I gasp, my throat closing in. “Don’t, please.”

“Your friend wouldn’t be happy if her daughter went missing, and died, because of you...imagine what her old man will do to you, if he knows it’s your fault his daughter is dead...”

“You wouldn’t do that to one of your own men’s children, would you?” I rasp.

“Course I fuckin’ would. I would do it, and I would put it back on you. Don’t mess with me. You know I will bring you down, and I’ll do it fuckin’ hard.”

“Please, Hogan, I will do as you ask. Just leave them out of it.”

“Fuckin’ right you will. Find out when they’re going to hit us and how.”

“I-I-I think it’s the wrong club, they don’t seem...”

“What?” he roars, “you little fuckin’ slut. Don’t you fuckin’ question me. I know who fuckin’ blew my compound, and I know why. Those two fuckin’ clubs are goin’ down.”

“B-b-but...”

“Shut the fuck up, and do as you’re fuckin’ told or your friend’s kid goes for a swim...”

Oh God. The phone hangs up and I double over, gripping my stomach as tears stream down my battered face. I’m trapped. It doesn’t matter what I do. I can’t escape. He’s going to find a way to make me betray these people, and I’m likely to end up dead because of it. I won’t risk my best friend and her baby and he knows it. I would never put her in that position. I have no choice.

I have to stay.

~*~

SERENITY

Addison returns half an hour later with a big, good looking biker behind her. I’m in the living room now, sitting on the couch with my legs tucked to my chest, trying to control the shaking that refuses to leave my body. Addi tilts her head to the side, giving me a concerned expression before walking over and stopping in front of me.

“Hey,” she says gently. “You ok?”

“Just feeling a bit ill,” I lie.

“Do you want to go to sleep? You don’t have to eat.”

I shake my head. “I’m ok...”

She nods, and then smiles. “This is my soon to be husband, Cade.”

The handsome biker steps forward, flashing me a warm, inviting grin. I want to shake my head in confusion. My father must have this all wrong. These men can’t be the cold, deadly killers he speaks of. They’re so...kind. I’m yet to meet one of them that’s nasty, horrible or rude.

“How you doin’, sugar? Lookin’ pretty beat up.”

I shudder, but keep the false smile. “I’m feeling better. Thank you.”

He nods. “You find that mongrel that did this, and we’ll make him pay.”

I laugh weakly. “Jackson said the same thing earlier.”

“What did I say?”

I jump at the voice coming from the doorway, but Addi and Cade simply turn and smile as Jackson walks in, shrugging off his jacket and leaning down to open the pizza box. He takes a slice of pizza, and stares at the three of us. His eyes scan over me a moment longer than the other two, and I suddenly feel tiny under his gaze.

“Just tellin’ Serenity here, that if she figures out where the mongrel who beat her is, she should tell us so we can sort him out.”

Jackson nods. “Yeah, fuckin’ sort him out alright.”

“Thank you,” I say in a small voice. “But it’s fine.”

“How old are you girl? Can’t be more than eighteen and you’re tellin’ us it’s fine for a man twice, possibly three times your age, to beat you?” Jackson says, giving me a confused expression.

“I’m actually twenty-five,” I squeak.

Everyone in the room raises their brows. I feel color creep into my cheeks. I know to most people I look like a teenager. I am no more than five foot three, with a tiny build, small breasts, small ass, and, well, small everything. My hair is dark, and so long and thick it almost looks heavier than me. My eyes are hazel. I’m lucky really, I got my mother’s looks over my fathers, thank Christ for that. My mother was a cheap hooker, who ran out on me when I was two, but I know she was attractive. Hogan had a photo of her, and so I kept it. He doesn’t know I kept it, but I did.

“Bullshit...” Jackson says, narrowing his eyes at me.

“It’s the truth,” I say, swallowing nervously.

“Show me your ID?” Addi laughs. “That can’t be true.”

My heart begins to hammer. If they ask too much about me, they’ll figure out who I am. I can’t just whip out my ID and show them. I should have kept my damn mouth shut instead of opening it. I’m going to make them suspicious and blow this entire thing out of the water.

“I-I-I don’t have it,” I stammer.

“I was joking,” Addi says softly. “It’s ok.”

I get to my feet, feeling my knees wobble. “I’m just going to get some sleep. Thank you, for taking me in.”

They all nod, staring at me oddly as I turn and rush off up the stairs. When I get to my room, I close the door behind me and press my back to it, letting out a long, weak sigh. I don’t know if I can do this. I just don’t know if I’m strong enough. How can I hurt people who have done nothing to me?

Think of your family, the ones they blew up.

I’m trying to, but it’s not enough for me to want to hurt them. It’s just not enough. Hogan deserves everything he gets. He killed that other biker’s wife, everyone knows that. He doesn’t care about them, or their families, and yet he wants me to care about mine. How can I? When mine are monsters? I slide down the door, dropping my head into my hands and wincing as my palms press against my bruised face.