Chaos Bound (Sinner's Tribe Motorcycle Club #4)(20)

Naiya smiled up at him. She rarely told anyone about the ring for fear they would make fun of her. But Holt seemed genuinely interested.

“He was a ghost with no superpowers so he defeated his foes using his intelligence. He wore two rings that could permanently mark everyone they touched. This one is the Good Mark, and people who touch it are under the Phantom’s protection and the mark gives good luck. On his right hand he wears the Skull Mark and people that receive it, usually with a punch, are branded a victim of his wrath and bad luck follows them around. I used to imagine he gave me the Good Mark to protect me. Not that it did any good. I’ve had to look after myself since my grandmother passed away.”

“Maybe it did,” he said. “You found me. I’ll protect you.”

“Not the Sinners?” She bit her lip and then forged ahead. “You aren’t going back to the club?”

“They f*cking abandoned me.” Bitterness laced his tone, and his fist clenched against her side. “They left me to die in that shit hole. After I’ve offed Viper and as many of the Jacks as I can take out at once, I’m going back to make the Sinners pay. Just like I did when I was just a teenager. My parents f*cking abandoned me and my sister so they could get high or drunk or whatever they needed to help them forget their shitty life. A street gang became my family. I took the fall for the president when it all went bad and wasted two years of my life in juvenile detention. When I got out, I found out the first thing the president did was go after my sister because I wasn’t there to protect her.”

“Oh, God, Holt. I’m so sorry.”

His voice caught, broke. “I had lots of time to plan while I was in Viper’s dungeon. I got a new mission in life. Revenge. It’s the only reason I survived as long as I did. It’s what I lived for. It’s all I want.”

Naiya placed a gentle hand over Holt’s heart. “I’m not the only one hurting inside.”





SIX

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Holt jerked awake, blinking in the semi-darkness, his heart pounding in his chest. How long had he been asleep? Usually he timed his sleep by the light coming through the bottom of the door. Daylight was safe because Viper was busy with club business. Night. Darkness. That was the dangerous time. He tried to stay awake at night so Viper wouldn’t take him by surprise. There was no light now, but there was something on his chest. Moving.

Rat.

Holt bolted up, brushing off his chest, his arm flinging to the side with enough force to smash the rat against the wall. After so many months, he had a system in place and a pile of decaying rodents in the corner of the dungeon as a measure of his success.

Except this time his hand met with flesh, not fur. And the rodent screamed.

Damn. Still alive. He rolled to the side, his hands outstretched to catch it.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Someone pounded on the door. Viper was here. The pain would begin again.

“Holt. No.”

He reached, grabbed something much bigger than a rat. Smooth. Soft.

Another scream. A sob. Shouting outside the door.

“Holt. Please. It’s me. Naiya.”

“Naiya.” A shriek came from outside. “Doug. Break it down.”

Holt froze. Beneath his palms he could feel the thud of a pulse. Water dripped on his hand.

No. Not water. Tears.

Naiya.

He ripped his hands away, rolled off the bed. Naiya curled up on the mattress, her hands around her neck. Sobbing.

“Fuck.” He reached for her across the bed as the door continued to shake. “I thought I was back in the dungeon … I didn’t know. Did I hurt you?”

“Door.” She pointed behind him, waving him away. “It’s my friend, Ally.”

Holt didn’t move. “I hurt you.”

“Please…” She swallowed, her voice soft, broken. “Open the door.”

He unlocked the door and pulled it open. A woman pushed past him and ran into the room, leaving him face to face with a man only an inch or two shorter than him, but with at least fifty pounds on him in weight.

“On the ground.” The dude pointed to the floor. “Hands behind your head.”

“What the f*ck?” Holt folded his arms. “You some kind of cop?”

“He is a cop,” the woman—Ally—shouted. “So you’d better do what he says.”

“Where’s your uniform?”

“It’s okay, Doug.” Naiya said from the circle of Ally’s arms. “He didn’t mean to hurt me. He was half asleep.”

The cop stared at Holt and he stared right back, each of them assessing the other. Any other day, Holt would have been confident he could take the bastard down, but today—tonight—he might have to work at it.

“Doug. Stand down.” Naiya broke away from Ally, stepped between Holt and Doug. Even from where he stood, Holt could see the marks of his fingers around her neck. One more second and he would have choked her. He might be out of the dungeon, but it wasn’t out of him. Maybe it never would be.

How could he keep her close if he was a danger to her? And what the f*ck had he been thinking putting this innocent girl back in Viper’s sights? But how else would he lure Viper and to exact his revenge? And how else could he keep Naiya safe?

Without thinking, Holt reached out and lightly stroked the marks on Naiya’s neck. She shuddered, and Ally slapped his hand away.