that the move from their sister weren’t normal. Maddie stepped forward and the brothers sucked in sharp breaths. She was hot. Hot but fuckin’ young. “You are Mae’s love? Styx?” she asked in that same weird accent. Glancing at my woman, I smirked. Her love? Shit. I nodded my head. Mae blushed and smiled. “Did you kill anyone else out here?” Maddie asked, her tiny voice shaking, but her stern green eyes were anything but. I nodded. She took a deep breath. “Where is he?” I stilled. A bitch like her shouldn’t be seeing what Flame had done. It weren’t pretty. “Please! I need to see him!” she shouted, surprising me with her anger. I pointed my finger to the forest. She turned ’round and jogged across the clearing and into the trees. I stepped up to Mae and signed, You’re gonna need to get your girl, babe. She ain’t gonna cope seeing that shit.

Mae closed her eyes and rubbed them. She was tired. I needed to get her fuck home. Maddie chose that second to re-enter the clearing. Her face was blank and she’d stopped shaking. In fact, color had returned to her face. Mae rushed over, but Maddie thrust out her hand. Mae stopped in response. “Sister?” Mae questioned, but Maddie ignored her, heading instead to the brothers. “Who killed him?” she asked tightly, her green eyes running down the line. On the end of the line, Flame began to twitch his head, his hands balling into fists. Fuck. It had to be Flame, didn’t it? This weren’t gonna end well if she started shooting off her mouth. Maddie fixed her gaze on Flame. “Was it you?” she asked frankly. Flame nodded once and his mouth tightened. “Yeah, I killed the fucker.” His tattooed orange flames danced on his tense neck as his crazy black eyes fixed on Maddie. A fuckin’ murderous glare. Maddie stood right in front of him—brass balls, I thought—as Flame’s chest jerked erratically. Then, suddenly, she released a choked sob and threw her arms around Flame’s waist. Flame froze and his black eyes widened to the size of plates. His hands shot up in the air clenching into fists. Fuck! The brother couldn’t be touched. He was about to go nuclear. “Thank you,” Maddie whispered and pressed her cheek flat to his cut. “Thank you so very much…” Flame’s eyebrows pulled down in confusion and his black eyes glared down at her wrapped ’round his waist. Then we all froze as his hands lowered and flattened awkwardly on her back. His nostrils flared as Maddie released another sob and cried, “You freed me. You freed me from him.” Flames eyes squeezed shut and his teeth clenched. But he didn’t push her off, didn’t scream, jerk, or hit out. The fucked-up brother just let it happen. Ky turned to me, shock clear on his expression. I shrugged. I could never get a read on the brother. Never knew what the fuck he was thinking. Maddie pulled back with a small smile and Flame’s eyes bored into hers. She began walking back to Mae, but not before glancing over her shoulder. “What is your name?” she asked Flame nervously. Flame’s lips parted and he released a hiss of a breath before muttering, “Flame.” Maddie smiled a wide, stunning smile. “You have my eternal gratitude, Flame. I am forever in your debt.” Flame stared and stared at Maddie, a fuckin’ hungry expression on his face. I cleared my throat to break the tension and Mae tore her worried eyes off the brother to focus back on me. Where’s Rider? I signed. Mae’s eyes widened and the pulse in her throat started racing. “Gone,” she whispered and stared at the ground. I clicked my fingers to get her attention. My jaw tensed as she looked up and I signed, Gone the fuck where? Mae began fidgeting with her hands. She weren’t telling me something. “He got away…” Her eyes filled with tears. “He saved my life, Styx. He killed Brother Jacob.” All the brothers tensed. Explain, I signed, my fingers stiff. “He was running away. He tried to get me to go with him.” I knew my face looked like that of Hades himself. “I said no, of course.” She assured me quickly. “But then Jacob came at us with a gun.” Her bottom lip began to tremble. “Cain, that is, Rider, killed him… He snapped Jacob’s neck, right in front of me. He killed, Styx… for me. You must understand, for him, due to his faith, this was a mortal sin; he killed one of his own, a chosen one, an elder… He damned his soul for me. I was right to give him his freedom.” I threw my head back and squeezed my eyes shut. Rider, Cain, whatever the fuck his name was. The

bastard was always getting in my fuckin’ way. Why couldn’t the cunt just fuck off, out of our lives for good? A small, gentle hand gripped mine. I opened my eyes to see Mae staring up at me, her wolf eyes huge and apologetic. “He left once and for all because I chose you, Styx. I told him I loved you, only you. That I would only ever be with you,” she whispered for my ears only. My anger faded a little, and gripping Mae’s nape, I crushed her to my chest, my mouth at her ear. “H-Home. I n-need to have you h-home. And away f-from this fuckin’ p-place.” Her chin lifted and she smiled in relief. “And my sisters?” “They come too.” I snapped my head to the left, to Ky, who had answered Mae’s question. Ky, who was still staring at Lilah. And Flame who was boring fuckin’ holes into Maddie, his black eyes bordering on possessed. Jesus. H. Christ. This weren’t gonna be easy. These cock-twitchin’ bitches were sure as shit gonna stir things up at the club. Great. More fuckin’ drama. *** “Prez! Where the fuck you going?” Viking shouted from the sofa, his newest lay sprawled on his lap, hand down his jeans, jerking the brother off. Out, I signed and headed for the yard, beer in hand, heading to my usual bench opposite the mural. “What the fuck’s up his ass?” I heard Viking shout, but I ignored the dick. I had plenty pissing me off already, didn’t need no more. Mae had been with her sisters in the apartment since we got back, trying to calm them the fuck down. Getting ’em back to the compound had been a fuckin’ riot. The bitches rocking, hands on knees, in the corner of the van like we were trafficking them across the border or some shit. Never seen anything like it. Complete mindfuck. As I sat down, I stared at the painting of Persephone and thought of Mae. Thought of that bastard commune, what she’d been through. A wave of nausea rolled in my stomach, and I pulled out a smoke, lighting up. As I took a drag, I tipped my head back and exhaled. Loved that bitch more than I ever thought possible, but her coming from that place to this… fuck… I was starting to think it weren’t such a good idea. She deserved more. More than outlaw life. Hearing the door from the bar click open, I glanced over the yard. Mae. Seeing me on the bench, she headed over to me. She’d changed, white wedding dress gone, tight black jeans and tank in its place. She was so fuckin’ beautiful, the brothers from the other chapters all gawking when they saw her on my arm. Fuckers knew with one look why I went to war to get her back. Standing before me, she tilted her head and ran her hand through my hair. I closed my eyes and groaned. Focusing on Mae again, I tapped my knee, telling her to sit. Smiling, she did as I asked and wrapped her arms round my neck. “H-how’s your sisters?” I asked, watching her smile fade. “They are afraid. Fearful of the outside, fearful of the brothers. They have cried, fought against being here, but thankfully they have fallen asleep. I just hope some rest will help them calm down.” She shrugged and glanced up at the apartment’s bedroom window. “They will adjust. They just need to relearn… well, everything. It will be a long road for them… and me.” Nodding, I took another drag of my smoke and Mae’s hand ran across my cheek. “Why are you

out here all alone?” I didn’t answer, just stared at the ground, picturing that fuckin’ prison cell at the commune, that fence, that cunt’s gun to Mae’s head, say hello to Jezebel Satan’s whore… fuck! “Styx!” Mae jerked upright and held my face in both her hands. “What is wrong? You are worrying me.” Finishing my smoke, I threw it to the ground and met Mae’s wide eyes. “Th-that fuckin’ commune.” I shook my head and she stooped breathing. “It was f-fucked up, a goddamn c-cage.” “Styx… do not do this to yourself. It is over. My life is with you now… here. The Order is no more.” Her eyes started filling with water and her hands were shaking in fear. Fuck, she was gonna cry. “C-can’t help but think you’re s-swapping one c-cage for another b-being with me in this c-club. That I-I’m a fuckin’ asshole for k-keeping you h-here.” I took her right hand from my cheek and laced my fingers through hers. “I w-want you, Mae, so fuckin’ b-bad, but we l-live different in th-this life. Protected. Cast o-out… f-fenced in. You n-need to l-live, taste real f-freedom.” Mae moved and straddled my thighs. “No! Do not do this! Not to us!” “Mae—” “NO! Listen to me, Styx.” I gave her a nod and gripped my hands on her tiny fuckin’ waist. “This is no cage.” Her arms motioned to the clubhouse. “It is freedom. For the first time in my life, I feel wanted… like I finally belong. There is nowhere on Earth I would rather be than here with you. You do not cage me, Styx. You make me soar.” And just like that. I knew she was it. There would never be anyone else for me. Hell, there’d never been anyone else since I found her at that fuckin’ fence fifteen years ago. Mae’d always been mine. “Styx?” Mae whispered, worrying her lip. I stared at my woman and a smirk spread on my lips. Mae sighed in response. Gripping the back of her neck, I smashed my lips to hers and kissed the fuck outta her mouth. Mae groaned and I broke away still smirking, lifted her up and put Mae on her feet. “Let’s g-go get a d-drink.” Mae pulled on my arm for me to stop, confusion on her face. I pressed her forehead to mine. “I’m a-an outlaw, Mae, a-a one-percenter. I take wh-what I want, wh-when I want. L-lucky for y-you, I’m a s-selfish fuck, so you’re st-staying right h-here with m-me.” The smile she gave me was blinding. As soon as we walked into the bar, Beauty came barreling over, grabbing for Mae’s hand. “Mae! You’re coming with me!” Mae glanced over her shoulder at me and I gave her a nod. Smiling, she took off with Beauty in the direction of Letti, the bitches fuckin’ jumping now that Mae was back. I couldn’t take my eyes off my bitch and her ass in those jeans. An arm slung ’round my shoulder ripping me from the view. Ky. My VP shook his head and pointed his beer over at Mae. “Fuck, Styx. You’re one lucky bastard getting that pilgrim bitch in your bed.” And didn’t I fuckin’ know it.

Epilogue Styx Two days later… Brothers, we took back my woman and reclaimed our turf. Now, drink, relax— “And eat pussy!” Ky shouted, cutting off my sign from behind. My VP walked to the edge of the stairs, drink held high and howled, “Live free, ride free, die free!” The hundreds of brothers already drunk off their asses cheered Ky and hollered back, “Live free, ride free, die free!” He slapped a hand on my back laughing as I sent him a death glare. He downed his whiskey in one, smashing the empty glass on the floor. Three days of celebrating were coming to an end, and the brothers were splitting, heading back to their own chapters. One war was won, but there were plenty more to be fought down the road. I caught Mae standing off to the side of the stairs, looking too damn hot back in her leathers. She was stood with Beauty and Letti. The two old ladies never let Mae outta their sight. Jumping down off the stairs, I wrapped her up in my arms, her wandering hands slipping under my shirt and along my ripped abs and back. Heat flared in her wolf eyes. “We’re g-going for a r-ride,” I said just for Mae to hear. She looked up and flashed me a huge smile. “Okay. Let me just tell Lilah and Maddie I am going out for a while.” Mae pointed up at my apartment window and sighed. With huge eyes, her two sisters were watching the brothers in the yard, staring off in different directions. I groaned when I followed their differing paths. Lilah was watching Ky like a hawk. He was in the middle of groping Tiff’s and Jules’s bared tits, smiling up at the pilgrim blonde with a shit-eating grin. And Maddie, fuck, Maddie was transfixed on Flame, the brother pacing the yard like a bull. His black eyes stalked Maddie watching him from the window; his head twitched and his fingers ripped at the skin of his arms, drawing blood. I’d warned my brothers to stay the fuck away from them, but Christ, I could just feel the shit about to descend on this foursome. Mae’s arms slipped from my waist and she pressed a kiss to my lips. I slapped her ass. “I’ll m-meet you out f-front.” Five minutes later, Mae strutted outta the gate and got on the back of my bike. It felt so fuckin’ good. With a roar of the engine, we pulled out onto the road. There was only one place I was taking my woman. As we pulled up to the Colorado River, I felt Mae’s arms squeeze my waist. I smiled. She loved this place. Pulling the Harley to a stop, Mae jumped off the back and we sat down on the dry grass. Before my ass had even hit the ground, she dived on top of me, her tiny weight managing to slam my back to the ground, her lips pressing to mine. I instantly gripped her ass as she ground that hot pussy right against my cock. “You want m-me, babe?” I asked, breaking from her kiss, titling up her neck and licking up her

throat. “So badly, Styx. I want you so much,” she replied breathlessly. Rolling her under me, I snapped open her zipper, yanking down her leathers, her teeth dragging down her bottom lip. Her bare pussy came into view, no panties. My eyes rolled back and I groaned just as Mae gripped the hem of her shirt and ripped it over her head. No bra. Christ. With Mae naked under me, I made quick work of getting outta my clothes and I moved above my woman, my fingers plunging inside her slit. Wolf eyes widened at the feeling and her head snapped back with a hiss. Leaning down, I took her tits in my mouth and sucked, her answering moan making my cock twitch. “Styx… inside… please…” she begged, her hips rolling, and smiling around her nipple between my teeth, I moved my dick to her pussy and, tucking my hands under her head, slammed inside. Fuck… “Styx!” she screamed, raking her fingers down my back. I rocked within her as she gripped my ass, my mouth moving to hers and my tongue thrusting in her wet mouth. It felt too damn good. She was so tight. Our tongues wrestled and her moans were driving me fuckin’ insane. “Styx… I love you,” she whispered as she broke from my mouth. Groaning too loud, I picked up speed, the heavy slapping sounds of our thighs driving me on. My nose tucked in her neck and her pussy tightened, fisting my dick so fuckin’ hard. Back arching, her tits pressed against my chest and a scream ripped from her throat as she came. “Shit… Styx… Styx…” She panted. I slammed into her once more and my head tilted back as I flooded her with cum. Fuck. Fuck. Fuucckkkkk… Collapsing on top of Mae, I rolled us so she draped across my chest. We caught our breath and I laughed. She sat up and raised an eyebrow. “What?” I ran my hand down the crack of her ass and her eyes hooded. “D-did you j-just cuss?” Her eyes widened and a giggle lit up her face. My heart fuckin’ flipped. “Yes, I did. You must be rubbing off on me.” “Oh, I’ll r-rub off on you a-all r-right!” She slapped my chest and then ran her finger along my swastika scar. Her smile faded. “I cussed at Gabriel too.” I brushed hair from her eyes. “You d-did?” She nodded, but her eyes dulled, so I waited for her to speak. “He said you had corrupted me. That I had sold my soul to Satan.” “C’mere,” I ordered. Mae shifted up my chest, allowing me to cup her face. “I ain’t ever m-met a bitch as pure as you, as in-innocent as you. You ch-changed my f-fuckin’ life, babe. You ain’t ccorrupted. Y-you’re f-fuckin’ perfect.” Her face melted into a stunning smile. “You spent so long telling me you were not good for me. ‘It ain’t me, babe,’ you said emphatically. Now I am perfect for you?” “I was wr-wrong. So d-damn wrong. You need a st-strong man, babe. You n-n-need a man to l-love you, to pr-protect you, to be your f-fuckin’ world.” Her breath paused and I smirked. “It’s m-me, babe. It’s s-so fuckin’ me.” Mae dived at me again and I laughed as I pushed her back before I felt that pussy and we ended up fucking again.

Her lips pouted and her forehead creased. “I want you again,” she complained. “I g-got something to g-give to you f-first.” She quickly lost her pout, curiosity taking over. “What is it?” Picking her up and setting her naked ass down, I walked to my Harley, buck-ass naked, and pulled the tiny cut of leather from my saddlebag. For some reason, I was fuckin’ nervous. I never thought I’d have a woman of my own, never thought I’d ever be able to speak to anyone but Ky, but Mae came in my life and knocked all that shit outta the park. “Styx? What is it?” she asked excitedly. Facing her—all long black hair mussed, blue eyes huge, and pale perfect skin—I relaxed. Fuck, she was beautiful. Shaking myself ’round, I held up the tiny black leather Hangmen vest. Mae stopped breathing, her mouth dropping to form an O. I turned it around, our Hades Hangmen emblem standing proud on the back, and a Property of Styx patch in white stitching with Mae embossed in small writing at the front. I jerked my chin. Mae stood and walked to me. “You w-want this, b-babe? You w-wanna officially be m-my old lady? ’Cause once th-this goes on, it’s n-never f-fuckin’ coming off.” “Styx,” Mae whispered and edged in closer, her hand running down my unshaven cheek. I swallowed and my heart slammed in my chest. “I was born to be with you. Born to be your old lady.” And then that damn nose of hers twitched. My eyes rolled back. “Fuck, b-babe…” I rasped out and spun my woman around, slipping the vest on her back. She turned slowly, gripping the edges over her perfect tits, and playfully pouted her lips. “How does it look?” I checked her out from head to toe, looking like a damn pinup girl, all naked, wearing my name on her back. Growling, I stalked Mae and lifted her, slamming her back against a tree, her legs wrapping ’round my waist. “Fuckin’ l-love it, babe. L-love you in m-my life, on the b-back of my bike, in m-my bed, wrapped ’round m-my cock, and w-wearing my name on your back. You’re n-never l-leaving me, babe. Yyou’re in with m-me for life. The good, the b-bad, the f-fuckin’ crazy. M-met you as a kid, a damn mmute. You g-gave me a voice. You g-gave me a life. You’re i-it, babe. You’re m-my whole f-fuckin’ world.” I slammed my mouth to hers. She kissed me right back. Our foreheads touched and our breaths came hard. “You’re m-mine,” I told her once more. “And you’re mine,” she repeated with pride. “We’re official n-now, babe, yeah? You and m-me together. This is y-your family. This i-is your club. You b-belong in this MC with m-me. Through hell a-and high water, you’re g-gonna be by my side, m-making shit good. M-my old lady for life.” “Always. We start our lives now, Styx. Leave the scars of our pasts behind.” I took her left hand and kissed along her ring finger. “And someday s-soon you’re g-gonna be wearing a r-ring, right h-here, telling the whole fuckin’ w-world you’re mine. And wh-when you do, you’ll n-never fuckin’ take it off.” “Yes, Styx,” she whispered, tears dropping down her cheeks. “I am yours… only ever yours. Forever.” “Fuck, babe… love you,” I growled, rubbing her tight little body against mine. “I love you too.” Then that fuckin’ nose twitched again.

And I sank back into my woman… … a pair of wolf eyes bringing me home. *** Rider Cain Two weeks later… Utah, Undisclosed Location. My eyes burned as I raced down the country road on my Chopper. Two weeks of hard riding. Two weeks of avoiding Hangmen chapters. Two weeks of thinking about what the hell to do next. “Run. Please. Run… Save yourself… for me…” Mae had begged me, her fear for my safety shining through her crystal-blue eyes. Then she’d kissed me. She’d finally fuckin’ kissed me and it all but obliterated the few remaining fragments left of my heart. FUCK! The heavy iron gate to The Pasture, my childhood home, opened on my arrival, and I took a deep breath. I didn’t fuckin’ know who I was no more, where I belonged. The Order was not what I expected and my head was all over the place. I cruised down the stone paved lane, pulling to a stop outside Prophet David’s farmhouse. I didn’t know where else to go, didn’t have anywhere else to go. The door to the house suddenly swung open and Judah, my twin brother, sprinted to where I sat. “Cain!” he shouted, pure relief on his identical face—same features, hair, beard, and build. Physically we were exactly alike… I jumped off my Chopper and embraced Judah, his brown eyes tight and filled with a mixture of sadness and rage. Hell, I’d missed him. Five fuckin’ years I’d been gone; no direct contact. “You live,” he said on a sigh. “We feared you had been killed also.” “I got away,” I said, offering nothing but the barest of intel. “Thank the Lord!” Judah said in relief but his head dropped, eyes to the ground. “They killed them all, Cain: Prophet David, the elders. They slaughtered our brothers. Only women and children survived.” My breath paused until Judah shook his head, meeting my eyes once more. “Cain, none of the original twelve remain alive.” My gaze was impassive. Judah swung his heavy arm around my shoulders and began leading me into the house, the house where we had been kept apart all our lives from others of The Order. Where we’d been trained since adolescents for a day such as today, no other family but each other, our mission as the heirs was our only purpose in life. “We have begun to rebuild,” Judah informed. “We have found a new site for the commune to where our people can be moved. We are planning on uniting all the communes, creating one unified community: more guards, more people, and more guns. Then it will be time, brother,” he said meaningfully, squeezing my arm. I stilled. Judah moved before me and frowned. He had always been the most militant of us both, the most devout. He had never left The Pasture, believed one hundred percent in the cause. “Time for what?” I asked vaguely. Judah smiled in excitement and in response, a wave of dread set in my stomach. “For you to ascend… Prophet Cain.”

My heart stopped. My eyes widened. Oh… fuck…



The End

Playlist To listen to the playlist, please check out my website: www.tilliecole.com Metallica —Nothing else matters AC/DC — Highway to Hell Nirvana — About A Girl Guns and Roses — Knockin on Heavens Door Jonny Cash — God’s Gonna Cut You Down Tom Waits — I Hope That I Don’t Fall in Love With You The Pretty Reckless — Makes Me Wanna Die Nine Inch Nails — Closer The National — Gospel Willie Nelson — Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain Pistol Annies — Hope You’re the End of My Story Bob Dylan — It Ain’t Me, Babe AA Bondy — The Mightiest of Guns The Eagles — Desperado Rolling Stones — Wild Horses Depeche Mode — Personal Jesus Velvet Underground — Pale Blue Eyes Black Sabbath — Heaven and Hell

Acknowledgements Dad, thank you for finally jumping on board the Tillie Cole express and for devoting a huge amount of your time helping me with this novel. Your notes on Psychology have been amazing and I look forward to the next one! To my beta reader team—Thessa, Kelly, Rachel, Kia and Lynn. Thank you for reading a very badly edited, first draft version of this novel and for your amazing feedback. I adore the final outcome and it wouldn’t be where it is today without your brilliant input. Thessa, for being on board from the very beginning, assuring me my book was not crap and for making me laugh through our emails. Oh, and for begging me to write Flame and Maddie’s story! We’ll see… My husband, for putting up with my various meltdowns and moments of writer-insecurity. You’re always there and I love you to pieces. Kelly Moorhouse for just being one of the best people I know. Book Blogger, tour organiser and now, beta reader, and of course, friend. You amaze me and I am beyond thankful for all that you do. Mam, Sam and the brood. Love you, guys, lots. A special shout out to the bloggers who gave this book (and author) a chance. There are so many of you that have been supportive during this—relatively new— journey for me. Gitte and Jenny from TotallyBooked, Smitten’s Book Blog and Lezley-Lynn’s Book Blog. You guys rock! Oh, and LezleyLynn for just being amazing and creating my fabulous street team: Tillie’s Hot Cole’s. Love the team and want to thank you lot for your support! World Domination!!!! Lysa, my crazy Bostonian web designer and one of THE most hilarious peeps ever! Thank you, thank you, thank you! And finally to YOU, the readers for your constant support. I have no words. You simply floor me…

About the Author

Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city. After graduating from Newcastle University, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies for seven years. Tillie has now settled in Calgary, Canada, where she is finally able to sit down, write (without the threat of her husband being transferred), throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters. Tillie writes Romantic comedy, Contemporary Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels and happily shares her love of alpha-male leading men (mostly with muscles and tattoos) and strong female characters with her readers. When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than strutting her sparkly stuff on a dance floor (preferably to Lady Gaga), watching films (preferably anything with Tom Hardy or Will Ferrell—for very different reasons!), listening to music or spending time with friends and family.

Follow Tillie at: https://www.facebook.com/tilliecoleauthor https://www.facebook.com/groups/tilliecolestreetteam https://twitter.com/tillie_cole Or drop me an email at: [email protected] Or check out my website: www.tilliecole.com