Steel 6: Blackthorne MC #6 (2 page)

After a moment, Tia returned and gestured for me to stand up and come with her. She led me into the sheriff’s office.

“This is Sheriff Morrison,” Tia said. “He’ll be able to help you.”

She patted me on the arm and then left me alone with the sheriff.

He was a large man, overweight rather than muscular. His brown uniform stretched tight over his belly, and he didn’t bother to stand up as I came into the room. He rubbed his large nose with his thumb as he stared at me.

The overhead light shone on his bald patch.

“Why don’t you go ahead and tell me everything you just told Tia?” he said.

I felt incredibly nervous, but I cleared my throat and did my best to keep my story straight as I told the sheriff I’d managed to lose my purse and found myself stranded out here.
 

He seemed particularly interested in finding out which group of bikers had helped me, but I didn’t see any reason to lie about that. It seemed to me it was safer to stick to the truth as closely as I could. Otherwise, I would forget what I said and be caught out in a lie.

As the sheriff listened to my story, he kept his face blank until I mentioned the Blackthorne crew.

His eyes narrowed, and I felt a frisson of fear run through me.

I didn’t like the look he gave me or the slow smile that spread across his face.
 

“They were very nice to me and dropped me off here. I’m not sure what I would have done without them,” I said and shrugged.

The sheriff picked up a pen and tapped it against a pile of paper on his desk. “And this was the Blackthorne MC? You’re sure?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Sheriff Morrison gave me a long, cold smile. “I see. I’ll just make a few phone calls. If you could wait in reception, Tia will make you a coffee.”

I got shakily to my feet as the sheriff picked up his phone.

I tried to reassure myself that everything was going to be fine and that by tomorrow I would be back in New York, but the sheriff gave me the creeps.

Almost an hour passed, and in that time, Tia had fixed me two cups of coffee, but there was no sign that the sheriff had done anything about getting me out of there.

I got up from my chair and stood by the reception desk. Tia looked up from her paperwork.

“I’m sorry to be a pain. I just wondered if there was any news on when I would be getting out of here?”

Tia smiled at me. “The sheriff’s arranging someone to come and pick you up and take you to the bus station in Dorset City. I’ve arranged some petty cash for you. I just need you to sign the paperwork after I finish filling it in.”

I felt a rush of relief. “Oh, that’s great. Thank you.”
 

As I returned to my seat, the sheriff came out of his office, looking shifty.

“Go and get me some doughnuts from the coffee shop, Tia,” the sheriff demanded.
 

I wondered if he ever used the word please.

Tia looked up from her form filling and frowned. “I’m just filling in the paperwork—” she complained.

But the sheriff shut her down with a stern look. “Just go,” he said sharply, and then added in a softer tone, “I have a craving for those chocolate coated donuts, and you know how grouchy I get with low blood sugar.”

Grumbling under her breath, Tia reached for her purse and then headed out, leaving me alone with the sheriff.

I watched her go with a feeling of panic building in my chest. I couldn’t explain it. For some reason, I couldn’t help feeling the sheriff wanted to get her out of the way.

The sheriff went back to his office, leaving me alone in the reception. Maybe I was imagining things. Maybe he did just have a craving for donuts.

Only a minute later, a huge guy, with long, dark hair and a yellow bandanna, walked into the reception area.

The sheriff waddled out from his office, and I began to feel very nervous.

The big guy in the bandanna nodded at me. “Is this the girl?”

The sheriff smiled, his rubbery mouth stretching over his yellowing teeth. “Yes, that’s her.”

The huge guy in the bandanna suddenly grabbed my arm.

“What’s going on? Get off!” I said, attempting to pull away from him. “Are you the person who is taking me to the bus station?”

The huge guy chuckled as he pulled me outside. “Something like that.”

I turned behind me, desperate to see the sheriff, but he’d shut the door on us.

I was in serious trouble. I had no idea what was going to happen next. If I didn’t react quickly, I would be screwed.

I let out a scream, and he clamped a hand over my mouth.
 

I struggled desperately against him. But he was too strong, and my attempts to get free were hopeless.

He leaned down, putting his lips close to my ear. “I like it when a woman struggles. If you carry on like that, you’re gonna get me excited, honey.”

I shuddered in horror and then made my body go limp like a rag doll.
 

This was ridiculous. How could it happen again? I was like some pathetic heroine in a B-grade movie, getting kidnapped by bikers.

I’d had enough of being a victim.
 

I stamped down hard on his foot, making him curse, and in his shock, he released me.
 

I ran faster than I ever had in my life before. My feet slapped against the sidewalk. My heart thundered in my chest.

I had to get away.

The diner. If I could just get to the diner, someone there would help me. Tia would be there.
 

I’d just managed to get to the turning to Main Street when I felt him grab me again. He covered my mouth with one hand, put his other arm around my waist and carried me back to his bike as I twisted and turned and bucked my body against him desperately.

“You’re a feisty one,” he growled. “I’m looking forward to taking you back with me so we can have some fun.”

Nick
 

It had been just over an hour since I discovered Ella had left. I hated to think of her out there alone. I wondered if she had reached Dorset City yet. I guessed that’s where she would be heading as it was the nearest place with an interstate connection.

A hammering on the door made me look up. It sounded urgent.

I pulled open the door to see Chad standing there, his plump face creased with a frown. Crap. Had they already realized that Ella was gone? I’d wanted to give her as much time as I could.

But what Chad said surprised me. “Victor is coming.”

“Victor is coming here? Why?”
 

Dammit. How had Victor managed to find out about Ella so fast?

There was no way I could ask Chad that question without confessing I knew Ella had gone. I tried to play it cool, and see if he’d offer up any more information.

“I spoke to Damien on the phone,” Chad said. “He mentioned something about the Venom crew. Victor thinks they’re encroaching on his territory and wants to hit them hard.”

I almost smiled. It had nothing to do with Ella. They didn’t know she was gone, and with this distraction, hopefully she’d have even more time to make her escape.

As Chad carried on talking about the plan to get back at the Venom crew, I tuned him out, barely listening to the details. I couldn’t get up any enthusiasm for the dumb feuds between MCs.

We went to the bar together to find Tom and fill him in. As usual, he was propped up against the bar, nursing a beer and enjoying the attention of a curvy blonde.

When we joined them, the blonde turned to me, moving close and resting her hand on my chest.

“Hello, handsome,” she whispered and winked at me.

I gave a barely imperceptible shake of my head, and the smile fell from her painted lips.
 

She shrugged. “Suit yourself,” she said sulkily and stepped back over to Tom.

But Tom had grown tired of her attentions, too. “Not now, sweetheart. We’ve got business to talk about.”

After the blonde left us with a toss of her head, Chad filled Tom in on the latest developments.

“Where’s Jackson?” I asked.

I hadn’t seen him for a while, and I didn’t like it. I felt safer when I knew exactly where Jackson was. I didn’t trust him.

As I turned, I saw Jackson enter the bar. Most of the females in the bar, turned to look at him, something that probably stroked his already overgrown ego.

He was smart and coolheaded — a dangerous combination. Jackson had usurped my position in the Blackthorne crew.
 

Victor used to trust me and rely on my opinion, now he was much more likely to rely on Jackson. I knew that wasn’t the only reason I mistrusted Jackson, though.
 

He was so still and calm on the surface. He reminded me of that saying —
still waters run deep
. There was a lot I didn’t know about Jackson.

Jackson joined us, but before we could tell him about the latest developments, there was a sudden change of atmosphere in the bar. Victor Blackthorne himself stomped in, and the conversations in the bar stopped suddenly as people fell silent to stare at him.

Victor himself was anything but silent as he walked in, cursing and glaring at anyone who dared to look at him. Damien walked by his side, talking to his brother in urgent whispers.

This had to be big. Victor normally used his crew to do his grunt work. For him to be here in person meant things were very serious indeed.

When the brothers reached us, Victor glared at me.
 

Shit. What had I done this time?

It was Damien who spoke first. “Ella’s been taken.”

At first his words didn’t sink in. I thought he’d got it wrong, or confused somehow.
 

Ella had run away… She hadn’t been taken.

But then my blood grew cold as the implication sunk in. All this time I’d wasted sitting around thinking that she was on her way home and really she’d needed my help.

I looked at Damien searching his face for more information. “How?”

“Apparently she ran away,” Victor spoke, his eyes cold and fixed on me, and I knew he thought I had something to do with it. At the very least, he suspected I knew she’d left.

I couldn’t admit to that. Victor would kill me for the disloyalty.

I shook my head. “I just saw her an hour ago. She has to be around here somewhere,” I said, hoping my acting skills would be convincing enough for Victor.

“Apparently, from what we’ve learned, she turned up at the sheriff’s department in Marcham town,” Damien said. “Unfortunately, the sheriff was being paid off by the Venom MC, and after she mentioned the Blackthorne crew, her fate was sealed.”
 

Damien steely gaze told me that I would be punished for Ella’s betrayal. But I didn’t give a shit about that now.
 

“So the sheriff turned her over to them?” Chad asked.

Victor gave a single nod of his head.

I gripped the counter.
No. This couldn’t be happening
.

“They’d better not touch her,” I spat out.

If they’d hurt her, I’d tear them limb from limb. I’d make it my life’s mission to kill every last one of them.

Tom put a big, meaty hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “Hey, calm down, buddy. Victor will sort it,” he said.

I looked up, ready to tell Tom that I was perfectly capable of sorting it myself. I wouldn’t trust Ella’s safety to anyone but myself, but as I looked up, I caught Jackson’s gaze, and it was then I knew.

In that instant, it all became crystal clear. How could I have missed it?

Jackson was the damn undercover cop.

Ella

After the guy with the yellow bandanna had pulled me from his bike, I was determined to make myself as difficult as possible. I fought him every step of the way, driving my elbows into him and kicking out, aiming for his groin.
 

But nothing seemed to slow him down.
 

He threw me over his shoulder, chuckling, squeezing my butt hard. He carried me into a tatty old shack behind the biker bar we’d arrived at. My voice was hoarse from screaming, but nobody had tried to help.

He slapped my butt hard and chuckled again as I wriggled against him, trying to get free.

“I bet you are a spitfire in the sack, baby. Maybe I’ll come and visit you later, and you can show me exactly how good you are.”

I struggled against him as he manhandled me down to the floor and pushed me into a room. Before I managed to struggle to my feet, he’d shut the door behind him, leaving me locked in.

I hammered on the door, kicking it and screaming again and again.
 

But all I could hear was his footsteps retreating.

Panting, I rested my forehead against the rough wood paneled door. I needed to get my breath back. I had to stay calm, so I could try to work out a way out of this mess. I should have been on my way home by now. I knew I shouldn’t have trusted Sheriff Morrison. As soon as I’d seen him, I’d known there was something not quite right.