Layne's Capture (Blazing Outlaws MC, #6), page 16
“Get some sleep sweetheart,” Gunner says, giving me a soft kiss and smoothing my matted hair back. “Venom will be okay. He’s just tryin’ to work through this on his own without takin’ it out on either one of us. I’ll be right here with you.”
Closing my eyes, I hang onto Gunner’s arm the best I can with my finger sticking out of a cast. Sleep doesn’t claim me as quickly as I’d like it to though. instead, I lay with my eyes closed just thinking about everything that’s happened, about Venom and the immense guilt he feels right now, and Gunner who hasn’t left my side. These two men came into my life and completely through me for a loop. I’m going to do everything in my power to get us through this stronger and better than we are right now. We’ll have our grieving period and lean on one another. That’s what it’s going to take for us to make it through this.
Chapter Twenty
Venom
LAYNE GOT OUT of the hospital almost a week ago. Gunner and her are at his house while I’ve been staying at the clubhouse. No, I haven’t cheated on her or anything like that. When I’m not at the bar or on club business, I’ve been drunk off my ass in my room. Alone. They’ve both tried talking to me when I do go see them about this not being my fault and how we need to rely on one another, but I can’t get past it. Layne is so hurt and filled with pain from the beatings she suffered and the loss of our child. I can’t get past believing this is all my fault because I wasn’t there when they both needed me. If I had been out with Gunner, the car wouldn’t have run him off the road. With Layne, if I’d been with her, no one would have gotten a jump on me to get to her. At least those are the thoughts in my mind as I relive the worst day in my life on repeat.
Satan and the guys have also tried talking to me. No matter what anyone says, I’ve taken this on my shoulders. If I can’t protect my ol’ lady and best friend, how the hell am I supposed to protect the other ol’ ladies and club members? No one sees it from my point of view, and it sucks. It makes me feel more alone in the world than I previously felt when I couldn’t find Gunner and Layne on that fateful day weeks ago.
Gunner came to the clubhouse and beat the shit out of me. Layne had been crying constantly because I wasn’t there with them, and she truly believes I hate her for the loss. That’s not the case at all. I hate myself. He started by yanking the bottle of Jack out of my hands and tossed it across the room, so it shattered against the wall. Then he beat the fuck out of me and pulled me from my room to take me downstairs. Not a single person stepped into to stop it from happening either. Even though I was drunk off my ass and couldn’t fight back, I know I wouldn’t have fought back if I were sober. Layne and Gunner needed me and instead of leaning on them, I pulled the hell away and shut them both out. Still, his beating wasn’t enough for me to get out of my damn head and go to his house with them.
Yesterday, Layne showed up pissed as fuck. She went up one side of me and down the other. For her, I was soberish since she woke me up from passing out on my bed fully clothed. She ranted and raved so loud, there was a small audience standing in the hallway listening to her. Still, I didn’t give a shit because I deserved all the anger she had in her directed at me. Layne told me, again, I wasn’t to blame for what the fuck happened to her. When I tried to argue my case, she broke down in tears, absolutely gutting me. Still, I didn’t follow Gunner and her home. I remained in my room at the clubhouse, but I didn’t drink. All I did was lay in my bed and think of everything. Layne’s anger toward me put things in prospective in a way. I remained in my bed thinking until I fell asleep sometime in the early morning hours. Now, with a somewhat clear head, I can go home and talk to them about this.
Waking up after a few hours of sleep, I head to my bathroom so I can take a quick shower. Now that my minds made up, I quickly wash my hair and body before rinsing off. Grabbing the towel from just outside the shower, I dry off before wrapping it around my waist so I can brush my teeth and get dressed. It takes me no longer than a half hour to shower, shave, get dressed, and make sure I have all of my shit in my pockets before heading out.
“Where you goin’?” Satan asks me as I enter the common room where members are drinking their coffee and eating breakfast.
“Headin’ home. Where I belong.”
“You good?” he questions me, setting his cup down to take a long, hard look at me.
“I’m good. Didn’t drink a drop after Layne was here yesterday. Just been thinkin’ about all this shit and tryin’ to figure out why I’m blamin’ myself for it,” I answer my President.
“You’re takin’ on the blame because somethin’ happened to your ol’ lady. Not only did she get brutally beaten on more than one occasion in the hours they had her, the three of you lost a child. Now, go make up with your woman and best friend so we can move on. If the three of you need anythin’ call and we’ll make sure it happens. Don’t worry about the bar or anythin’ for a few days. Gunner and you are not to leave her side. Then, we’ll take out the trash and put this permanently behind us,” he orders as I turn back to the door and leave the clubhouse.
Straddling my bike, I don’t hesitate to put on my helmet and turn the engine on. I don’t let it warm up or anything as I pull out of line and head straight for Gunner’s house. Neither of them know I’m coming home because that’s what it is with Layne and Gunner. I’m home and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than with them. It just took me a while to figure it out again.
Pulling up in the driveway a few minutes after leaving, Layne’s car and Gunner’s bike aren’t out front. It doesn’t mean anything because they’re more than likely parked in the garage. Layne can’t go back to work just yet and Gunner isn’t leaving her side for anything right now. Not when she still needs help getting around if the pain in her ribs gets to be too much. Parking my bike in the driveway, I shut it off and head inside to find where Gunner and Layne are. It doesn’t take me very long.
Laying on the couch in the living room with a large blanket covering her is Layne. Gunner’s sitting at her head so she can lay on his thigh. They both turn and look at me as I walk in to lean down and press a kiss against Layne’s forehead. She offers me a small smile while Gunner simply glares at me. He has no clue why I’m here and doesn’t want me to upset our ol’ lady while I’m here. That’s the furthest thing from my mind right now. I want to let them both know I’m sorry and want to make this right between us.
“What are you doin’ here?” Gunner grinds out, not taking his eyes off me still.
“I want to talk to the both of you,” I tell him, keeping my eyes on Layne. “I know I’ve pissed you both off and haven’t been here for either one of you. I was so lost in my own grief and guilt I couldn’t see a way to be here for you. That’s over with as of yesterday when you came in and yelled at me, darlin’. I promise from here on out I’m not goin’ to shut you out again when shit hits the fan, and I can’t get past myself to see the guilt I’m harboring is too much for me to handle alone.”
“If this is what you truly want, then you need to fuckin’ be here, Venom. You know we claimed Layne as our ol’ lady and that’s for fuckin’ life. Not when it’s easy or the bad isn’t happenin’. We’re in a fuckin’ motorcycle club that’s not always on the right side of the law. You can’t pick and choose when you’re here with us and when you’re not. That’s not how this shit works. I told you before I was goin’ all in and I’m the one who didn’t want an ol’ lady or kids of my own. Still, I pushed it aside because I love Layne and want to be her partner in everythin’. You wanted the same things. At least until she got taken. You couldn’t have known it was goin’ to happen that day. None of us did. This is the last chance I’m fuckin’ givin’ you,” Gunner tells me, not holding his anger back at what I’ve done to them.
“I know. I won’t be able to get this time back with you, Layne, but I’ll do everythin’ in my fuckin’ power to ensure I’m here every single day for the rest of our lives. I want to have a family with you, share you with Gunner, and grow old together. Can you forgive me? Both of you?”
“I’ll forgive you on one condition,” Layne says, trying to sit up with Gunner’s assistance. “If you ever pull this shit again, I’m not going to be forgiving. I’ll cut you out of my life no matter what the club rules are. We’re supposed to be there through the good stuff and the bad shit. What if this was reversed and I decided, after you claimed me, I couldn’t handle being with you two? Or I couldn’t handle being around the club? We need to talk about what’s going on in our lives whether it’s good or bad. This is bad and it’s going to take us a long time to start to get past it. Losing someone you love is never easy. We need to know where your head truly is right now, Venom.”
“Right now, I want to try to get over this. I want to feel like I’m not at fault for what happened to you. It’s goin’ to take time for me to realize this happened and Gunner’s right. No matter if we were with you or not, Lester would have taken you as soon as he could. Between him and his brother, there’s nothin’ we could have done. What I want right now is to go to them and torture them until they’re beggin’ and screamin’ for us to let them live their pathetic, useless lives. I want to make them pay for what they’ve done to you so they feel every little thing you felt when they were with you,” I answer her honestly.
“I didn’t hear a thing you just said. I’m going to go take a nap and when I wake up we’ll have dinner. Maybe I’ll cook something for the two of you tonight. I love you both so much and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us,” Layne says as Gunner and I look at one another.
Without saying another word, Layne gets up from the couch and kisses Gunner before turning her attention to me. She doesn’t hesitate to open her mouth and let me deepen the kiss. When she finally pulls back, Layne runs her hand down the side of my face before heading straight for the bedroom. Standing up, Gunner and I make our way outside to our bikes. Well, he gets his from inside the garage before we take off and head to the clubhouse where the fuckers are waiting for us. They have no clue what’s about to happen to them.
As soon as we walk in, Satan and Capone sit up from their seats and eye us as we make our way over to them.
“What are you two doin’ here?” Satan questions us as he looks around the room.
“Layne went to take a nap. It’s time,” is all I respond with. “Want someone watchin’ over her while we’re here. Can that happen?”
“Steve, get to Gunner’s house. You don’t leave until they get back, or go inside,” Satan orders as he drains the last of his beer and stands up.
Each and every other member stands with him as we all make our way to the basement where we’ve kept the fuckers waiting since we found Layne. Today, we end this. This is not going to haunt us the rest of our lives like the expect it to. Yes, we’ll always grieve for the baby who was lost. They won’t make us stop doing that because it’s our right to grieve for as long as we decide is necessary.
Gunner and I enter the room first closely followed by Ghost, Axel, and the rest of the guys. Axel is only down here because Layne is his sister-in-law in the eyes of the club. Soon, I hope to make this a reality and marry her ass. We’ll tie her to us every single way possible. Lester looks up at us with bruising already covering him. Someone has made their way down here without our knowledge and put hands on him.
“Who the fuck started beatin’ on him?” I ask, looking around the room.
“I did,” Axel states, stepping forward. “This piece of shit was talkin’ so much shit about Layne and what he was goin’ to do to her when he got loose. I lost my shit and I apologize for puttin’ hands on him. I had just found out about the baby and wasn’t in a good headspace when I came down to check on them since Steve hadn’t made sure they were locked up tight. I’ll accept any punishment you feel fits what I’ve done.”
“No punishment. You were actin’ on your emotions and it has to do with your sister-in-law. If it happens again, I can’t say the same will be said,” Satan says leaning back against the wall. “Now, let the fun begin.”
Gunner and I step up to Lester and his brother. I’m in front of the fuckwad cop when I realize Grinder never got his pound of flesh from the fucker. Looking back at him, I give him a nod and step back reminding him to leave me some of the asshole.
Leaning against the wall next to Axel, I watch on as Gunner and Grinder begin to torment and torture Lester and his brother. Grinder has a pair of brass knuckles on his hands as he lands punch after punch to the ex-cop’s body. Groans leave his with the breath from his lungs as Grinder really works him over. It’s not the first time I’ve seen him do this; this time it’s just personal to the man standing before me. Gunner beating the shit out of Lester is also personal. I’ll get my hands on both of them eventually, but for now I’m content to watch as the brass knuckles leave their intended marks on the bodies of the two men.
“That’s enough Grinder,” Satan states as he looks at the man’s body and how battered and bloody it currently is.
Grinder steps back. He’s not even winded as he steps back with a glare still firmly in place on his face. Knowing it’s my turn to step up, I walk over to the small table holding all of our ‘toys’ and pick up a rusty knife that’s seen better days before. Walking back over to the cop, his eyes widen in fear as he pisses himself. Stepping back, I look at him in utter disgust.
“Fuck! I thought you were a bad ass who could handle himself. Must be you can only accomplish it when you are beatin’ the fuck out of a woman,” I taunt him, my voice going glacial as I talk to him.
“F-F-Fuck y-y-you,” he spits out, his voice broken with the pain filling his body.
“We’re just gettin’ started here,” I tell him. “You’re gonna feel every single ounce of pain you inflicted on Layne. Besides, you’re not my type. My ol’ lady is takin’ a nap back at home waitin’ for us to be done with the two of you pussies. Gunner, what do you say we make these fuckers pay for everythin’ they took from us?”
“Already workin’ on it. Hurry up and do what you’re gonna do to his ass. I want my chance to inflict my own pain against him,” Gunner grunts out as he lands another hard punch to Lester’s body.
Nodding my head, I begin to carve up this fucker’s chest. All the cuts on Layne’s body will be inflicted on this man’s chest. I’m not going to go near his cock or anything else. Gunner might go that direction, but I’m not. When I’m done carving up his chest, I accept the lemon juice mixed with salt from Capone. It’s something new we’re trying. It’s either going to hurt a hell of a lot more or it will hurt as much as lemon juice or salt normally does in open wounds. Either way, his screams echoing in the room we’re in fill me with happiness.
“Stop!” he pleads with me as I pick the knife back up again.
“Did Layne plead with you to stop? Did she beg for her life when you were beatin’ the fuck outta her? Or were her screams enough to halt you when she was losin’ our baby. There is no reason for you to have set your sights on her. Either fuckin’ one of you. You’re a fuckin’ douche bag who can’t seem to get your head out of your ass because there is someone who chose to stand up for the innocent pawns in your fuckin’ sick and twisted games,” Gunner growls out, his voice filled with the same anguish we’re all still feeling.
Gunner and I switch men knowing they’re both not going to last much longer. I’ve barely even gotten started on the cop because I chose to let Grinder take a turn to get his revenge before I got my hands on him. Still, the damage has been done and Gunner and I will finish these two off one way or another. Our end game is the same; they both will die by our hands.
Lester doesn’t bother to pick his head up as I begin to slice his body up. The blood already covers his torso, head, and face as I begin to add to it. Gunner and I don’t talk as we begin to torture these assholes. Grunts, groans, and whimpers are all we hear from them as we work them over. My best friend likes to use his fists as I chose to slice their bodies up the same way they cut our ol’ lady up. Marks that will cover her body for the rest of her life to remind her of a time in her life we’re not going to forget for any reason. When I rub the salt and lemon juice into Lester’s disgusting body, he finally perks up and screams louder than any woman I’ve ever met in my entire life. It’s pathetic as fuck if you ask me.
When Gunner and I have had our fun, we finally end the assholes in front of us. It’s time to clean up and get home to Layne. I want to spend time with her, make up for the days I’ve been gone and selfish, and try to figure out where we go from here. That’s the only thing on my mind right now. However, we won’t take the blood contaminating us back home to her. We’ll clean up here at the clubhouse before heading home. Our revenge won’t taint the inside of Gunner’s house.
Chapter Twenty-One
Gunner
THE LAST FEW weeks have flown by. Layne is still not back to work. She’s been taken out for six weeks so she can heal from her wounds and make sure she heals properly from the miscarriage. She’s getting restless and ready to climb the walls of the house as she has nothing to do. Layne has gone over all of her clients files, called in to court when she had court because she couldn’t attend in person. With her being a lawyer, everyone knows what happened to her and have done what they can to accommodate her situation. Including letting her call in for court cases. It’s just one of the reasons she hasn’t gone stir crazy at this point in time.
Venom and I have tried to keep her mind occupied. We haven’t been able to touch her the way we want to so each of us have been taking more than our fair share of cold showers. Especially in the beginning when she needed help washing up and changing her bandages covering the slices of her body that needed stitches and to be covered up. For the most part she’s healed completely and there is no longer much evidence of her beating and kidnapping. The main reminder is she’s no longer pregnant. Which is something we’ve been dealing with together. Layne has her good and bad days. Days when all she can do is cry and remain in the bed we share. Those are the days it’s hard as hell on Venom and me. We don’t want to see her in pain and crying her eyes out. We simply hold her and make sure she knows we’re here for her.
