Devil's Ride (Royal Bastards MC Tonopah, NV #3) - Nikki Landis Page 0,40

how badly I was going to fuck them up.

Screw waiting for help. I wasn’t weak and I wasn’t helpless.

I’d forgotten that over the last six months. My grief and shock pulled me under. I was depressed, scared, and completely overwhelmed by all that I had witnessed.

Not anymore. Like waking from a nightmare, I found my courage in a dingy room in the Scorpion compound. If I was going to die, I was at peace with it. That made the idea of survival almost a game.

Staring at Acid, a cruel smile twisted my mouth into something feral.

He must have known I was on the edge. Dangerous creatures recognized one another. So did the desperate and unhinged.

“Follow me,” he ordered after a moment.

I didn’t know if it was pride or simple curiosity that prompted me to follow but I left that room without glancing behind me. Acid led the way up a flight of stairs and to a different room at the end of a long hall. He opened the door and gestured inside.

“There’s not much but I gather you won’t need it anyway.”

He seemed to be waiting for my reply or a question.

“Nope,” I finally answered.

“I see we understand one another. No one else will come in until it’s time.”

I managed a nod of acknowledgement.

“You’re not what I thought,” he mused aloud. “There’s fire in you. Something I didn’t see before.”

So?

“Makes me wonder a lot of things.”

He didn’t say and I didn’t ask. What he wanted or cared about weren’t my concern. I honestly was over it. Walking to the window that led outside to the sharp drop below, I knew I was brought here because there was no way to escape this room.

“Grim is coming.”

I turned around and shrugged, my expression unfazed as I let the words escape. “I don’t need his help.”

“You know what? I don’t think you do.” He closed the door with a chuckle, and I heard the lock click into place. Cold air filtered through the gaps in the concrete where there was no insulation. I was chilled but alive and unharmed, at least for the most part. Bruises, aches, and a busted lip were far better than the alternative.

Two days crawled by as I became acquainted with every single mark on the concrete and plaster on the walls and ceiling in that room. I’d counted them a hundred times. Boredom was the least of my worries. Maybe I was just going crazy.

There was a commotion outside the door later in the afternoon. It was the first noises I heard in almost a day. I’d fallen asleep briefly and a bag of food and a water bottle were left for me on the floor by the door. I ate every bite even though the burger was ice cold and the fries stiff and stale. The water hydrated my body, and I felt a little better.

When the door opened, I was shocked to find Sasha shoved inside. A hood was yanked from over her head and she was pushed forward so hard she almost fell.

“What happened? Who hurt you?”

I guess I looked like shit. Wasn’t a surprise since I felt that way too. “Dawg doesn’t like the word no,” I spat.

Sasha peeked outside and found the drop to the asphalt parking lot below, only a few sporadic bushes lined up along the edge of the building. More weeds than anything else.

She sat down next to me, biting her lips with concern. “Did he force you?”

Smirking, I gave her a cynical grin. “I managed to avoid being raped but that didn’t mean I don’t know the taste of Dawg’s nasty dick.”

“Fuck that. You should have bitten it off.”

“He’s in pain,” I assured her.

She smiled. “Good. I want to make them all suffer.”

“You and me both. Acid most of all. He’s a worthless piece of shit.”

“I know.” Sighing, she leaned her head on my shoulder. “Have you tried to get away?”

“There’s nowhere to go even if I didn’t break an ankle trying to jump out the window.”

“Too many Scorpions around,” she acknowledged. “Any other ideas?”

“I’ve seen the back entrance. If we could bust out of this room, we might be able to reach a vehicle and escape. Of course, we need keys, and I don’t where to get them.”

“Alright. Let’s think this through. First, how do we get out of this room?”

“The door is always locked. We could try to overpower one of them if they come in alone.”

“I won’t be much help.” Lifting her hands, she showed off