Her friend let out a sob and dropped her head to Sheila’s shoulder.
A sickening wave of terror welled up in Arianne’s throat. For all the abuse she had suffered at Viper’s hands, under no circumstances would he have done anything like this. She was his, and he never let her forget it.
The door slammed open, flooding the room with light. She craned her neck over her shoulder, freezing when she saw three men silhouetted in the doorway. She recognized Jeff at once. And Bunny from his girth. The third man had to be Axle. She shuffled around to face them and straightened her back. No way would she let them see her fear.
“So what did you bring me that’s worth eighty grand and a kilo of meth?” Bunny flicked on the light and leaned against the doorjamb. Axle entered the room, grabbed Arianne by the shoulder and pulled her to her knees.
“This. Jeff’s tied her up and chained her. She’s a bit of a hellcat.”
“Don’t touch me.” Rage, fierce and unexpected, shot through her veins. She tried to shake him off, heedless of his hand swinging—until pain exploded across her cheek.
“Shut the fuck up.”
“Don’t damage her anymore.” Bunny joined Axle and then crouched down in front of Arianne. “I can’t sell her if she’s marked up too bad, and you’ve already lowered her price by giving her all those bruises.”
Although her cheek throbbed and her vision was hazy, she met his gaze, staring into his cold, black eyes. “You can’t seriously think Viper will let you get away with this.”
Bunny tilted his head to the side. “Viper? I’m not afraid of Viper. But why would he care about a piece of trash like you?” He twisted his hand through her hair and yanked her head back.
She drew in a shuddering breath. Bunny didn’t recognize her. And how could he, with her face swollen and bruised? And if neither Jeff nor Axle hadn’t told him who she was …
“You don’t recognize me, Bunny? After I whipped your boy’s ass at pool? And I thought we had a deal. I won. Jeff’s debt was wiped out. Although now I’m thinking you should break his legs like you said you were going to do, because he’s no brother of mine.”
Bunny stiffened and shoved her back. “Jesus Christ. You’re Jagger’s girl.” He pushed himself to his feet and glared at Jeff, his face a mask of fury. “You brought me Jagger’s girl? Your fucking sister? I knew you weren’t right in the head, but that’s fucking twisted. You’re selling your sister for eighty grand and a kilo of meth?”
“You want her or not?” Jeff said, his tone flat. And just like that, she knew she was alone. His voice was devoid of everything that had made him her little brother: compassion, emotion, warmth … love.
Bunny grabbed Jeff’s shirt and shoved him against the wall. “She’s Jagger’s girl. You got that?”
“What the fuck are you talking about? “Jeff shouted. “Jagger claimed her as a blood price for the shit that went down at his clubhouse. He’s gonna kill her, not fuck her. I’m saving her life, bringing her to you.”
“That’s not what I saw.” Bunny thudded him against the wall again. “She came here for you and he came looking for her. Brought his boys with him. But did he drag her outta here? No fucking way. He was all over her. And I mean all over. I thought they were gonna go at it right on my damn pool table. I got it all on tape. When I say she’s his girl, I don’t mean she was gonna blow him for the night, or she was being forced into it. I mean. She. Is. His. Girl.”
Jeff’s eyes narrowed and he glared at Arianne. “No fucking way.”
“Yes fucking way.” Bunny grabbed the neck of his T-shirt and tugged it down. “And just so I got the message, Jagger had his boys beat the fucking crap outta me and my crew. Two of them are still in the hospital. They broke a couple of my ribs and they did this.”
Arianne couldn’t see what he showed Jeff on his neck, but she could guess.
“I thought I’d fucking bleed out on the street,” Bunny spat, his voice thick with venom. “If Peter hadn’t found me and called an ambulance, I woulda died in the alley. Gonna have a scar across my neck for the rest of my life. And all so I wouldn’t forget she was his girl.”
Jeff’s lips curled in disgust. “You sold out, Ari? You’re sleeping with the fucking enemy? You betrayed our club? Our family?”
Blood roared through her ears drowing out every sound except the thunder of her own rage. “Seriously? How can you accuse me of betraying our family when you’re trying to sell me to pay a debt to Axle and buy yourself drugs? You don’t understand what family means.”
“You don’t understand.” Jeff’s voice rose to a shout and he shoved Bunny to the side. “You never did. Little Miss Perfect. Viper’s fucking pet.”
Pet? He was delusional.