Kraken (Hades Abyss MC 4) - Harley Wylde
Chapter One
Phoebe
How had I ended up here? Figured it was much the same way most people landed in hell, or so I told myself nearly every day. I’d done something stupid. I scanned the interior of the clubhouse and wondered when I’d be able to slip away unnoticed. Being in the main room always made me uneasy. A bottle crashed against the wall and I winced as shards of glass went everywhere. It wouldn’t be long before things were out of control. I skirted the room and made my way to the hall, looking over my shoulder as I scurried away. I didn’t quite make it before a hand reached out and yanked me off my feet.
I yelped as I landed against a hard body. The patch in front of my eyes made me want to bolt, but I couldn’t. I lifted my gaze to Deuce’s, knowing there was no escape. Once he got his hands on me, he never let go until he was done. I could only hope he’d finish with me quickly.
“Where you going, whore?” he asked.
I swallowed hard. I wasn’t a whore. Not really. They might have kept me against my will, forced me to be with them, but it wasn’t by choice. I’d never willingly lie with any of them. Ever. “I need to check on Ember,” I said.
He grunted and glanced away. The monster might use her against me, but at least I’d gotten to keep her. “Got some special company coming tonight. Be ready.” He looked me over. “And change your fucking clothes.”
I gave a quick nod and hurried away from him. I pushed open the door near the end of the hall and rushed inside. Ember lay quietly in her bed. I smoothed my hand over her, marveling at how I could love someone so much who’d been born from nights of pain and suffering, but I did. She was my angel, the only reason I kept going. “One day I’ll save you from this place.”
Just as soon as I figured out how the hell to save myself.
Remembering what Deuce said about company, I showered and shaved. I’d been told lots of times how beautiful my hair was, so I took the time to dry and curl it. The long, heavy black mass hung down my back nearly to my waist. Before Deuce kidnapped me, I’d never cared for makeup. I still didn’t like it, but I wasn’t given a choice of wearing it. The black eyeliner and mascara made me feel like I was putting on a mask, becoming someone else, and maybe for a few hours each night I did.
I ran the gloss over my lips and added a tinge of blush to my otherwise pale cheeks. The girl staring back me looked a far cry from the preacher’s daughter I’d been in another life. I rubbed some scented lotion into my skin before getting dressed. I checked on Ember again, then curled up with a book in the corner chair to read until I was needed. Deuce would come find me, or send one of his lackeys. I wondered who was visiting this time.
Deuce never shared club business with any of the whores, and certainly not with me. I could only hope whatever club was coming, they wouldn’t be as bad as the Sadistic Saints. There wasn’t a line Deuce and his club wouldn’t cross, which I’d learned the painful way. When my door slammed open, I jolted and glanced at Ember. Thankfully, she didn’t wake.
“Come on, sweet cheeks. Time to do your thing.” He leered at me as I stood. Should have known Deuce would send Joe. The Prospect made my skin crawl, even more so than Deuce himself.
I left my room with Joe’s hand on my ass, and made my way to the main part of the clubhouse. I’d been right about the party getting out of control. Naked women paraded through the area, smashed bottles crunched under my feet, and smoke hung heavy in the air. I doubted they were smoking cigarettes, or at least not only that. Three men sat at the bar with colors from another club -- Hades Abyss MC was stitched on the rockers. I ran my hands down my short skirt and took a breath to steady my nerves. At least with Deuce and his crew, I knew what to expect. These guys were an unknown.
Then again, after surviving my first night here, I could live through anything.
“Get moving, whore,” Joe said,