Sin & Savage (27 page)

Chapter 59

The lobby had
been transformed into a makeshift home base for the biker club until Joe Sorelli, along with Tommy and Butch could return with the money. To pass the time, several of the outlaws were playing cards at one of the old tables in a corner of the massive room.

Snake was sitting behind the long reception desk with his feet comfortably propped up on the counter, smoking a cigar. He seemed amused by the trail of smoke he was making as he watched it waft upwards towards the ceiling. A confident smiled played on his thin lips as he greedily thought of the nice chunk of change that was soon to come his way.

His beady eyes lowered to Wizard as the underling approached. “Is the girl locked up?” he barked.

Wizard nodded. “Yeah. There’s a big family reunion going on right now.”

Snake laughed, the hissing sound filling up their corner of the cavernous room. “See? I’m not a total, heartless asshole. I’ll allow them their sweet moment together before I blow their heads off.”

Wizard smiled, completely in agreement with whatever his boss wanted to do. “About the girl? You don’t mind if I—
partake
, do you? I mean, it would be a real shame to waste such a nice piece-of-ass like that before we got our fill.”

The reptilian leader lowered his cigar and looked at his minion through the smoke. His coal-black eyes narrowed for a split second before they suddenly crinkled at the corners and lifted into a nasty leer. He nodded. “You’ve been a good boy, Wizard, loyal and obedient. You were always yapping about how you didn’t trust Monroe and it turns out you were right. And just for that, I’m gonna reward you. I’m gonna let you be the first with the girl.”

A slow and easy laugh escaped Wizard’s lips. “Thanks, boss. I appreciate it.”

Snake resumed smoking his cigar. “Just make sure to leave some of that ass for the rest of the guys too. My gang is hungry today and they need to be fed.”

Wizard nodded again, before stalking out of the room, a malicious, rapacious smile pasted on his cracked lips.

Chapter 60

Frustrated, Tori threw
the chair down and examined the doorknob. Despite her best efforts, the damn thing was still holding tight.

“I’ll keep trying, Nana. I’m sure I can pry it open,” she declared.

“It’s got to work, sugarplum, it’s just got to.”

“Don’t get upset, okay? I’ll try one more time.”

Before she had a chance to grab the chair again, a key scraping came at the lock. Suddenly, the door was viciously kicked open. It swung out, smashing the opposite wall. Both ladies gasped and jumped back. Tori protectively wrapped her arms around her grandmother.

Wizard stood in the doorway. The lone light bulb in the hallway threw off an eerie, demonic glow behind him. He raised his pistol and grinned. “You, princess, need to come with me.” He pointed the barrel of the gun directly at Tori.

Tori’s chin angled up and she met his gaze with defiance. “Why?”

“We need to talk, that’s all.”

Nana stepped forward. “No, she’s not going anywhere with you! We’re waiting for Joe and then you people said that you would let us go as soon as you got your money.”

His lips curved into a wicked smile. “I’ll bring her back in one piece, Grandma, cross my heart.”

“And hope to die?” Nana scoffed.

Wizard chuckled. “You got spunk, old lady. Too bad I hate spunk.” He swung the barrel at her.

Tori put a restraining hand on her grandmother’s arm before stepping between her and the pistol. She addressed the biker again. “Whatever you have to say to me, say it now.”

“I’m taking you to see Savage Monroe.”

“Savage?” Tori’s heart began beating faster, but was it with dread or anticipation at seeing him again? She didn’t know. “He wants to see me?”

“Yeah, he wants to see you.”

“Okay, I’ll come with you.”

Nana tugged at her granddaughter’s hand. “Tori, please, don’t go. I’m not gettin’ my tingle where this—gentleman—is concerned.” She threw a nod of her mile-high bouffant hair towards Wizard.

“It’s okay, Nana, I’ll be fine.” And maybe she could find another way out of here, if this brute took her through the hotel again, she added to herself.

“Tori, please, no!”

“I’ll be right back, I promise.” She turned slightly away from the biker to address her grandmother and when she did so, she threw the older woman several quick blinks the way Savage had done to her when they’d been at the Gable Street house, telling her to trust her and that she would try to find a way out for them—somehow. A new gleam entered her grandma’s frightened eyes and she knew the message had been received loud and clear.

“Okay, sweetpea,” Nana nodded, before turning to the biker. “Y’all promised you wouldn’t hurt us if we gave you the money, remember? I hope you’re a man of your word, sir.”

Wizard laughed. “Sweetpea and I have some unfinished business between us, ma’am. It won’t take long.” He waved his gun at Tori to follow him out.

Warning bells clanged inside Tori, but not wanting to scare Nana any more than she already was, she moved through the doorway and into the hall. She looked back just in time to see her grandmother’s terrified eyes.

“Tori, you be careful now, ya’ hear?” the older woman cried out, just as Wizard clamped the door shut in her face and locked it again.

“Okay, darlin’, start walking,” he instructed.

Tori took a few steps back the way they had initially come but instead, he waved her in the opposite direction. “No, this way,” he said, pointing to the other way which would take them deeper into the basement tunnel system.

A shiver of fear went through her, but she turned and walked deeper and deeper into the complex. He followed.

“I thought we were going to see Savage.”

“We are, but his office is this way,” he snickered.

They passed several closed doors and weaved into yet another tunnel system. Tori desperately tried to keep her focus and memorize all of the steps they were taking. Maybe she could somehow get away from this creep and if she could, she needed to remember how to get back to her Nana and then out of this hole completely.

Unlike her grandmother, there was no way in hell that she’d believe what these liars were saying—that they would let them all go once they got their money. No, these pigs would kill them all, she was sure of it, especially if Joe had seen them murder someone. What she needed to do right now was to stay cool and think—
think, Tori, think!
How could she escape, and save Nana and Joe too?

“Stop!” Wizard suddenly barked out. “That’s far enough, bitch!”

Tori turned around and saw that the biker had stopped at a closed metal door on her right. While still holding the gun on her, he fished into his pocket for a key and placing it into the lock, turned it.

Alarm flashed throughout Tori’s body. Why would Savage be here, in this underground hell, locked away in some dungeon? He wouldn’t! So, why had this monster brought her here? Was he going to shoot her and dump her body in there? Was this place going to be her tomb for all eternity? Another shudder went through her and she clamped her jaw tight to bite off the urge to scream that was threatening to bubble out of her.

He swung the door wide open and his cruel lips curved into a sinister grin as he looked inside at whatever was in there.

“Hey asshole, look what I got!” he shouted and before she’d had a chance to figure out what was going on, Wizard reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair, brutally yanking her into the room. Tori tried to pull away, but he was too strong.

Within seconds, he had dragged her in along with him and launched her into the middle of the chamber, as if he was throwing out a piece of trash. The force he’d exerted was so great that she tumbled on all fours, her hands and knees hitting the concrete pavement hard.

A sharp, jabbing pain shot out through her joints, and her heartbeat went into overdrive. Her eyes became accustomed to the blinding light in the room as she finally looked around. It was just another one of the basement enclosures made of concrete and stone, but this one was larger and colder.

There were steel hooks on the walls and the thought flashed in her brain that this was some sort of storage area where they had hung meat. Why had this monster brought her here? To kill her, of course! Her blood turned to ice, easily matching the temperature of the chilly room.

Suddenly from the side came a rustling movement followed by a grunting sound. Someone else was in here with them! She spun her head around, trying to see who it was. And that’s when she saw him. It was Matt!

He was slumped in a corner of the room, his hands and wrists tied with a heavy rope. The rope had then been anchored into a large, closed steel hook that was twisted into the wall and he’d been strung up on it like a slab of meat with his arms outstretched above his head. His body had sagged to the ground as if he was unconscious. His clothes were caked with blood and his tattooed arms were smeared with it too. His stab wound had reopened. The cotton t-shirt was soaked with the red stuff even more in that one spot. His beautiful face wasn’t bruised, but he looked like a man who’d been beaten senseless. She knew, in that instant, that his biker brothers had done this to him.

“Matt?” she whispered.

Suddenly, it felt as if a liquid love poured down over her body from on high. In the blink of an eye, the memory of him planting drugs on her was swept out of her system. In that instant, she forgot and forgave. A heart-stopping jolt of understanding hit her hard. She loved him—no matter who he was or what he’d done—she loved him! And her heart was now aching to see him like this, a broken and defeated man.

“Matt!” she suddenly screamed. Clambering up, she rushed towards him, falling at his feet. She cupped his cheeks with her shaking palms. “What have they done to you? What have they done? Oh my God, oh my God…” Tears spilled out of her eyes, as she dropped soft kisses on his cold lips.

“Tor—Tori?” His pain-filled eyes widened with astonishment at seeing her there. “What are you—doing here?” he whispered.

“I got away.” Her trembling fingers brushed his hair out of his face.

“You were—supposed to be safe…”

“Shh-shhh, don’t talk, save your strength.”

“No, you were supposed to be safe. They promised…” he muttered again, this time with more power in his words, as if seeing her again had brought life back into him.

He valiantly tried to pull his body up from its crouching position but the movement shot shards of pain through his wracked frame and he closed his eyes, grimacing with the agony.

“Don’t move!” Tori’s fingers moved over the planes of his face, praying that somehow she could take away his suffering for him. “I love you! Please believe me…”

His dark eyes bore into hers, drinking her up. “Love you—too. So—much…”

She spun around to glare at Wizard. He was laughing at them, enjoying their pain. In fact, it was like he was feeding off of it, like a battery recharging itself after being plugged into a wall socket.

“What have you people done to him? Why is he like this?” she screamed at him.

Wizard’s face contorted into a mask of pure evil. “He’s a fucking cop, bitch!” he yelled back at her, his words stabbing her like sharp nails.

Tori’s befuddled mind reeled with confusion, not quite understanding what he was saying. “What?”

“He’s a double-crossing, undercover, ATF federal fucking agent! To think we let him into our club, into our brotherhood—we gave him the fucking world, man! And who does he turn out to be? A spy, that’s what!”

Tori let out a soft gasp. Matt was a cop? But how could that be? Matt was one of them—a Son of Perdition biker, wasn’t he? Could this be some kind of trick that Wizard was playing on her?

Dazed and confused, she stared back at Savage. “Matt?” she whispered, asking him everything in that one word.

He threw her a faint smile, acknowledging the validity of this new piece of information.

“My God,” she gushed, as the enormity of the situation suddenly hit her full force. Nana’s tingle had been right—as had her own heart! He
was
a man of good character; someone who believed in justice and truth and in doing the right thing. He wasn’t one of them, with their evil ways. And he really did love her too! The Matt who had helped her, and looked after her, and saved her all those times, that was the real Matt, not the criminal who had betrayed her for money.

She spun around then to glare back at Wizard. “You let him go, right now!” A crimson haze of fury clouded her judgment, blaming him for all of the pain Matt was feeling. She didn’t care that he was holding a loaded gun. And she didn’t care that maybe she should be shutting her mouth if she wanted to get out of this alive. All she cared about was spewing her anger back on the beast, making him feel the pain she was now feeling inside herself.

“Let him go? Are you out of your fucking mind? I’m not letting him go!” He shouted the words with such force that she was sure the sound would have cracked the stone walls of the room. His beady eyes turned even blacker with hate and spittle dripped from the corner of his twisted, furious mouth.

Tori’s fists clenched at her sides and a black hatred that matched his bubbled up in her own blood. Her tense body went on automatic, bypassing her thinking, rational brain and like an animal, she lunged at the outlaw biker.

“Tori, no!” Savage screamed from behind her but she was beyond caring or listening to reason. She dove at Wizard’s face, her fingers going for his eyes, but he was too quick, pushing her hands away. Her sudden attack had caught him by surprise. As he had brought his hand up to protect himself, his gun flew out of it, sliding to the corner of the room.

You bitch!” Wizard backhanded her hard across her face. The blow sent Tori flying across the room to land in a crumpled heap on the cold, stone floor.

“Tori!” Savage roared, his enraged voice reverberating off of the walls.

Wizard’s low, sinister laugh overpowered Savage’s yell. Stepping forward, he grabbed a handful of Tori’s hair, yanking her back up in front of him. She tried to twist away from him, but the blow had stunned her.

Wizard brazenly confronted Savage. He dragged Tori into the middle of the room with him. “Hey, asshole? Guess what? I’m gonna fuck her hard and make you watch! What do ya’ think about that?” He grabbed Tori from behind and pressed his meaty hand over her mouth. “Then when I’m finished, Snake will have her, and then Preacher and Dog and Billy Bob and the rest of the gang. You’ll have a front row seat for the whole show. Too bad you didn’t bring popcorn, huh?”

Tori tried squirming away from him but he was just too big and too strong. Her efforts only spurred him on, making him laugh harder and louder.

Savage’s eyes narrowed on him; violence radiated off of his body. “You touch her, and I’ll kill you!”

Wizard laughed. “Yeah, your girlfriend’s a real sweet thing, ain’t she? I’m gonna get me some right now—right before your very eyes.”

He heaved Tori onto the stone pavement. Before she had a chance to scramble away, he lunged on top on her, his hands clawing at her clothes. His eyes had turned diabolically black, as if he was being possessed by a demon. The pure evil on his face made her blood turn to ice.

She let out a bloodcurdling scream. He backhanded her again. Pain exploded in her head. But she wasn’t going down without a fight! She squirmed and kicked and clawed, whatever she could do to get away from him. All he did was laugh in her face.

Savage let out a primal yell that came from deep within his soul. A surge of adrenaline rocketed through him. The strength he hadn’t been able to muster up in his broken body for himself, he now did for her. Summoning all the power he could, he raised himself up. Positioning his foot against the stone wall for leverage, he used all of his strong muscles to twist and yank the metal hook out. He had sensed some looseness in it before, and maybe just maybe, he could twist the damn thing out of its socket. After all, it was old and had been here a long time. It was the only shot he had to save her!

Intense pain from his beaten and bruised body thundered through him, but he was an animal possessed. He raged at the hook with everything he had in him, his heavy arm muscles straining to their limit. He didn’t care about the agony, because every fiber in his being was focused on only two things…