Page 25 of Ride Long
I could see Gasket in my peripheral vision readying himself to launch onto Harley, but I didn’t need him to fight my battles for me. Not now, notever.
Swinging the pool cue, it rapped him on the ear, and he slipped on his own blood and fell on his side.Hard.
I could’ve walked away from this. I could’ve kept my nose out of other people’s business and continued with my plan for low-key infiltration, but I couldn’t. Not when I saw a man beating up on a woman. Not when I could do something aboutit.
Leaning over him, I resisted the urge to spit in his face. At least his cock would be too bruised to use it for a while. That was some small consolation to add to his brokennose.
“If you touch her again, I’ll cut off your cock and choke you with it in your sleep,” I said,snarling.
“Sloane,” Gasket barked, the tone of his voice ordering me to standdown.
I wanted to be Fortitude, I bore their mark, so when my lieutenant gave me an order, I had to follow. I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t. So, I reluctantly tossed the pool cue aside and backed off before I stabbed it through Harley’s eyeball. He deserved worse.Muchworse.
“Watts, get Bucket,” Gasket went on, handing out instruction to the audience I wasn’t aware had gathered for Harley’s smackdown. “Rhodes, get a mop and haul Harley’s ass off the floor. Enough humiliation has been handed out for oneday.”
That was considered enough? That was a drop in theocean.
* * *
Idabbeda cotton bud on Sam’s lip, and shehissed.
“That stings,” she said with asniff.
“Of course, it stings,” I shot back. “That means it’sworking.”
After I threatened Harley, I hadn’t waited around to see him drag his fat ass off the floor. Instead, I’d hauled Sam to her feet and got her out of there. We were now in my bathroom. She was sitting on the end of my bed while I cleaned her up. Well, attempted toanyway.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” she said, her eyes welling withtears.
“There was no way in hell I was standing by and letting him hityou.”
“I know what he is,” she said. “But I’mtrapped.”
“Why?” I asked, my brow furrowing. “Why do youstay?”
“You don’t understand.” Her gazelowered.
She was right. I didn’t understand. I’d always been strong and not afraid to speak my mind. I’d always stood up to men who tried to dominate me. My father, Chaser, other bikers, the slimeballs who frequented Teasers. I’d never thought twice about protecting myself even though I’d had my moments on the road with Chaser, so Sam was right. I didn’t understand, and I probably neverwould.
I could try to help her all I liked, but she had towantmy help for it to meansomething.
Sam was just one of many in this place. The stronger women—like Shondra, Raquel, Kelly, and Emily—knew how to get by in a world like this, but not her. She was too sweet and kind for any ofthis.
I couldn’t help everyone, not if I wanted to take over Fortitude and use the club to go head-to-head with the Hollow Men. Revenge was a dish best served cold, but it took an army to prepare a meal the size Chaser and I needed. Helping Sam might jeopardizeeverything.
Maybe I should just kill Marini and get the hell out of here. Maybe that was enough for now. We could get the Hollow Men and their King anotherway.
“Why?” she asked, turning my question back to me. “Why would you help me? I don’t even knowyou.”
Lowering my hand, I tossed the cotton ball into the trash andsighed.
“When I walked in, I saw you lying there…but it wasn’tyou.”
“What?”
“When I was a kid, Marini used to beat my mom,” I said. “He’d hit me sometimes, but mostly it was her. So when I walked in, it was like old times. I couldn’t stand up for her. I was a kid, you know. But I can stand up for younow.”
Sam wiped her tears and glanced at thedoor.
