Page 105 of Dirty Salvation

She believed him.

He'd break her will and spirit eventually if she didn't end things herself.

"I think you need a reminder who you belong to, girl, who the fuck you obey when you're standing there with defiance in your eyes. Go close the fucking door and get back over here." He stood so much taller than her, wider than the door frame, every vein standing on the surface of his skin.

A good-looking monster with a vile soul.

There was no logic to a sadist, she'd barely said a word, knowing how to be cautious around him, and still he'd deemed her guilty of something. Resigned, her insides cold, her heart dead already, soon her body would follow, she turned to close the door, his smirk was frightful, and Zara took the steps back to where he wanted her, the clang of his belt was a noise she hated, he'd wrap the leather around his large fist until it was good and tight.

She'd plead before he was finished.

She'd beg for him to stop while he laughed and she bled.

Just as he predicted he broke her a tiny bit more each time.

"Ahhh…sweet love, I think you're gonna like this. And, girl..." something dark slithered into his voice, like a snake finding its home. "You'll call me master, got it?"

His laugh peeled the air as she nodded her head blankly

And it was that noise that dragged Zara from her nightmare.

The silent scream stung her throat.

Wild terrified filled eyes, her heart thumping she flung herself out of the bed before she realized what she was doing, standing startled in the middle of the floor shivers traveling down her spine, darting her gaze around the dark room cataloging every piece of furniture trying to ground herself with the truth.

Not there. I'm not there again.

Not there. Not there. Not there.

Frantic breathes, the shakes racked her naked body until she had to grab a shirt from the floor, it swamped her down to her thighs, billowing out on either side of her body, she recognized it was Rider's.

Rider!Still asleep in his bed. Thank god, she hadn't made a sound trapped in her dream and woke him.

Just a dream.

God. Sinking down into the leather chair before her weak knees gave out, her teeth clanged together, she cradled her knees up to her chest, refusing to submit to the tears pricking her eyes. One step forward and her nightmares were right there reminding her she was never going to be over this shit.

Zara sat huddled in the chair watching Rider sleeping for an hour until dawn crest and then she showered, dressing quietly she left him there to head to the kitchen.

Sadness shrouded her.

The next day and the one after that she hung around the bike shop with Rider, fetching coffees for the men, phoning in pizza orders, talking to Capone, avoiding the dark stares from Hawk, and in their lunch break she followed Rider over to the office, watched him swear his way through paperwork, she happened to look over his shoulder, curious to what had him calling someone acocksucking fuckbrainshe grinned and chimed in "Um…Rider, do you know you're forgetting to count those overheads in the net total? that's why it's off by four thousand?"

No more nightmares, she was keeping herself busy.

"What?" his eyes narrowed and cursed again. "youknowthis shit?"

Zara shrugged. By this shit she assumed he meant math. Didn't everyone? "I thought Texas was your money guy?"

"He refuses to deal with people and invoices after one of the customers insulted his sense of dress."

Zara grinned. She liked Texas, he stuck out like a sore thumb, not your average biker.

"Well if you take another look you see where you're going wrong with it."

"Here." he thrust the green papers at her, she took it instinctively, her brows pinching together with confusion. "You do it. You're hired."

And just like that Zara was the new in-house admin to the Renegade Souls MC.