Hook (Brutal Chains MC #1)

Chapter 2

Two

Bea

"Sunshine...sunshine..." I sing softly to myself as I huddle down even as tightly as I can on the floor of the back seat.

My mother used to sing me this song when I was a young girl. Whenever she'd sing it to me I'd feel better. Unfortunately, it's not having the same effect on me as it usually does. Mostly because it's near freezing out, and I'm trying to hide under a small fleece blanket and the rest of the clothes I was able to sneak out of my house.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to focus on the words of the song, but my teeth are chattering so hard my jaw hurts and I can't.

How the hell did this happen?

One day I was living a semi good life. Working a dead end job and my social life was in shambles, but I was still looking forward to waking up and getting on with the day. I never thought my fucked up decisions would come back to haunt me.

That is, until I got the first letter.

Lance Toffee was my first bad boy. He's charming and intense. He love bombed me from the very first second we met and instead of seeing all the red flags for what they were I conveniently ignored them.

By the time he went to prison for aggravated assault I was just a shell of the woman I'd used to be. When he got in the police car I thought my life would finally go back to normal. I was so wrong.

Week after week, Lance would somehow get a message to me. Sometimes it was letters, other times it was dead flowers. The worst was when he'd get one of his henchmen to come pay me a visit, saying they were just making sure I was okay. It was all a ploy to keep me under his thumb. The only comfort I had was knowing that Lance was locked up.

Now he's out.

They actually gave that crazed psycho parole and he took no time in letting me know that he was coming for me.

I went to the cops and tried to plead my case but since there was no real proof, they couldn't do anything to help me. Only said if he shows up I should give them a call. What good that's going to do me. If Lance shows up, I'm as good as dead.

Doing my best I force my thoughts away from Lance. I'm a fool for thinking I could change him. For letting myself be claimed by someone I knew was bad for me. I'll never let anyone get close to me. Not again. I've learned my lesson.

"Sunshine... Sun..." The words falter in my throat and I get still as I hear a vehicle rolling up near my car. I'm parked in a lot. When I got here earlier there were plenty of cars but I haven't looked out the window in a long while. I don't want to chance someone seeing me in here. It's late enough that I know whoever is outside my car isn't here for anything good.

It's got to be one of Lance's men.

My mouth goes dry as I sip small breaths in. If I don't make a sound, maybe whoever is outside will go away. I'm going to have to find a new hiding spot. I can't go back home. It's the first place Lance is going to come looking for me. My parents are on the other side of the world and when I started my relationship with Lance they all but disowned me. I'm on my own here.

Heavy footsteps walk around the car. The tromping reverberates in my body with every step. My mind plays over a million and one scenarios. None of which ends well for me. I can't get taken. Can't let Lance win.

Moving as slowly as I can I fumble around next to me on the floor and wrap my hand around the tire iron I brought out of my trunk. This is the only weapon I have. If whoever it is outside has a gun or something I'm not going to last very long. Still I have to try.

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from screaming out when I hear the front door open and a heavy grunt as someone looks through my vehicle.

Why the hell didn't I lock my car?

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Moving is not an option right now. My palms are sweating and whereas before I was shaking because of the cold now I'm shaking in fear. Any second the person in the front seat is going to look in the back and move the blanket that I'm hiding under. They'll find me and kill me right there on the spot.

I say a silent prayer to whoever will listen for my life. I just need to get through tonight. I need to get through tonight and then I'll make a plan. I'll go to church. I'll do community service. I'll do whatever I have to just to stay alive.

The heavy sighs and grunts stop and whoever is in the front seat opens the door again and gets out of the car.

Did that really just work?

My intense and sudden elation quickly turns to mind-boggling fear when I hear the loud beeping sounds of a truck backing up followed by my car jostling a few times and finally the front half of it being lifted off the ground.

It's worse than I thought. They weren't going to kill me right here. Whoever was outside was going to take me to Lance so he could do it himself.

I want to scream. I want to run out of the car and beg for my life but I can't move.

I've never felt more hopeless than I do right now as my car is lifted and dragged away with me still huddled under a blanket on the floor of the backseat.

My life is over.

I grab hold of the tire iron in my hand and squeeze tight. I know what the end is going to be but I'm not going to go down without a fight. Lance is going to get his one way or another.

Remembering all I've learned from the crime shows I watch, I do my best in trying to commit to memory the different twists and turns that the car makes but I can't keep up. I don't know why I'm doing it, it's not like I'm going to be able to leave wherever this person is taking me anyway.

Hope. It's a crazy emotion.

Even just a slither of a chance that I might make it out alive has my mind going in circles. Trying to think up a plan or a bargain I can make to save my own life.

I know Lance isn't going to want anything in exchange. I'm his ultimate prize. The fact that he really thinks I was supposed to wait for him like a good little puppy says it all. He thinks he owns me. Thinks I'm nothing more than his prized possession.

Never again.

I calm my breathing, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment as the car comes to a stop and I hear the door to another car open and close. This is it.

I have to get ready.

Quickly I wipe my hands against my legs to dry the sweat coating my palms, before I grab for the tire iron again.

The steps get closer to the car and I feel the front end lowered to the ground. Steps come closer still, closer to my door. Closer to me.

The lock disengages on the door right above my feet.

It opens.

Cool air blows in and the blanket is slowly pulled away.

It's now or never.

If I'm going to live, I'm going to have to fight for my life.

Internal warrior princess activate!

"No!" The scream that pushes up and out of my throat is so loud I'm sure people hear it on the other side of town.

Jumping out feet first, I kick the person right at the opening of the door.

"What the fuck?" A deep voice grunts as they stumble back.

I don't wait for them to get back on guard. I raise the tire iron over my shoulder and swing wildly. I'll kill to stay away from Lance. I'll do whatever I have to.

Swinging again, I aim directly at the head of the man in front of me.

Centimeters from contact, the man catches the heavy tire iron. He yanks me forward and turns me so my back is to his front as we both wrestle for control of the weapon.

All my fight, all the strength I tried to save up for this moment is all but drained out of me. I can't fight anymore. The man yanks the tire iron out of my grasp but doesn't let me go.

I can feel his breath against my ear as he talks, "Someone's been a bad girl."