She rushed toward his bike, straddling the machine.
“Wrap your arms around me, and I want you to make sure this is not a come on. I’ve got my wife, and she’s plenty woman for me. I’m not cheating on her,” he said.
She didn’t expect anything else. Angel was a beautiful woman, and she saw why Lash loved her.
Wrapping her arms around his waist, Sophia closed her eyes and ignored the fact she wasn’t wearing a helmet. No way would she ever get on the back of a bike unless there was a helmet present.
Sophia held him tightly, not wanting to let go of the security he gave her. They didn’t speak. Words were not necessary as he worked the roads.
Only when the bike slowed down to a stop did she open her eyes. Before her was an old factory. It wasn’t on multiple floors like the one she worked in. The “sold” sign on the outside of the building was glaring at her.
“Where are we?” she asked, climbing off the back of his bike and falling on her ass. Lash climbed off and helped her to her feet.
“It’s the old factory ten miles from Fort Wills. A couple of years ago it was the food packing factory. The Skulls picked it up cheap, but we’ve not done anything with it.” Lash headed toward the door.
“I know. The crash sent this place under. A lot of jobs were lost that day.”
He agreed. “We’re going to get it open. With all the guns pointed at our heads we’ve put off doing anything with it. Now, it’s waiting for some use.”
She followed behind him. He held a set of keys and typed in a number to the lock. The heavy door clicked and opened.
“It may be abandoned, but it’s f**king secure.”
Sophia had noted the large truck parked outside as well. Were they meeting someone? She was surprised to see the factory in working order. There were no musty smells or crumbling walls.
Lash helped her into the old fashioned elevator and clicked the button. She grabbed the side rails to hold on. Elevators and escalators terrified her. Anything that took her feet off the ground without her using them scared her. He smirked.
The elevator came to a stop, and Lash helped her off. She was embarrassed by the sweatiness of her palms. Rides like that always made her nervous. What if the elevator stopped?
Breathe, Sophia, breathe.
“You made it.” Another biker with the same cut as Lash was stood at the far end of the floor. She saw another door just behind him.
“Did he cause you any trouble?” Lash asked.
“Not once. He’s in a lot of pain. Sandy’s checking him over now to make sure nothing is going to kill him.” The man looked at her. “So why did we help the chick? She’s no sweet-butt.”
“Hardy, this is Sophia. You should remember her. She’s Kate’s sister.”
The biker, known now as Hardy, stared hard at her. “She’s nothing like her sister.”
“You’ll be the first person to think that,” she said.
“Attitude’s the same. You’re looking pretty messed up. No guy should force a woman. Wish I killed that bastard now,” Hardy said.
Lash remained silent, but something passed between the two bikers. “Let’s get this done,” Lash said.
He opened the door. Sophia saw it was dark. There was a large mattress against the wall. She spotted a bloodied and bruised Nash shivering on top of it.
“Nash,” she said, starting to go to him.
“I don’t think so, missy,” another biker said.
“Zero, hold her. She can’t go to him yet until I lay down the ground rules.” Lash walked over to the opposite wall.
“What are you going to do?” Sandy asked. The blonde woman was stood with her arms folded. The other woman wasn’t wearing much, just a short miniskirt and a tight shirt displaying most of her boobs.
“Nash is about to get the Lash detox treatment.”
She saw him bend down into his box and retrieve a pair of metal cuffs.
“Shouldn’t you put him in a rehab facility?” Sophia asked.
All the men laughed.
“Usually we’d go the rehab route, but my brother wouldn’t last in there. He’d have the nurses eating his dick by the end of the day. Tiny won’t put up the money either. Nash is going to get my cold, harsh treatment. I just took a beating to keep him in the club. He’ll take my kind of treatment or die f**king doped.” Lash moved toward his brother.
“Lash,” Nash said.
“Shut the f**k up.” Lash worked the chains around the bolts in the wall. Sophia could tell they were sturdy. Lash applied both cuffs to his brother’s wrists, securing him in place. He walked away coming toward her. Sophia couldn’t take her eyes off Nash. He looked so weak and frail.
“Do you really think this is necessary?” she asked, hating the sight of Nash strung up like that.
“A couple of hours ago he almost shot Eva through the head for having a little fun. He called my woman a slut, and I’m not settling with that.” Lash looked back. “This is how I’m going to save my brother, not some half-cocked plan with a f**king therapist.”
“Fine. You’re the boss,” she said.
“Good. I’ve called the diner and quit for you as well as the box factory. Your time if going to be spent here, taking care of him.” Lash nodded to a guy behind her. “When we’re done here, you’re going to go back to her apartment and get some supplies. She’s not going anywhere but where I tell her.”
“Why don’t you tell me what you’ve got planned?” Sophia asked.
“Fine. He’s not moving out of those restraints. My brother is strong, and he’ll hurt anyone to get what he wants. No booze, no pain killers, no drugs. Everything has officially stopped. I’m not giving him what he wants. He gets water and porridge. Nothing else.”
“What if this kills him?”
“It won’t. We’ve got a doctor who says it should work,” Lash said, pointing to Sandy.
“I didn’t say it wouldn’t be difficult.”
“I don’t care what it takes. I’m getting my brother back.” He looked at Zero. “Take her back to her apartment. Use the truck and get some stuff.”
“Will do.” She was pulled from the room. Sophia looked at Nash, knowing she’d do everything in her power to bring back to her the man she knew.
****
“This is f**king crazy,” Nash said. He stared up at his brother seeing the determination on Lash’s face.