“These are scars,” he said with a frown.
The tip of one finger traced over the old scars.
“You have scars.”
“What caused these?” he asked.
“A window,” she said. “My parents … they’d forgotten about me. They had gone to a party one Friday, leaving me in the car. They’d locked me in, but for two days, no one passed. It was like the car was crushing me. I had to do something. I managed to break the glass, clawing my way out of the front windscreen.”
Social services had gotten involved at the time, but they never took her from her parents. After the hospital, she’d gone right back home. Since that experience, small, confined spaces affected her. Being in that police officer’s trunk had shaken her up, bringing back old, unwanted memories.
“I’m going to call the doctor.” Lord stood, and she stayed seated on his sofa. His shirt was on the cushion beside her. Picking it up, she started to get into it, wanting the comfort of modesty.
She should hate his scent. Lord wasn’t going to protect her.
The whores hated her, but they were part of the club.
Pain shot through her body. Sinking her teeth into her bottom lip, she contained any noise as she finally got the shirt over her head. She was so going to suffer for this.
Lord hung up his cell phone and came back to her. When his hands touched her knees, she jumped, jolting her whole body.
A string of curses rushed past his lips and she tensed up—that didn’t help her either. The pain was unrelenting.
Lord stood and left the office.
Being alone here didn’t make her feel comfortable. Fear traveled up her spine and she glanced toward the window. If he had guards on the wall, would they kill her if she made it past the wall? A quick death would surely be much preferred than taking constant beatings. After leaving school, she honestly thought she would be free of having to take a punch. She was so stupid.
Lord’s door slammed open, making her jump, but what surprised her was the woman behind him. It was the one who’d started this whole thing. She wasn’t coming willingly. Lord had her by the hair, dragging her forcibly into the room. He shoved her down on the floor, squatting enough to grab her around the throat.
“You look at this woman right now,” he said.
“Please,” she whimpered.
“I told you to get her a good breakfast and some clothes. Did I mention anything about hurting her? Humiliating her? You’ve hurt her hand and ribs, and I can say this, slut, the doctor is on his way. Every single injury she has, I’m going to make sure you’re punished with the same. The next time you see my woman, and she is mine, I suggest you get on your knees and pray for mercy. Your life is now in her hands. If she wants you dead, that is exactly what you’re going to be. Beg for your life!”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Please, stop,” Ally said, crying out as she screamed for them to stop. She couldn’t handle this chaos.
Pressing a hand to her ribs, she clenched her eyes closed. She counted to ten in her head. Hearing more scuffling, she didn’t dare open her eyes.
Lord’s hands were back on her knees. “It’s okay.”
“I don’t want you to kill anyone. I can’t … don’t make me do that. I’m not, I don’t want to hurt anyone. Please.” She started to sob, hating her own weakness. She should be stronger than this. Weren’t shit childhoods supposed to make strong women?
With everything she’d been through, she shouldn’t be able to cry.
Lord’s head went to hers and she felt his lips against her forehead. She didn’t dare open her eyes.
“I won’t make you,” Lord said.
“When can I go home?” She sniffled. Belonging to Lord no longer made her feel happy. The women here were going to make her life hell. They didn’t like that Lord had taken an outsider. They wanted her gone and right now, all she wanted to do was go back to her life. No matter how bad it was.
“Ally?”
She opened her eyes and looked at him. “I don’t belong here. I’m not one of you. I … I don’t like to feel pain, and I don’t want anyone to die because of me. I’m not worth it. Please, just let me go home.”
“We had a deal.”
“Look at me!” She screamed and cried out at the same time. “I’m ugly. I’m fat and ugly. I’ve been told it my whole life. I’m not important. If my virginity is what you’re after, take it, and let me go, or better yet, kill me. Anything would be better than this. Just please, don’t make the pain last. I can’t stand it. Please. Please.”
Each plea was stronger than the last.
She’d never begged. Not then, but now, with those men, the laughter, she couldn’t stand for Lord to see her like that. It was humiliating. To know she would always fail. He needed a woman who was by far better than her.
After a lifetime of always failing, she knew it was time to accept her fate.
Chapter Six
Ally didn’t want to order that fucking slut to her death, but Lord didn’t have the same conscience. He enjoyed ending her life. Stump was already dealing with the body. And it would be a good damn lesson for anyone else in the club hoping to follow in the bitch’s footsteps.
Defy his orders and pay the ultimate price.
Lord splashed cold water onto his face and stared into his vanity mirror.
He never should have taken Ally back to the club.
What had he been thinking?
It was supposed to be simple. Keep a plaything for a couple of weeks, then cut her loose. He was a cold-hearted bastard and never expected a nineteen-year-old girl to tilt his world off its axis. But there was something primal she evoked in him. Something he’d never felt for a woman in his forty years.
Those mixed feelings were toying with him, fucking with his head. He kept trying to fight his urge to protect and claim her, but it was futile. After seeing her broken and half-naked on the ground, there was no more denying how he felt for Ally.
He wanted to protect her. Craved it more than anything. And even though it had only been a couple of days, he wanted to claim her. She was the polar opposite of women he’d fucked with in the past, but she was exactly what he wanted now. Her innocence, sweetness, and even those natural curves were just a few of the qualities pulling him in.
Now, instead of fighting his desire by pushing her away, he’d try to embrace it and make her his woman. It wouldn’t be easy. Her trust had been trampled on. But it was a challenge he was willing to take since setting her loose wasn’t going to happen.
He felt the presence at the doorway before his VP spoke.
“You okay, boss?”
Lord grabbed a towel and dried his face. “I’m still pissed off.”
“I never knew any of that shit was going down,” said Brick. “It won’t happen again.”
He nodded. “You’re right. It won’t.”
Lord left his bathroom, brushing past his VP. The doctor was still with Ally. It gave him the time he needed to clear his head and get some shit sorted out with his wayward club members.
“Stump said everything was handled.”
“It wasn’t just that whore. Every asshole in this club needs to respect what’s mine. I want every brother in church tonight.”