Page 49 of Viking

“Oh, please. She’s hardly a fucking child,” Meraki says, pulling off her gloves and wiping the sweat from her brow. “She’s all woman. I’d do her.”

I clench my teeth. Pissed at the idea of even Meraki touching a hair on my little siren’s head. “She’s a victim here.”

“Who isn’t?” she levels me with her gaze, and I’m starting to see why Niko is hard up for this bitch. Few men have shown me that level of disrespect and lived to talk about it, but she may have a point.

Arie’s not a little girl. I guess deep down I’ve known that all along, but it doesn’t make me feel any less shitty about the situation I just put her in. If it had been Gypsy in her position, I’d kill the motherfucker putting his hands all over my sister while he was pretending to be her best choice of protection.

“You know, I think you’re the only biker I’ve met who won’t just take what he wants. I respect you for that.”

“Thanks ... I think.”

“But it makes you a pussy.”

I arch my brows and glance between Niko and his woman. “That so?”

“Yep. Look, I’ve only spent five minutes in her company, but it was five minutes where I was talking and she was searching the goddamn room for you. She wants you, Viking, and not for protection.”

“That don’t make it right.”

“Why don’t you let her decide?”

“Why don’t you keep your pretty mouth shut unless Niko’s cock is in it?”

“Alright, you two. Back to your fuckin’ corners.” He levels us both with a look. “Viking, we go back a long way. I love you like a brother, but you talk to my woman like that again—in my fucking house, no less—and we’re gonna have some huge problems.”

“I need a shower anyway,” Meraki says, dropping her gloves to the floor at our feet. “Maybe I’ll invite Arie to clean up with me. God knows she’s not getting it anywhere else.”

I growl as she walks away, and I turn my attention back to Niko. “Your old lady needs a fucking muzzle.”

Niko chuckles. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“Meatball said you had intel on Pedo Island.”

“Yeah, one of the girls was scared shitless after hearing Lana was reduced to goo. She started runnin’ her mouth to Meraki. Turns out after Luca impregnated the women, he kept them under lock and key at the cathedral ... until they popped. The babies were sold off to be conditioned in the ‘Prophet’s ways’, brainwashed into thinking that sick pedo shit was normal. The males were separated. They raped the females, subjected them to these goddamn ceremonial rites, some of them at the ripe old age of eight. They sent the impregnated ones into Luca’s tender lovin’ care, and the cycle starts again.”

“Fuck!” I lash out at the bag, sending it flying off its chain and onto the floor with a heavy thud. This is so much worse than I thought it was. I knew from the scars on her body that she’d been held down by a fucking trap, forced to endure rape, or at the very least, torture.

“If we’re gonna go in, we’ll need backup.”

“I got a friendly up in Montana.” I scratch my beard and wipe the sweat from my brow. “The Howlin’ Wolves. Big club, twenty guys. They could be here in a day or two.”

“That’ll do it.”

“Hunter too. He’s nomad but works with a crew. He owes me a favor.”

“Alright. Let’s get everyone into Temple. If these fucks aren’t brought down, they’ll find someone else to sell them underage pussy. And that just creates more shit in my backyard for me to clean up.”

“I’ll make some calls.”

Niko nods and claps me on the shoulder as he passes. “You’re not them, brother. Stop beating yourself up about wanting the girl. Maybe she’s young enough to be your daughter, but if she’s been through what I think she has, if she’s seen even half the shit Meraki has, she stopped being a kid a long time ago.”

That didn’t make me feel any better.

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