Desolate Souls (Forgotten Souls MC, #1) (20 page)

“W
here are we going again?” I ask, looking out the passenger side window. I have never been on this side of town and from the looks of it, I hope to never return. Condemned buildings line the streets and only the occasional person walking alongside the road proves there is life out there.

“We’ll be there in a few,” Paul answers, his eyes glued to the road.

I am feeling uneasy. I’ve worked many private functions in the past, but something is different about this one. Normally I would have some idea about what I was walking into, but this time Paul has been very secretive. “What kind of function is this again?” I ask, hoping this time he will actually give me an answer.

“Are you nervous?” he asks, turning towards me for the first time since I climbed into the passenger seat.

“Yeah. You haven’t told me anything about this gig.”

He smiles at me before focusing again on the road. “Here,” he says, pulling a bottle from his coat pocket. “Take two of these.”

I open the cap, pulling out two oval shaped pills that are greyish-green in color. I toss them back, unconcerned that I have nothing to drink. Passing the bottle back to him, I smile. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

We ride in silence for another five minutes before Paul turns and pulls into a parking lot. “This is the place?” I ask, unmoving. Looking over at the vacant warehouse, I try to find a reason for us to be here. Of all the private parties I have worked, this is undeniably the worst.

“It doesn’t look like much from the outside,” he says, opening the driver’s side door and stepping out. I follow suit, still feeling unsure about the situation.

“And Hawk set this up?” I probe.

“Yep.”

Rounding the car, I come to a stop when I am standing beside Paul. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?” He turns to face me, a look of regret on his face. The sinking feeling in my stomach suddenly making me feel nauseous.

“I haven’t been completely honest with you Alana,” he begins. He moves slightly so that he is standing directly in front of me, his hands reaching out to grasp my face. “You know I would never ask this of you if it weren’t important.”

Shaking my head, I bite back the tears that form in my eyes. “Paul, please...” I plead, without him saying the words.

“It’s just one last time, I promise.”

“Why?” I ask, my voice breaking. I guess I should feel grateful that I haven’t had to do anything like this in a long time, but I don’t. “What about the next time we can’t pay the rent? You keep making promises but in the end, I’m the one who pays the price. I don’t want to live this way anymore.”

“And you won’t. I know I’ve asked a lot of you and you’ve never let me down, but this time will be the last. I’m quitting the club and getting a real job. I start on Monday, but we need the funds to get us by until my first check. No more drugs or dancing. Just you and me living the way we should’ve been this entire time.”

“You’re serious?” I ask, wanting so much to believe that this is all coming to an end. He’s made the same promise to me before and something always comes up and I am forced to resort back to doing this.

“No matter what, after tonight, neither of us will set foot in the club again. It’s history.”

“Alright,” I agree, putting my faith in Paul once again.

He grips my hand, pulling me into his arms. “I won’t let you down again,” he whispers. “You mean everything to me.”

“We’ll get through this,” I say, repeating the words I have uttered so many times before. “We always do.”

He pulls away, smiling down at me. “There will be a lot of people here tonight, and they are willing to pay top dollar. We just need to make at least a grand.”

I say nothing, simply nodding my head in agreement as he leads me to the side door of the building. As he opens the door, I take in a deep breath, trying to tamp down my emotions. I can do this one more time, and then it will all be over. We can finally get away from this life and everything that comes with it, becoming free.

Following behind Paul, he leads me down a dark hallway, pushing forward towards the sound of music. When we emerge, I take in the room in front of me.

The room is filled with women, all varying in age and appearance. Some are completely nude, allowing the random men in the room to touch them. Others are dancing to the dreadful music playing in the background, oblivious to the ogling men surrounding them. My eyes fix on a blonde several feet from me as she pulls her halter over her head, tossing it aside. A man in his late fifties reaches out to her, his hands grasping at her breasts. She smiles at him briefly before lowering herself to her knees, unzipping his pants on descent.

I turn to face Paul whose eyes are affixed on the scene unfolding before us. “I’m not feeling so good,” I say, causing him to turn his attention to me as my hand reaches upward to my forehead. A sudden wave of dizziness make me feel as though the room is spinning.

Paul puts his arm around me, supporting me as I begin to wobble. “It’s OK, I’ve got you,” he says, pulling me to him.

My knees feel weak, and I am overcome with fatigue making me feel almost detached from my body. Leaning against Paul, I close my eyes, willing the feeling to pass but instead it only intensifies. I feel drunk, for lack of a better word, even though I have not had a drop of alcohol.

As I feel my legs give out from under me, I am suddenly surrounded by warmth as I feel Paul’s arms engulf me. “I’m sorry, Alana,” he whispers. “It had to be this way.”

I open my mouth to speak, but find I can’t. I am suddenly helpless, my body refusing to respond to my commands as he lifts me into his arms. “I love you, Alana,” he whispers before the darkness consumes me.

––––––––

C
arrying Alana in my arms, I weave my way through the people crowding the room, oblivious to the looks sent my way. As I continue to push through the crowd, my eyes land on Hawk who narrows his eyes before crossing the room, headed in my direction.

“What the fuck is this?” he asks, coming to a stop in front of me.

“She must’ve taken something,” I explain. It’s no secret that Alana pops pills on occasion, so it shouldn’t be a surprise if she took too many. It wouldn’t be the first time, but it will be the last. I hate that I have done this to her, but it was the only way this would work.

“Well fuck! Take her into the back and try to sober her up. Armando is here and if I don’t deliver the goods, there’s gonna be more than just a little hell to pay.”

I nod at him before walking away, still holding Alana protectively in my arms. I make my way down the hallway to one of the vacant rooms near the end. Stepping inside, I spot the lone mattress positioned in the center of the room and lay her down gently on top.

Stepping back, I look down at her wishing I could go back in time and do things differently. Treat her the way she deserves to be treated. She never should have had this life, especially after everything she has been through. I knew the moment I laid eyes on her that she had been through hell, but instead of doing the right thing, I did what I had been trained to do. Lured her in, took advantage of her naiveté, and turned her into something she was never meant to be. I have manipulated her, tricked her into doing things she would never have dreamed of doing. And while all of this was taking place, I fell in love with her.

“What have I gotten myself into?” I say aloud, pacing back and forth in the tiny room. This has been my life for so many years, the way I have made my living, and I am throwing it all away for her. When this evening is over, she will be mine the way she was meant to be, and we will have a life together. I just have to pull this off without Alana getting hurt.

Drugging her was a last minute decision. I had a choice to make and I made the one I thought was best. Hawk has been persistent about getting rid of the extra baggage, namely Alana, because she is a liability, especially with the attention she has gained from The Forgotten Souls.  With Jax and Deuce spending so much time looking into my past, I knew I had to make a move, with or without Hawk’s ultimatum. I can’t – no I won’t lose her, no matter the cost.

That is what brought me here today. With Alana unaware of what is going on around her, I can pull this off. I will deal with the consequences when she wakes up and we are far away from this place. She will be upset that we are no longer in Cedar Falls, far away from Jax and Deuce, but once we start our new life, everything will be perfect. She will never have to know the truth and we can live out the remainder of our days together. I can make her happy once we leave this world behind.

With Armando on my side, there is no way I will fail. It took several grand to ensure his cooperation, but it was a small price to pay considering the alternative. He made contact with The Forgotten Souls and filled them in on all the sordid details planned for this evening, leaving Alana out of it completely. I may despise Deuce, but he is a man of conscience and won’t be able to sit back and do nothing while this is going down in
his
town. When Deuce and his men make their move, Alana and I will make a run for it. Hawk will go to prison for a long time, and no one will be any the wiser.

I grab a crate from the corner of the room and place it beside the mattress, taking a seat. “I’m sorry for putting you through all of this,” I whisper to a sleeping Alana, knowing she will not remember anything that occurs this evening. “But it had to go down this way.”

She lays there unmoving, looking peaceful as she sleeps. She is the epitome of beauty, both inside and out, and I had been a fool for not seeing it from the beginning. “We will have our happily ever after, Alana. It will take some time, but you will forget all about Jax. You’ll see.”

I continue staring at her for what seems like hours, my mind going over the plan that is already underway. I am so consumed with my thoughts, I don’t even hear the door open until Hawk’s raspy voice alerts me to his presence. “You wanna tell me what the fuck is going on?”

Turning to face him, I see the accusatory look on his face. Hawk is a smart man and he has known me for many years. “She took the wrong pills,” I explain, hoping he will buy my excuse. “I had a bottle of Roofies and she must have grabbed it by mistake.”

He narrows his eyes at me, looking for any reason to call me out. “So you’re telling me you had nothing to do with this?”

“Why would I jeopardize my future?” I ask in a defensive tone. “I don’t like the idea of having to choose between that and Alana, but I’d be a fool to walk away from what you and I have built.”

Nodding his head, he continues to stare at me, still not believing my words. “Armando is here and I’m sure he wants to sample the goods. I guess that’s out of the question.”

It takes everything in me not to react. I know he is fucking with me, waiting for me to erupt, but what he doesn’t realize is that Armando is working for me and wouldn’t dare ask such a thing. “Give her a few hours and the Rohypnol will wear off. She’ll be good as new.”

“Yeah,” he mutters, turning on his heel and exiting the room. When the door slams behind him, I let out an exasperated sigh. He doesn’t buy it for one minute, but it doesn’t matter. In the end, he will be the one who falls, not me. He will spend the rest of his life behind bars while Alana and I begin our new life together. We just have to get through tonight.