I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close while she sobbed. Forcing down the fury that tried to punch its way out of me, I said, “You’re not alone, kiddo. I had some shit to do last night, but I’m here for you.” Those motherfuckers would pay for what they’d done to my family.

She clung to me for a while before letting me go and saying, “You need to make her see that psych again. She did better when she saw him.”

I raked my fingers through my hair. Easier said than done. “Yeah, she did.”

“I don’t care if you have to freaking kidnap her to get her there, just make that shit happen. Okay?”

I raised my brows. “Condoning crimes now, are we?” Renee should have been born into a family of lawyers or fucking cops with the beliefs she held about crime.

She ignored my question. It was a long-running difference of opinion between us that we’d probably never resolve. “She’s your sister. You need to fix her, because I’ve tried and I failed.”

“Jesus, Renee, you’re seventeen and she’s your mother. It’s not your job to fix her and you sure as fuck haven’t failed her.”

More tears slid down her face as she stood staring at me, pleading with her eyes for me to make this all better. If only life were that fucking simple. I didn’t want to break her even more than she already was, though, so I pulled her close again and said, “I’m going to sort this out, kiddo. You just need to focus on school and your shit, and let me get your mother better.”

She hugged me like she never wanted to let go, but Tatum chose that moment to interrupt us. “Nitro! I need to use the bathroom.”

Renee’s arms dropped from around me as she took a step back. Frowning, she said, “Who is that?”

“A friend.”

Spinning around, she headed towards my bedroom. “A friend who can’t walk to the bathroom?” Her intelligence and instincts were out of this world, and she liked to challenge me.

“Renee,” I called out. “Stop walking.”

She didn’t.

“Renee!” I barked.

My niece was as fucking stubborn as I was. She took after me more than her mother, probably because I’d practically raised her. At times like this, that came back to bite me in the ass.

Spinning back around, she stalked my way. “Is that the woman from earlier who was in pain? The one you didn’t care about?” she demanded. “What’s going on here?”

I grabbed her hand. “You need to go home. This doesn’t concern you and I don’t want you tied up in it.”

“Nitro!” Tatum yelled out again.

Ignoring Tatum again, I continued to hold Renee in place. “Go home. I’ll come by later and see Lynny.”

She huffed out a long breath. “Fine, but only because I really don’t want to know what’s going on. Just promise me you won’t hurt her.”

I took a moment to answer her. Finally, nodding, I agreed. “I won’t.”

I fucking hoped I could keep that promise. There weren’t many people I cared enough about to want to honour my agreements with anymore. Renee was one of those people. Hell, she was the one at the top of the list.

 

 

6

 

 

Tatum

 

 

“Beaten Dog” by Massive

 

Every muscle in my body ached. That filthy biker had given me the beating of my life last night. I’d copped bruises at the hands of men before, but not like that.

Easing myself to a sitting position, I squinted when the sunlight streaming through the window hit my eyes. Rain had fallen in Sydney all week and the news had forecast more, so the sun surprised me.

Welcome to your bright, shiny future.

“Fuck!” I screamed out as I wiggled some more to straighten. The pain that shot through my entire body was enough to knock the wind out of me, but I wouldn’t let it. My momentary lapse last night when I’d practically begged Nitro to kill me would never happen again. I refused to allow another human to push me to that edge once more.

I swung my legs off the bed so I was sitting on the edge. Nitro had tied my ankles together with rope, but I was going to attempt to shuffle out of the room. I’d been lying awake for what had to be at least an hour and I hadn’t heard him in that time. He also hadn’t come when I just screamed out. Maybe he was asleep. Or, while I highly doubted it, perhaps he had left the house. Either way, I had to take any opportunity to escape that presented itself.

When I stood a moment later, I held my breath as another round of agony took hold. Squeezing my eyes shut, I counted to ten and then back to zero, centring myself.

They will not break you.

You will get through this.

“You going somewhere?” Nitro’s voice boomed from the doorway, jolting me.

My eyes flicked open. “Yes, out of this damn room. It’d make my day if you untied my feet.”

Amusement crossed his face momentarily. Then the hard set of his jaw that I knew so well, even after only meeting him the night before, settled back in place. “It’d make my fucking week if you did as I said and stayed put on the bed.”

“I wasn’t put on this earth to make your week.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, drawing my attention to his body. That was a bad move. The man had everything going for him physically that would usually turn me on. Muscles that declared strength, and tattoos all over that told a story were my downfall when it came to men, and Nitro had plenty of all those. He also had thick dark hair and a beard, two more preferences of mine.

Concentrate, Tatum.

You’re his fucking prisoner for God’s sake.

“That mouth get you into trouble a lot, Vegas?”

“It keeps the people out of my life who shouldn’t be in it.”

He nodded slowly, arms still crossed. “Yeah, I imagine it does.” Dropping his arms, he strode to me, his face darkening. “King’s just arrived and I suggest you keep it shut around him. He doesn’t have as much tolerance as I do.”

I squared my shoulders and started to speak, but King appeared in the doorway, interrupting us.

His eyes came straight to me. “Seems you were telling the truth, Tatum. Billy is desperate to get you back.”

“Thank fuck,” I muttered, earning a scowl off Nitro.