26

Sasha

I come out of the shower and find Tyler gone. His jeans and kutte are both missing from where they were left on the floor, and his phone is no longer on the bedside table.

I grit my teeth. This is the life I remember. Being left behind without a word, never explaining his actions. “Club business”. This is what I signed up for, but it still grates a little. Would it have killed him to say goodbye?

Moving over to his dresser, I pull the top drawer open and find a clean tee and some joggers. I don’t miss the assortment of knives in the bottom, but I ignore them. I’m well aware Tyler isn’t exactly a Boy Scout.

I pull the joggers on, settling the waistband on my hips, liking the way his clothes feel on me and hoping he won’t be pissed I went rummaging through his stuff. They’re a little big on me. I have to tie the drawstring to keep them up and the tee hangs off me, but they’re fresh. I don’t even want to think about how they get laundered. I don’t think Ty knows how a washing machine works.

Dressed, I pull my wet hair into a sloppy topknot and head out of the room.

The clubhouse is quiet and I find myself in the common room alone. There’s not a single brother in sight.

“Great,” I mutter.

I need to get back to the hospital and make sure Lil is all right and since Ty was my ride here, I guess I’m going to have to figure out an alternative.

Just as I’m about to pull my phone out and dial a cab, Zack strolls in. The prospect eyes me as he moves.

“Hey, where’d everyone go?” I ask, peering up from my screen.

“Out.”

I roll my eyes. “I figured that much out on my own, thanks.” The sarcasm drips from my words. I can’t help myself.

“You know, maybe you should watch your mouth.”

My brows raise and I return my attention to my phone as I mutter out, “Wow, did you finally find your balls, baby biker?”

“I see you haven’t changed at all,” a familiar voice says, stepping out from the shadows of the bar. My heart stops dead in my chest and my hands are suddenly damp as I stare at Sin. “Three years on and you’re still a fucking bitch.”

He looks a mess, his face a mass of yellowing bruises and scabbed over cuts. I don’t miss that he holds himself, his hand around his chest as if he’s still hurting. Good. I hope Ty broke every bone in his fucking body. It still wouldn’t come close to the pain I suffered, to the pain I still suffer.

But coming face to face with my rapist without the buffer of Ty or Nox here has my stomach twisting and my guts rolling. I take a couple of shaky steps back, putting the nearest table between us as my mouth dries out. Fear clamps its hold around my heart so I can barely take a breath in and nausea climbs up my throat.

Fuck. What the hell is he doing here?

I take another step back as he moves towards me, my nightmare continuing to play on a loop. He’s not a figment of my imagination. He’s really fucking here.

His mouth pulls into a macabre grin.

“No hello?”

Zack glances between the two of us, and I can see it dawning on him that something isn’t right here. “Look, man, I only let you in to get your shit and I only did that out of respect for the fact you sponsored me to take the prospect kutte, but you don’t talk to her. Rav’ll beat us both. Everyone was told not to let you in the building.”

“He’ll do more than beat you. Kiss your pathetic life goodbye,” I snarl out. My heart is pounding so hard now I can barely draw a full breath in without pain lancing through my chest.

“You’ve got to go, Sin,” Zack says, his voice filled with desperation. “You’re going to cost me my colours.”

The kid is seriously naïve if he thinks that’s all he’s going to lose. Tyler doesn’t do well with betrayal and he’ll see this as one.

Sin turns and before I can react, I see the flash of metal and hear the loud pop ricochet off the walls with the unmistakeable sound of a gun being fired.

I jolt as Zack slides to his knees, blood pouring from his forehead before he falls flat on his face. Blood splatters up the wall behind him, along with bits of skull and brain.

Shock roots me to the floor and bile churns in my gut. I grew up in a club that lives on the wrong side of the law. I’ve seen my share of violence. I’ve even seen people die, but I didn’t expect Sin to kill him like that. The poor kid didn’t stand a chance.

“Fuck,” I mutter, the word coming out on a shaky gasp.

Sin glances back at me, a grin playing across his face. I don’t think. I run, tossing chairs behind me as I go to slow him down. I expect to feel the burn of a bullet in my back, but I don’t. I barely reach the door before a hand fists into my hair and drags me back. My scalp burning like a hundred small fires are singeing through my roots.

“Where are you going, Sash?” he hisses in my ear as he drags me close. I hate the way he says my name, I hate the way his breath is warm against my cheek. It makes my stomach swirl. “We ain’t done here.”

Fear claws up my spine as I’m thrown back into that day. Images of him holding me down as he pushed himself inside me without remorse flood me, and I can hardly breathe.

“Stop!”

No surprise, he doesn’t. Ignoring my pleas, he drags me back and I claw at his hands, trying to remove his hold on my hair. He doesn’t let go. If anything, his grip becomes more ironclad. Still, I kick and hit out at him. I’m not going down without a fight. I’m not the girl I was three years ago, and that’s because of him. I’m stronger, and knowing I have Ty and the club behind me, that I have everything to live for, pushes me to fight.

I don’t go easily. I battle hard against Sin, but when he pushes the gun into my side I freeze. If he shot Zack without remorse, I doubt he’d be fazed by putting a bullet in me. Blue eyes flash before my own, her smile, her beautiful curls. I have to live for my daughter.

He pulls me against him and my skin crawls at his touch. Shuddering in his hold, I feel his filth all over me and try to shrink away from his hands, but I can’t—not with the kiss of steel against my side.

“You’re going to walk out of here willingly or I’m going to shoot you. Then I’ll find Rav and shoot him. I might even pay our daughter a visit.”

I don’t tell him she’s not his. Those words falling from his lips make me submit. He will not touch my child or go near her. His filth stays away from her.

I swallow bile. “Okay, okay.” My heart flutters in my throat as I stumble over the debris covering the common room floor. I have no idea what his plan is, but I know if I leave the clubhouse I’m fucked.

Sin tugs me and I move on unsteady feet towards the door. My mind is racing, but I can’t latch onto a single idea of how to get out of this. I know I have to fight.

As soon as we step outside, I kick my foot back between his legs, hitting him in the dick as hard as I can. I feel a hint of satisfaction as he doubles over with a groan.

Taking off as fast as I can, I sprint towards the compound gates. My legs burn as I pump faster, adrenaline fuelling my movements.

Then a force slams into my back and I go down hard, my knees slamming off the tarmac. Pain ricochets through my bones, jarring me, and I can’t stop the cry that escapes my mouth.