Page 42 of Link (Dragon Riders MC 1)
I nodded. “Perfect. Weaving his own fucking trap with his selfishness.”
Bowser trotted back in. “Rak’s on his way. I heard something about an account?”
I nodded. “Skeleton’s also taking online bids for Joanna’s auction. We’re making Rak an account. So, he won’t have to go into a warzone in order to get her out.”
Sly sighed. “Starting bid’s well over a million, though.”
I shook my head. “I don’t care. Set the starting bid on our end and fund whatever we need. I want to make sure we get her out of there one way or another. Whether we fight our way out or pay our way out.”
Ash let out a piercing whistle and the rest of my men gathered around. Other than the core group of us that kept this damn crew afloat, there were twenty or thirty of us that gathered on a regular basis. And out of all the men I’d ridden with throughout the course of my tenure with the Dragon Riders, I’d never seen them so angry. So upset. So ready for bloodshed.
“Guys, we have a serious situation on our hands. One that doesn’t just affect me, but one that affects all of the women in our town. Now, I don’t believe Skeleton should get away with this. In fact, I believe the whole of the Golden Jags should be taken down and dismantled.”
I paused and watched a sea of heads nod.
“But for tonight? We get Joanna out of there. If there’s a shootout? You take out as many as you can. But shooting our way out is not the goal tonight. I don’t want her harmed. I don’t want her hurt. Eventually, though, I want Skeleton’s head on a fucking stick.”
The guys rhythmically stomped their feet against the floor. I looked around the room, watching them lock their eyes with me. Sly stood from his laptop. He joined in on the romping as it grew faster and faster. Louder and louder. Until the thunderous roar of boots stomping against the hardwood floor sounded.
Blanketing me with a power that surged through the marrow of my bones.
The guys roared and clapped. They cheered and slapped high-fives. Then, I held up my hand and all sound ceased to exist. I drew in a deep breath. I closed my eyes and forced my mind to focus as I cracked my neck again. Only this time, I didn’t feel relaxed.
I felt ready for war.
“Those who have been with this crew for more than five years, you ride with me. For those who have been with the crew for less than five years, you stay behind and make sure we aren’t attacked from another angle. We need to be prepared for anything. And we can only do that if we split into sections and cover all angles.”
I looked around the room one last time and watched as the men segregated themselves.
“Now, let’s ride!” I exclaimed.
And as my men followed me out the door, only one thought rushed through my mind.
I’m coming for you, Joanna. Just hold on a little bit longer.16JoannaI shivered as I stood in the cold, dark room. There were barely any lights afforded to me so I could see around the room. So, there was no chance in locating where the hell that putrid, rotten smell was coming from. It had leaked into my room about an hour ago, and the smell was so sharp it felt like it burned my nostril hairs. Then again, part of me didn’t even want to know what that smell was.
For all I know, they’ve got bodies stashed around.
I wrapped my arms around my chest, trying to cover myself a little more. Having pictures taken of me in this skimpy, tasseled little outfit had been humiliating. But the idea of going in front of a camera? Performing tricks and talking about myself while someone bid on me? It made me want to wretch. I had no idea how long I’d been in that room. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been shivering and shaking. And while part of me hoped and prayed Link came for me, the other part of me looked around the room.
Trying to find a way out.
“Come on,” I murmured.
My teeth clattered as I slowly walked around the room. The dim lamp in the corner flickered, threatening to take away the only source of light I had. The room itself wasn’t that small. There were a few chairs in the corners. A television that didn’t work sat on an empty dresser against the wall. There were indentations in the floor, as if a bed had once been there. And as I walked over to the mirror in the corner where the bathroom was, I gazed upon my body.
“Good God,” I whispered.
Strings tied into bows barely held up the red outfit I wore. The pathetic triangular tassels barely covered my nipples, much less the rest of my chest. I slowly let my arms fall to my sides as my eyes raked down my reflection. The red bottoms were practically see-through. Even though they covered the most sensitive parts of my body, the partially-sheer fabric laid to waste the details of my pussy lips. The way my ass cheeks puckered softly with cellulite in the back. I turned around as tears rushed my eyes, finally taking in how exposed I had been during those pictures.
