Even Karl pushed his bulky frame from the recliner to give Sandra a hug. They looked straight through Flame as if she were invisible. Flame watched her ex brother in-law come around the corner. He’d had put on a few more pounds and fit right into the family.
“Well, well.” Chuck said when he saw her. “Not so fierce now are ya? Where are your rock star boyfriend and his bodyguard this time?”
Flame glared at him. “Fiancé,” she clarified.
Carlene and Karl retreated to the kitchen.
Aiden’s sister Cathy waddled from the back room. Flame felt very uneasy being alone with them. Cathy appeared to have put on more weight as well, making the already large woman huge with fluffy bleached hair. In fact, all the women in Aiden’s family were massive, with sturdy bone structure. Chuck, Cathy, and Sandra circled Flame.
“Lost some more hair, eh, Chuck?” Flame bravely taunted, noticing the lack of his once black hair. His dark brown eyes filled with hate.
“Payback time, Flame.” Chuck stated as he moved behind her and gripped her arms.
She knew he was referring to the fight between him and Hatch, in which he’d lost.
“You should have stayed home instead of going with Aiden to interfere. Neither of you had any business coming after me. I had every right to take what belonged to me. You picked your own fight with the wrong men.”
Cathy moved closer and unexpectedly belted her across the face. Flame frantically struggled with the ties on her hands while landing a high kick to Cathy’s chest. She stomped on Chuck’s foot with the heel of her boot in attempt to break his hold, but he had a death grip on her and he did not flinch. She had lost some strength from lack of food and rest during the long road trip, but didn’t stop struggling.
“This will teach you for kicking me,” Cathy spat after catching her breath.
Flame glared at her. “That’s nothing compared to what you’ll get when I am free…bitch!”
Flame’s defiant spirit would not let her cry out as Cathy, Chuck, and Sandra beat her. Tears welled in her eyes but she refused to make a sound as her ex-sister-in-law struck her repeatedly. Spiteful Sandra delivered an occasional kick and held tight to Flame’s hair. Chuck gripped her arms so tightly she felt them burn. Flame lost track of time as they continued battering her. Eventually she slipped into a numb state and slumped to the floor. After what felt like an eternity, the assault stopped.
When they had finished, Cathy and Sandra dragged her to a spare bedroom, laughing and ridiculing her. The two malicious women locked the door and left Flame alone in the dark. She finally let herself cry.
* * * *
Von straddled his parked Harley just outside the wood line of where the stunning and feisty warrior woman had suddenly vanished. He’d been trailing her since she parted company with her rock star boyfriend and his buddies. Now the trail was simply gone without a trace. A peculiar aura surrounded her and she’d intrigued him since the day they met. He regretted his part in helping Aiden take her from New York back to his parents’ house.
She was fiery and without a doubt the sexiest woman that he’d ever seen.
Once Hatch and his friends rescued her, Von had disappeared until the dust settled. Then he picked up her trail again when she showed up on the road riding with her boyfriend. Why she’d left her companions to come here baffled him. In fact, the entire group she rode with had split up after the road fight. Most of them headed west while Hatch hung back and traveled a slower pace with her.
Either way, he had two goals in mind. Deliver just retribution to Aiden for involving him in such a dirty scheme, and make this elusive beautiful female his. Her musician friends did not appear to be a major obstacle in his plans. He would scope out the situation from a distance and make his move at the right time.
Von allowed his thoughts to drift and pull her lovely image to mind. The way she’d stared up at him with those deep blue eyes when he’d bound her hands stirred the fire in his soul. He’d wanted her right then, but denied his feelings and gone ahead with Aiden’s foolhardy plan. What he saw when they’d returned from the market had sickened him.
Von had opened the door to find Flame curled up in a ball on the floor, sobbing. Sandra peeked around him and Aiden from behind them.
“Get her the hell out of here.” Flame snarled when she saw the young woman.
Aiden then ordered Sandra to go join his family for dinner.
Flame’s appearance stunned him—he had no idea they would do this to her. Von looked at her sadly. Bruises and cuts covered her beautiful face, blood oozed from her mouth. Her long blonde hair had lost its luster and had become matted and streaked with dried blood.
“What the hell is wrong with your family, man?” He pushed past Aiden and went to Flame’s side.
Though he led a fierce road bike gang, hurting women was not acceptable to him. “You’re out of the group, man. We don’t beat up on women under any circumstance. I’ll help you get her away from here, but if I see your ass again after tonight you’re a dead man.”
Aiden stormed back to the kitchen.
Von could hear them arguing through the closed door.
“Why the hell did you have to beat her up?” Aiden shouted at Chuck.
“Payback, for what her boyfriend and his thug did to us,” Chuck replied in a smug tone of voice. “And because she left you. We were helping you out, man.”
“All I asked for is a place to hide out for the night,” Aiden fired back. “You’ve only made things worse. She’s barely fit to ride.”
“We don’t really care,” Cathy snapped. “You’re the one who came up with the plan to kidnap her. We don’t care what her new boyfriend has in mind. I don’t understand your obsession with the bitch. Why can’t you just let her go?”
“Because I still love her. She divorced me because of my crazy family who never could mind their own damn business. I thought just once…just one time you people could put your petty judgments aside and be a family to me.”
“Just forget about Flame like we always wanted you to and we will be family again.”
“It’s bad enough you ruined my marriage and now she is engaged to someone else. I’m not gonna let you run the rest of my life,” Aiden barked back. “None of you care about anyone except yourselves. I should’ve listened to Flame in the first place. She was right about
all
of you!”
He and his sister argued bitterly for nearly a half hour.
Flame muttered in open disbelief, “I don’t understand his actions…” Her voice trailed off as the pain from her injuries seemed to weaken her. “But I was right about Chuck’s.”
Von stayed with her. “I’m going to check you over for broken bones. I’m not getting fresh so relax, okay?”
She stared with fiery eyes but gave a slight nod.
He had no desire to be part of Aiden’s family scene. He had agreed to help bring Flame back home only because Aiden had claimed she was in danger and also Von had been intrigued by the warrior skills Aiden mentioned. But he had not bargained for the drama and never expected this. Now he worried about what Hatch would do when he saw his lady in such poor condition. He didn’t need him breathing down his neck. Von began to devise a plan of his own.
“Other than some nasty cuts and bruises, you seem to be okay,” Von said to Flame after checking her physical condition. “You’re one hell of a tough woman to take a beating like that and still be conscious. I don’t feel any broken bones. I’m really sorry, babe. I didn’t see this coming.”
He sat on the floor beside her and attempted to comfort her. She glared at him like a wounded animal and backed away. The spark in her eyes captivated him.
“Yeah, you’re such a great guy…takes a real hero to help Aiden take me away from a better life.” The loathing in her voice had been unmistakable. “I finally got away from his family and you guys dragged me back.”
“I never bargained for this,” he began. “Aiden put out feelers in the group for anyone willing to help bring his ex-wife back. He said you were in danger and that Hatch was going to use you in an evil scheme. He knew you wouldn’t believe him or come willingly so he came up with
this
brilliant plan.” His voice dripped with sarcasm over the latter comment. “Once we get to Tulsa, I’ll help you get away.”
“He is insane with jealousy. Hatch would never harm me,” Flame muttered. “Why are we going to Tulsa?”
“Aiden said he has friends there that will let him hide out…a place Hatch doesn’t know of.”
“You’re a fool if you believe him and I don’t believe you will help me get away.” Her body leaned against his as she surrendered to the need for rest. She drifted off then started talking to something or someone who wasn’t there.
“Who are you talking to?” Von whispered, puzzled by her behavior.
“Please don’t go!”
She cried out then hung her head and sobbed.
He realized she was hallucinating and felt it best not to interrupt. He held her gently. Her sobbing ripped at his heart. He had never witnessed such gut wrenching sadness before. Gradually she accepted his offer of solace, relaxed in his arms and ceased weeping.
He rested his face against her hair as they sat on the floor in the dark room—two misplaced people caught in someone else’s game.
Before dawn, Von had decided to take matters into his own hands and forget about what Aiden had in mind. Flame’s condition was unbearable for him to watch. There was no way he’d let Aiden drag her across country on motorcycles to God knows where. The man hadn’t been able to protect her here. Von seriously doubted his ability to protect her from further harm.
Even in her battered state, she’d still smelled sweet, like spring flowers on a light breeze as he’d lifted her into his arms and crept from the house. He’d take her away until she healed.
As he passed the last room in the hall, he overheard Aiden and Cathy conversing softly.
“I don’t think you should be doing this,” Cathy whispered. “Her boyfriend might have a lot of friends. They could rain hell on you.”
“I have to,” Aiden said. “She doesn’t know Hatch like she thinks she does. She’d never have listened to reason. I had to get her away from him and try and talk some sense into her.”
“You’ve gone over the edge. You need to let her go.”
“No…you and Chuck went over the edge. I should’ve never come here. I’m leaving at first light and taking Flame with me. I’m never coming back either. This family sucks.”
“Fine, go your way, but don’t expect any help from us when your plan backfires.”
“Like I’ve ever had help from anyone before,” Aiden growled. “Don’t worry, you won’t hear from me again.”
Von was disappointed over Aiden’s poor decision-making. Though his intentions might have been upright, his method of handling the matter had only made things worse. If Hatch found his woman in this condition, he’d be gunning for whoever did the damage.
Flame had barely managed to hold on as they rode away. He’d held high hopes of taking her into seclusion and getting better acquainted while she healed. But his time alone with the sweet beauty was cut short.
In a startling turn of events, as if someone had tipped him off, Hatch and his friends caught them on the road. A bitter fight ensued, leaving him well outnumbered. To spare her from added injury, Von had relented and fled, inwardly vowing to find her again one day.
He lit a fresh smoke and leaned back on his bike. The only good thing that came out of his involvement with Aiden was meeting Flame. Had he not agreed to go along with the plan he might have never known of her existence. Still, discovering her brought a new set of complications—issues beyond his control at the moment.
Her weasel of an ex-husband had been banned from the Black Pythons just as he’d ordered. Aiden seemed to vanish into thin air following the highway fiasco.
Von still couldn’t figure out how Hatch caught up to him on the highway the morning he tried to get away with Flame. The man had more biker friends than expected from a guy who rarely rode a motorcycle. His aggressive attack had indeed been a surprise, thus denying Von the time alone with Flame he craved. Even worse, he never got a chance to apologize or let her know that he wasn’t the bad guy.
Perhaps now he’d receive the opportunity, with everyone but her boyfriend gone. He glanced up at the moon and wondered where she’d gone and what was taking so long in those deep dark woods.
* * * *
“I will go back one day,” Flame muttered, plucking at blades of grass. “Aiden and everyone there that day is going to pay for what they did.”
She thought back to the tall dark stranger who’d given off mixed signals. The last thing she needed was a third man cluttering her already busy thoughts. Why he’d decided to betray Aiden and get her out of there was a mystery. They’d never exchanged a word that morning as he snuck her out of the Kaminski residence. She felt in her soul that he could’ve put up a tougher fight when Hatch and the others arrived on the scene.
This Von fellow definitely seemed tougher than he let on. Why a fierce biker such as him would hook up with her ex puzzled her.
Was Von telling the truth about why Aiden did such a crazy thing? Why would he think I was in danger? And how the hell did he know I am a warrior? What really went down that night?
She couldn’t sort it. Her state of mind on that bleak night had been delirious from the beating she’d endured. She vaguely recalled the darkly alluring stranger offering her comfort. His appealing scent still lingered in her mind as if they’d parted only minutes ago.
Strange,
she thought.
Who was he?
He’d held her so gently, then helped her get away.
What was in it for him?
Questions without answers. She hoped the Supreme Lioness would offer some clarity to her confusion.
Staring directly ahead, she noticed ripples form in the pond a few feet away. A misty glow filled the surrounding area as an apparition clothed in traditional warrior attire appeared. Hair of gold framed an angelic face. Eyes the color of brilliant emeralds stared back at her. Flame gazed in awe at the heavenly vision of her supreme ruler. Dressed in white leather pants, a matching vest, and wearing fringed gold armbands on each arm, she looked powerful and radiant at the same time.