“She looks just like you now,” Beretta tells me, smiling a bit, though her smile quickly fades. “I’m so sorry you’re in this situation. I do hope you find some comfort in knowing they’re close now. Only a three-hour drive to Boston.”
As Beretta’s voice fades into the background the only thing I can think about is how I’m going to get to Peyton. They’ve kept her from me for far too long, made me feel like I was weak, like I couldn’t ever go to the police after what they did. They made my life a living hell, and I’m one hundred percent certain they’re doing the same to other vulnerable women.
I flip through the photographs and see Eric, my estranged husband, smiling with a woman a few feet behind Peyton. She seems young. She looks like me. Knowing him he’s lured her into the same trap and he’ll do everything he can to keep her there.
Clenching my fists, I vow I’ll get my vengeance sooner rather than later. He won’t hurt anyone else, and neither will the cause he follows.
Chapter Three
Ricochet
Sipping on my beer, I catch the door open and close quickly. For a second I think I’m goin’ a bit crazy because I don’t see anyone new around, but I realize a dark shadow sitting at the table we have in the corner. Narrowing my eyes, the hue of her purple hair gives her away.
Venom’s usually one who sits at the bar with me, or one of the other guys. Never since knowing her has she been the type who keeps to herself.
“Can you get me a vodka on the rocks?” I ask Iris, who draws her brows together immediately.
“A vodka on the rocks . . . you sick or something?”
“No, for Venom.” I motion with my head toward the back of the room and Iris’ mouth shifts into an ‘o’.
“Give me a minute and I’ll have it ready.”
I give Iris a minute and keep an eye on Venom, who’s now leaning her head back against the wall. No one in the club would just walk up to her and ask her what’s goin’ on because we all appreciate our space. Not only that, but we respect one another not to hover. Now, I’m not gonna be hovering but I will bring a woman a drink who looks like she desperately needs it right about now.
“Don’t think I’m not noticing you staring at her,” Faith mutters, causing Iris to giggle beside her.
“I’m just makin’ sure she’s alright,” I tell Faith, but I don’t think any of us believe my bullshit excuse.
“Mhm,” Faith responds, cocking a brow at me.
“What’s with the sass?” I question.
“You and the fact you don’t do shit when it comes to her. We all have bets on the fact you two are gonna ruin your friendship one day.”
“You do huh?” I don’t believe her at all. No way would there be some sort of high school bet goin’ on without me knowin’ about it until right now.
“Don’t act like I’m screwing around with you. Ricochet, you’re a ladies’ man, we all know it . . . but when it comes to that lady your eyes linger a little more, you prefer to stay in her company, so don’t sit here and act like you don’t feel anything toward her.”
“I never said that,” my reply shoots out of my mouth before I can stop myself, and not only that, but the angered tone that came with it was a sure shock to me, and most likely to Faith as well.
“You’re right . . . you didn’t, but given the way you just snapped at me . . . I’m pretty sure I’m gonna make it out on top with this bet,” Faith giggles, and I roll my eyes at the woman.
Iris hands me the drink and I grab my beer, slide off the barstool and walk over to where Venom is. I don’t ask to take a seat across from her because I know she’ll more than likely tell me to fuck off. It’s how she gets when she’s aggravated, but I care too much about the woman to walk away and let whatever she’s battling fuck with her head even more.
“You look like you need this,” I tell her while scooting the vodka on the rocks across the table at her.
She wraps a hand around the glass and gives me a head nod in thanks, then brings the glass to her lips and takes a sip. “Thanks.”
I sit across from Venom and don’t say much of anything. I’m not here to pressure her into saying anything, and I’m not here to give her some sorta lecture either. I’m just here, for whatever she needs, regardless of what it is. She sits across from me sipping her vodka in silence and I finish off my beer.
Still, what Faith said burns deep in the back of my mind. I like Venom in more ways than one, but I’ve never wanted to ruin our friendship for any reason. We get along well, in fact, very well. The last time I fucked a woman I was friends with it ended up backfiring and after the fact, the chick and I weren’t friends anymore. The last thing I want to happen is to lose Venom, not when the woman knows things about me I haven’t even told some of the brothers here. Nor have I told Emerson, and Emerson is damn near my best friend.
Fuck, I wish this decision wasn’t the type to plague my mind with warnings of what the future might bring.
Chapter Four
Venom
I can do this. I can fucking do this. It’s not like I have any other choice now . . . because if I get caught they’ll kill me. God, they won’t just kill me, they’ll make sure I suffer . . . and Eric . . . and Peyton too.
“Are you alright?” Eric nervously asks me, his chest rising and falling with every breath.
I nod though it’s a lie. I’m not okay. I’m about to risk all of our lives to get out of this damned place, a place I never thought we could be free from. While it seemed like solace at one point in time, in reality we’re living in a prison. There are no physical walls, yet there are walls.
“You’re sure you want to do this?” I question him, taking his hand in mine.
We’ve been married for a little over two years. We were high school sweethearts and he went into the Army. He didn’t even make it to Iraq and gave me some sort of excuse about being discharged for medical reasons. While I never pressured him about it or searched for more information, I knew there must’ve been more to the story. Someone doesn’t just get medically discharged after going to basic training.
“If it’s what you want, I’ll do it, Vanna. We’re family. We’re in this together.” I grab onto Eric’s hand and squeeze it, silently thanking him for supporting me. I was so fearful he’d betray us, but he hasn’t. Instead he immediately jumped on board and decided this was the best for our family. I can’t express how thankful I am. I know I’m one of the lucky ones here. There are so many others whose husbands would’ve betrayed them. They would’ve told the leaders what they planned, got them stoned to death, maybe even pulled apart limb by limb. It’s shit from the Handmaidens Tale, but this is our reality. This is the life we live.
“Okay, okay, um, let me get Peyton and we’ll go,” I tell him while I walk into our daughter’s nursery. I gave Peyton a little bit of Benadryl before she went to sleep, hoping it would help keep her quiet while we run out of the compound. I know enough to know a screaming baby would alert anyone who’s awake, so hopefully we won’t run into that issue. After all, there are so many more obstacles for us to jump through.