“I’m sure she owes you hers too.” Blake says. “How did you escape?”
“I’ll get to that part. I need to tell you in order so that you understand the state we are both in. If you think I’m bad, then you’ll be shocked when you see Mallory. She is so skinny; she has broken bones that have healed without being looked after. We both have. We would switch off at the parties and let them do whatever they wanted to us because the only alternative was for them to kill us. Some of the men would kill the girls who were defiant or noisy, verbal and fought with them. They liked it a bit, but not when it became too much.”
“They’re sick bastards,” Braxton says as he reaches out and touches my arm gently.
I pull back, on instinct.
“Sorry,” he says.
“I don’t like being touched unless I initiate it.” I smile at him and reach out and touch his hand. Looking up at Blake, I know I need to tell him the rest.
“Mallory told me that if I ever managed to escape that I had to come and find you Blake, that you would know what to do and you would rescue her. She loves you a lot and she’s put her faith in you. I’ve put my faith in you.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to find my sister. Me and my men will find her, and we will bring her home.” His eyes water and his woman, Rosie, touches his arm.
“I’ve been walking for the last two weeks.”
“Walking?” Braxton asks as he looks down at my feet.
“Yeah, walking. I was in the military and my training helped me to survive. I kept to the outskirts of towns, foraged in bins at night and kept walking towards Black Saints MC. It was only when I was a town or two away that I asked someone how to find you. They warned me not to get involved with you guys, but I laughed because I knew that you were going to be our saviors.”
“So, when you escaped what town were you in?” Braxton asks, quietly. He knows that he can’t railroad me.
“I was in White Water.”
“That’s fucking miles away,” Braxton says.
“I did say it took me two weeks to get here.” I roll my eyes. I may have been kept prisoner, but I’m not a weak woman.
He smiles at me. I think he likes my smartass mouth.
“Okay you need to rest,” Blake says, “we are going to work on a plan to get Mallory.”
“Please help the other women too. Don’t leave any behind. Please.”
Blake looks at Braxton. “We will help as many women as we can. I can’t guarantee they’ll want to come with us, but we will try.” He stands. “Shadow, we need to call church and work out a plan.”
Blake leaves the room, Braxton stands. “Rosie, will you stay with Piper and make sure she’s okay?”
“I'm here you know.” I know I’m short tempered, but I’m allowed to be, right?
Braxton looks at me. “I know that sweetheart. I’ve been aware of you since you barged your way into the clubhouse and fell at my feet. I’m trying to look after you and because I have to go and plan a rescue for Mallory and the rest of the girls, I need to know that Rosie is going to be here with you. Is that a problem?”
I smile. I like him. He’s caring, but not taking my shit. That makes a change for me. “It’s not a problem with me.”
He moves towards the door. “You need anything, come and get me.” Then he walks out of the door.
“Blake and Braxton might be gruff, but they have hearts of gold,” Rosie says as she moves to the chair closest to me.
“I just need them to rescue Mallory and the girls and then I’ll find my way home. Although my life is never going to be the same again.” I close my eyes.
“You were in the military?” Rosie asks.
“Yeah. Not that it helped me with my situation.” I feel disappointed in myself that I was taken in the first place. “I’m so mad at myself that they took me.”
“Listen, Piper. They target women and they’re experts, you told us that there were a lot of women there, they know what they’re doing, and the Black Saints MC are the best to take them down. I know that from personal experience with them. They’ll find Mallory and the others, and they will rescue as many as they can.”
“I hope so. I really do. I’m worried about Mallory, she’s in a bad way. I’ve seen girls who have gone crazy and then they’ve never come back. Mallory isn’t doing well. I hope they find her in time.”