Page 7

Chapter 7

Elle

SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT

It's been a month since I fell ill and was taken to the ER, and my life has changed dramatically since then. My belly has grown significantly, and Christopher can't keep his hands off of it—not that I mind.

Our new house is ready and we're hosting a combined housewarming and baby shower at the clubhouse. The place is packed with all of our friends.

I smile, thinking of our lovemaking over the last month. Our hunger for each other growing more intense.

The original Grim Sinners hover near the grills, eyeing the prospects like hawks through the windows to make sure they don't burn the burgers. Smiley, Walker, Konrad, and Maverick mingle with their better halves, looking more relaxed than usual. I catch a glimpse of Smiley, the former club president who handed the reins to Lane. Soon enough, Christopher will be the one calling the shots. The thought makes me smile—my man, moving up in the world.

Smiley's ole lady is Adeline, a kind and nurturing mother figure to everyone in the club. They have two children, Noah and Remy, who are still in school and younger than me.

Maverick's ole lady is Bell, and their children are Ronny, Trace, and Arianna. Ronny is the oldest of the kids and happens to be Christopher's closest friend.

Walker's ole lady is Summer, and they have two children together, Oaklyn and Oliver.

Etta is Konrad's ole lady. Her upbringing was far from conventional as she grew up in a cult, but she managed to escape with the help of her brother, Tristan. They have two children together, Loretta and Dylan.

The current president is Lane, and he’s married to Amelia, who is a few seats away chatting with my mom. Their friendship brings me joy because I am grateful to have such a strong support system.

Lane has four children, Tiffany, Christopher, and Granger and Everett who are twins and the youngest of the bunch.

Wilder is with Joslyn, while their eldest Mason is still trying to get close to Meadow, our OB-GYN. He's infatuated with her. Right now, he's standing behind her chair as she talks to the rest of us ladies. Mason has three other siblings, Cole, Olivia, and Harlan.

Aiden and Grace have Reid, who is around the same age as Christopher, and they’re both in training together. And there is also Leah, who is one of my best friends. Leah is a US Olympic gymnast. Reid and Leah have two younger siblings, Alex and Jake.

My brother Lawson is currently running around with a balloon under his shirt, pretending that he is pregnant.

My mom looks like she has aged ten years today from running after him. You’d think that he is a lot younger than me, but its only by a couple of years.

He’s a menace.

He gives my mom an evil grin and pops the balloon, causing her to scream in surprise since he decided to do it right behind her.

A broad smile spreads across my dad's face as he covers his mouth with his hand, trying to stifle a laugh.

My mom reaches for a spatula, one of those heavy metal ones that always seem to be within reach. The glint of the polished silver catches my eye as she raises it in mock threat.

My brother's eyes widen in terror as he takes off running, sprinting across the clubhouse to evade her playful chase. The air is filled with laughter.

The sun streams through the windows, illuminating the room with a warm glow and adding to the joyous atmosphere. This simple moment captures the essence of our bond and reminds me why I love being a part of this crazy, loving family.

Mom emerges, gasping for air as if she had just run a marathon. "That boy," she exclaims between breaths, "is going to be the death of me." Her cheeks are flushed and her hair is a mess from chasing after Lawson. "I can't even count how many times I've checked his pockets before washing his clothes, only to find a wriggling frog or some kind of bug hidden inside.

Shaylin and Butcher are a part of the Devil Souls MC. Shaylin is Christopher’s aunt and a straight badass with their daughter Tiana, who a mixture of her and Butcher. Zach, on the other hand, is the younger of the two kids and he is scary as fuck. He’s identical to his dad but I can see Smiley in some of his features.

The Devils Souls MC is here too. Kyle is the president and his ole lady is Chrystal. They have a son named Greyson who is going to be their future president.

There is a man with him I’ve never seen before. He is massive, wearing a plaid shirt that is tight around his forearms, but you can see the tattoos peeking out from where the fabric ends.

He is staring at Tiffany, and his eyes haven’t left her from the moment he showed up here.

I’ve noticed it, and so has Christopher as he is glaring back from the corner of the room with his arms crossed.

I can feel the electricity coming off Christopher, a pissed-off energy. Tiffany is noticing the man’s attention, peeking up at him every so often.

I make my way over to her, holding my stomach. I’m around seven months pregnant now, and my clothes barely fit anymore.

Olivia walks over, meeting me halfway. Tiffany is organizing the food that is already laid out and I know she is trying to keep herself distracted.

She looks up at us when we get close. “Are you okay?” I ask her, rubbing my stomach, loving the feeling of my sweet girl cocooned in my belly.

Tiffany giggles. “Have you seen how hot that man is? Lord have mercy. I’m struggling to not climb him like a tree.”

Olivia and I look at each other for a beat before we burst out laughing. “Well, he is obsessed with you, if the staring is anything to go by.”

There is loud laughter by the door, and I follow the sound to see some of my old friends from high school walking through.

Anxiety fills me at knowing they are here. Who even invited them? My mom walks over to me in a rush. “I don’t know why they are here, they shouldn’t be.”

She is concerned for me. Amelia is coming up right behind her. It’s well known that they bashed me, claiming what I went through was for attention. That hurt me deeply.

I don’t turn around to acknowledge them, this is my day—no, this is our day.

I can feel them coming up behind me, and I know they’re wanting to say something but I pretend they don’t exist.

Their voices are like a fork on a plate screeching. Amelia wraps her arm around me, hugging me into her side. “Amelia, I wanted to ask you if you’d like to be in the delivery room when I have the baby? We are having a home birth.”

The more I think about it, I like the idea of having the baby in our own bed, in a calming atmosphere, where I could eat the food I want and not have the stress of a hundred nurses coming in and out, even though I know it’s their job.

“Looks like I need to start spreading my legs and getting knocked up too. A house and a party?” one of the girls, Debbie, says behind me.

Her words hurt me, but I don’t acknowledge her.

My throat is thick, trying to hold back my emotions. My mom turns around fast, startling me with her rash movement.

She moves to stand in front of me, blocking their view of me. "This is a private event. I'm going to have to ask you to leave," she says firmly.

"Oh, come on, we're old friends! We just wanted to congratulate the happy couple," one of them says in a sickly-sweet voice.

"Yeah, and see how our dear classmate is doing! Pregnancy really suits you," another adds with a smirk.

I can feel Amelia tense beside me, ready to jump to my defense. But I place a hand on her arm, stopping her. I take a deep breath and turn around to face them.

"Thank you for coming, but as my mother said, this is a private event. I'm sure you understand," I say calmly, though my heart is racing.

They exchange glances, clearly not expecting me to stand up to them. "Fine, we will go to the corner of the room if we are that much of a bother to your perfect life, Elle,” Joanne snarls at me.

I’m starting to get pissed off. “What did I ever do to you?”

Joanne's face contorts with rage, her eyes narrowing to slits as she spits out her words, "What did you do? You existed, Elle. You waltzed through high school like you were better than everyone else, with your perfect grades and your perfect family. And now look at you, knocked up and playing house with a biker. How quaint."

Her words drip with venom, each word carefully chosen to inflict maximum pain.

"You always thought you were so special, didn't you? But you're just like the rest of us, maybe even worse. At least we had the decency to wait until after graduation to ruin our lives." Joanne takes a step closer, her perfume, cheap and cloying, invading my senses. "You think you've got it all figured out, don't you? This little party, this perfect life you're pretending to have. But we all know the truth. You're just a scared little girl playing dress-up, trying to convince yourself that you haven't made a huge mistake."

Her eyes flick down to my swollen belly, a sneer twisting her lips.

"That baby? It's going to trap you here forever. You'll never leave this town, never be anything more than a biker's whore.”

Joanne isn't finished yet.

"You know what's really pathetic, Elle? The way you still think you're better than us. Look around. This is your life now, surrounded by criminals and thugs. You've fallen so far, and you don't even realize it. But we see it. Everyone sees it. You're a joke, Elle.”

She leans in close, her breath hot on my face. "Enjoy your little party. Enjoy pretending that you're happy. But remember this, we all know the truth. You're nothing special, Elle. You never were, and you never will be. You're just another knocked-up biker slut, and that's all you'll ever be."

The room has gone silent, waiting to see how I'll react. I can feel Christopher's anger radiating from across the room, but I stand my ground. My hands are shaking, my heart pounding in my chest.

I take a deep breath, feeling the anger rise within me like a tidal wave. My hands clench into fists at my sides, and I can feel my baby girl kicking inside me, as if she's urging me on.

I lock eyes with Joanne, my voice low and deadly calm as I begin to speak.

"You know what, Joanne? You're right about one thing. I'm not the same girl I was in high school. That girl would have stood here and taken your abuse, too afraid to stand up for herself. But I'm not her anymore." I take a step closer, my voice rising. "You want to talk about pathetic? Let's talk about how you and your little mean girl squad showed up uninvited to my party just to try and tear me down. Let's talk about how you're so fucking insecure that you need to belittle others to feel good about yourself. That's pathetic, Joanne."

All eyes are on us as I continue, my voice dripping with disdain.

"You call me a biker slut? At least I'm not the one who fucked her way through the entire football team and still couldn't manage to keep a man. At least I'm not the one who peaked in high school and has nothing to show for it but a shitty attitude and a face full of cheap Botox."

Joanne's face turns red with rage and embarrassment, but I'm not done yet.

"You want to judge my life choices? Go ahead. But let me tell you something. I'm proud of who I am and the life I've built. I have a man who loves me, a baby on the way, and a family that supports me. What do you have, Joanne? A string of failed relationships and a drinking problem you can't hide behind your fancy makeup."

I gesture around the room, my voice rising to a shout.

"Look around, you stupid bitch. You see criminals and thugs? I see loyalty. I see family. I see people who would do anything for each other. What would your so-called friends do for you, huh? Other than talk shit behind your back and sleep with your boyfriends?"

Joanne tries to interrupt, but I cut her off. "No, you don't get to speak anymore. You've said your piece, and now you're going to listen. You think I'm trapped? I'm free. Free to be myself, free to love who I want, free to live the life I choose. You're the one who's trapped, Joanne. Trapped in the past, trapped by your own bitterness and jealousy."

I take another step closer, my voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "So here's what's going to happen. You and your little friends are going to turn around and walk out that door. And if I ever see you near me or my family again, I'll show you exactly how much of a biker bitch I can be. Trust me, you don't want to find out.”

I never noticed when Christopher came up behind me, and right beside him is my dad.

Christopher steps forward, his presence commanding and intimidating. His eyes, usually warm when they look at me, are now cold and hard as steel as he fixes his gaze on Joanne and her friends. The air in the room seems to thicken, tension crackling like electricity.

"Remember the promise I made at the high school a couple months ago?" Christopher's voice is low, dangerous, a predator's growl. "Big mistake."

The color drains from Joanne's face as recognition dawns in her eyes. She takes an involuntary step back, nearly tripping over her own feet.

Christopher continues, his words measured and deliberate. "I told you then that if you ever came near Elle again, you'd regret it. I guess you thought I was bluffing, huh?"

He takes another step forward, towering over Joanne. The sleeve of his leather cut rides up, revealing the intricate tattoos that wind their way up his muscular arm. The sight seems to make Joanne shrink even further.

"Let me make this crystal clear," Christopher says, his voice barely above a whisper but carrying throughout the now silent room. "This is your last warning. You come near my woman, my child, or anyone in this family again, and I'll make sure you disappear so thoroughly that even your own mother won't remember you existed."

The threat hangs in the air, heavy and palpable. Joanne's friends shift nervously, their earlier bravado completely evaporated.

Christopher's eyes sweep over the group, pinning each of them in place with his icy stare. "And that goes for all of you. You think you know who we are? You don't know shit. But trust me, you don't want to find out."

He leans in close to Joanne, his voice dropping even lower. "Now, you're going to turn around and walk out that door. You're going to forget this address, forget this day, forget Elle's name. Because if I ever see your faces again, if I even catch a whisper that you've been talking about her, I'll show you exactly what kind of man I am. And trust me, sweetheart, you won't like it."

The threat in his words is unmistakable, the promise of violence barely contained beneath the surface. Joanne and her friends stumble backward, their faces pale with fear. They turn and practically run for the door, nearly tripping over each other in their haste to escape.

As the door slams behind them, Christopher turns to me, his expression softening immediately. He wraps his arms around me, one hand coming to rest protectively on my swollen belly. "You okay, baby?" he murmurs, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead.

“I’m fine, and I am.” It's hard to believe that I was ever actually friends with those sorts of people, but I’m not going to let them ruin my day.

Christopher runs his hand down my arm, kissing the side of my head sweetly.

“I’m going to make sure they leave,” he tells me, before I’m called away to some of the ole ladies to talk about babies.

Christopher

I look over to Mason and Reid, wanting them to follow me out of the clubhouse after those bitches that dared to speak to my woman like that.

Tiffany jogs to catch up with us, she is so pissed. Behind her trying to catch up is Tiana, Meadow, and Leah.

I open the door and look out into the courtyard, and to the side of the building are some of the football jocks laughing and joking with the girls.

“If they only knew how much of a whore she actually is,” the one I remember is named Joanne says.

“I should get raped, too, if it would get me a brand-new house, a man, and a family,” Debbie jokes, cackling like it's the most hilarious thing.

One of the jocks that I played football with years ago has his phone out. All of them are turned away from us, not able to see that we’re behind them.

I want nothing more than to rip into them, but I want to hear this even if it fucking kills me.

The one I remember being named Kevin snorts. “I should have had my turn when we found her lying there in the woods before we got caught.”

Holy shit.

I look at my brothers like, did you just fucking hear this shit?

“I know, right? It was fucking sexy the way she was lying there with her skirt pushed up, like she was waiting on us,” Danny, another player, joins in and grabs his dick through his pants.

“I don’t know what you guys see in her,” Joanne snarls, disgusted by them.

Kevin shakes his head. “She is classy pussy, it must be fucking golden for the way they pulled out all the stops for her.”

Danny nods in agreement. “Yeah, maybe we can finish the job we couldn’t that night.”

That’s all I can handle.

“Have you ever seen the fucking Walking Dead ?” I ask my brothers and chuckle darkly.

The men all turn to look at us, their eyes widening in surprise and fear. They clearly didn't expect to be overheard, let alone confronted.

"W-what are you talking about, man?" Kevin stammers, trying to play it off.

I take a step forward, my fists clenched at my sides. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You just admitted to being there that night, to leaving Elle for dead in the woods."

Danny backs away, his hands raised defensively. "Hey, we didn't do anything! We just found her like that!"

"Bullshit," Mason growls, moving to stand beside me. "You said you should have 'had your turn.' You're fucking sick."

Joanne and her friends look between us and the jocks, their faces pale. They realize they're in way over their heads now.

I make my way over to them, getting in Kevin’s and Danny’s faces. “Nothing can get you out of the fucking hole that you just dug yourself into.”

My hand lashes out and I grab them both by their throats. They make a god-awful choking sound that delights me.

The girls start screaming at the top of their lungs, begging someone to help.

My fingers tighten around their necks as I slam them against the wall of the clubhouse. Rage courses through my veins, fueling my strength. They claw at my hands, gasping for air, but I don't relent.

"You fucking pieces of shit," I snarl, my face inches from theirs. "You're going to pay for what you did to her."

Mason and Reid are by my side in an instant, their own anger palpable.

Tiffany steps forward, her eyes blazing with a cold fury I've never seen before. "You're not going to get away with this.” I turn around to see her, Leah, and Meadow holding the girls.

Joanne and her friends are frozen in terror, realizing the gravity of the situation. They know they're fucked.

Kevin’s and Danny's faces turn a sickly shade of purple as I maintain my iron grip on their throats. Their eyes bulge, pleading silently for mercy they don't deserve.

"Christopher." Tiffany's voice cuts through the red haze of my rage. "Not here. Not like this."

I glance over my shoulder, seeing the steely determination in her eyes. She's right. As much as I want to end these bastards right here and now, it's too public. Too many witnesses.

With a growl of frustration, I release my hold on their necks. They collapse to the ground, gasping and sputtering.

"This isn't over," I warn them, my voice dripping with venom. "You're going to answer for what you did to Elle."

Kevin looks up at me, fear etched across his face. "We… we didn't mean it, man. It was just stupid talk," he wheezes, rubbing his bruised throat.

I crouch down, getting right in his face. "Stupid talk? You admit to leaving a girl for dead in the woods, fantasizing about raping her, and you call that stupid talk?"

Danny scrambles back, trying to put distance between us. "We were just messing around. We didn't actually do anything!"

Tiffany steps forward, her voice icy. "But you wanted to, didn't you? You sick fucks."

Joanne and her friends are openly crying now, realizing the severity of their association with these monsters.

"Please, we won't say anything. Just let us go," Joanne begs, her mascara running down her face.

I stand up, towering over them. "Oh, you're not going anywhere. You're all going to answer for this. Every last one of you."

I motion to my brothers, and they spring into action. Mason and Reid grab Kevin and Danny roughly, hauling them to their feet. The guys struggle, but they're no match for the iron grip of my brothers.

Tiffany, Leah, and Meadow keep a tight hold on Joanne and her friends, ensuring they can't make a run for it. The girls are sobbing, their faces twisted in fear and regret.

"Get them inside," I order, my voice cold and commanding. "We're going to have a little chat."

We drag them into the clubhouse, away from prying eyes. The party is still going on, oblivious to the dark turn of events just feet away.

Going through the back door, we go down the stairs to the dungeon.

Did I mention that I had a new torture room built just for me to use?

I have a fascination for medieval torture devices and I’ve been excited to try them out for the first time.

Looks like I have a good reason now.

There is a cage built into the wall and we throw them all in it, slamming the door shut.

Debbie lets out a loud wail, trying to scare us with the thought of their parents coming to find us and calling the police.

I just smirk at their dramatic antics. "I really hope they do come looking for you," I state confidently. "Because I know you all won't last very long." With a wink, we leave the room, their screams echoing behind us as we make our way out. I purposely leave the light on so they can see the tools that I have carefully selected.

As we exit the dungeon and head back upstairs, I can still hear their muffled screams vibrating the walls. A part of me feels a twisted sense of satisfaction knowing that they're finally going to face the consequences for what they did to Elle.

I turn to my brothers, my expression hardening. "We need to keep this quiet for now. No one can know what's happening down there, not even Elle."

Mason nods, his jaw clenched. "Agreed. She doesn't need to relive that trauma. We'll handle this our way."

Reid cracks his knuckles, an evil glint in his eye. "They're going to wish they never even looked at Elle by the time we're done with them."

Tiffany, Leah, and Meadow exchange determined glances. They understand the gravity of the situation and the need for discretion.

“We'll make sure no one suspects a thing," Tiffany assures me, her voice steady. "Elle deserves justice, and we're going to give it to her."

We reenter the main room of the clubhouse. The festive atmosphere feels surreal in contrast to the sinister events unfolding beneath our feet.

Elle spots me from across the room, her face lighting up with a radiant smile. She waves me over, blissfully unaware of the secrets we now carry.

I make my way to her, pulling her into a tight embrace. She melts into my arms, and for a moment, I allow myself to forget the darkness lurking below and what I can’t wait to fucking do.