Page 14 of Unhinged
“Arrow, go inside and make sure if anyone saw something, they keep their mouths shut or we’ll be paying them a visit, too.” I tell him before turning the key in the ignition.
As I pull out onto the street, heading for the clubhouse, I can’t help but admit—at least to myself—that there’s something dangerously attractive about her. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that my cock is semi-hard at the way she protected her kid and busted Gears’ nose. Most people see the cut, know we’re Renegade and steer clear.
Not her…it’s sexy as hell.
If things were different, if I wasn’t about to possibly torture information out of her, I might’ve been tempted to pull an Arrow and see what else she’s capable of.
CHAPTER SIX
BRYDGETT
Fuck, my head hurts.The pounding in my skull is relentless, each throb feeling like a hammer driving into my brain. I try to move, instinctively wanting to reach up and cradle the back of my head, but my wrists don’t budge. My arms are bound behind my back around this chair with what feels like rope. Forcing my eyes open, I take in my surroundings.
The room around me is dim, with only the barest amount of light shining in through a window. It’s dank, the air thick with the smell of decay and dampness, as if this basement-like space hasn’t seen daylight in years. I’m in a metal chair, my ankles are bound to the front legs.
What the hell?
Then everything comes rushing back to me like a slap to the face. The sound of Judge’s frightened cry, the force of the blow that sent me crashing into darkness, and the desperate realization that I couldn’t protect my son.
Judge. Where the hell is my son?
“Hey, you alpha bastards, where the fuck is my kid?!” I scream, letting them know I’m awake. If there is even one hair out of place on his sweet little head, I will call in every favor owed to me and destroy this fucking club. They might rule the streets here in Hopewell, but they don’t know who they’re messing with. I will burn this entire place to the ground and salt the earth beneath it.
The door creaks open with agonizing slowness, and the three fuckheads saunter in, their expressions smug, predatory. The one in the middle, Gears—they call him, but in my mind, he’s just another bastard—smirks down at me. “Nice to see you’re finally awake,” he drawls, settling into a chair across from me as the other two flank him.
“Where is my son?” I demand, every word laced with a threat. My pulse pounds in my ears as fury flows through me.
“He’s fine,” Bastard chuckles, a glint of amusement in his eyes. “Kind of a shithead, but he’s upstairs in one piece.”
I narrow my eyes at the bastard in front of me. “If you’ve hurt him in any way, I swear on my life?—”
“We don’t fuck with kids, woman,” he interrupts, waving a dismissive hand. “Usually don’t fuck with women either, but we’ve made an exception for you. Since you lied to us. We have you on video pulling something from Kenny’s bushes. So we know you weren’t there just fucking some creepy alpha.”
I plaster on a devious smile. “Sue me, I dropped something. Is that a crime?”
“Cut the bullshit,” he snaps. “Kenny was killed the same way as all the other Alpha Slayer victims, minus the playing card. We want to know who he is. He’s messing with people we needed answers from, so now he’s our business. Tell us where we can find him, and you and your kid are free to go.”
My lips curl into a sneer, the bitter taste of defiance flooding my mouth. “Go fuck yourself,” I spit, the words drenched in venom.
The third, who I haven’t caught a name for yet, advances on me. He must be the muscle, the one they send in to do the dirty work. Grabbing a handful of my hair, he rips my head back to look up at him.
“Come again?” he growls, a low rumble that vibrates through my bones.
“Go. Fuck. Yourself.” I repeat, each word precise, deliberate. They dared to touch my son, to knock me out in front of him and drag us both into this hellhole. They want information? They’ll have to rip it from my cold, dead hands.
The alpha’s face twists with anger, and he raises his hand, slapping me hard enough that the world spins for a moment. Pain explodes across my cheek, the force of the blow sending my head snapping to the side. A coppery tang fills my mouth, but I refuse to give them the satisfaction of seeing me in pain.
“You hit like a bitch,” I taunt, working my jaw to ease the sting. The taste of blood only sharpens my resolve. They think they can break me? They have no idea what I’ve been through.
His eyes darken with fury, but before he can strike again, Bastard waves him off.
“Maybe some more time in the dark, alone, will help you see reason. I’d hate to keep you away from your kid longer than necessary, but you have the answers I want.”
I swallow hard, fighting the rising tide of panic. Judge is upstairs, alone, surrounded by these monsters. My instincts scream at me to fight. Defend.Protect.I need to keep it together, find a way out. But first, I need to buy time, to understand what they’re really after.
“Why do you want to know?” I ask. “The Alpha Slayer killed Kenny, but you said it yourself he was scum. So why is finding the killer so important?”
Bastard leans back in his chair, considering me with a cold, calculating gaze. “Because Kenny was dealing heroin and meth. Both aren’t allowed in Hopewell, and we wanted to bring Kenny here and have a little chat with him about why he decided to break our rules and find out who was getting him the shit. Your buddy took that from us, and he’s not the first kill he took from us either. So we need to have a conversation with your murderous friend.”
