"f.u.c.k, an endors.e.m.e.nt from you, the b.i.t.c.h must be f.u.c.king unbelievable. Gold plated p.u.s.s.y, eh? Well, I'll wait a couple of weeks until the memory of you has gone and then I can find out for myself." Razor was rubbing his hands together and wiggling his eyebrows.

Duke didn't know what happened, it was a reflex. Like lightning he had his brother up against the wall with his mouth snarling. Razor looked shocked for half a second before he burst into laughter.

"f.u.c.k, man. Never thought I'd see the day you were p.u.s.s.y whipped!"

Dropping his hold on Razor, he backed up. "Don't be f.u.c.king stupid. It was just a good f.u.c.k." Razor looked at him in disbelief and shook his head. He wasn't surprised, he could hear the lie in his own voice. He started making his way to his Harley, he'd let the ride clear his mind. He'd never let anyone get to him and Nicole certainly had.

It was late by the time he arrived back at the compound. The meetings had taken longer than expected. Razor had gone straight home. He liked his s.p.a.ce away from all the brothers. Duke didn't mind, it wasn't that he liked living at the compound, it was the fact that there was always someone around and noise in the background stopping him from sinking too far into his own head. Business was done for the day. Riot MC had tried to undercut some of their deals, which royally p.i.s.sed him off. A few choice words and he'd rectified that.

Walking into the bar he tried to look casual as he searched out Nicole. He spotted her working the bar again. He let his eyes take her in as he made his way to her. She must of felt his stare as she immediately looked straight at him. He saw heat behind those s.e.xy as f.u.c.k eyes and his c.o.c.k started to throb. Anytime during the day that his mind had wandered it went straight to Nicole and his c.o.c.k filled. He seriously needed to f.u.c.k her soon. He'd never suffered a b.o.n.e.r this long before. She was wearing tight jeans that highlighted her plump a.s.s and a tee shirt drawn tight over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He didn't like that her body was hidden from him yet the thought of his brothers seeing more of her smooth skin sent fire through his blood.

"Hey Duke. What can I get you?" Her voice made his body relax, tension from the day seeped from his muscles, but her tone seemed off. Was she p.i.s.sed at him?

"Beer for now. I'll have something sweeter later." He winked.

He licked his lips remembering her taste. Her cheeks flushed, she looked away and she bit her bottom lip. He wanted to do that for her. Forcing himself to leave her, he joined Prez and Hollywood in the booth and reported back about their meetings.

Just after midnight he dragged Nicole from the bar again. She wasn't pleased and protested the entire way, he steadfastly ignored her. In the hallway he pinned her to the wall and slanted his mouth over hers. He need to feel those pillowed lips and if it stopped her ranting, all the better. The club s.l.u.ts knew he avoided kissing and never initiated it, with Nicole he couldn't help himself. The drag of her lips against his felt too good, he felt it all the way down to his c.o.c.k. He lifted her and ground his shaft onto her hot p.u.s.s.y, putting pressure on her sweet spot. He didn't think he could wait to get to the apartment to sink into her depths. Nicole started pushing on his chest. She wasn't melting against him like last night. Something was definitely up. G.o.d, he hated b.i.t.c.h drama.

"Wait, wait, wait."

"What the h.e.l.l baby? I need inside you." He was frustrated as f.u.c.k.

"Me too but we didn't use a condom last night." She looked worried. Relief flooded his system. She still wanted him, not that he'd give her much choice in the matter. He was sure he could bring her round.

"I know you're on the pill, baby." He felt smug as surprise registered on her face.

He sure as f.u.c.k wasn't looking to be her baby daddy, still, he'd needed her raw. Nothing in the way. It wasn't the first time he'd gone bareback but he didn't do it often. With Nicole it wasn't an option, he needed to feel her silk wrapped around him.

"So? I've seen the club p.u.s.s.y round here, I don't know if you're clean and.... how did you know I'm on the pill?"

"I took them out of your purse and stuck them into your shower bag before I bought your stuff to your room. Have to say, I liked what else was in there, baby. You can throw them out, you won't be needing them any more....well, maybe the lube." He moved her hands that were restraining him around his shoulders and went back to grinding against her.

"Stop distracting me, Duke! Are you clean?" Her face was bright red. She was embarra.s.sed that he knew about her f.u.c.k toys? After the stuff they did last night that surprised him. She was still a bit shy with him and her innocence shone through.

"Yep. Had checks two months ago and always used a rubber since. You?"

He didn't really feel the need to ask her. He could tell she wasn't the kind of girl to f.u.c.k anyone and everyone. Nicole was like a shy, cla.s.sy, s.e.x kitten. The fact that he bedded her so quickly gave his ego a nice boost.

"I'm clean. Got tested after my last boyfriend. That was nine months ago and you're the only one I've been with since." His d.i.c.k was swelling along with his ego. He wanted to beat the s.h.i.t out of anyone that had ever touched her or seen her the way he had. He knew better than to bring it up though.

"s.h.i.t, baby, I need to give your neglected p.u.s.s.y some special attention now then."

He threw her over his shoulder and charged to his apartment. He couldn't move fast enough for his liking and her quiet giggles tore through the last of his restraint. He felt fifteen again; he was close to blowing his load and he hadn't even got her naked yet. He dropped her on the bed and started tearing at her clothes. Both stripped, they clashed together with s.e.xual heat and antic.i.p.ation. Sharp, frantic movements had them both quickly groaning their releases.

Chapter six.

Nicole Nicole couldn't believe she was in bed again with Duke. She'd been p.i.s.sed at him all day after the way he left this morning, leaving her after only being awake for thirty seconds. Yet, as soon as he walked in she felt the air in the bar come alive and the unsettled feeling in her stomach disappeared. She couldn't resist him. So much for her plan to make him beg next time. She'd had to listen to the club s.l.u.ts talking loudly, for her benefit, that Duke liked to put it about, never slept with the same girl for more than two days and that his apartment was the equivalent of Hugh Hefner's grotto. Jealousy had risen it's ugly head and she'd wanted to punch each one in the face. Luckily, she was savvy enough to know when she was being baited and so pretended to not hear them. It didn't have the same level of satisfaction that a swift kick in the shin would have had, but she enjoyed imagining it anyway.

Being hooked on a guy this quick was so unlike her. She had entrusted Duke with her body and was constantly overwhelmed by his presence. She wasn't irresponsible like her Dad and letting Duke take her last night, especially without a condom had her questioning her sanity. She made her last boyfriend wait nearly two months before they'd slept together, yet here she was in bed with Duke after knowing him for only two days.

She was looking for something permanent not throw-away. That was why she'd made her last boyfriend wait. She thought if he valued her and got to know her, he'd appreciate her all the more in the end. How wrong one person can be. It turned out he was getting it elsewhere, that was why he hadn't pressured her. Not quite the good guy she had him pegged to be.

She really didn't know anything about Duke at all. She'd watched him interact with his brothers. The friendship and loyalty he showed towards them was great to see. She also saw how he was with the club s.l.u.ts and he acted the complete opposite. He ignored them and brushed them off him like an unwanted fly when they tried to touch him. She knew he'd slept with almost all of them at some point. The s.l.u.ts had made sure she knew that. She couldn't help but feel like she was destined to become one of them, clamouring for a sc.r.a.p of his attention while he moved on to a new s.l.u.t. Is that what she was now? A s.l.u.t? She knew she could walk away from Duke, move on and not look back. However, there was a big part of her that looked forward to a happy ending, it kept her hopeful, not jaded and made her want to give Duke a chance if he wanted it. It was time for her to be brave, take a risk and stop planning for disaster. Only time would give her an answer.

They'd started to chat about general stuff in the short breaks between f.u.c.king, things that would be found out on a first date. She chuckled to herself that most first dates take place in a restaurant, not a bed yet she wouldn't change a thing. She would have never guessed that his name was Aaron Banks and that his brother, Razor was called Nate Banks.

"What did you think my name was?" He laughed at her shocked face when he told her. Nicole didn't really see Aaron Banks as his name at all, he was simply, Duke.

"I don't know. I guess something like Studly von Studlyson!" They both cracked up at her insane suggestion.

Now here she was, lying in his bed for the second night in a row. Duke was lazily running his hand up and down her arm, listening to her telling him about where she grew up when he abruptly paused. Keeping hold of her wrist, he rolled and switched on his bedside light. Glancing at his face, Nicole saw that he looked furious.

"What the f.u.c.k are these?" His thumb was rubbing over her wrist and then he reached for her other and did the same.

"My scars?" She was puzzled at his reaction. Why was he so angry? They weren't a big deal.

"My scars? Yes, your f.u.c.king scars!" He'd managed to yell through gritted teeth.

"I thought you'd recognise them...." That had been the wrong thing to say. He was going nuclear. She could see his temple was throbbing on the side of his head and his eyes turned deadly. She quickly clarified. "I didn't mean it like that. I meant they're from handcuffs and wires. I didn't do it to myself."

She lowered her head at what he must think of her. Growing up in poor areas she was no stranger to suicides. They weren't common but they weren't rare either. People got desperate and searched for a way out and finding none they grew desperate. She understood that even though he would never contemplate it herself. Duke must of thought she'd self harmed. She hated her scars. Like everything else in her life that she didn't want, she had learned to live with them.

"There's more than one or two here and a couple are f.u.c.king thick. Who did this to you? Tell me now, Nicole." He lifted her chin and she knew he wasn't playing around. His brown eyes stared into hers, unwavering in their intensity.

"I don't know all their names. They're from where I was bound when my Dad put me in messes like the one I'm in now. When I was young I got really frightened and used to fight against the restraints, that's what caused these. I've got some on my ankles too. It's not a big deal, Duke, I don't notice them anymore."

She could feel her eyes starting to well up as he forced her to recall every instance she remembered. She detested bringing up these memories but he'd been unwavering in his stance to find out. When she finished he had calmed down but there was a cold fury inside him that she'd seen grow with each recollection. His gentle caresses and small kisses he placed on her wrists and ankles as she talked drew the truth out of her. His long a.s.sessing looks made her think he could see into her soul, to the deep scars left behind by her Dad every time he offered her up as some sort of bargaining chip.

"Baby, I promise these will never be added to, not while I'm alive. I'll protect you. You're safe with me."

Nicole broke down. Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking the pillow she tried to hide her face in. Duke pulled her into his arms and gently rocked her until she calmed. Those words meant more to her than all the money in the world ever could. Here in Duke's arms, she was safe for the first time in her life.

"You're Dad should have kept you safe. It's the ultimate betrayal from a parent when they don't. It cuts deeper than any knives ever could and leaves bigger scars."

She could tell by his voice he was speaking from experience. Looking up into his hard eyes, she knew now wasn't the time to ask about it but a new sense of finding a kindred spirit smoothed over her past hurts.

Nicole had been asked countless times why she still had anything to do with her Dad and advised that she should cut all ties. It was easier said than done. He was the only family she had and she didn't want to be alone in the world. She wanted to feel connected to someone, to belong to someone, even if it was her sc.u.m bag father. She had no memory of her mother who had left them when Nicole was nearly two. Her Dad never spoke about her and always shouted if Nicole brought her up. He had never let the system take Nicole from him, even though sometimes it had seemed that it was very close to happening. He would always move them some place new and promise things would get better. At times they did, at times they really didn't. She knew it was up to her to break this cycle, to move away and stay away. She had planned to for years but always stalled when the time came.

She only ever spent the bare minimum of any pay check she earned and the rest was hidden and saved. Nicole tended to come away from times like this with nothing if she didn't take precautions like that. Her home would have been raided by whoever her dad owed. There was never anything of value to find, most of her things were bought from yard sales. That never stopped them destroying everything in sight though. She has a safe deposit box that she keeps any mementos that mean something to her in along with the few pieces of jewellery that she had been given by friends or boyfriends. They had little value but they meant the world to her. She revealed all this to Duke, laid herself bare. Duke had listened to her ramble on and had sadness and pity in his eyes now. She didn't want that. Finished, she stared at the bed spread waiting for whatever he was going to say. He kept silent. She was broken. No man wanted a woman like her for keeps. Her baggage needed its own zip code.

It seemed her risk of taking a chance hadn't paid off. There would be no happy ending for her. Then his hand tipped her chin up. The look in his eyes had changed but she couldn't label it. She'd never been looked at like that before. It stripped back all her layers and made her utterly vulnerable to what he would do next. Nicole held her breath as Duke slowly leaned towards her. Her heart momentarily stalled and the started to race as he pressed soft kisses on her mouth, keeping eye contact the whole time. He blanketed her with comfort. Their kissing grew more pa.s.sionate and she let her thoughts escape into the back of her mind as he pleasured her over and over before she fell asleep in his arms. She felt sated, cared for and like she'd finally found her home.

Over the next ten weeks, Nicole spent every night with Duke in his bed and every day in the kitchen or behind the bar serving the brothers. She really didn't mind the tasks she was given. They'd stopped feeling like orders weeks ago and now she did them because she wanted to. She wanted to help out. She enjoyed the company and banter they shared and it was great to cook with proper ingredients. The only channel that was clear on her TV at home had been the Food Network, so she had plenty of ideas that she got to try out on the brothers.

It had taken her a few days to wrap her head around the portion sizes the brothers expected, although she never had any complaints. More and more of the brothers turned up at the compound at lunch and dinner until practically every brother, old lady and prospect turned up for most meals, plus, kids were added at the weekend. Duke liked to joke that her cooking was costing the club a fortune in the kitchen and behind the bar. What could she say? The brothers liked a beer with their meal. His comment secretly thrilled her.

It felt great to be taking care of others instead of only herself for a change and filled a need inside her that she didn't even know she had. The brothers had become her family. They teased her, bantered with her and generally kept her upbeat with there outrageous stories of drunken escapades. She'd even become something of an Agony Aunt to some of the prospects who liked to vent to her about their families or girlfriends.

The brothers also created a barrier between her and the club s.l.u.ts. After sleeping in Duke's bed for a full week they tried making her life h.e.l.l. They attempted to turn the brothers against her by talking s.h.i.t and made any task she was given twice as hard by messing it up. Helen once slipped onto Kings' knee while he was eating and tasted his food. After she declared it disgusting, she was shoved from his lap and all the club s.l.u.ts were banned from eating the clubs' food, unless it was a party. Nicole had wanted to cheer with pom-poms after seeing everyone agree, having her back while Helen was left red-faced and snarling.

The odd nights Duke was away on club business she still slept in his bed trying hard to fall asleep. Sleeping without Duke had become more and more difficult. He claimed the same thing with her. Once he swept her up into her arms when he got back from an overnight run and pounded his way up the stairs to his apartment. She got excited and so wet at the prospect of being thrown down on his bed and s.e.xed into oblivion. He stripped her quickly before collapsing beside her. He wound himself around her and pulled up the covers. She remembered being totally confused until he buried his nose in her neck and drew in a long breath.

"f.u.c.k, baby. I couldn't get a f.u.c.king minute of sleep without you under me. I'm good for f.u.c.k all right now." Two minutes later he was lightly snoring. She giggled to herself before settling down and taking a nap that she needed too, luxuriating in his warmth and smell.

He'd started to open up more to her about his life before the club. Razor and Duke were raised in foster care and group homes until Duke was eighteen and left, taking Razor with him. He hated his mother who had abandoned them.

"Out mother was a total b.i.t.c.h. Why she ever had kids is a mystery to me. She made it d.a.m.n clear to me and Razor that she wished we'd never been born it was her version of good morning. I hardened to it pretty quickly but I always knew it got yo Razor more than he let on. Nights when she didn't come back, he'd worry where I'd be just f.u.c.king grateful."

He talked briefly about all the men who she paraded through their house and allowed to beat on him and Razor. As he spoke she clung tighter to him. He never seemed weak or vulnerable while he was talking, she did it for her comfort more than his. He never gave more details than he wanted to and she never pressed him for them. The rare times he spoke of his mother was in a monotone voice. Her abandonment of him and his brother had definitely left its mark.

He built up quite a reputation as a thug in his time in foster care and as soon as he was released he starting working for a gang as an enforcer. He described his job as "breaking bones and collecting debts." He did this for three years until the gang made a deal with Fallen MC.

"I was at the meeting. I can't remember what s.h.i.t it was over but Prod, the gang boss, pulled me and all the other enforcers in to add to his protection. Fallen had a f.u.c.king ruthless reputation and everyone knew sure as s.h.i.t not to mess with them. Prod always acted invincible but I was excited to see what could rattle the b.a.s.t.a.r.d. In walked Prez, followed by only three other brothers. One was Hollywood, the other two are old-timers now and aren't round much. There was eleven of us standing round and in Fallen walked, just four brothers and they totally dominated the meeting. You could just see the bond between them. There was no doubt about who'd have their back or if they were about to be screwed over. They were solid and I was drawn to it. I wanted that too. Two days after the meeting me and Razor approached Reaper, who was VP at the time, about being recruited and the rest is history. Prod tried to have me taken out but my brothers took care of it, just like I'd do for any of them."

Nicole knew that Duke saw Fallen as his family now, a family without the ha.s.sle and heartbreak a 'traditional' family can bring. From starting as a prospect right up to being voted VP, he gave everything to the club and never let anything interfere with that. Nicole didn't know anything about living as a traditional family either but she wouldn't mind finding out. She wanted to belong to someone too and in her heart she knew she wanted it to be Duke. She'd never had the stability that he treasured so much. She could see why he'd do anything to hold on to it.

She started to spend more of her free time with the brothers, Shel and Jewel. Not just at meals. She really liked them all and they treated her well. Even Prez had thawed towards her. Shel and Jewel liked to tease that she was going to be the next old lady yet Duke had never mentioned anything like that. It chipped away at her that maybe he never thought of her the way she thought of him. She tried not to let it show or affect her but when she was alone she felt sad to her bones. She loved her life now. She never imagined living in an MC. she'd even vowed to herself years ago to escape any kind of life like this but now she wanted it more than anything.

She'd ended up telling Shel and Jewel her life story one night during a drunken pity party, leaving all three of them tear stained and sharing a gallon of ice cream that they had hidden away. Then Jewel, in her drunken haze, had tried to jump on Hollywood from behind for a hug. She somehow missed his ma.s.sive body and landed a few feet from where he was standing. So, the rest of the night was spent in hysterics on the floor.

She dreaded her Dad finishing his business with Fallen MC as her time with them and Duke would be up. She knew in every corner of her soul that she didn't want to leave. Duke never made any mention of her staying at all and she dreaded having to separate from him. Nicole thought about bringing it up. She just didn't have the nerve. She was afraid it would push him away and she didn't want to be without him sooner than she had to, so, she never bought it up in conversation. Not that it's easy to slip into such a discussion casually.

Nicole loved it when she was able to get him to smile or laugh. She loved how possessive he was of her and how he never tried to hide it, he'd grab and kiss her at every opportunity and didn't take kindly to any comments coming her way from his brothers. She loved his loyalty to his club and the little bubble he and she had when they were on their own. Sure, he was a moody son of a b.i.t.c.h at times, rude, cantankerous and hot headed but she loved those things about him as well. She just plain and simple loved him and wished she knew how he felt about her. A ma.s.sive part of her was afraid to find out and happy to live in blissful ignorance. She'd heard from more than one source that Duke had always stated that he never wanted to settle down.

She was dreading next week when Duke and most of the brothers would be away for five days to a week and to make matters worse, Shel and Jewel were going on the run with them. She had no idea where exactly they were going or what they were doing. It was club business and it wasn't for her to know. She accepted that. Nicole had a feeling she'd be spending most of her time in Duke's apartment watching movies with Slam, who thankfully wasn't going along. Shel said she thought she could have easily talked Prez around into letting her ride with Duke. However, if anyone from Riot MC saw her with them it could start a war they weren't ready for. The last thing she wanted was to put anyone in danger.

Chapter seven.

Nicole It was coming up to the fifth night that they'd all been gone. Nicole hadn't been able to speak to Duke because she still wasn't allowed a phone no matter how much she'd begged and pleaded. She was thoroughly p.i.s.sed off. She'd spent her morning with Slam watching Bad Boys after waking up feeling nauseous and achy. She'd had yet another s.h.i.t sleep. Slam had been doing his best to keep her up beat. He was what she imagined having a big brother would be like. He was protective when brothers were around that she didn't know very well, he never checked her out and while he made her laugh, he could annoy the p.i.s.s out of her sometimes as well. She was sure she would have gone crazy if he wasn't here. He gave her a brief update of how things were going with the run but never any specifics. She just wanted to know how Duke was, d.a.m.n it!

Nicole always thought she wanted a quiet, simple life, now she knew she wanted this. The chaos, the close friends, the constant comings and goings of brothers in and out of the compound. The sound of tail pipes growling was comforting to her now. With everyone gone, especially Duke, she felt like she was missing a limb and the quiet was driving her mad. She didn't feel whole. She was so excited for them all to come back.

It was late evening and she was cleaning up the kitchen, it was in shambles since the brothers left. Cereal bowls, unwashed plates and cups covered nearly every surface. She hadn't been doing her regular meals as much, she still cooked and left it for the few brothers and prospects that were there. The problem was they ate and left, leaving a garbage dump in their wake. She tackled the dishes and then the stove top which was coated in a layer of burnt food. It seemed the brothers lacked the basic skill of reheating food without it going everywhere.

While scrubbing the first cast iron burner she heard a throat clear behind her. She turned to find Helen and four other club s.l.u.ts glaring at her. They were all regulars around the compound and she had seen them servicing the brothers in the bar or out in the yard from time to time. Not many brothers felt the need for privacy to get their rocks off. Some even seemed to prefer an audience. She couldn't remember their names as she didn't spend any time with them, but she knew Helen. She was always trying to sniff around Duke, not that he paid her any attention. She always had a b.i.t.c.hy insult or comment for her when no one was listening. Today though was not the day to mess with her. She missed Duke, felt like c.r.a.p and just wanted to curl up in bed but the kitchen needed her attention first.

"You five s.l.u.ts gonna help like you should be doing, or just stand there?" Yes she could have asked nicely, why should she though when they'd never extended the same courtesy to her? Was it petty?....yes. Did she give a d.a.m.n?.....no.

"You seem to think you're queen b.i.t.c.h here. Your nothing but a fat s.k.a.n.k who Duke'll sc.r.a.pe of his shoe when you gotta leave. You're nothing, you're a quick f.u.c.k and a novelty to him. As soon as you're out the door he'll come right back to me, like he always does." Helen looked pleased with her little speech.

"Is that so?" Nicole arched one eyebrow. All the b.i.t.c.hes started to nod their heads.

"That's so! But now we're sick of waiting, so we're here to speed things up a bit." No one else was speaking so she focused on Helen.

"Nice being Duke's fall back is it? Always sloppy seconds to someone else? You must feel so special and proud." Helen's teeth bared in anger. "And just how do you plan on making me leave?" Nicole laughed in their faces, they had no power in this club. Neither did she but at least she wasn't delusional.

The b.i.t.c.hes all looked at each other and a silent message seemed to pa.s.s between them. An ominous feeling spread through her. They started quickly towards her. s.h.i.t, her heart started to pound the closer they got. She had no where to go. Why hadn't she kept her f.u.c.king mouth shut? Way to go, Nicole! She backed up until she felt something at her back, stopping her from going any farther. She frantically looked at the sides for a stray knife or anything to use as a weapon. Why did she have to clean up so well?! A menacing vibe twisted around her as she faced the approaching group.

"I'd prefer you leave in a body bag but I'll settle for a stretcher." Helen's voice was barely recognisable, distorted by her fury into a feral growl. For the first time Nicole could see the club s.l.u.ts as the predators they were always trying to be. She kept her gaze solely on Helen. That was her mistake.

Before Nicole could even process what Helen had snarled, she was. .h.i.t on the side of the head with what felt like a rolling pin. She cried out as her vision swam and she fell to the floor. Nicole couldn't believe they'd actually attacked her. She was in shock. She rolled her body towards the kitchen cupboards as all five b.i.t.c.hes started to pummel her back, legs and head. Nicole's front was all that was protected by the cupboards that she desperately pressed herself to. The all out fear she felt in her childhood returned ten fold. All the air left her lungs and pain enveloped her entire body as blow after blow rained down on her. She could feel blood running from her head into her eyes, her nose popped and her lip split as fists smashed into the side of her face. She could feel herself weakening, her body overwhelmed with pain and injury started to feel foreign to her. The insults and taunts being yelled were fading away as a loud buzzing filled her head. Nicole pulled Duke's smiling face from her memory and tried to focus on it. With one more kick to her head, she blacked out.

Nicole was roused by faint voices, she wanted to reach for them but couldn't respond or move at all. Fire swept through her already excruciating body as her arms were wrenched up. Several hands painfully dug in and locked on different parts of her body. Nails pierced her flesh as she was being dragged to only G.o.d knows where. This was it. Her body was going to be dumped and left to rot. She couldn't fight what was happening to her, her body wouldn't let her and all her mind did was play one horrific scenario after another, weakening her resolve to hold on.

"Hurry! Throw her in there and lock it. I'll call Duke and tell him we need to speak as soon as he gets back. Hopefully she'll be almost dead by then. Ain't so pretty now is she!" a cackle any witch would be proud of sounded out. She heard Helen say more but couldn't distinguish what it was, her voice was getting farther away. A loud slam of a door being closed and the click of a lock were the last things Nicole heard before silence engulfed her.

Her body had been dropped on a cold hard floor. It felt like cement, she wasn't sure. She tried to move into a more comfortable position off her side and onto her front but her body wasn't cooperating. The pain was debilitating and whatever injuries she had seared into her attempted calm and left nothing but a pathetic, weeping woman behind. She could feel the cold penetrating her skin and travelling into the depths of her body, wracking her with shivers. She was going to die here. There was no one to find her. No one even looking. No hope. Tears leaked from her eyes that she couldn't fully open and her body convulsed as she suddenly vomited. The clench of her muscles forced a weak scream from her throat. She wished she could hold Duke one last time and tell him she loved him. Beg for him to love her in return. Nicole knew it was too late. It felt like forever.....but eventually the darkness took her again.

Chapter eight.

Duke Waking in the morning, Duke was eager to get back to the compound and Nicole. They were now only a couple of hours away after riding most of yesterday afternoon and into the night. He'd missed her like crazy, much more than he expected to. She'd burrowed under his skin while he'd been hypnotised by her eyes. Their twelve weeks together had flown by and he wanted her as much now as he did that very first day. When b.i.t.c.hes had been throwing themselves at him on this run he found he wasn't the slightest bit interested. He just thought of Nicole. Jewel and Shel were no G.o.dd.a.m.ned help, always bringing her up and reminding him that she could be gone any day now. He just couldn't let that happen. Everything with her felt like the first time, it was that intense. She was a woman to be savoured and he would never have enough.

He remembered her telling him about the small faint scars on her wrists and ankles and how her beautiful eyes had glazed over as she recalled the events that put the there. Even if he didn't find her as stunning, s.e.xy and smart as he did, he would still want revenge for her, and he was going to deliver it. There was always going to be a war with Riot MC at some point. Now though he had a few specific names to target in their ranks along with a few outsiders he'd be hunting down when the war was done..

He loved Nicole to distraction. He could admit it to himself, but saying it out loud would give her a power over him that worried him. He'd always been his own man and admitting his love for Nicole would change that. But he wasn't some pansy f.u.c.ker, he'd pin Nicole down and make sure she knew who owned her. He'd leave no doubt.