Page 34 of Living Without

After a quick shower and dressing in my usual biker boots, jeans, tee, and my club vest, I made my way into the common area where Malinda shoved a plate of food at me. “You need to eat before anything gets started.”

Shit. I’d never felt so taken care of in my life. Each time they did, it warmed my gut.

As the women chatted around me, I quickly ate, and once my plate was clean, I offered my thanks and headed to the meeting room. When I entered, it was bustlin’ with movement and talk. Papers were spread on the long table. Talon, Dodge, and Gypsy were leaning over a map talkin’ low. While Memphis, Griz, and Killer were surrounding a computer. Others were arguin’ about what gear to take and how we were gonna get there. A thrill of something pulsed through me. I put it down to excitement to get my woman back, excitement to take some lives. Whatever the reason, adrenaline surged through me.

Hours later, we had a plan. Gypsy had a piece of Beast’s equipment, which was undetected to any device, in his ear for Talon to know what was going on. Couldn’t believe a guy who didn’t know us, owe us anything, was willin’ to walk in there with no weapons at all. The guy had balls of steel. Though he did know we had his back, and he trusted us enough to keep the shit storm about to happen out of his face while he secured Nary. The brothers and I would be at a safe distance away in the bushland surrounding the place, and when we got the words, “Let’s get this show on the road,” we’d be crashing Baxter’s party and taking some lives with us.

Shit was about to get real, and I was lookin’ forward to it.

* * * *

NARY

Five hours later

My dooming fate had arrived. The previous day, I tried and tried to get Kelsey to agree with my plan, but she wouldn’t. She even told me she’d do everything in her power to make sure I didn’t stuff anything up. I’d suggested we start something, a very bad something, which would bring us a lot of pain and eventually, hopefully death.

I wanted it.

To die.

I understood why Kelsey had wanted it before.

Everything seemed at a loss.

And even though death scared the shit out of me, I’d prefer to have my free will and end things when I decided, not when someone else did.

What also helped ease my fear of death was doubt had slipped into my mind, telling me my family wasn’t coming.

Kelsey, the strong beautiful woman, still held out hope and pleaded with me to be safe and get help when I could, when I was out. I agreed in the end as she was becoming hysterical.

I knew what went through her mind though while she begged me to leave, stay safe, and try to find help. She planned to die.

Try as I might, I couldn’t begrudge her for that. It was exactly what I would have planned if our positions were reversed. Little did she know, though, I wouldn’t let her go on her own. If I had to, I would beg and promise my owner the world if he could get Kelsey out.

She made me realise fighting the men wasn’t going to be an option. I would be locked up away from her and she, like myself, wanted to stay close until the end. She had begged me, and it was the last thing I could give her, promise her.

The tears on my face tracked down my cheeks, probably ruining the make-up I’d applied earlier. I’d also put on a red silky slip. Though the make-up couldn’t hide everything: the scar, the gauntness, or the shaking of my body.

My lips trembled as I said goodbye to Kelsey. Each step destroyed my heart, damaging it beyond repair as I walked from the room, leaving her in that darkened hell all alone.

As we approached a door, I wiped at my face, stood tall with my shoulders back, and took a calming breath.

Please, please, please let this man be good.

Malcolm, who smirked over his shoulder at me, turned to the door and opened it. My heart was in my throat, and with the pace my breath was coming in and out of my body, I was sure I’d pass out soon.

Quickly, my eyes flicked around the room. It was like a living room, big with couches, a TV, and a coffee table. Baxter sat on the couch near the window facing me. Opposite him sat another man. He was huge like Beast or Dallas and had his hair tied back in a bun. Five other men stood around the room, one was Stan, so I guessed they were all Baxter’s men.

I clasped my hands in front of me and stepped in. My feet stilled, and I came to an abrupt halt. I didn’t want to walk further in. My chest ached with my heavy breath.

It wasn’t right.

Nothing was right.

I was about to be sold.

To never see my family again.

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