Page 8

Chapter 8

Elle

The rest of the party went along without a hitch and now we are at the guest house. Tomorrow is moving-in day with the prospects.

We’re staying at my parents’ house for the evening and then we are staying the night at Lane and Amelia’s.

My mom is sitting on the couch next to me, drinking a glass of wine, and my dad is on the other side of me, while I have my head on his shoulder.

“Daddy, I’m sorry for all of the pain I’ve caused you and Mom.” I still see the pain on his face when he looks at me.

One thing that I never wanted to do is hurt my parents, but I know it was out of my control.

“The pain will go away the second we catch the fucker who assaulted you, my angel.” He kisses the top of my head, and my mom holds my hand, giving it a squeeze.

“I wanted to ask you something,” he asks.

I nod. “Yeah?”

“Are you happy? Is this what you truly want, because I don’t think I could bear you not being happy.” I can hear the emotion in his voice, and I look from him to my mom.

“I really am happy. Christopher is so good to me, Dad. He treats me the way you’ve treated Mom. This baby might not have happened in the most conventional way, but I love her.”

Dad smiles and for the first time in forever, it seems like it reaches his eyes, the same as my mother’s.

“I want you to let it go, to push it to the back of your mind. It happened, and there’s nothing we can do about it, but I’m so happy and honestly happier than before it even happened.”

My dad sighs deeply, the weight of his worry and concern evident in the lines of his face. He takes a long sip of his whiskey, savoring the burn as it slides down his throat.

"I just want to protect you, Elle. That's all I've ever wanted," he says, his voice rough with emotion. "But I know I can't shield you from everything, no matter how much I wish I could, and that kills me.”

Mom reaches over, placing her hand on his knee in a comforting gesture. “We raised a strong and brave girl.”

I feel tears prickling at the corners of my eyes, overwhelmed by the love they offer me.

They've been my rock through everything, never wavering in their devotion.

"I know it hasn't been easy for you—for either of you," I say softly, looking between them.

My parents exchange a glance, a silent conversation passing between them. Finally, my father nods, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"If you're happy, then that's all that matters to us," he says, pulling me into a tight hug. "We just want what's best for you, always."

Mom joins in the hug, and for a moment, we stay like that, taking a deep breath. The changes have been so crazy over the last several months.

When we finally pull away, Mom wipes a stray tear from her cheek. "You're going to be an amazing mother, Elle. That baby is lucky to have you.”

The tears fall at that, and they are tears of happiness. “I love you guys, so much.” I give them one last hug and settle back in the couch, yawning.

A little while later, the doorbell goes off and my dad gets up off the couch to open the door.

At the door is Joanne’s dad. “I wanted to see if you’ve seen my daughter. She was supposed to come to Elle’s party and I can’t get ahold of her.”

My mind wanders to what could have happened to her.

Then I remember that Christopher went outside behind Joanne and her friends with Mason, Reid, Leah, Tiffany, and Meadow.

I walk over to the door, standing behind Dad. He is almost covering the door with his huge frame.

Her dad looks shocked to see me. “Elle, I didn’t know you were pregnant.”

I tilt my head to the side, slightly confused. What did he think the party his daughter was going to for?

“I’m sure you didn’t, since your daughter was a bitch to me after she found out I was—by no fault of my own, by the way.” I paste on a fake smile, pissed off.

He stutters, “I don’t appreciate?—”

I interrupt him. “I sincerely hope you find her and nothing bad has happened to her. Her mouth does tend to run.”

I slam the door in his face, loving the shocked look that was staring back at me.

My dad and mom both look floored at what I just did.

But damn it felt good.

“He was always super creepy, so I have no sympathy toward him,” I point out.

But from the look on my dad’s face, the second I uttered the word creepy, I made a big mistake.

“What the fuck did he do?” My eyes widen when Christopher comes in from the back door that is closest to the guest house we were staying in.

I sigh, rubbing my face. “He never touched me, but it just seemed that he was always too friendly and he would stare a lot. I just didn’t like the vibes he gave off.”

Christopher stares at me for a few seconds before he lets it go. “Ready to go? I finished the last of the laundry.”

He won’t let me lift a finger, sending me to my parents’. It feels good that people love and care about me.

“Yes.” I smile and I hug my mom and dad once more, giving them both kisses on the cheek.

I wave back at them one last time before pulling out of the driveway, feeling kind of sad now. It was one thing moving to the guest house, but to be completely in my own house? It is just right down the drive but still, it’s a big step for me.

Before we reach his parents’ house, I can see ours. There’s no grass in the driveway from all of the yard work they had to do to prepare the foundation of the house.

It’s a beautiful dark brick house with black pillars in front of the three-story home. Huge square windows at the front of the house are open, a chandelier hanging from the third-story hallway visible from out here.

The tin roof is black to match the pillars, and so is the porch and the railings.

It’s like a grunge farmhouse, and I fell in love with it after we got the designs drawn up.

Christopher pulls into our driveway, and I can tell he is thinking about something.But I already have an idea of what happened.He parks the car and turns to face me, his expression serious. "Elle, there's something I need to tell you.”

I feel a knot forming in my stomach, already suspecting what he's about to say. "It's about Joanne and her friends, isn't it?"

He nods grimly. "We overheard them talking outside the clubhouse with some of the football players from school. Those guys they were with… they were there that night in the woods. They left you there."

My breath catches in my throat, a wave of nausea washing over me. Memories of that awful night flash through my mind, the pain, the fear, the helplessness.

"What did you do?" I ask quietly, looking down at my hands and studying them before he tilts my chin up so I face him.

Christopher clenches his jaw, a muscle ticking in his cheek. "We haven’t done anything yet, they’re in the basement.” He cups my cheek. “Let me get justice for you.”

I know if I tell him that I really didn’t want him to then he would support my choice.

But I grew up in this life, and I know this is the life that I will live.

“I understand, baby. You do what you need to do, but most of all, we need to keep our baby safe from whoever this is.”

Christopher

I t's difficult to leave her at my parents' house, but I pulled my dad aside and explained what happened. He is getting the rest of the family together, and now I'm waiting outside of Derek's house. I wanted to be the one to tell him the news.

I knock on Derek's door, my knuckles rapping against the wood with a sense of urgency. After a moment, the door swings open, revealing Derek's surprised face.

"Christopher? What's going on?" he asks, his brow furrowed in concern.

I step inside, my jaw set with determination. "We need to talk. It's about Elle."

Derek's eyes widen, and he closes the door behind us. "What happened? Is she okay?"

"She's fine," I assure him. "But we found out who might be involved in what happened to her that night in the woods."

Derek's face hardens, his fists clenching at his sides. "Who was it?"

"Some of the football players from school. They were bragging about it outside the clubhouse, talking about how they should have…" I trail off, unable to finish the thought without wanting to fucking punch holes in the wall.

Derek's eyes flash with fury as the implication of my words sink in. "Those fucking bastards," he seethes through gritted teeth. "Where are they now?"

"We have them locked up in the clubhouse basement," I reply, my voice cold and steady. "Joanne and her friends too. They were there, laughing about it like it was some kind of sick joke."

Derek runs a hand over his face, his expression a mix of rage and disbelief. "I can't believe this. How could they do that to her?”

"They're monsters," I state simply, my tone leaving no room for argument. "And they're going to pay for what they did."

Derek nods, his resolve hardening. "Damn right they are. What's the plan?"

"We're gathering the brothers. We'll make them talk, find out exactly what happened that night.”

With that, we head out, riding our bikes to the clubhouse with a sense of grim determination. The roar of the engines cuts through the night air.

When we arrive, the other brothers are already gathered, their faces etched with the same fury and resolve that course through my veins. We make our way down to the basement, the muffled screams and pleas echoing off the walls as we get closer.

You couldn’t tear the grin off my face.

I enter the room first, my boots thudding heavily against the concrete floor. Kevin, Danny, Joanne, and her friends are huddled in the cage, their eyes wide with terror as they take in the sight of us.

"Please, let us go!" Joanne's mascara-streaked face pleads with us, her voice trembling with fear. "We didn't do anything wrong! This is insane!"

I step closer to the cage, my eyes boring into hers. "Insane? You think it's insane to face consequences for laughing about a girl being raped and left for dead?"

She shrinks back, her bravado crumbling under the weight of my words and the fury from the brothers surrounding me.

I turn my attention to Kevin and Danny, who are pressed against the back of the cage, their faces pale and slick with sweat.

I pace in front of the cage, eyeing each of them hard, rubbing my chin. “Hmm, I’m trying to think of which one I want to start with.”

One of the girls turns her head to the side and vomits along the floor, spilling all over her shoes.

My eyes settle on Kevin, I never did like the fucker. “Ready to play, Kevin?”

He wails at the top of his lungs, trying to push his way to the back of the cage like he can escape.

Fucking pathetic.

He pushes Joanne in front of him like she can protect him, and if I didn’t already think he was a piece of shit before, I do now.

I unlock Kevin's cage, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him out. He stumbles, his legs weak with fear, as I shove him into a chair in the center of the room.

He smells like piss and I can almost taste his fear. It’s feeding my fucking soul.

I haven’t been able to get my hands on anyone that had a hand in what happened to her.

This burning rage has been brewing, and this is only my first victim.

"Time to talk, Kevin," I snarl, circling him like a predator toying with its prey. "Tell me what happened that night in the woods. Every sordid detail."

Kevin's eyes dart around the room, looking for any shred of mercy or escape. He finds none. Each brother’s face is stoic. "I… I don't know what you're talking about," he stammers, his voice cracking, trying to be brave.

I lean in close, my face mere inches from his. "Don't fucking lie to me. You were there. You saw what happened to Elle and did nothing. Start talking or this is going to get a whole lot worse for you."

Kevin swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. His breathing comes out in harsh pants like he is trying to catch his breath.

“Is he having a heart attack?” Mason laughs loudly and comes to stand next to me. We built this room together.

Our dads built the original torture room but we wanted this for ourselves. We get to be more inventive with these fuckers here.

My dad is a few feet away, watching me. This is a test to make sure I can be the president that he wants me to be.

I’m made for this. It’s in my blood, branded into me.

Kevin's eyes dart around the room frantically, his face glistening with sweat. He licks his dry lips, his mouth opening and closing as he tries to find the right words.

"We… we were just messing around," he starts, his voice trembling. "We didn't mean for it to go that far."

I slam my hand down on the arm of the chair, making Kevin flinch. "Bullshit! You left her there to die. You knew exactly what you were doing."

Kevin shakes his head vehemently. "No, no, I swear! We found her like that. We didn't touch her!"

Mason steps forward, his massive frame looming over Kevin. "Then why were you bragging about it, huh? Talking about how you should have 'had your turn'?"

Kevin's face pales even further, realizing the gravity of his words.

"I… I didn't mean it like that," he stammers, his voice barely above a whisper. "We were just talking shit, trying to act tough. We didn't actually do anything to her."

I grab him by the throat, my fingers digging into his flesh, wanting to watch the life drain from him. "Then tell me who did," I growl, my face inches from his. "Who raped and beat Elle and left her for dead in those woods?"

Tears stream down Kevin's face as he gasps for air. "I don't know, I swear! We just found her like that. We got scared and ran when a man yelled at us to get away, and he said she was his.

I release my grip, letting him slump back in the chair.

My mind races at Kevin's revelation. A man? Who could it have been? I exchange a glance with Mason, seeing the same questions swirling in his eyes.

I turn back to Kevin, my voice low and menacing. "Describe the man. What did he look like?"

Kevin takes a shuddering breath, his eyes squeezed shut as he tries to remember. "It was dark, I couldn't see him clearly. He was tall, I think. And his voice… it was deep, angry."

It's not much to go on, but it's more than we had before. I step back, running a hand through my hair as I try to process this new information.

I’m disgusted by this fucker, but I have a feeling that this is not all of it.

I walk across the room and look at the tools, smiling when I see a mallet. “How much do you love football?” I ask him.

I pick up the mallet, feeling its weight in my hand as I turn back to face Kevin. His eyes widen in terror as he realizes what I'm implying.

"No, please!" he begs, his voice cracking with desperation. "I'll tell you everything, I swear! Just don't…"

I lean in close, my face mere inches from his. "You had your chance to talk. Now it's time for consequences."

I motion to Mason and Reid, who grab Kevin's arms, holding him in place. He struggles against their grip, but it's futile. They're too strong.

I crouch down, grasping Kevin's right ankle. He kicks and thrashes, but I maintain my hold.

"Football is all about teamwork, isn't it?" I muse, tapping the mallet against my palm. "Working together, supporting each other. But you failed at that when you left Elle behind."

Without warning, I bring the mallet down hard on Kevin's ankle. A sickening crunch echoes through the room, followed by Kevin's agonized scream.

"That was for not helping her when she needed it most," I snarl, tossing the mallet aside.

Kevin writhes in pain, his face contorted in agony. "Please, no more!" he sobs, tears and snot running down his face. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"

I stand up, looming over him. "Sorry doesn't change the fact that you let someone hurt her.”

His ankle is completely shattered. The girls in the cell are crying, screaming at the top of their lungs.

Kevin is screaming so fucking loud that it’s pissing me off further.

I turn to face the girls in the cell, their terrified faces streaked with tears. "Shut the fuck up!" I roar, slamming my fist against the bars. They recoil, their screams reducing to whimpers.

I focus my attention back on Kevin, who's now a blubbering mess. "P-please, I'll do anything," he begs, his words barely coherent through his sobs. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

I lean down to his level, my voice calm. "But it did happen, Kevin. And you did nothing to stop it. That's on you."

I stand up and nod to Mason and Reid. They drag Kevin's broken form back to the cell, tossing him in unceremoniously. He crumples to the floor, clutching his shattered ankle as he wails in agony.

I turn to the rest of them, my eyes cold and unforgiving. "Who's next?" I ask, my tone making it clear that it's not really a question.

Danny, trying to appear brave despite his quivering lip, steps forward. "I'll talk," he says, his voice shaking. "Just don't hurt me like you did Kevin."

I smile, but there's no emotion behind it. "That depends entirely on what you have to say, Danny boy. Start talking."

“The party was meant for us to get Elle to have sex with one of us.”Danny takes a deep breath, his eyes darting nervously between me and the others. "The party was a setup," he admits, his voice trembling. "We wanted to get Elle alone, to… to take advantage of her."

Rage boils inside me at his confession. My fists clench at my sides, the urge to beat him senseless nearly overwhelming.

"Who planned this?" I demand, my voice low and dangerous. "Whose idea was it?"

Danny hesitates, fear etched across his face. "It was… it was Kevin's idea," he finally says, his gaze flickering to Kevin's whimpering form. "He said she was a tease, that she deserved to be put in her place."

I ignore him, my focus solely on Danny. "And you went along with it," I state, my disgust evident. "You were going to rape her."

Danny hangs his head, unable to meet my gaze. "I'm sorry," he whispers, tears falling from his eyes. "I know it was wrong. I should have stopped it."

I lean in close, my voice a menacing whisper. "But you didn't stop it, did you? You were there in the woods, ready to take your turn."

He nods miserably, shame on his face. I look at Derek, and he is being held back by Wilder and Aiden so he doesn’t charge Danny.

“But someone else got to her first.”That whips my head back to him. “We saw a man grab her when she fell and carry her off. He was wearing a hood. He ran with her, and we tried to follow but he was too fast.”

His hands are shaking, and he looks back at Kevin. “Kevin suggested we wait a while until he was finished and then we would go join in.”

I close my eyes, disgusted.

“We found her, but the guy was still hanging around and he yelled at us. I tried to see if I could see him, but he was behind a tree.

“So we ran off and went back to the party.

“Elle seemed to have been drugged. We didn’t do that. I think someone else had something planned for her.”

I feel the rage burning inside me at Danny's confession. The pieces are starting to come together, but the picture they're painting is even more twisted than I imagined.

"So, you're telling me," I say, my voice deceptively calm, "that not only did you plan to rape Elle, but when you saw someone else doing it, you were just going to wait your turn?"

Danny flinches at my words, but he nods miserably. "We didn't know what else to do. We were scared."

"Scared?" I scoff, my anger rising. "Elle was the one who was scared, you fucking coward. She was drugged and helpless, and you were going to take advantage of that."

I pace in front of him, my mind racing. Someone else had targeted Elle, someone who knew she would be at that party. It wasn't just a crime of opportunity.

I turn to Derek, seeing the same realization dawning on his face. "We need to find out who that man was," I say, my voice grim. "He's the key to all of this."

Derek nods, his jaw clenched tight. "We'll find out who he is and make him pay."

I turn back to Danny, who's visibly shaking now. "Now, do I end your miserable fucking life or make you feel like I should have killed you?"

Danny's eyes widen in terror, his breaths coming in short gasps. "Please, I told you everything I know!" he begs, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what we did!"

I lean in close, my face inches from his. "Sorry doesn't undo the trauma Elle went through. Sorry doesn't erase the fact that you were going to rape her."

I grab him by the collar, dragging him the rest of the way out of the cell. He stumbles, falling to his knees at my feet. "I'm going to make you feel a fraction of the pain and fear Elle experienced," I snarl.

I motion to Wilder, who hands me a knife. Danny's eyes fixate on the blade, his face paling. "No, please, don't do this!" he pleads, trying to scramble away.

I grab him, slamming him against the wall. "Your begging just makes me want to hurt you even more, I fucking thrive on it." I press the knife against his cheek, applying just enough pressure to break the skin.

Danny screams as blood trickles down his face. "Stop, please stop!" He sobs, his body trembling violently.

I laugh darkly. “You think your pleading will stop me? Tell me, were those bitches involved too?”

He doesn’t say anything, looking over at them like he is trying to protect them.

That doesn’t sit right with me.

I drag the knife down, leaving a deep gash. Danny howls in agony, his knees buckling. I let him fall to the ground, a pool of blood forming beneath his face.

"Yes, yes, they were involved!" he cries, clutching his bleeding cheek. "Joanne suggested using drugs to make Elle more compliant. And her friends helped lure Elle to the party."

My gaze snaps to the girls huddled in the cell, their faces pale with terror. Joanne meets my eyes for a brief moment before looking away, guilt written all over her face.

"You fucking bitches," I snarl, striding over to the cell. "You set your own friend up to be raped. What kind of twisted, soulless cunts are you?"

Joanne flinches at my words, tears streaming down her face. "We didn't know it would go that far!" she cries. "It was just supposed to be a joke, to embarrass her a little!"

"A joke?" I bellow, slamming my fist against the bars, making them all jump. "Does Elle look like she's laughing? Does her lying broken and traumatized seem fucking funny to you?"

The girls cower, whimpering apologies and pleas for mercy. But I'm beyond in the mood for offering mercy now. They don't deserve it.

“Please, we didn’t understand what could have happened to her. I was jealous of her. She has the perfect life.” I can hear the bitterness in her voice.

The door is pushed open and in walks Tiffany, Tiana, Meadow, and Leah.

“Well, I was worried I was going to be late to the party.” Tiffany winks at the girls in the cage, and they start screaming at the top of their lungs.

No matter how big of a cunt these girls are, it’s nearly impossible for us to be the ones to dish out the pain to them. It goes against every part of what we stand for.

I turn to face the girls, a wicked grin spreading across my face as our own women enter the room. "Ladies, I believe you know what to do with these traitorous bitches," I say, stepping aside to let them pass.

Tiffany, Tiana, Meadow, and Leah advance on the cell, their eyes glinting with a thirst for vengeance.

"Please, no!" Joanne begs, tears trailing her cheeks. "We're sorry, we never meant for it to go so far!"

Tiffany laughs, a cold and humorless sound. "You never meant for it to go so far?" she mocks, reaching through the bars to grab Joanne by the hair. "Well, we never meant to make you suffer. But here we are."

With that, she yanks Joanne forward, slamming her face into the bars. Blood spurts from her nose as she crumples to the floor, sobbing.

Meadow, Tiana, and Leah descend on the other girls, raining blows and scratches. Their screams echo off the walls, mixing with the sickening thuds of flesh hitting flesh.

I watch with grim satisfaction as our women exact their revenge. It's a brutal sight, but one that feels righteous and necessary. The girls' screams grow hoarse as our MC girls unleash their fury, making them pay for their betrayal of Elle.

Joanne crawls into the corner, her face a bloody mess, whimpering pathetically. Tiffany grabs her by the hair again, forcing her to look up.

"This is what happens when you cross one of our own," she snarls. "Elle trusted you, and you set her up like a lamb to the slaughter."

Joanne can only sob in response, while Debbie is unconscious in the corner. The other girls fare no better, huddled together in a battered heap, their once pretty faces now marred with bruises and cuts. Meadow spits on them.

Mason grins. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything hotter than Meadow right now.” I snicker at his reaction.

I turn my attention back to Danny, who's watching the scene with wide, horrified eyes, his hand still clutching his bleeding cheek.

Kevin is crying heavily in the corner of the cage, trying to stay away from the blows from the girls and hoping to go unnoticed.

I grab Danny by the collar, hauling him up to face me. "You see what happens to those who betray us?" I hiss, gesturing to the battered girls in the cell. "That's just a taste of what's coming for you."

Danny trembles in my grasp, his eyes pleading. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he babbles. "Please, I'll do anything, just don't hurt me anymore."

I laugh coldly. "You'll do anything? How about bringing back the innocence you stole from Elle? Can you do that, you piece of shit?"

He shakes his head miserably, tears and blood mingling on his face. I shove him roughly to the ground in disgust.

"Pathetic," I snarl. "You were man enough to plan a rape but can't face the consequences of your actions."

I turn to Kevin, who's trying to make himself appear as small as possible in the corner of the cage. "And you," I growl, stalking toward him. "The mastermind behind this whole vile scheme."

Kevin whimpers as I reach through the bars, grabbing a fistful of his hair and slamming his head against the metal. He yelps in pain, trying feebly to pry my hand away.

"I should end your miserable life right here and now," I muse, tightening my grip. "But that would be too easy, wouldn't it?”

“Let’s string them up, boys.” Mason and Reid grab them from the cage, and we string them up from the ceiling until they’re hanging with their feet barely touching the ground.

I step back, admiring our handiwork as Kevin and Danny dangle helplessly from the ceiling, their arms stretched painfully above their heads.

"Now, let's see how long you can last like this," I say, circling them slowly. "Maybe a few hours of this agony will loosen your tongues even more, help you remember every detail of that night."

Kevin’s and Danny's muffled sobs echo through the room, their bodies trembling from pain and fear. I nod to Mason and Reid, signaling for them to begin.

They step forward, each brandishing a weapon, Mason with a baseball bat and Reid with a length of chain. They take turns striking the suspended boys, targeting their ribs, their stomachs, their legs. The dull thumps of them being hit mingle with Kevin’s and Danny's agonized screams.

But even as I revel in their suffering, a nagging thought tugs at the back of my mind—the hooded man in the woods.

Who the fuck is he? It’s killing me that I don’t know who he is.

I step forward, grabbing Danny's chin roughly and forcing him to meet my gaze. "The man in the woods," I growl. "Tell me everything you remember about him. Every detail, no matter how small."

Danny's eyes are glassy from the pain, his breaths coming in shallow gasps. "Tall," he wheezes. "Over six feet. Broad shoulders. Wearing all black… a hoodie, I think."

I tighten my grip. "What else? Did you see his face? Hear his voice?"

Danny shakes his head weakly. "No… no, he stayed hidden. But his voice… it was deep. Rough. He sounded older."

I release him, my mind racing. It's not much, but it's a start. I turn to Derek, seeing the same determination in his eyes.

I glance back at Kevin’s and Danny's whimpering forms. Their faces are battered and almost unrecognizable. The girls are watching in horror at the sight these fuckers make.

My dad and Elle’s dad are watching us and giving us the chance to do this on our own.

We have witnessed over the years our fathers exacting revenge on those who have wronged the club or our family.

It’s our turn.

Wilder, Mason's dad, is giving Mason a proud look as we continue our brutal interrogation. He nods in approval, a grim smile on his face. I know he's done this countless times himself, defending the club and our family. Now it's our turn to carry on that legacy.

I turn back to Kevin and Danny, my anger still burning hot. "We're not finished with you yet," I snarl. "Not until we have every last detail about what happened to Elle that night."

I motion to Mason and Reid to cut them down. They fall to the ground in a heap, groaning in pain. We drag them to the center of the room, forcing them to kneel before us.

"The man in the woods," I press, looming over them. "Think harder. Did you notice anything else about him? The way he moved, any identifying marks, anything?"

Kevin shakes his head miserably, snot and tears streaking his face. "No. I swear that's all I saw! It was dark and he stayed hidden behind the trees!"

I backhand him across the face, sending him sprawling. "Useless piece of shit," I mutter.

Danny speaks up, his voice trembling. "Wait, I remember something else. When he was with Elle, I noticed… I noticed a tattoo on his wrist. It looked like some kind of symbol."

My head snaps to him. "What kind of symbol? Describe it.”

He shrugs, wincing. “Some sort of anchor. I caught a small glimpse when he was resting against the tree when I had my phone camera on.”

That’s the same thing that Elle remembers, and I’m done with these fuckers.

I meet my father's steely gaze across the room, seeing the pride and approval in his eyes. He nods almost imperceptibly, a silent acknowledgement that we're doing what needs to be done to protect our own.

“Let’s get these fuckers out of here. I will take the girls with Derek.” I look at him to make sure he is good with it.

He gives me a grin, because he knows exactly why I want to take Joanne myself.

We have a couple of vans parked at the back of the clubhouse and we have a back door so we don’t have to parade them through the front.

Derek gets behind the wheel and Tiffany and Tianna throw the girls into the back—hard. Mason and Reid take the other van with Danny and Kevin to drop them off.

"We will find out who’s done this. He will make a mistake,” I tell Derek.

My chest is burning, pissed off that we are not close to finding out who this fucker who hurt Elle is.

Derek pulls off on the side of the road at the edge of town, where Mason and Reid drag them out of the back, throwing them on the ground roughly.

I step forward, towering over them. "Listen closely, you pathetic pieces of shit," I snarl. "You're going to leave town tonight. You're going to disappear and never come back. If we ever see your faces again, if you ever breathe a word about what happened, we will hunt you down and finish what we started. Understood?"

They nod frantically, blubbering promises and pleas.

We leave them lying there and drop Debbie off in front of her house, threatening her the exact same thing with the exact same repercussions if she speaks a word of what happened.

Finally, we arrive at Joanne's house, and find the lights are still on. She hesitates to get out of the car. I grab a fistful of her hair and forcefully pull her out.

She stumbles with us and I kick their door in. Her dad is sitting in the living room with his underwear on, a beer in his hand, and all the while his daughter was still missing.

But what’s the most shocking fucking thing is what he’s watching on TV.

I inhale a sharp breath before Derek thunders past me to grab him. On the TV are young girls who look to be around the age of fourteen or fifteen, naked, in a shower, in what looks like his house.

What a fucking sicko.

Joanne busts out of my grip and runs through the house like her ass is on fire.

I follow her and she goes straight to a bedroom, climbing on a chair to grab a laptop off the top of a shelf.

She stands up and lifts it high above her head, like she is going to slam it onto the ground to destroy it.

“What the fuck?” I yell and take the laptop from her at the very last second, and she looks at me, eyes blazing.

“I fucking hate you and that bitch of yours.”

I’ve never hit a woman, and I don’t plan on it, but this cunt is making me think twice about that now.

“Remember, I was nice enough to let you live. Next time I see you after this day? I will forget all about you being a woman.”

I stare at Joanne, my grip tightening on the laptop. "What the hell is on this computer that you're so desperate to destroy?" I demand.

She glares at me defiantly. "None of your fucking business. Just give it back and get out of my house."

I laugh harshly. "Your house? Looks more like a den of depravity to me, with the sick shit your dad is watching out there."

Her face pales slightly but she maintains her defiant stance. "You don't know anything about my family. Now give me the laptop and leave!"

I shake my head, tucking the laptop under my arm. "I don't think so. This is coming with me. And you," I point at her, "had better pray there's nothing incriminating on here. Because if there is, I'll be back. And next time, I won't be so merciful."

I turn on my heel and storm out, Derek right behind me. We emerge into the living room where Joanne's dad is sprawled on the floor, groaning in pain. Derek must have worked him over good.

"You're a real piece of work," I spit at him. "Getting your rocks off to underage girls, while your daughter is out there setting up her friends to be raped. What a model fucking family."

He just glares at us blearily, too drunk or too pummeled to respond. I signal to Derek and we leave.

Mason and Reid are outside of the house waiting. “What the fuck is that?” Reid nods toward the laptop.

"Not sure yet," I reply, gripping the computer tightly. "But Joanne was desperate to destroy it, so I'm betting it's something big."

We head back to the clubhouse, the weight of the laptop heavy in my hands. My mind is racing, trying to piece together all the new information we've uncovered tonight.

Once inside, I set the laptop on the table and boot it up. The guys gather around, tension thick in the air as we wait to see what secrets it holds.

"Shit," Mason mutters as the screen comes to life. "It's password-protected."

I curse under my breath, frustration building. "Try her birthday or some shit,” I say, throwing out ideas.

Reid types it in and the screen unlocks to my utter shock, revealing a desktop cluttered with folders and files.

In some of the folders, we can see files of Elle’s smiling face walking through the hallway at school

"Fucking bitch," Derek growls. "She was obsessed with Elle."

We start clicking through the folders, our disgust growing with each new discovery. There are hundreds of photos of Elle, many clearly taken without her knowledge. School hallways, the mall, even outside her house.

"This goes way beyond jealousy," I say, my voice tight with anger. "This is full-on stalking."

Then we stumble upon a video file labeled simply "Party Night" and with a shared look of dread, I click play.

The footage is shaky at first, but soon the camera focuses on Elle at the party. She looks happy, laughing with her friends. Then the camera zooms in on her drink as someone's hand—Joanne's, I realize with a jolt—slips something into it.

"That fucking cunt," Mason snarls. "She drugged her herself."

We watch in horrified silence as the video continues, showing Elle stumbling out of the party and into the woods. The camera follows at a distance, catching glimpses of her through the trees.

Then a hooded figure appears, grabbing Elle roughly. She struggles weakly, clearly disoriented from the drugs. The man drags her deeper into the woods, out of sight of the camera.

The video ends there, leaving us all shaken and furious.

“I think we need to kill them all. We made a mistake letting them go,” I voice my thoughts.

Derek takes the laptop. “Leave it to me and us old fuckers. We need to have some fun to.” It goes against everything to let him handle it, but I know he needs this.

I just watched a video of my woman being snatched on camera after being drugged by someone who was supposed to be her friend.

My heart is fucking breaking.

The fear on her face and her dazed eyes in the video, hoping someone could help her.

But no one did.

“We don’t tell her. She doesn’t need to know about this,” I tell my brothers, and they nod.

This is something she doesn’t need to know, because all it would do is bring her further pain.