Renegade (Devil’s Boneyard MC 6) Read online

  “I was fifteen when they took me. There was a flyer posted at the underage club on the edge of town about a party in a field. I went, wanting to escape my foster home for a while. Except it wasn’t a regular party. Boomer and some of his friends used it as a way to lure in teen girls. They drugged and kidnapped us. I was the only one Boomer kept. He traded two others within days of taking us. I don’t know what happened to everyone else at the party. When I woke up, we were already out of the state.”

  For the next half hour, everything spilled out. Not just about my time with Boomer, but also being in foster care and the atrocities I’d seen while being in the system. I told him about the abuse I’d suffered since Boomer took me, the rapes, starvation, the way the bikers had gotten me pregnant almost right away, then the fear I’d felt over Fawn being around them. I didn’t understand why I felt safe enough telling him all that I’d been through, but I did. Maybe it was the old crush I’d had on him, or the fact he’d taken such good care of Fawn. When he looked at me, I didn’t feel the fear I normally felt when a man was focused on me. With Renegade, I felt a sense of longing. Once I was finished, it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

  “They won’t hurt you ever again,” Renegade said. “We won’t let them anywhere near you, or Fawn. I need to tell my President and VP everything you shared, and I’ll need you to convince Fawn to let Dr. Chansy have a look at her throat. Maybe whatever was done can be reversed.”

  Part of me wanted to know why he’d go to so much trouble over someone he didn’t know. Even though I’d gone to the same school as his sister, and he claimed I looked familiar, we didn’t really know each other. Never had. At the same time, I worried if I asked, he might decide he didn’t want us around after all, and this was the nicest place I’d ever been. Yes, he was a stranger for the most part, and maybe everything I’d seen so far was all faked. It wouldn’t be the first time I was taken in by someone pretending to be something they weren’t. The last time had changed my life forever, and not in a good way.

  I fingered the shirt I was wearing, and wondered if Renegade had dressed me. I remembered Boomer ordering his brothers to hurt me, and my clothes had been cut and ripped. They hadn’t been more than rags to begin with, but I doubted they’d survived the beating I’d received. He must have realized the direction of my thoughts.

  “The doctor had to cut off your clothes, as much as he could. The blood was making the material stick to your wounds. He wet the rest and removed it before patching you back together. You have some stitches. One set on your arm and another on your calf. You need to keep them dry as much as possible, but there are ways around it if you want to shower.”

  “Do I need to stay in here?” I asked, wondering if he would shackle me to the bed, or just lock the door when he left.

  “You can go anywhere in the house you want. Although, I’d recommend waiting to go outside until you have more clothing than my old shirt. While no one here would harm you, you still might get more attention than you’d like.” His gaze lowered and lingered on my unbound breasts a moment. My nipples hardened, as if they could feel his gaze like a caress. I felt heat warm my cheeks. It had been a long time since I’d had that reaction. Life with Boomer had stripped me of any sense of modesty.

  Right, so stay inside. I could do that. Only wearing his shirt was better than some options I’d had previously, but I certainly didn’t want the attention of an entire MC. I knew that there would likely be a price I’d have to pay for anything I was given, or Fawn, but I’d do anything for my daughter. I’d endured so much already to try and keep her safe, and I’d go through so much more.

  “Darby, I know that you don’t have any idea if I’m who I really say I am. I don’t even know if you remember Nikki from back before you were kidnapped. You have no reason to trust me. I’m not going to lie and tell you I’m some saint who has never done anything wrong. I have blood on my hands, but I’d never kill an innocent. I don’t abuse or rape women and kids. No one in this club ever would.” His eyes narrowed a moment. “In fact, I think you should meet Meg.”

  “Who’s Meg?” I asked. Did he have a girlfriend? And why did that make me feel like someone had just stolen my favorite toy?

  “The Pres’s old lady. More than that, she’s one of the women the club rescued in Colombia. She suffered much the way you have, and now she’s married to Cinder. They just had a little boy not that long ago, but I’m sure Meg would come by when Tanner is napping.”

  His President and VP both had families, and there was a playground at the compound. It was hard to wrap my mind around a family-oriented MC. Didn’t that go against everything bikers stood for? Or had my experience with the Mayhem Riders skewed the way I viewed everyone else? I’d already seen the difference in the Nomads and the actual chapter members among the Mayhem Riders. It was possible that other clubs were decent, even if they weren’t law-abiding. Just because they didn’t walk the straight and narrow didn’t mean they couldn’t be good men. Heaven knew I’d met enough “God-fearing” people during my time in foster care, men who sat in church on Sunday, then slipped into my room later that night to fondle me. If the good, upstanding members of society had that sort of darkness hidden from the world, then it stood to reason the men the town feared could be decent.

  I’d learned long ago not everything was black and white. There were definite shades of gray in the world. I’d thought that maybe Nikki was just pretending, but what if she really was that nice and happy? It had been so long since I’d been around genuinely kind people. Even when the Nomads met with some of the chapters, I wasn’t permitted to speak to many people. If Boomer thought I was getting close to someone, even an old lady, then he intervened. After receiving a few beatings after those meetings, I’d learned that he worried I would tell about the abuse I suffered at the hands of him and the other Nomads he traveled with from time to time. More often than not, it was just the three of us, but there were times he kept at least two other brothers with him. The larger the crew that ran with him, the more control he had over me and Fawn. I’d always thought a Nomad was just a lone biker, but Boomer didn’t seem to care about what was normal, or rules of any sort. Boomer did what he wanted when he wanted, and fuck anyone who said otherwise. It was the reason he didn’t belong to a chapter. He didn’t want to be beholden to anyone. As long as he moved from place to place, then he felt like he was his own man, while still hiding behind the protection of the Mayhem Riders MC.

  I hated that rat bastard, more than anything.

  “You look close to Clarity’s size before she had her youngest. I’ll see if she kept anything that might fit you,” Renegade said. “Or if you know your size, I can have someone pick up a few things for you.”

  My cheeks warmed when I thought about someone buying me bras and panties. With everything I’d been through, any embarrassment should have been burned out of me, but apparently it wasn’t, at least not when the sexy man in front of me was so close. I tugged at the shirt I was wearing and knew I’d feel better fully clothed. If he was offering that option, then I’d gladly take it.

  “I don’t need anything fancy or expensive. The thrift store is fine.”

  He shook his head, clearly not liking my plan. “I’ll get you a pen and paper. Write down everything from the skin out, including shoes, for both you and Fawn. Scratch and his family live outside the compound. If he’s coming in today, I’ll ask if he’ll bring his wife and kids. Maybe they can pick up some things for y’all. I’m sure Clarity would do a better job shopping than any of us. If she can’t come, I can send a Prospect after everything.”

  The fact he was concerned that Fawn and I would have clothing and shoes already made him better than Boomer. Then again, the fact he’d saved me, gotten medical attention for me, and had been worried that Fawn wouldn’t speak was enough to prove he was a different caliber of man from the asshole who had taken me five years ago. I wasn’t sure I could trust my instincts anymore. Just because Renegade se
emed like a decent guy, didn’t mean he really was. I felt like I was at war with myself. Trust him. Don’t trust him. It wasn’t just physical damage that Boomer had caused, it was emotional and mental as well, and the scars ran deep. Yet there was a part of me that remembered watching Renegade and his sister, and wishing that I was old enough for him to notice me. I’d dreamed more than once about what it would feel like for him to kiss me.

  I heard the front door slam, then the clatter of small feet. Fawn rushed into the room, her smile so wide that I couldn’t remember a time she’d ever seemed this happy. Her cheeks were pink, and there was a brightness to her eyes that had been missing all her life.

  “Did you have fun?” I asked.

  She nodded eagerly.

  “She really enjoyed the swing and the slide,” Nikki said. “I had to help her with the swing, but she raced up the ladder and flew down the slide all by herself. I promised next time we go, if it’s all right with you, I’ll teach her how to keep the swing going by herself.”

  Tears misted my eyes as I thought about Nikki offering something so simple, yet she’d somehow known that it would offer joy to my daughter. No one had ever taken the time to do something with Fawn, other than me. My precious baby looked so carefree. I was torn between being elated that she enjoyed being here, felt safe enough to have a good time, and feeling like the worst mother ever because of how we’d lived prior to this. Deep down, I knew I wasn’t really to blame. The few times I’d tried to escape, both of us had paid the price. There comes a time when you just accept your Fate and try to live through it the best you can, praying for a miracle to come. Had it only been me, I might have pushed Boomer enough that he’d have killed me, or I’d have succeeded in one of my escape attempts. I’d survived for Fawn, and done what I could to shelter her the best I was able. It wasn’t enough, but I hoped that one day she’d understand.

  Fawn cuddled close to me, and I held onto her. She smelled like sunshine. I couldn’t remember the last time she’d been able to run free outside, or to use a slide at a playground. Boomer never let us loose long enough to go to a park. He certainly didn’t care about Fawn, other than using her as a way to get to me. If Boomer wanted me to do something, all he needed to do was threaten Fawn and I’d fall in line. Regardless of what he wanted, I’d have done anything to keep her safe. I’d only dared to call his bluff once. It had taken him less than five minutes to find a buyer for Fawn, a man he said enjoyed taking in babies and raising them into his perfect little girls, girls that he trained to satisfy him sexually. I’d not gone against him again after that.

  “Maybe you can go to the playground again soon,” I told her.

  “I’d be happy to come over and take her again tomorrow,” Nikki said. She chewed her lower lip. “I’m really glad you’re here, Darby. I don’t know where you’ve been or what you’ve been through, but you’re safe here.”

  “Come over?” I asked, honing in on the first part she’d said. “You don’t live here too?”

  Nikki smiled. “And cramp my big brother’s style? Not a chance. Besides, he doesn’t like me hanging out at the compound that often. Says I’m too much temptation for the single guys around here.”

  I could understand his concern. Nikki was stunning, and with her openness and infectious smile, I could easily see her as being a magnet for the men with the Devil’s Boneyard -- or any men for that matter -- even if her brother was a patched member. I glanced his way, taking in his cut. I hadn’t studied it before, but now that I looked closer, I saw he had a patch under his name. Road Captain. I’d been around the chapters long enough to know that not just anyone had a title.

  The fact he was someone important, and I was staying in his home, gave me a little hope. If Renegade said I was safe here, that Fawn would be safe, then I knew his brothers wouldn’t cross him. Although, if he worried over his own sister… I looked from him to Nikki, then back again. He’d said that his club would never hurt a woman. Perhaps it wasn’t that he worried she’d be hurt in the physical sense, but more in the heartbroken way. Either way, I felt safer here than I had in a long time, and it seemed Fawn was of the same belief.

  I only hoped that I wasn’t putting my faith in the wrong people. Fawn had been hurt enough already. I didn’t want to be responsible for placing her in yet another bad situation. Even if I hadn’t come here voluntarily, if Renegade gave me the option to stay and I took it, then things went south, that would be all on me. I already owed her so much, my sweet baby. This was a chance at a better life for both of us, and I couldn’t back down from it, not out of fear or mistrust. Sooner or later, I had to believe in someone. Might as well be Nikki and Renegade.

  His cut did have wings on the back. Maybe he was my guardian angel in disguise.

  Chapter Three

  Renegade

  Not only had Clarity been unable to shop for Darby and Fawn, but my traitor sister had insisted on staying at my house with them. If I hadn’t known better, she’d done it on purpose. So now I found myself wandering the kids department at one of the big chain stores, picking up tiny jeans and shirts and wondering if the silent Fawn would like any of them. I didn’t know a damn thing about the kid, other than she was covered in bruises and couldn’t speak. Did she like pink? Purple? Or did she prefer boyish colors or neutral ones? And why the fuck did I even care? Kids were like little aliens as far as I was concerned, and I honestly never planned to have one of my own.

  There was a purple long-sleeved tee with a kitten on a motorcycle. Checking for Fawn’s size, I tossed it into the shopping cart before adding a few more animal shirts. Since the Florida weather was unpredictable, I added a few T-shirts and three sweaters. When I saw the mini-biker type leather jacket, I couldn’t pass it up and added it to the growing pile. Buying a package of the tiny panties was awkward as fuck, but I found her size and threw them into the cart along with some socks, then headed over to the shoe department.

  If I’d thought buying for Fawn was weird, then picking out bras and panties for Darby was by far one of the worst things I’d had to do. I’d honestly prefer to dodge bullets. It was hard to maintain the badass biker image while holding a pair of black lace panties. When it came to sleepwear, I found that the thought of her wearing the silky negligee hanging on the end rack was tempting. Instead, I chose things that looked like they would be comfortable while she healed. Before I went over to the other clothes, I stopped and stared at the nightgown again. This time, I found her size and tossed it, along with two other colors, into the cart, then hastened over to women’s jeans. It wasn’t like I’d ever see her in them, but damn if my imagination wasn’t doing an adequate job of how she’d look in the sexy garments, minus her current cuts and bruises. Maybe it made me an asshole to be thinking of her like that. She’d not only been beaten to hell and back, but she was a mom who didn’t need the likes of me panting after her. Her name hadn’t sounded familiar, but the more I’d looked at her I’d finally started piecing things together. When she’d been younger, I’d seen her watching me and Nikki. There’d been interest in her young eyes, but I’d never let on that I saw her. She’d been a cute kid, but all grown up? Holy hell. Even under the bruises and cuts, the woman was more than just pretty. And too fucking young. If she’d been taken at fifteen and had been gone five years, then she was twenty. I could be her fucking father. Not that a big age gap seemed to bother Scratch and Clarity, or Cinder and Meg. Didn’t mean I wanted to follow in their footsteps, though.

  The shopping cart was nearly overflowing when I approached the front registers. I’d known the total would be high, but I hadn’t counted on just how much this shit would cost. Good thing I’d brought the truck because no way in hell this stuff would have fit into my saddlebags. As the cashier handed me the receipt, I realized I hadn’t bought a single toy or game for Fawn, and she didn’t have a damn thing to do at my house except watch TV. I loaded the bags into the back seat of my truck, then reset the alarm before trudging back into the store.

 
I didn’t know much about little girls, but the ones in the movies usually liked dolls and that sort of shit. I bought a baby doll, a dollhouse with the extra crap that went with it, two board games that looked appropriate for a younger child, and just in case she didn’t care for girly things I grabbed a handful of cars. If she and her mother stayed with me for long, Fawn would need more clothes. As I exited the toy department, I saw the books and magazines. Darby was as much of an enigma as her daughter. I tossed in two of the fashion magazines I knew my sister liked, as well as two paperbacks I’d seen her read. Not that Nikki and Darby were necessarily anything alike, but I hoped it would give her something to do. Once she was feeling better, I’d let her come buy her own shit.

  Assuming she was still living with me. After we dealt with the threat to her and Fawn, then there was nothing keeping her at the compound, or my house. It wasn’t like I ever allowed the club sluts to come to my place. If I wanted a quick release, there were plenty of bathrooms at the clubhouse. A shower wall would work. My home was my sanctuary. And now it was overrun with unwanted guests. Except, if I really thought about, they weren’t all that unwanted. It had been nice having someone in the house last night. I’d checked on Darby a few times, and Fawn, who had slept on the couch. It hadn’t been ideal and I knew I should have something better for her.

  I hesitated before going up to the front again. The store carried pretty much everything from clothing to automotive supplies, even things like plants and furniture. It wouldn’t hurt to just see what types of beds they might have for a kid. And if she didn’t stay long, then I could donate it to someone who could use it or let her take it with her. By the time I checked out a second time, I’d bought a twin platform bed, mattress, and dresser for Fawn, and since I had an empty room right next to Darby’s I’d just put everything in there. She’d have her own space for however long she was at my house.