Claiming Crusher (Savage Brothers MC #4)(72)

“He…they beat her. She, oh God, I’ve never seen someone hurt that bad before. He’ll kill her if we don’t get her.”

I’ve heard enough. They can all stand around and talk if they want to. I tear out of there heading straight for the old school.

I make it in record time and way ahead of my brothers, but the place is empty. There’s no sign of the f*cker anywhere and worse, there’s no sign of Dani. I comb through the place and I find a corner covered in blood about the time the rest of the crew show up.

“Son of a bitch!” I growl when I see the huge amount of blood. She’s so small. How can she withstand so much blood loss? I close my eyes and remember that day on the beach when she smiled and kissed me. I hear her whisper, I love you Zander and it’s all I can do to keep standing. I turn on my brother. “I knew by you f*cking around it would end up screwing us in the ass. Now we have no idea where the hell Dani is!”

Dragon doesn’t react with words, he swings and uppercuts me under the chin. I wasn’t expecting it, so I fall back on the ground. I want to get up and go a few rounds with him. Dragon is a mean motherf*cker, but then so am I and it just might make me feel better to pound him. I don’t though. I know I’m in the wrong here, but goddamn it I need him to help me get my woman back.

“Motherf*cker! That is not what screwed us in the ass!” Dragon yells, and squats down to look at me. He’s vibrating with anger. He can join the club. “What screwed us in the ass, dick-weed, was you overruling my f*cking orders. Tell me, where the f*ck is my prisoner today, Crush? What the f*ck did you do with him?” When I don’t answer him he grabs me by the hair on my head and pulls me up to stand with him. “Where the f*ck is my prisoner, Crush?”

I think about not answering, but in the end I’m honest with him—or at least mostly honest. “I did what you wouldn’t.”

“Yeah, and what was that, brother?”

“I interrogated the ass-wipe,” I say easily, half hoping Dragon will start whaling on me and give me an excuse to hit back.

“Gee, wonder why I didn’t think of that. Tell me Crush, did you find out one more damn piece of information?”

I should be honest here, I need his help, but I’m tired of Dragon being a sanctimonious *. If this was Nicole missing he’d be going f*cking crazier than I am. So, I don’t tell him shit. I’ll do it on my own.

“Do you know why that is dick-head? It’s because he didn’t f*cking know anything!” He growls. “Did you set him free, at least, and have someone follow him?”

Here is where guilt hits, because I really should have done better with this part, if nothing else. Still, it is what it is. “There wasn’t anything left to set free,” I tell him.

As lies go, this one is the least of my worries.





Chapter 37




Dani


I don’t know how long I’ve been out. When I come to, all I know is that I’m staring at the face of the devil himself. I also notice my hands are tied. My feet are free, but that doesn’t help me get the knife I have hidden under my jacket.

“We meet again, dear wife. You look pretty good for a dead woman.”

“It’s amazing what escaping life with a f*cking * will do for you,” I answer. I get a kick to the stomach in thanks for my sarcasm. Since I’m expecting a lot more, I suck it up. “Nice to know you’re still the same bastard you’ve always been,” I grunt, because it’s hard to catch my breath.

“Aw, my Melinda how I’ve missed you, but I don’t remember you being quite so outspoken before. It will be fun breaking you. I shall have to do it quick though, since you can’t live much longer. You see dear wife, I’m getting married next week.”

“My condolences to your fiancé.”

“Melinda, you sound almost…jealous,” he says and he bends down to the floor where I’m sitting, bending down so his face is mere inches from mine. Inside my heart is hammering and I’m a nervous wreck. I’ve been afraid before. I was married to the devil himself, so I’ve been deep into fear. So deep that my body felt frozen, but right now I have to acknowledge that it’s over. I’m dying…. I’m dying tonight. Within that certainty there is freedom. There’s nothing more that Michael can do to me than he doesn’t already have planned. He’s going to take it all from me. He’s going to kill me. So, when he bends his face down towards me, I look at him. I really look at him. He once had features a teenage girl found dashing and debonair. Now, they fall flat and I only see the ugly. Eyes that once looked dark and mysterious are now hidden behind designer shades and seriously, we’re in an old deserted building. The lighting in here sucks. Why on Earth would you wear sunglasses? I don’t need to see his eyes to know that they’re soulless.

“Jealous? You have to be kidding me,” I tell him, my stomach churning with the need to vomit.

“It’s okay Melinda, I can give you a pity f*ck for old time’s sake,” he says moving in. He grabs my hair and gathers it in a tight hold, pulling my face closer to him and his lips are so close to mine that I am enveloped by his sickening scent. “I do remember what a wild girl you are, maybe I’ll let Donald join in. One last hurrah before you die, this doesn’t have to be a completely unpleasant experience.”