Stone Cold: A Bad Boy Romance (25 page)

How long were they going to keep me locked up in this dark basement? The urge to pee again was killing me and only the desperate pang for hunger could keep my mind off my bladder. Cole still hadn't visited me since the meet with Byron and I was beginning to think that he was never going to come. So fuck him. I didn't need that bastard to save me. I could figure out a way by myself.

I checked the zip tie around my hands that was connected to a long horizontal pipe. I could move side-to-side across the basement which made going to the bathroom a lot easier. The zip tie wasn't going to break and my sore wrists could attest to that. The rusty pipe looked so brittle on the outside but no amount of kicking or hitting could break it. My willpower was waning.

Why couldn't Byron be a normal brother? Why did he have to be such an asshole? He was so nice when we were kids until he joined the Fires of Hell. Everything changed after that. My adopted parents wanted nothing to do with Byron and I didn't see him around much during my last couple years of high school. When I asked to move in with him before starting college, I thought things would go back to the way they were. But I was sorely mistaken.

Footsteps at the top of the stairs brought a glimmer of hope that it might be Cole. My hopes were dashed when Coal came clambering down with the same old water and bread. He tossed them at my feet with a smile. I didn't care anymore about trying to stay strong in front of my captors. They barely fed me and my stomach was imploding on itself. I snatched the stale bread from the cold floor and inhaled it whole.

“Hungry, are you?” Coal said, kneeling down in front of me. I tried to ignore him, drinking from the water bottle to wash the rock down my throat. His smile stretched into a devious grin. Coal's index finger touched my leg and ran up my thigh. “You're kinda pretty.”

My leg recoiled in horror. “Don't fucking touch me.”

“Oh come on now.” Coal's hand returned to my bare leg. “I think the two of us can have a little fun.” Coal stood up and unzipped his jeans slowly. His penis was small, skinny, and shriveled. It would be a miracle if he could perform with that. “I bet those lips of yours would feel mighty nice on my snake.”

The thought of doing
anything
with Coal made me want to gag. “I'll fucking bite it off if you put that thing anywhere near me.”

That didn't stop him. Coal licked his lips and ran his hand up my skirt. “Just play nice. This could feel good for both of us.” His finger reached my underwear and Coal closed his eyes, moaning to himself.

Now was my chance.

I reeled my left leg in and pushed out with every ounce of strength I had left. My foot connected with Coal's face, sending him flying back. His body made a thud against the cement. I thought he was knocked out until he groaned and rolled over, holding his hand to his face.

“Now what the fuck was that?” he yelled. Coal checked his hand for blood and found none. “I was gonna to take it easy on you. But now you've asked for it.”

Coal grabbed my thighs and spread my legs wide. I struggled against his grip, kicking and screaming. “Get the fuck off me!” Coal just laughed as he ripped my panties clean off. I tried to pull on the rusty pipe that my zip tie was connected to but it wouldn't budge.

Coal's nasty dick was only a foot away from entering me. His eyes were empty and cold. I couldn't do anything to stop it.

“Get the fuck off her,” a voice said from behind Coal. Cole came out of nowhere and grabbed Coal's hair, dragging him away from me.

Coal was on his knees. “What the fuck are you doing, Cole? You don't own her!”

Cole didn't reply and instead punched Coal straight in the face. Coal spit out blood and lunged at Cole, knocking him over. I heard the crack of Cole's skull as it hit the basement floor. Coal jumped on top of Cole and choked him with both hands.

Cole was dazed from the crash against his head. He needed my help. I called out to him to fight back but he couldn't hear me. I tried to bargain with Coal to not kill him. Told him he could have me as much as he wanted if he spared Cole's life. But Coal was too far gone. His anger had taken over and nothing could stop his rage.

I pulled as hard as I could on the rusty pipe, my wrists bleeding as the zip tie dug into my skin. The pipe finally broke in two pieces, freeing me. I gripped the pipe like a baseball bat and flew at Coal. I never played any sports in school and never even held a bat before. But I had been to a few games. It couldn't be that hard. I swung the pipe at Coal's head, hitting him directly in the temple. A spray of blood shot out in a wide arc behind him.

Home run!

Coal's body went loose and he toppled over. Cole gasped for air, holding his red-marked neck. He looked over at Coal, checking his mouth for any breath. “You fucking killed him,” he said.

I dropped the pipe and it made a clang as it hit the ground. Tears welled up in my eyes. “Holy shit. I didn't know what to do. He was going to kill you.” Cole got up and wrapped his arms around me. “I don't know what would have happened if you didn't come down and stop him.”

Cole told me be to be quiet as he pet my hair. His strong embrace calmed me down a little. My nose was running and I wiped it with my arm. “What are we going to do now?” I asked.

Cole ran his fingers through his hair and inspected Coal. “I have no fucking clue. The MC is going to crucify us both if they find his body.”

I put my hand on Cole's shoulder. There had to be a way out of this. “What if we sneak his body out and bury him somewhere? They'll think he's gone missing.”

Cole shook his head. “Too many guys upstairs. No way we get out of here without being seen.”

“Then you tell them it was all me. I tried to escape, killed Coal, and you stopped me.” I didn't want to sacrifice myself but it was better than both of us going down for the crime.

Cole took my hands in his. “I won't feed you to the dogs. I'll take on this whole MC if I have to.”

I wanted to kiss him so hard right then. Cole looked so stoic.
A
real hero.

Gunshots boomed upstairs. My whole body shivered with fear. I grabbed onto Cole tight, my fingers clenching his leather cut.

Cole whipped out his pistol and checked the magazine. “You stay down here. I'm going to check it out.”

I couldn't let go of Cole. He was the only one that could protect me. Who knows what awaited him upstairs. More gunshots went off. “Don't leave me alone down here.”

Cole pried my fingers off his cut and lowered me down until I sat back in my old spot in the basement. “I can't afford you getting hurt. Stay here and don't make a sound. I'll come back to you...I promise.”

I believed him.

My body was still shocked from the fight with Coal when the gunshots went off upstairs. If I had actually gone through with fucking China Doll then I would have never made it in time to save Claire. I did my best to calm Claire down and made sure my Remington was still loaded. Coal was dead and the MC was going to destroy us for it. More shots rang off. Probably a shotgun. I could hear some yelling but couldn't make anything out. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

I made my way slowly up the stairs, my gun drawn and pointed at the door above me. This had to be Byron hitting us
.
I gave Claire one last look before ascending—a look that confirmed that she was safe and everything was going to be fine. I'd never let any harm come to her.

The door at the top of the stairs was slightly ajar. My gun poked through the crack, swinging the door open. A Mexican dressed in a Death Merchants cut was pointing a gun at one of my brothers on the ground. E-Z was full of holes, his blood pouring out. I opened fire on the Mexican, unloading my entire clip, yelling E-Z's name. Bullets screamed through the air hitting the Mexican in the chest and head, chunks of brain and skull scattering like confetti. He dropped to the ground next to E-Z with a blank stare.

I ran to E-Z's side but it was too late. His white wife-beater was stained red and his eyes were glazed over. There was no time to grieve. I stepped over the bodies of a few prospects and hookers as I reloaded my Remington. The bar looked like a horror scene—Cash was slumped over the bar amid broken glass, a big hole in his head. I walked outside to see Blaze laying in the dirt clutching his chest. Two Mexicans on bikes rode off, spiting dust behind them. I fired as many shots as I could before they were out of view. I looked to my bike and then back at Blaze. I still had time to catch up to the Mexicans.

I kneeled down next to Blaze and put pressure on his chest. He coughed up blood, trying to speak. “Cole...”

“Don't speak, Blaze. I need to get an ambulance.” My hands were slipping on his chest from all the blood. He wasn't going to last much longer.

Blaze shook his head. He whispered but I couldn't hear him. I leaned down and put my ear to his lips. “It's too late for me.” His words were barely audible. “Don't let those fucking wetbacks get away with this.”

I looked into Blaze's eyes and nodded. “They'll all die by my hands.” Blaze's breathing stopped with a gasp and his hand relaxed and fell into the dirt. I stood up and dropped my gun, my fingers numb from shock. The Mexicans had completely decimated us.

I went back into the MC to find Tater and Tank covering the dead bodies with blankets. The police would be here soon. “What the fuck happened?” I asked.

Tater shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “The Mexicans came out of nowhere. We didn't even have a chance.” Tater pointed to one of the dead bodies. “I took one of them down but there were too many of them.”

Tank balled his hands into fists. “Where's the Prez? We need to hit them back right now.”

There was no getting around it. “Prez is dead. E-Z is dead. Cash is gone...Coal is dead.”

Tater began to shake. “Holy fuck...We're the only ones left.”

“What the fuck are we going to do?” Tank asked.

I shook my head. “I have no fucking clue. All I know is that the Mexicans need to pay for this.”

“Think the Blacks hired them for revenge?” Tater said.

I went over to the bar and Tank helped me lower Cash's heavy body to the ground. “It's possible. We knew the Blacks had a deal going on with the Mexicans,” Tank said.

“We don't have the manpower to hit the Mexicans back. We'll just get slaughtered,” Tater murmured.

The shock and fear wore off and was replaced with pure hatred. The Mexicans were going to fucking die even if it meant my death. “We need to find out if the Blacks are in with the Mexicans. We need Byron's help.” I looked towards the basement door. “And I know exactly how were going to get it.”

The dead eyes of Coal stared back at me as I huddled into the corner of the basement. Gunshots boomed upstairs and for all I knew Cole was dead like the rest of them. It had to be Byron taking revenge. What would he do to me when he discovers me down here?

A figure came down the stairs and I grabbed the pipe that I had killed Coal with. I wouldn't let Byron take me without giving a fight. I hid at the bottom and swung when he hit the bottom step.

A hand grabbed the pipe before it connected with his head. “Whoa, Claire. It's me.” Cole stood there with blood all over him and a gun in his hand. Cole took the pipe and tossed it across the room.

My legs wobbled and I couldn't stand anymore. Cole took my hands and helped me to the floor. “Did you get him? Did you kill Byron?”

Cole kneeled down in front of me, a dark shadow covering his face. “It wasn't Byron. It was the Mexicans. They killed a bunch of us. There's barely anything left of the Rabid Dogs MC.” Cole looked over at Coal's carcass. “I need to get you out of here.”

Cole gathered me in his arms and picked me up. He carried me up the stairs and out of the basement. I could feel the pain radiating from Cole. The Rabid Dogs MC was all he knew and it had been taken from him. I saw the death and destruction as Cole carefully stepped over all the dead bodies. The clubhouse was in shambles. Could they ever come back from this?

Cole took me up to his room on the second floor. He gently laid me on the bed and placed his pistol onto the desk. “I need your help, Claire,” Cole said, turning to me.

What could I possibly help him with? I'm just some scared little girl. But if he needed me, then I was there for him. “Whatever you need, Cole.”

“I need Byron,” he replied, determination searing in his eyes.

How could I say no. Cole was more broken than I was. “Tell me what I need to do.”

“Call your brother, tell him what happened to us, and see if he'll meet.”

I gulped. Meeting Byron again after what I did was terrifying. What if he tried to take me from Cole? Or worse, what if he kills us both?

Cole put his hand on mine. He was warm and soft. “Don't worry, Claire. I'll protect you from him.”

I looked up into his gray eyes. “And who's going to protect you?”

Cole pulled a strand of stray hair out of my eyes and tucked it behind my ear, brushing the back of his hand against my cheek. I wanted him to stay by my side forever. I couldn't resist this biker.