Avenging Angel by Naomi Porter

18

Storm

Out of my mind didn’t come close to how undone I felt. I sat in my trashed office, seething. Why the hell I had anything in here other than a desk and chair was beyond me. These Hunters had enraged me so much the last couple of months, my office looked nothing like it had before they rolled into my territory.

Everyone left me alone to get control of my emotions, but fuckin’ hell, it wasn’t happening. My woman, my brother, and two more women were taken. AJ… dammit, AJ was dead.

How the fuck was I supposed to calm down after what these bastards had done?

And my Angel. Christ Almighty, I couldn’t stop thinking of the dead woman found raped and beaten in the forest. I buried my face in my hands as emotion clogged my throat and burned my eyes. If anything happens to Madeline…

I dropped my gaze to her letter. The only piece of her I had in this office. I heard her sweet voice reading to me. Felt her soft touch soothing me. Smelled her shampoo. Tasted her… goddamn, I needed her so fuckin’ much.

A double knock at the door had me lifting my head.

“Storm, everyone’s present for church,” Track said through the door.

I checked the time. Shit. The Hunter’s president would be calling soon, according to his text.

My chest tightened as I tried to inhale a breath. Not happening. “Be there in a minute.” I barely got the words out.

I would’ve been out searching with the others if the message hadn’t come. I was afraid to imagine why he’d want a live streaming video. Raising myself out of the chair, I tried to inhale a deep breath to no avail.

Whatever I did, I couldn’t look weak in front of my brothers. No matter what, I set the example. I was their prez.

When I entered the room, the tension floating in the air raked down my spine, piercing my soul. The weight of their grave expressions intensified my anxiousness over this dire situation.

I cleared my throat. “In five minutes, the president of the Dirty Hunters will call.” I paused to still myself. My fucking heart raced so damn fast. “I don’t know what he’ll say. What he’ll do. Or what his conditions will be, aside from wanting Winters Township. Stay silent.”

Grunts filled the room.

“I mean it.” I made eye contact with Justin. He gave a slight nod. Like me, he was barely holding it together—wanting to make those dirty fuckers pay. I scanned the table. “No outbursts. You could put Hero and the girls in more danger than they’re already in.”

“Yes, Prez,” they called from around the table.

I drew in a shallow breath, the muscles in my shoulders and neck coiled tightly, fear rushing through my veins. I turned to Grizzly. “Ready?”

He nodded as the 75-inch flat-screen on the wall came to life. I stared at it emotionless, to hide how terrified I was. The waiting was killing me. I needed my woman back unharmed. I needed her to be okay.

Drumming my fingers on the table, time ticked by excruciatingly slow. Each second increased the strength of a booming storm building inside me. Hurricane strength destruction would land soon. The only thing to temper the savage in me was Madeline. My Angel. She better be in one piece and okay.

My Angel…

The phone rang. I cut my eyes at Grizzly, then Track on my right and Raul on my left.

Inhaling a pathetic, calming breath, I answered gruffly, “Storm speaking.”

“Prez. Let’s skip the pleasantries.” The smug sonofabitch snorted as I stared at the black screen. “I have your woman, as you know. Mujer Hermosa.”

“What the fuck you say?”

“I said, beautiful woman, estúpido. That means stupid.” The asshole snorted. “Didn’t you take Spanish in school, ese?”

I could choke this motherfucker for baiting me. Soon he’d find out what a bad idea it was.

“You’re wasting my time, asshole,” I grunted. Why hadn’t he come on the screen? What was his game?

“Oh, really? Well, your woman says she’s pissed at you. Caught a club whore in your bedroom. Tsk, tsk.” He snorted again. “What kind of fool are you cheating on a gorgeous womanlike her?”

My blood boiled as he taunted, but I knew those were Madeline’s words. Why would she bring that up? She knew it was a hoax. Carla lied. I’d proved I didn’t betray her.

“What do you care?” I gritted my teeth. “Let me talk to my woman.”

“Too bad for you, ese. She doesn’t want you anymore. It’s rather advantageous for me.”

“It doesn’t matter what she says. She belongs to me. I. Own. Her.” I growled, tightening my hands into fists. Yeah, I sounded like a fuckin’ caveman. But this asshole understood the ways of an MC. Women were viewed as property, nothing more.

Madeline is fuckin’ mine.

“Yeah, figured you’d say that. Women always think they call the shots. In this case, it may be true. I’ve negotiated with your woman.”

“Come again, asshole? You don’t fuckin’ negotiate shit with my woman!” What the fuck had Madeline agreed to? Or was this cunt screwing with me? He couldn’t be stupid enough to hurt… or kill her. I’d feel it in my soul if she was gone. My Angel was alive. Because I was so sure, I would spank her ass when I got her back for sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.

“Ese, your woman’s convincing. I’m sure you know this.”

Damn straight, I knew what Madeline was capable of. Just the thought of it pissed me off even more.

“You see, I told her and the girl to undress down their bra and panties. But your woman had another idea.” The asshole laughed as if he’d just heard the funniest joke in the world.

Justin gripped the edge of the table, hands shaking. I shook my head, a silent warning to calm the fuck down. It was hypocritical, given the fact that I didn’t know if I could calm the fuck down. A mental picture of Madeline taking her clothes off for those bastards made me murderous.

“And? Continue, goddammit,” I ordered. Shit was about to get ugly.

“And… your woman is taking one for the team. She’s worried about the girl, Emilee. Said she’d do whatever I said so her friend didn’t have to take her clothes off.”

Fuck! I bit the inside of my cheek until I drew blood. “That fuckin’ isn’t happening! I want to talk to my goddamn woman!”

“Oh, I’ll do better than that. Live feed coming your way…”

I watched the flat-screen. My hand shook, holding the phone while I squeezed my other fisted one tighter.

“Storm…” Madeline suddenly appeared. Fuck, she was in her bra and panties—but it wasn’t so bad, just like a bikini on the beach—I tried to tell myself.

“You okay, Angel?”

She bobbed her head, keeping it down to avoid looking directly into the camera.

“Head up!” the asshole yelled.

When she lifted her chin, white-hot fury shot into my chest like a bolt of lightning. I clenched my jaw. They’d hit her. More than once. Those motherfuckers were finished.

“Talk to me, Angel. I need to hear your voice.”

“I don’t want to talk to you. You cheated on me for the last time. Four times may not be much for you, but I’m done.”

What the fuck? Cheating four times? I flicked my gaze to Track. He shrugged. She had to be trying to tell me something.

“Four isn’t much, babe,” I said like it wasn’t a big deal.

“Really? What if I was with four men?” Was she trying to hint as to how many were with her?

“Ha! Presidents don’t like to share, bitch.” The Hunter prick laughed.

I ignored him. “Baby…”

“Don’t baby me.” Her shoulders shook. “I’m not in the mood for your shit. I’m hot, thirsty, and my allergies are acting up, so fuck you, Storm!”

Jesus, her words stabbed me in the heart. She didn’t mean it. I’d keep telling myself that she was trying to get a message to me. Yeah. She loved me.

The Hunter laughed again, but the fool didn’t know she was trying to help us. Madeline didn’t have allergies.

I played along. “Hay fever does it to you every year, makes you grouchy.”

“Shows how much you know, asshole… it’s grains, not hay.”

I cut my eyes to Grizzly. He nodded his head rapidly, tapping away on his laptop.

“None of this would’ve happened if you’d stayed home instead of pigging out on burgers and Blizzards.” Ouch. I may have taken it too far.

She gasped, appearing hurt by my words. It only took her a second to recover. “Shut up! I went out for comfort food with my girlfriends while you were fucking a kitten!”

“Enough!” The Hunter’s prez was back. “I’m tired of your lover’s quarrel. You ready for the show, Storm? I sure am.”

Show? Was he going to kill her in front of me? I stood from my chair. Track grabbed my wrist. I glared at him, but I knew he was trying to help me stay in control.

“What show?” I did my best to hide the fear in my voice.

“Your woman’s going to strip for us. It was part of the deal we made, so the other girl kept her clothes on. Your woman needs to take it all off.”

I faintly heard angry grunting in the background. When Madeline turned her head, I knew it had to be Hero. He was with her, but it sounded like he was gagged and restrained.

“Fuck, no! She better not!” I was about to have a heart attack. Sweat beaded on my forehead, my pulse thumping in my ears, chest squeezing like a vice.

The fucker laughed. “You don’t really get a say, Prez.”

“I’ll kill you if you touch her. What the fuck do you want?”

“I won’t touch her if you move out of Winters and agree to a truce. You stay out of my territory. I’ll stay out of yours.” He was full of shit.

“Winters is my territory! Look at a fuckin’ map. Draw a line from the center of Bastion out forty miles and make a circle. Everything within it is mine. Winters included.”

“Well, I want Winters. If you don’t agree, I’ll sell the women to the highest bidder. I might keep one, but I can’t decide between the girl or your woman.” His fingers glided down Madeline’s arm. She jerked away as I bit down on my molars, nearly cracking them. “Or that redhead, but she’s too much of a fighter for my taste. Already had to show her who’s boss.”

What’d the fuck did that mean?

“It’d take too much to break her in, but I know plenty of men would enjoy the challenge. They like a woman who fights back.”

Shit. It sounded like he had hurt Madeline’s best friend.

“Don’t do it, Storm,” Madeline yelled. “Just find these assholes and take them down. Avenge me!”

She did not fuckin’ say that.

“Shut up, bitch!” The motherfucker backhanded her. And again. Madeline’s head went back, bobbing like a doll. I clawed my nails into the wooden table in front of me.

“I told you to keep your smartass mouth shut!” A third fuckin’ time, he hit her.

Madeline didn’t cry as blood dripped from her mouth. Goddamn, I hurt for my sweet Angel.

“Storm. I know this is a big decision. Your woman or your territory, so I’m giving you thirty-six hours to decide. After that, I’m putting the women on the dark web.” He pulled Madeline’s hair, forcing her head back, and kissed her neck.

I will kill him.

“Take it off, Mujer,” he ordered through gritted teeth. “That means woman if you forgot, Storm.”

I shook my head, fisting my hands. Glaring at my brothers seated at the table, they all turned toward me, taking their eyes off Madeline. When they hung their heads out of respect for her, I nearly broke.

I couldn’t breathe as rage rushed through my veins and tears welled behind my eyes. My pulse whooshed violently in my ears, watching Angel take her bra off, then panties.

I heard Emilee sobbing and Hero going nuts in the background, but Madeline remained calm as her lip trembled, eyes glossy. Her tears didn’t fall. She wouldn’t let them. Those pricks couldn’t break her, but I knew she was dying inside. There wasn’t a fuckin’ thing I could do to save her.

“Fuck, Storm! Your woman is perfect.” He ogled her like a hungry animal. “Lucky sonofabitch. Look at these perky tits. I just need a little squeeze, babe.” He touched her, fuckin’ pinched her nipple, making her wince!

I’ll cut off his goddamn hands.

“Hairless pussy too. Damn, bet she’s good eats, huh, Storm? Men will want to know. What about her mouth? Does she give good head? Is she a good fuck?”

“You motherfucker!” I roared, slamming my fists on the table. “I’ll castrate you and pull your innards out through your mouth! Keep your fuckin’ hands off her!”

“Only one way to assure that, Storm. Give me Winters.” His fingers raked down Madeline’s arm again.

Madeline shook her head, a defiant glare in her eyes. The bastard cupped her pussy hard, and she yelped.

“I’m coming for you, you sonofabitch! I’m coming for you!” I yelled, seeing red, heart dying for my Angel. “I’m going to kill you with my bare hands!”

“Say goodbye to your woman, Storm. Thirty-six hours…” The flatscreen went black, terminating our connection.

I knocked over my chair with the back of my legs. Whirling around, I punched the wall over and over as a primal roar ripped from my lungs. I bloodied up my hands, not giving a fuck. My woman was just groped and humiliated by that motherfucker.

I. Will. Kill. Him.

I was so goddamn out of my mind angry. Nothing would ever calm me until I had Madeline in my arms, safe and in one piece.

“We’re going to find her. Every man in this room is determined to find her,” Track said in a low, lethal voice.

Grunts echoed in the room.

“What she did for Emilee …” Justin choked up, squeezing his eyes shut. He opened them and they were wet. His afflicted gaze locked on mine. “Jesus, Storm. I…” He hung his head, lip trembling.

“I know.” I capped his shoulder, then headed for the door. “I need time with the punching bag. Boxer…” I shouted over my shoulder to my enforcer. I needed to blow off steam in the gym out back. Not that I believed it would help, but I had to do something to clear my head. How was I to put a plan together to bring Madeline and the others home if I couldn’t think straight?

Madeline needed me clear-headed and not losing my shit. I needed to regroup after what just happened to her.

My sweet Angel. I wouldn’t rest until she was safely back in my arms and every one of those motherfuckin’ Hunters was six feet under.