Defining Darkness (Royal Bastards MC Tampa Chapter Book 1) Read online

  Our own deluxe way of bricking someone behind a wall. When the door shuts, it’s like they are encased behind the brick wall. They can’t be heard on the outside, they can’t hear anything on the inside.

  It also has speakers installed, so we’re able to talk to the occupant, play loud music or sounds.

  We have full control of the lighting—dull, bright, strobe, or off. When they’re off, you can’t see a damn thing.

  A perfect torture device.

  But, if you want to hold someone without torture, it’s a good place to keep them captive. It has every essential they could need. And if you want to keep someone hidden until you figure out what to do with them, this is the right place. From the outside, it simply looks like a brick wall.

  Sitting on the sofa, a woman settles with one hand cuffed and the chain reaching out to the metal bar. Her chestnut hair a tangled mess as her frightened eyes meet mine. Her bottom lip trembles while I take in her features. She’s so much like her, but there’s something that doesn’t have quite the same attraction for me. Her red dress clings to her body, her giant hoop earrings give me more of a picture as to how she and her sister are so different.

  “Ivy, I hope you like your new home?” I ask.

  Her bottom lip trembles slightly as her eyes shift from me to Void, then back to me. “Where’s my sister?”

  I can’t help but let out a small laugh. “Fuck! You two are excruciatingly repetitive.”

  Ivy sits up on her knees, hope building in her doe eyes. “Is she here?”

  I step further into the Brick Cell, her body instantly tensing as she sits back further into the sofa. I raise my hands to placate her. “I’m not going to hurt you, Ivy. In fact, I saved you from being hurt…” I grin. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

  Ivy’s brows furrow as her gaze shifts to Void. “You talk more than him.” Her head tilts toward Void.

  I peer over my shoulder with a smirk.

  Void rubs his neck, turning his back to us as I let out a chuckle.

  “Void is… well… he’s void of emotion. He doesn’t do small talk. Don’t take it personal.”

  Ivy relaxes a little as I sit on the other end of the sofa. She observes my every move intensely.

  “Is Eva here?” she asks again.

  I roll my eyes. “Relentless. You’re made out of the same mold. For fuck’s sake, yes, she’s here—”

  “Can I see her?” She sits taller on her knees, her eyes pleading with me as her hands come together in a begging gesture.

  “Can’t do that, Ivy.”

  “What? Why?”

  “She doesn’t know you’re here.”

  Lines crease her forehead as she sits back on her legs. “I-I don’t understand.”

  “Honestly, I don’t understand either.” I run my hand through my hair.

  “You’re not making any sense?”

  I let out a frustrated groan. “Fine! I want to spend time getting to know Eva. I won’t be able to do that if she knows you’re here. She’ll want to protect you. To leave with you. I’m a selfish bastard, but I’m not sure how to do this any other way.”

  She lets out a shocked grunt. “You’re holding me down here so you can woo my sister?”

  Void snickers.

  I shoot him a glare.

  He stops immediately.

  Then I turn back to Ivy. “What the fuck! I don’t know what I’m doing. Whatever! You’ll be comfortable down here. You can have anything you want. Tell Void… he’ll bring it to you.”

  “The fuck, Nycto?” Void blurts out.

  I ignore the bastard.

  Ivy makes herself comfortable on the sofa. “She’ll never fall for it, you know.”

  Exhaling, I shrug. “It’s not a trick, Ivy. I… there’s something about her—”

  “Is that why you took us? And those other women?”

  “Fuck, no. I didn’t take you. Someone else did that. He was gonna sell you all off into sex rings, made to be sex slaves, or worse. You and Eva would have been separated and never would have seen each other again. I could have just kept Eva. She took my interest, but I knew if I didn’t keep you, too, she would never forgive me.”

  Ivy mellows a little. “Sex slavery?”

  I nod.

  She blinks a few times. “Why us? Why were we taken in the first place?”

  “Can’t be sure. I don’t know why Andrés chooses the women he does, but you, Ivy, you were special. I believe you were the target. And because Eva would come searching for you, they had to take her, too. That’s my guess, anyway.”

  Her bottom lip trembles. “You’re saying we’re both in this mess because of me?”

  I shuffle closer, but she doesn’t flinch away, which surprises me as I rest my hand on her knee. “It’s not your fault. You meet some damn criteria. Your looks. Your personality. Your age maybe. Where you’re from. You checked all the boxes.”

  “And Eva?”

  I shake my head. “Eva doesn’t. That’s why she caught my attention. She wasn’t like the usual women who come through the doors. Eva saved you, Ivy. If it wasn’t for her, if you’d been taken on your own, you’d be on your way to somewhere far worse than here right now.”

  “I guess I should be grateful then,” she mocks.

  I huff. “Yeah, you should!”

  Ivy twiddles her thumbs then looks me in the eyes. “Will I be down here long?”

  “As long as it takes.”

  “Right. Well, then, I better get comfortable.”

  She has sass like her older sister.

  I stand, moving to walk out, but turn back at the last minute. “You’re gonna be okay, Ivy.”

  She gnaws down on her bottom lip and nods.

  I walk out grabbing the Brick Cell door and slowly close it.

  As soon as it shuts, Void’s by my side. “I don’t have fucking time for this shit.”

  I head for the stairs. “Make sure she’s kept well fed and entertained. Anything she wants, she gets. She’s our guest. Got it?”

  Void lets out an aggravated groan as I make my way up the stairs. I know I should be telling Eva her sister’s here, but if I do, any chance of me spending any time with her would go out the damn window—if this bunker had windows.

  I am probably doing this shit all wrong, but I’m fucked-up. My whole life has been one giant fuck-up. I don’t know how to do shit any different.

  I’m making Ivy comfortable, giving her everything she needs. Hell, she’s even got company in Void. Sure, he’s not much of a talker, but I have an inkling if anyone can get him talking, it will be Ivy.

  I’m trying.

  Hell, I put my entire club at risk for Eva. That’s something I wouldn’t normally do. My club comes first. Always. So, this fascination, this curiosity I have with Eva, whatever it is, I need to figure it the hell out now because something is coming. I don’t know if my story to Andres will stick, but I have to make it work. I need to play it out and play it right.

  Or Tampa RBMC will be in for a world of hurt, and it will be all my fault.

  Chapter Six

  NYCTO

  The sun starts to rise as I climb onto my ride. The slow invasion of the sun sends a prickle over my skin. It’s making me more anxious than I want to be. A tightness forms in my chest as a heat inflames my skin. Light is not my friend. Yanking my dark-tinted aviators out of the inside pocket of my cut, I pull them over my eyes to stop the assault of light that will inevitably come this morning. My accelerated breathing slows a little with the tinted lenses now shading the light from my eyes, but it doesn’t help my nerves much.

  I’ve been up all night dealing with this drama. First, rescuing Eva and Ivy. Now, I have to go deal with Andrés and the repercussions of the fallout. I haven’t heard from him yet—not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing, or maybe it’s deadlier than I thought. Whatever the fallout, I need to see him, stop Andrés from coming to the clubhouse and possibly finding the sisters.

  Starting my ride, Spar
k rushes out before I have a chance to take off. He steps up beside me, narrowing his eyes. “Prez, you can’t head over there on your own. Let me come as back-up.”

  Spark’s part of the military. No one’s sure about what exactly it is he does, other than firefighting. He knows what it’s like to be in intense situations. However, I’m not certain he understands what it’s like to be face to face with a powerful asshole who’s probably going to shoot me in the face for ‘losing’ two of his damn packages.

  “You sure, brother? Shit could get problematic.”

  “Exactly why you need me there. With Void occupied, you need someone at your back—”

  “Making sure I don’t do something stupid?”

  He chuckles. “Well, I wasn’t going to put it that way, but if you’re gonna put the words in my mouth…” He finishes off with a shrug of his shoulder.

  I glare at him but tilt my head to his bike. “Just keep up.”

  Spark turns, throws a leg over his ride, then pulls on his dome. The roar of Harleys echo along the concrete barriers as we take off toward the gate. Ominous opens it slowly, we pull through, then hammer down riding off toward Andrés’ hideout.

  I don’t wear a dome. They restrict me too much. I like to feel the wind whipping at my face, the danger of the open road. You’re not a 1%er if you’re not willing to die on your bike like a real man. It might be stupid, but who the fuck cares? I break the rules every single day. It’s why Jameson, the National Club President, and I butt heads all the time. He makes the rules. I damn-well break them. But in all honesty, I like the guy, he’s a shitload better than Rancid ever was. Have to admit, watching that fucker die was one of the best days in club history. Having my part in that, laying a fist into him, it was the best feeling in the world. Watching Gamble and Jameson get their revenge was so fucking satisfying.

  My stomach rolls remembering all the crap Rancid did to our club. Raping young girls in New Orleans. Stealing Jameson’s seat and blaming him for a murder. Not to mention all the shit he did to Gamble. I grit my teeth. If Rancid had ever had the chance to lay his hands on Eva, it would have torn me apart. I pull back on the throttle, my back tire slides out a little with the speed as I push my engine to the max. I hardly know Eva, yet she ignites something inside of me—some sort of protective instinct I’ve never had before. It’s equally as unsettling as it is adrenaline pumping.

  She could be dangerous to my club and me.

  So, I need to keep my wits about me.

  I need to stop dwelling on dead men and get my head in the game.

  Right now, I have a task to accomplish. I need to fool Andrés into believing Eva and Ivy got away. That I didn’t have a hand in it.

  This shit’s going to be tough.

  A tall story with an ending I’m unsure how it will play out.

  The vibration of the engine sends a soothing calm through me. The adrenaline coursing through my veins fuels me to make sure I get this right, not just for Eva but for my brothers.

  Everything is on the line.

  I have to be convincing.

  For the sake of my club.

  If I don’t and we go to war with Andrés, I’ll also have Jameson from NOLA to deal with.

  Of that, I can be sure.

  Pulling up to Andrés’ hideout, his guards notice Spark and I approaching. Their guns resting by their sides don’t aim at us or move in any kind of threatening way, so for now, I know we’re okay. I pull up to the gate, my engine rumbling now at a dulcet tone.

  “Nycto, Andrés is expecting you. Head on through to the main room. He’ll be waiting,” the guard instructs.

  Shit.

  I tilt my head without saying anything, then hammer down. Pulling into the drive of the lavish mansion, my tires slide along the pebbled path. Then we park out the front of the two-story home. For a hideout, it’s in plain sight.

  Sliding off my ride, the sun’s now rising in all its sinister horridness. The sky lit in pinks and oranges like some landscape work of art.

  Some might call it beautiful—I call it the death of darkness.

  The light only brings me chaos.

  Spark steps to my side, his gaze focused on me. He knows, just like the rest of my club, how uneasy the light makes me. “You good, Prez?”

  I roll my shoulders. “Fine. Let’s do this.”

  The front doors fly open, Andrés barrels through them appearing fucked off to high hell. “Nycto, you wanna tell me what the hell happened? And why the fuck it’s taken you this long to come to me?”

  I raise my hands placating him. “Before you start… we’ve been out searching.”

  Andrés licks his lips, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Well, did you find them?”

  Exhaling, I rub the back of my neck. “No! No idea where they are, Andrés. After they escaped, they fled into the water. Hell, they’re probably both dead by now. Drowned or frozen to fucking death.”

  “You expect me to just sit on this, Nycto? They were paid for. How am I supposed to inform the buyers their packages aren’t being delivered?”

  “Fuck, man, you have girls shipped in all the time. Find replacements.”

  Andrés exhales. “They were both special, but one, one was a rare diamond. Hard to come by. In fact, nigh on impossible. She’s irreplaceable, Nycto.”

  Ivy.

  “Why?”

  Andrés scoffs. “Is that your biggest concern here, Nycto? It should be how you’re going to compensate the buyers for their lack of delivery.”

  “Me?”

  “You lost the packages…” Andrés chuckles. “In a way I’m still yet to understand.”

  “The older one, she was feisty. She kicked a prospect who’s still recovering from a gunshot wound in the balls. He let her go, she took off grabbing her sister as she went. They were nimble. Quicker than we anticipated. They fled into the water before we had a chance to catch up. By the time I got there, we couldn’t find them.”

  Andrés grunts under his breath. “Why the fuck did you have an injured prospect with you?”

  “An oversight.”

  He rubs his chin like he isn’t one bit impressed. “Where were you when this was happening?”

  “Dealing with my own package. What the fuck do you think, Andrés?” I snap.

  He exhales. “This isn’t good enough, Nycto. Never have we had a problem with your transportation services. The one time we have some precious cargo, you’ve screwed it up.”

  “I’ll transport a couple more packages for you. You get them, I’ll deliver them personally to the two buyers who missed out.”

  He scoffs. “Like I said, Nycto, they’re irreplaceable. The buyers will need cash compensation.”

  This shit goes against every grain.

  I don’t want to give money to men who buy women. Sure, I’m an asshole and deliver the women, but I would never purchase one myself. If I give these douches the money Andrés is requesting, then I’m purchasing Eva and Ivy just like they were.

  This makes me just as liable.

  But then again, maybe me buying them is a good thing.

  Them being with me is the only way.

  If their debt is paid, then the buyers can’t come back looking for them if it’s ever discovered they’re alive.

  I need to do this.

  But first, I have to find out the cash amount.

  “Fine! How much.”

  Spark’s gaze shifts to me, but I ignore him. He knows, like I do, this is dangerous fucking territory.

  “The special one, she was worth 150k. The other 100.”

  Well, that was unexpected, but I try to keep my shit together. “A quarter of a million?”

  He shrugs. “I guess next time you won’t let a quarter of a million dollars drown, will you?”

  “I’m gonna need some time to pull that kind of cash together.”

  Andrés’ eyes narrow in on me. “The Royal Bastards MC is huge. I don’t for a second think you won’t be able to pull that kind of
cash, Nycto. If you want to keep our business relationship going, then I suggest you… Fall. In. Line. I’ll give you one week to get your affairs in order. I’ll text you the banking details. I’ll hold the two buyers off for as long as I can, but honestly, Nycto, I can’t be held responsible if they want to come after you.”

  Anxiety runs through me, an immediate tension headache forming behind the back of my eyes.

  I’m in too deep.

  “I’ll see what I can do. I’ll be in contact.”

  Andrés dips his chin. “Make sure you do. And make sure your prospect is dealt with.” He turns, heading back inside, the doors closing behind him as I let out a groan.

  Spark huffs. “Where the hell are you gonna get that kind of cash? The club only has so much. And to be honest, Prez, I’m not sure this is the kind of cause that calls for the club bailing you out.”

  Anger rages inside of me as I spin, grabbing Spark by his cut, glaring into his eyes. He doesn’t flinch, just lets me manhandle him.

  “I’m your president. Fall in line or get the hell out of my club.” I shove him away from me with a solid push.

  Spark pulls his cut back into place. “Just trying to look out for you, Prez. This is dangerous territory you’re treading.”

  “Shut it! There are ears everywhere.” I slide on my ride as Spark pulls his dome over his bald head.

  He’s right.

  I know it!

  The road I’m heading down is a destructive one, but every time I think I’m making a bad move, Eva’s image sparks to mind. The thought of her being sold off to a man for a measly 100K makes me sick to my stomach. I don’t know what it is about her that has sunk so deep under my skin. Hell, I’ve hardly had a second to sit with her, but I need to figure this shit out in my mind.

  What’s my end game with Eva?

  For now, I need to make a pit stop.

  “Spark, we’re heading to Miami.”

  He nods like he knew this was coming. “I’ll text Hatch and tell him to expect us.”

  Chapter Seven

  NYCTO