Born to Ride_A Clubhouse Collection

chapter Twenty One

Zara

All I knew was that we drove for a very long time. Long enough that the kids fell asleep in my arms, leaning their heavy weight upon me, and it was long enough for me to doze off and on for quite some time.

I think my relaxed state showed the children not to worry, and in return they weren’t, so they could sleep knowing that I’d be there to protect them.

Why I was relaxed, I think, had many added contributions; for one: alcohol still flowed through my body. For two: I knew Talon would go to great lengths to find us, and three: I was stronger in mind, body, and spirit to deal with an asshat like David.

The only thing that had me worried, but I didn’t let show, was how all this was going to be played out. What was David going to do to? At least I was sure he would never harm a child. I—on the other hand—was a different story altogether. Though, I wasn’t worried for myself, only and always for the children.

So to keep my relaxed state for the kids, I thought of Talon.

His eyes and how they grew soft for me.

His mouth when he smiled at me.

His hands and body, and how he always sorted me out in a room.

Him.

The perfect, dominating, alpha-bossy biker, who was a hard-scary-assed, beautifully hot, delicious man.

Sometimes, I had to focus, because my mind kept supplying me with other freaked-out thoughts of Mattie, Julian, Mattie, Julian. Hope they’re okay. I have to be good. I cannot rip into these guys like a momma T-Rex because...Mattie, Julian, Mattie, Julian.

However many seconds, minutes, or hours later, the car came to a stop. The kids were roused from their sleep, and again, I reassured them that things were going to be okay.

“Keep the masks on,” one of them ordered. The doors opened, we were pulled out onto a gravel road, I took a hand of Cody and Maya's, and our feet crunched the gravel as we stumbled blindly along. A door was opened; thankfully, there were no steps or I would have fallen flat on my face, bringing the children down with me.

“It’s going to be okay,” I said for the umpteenth time, and received a hand squeeze from both.

We were placed in a room in front of—what I guessed—a couch, which I felt at the back of my calves.

“Sit,” one kidnapper said. We sat, where I cradled the children close to me. The door opened again; someone walked in, and I heard a chair being slid back, the sound of that someone sitting in it. I knew who it was straight away. I could never misplace his strong, stinking cologne.

“Remove,” David said, with a smile upon his mouth. I’d been around him enough to know when he was smiling.


Our head-covers were whipped off. I blinked a couple of times to bring focus back. The kids rubbed at their eyes. I looked up and found David sitting behind a desk, his hands folded on top of it; his eyes gleamed with a ‘gotcha’ look, and his mouth was smirking at me. He looked the same as he had six years ago. The same ocean blue eyes that had sucked me in, the same slim, tall form. The only difference was that his sandy hair had receded more on top.

“Hello, my dear Zara Edgingway.” he gleamed.

“David.”

“What, that’s it? That’s all you have to say to your husband? After all these years,” he spat, disgusted. “Get the kids out of here. I want to talk to my wife.”

“What? No, no, David. Please let them stay with me,” I begged. I didn’t trust the men standing behind the couch. Especially the one looking eagerly at my daughter.

David chuckled. “I doubt they’d want to hear what we have to talk about, darling.”

“You leave her alone,” Cody yelled, as he stood from the couch.

“Cody,” I said, pulling him back beside me. “It’s okay, hun.” I kissed the top of his head and looked to David again. “David, do you at least have someone who could be trusted with them? Please.”

He did a full belly laugh. “Of course I do.” He picked up the phone, pushed a button, and said into it, “Bring them in.”

Moments later, the door opened; a guy in jeans and a long-sleeved black tee walked in. But I was more interested in the voice I heard in the hall.

“Are you bastards ever going to let us go? You know I’ve missed my tit appointment; not that I’d really want to get them squished into a vice, but it has to be done with a woman my age. Plus, my kids must be worried by now.”

A sigh. “Nancy.” And I knew that person would be shaking his head.

“Mum?” I called, shocked.

I stood as an older version of me walked into the room wearing black pants and a red woolen jumper. Behind her was a brooding form of an older version of Mattie, only he was taller, with dark grey hair and warm, green eyes. Both of them looked a little worse for wear, a bruise on Mum’s cheek and Dad had a black eye.

I felt sick.

David was going to pay.

“Dad?”

“Oh, my baby,” Mum cried, and she ran at me.

“Mum, oh God, Mum, Dad,” I sobbed.

“Sweetheart,” Dad said, with tears in his eyes. They both wrapped me up in their arms.

“Oh, oh, is this my little angel, Maya?” Mum pulled away, picked Maya up, and hugged her to her chest.

“And who do we have here?” Dad asked. “Hey, buddy. I’m Richard, Zara’s dad; and that loud lady is Nancy, Zara’s crazy mum.”

“I heard that, Richard, and I’m not crazy.”

“It’s so great to see you both,” I cried. “A-and this is Cody. Talon’s son.”

“Really, and who’s Talon?” Mum asked.

“He’s my mum’s man, Nanny,” Maya informed.

“My dad’s the one who’s gonna come here and kick his ass,” Cody whispered to my parents. I pulled him into a hug.

“Well, we look forward to meeting him.”

David cleared his throat. “As do I. Now, isn’t this reunion   grand? But it ends now.”

“No,” I said. “Please, I just got them back. Oh, God, Mum, Dad. Mattie said you were dead, killed in a car accident.”

“Yes, well. That’s what the idiot over there told us too. But it was his way of trying to get you to show; he thought you’d turn up at our funeral, and then he’d nab you there.”

“Enough. Take them and the children out. I’ll deal with them later.”

Nancy placed Maya's feet back on the floor and tugged Maya behind her body. Dad did the same with Cody.

“Mummy,” Maya wailed. “I’m not leaving my Mummy,” Maya said, stomping her foot on the floor.

“Ha! I’m afraid so, daughter of mine.”

“You’re not my daddy, Talon is,” she stated.

David’s upper lip raised. “Get them out of here. Now!”

“I’ll see you soon; it’s going to be fine.” How many times had I said that? I could only hope it was true. The great part was that I knew my parents would do anything to protect Maya and Cody, and they knew that I would understand that.

“Be smart and safe, sweetheart,” Dad said.

Oh, God. Just like Mattie.

Snot a block—Mattie and Julian.

I nodded, tears threatening again. “Be good kids for your grandparents.” I kissed Maya and Cody on their temple. “I love you both,” I said, and it was then I saw for the first time, tears in Cody’s eyes.

“Love you too, Mummy.” Maya smiled. Cody gave me a chin lift...just like his father.

Mum hugged me close and whispered, “Don’t give in.”

“I never will.” Not when I had Talon.

She picked up Maya. Dad placed his arm around Cody’s shoulders, and they walked silently from the room with two guards, the one that came in with them, and one of Rocko’s men. Thankfully, the one who eyed Maya stayed behind.

I slumped back onto the couch.

“No, no, Zara. Come and sit in this chair.” David gestured with his hand to the chair Pervy Guy placed a foot in front of David’s desk.

I rolled my eyes, hopped up, walked over, and sank into the wooden chair. Pervy Guy came to stand behind me. Hairs on the back of my neck raised; I looked over my shoulder at him, and he grinned down at me.

“What’s your name?” I couldn’t keep calling him Pervy Guy, and I needed a name to seek my vengeance on.

“Call me, Jeff.”

I doubted that was his real name.

David stood, walked around the table, and stopped in front of me. My heart rate accelerated as Jeff grabbed both my arms and pulled then roughly behind the chair, holding them in place.

“Why all the fuss for me, David?”

He laughed. “I never like to let anything go, Zara, you knew this.”

Whack. He slapped me across my already sore face.

“Obviously, I hired the wrong people to find you, for it to take this long. Wasn’t it lucky these men contacted me and said they’d found my wife? You really should have turned up at the funeral, Zara. I might not have been as mad as I am now,” he said, leaning over with his hands on the armrests of the chair, our noses nearly touching. “But then again, you have really pissed me off.” He leaned back.

Whack. A hit to the other side of my face forced my head around.

At least he was being kind enough to not hit me in the same spot.

I licked my lip and tasted blood.

I don’t know if I’m going to get out of this.

“Six years, Zara. You left me for six long years, and if you hadn’t, I would have been fine. My plan would have been over by now, and I would be a rich man. But it didn’t, all because of you.”

Whack. I slumped in the chair and winced, not just from David hitting me, but from being held in place, my shoulders and arms protested against the angle Jeff had them in.

“Sit her up,” David ordered. He sat back on the desk, eyeing me. It was starting to get a little hard to see; my face was already swelling. I felt the urge to vomit. The taste of blood and the pain churned in my stomach.

“So, we have a daughter.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Now, he wanted to talk.

“Oof,” I breathed, as David punched me in the stomach. I tried to calm my breathing, but ended up in a coughing fit. I spat blood onto the floor.

“Do not laugh at me.” He opened a drawer in the desk and pulled out a wet wipe, wiping away my blood from his hands. He pulled out a knife, stalked back around, and in one move, he stabbed it into my leg.

I bit my lip, trying to stop my scream, but it still escaped.

He pulled it out slowly and ordered, “Rest her up a bit. I need to make some calls, and then we’ll talk again.”

I was pulled from the chair just before I passed out.