AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I start thrashing around in the man’s grip, but it’s not doing much. I wish Ruin had gotten around to teaching me how to fight with my hands, not just guns. The one he gave me is in my purse. But I have no idea where my purse is.
“Calm her down and let’s go,” another guy says.
Their voices are muffled and as they shine their flashlights to guide the way I see why. They’re all wearing masks over their noses and mouth. Only their eyes are visible. For a split-second hope floods my chest. The Devils wear masks like these sometimes. Maybe this is just some kind of a sick joke. But I know in my heart it’s not. This is real. I’m getting taken. Again.
“Eden?” I shout. “Help!”
The guy holding me clasps a hand over my mouth. It smells of leather and nicotine and now I can’t breathe on top of being about ready to puke up all the gin and juice.
They drag me down the stairs and via the back door to the alleyway. They don’t have Eden. I can see that much. I hope she got away. I hope she’ll come back and bring help.
They threw me into the back of a van with flowers printed on the sides. Like a florist’s van. And there’s a flower shop in this alley. They must’ve planned all this out. Rode here in a van that didn’t look at all out of place. And now this van will be the source of new nightmares for me. I’m not ready to give into those yet. But who are these guys? And aren’t the Devils supposed to be patrolling Pleasantville?
I’m alone in the back of the van, which is moving now, but not going very fast at all. I start kicking at the back door and shouting as loud as I can. It’s the middle of the night. Someone’s gotta hear me. But the van just keeps going, picking up speed until we’re racing down some road and I finally realize it’s all over.
I don’t even want to imagine where I’ll end up when the van stops again. Thing is, I don’t have to imagine. I’ve seen every type of nasty whorehouse there is from here all the way up to Canada.
Ruin will find me.
But what if he doesn’t?
It’s another thing I can’t bear to think about.
Whatever happens, I won’t let them turn me into a whore again. I’ll die before I let that happen. And I’ll take as many of them with me as I can.
29
Ruin
It was a quiet sort of night at the Inn after Joker left. Or as quiet as nights there can be. I was barely able to stop a knife fight between Archer and some random dude who thought he’d bring the war against the Devils to us. Then I got into another fight minutes later that very nearly resulted in another notch on my arm. After that, I decided I maybe better get some sleep, since the next few days of getting friendly with Joker will probably require all my focus, so I better not get injured over some dumb shit.
Ariel texted that she and Eden were having a blast with a bottle of gin, and Edge left at around eleven to spend some time with Summer.
Loud banging on my room door woke me just before dawn. It probably woke at least half of the rest of the residents, going by the obscenities they shouted through the thin walls while I demanded to know what was going on.
Joker wants us to ride. That’s all the answer I got.
I’m standing next to my bike in the bleak pre-sunrise light, smoking a cigarette that tastes like someone already smoked it before me, and trying not to worry too much about what the day will bring. Edge got word to the Devils about what happened last night. Cross’ orders are to stick with Joker for now and deal with the three snitches later.
Bane and Archer are already here too, Bane standing with his eyes closed next to his bike, looking like he’s gone back to sleep. Also assembled are Karma, Psycho, Grim and another three of the Forsaken that had arrived last night, right before I went to bed. One of them is a long-legged beauty with dark purple streaks in her black hair and wearing leather riding gear that hugs her curves like a spandex body suit made just for her. Ariel would look bomb in something like that. We need to get her some.
The Lost Sons are here too. Eight of them. They’re all wearing their cuts, along with matching white, red and black neck scarves that they probably use to conceal their faces the way we use bandanas. Between that, and the fact that none of them bothered to introduce themselves to me, I’m wondering if maybe they mean to attack us rather than befriend us.
Fossil comes out of the sleeping section of the building, followed by two more Lost Sons.
“We’re ready,” one of them announces. “Let’s ride.”
“Where are we going?” I ask, squashing the cigarette under my boot.
“You’ll see,” one of the Lost Sons answers gruffly.
They’re all around my age, maybe a couple of years older. And the way they’re looking at me kind of gives me the creeps. But maybe that’s just because of my jitters. I’m more than a little out of my depth with this whole set up. Give me a knife, a gun and a clear kill target and I’m your guy. This stealth shit, without knowing friend from enemy, that’s another matter.
“We should wait for Edge,” I say, but the guy shakes his head.
“We ride now.”
The Sons all mount their bikes practically as one, which would be funny if it weren’t also pretty intimidating. They’re a well-organized bunch. Kind of like the Devils. Only a lot colder.
