Boxed Set: Steel: Blacthorne MC Romance (15 page)

I
decided
to get off the bike and move it to the side of the road. There wasn’t exactly much to hide behind, but I managed to get myself and the bike mostly covered by a prickly shrub. I sat there, praying that there were no scorpions nearby, until the car roared past.

I waited, expecting to hear the squeal of breaks when I was spotted. But the sound from the engine grew distant.

I waited a minute or so, to make sure that they weren’t coming back, and then I freed myself from the shrub, which had decided to catch onto my sweater with its prickly spines.

I hauled out the bicycle and wheeled it back up to the road.

I guessed I was about midway between the club and the town of Blackthorne. Halfway, I thought. I could do this.

I got back on the bike and cycled hard, keeping my head down and praying I wouldn’t meet another car on the road at this time of night.

Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on my side.

This time, I didn’t even notice the truck until I was almost on top of it.

Its black paint, kept it well hidden in the moonlight. The headlights were off, and it was parked at the side of the road. I didn’t dare look up. I hoped that the owner had run into engine trouble and left it there to walk into town.

“Please, please,” I muttered under my breath, “Just let me get to the town safely.”

The tall figure came out of nowhere, forcing me to squeeze the brakes tightly. The bike skidded to a stop, jolting me forward and nearly throwing me from the bike.

What the hell?

I pushed my hair back from my face, looked up and found myself gazing directly at Nick.

What was going on? What was he doing here?

At first I couldn’t speak, I was too shocked. I was too surprised to be disappointed that I wouldn’t make it to Blackthorne now.

I shook my head at him. “What are you doing here?”

Nick gave me an exasperated smile. “I could ask you the same question, Ella.”

It started to sink in that I had just lost my chance of escape. My legs ached, my butt was sore from the saddle, and I was thoroughly fed up. I clambered off the bike and threw it down on the ground.

“What do you think I was doing?” I yelled. “I was trying to get out of here.”

Nick stared at me with conflict in his eyes, as though he was deciding what to do next.

Maybe I still had a chance…

“Maybe, you could just let me go and pretend that you never saw me.”

Nick reached out his hand towards me, but then thought better of it and hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans.

He sighed. “I know you’re not going to believe me but going to the sheriff in Blackthorne is not a good idea. I will help you get out, Ella. I just need more time.”

I shook my head in disbelief. I wasn’t some little girl that needed saving. I was trying to save myself. And I would have been successful if he hadn’t been standing in my way.

The slow realization dawned on me that Nick could be out to save his own skin. Maybe he didn’t want me to go to the sheriff because he would get in trouble.

“I won’t mention you.” I chewed my lower lip. “I don’t even have to mention the Blackthorne club…or Victor.”

Nicked frowned.

“I’ll say I got lost, or my car broke down and I ended up here…” I said, improvising wildly. “So you don’t have to worry about getting into trouble.”

Nick’s face was a mask of disgust. “Is that really what you think of me? You think I’m worried about myself?”

If he wasn’t worried about himself, I couldn’t think why he wouldn’t let me go. So I shrugged.

Nick turned away and ran his hand through his dark hair before letting the strands fall back against his forehead.

I held my breath. I knew what happened next would determine my future.

He turned back to me eventually and said in a quiet voice, “Let’s go back, Ella.”

“You’re taking me back to Victor?” My voice was high-pitched and verging on the hysterical. I couldn’t believe he was going to betray me like this. “You’re choosing Victor over me? Just so we’re clear, you’re choosing a man who murdered someone you cared about over me?”

Nick’s face hardened, and when he turned to me, anger blazed in his eyes. “Don’t say that. It isn’t true.”

“No? Well, that’s what it looks like from where I’m standing. Let me go, Nick, please. No one will ever have to know.”

I gazed up at him, searching his face for some sign that he might take pity on me and relent, but his eyes met mine with determination as he grabbed my hand and led me back to the truck. He opened the door to the passenger side and nodded for me to get in.

My cheeks were burning, and tears prickled at the corners of my eyes, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing how much he’d hurt me.

I had never felt so betrayed by anyone in my life than I did at that moment. To think that I had cared about him… I must have been crazy.

But I knew I had run out of options, so I climbed inside the truck and yanked my seatbelt on while Nick walked around the other side and climbed into the driver’s seat.

“You have to be careful who you trust around here, Ella,” Nick said as he turned on the engine.

I leaned back against the seat and turned my head so I was looking out of the window rather than at him.

“Please, Ella, just give me a little more time. I know you think the town of Blackthorne is somewhere where you will be safe, but Victor has connections… And if he found out you tried to escape, which he would…” Nick shifted in his seat to look at me, but I kept my gaze stubbornly fixed on the window. “When Victor found you again, he wouldn’t treat you so well.”

Nick’s voice sounded so sincere that I almost believed him. Was he really worried about me? Was his concern genuine? Or was I just being played again?

When we pulled into the Blackthorne parking lot, I reached out to open the door, but Nick put a hand on my leg. “Wait, Ella.”

I turned back to face him. “Yes?” I snapped.

I sure as hell wasn’t ready to forgive him yet.

“I know this is really difficult for you. So I’m going to make you a promise. Come hell or high water, I will have you out of here within a week. I will keep you safe, I promise. And I take my promises seriously.”

My eyes searched his face for some kind of sign he was telling me the truth. I could feel myself begin to melt. My resolve was weakening. Should I trust him?

I didn’t really have much of a choice. Despite my plans, I wasn’t leaving there tonight, so now Nick was my best chance of getting out of there.

“One week? You promise?”

He swallowed hard and then nodded.

“Ok, then,” I said, slowly nodding. “If you promise, then I believe you, but if you back out of this you have to know that you’re going to break my heart.” My voice wavered as I spoke.

Nick flinched as if my words hurt him, but he nodded and gave me a half smile. “Okay, now let’s try to get you back inside without anyone noticing.”

We climbed out of the truck and I’d just shut the door behind me when I heard shouting.

“There they are! Grab them!”

I felt a pair of strong arms grab me from behind and I screamed in terror.

“
E
lla
,” Nick called out to me.

But when I turned, I saw he was being held back by the two heavies that usually guarded Victor’s door.

They didn’t restrain him for long, though. He wrenched an arm free and used it to elbow one of the men in the face, giving him a cut lip. Then he turned and punched the other one, making the guy’s head jerk backwards.

“Son of a bitch,” the guy with the cut lip grunted.

But suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, more bikers appeared, piling on top of Nick until they held him so tightly he couldn’t move.

“No!” I yelled, twisting and turning in my captor’s arms.

I used my feet too, kicking out, desperately trying to break free.

“Ow,” the voice behind me said. It sounded vaguely familiar. “Cut it out, Ella. That hurts.”

I jerked my head around to see Chad, and my eyes went as round as saucers.

Why was Chad in on this? I thought he was Nick’s friend.

He looked back at me sympathetically, but he didn’t let go.

“Chad,” I said in a shocked voice. “Why are you doing this?”

Chad had the decency to look a little ashamed. “I’m just following orders.”

Chad refused to meet my eye. I could tell it was Chad because his face was a little chubbier than his brother’s, and his hair was a little longer and his bangs fell over his eyes.

“They’re hurting Nick.” I yelled at him. “Make them stop hurting him.”

“They’ll stop just as soon as he stops struggling,” Chad said gruffly.

“But why are they doing this? It wasn’t his fault. It was mine. He was bringing me back.”

Chad frowned and looked perplexed. “Bringing you back? I have no idea what you’re going on about, Ella.”

I shook my head and was about to explain, but my voice was swallowed up in angry shouts from the bikers.

“Damned spy. You know what Victor does to spies.”

My heart was thundering in my chest so hard I thought it might burst. Did they really think I was a spy?

This couldn’t be happening. What on earth would have given them that idea, and what did they mean what Victor does to spies? What was he planning to do to me?

I frantically tried to turn around and face Chad. “Please, I haven’t done anything. What is all this about?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Chad said and lifted me up under one arm.

As much as it irked me to be carried around like a piece of furniture, I didn’t think I was in a position to protest, and it wouldn’t have done me much good if I had.

As Chad was carrying me inside, I tried to turn and look for Nick but I could no longer see him.

When we entered the bar, it was eerily silent. There was no music and no conversation. Everyone in the huge bar gathered around the edges and stared at us as we entered.

My eyes focused on Jackson when I saw him standing beside Victor’s chair, but he didn’t meet my gaze. He stared stonily straight ahead.

Oh, God. This was bad. Really bad.

Chad carried me in front of Victor, then set me on my feet, but kept his hands on my shoulders, holding me securely in place.

Victor didn’t even look at me. I stared at him desperately, shuddering as I looked at the scar on his cheek.

I wondered again how he’d gotten it. I didn’t know what I should do. Was it better to plead for my life or keep quiet?

Before I had a chance to reach a decision, I heard a commotion behind me. I turned and saw a huge group of bikers heave themselves into the middle of the bar. Then suddenly, from the centre of the group, they flung Nick.

He fell to the ground on his hands and knees. He was bleeding from a cut above his eye and breathing heavily.

I moved to run to him. I couldn’t help it. It was just an instinctive reaction when I saw he was hurt… and all because of me… but Chad’s hands held me firmly in place.

There was a buzzing hum of conversation as everyone saw Nick delivered to Victor in this way.

I looked around the room, wondering if anyone would help, but they all stood there looking nervous, their eyes glancing from one person to another.

“I don’t know what this is about,” Nick said, using his hand to wipe blood from his face. “But Ella hasn’t got anything to do with it. Get her out of here, Jackson.”

Nick’s eyes locked with Jackson’s, pleading.

But Jackson stood stonily still, ignoring him.

My heart went out to Nick, and in that moment, I forgave him everything. I really believed that he’d been trying to do what was right for me from the start.

Victor stood up and everyone, including Nick, fell silent.

“I’ve gathered you all here today,” Victor began, as if this was some kind of family get-together. “Because we have a problem. A
big
problem. I have it on good authority that one of my crew is an undercover cop.”

There were gasps from around the room, and my eyes shot to Nick. Was that what this was about? Was Nick an undercover cop?

A feeling of dread crept up my spine. What would Victor do to an undercover cop?

Victor smiled as if this whole situation amused him greatly. “In Blackthorne, we investigate things our own way, as you know. So firstly, every member of the crew is to put their cell phone in the middle of the room. Then we’ll follow that up with a little questioning.”

Everyone was silent as they walked up to Victor and put their cell phones in a pile in front of him on the floor. Occasionally someone would mutter their undying loyalty to him, but Victor ignored them. He kept his eyes on Nick the whole time.

When Nick got closer to me to put his own phone on top of the pile, I could see how badly hurt he really was.

My fingers ached to touch him. I wished I could go back twenty-four hours.

He met my gaze and smiled at me in a reassuring way. “It’s going to be all right, Ella,” he whispered.

I didn’t believe him. But I loved him for trying to make me feel better.
I loved him
. I knew that now. I think it was the first time I’d really admitted it to myself.

When all of the cell phones were in a pile in front of him, Victor nodded to Jackson who collected them all in a bag.

“Right, now for the questioning,” Victor said, turning his piercing gaze around the room.

“Nick, why don’t you kick us off?”

I could see by the way he was standing, Nick was in a lot of pain, but he gave a wry smile and nodded. “Of course.”

Victor sat back down. Resting his elbows on his knees and interlinking his fingers, he gave a slow, sly smile. “Do you swear your loyalty to the Blackthorne crew, Nick Steele?”

“I do, I swear my absolute loyalty.”

“And would you lay down your life for the crew?”

Nick nodded, but I could see from the uncertainty in his eyes that he didn’t know where this was going any more than I did.

“Let’s put that to the test, shall we?” Victor nodded at one of the huge bikers standing by his side.

I struggled against Chad’s hold. “No! Stop! What are you doing? Just stop it. He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Victor’s cold eyes fastened on me. “Get her out of here,” he snarled.

Before I knew what was happening, Jackson had stepped forward. He put one arm around my shoulders, the other beneath my knees and scooped me up as if I weighed no more than a five-year-old child.

I screamed then. I was absolutely terrified, and not for myself. For Nick.

I was convinced something terrible was going to happen. I didn’t know what I could do to stop it, but I knew I had to try.

I kicked fiercely and slammed my fists against Jackson’s chest, but it was like trying to fight a mountain. His chest was hard and unyielding. He shifted position, so he could grip my wrists together with one hand.

He wouldn’t look me in the eye, but he said, “This is no place for you, Ella. Trust me.”

Why did people always say that? Trust me? Like hell I was going to trust
him
.

As Jackson carried me along the corridor, I fell back on the only thing I could think of: begging. “Please, Jackson. Nick hasn’t done anything wrong. Don’t let them hurt him. Please help him.”

Jackson said nothing, ignoring all my pleas. When we reached my bedroom, he dropped me down on the bed and then stared down at me breathing heavily.

I swallowed nervously as I stared up at his chiseled face above his huge shoulders.

He sat down on the edge of the bed. Keeping his eyes fixed on mine, he said, “I’m going to give you a bit of advice, Ella. Forget Nick Steele. You need to worry about yourself.”

And with that, he stood up and walked towards the door.

“No! Please…” I staggered off the bed and ran to the door, but I was too late. He’d shut it, and I’d heard the click of a lock.

That didn’t make any sense. There hadn’t been a lock on this door when I’d left. So that meant it must have been installed tonight. They must have planned this!

Even though I knew it was pointless, I hammered on the door with my fists, kicking and screaming out. I couldn’t stop because every time I did, my mind kept returning to what was happening to Nick at that very moment.