Page 16 of Kraken (Hades Abyss MC #4: Mississippi Chapter)

It took too fucking long to reach the Sadistic Saints’ territory.

My body ached, and exhaustion pulled at me.

A line of bikes was on the side of the road, along with two trucks.

The men waiting had on cuts from various clubs.

Reckless Kings. Savage Raptors. Wicked Mayhem.

It seemed Havoc had been busy on the phone while I’d gotten my wounds patched.

I glanced his way and he merely smirked.

“Told you there would be backup. These men want a piece of these assholes just as much as you do,” Havoc said.

“Can’t exactly go in guns blazing,” I said. “I have no idea where Phoebe is and I won’t risk her life.”

“We scoped the place out already.” I scanned the man’s cut. Socket. Wicked Mayhem MC . “You won’t like what you find inside.”

“Phoebe…”

“It’s bad, man.” He held out his hand. “I’m Loch. Socket and I got here first. Did what little recon we could until the others got here.”

“She’s going to need a doctor. I’m Crow, by the way. With Reckless Kings.”

“I appreciate all of you coming. I need to get her out of there, then I want to put an end to those bastards once and for all. Should have burned this damn place to the ground after I took out Deuce.” If I’d done that, maybe Phoebe would be safe at home right now.

“They’re all drunk as shit,” said Socket. “Means they’re dangerous, but they’re also slow. I think we can take them.”

Havoc folded his arms. “Not going to tell you what to do on your own damn mission, but if it were me, I’d get my woman the fuck out of there and run. Let the rest of us handle these assholes. We’ll make sure there’s nothing left.”

“No. Not nothing. I need to handle this myself. Find out who hurt her the most, who started it. I want that man gift wrapped with a fucking bow, then I want to rip his insides out with my bare hands.”

Havoc grinned. “Knew I liked you. Consider it done. Just focus on Phoebe.”

Crow tipped his head to the trucks. “One of those is ours. There’s a Prospect ready and willing to go wherever you need him to. Put your woman in the truck and follow on your bike. Get her to the nearest fucking hospital.”

If she needed a hospital… what the hell had they done to her?

I nodded and pulled both my gun and my knife.

Crow and Havoc took point, clearing a path for me.

Even though I’d said no to going in guns blazing, that’s exactly what we did.

A few men came in through the back. I scanned the area, not seeing any sign of Phoebe, but the blood on the floor drew my attention.

I gave myself a mental slap and hurried down the hall.

A man in a Sadistic Saints cut tumbled out of the bathroom, still zipping his pants.

I didn’t hesitate, didn’t even think. I just pointed and pulled the trigger.

He fell to the floor and I knelt, dragging the blade of my knife across his throat.

As he gurgled and choked on his own blood, I made my way to Phoebe’s room, hoping I’d find her there.

I kicked in the door and saw her on the floor near the bathroom. I holstered my gun and put away my knife, dropping to my knees beside her. Tears burned my throat and eyes as I surveyed the damage they’d done.

“Oh, baby girl. I’m so fucking sorry.” I moved her hair off her face and openly wept at the carnage.

I pulled a blanket off the bed and wrapped her in it before lifting her into my arms. I carried her out the back and went back to the road.

A Prospect leaned against one of the trucks and jerked to attention as I got closer.

He opened the backdoor and I laid Phoebe on the seat. “Nearest hospital. I’ll follow.”

He nodded and got in, starting up the engine.

I got on my bike and we took off down the road.

I didn’t have a fucking clue where anything was in this damn town, but the guy seemed to know where he was going.

We pulled into the ER entrance of a hospital and I parked my bike on the sidewalk, not giving a fuck if it was permitted or not. I rushed to pull Phoebe from the truck.

“Keys,” said the Prospect. “I’ll move your bike so they don’t tow it.”

I tossed them to him and rushed inside with my woman, yelling out for a nurse.

“We need help! Right the fuck now!”

Someone pushed a gurney over and I eased Phoebe onto it. I answered their rapid-fire questions best I could.

“Name,” a nurse asked.

“Her name is Phoebe Miller. She’s my wife.”

The woman nodded and tapped on her tablet. “What happened?”

“She was kidnapped. The men who took her did this. I… I don’t know what else…” I bit my lip and stared after Phoebe as they wheeled her through the double doors.

The woman placed her hand on my arm. “She’s in good hands, Mr. Miller. We’ll need you to complete some forms, but as soon as we know more about your wife’s condition, someone will come talk to you.”

I nodded and followed her to the triage station.

I didn’t have insurance on Phoebe, but I gave them my credit card to put on file.

It was something I’d need to handle after all this was over.

She and Ember would both need a policy. Hell, I didn’t have one for that matter.

Now that I had a family, I needed to make sure I not only stayed upright and breathing, but I needed to get life insurance or some shit for my girls.

Or at least start putting some cash aside.

I paced for a bit before sinking down onto one of the most uncomfortable chairs in the entire world. The men who’d had my back made their way inside and gathered around me. I noticed Havoc was missing, along with one of the others.

“It was Pitch,” Crow said. “He’ll be waiting for you whenever you’re ready. Havoc is babysitting.”

“Need to know how Phoebe is before I do anything.”

Crow nodded. “Didn’t expect anything less.”

“Thanks for coming,” I said. “Couldn’t have done this on my own.”

“Wiped those fuckers off the face of the earth,” he said. “They won’t be bothering anyone again. Won’t be raping women, cutting them, or any other sick fucking thing they get off on.”

“There’s more of them. Elsewhere,” I said.

“I know. I already talked to my Pres. He’s going to make a few calls. We’ll get it handled. No retaliation will come back on you for what happened tonight.”

I watched the minutes tick by. Then the hours. When a doctor came out, and called for the family of Phoebe Miller, I stood. He made his way over, a mask around his neck and a cap on his head.

“Mr. Miller?” he asked.

“I’m Phoebe Miller’s husband,” I said. “But I go by Kraken.”

He eyed my cut and nodded. “All right. Your wife is resting. We had to put a lot of stitches in her, but I couldn’t give her any drugs. Tox screen shows she’s got heroin in her system. Found a pinprick in her arm.”

“Phoebe doesn’t do drugs,” I said. “She’d never do that.”

“Figured it was whoever cut her to pieces. It will ease your mind to know she wasn’t raped that we can tell. No evidence of trauma. We’ll need a DNA sample from you, but we didn’t find much. I doubt her attackers left anything useful behind.”

I briefly closed my eyes, thankful for that one small miracle. It had been my greatest fear.

“Is there any chance your wife is pregnant?” the doctor asked. “Once the heroin is out of her system, we’ll need to put her on an antibiotic and a painkiller. I don’t want to prescribe something that could be harmful to a fetus if there’s even a chance she’s expecting.”

“We had sex right before she was taken. Decided we wanted to try for a baby. That was… not even twenty-four hours ago.”

“Then I’ll err on the side of caution. We’ll keep her as comfortable as we can, but she needs to remain here at least overnight.

I’ll have a better idea tomorrow when she’ll be able to go home.

” He folded his arms. “I saw your home address isn’t exactly down the street.

You might want to get a hotel for a few days, even once she’s out of here. A long trip might be painful for her.”

“Understood.”

Gravel came to stand next to me. “Will she be out of it for a while? Long enough to secure lodgings and get some essentials?”

“Yes, by all means. She’s in good hands, Kraken. If there’s any change, someone will call you at the number on file.”

Gravel steered me outside and I got on my bike.

Pitch remained at the Sadistic Saints compound.

I rode straight there, and pulled up with Gravel and Crow on either side of me.

I walked inside, scanning the room. Havoc leaned against the bar, the asshole known as Pitch tied to a chair in the center of the main area.

I shrugged off my cut and removed my shirt, tossing both onto the bar. I yanked my knife free and approached the fucker who’d hurt my woman. “Shouldn’t have touched her.”

“Only made her prettier,” Pitch said. “Didn’t get to the fun part before you showed up.”

My hand tightened on the handle and I willed myself to remain calm.

The fucker was goading me, wanting me to end him quickly.

I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. He’d carved up Phoebe, probably scarred her for life, given her a lasting reminder of this place.

There was nothing I could do to him that would give her comfort, that would ease her pain, or satisfy the rage inside me.

“Where is MaryAnne? You took her, tried to turn Sean against us. What happened to her?”

Pitch grinned. “That bitch is long gone. You’ll never find her.”

I’d have Wizard look into it. Maybe he could check into their finances and see if money changed hands. If she was alive, we’d find her.

I got to work, taking my time, mimicking the marks he’d left on her face.

Slicing into his cheeks, I made the exact cuts he’d given Phoebe.

As I gazed into his eyes, I saw the nothingness.

He didn’t scream. Didn’t beg. There was a void, the complete absence of a soul.

I peeled the flesh from his arms, cutting off his tattoos.

When I realized he wouldn’t give in, wouldn’t break, I decided I’d wasted enough time.

I buried my knife in his chest, right where his black heart would be, if he had one.

Gravel placed his hand on my shoulder. “Go clean up, brother. Get back to your woman. We’ll take care of the trash.”

I gave him a nod and went back to the room that had been Phoebe’s.

I washed off using her sink, checked my jeans and boots for blood, then went back for my shirt and cut.

I shrugged them on and walked out, not so much as glancing back or hesitating.

I’d done what I needed to do, and now my woman would be safe. No one would come for her.

I’d promised to protect her, and I damn well would. No matter the cost.