Breaking Chains (Fallen Saints MC Book 4) Read online

  Think, Tanya yelled at herself. She dialed Chains’s number. He immediately picked up after one ring.

  “Hey, baby. Miss me already?” Chains asked.

  “Chains, I think someone broke into Cherry’s apartment and she’s inside. She’s hurt,” she whispered.

  A pause on the other end, then Chains asked her in a serious voice, “Where are you right now?”

  “Standing next to the elevator.”

  “Stay put. I’m leaving the clubhouse now. Don’t do anything rash.”

  Another terrible cry from Cherry’s door made her end her call to Chains. She couldn’t just stand by idly while someone was hurting her friend. Cherry had been practically a stranger when they first met, but the other woman had offered her a place to stay free of charge. Horrible images of some stranger hurting her friend flew through her head as she ran.

  She rushed through the front door, feeling foolish.

  “You’re finally here. Shut the door behind you or I’ll put a bullet between her eyes,” a familiar, ugly voice said. Arrow stood in Cherry’s living room. He wore an oversized hoodie, dirty jeans, and sneakers. He looked like he lost plenty of weight. Cherry was sitting stiffly on the armchair. The right side of her face was bleeding. Arrow dug the barrel of the handgun against the back of her skull. That broke her paralysis.

  Tanya closed the door behind her. She swallowed. She told Chains so many times to forget Arrow, that the biker was a coward who’d do anything to save his own skin. She never expected Arrow to come to Redemption, to go after her friends.

  “Please let her go, she’s not part of this,” she said.

  “Not part of this?” Arrow repeated. Her words only seemed to piss him off. He whipped his head toward her, his eyes bloodshot. “You stupid fucking bitch. This is all your fault. Your friend’s in this situation because of you.”

  “I know that,” she said quickly. “If you want to kill me, go ahead, but Cherry’s innocent.”

  She didn’t think Arrow would actually do it, but he moved the gun from Cherry and pointed it right at her.

  “You can go,” Arrow said to Cherry. She scrambled away from him, hesitating when she neared Tanya.

  “Run,” Tanya whispered. “I’ll be okay.”

  Cherry gave her a frightened and uncertain look before running out the door and slamming it shut behind her. Arrow neared her, still holding the gun steady.

  “After I’m done with you, I’ll hunt your bitch friend down. I can’t have her tattling about me.” Arrow was in her face now. He gave her a backhanded slap, and the force of it made her take a step backward. Tanya’s cheek stung but she kept her expression neutral. She didn’t want to give him any smidge of satisfaction.

  “You’re a fucking traitor, Tanya. Tell me something. Did you offer yourself up to the Fallen Saints MC as their new whore when Bulldog’s body wasn’t even cold?” he asked her hotly.

  “I’m no one’s whore.”

  Sweat beaded down her back as he dug the barrel against her forehead. She winced.

  “Liar. Your new friend’s been telling me interesting stories. She says you’re Chains’s bitch now. The fucker who killed Bulldog and Buzz. Sick cunt.” Arrow sneered at her. “Take off your clothes.”

  “What?”

  Arrow looked her up and down. She felt filthy under his gaze. Only Chains had the right to look at her like that. No one else.

  “I want to know what’s so special about you. Do you have a magic pussy?” Arrow sniggered, laughing at his own terrible joke. “If you don’t obey me, I’ll have to rip that dress off you. Do you want that?”

  “No,” she whispered. Tanya knew Chains was on his way. She just needed to distract Arrow, to keep him talking. She slowly unzipped her dress. “How did you even find me?”

  “That’s a stupid question. I only had to ask a few locals in town. I knew that murdering bastard would take you to Redemption. He probably didn’t kill you because his club needs fresh pussy. Am I wrong?”

  Once her dress slipped to the floor, Tanya attempted to cover herself with her arms.

  Arrow made a sound of disgust. “I don’t get it. There’s nothing special about you. You’re ugly as sin.”

  Goosebumps pimpled her arms. Terror rooted her in place. God. He was going to rape her, then kill her. What did she expect from a monster like him? That he’d immediately put a bullet in her head and call it a day?

  “There’s no need to be modest with me, Tanya. It’s just the two of us here.”

  She knew what men like Arrow got off on. Tanya let a fake tear slip down her cheek. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Why?” He barked out a harsh laugh. “Because I can, and I want to. You’re not going to die an easy death, bitch. I’m going to make you scream, make you wish you never crossed paths with me. Only when you’re begging me for mercy and when I’m finally sick of you will I end you.”

  She shivered at those words. The old her would’ve covered and started begging for forgiveness right away. Tanya was no longer alone. When Chains brought her to Redemption, she’d thought her life was over, but it was only beginning. She’d found a new job, made friends. Most importantly, she met the man who owned her, body, heart, and soul.

  Tanya thought she heard the familiar rumble of Chains’s motorcycle engine outside the apartment building. Arrow slammed the butt of his gun against her face.

  “Move. Take off your bra and panties next,” he said. “If you keep me waiting any longer, I won’t play nice anymore.”

  He means those words, Tanya thought. Her fingers shook as she fumbled for her bra clasp. Another thought entered her mind, one that gave her newfound hope. Arrow didn’t seem to hear the sound of the motorcycle engine outside, too obsessed with exacting his revenge.

  Chapter Ten

  After Tanya’s panicked call, Chains ran out of the MC clubhouse like his life depended on it. In a sense, it did, because if anything happened to Tanya, he’d never be able to forgive himself. Tank panted behind him. Tank had just been discharged from the hospital three days ago.

  “Chains, wait up. What the fuck happened?” Tank asked, catching his breath. His friend might no longer be bedbound, but he wasn’t ready for any action yet.

  “Tanya’s in trouble. Someone broke into Cherry’s apartment. I told her to wait, dammit, but I should’ve known she wouldn’t just sit around while her friend’s in trouble.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Tank said.

  Chains gripped his shoulder. Tank winced. Chains just proved his point about him still not being back to a hundred percent. “No, you’ll only get in the way. I can handle this on my own.”

  “Ouch,” Tank grumbled.

  Chains couldn’t afford to waste any time. He checked his favorite sawed-off shotgun. Fully loaded. He tucked it back inside his jacket and mounted his bike.

  “I’m calling Iron for backup,” Tank yelled behind him.

  Chains zoomed out of the compound. He revved up his engine and sped up. He didn’t care if a cop caught him. Right now, heading to Cherry’s place was his first priority. His mind raced. Could a thief have broken into the place? In broad daylight? The possibility of that happening was low. Redemption had low crime rates thanks to the MC.

  Then there was the other possibility. Tanya’s past could’ve finally caught up to her. Chains thought of Arrow, of the fucker who’d managed to get away by sheer dumb luck. Could it be him? There was no use pondering.

  Chains parked his bike on the street opposite Cherry’s apartment. He raced inside. Chains didn’t bother taking the elevator to the second floor, where Cherry and Tanya lived. Taking the stairs was a lot faster. He emerged on the landing of the second floor and forced himself to slow down. Chains didn’t need to alert the intruder about his arrival.

  It was late afternoon. Loud music came from a unit upstairs. A couple argued on the first floor. The corridor was empty. Eerily quiet. Whipping out his gun, Chains slowly crept toward Cherry’s unit. The front door was
closed. He transferred his gun to his other hand and reached for the knob. It turned.

  He could hear a man yelling inside.

  “Take off your panties, you slut.” A figure wearing a hoodie was yelling orders at his woman. Tanya was shaking, standing in the living room, her clothing at her feet.

  Rage tainted his entire vision red. Chains gave the door a kick. The fucker turned, hands on his gun. He was trembling. Good. Chains fed off his fear. The bastard looked from him and back to Tanya. Chains could see the wheels turning in his tiny brain. The intruder was about to turn his gun back on Tanya, but Chains aimed and fired. The intruder fell backward as he emptied his shells on him.

  Tanya let out a scream as Chains approached his kill. Tanya clutched the lapels of his jacket. The intruder’s dead eyes stared back at him in shock. Chains dropped his gun and turned to his woman. He wrapped his arms around her. She was still trembling.

  “You came,” she whispered. “I knew you would.”

  Chains gripped her shoulders and studied her for injuries. He hissed, seeing the bruise on her cheek. He touched it gently. “Did the fucker hurt you anywhere else?”

  “No, I think Arrow wanted to humiliate me first before…” She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. He tightened his jaw. If he’d arrived any later, he would’ve been too late. Chains could see that now. Thank God she’d managed to call him.

  “Okay.” Chains could breathe easier now that she was back in his arms. She was safe, as safe as he could make her. No doubt Arrow would’ve left mental scars on her, but time would heal all wounds. Chains would make sure nothing like this would ever happen to her again.

  “Those shots,” she finally said, looking up at him. “Someone probably called the cops.”

  Chains parted from her. He looked out the window. Sure enough, Iron was downstairs, chatting up the deputy who’d arrived in a cruiser. Iron had good timing. Tank was right to call him for backup. Chains didn’t like talking to cops, but Iron could handle them just fine.

  He returned to Tanya and pulled her close. She’d put her clothes back on while he looked down at Iron. Chains kissed her slowly, tenderly.

  “It’ll be all right. Let me handle this,” he told her. “Iron’s downstairs. He’ll tell the cops to look the other way. We’ll take care of the body. It’s all over.”

  “I think Arrow lost his mind,” Tanya said. She filled him in on what happened. Iron soon arrived. A distraught Cherry was with him. Upon seeing her, Cherry ran up to her and hugged her fiercely. Iron took one look at the body and let out a heavy sigh.

  “Just when I thought things were going well today, I have to help you get rid of a dead body,” Iron grumbled to Chains.

  “You’re alive, thank God,” Cherry whispered to Tanya. “I’m so sorry for running.”

  “There’s nothing to apologize for. You got roped into this mess because of me. Your forehead?”

  “It’s just a bump, nothing serious,” Cherry said.

  “Let’s take you to St. Luke’s just in case,” Tanya was saying. “I want Olivia to have a look at you.”

  “You girls do that,” Chains said. “Iron and I have an errand to run.”

  Chains was certain Arrow came alone. Tanya and Cherry would be safe. The Red Dragons MC were truly no more after he and Iron had dispatched Bulldog. This was their town. Arrow might’ve slipped through their defenses, but the MC wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

  “Guess it’s just you and me again, huh?” Chains asked after the women had left. “Thanks for always having my back.”

  Iron grunted. “That’s what brothers are for. You owe me, by the way.”

  Chains laughed. “No problem. Call me when you need me. I’ll come running any time.”

  ****

  Tanya walked to the edge of the clearing where the bodies of her father and half-brother were buried. When she’d asked Chains for his help, she expected him to say no. After all, Rooster, Bulldog, and the rest of the Red Dragons MC had only given Chains and his MC grief. Instead, Chains took charge and made all the necessary arrangements. Chains had Rooster’s and Bulldog’s bodies moved back to the clearing behind the cabin that once belonged to Rooster. Tanya didn’t know how he’d managed it. She didn’t ask.

  “Thank you, for arranging everything,” she told him.

  She came forward and placed the roses in front of their graves. She didn’t know why she bothered with all of this. If Rooster and Bulldog were ghosts, they were probably laughing at her. After all, she meant nothing to them. Rooster always treated her like an unwanted burden and Bulldog? He thought of her as his personal maid. Tanya told Chains this as she stood next to him.

  “That’s easy,” he said. Chains kissed her on the cheek. “It’s because you’re a good person.”

  Was she? Tanya didn’t believe she was. What she needed was closure, which was why she’d begged Chains to help her build this burial site. The cabin and the two graves marked the dark chapter of life that was her past. She thought she’d live and die in this miserable town, forever chained down by the sins of her father and brother.

  Until Chains entered her life and ripped her out of her prison, Tanya had always thought she had no way out of the dark hole her family put her in. He gave her a new lease on life. He taught her how to hope. To love.

  They stood there a little while longer. A month ago, Tanya never believed she would’ve gone back to Mountain Lake, back to the cabin where Bulldog and his friends tormented her and treated her like dirt. Yet here she was with Chains.

  Four weeks had passed since Arrow had broken into Cherry’s apartment. Chains had been true to his word. The cops didn’t come knocking on Cherry’s door, asking any more questions. The neighbors who phoned the cops were paid to keep quiet. Chains and Iron had gotten rid of Arrow’s body. The spilled blood on Cherry’s floors had been swiped clean like nothing had ever happened. Cherry was even back to her usual smiling and cheerful self.

  Chains and she also found the perfect place near the MC clubhouse. It was a spacious five-room apartment, big enough for Chains, her, and their future family. They’d been talking about kids lately. Once upon a time, Tanya would never have entertained the thought of having a family with an MC man. She soon changed her mind.

  Tanya gave her father’s and half-brother’s graves another look. She wasn’t religious, so she said no prayers for them. She silently bid them farewell and promised she’d pay them a visit soon.

  “What’s going through that head of yours?” Chains asked as they walked back to his bike.

  “The future. You once said you wouldn’t mind having kids with me.” Tanya didn’t bother mincing her words. They always promised to be truthful to each other.

  Even now, the heated look Chains gave her made her instantly wet between the legs. He cupped her cheek and leaned in close, thrusting his tongue down her throat. Fire kindled in her belly and spread to the rest of her. She would’ve let him fuck her right there in the woods, but she thought better of it. It would be inappropriate, given she just said her farewells to her dead family.

  “I intend to put a baby in your belly. It’s bound to happen sooner or later at the rate we’re constantly fucking.” He rested his hand on her stomach. “We’re going to start a family together, but before we do that, there’s something else I need to take care of.”

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  To her utter shock, he went on one knee. Tanya suddenly felt hot all over. She couldn’t believe this was really happening. Tears welled in her eyes as he pulled out a black velvet box from the inside pockets of his leather jacket. He opened it and revealed a white gold band strewn with tiny diamonds. She sucked in a breath.

  “Tanya, you’re the love of my life. I promise to cherish and protect you for the rest of your life. Do me the honor of being my old lady.”

  Tanya placed a hand over her mouth, too overwhelmed to say anything else.

  “Is that a yes?” he asked, rising to his feet.<
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  “Of course, it is. There’s no one else I’d like to marry but you, silly,” she said.

  Chains held out her finger and slipped the beautiful ring over it.

  “I can’t wait to tell Olivia and Cherry,” she said. “When are we getting married?”

  “As soon as we head back to Redemption,” he said, grinning.

  “Wait. What?”

  “Too soon?” he asked, handing Tanya her helmet. She put it on.

  “Not at all.”

  “Good, because Iron just texted me and he says Father Mike’s getting impatient.”

  Chains already had a priest on standby. She should’ve known he was planning something sneaky. Tank and Iron had been acting weird around her lately, like they were trying to keep a secret to themselves. They mounted Chains’s Harley, and she hugged his back, rubbing her cheek against the familiar kiss of his leather jacket.

  “Take me home so we can get hitched, baby,” she told her man.

  Chapter Eleven

  Instinctively, Tanya knew they weren’t alone. The other MC men and the women, both the old ladies and the club whores, were gathered all around them for the wedding. The cheers and voices became distant. All Tanya was aware of was Chains, standing in front of her, holding her hands in his. Father Mike was speaking, but she could only see his mouth moving. Tanya hardly heard his words.

  She stumbled with her vows, but Chains held firm. The fierce devotion in his eyes made her heart gallop and her palms sweat. There was no reason to be nervous, Tanya knew. They were finally getting married, for crying out loud. Maybe, she thought, this was what happiness tasted like. This time, doubts didn’t follow her. She felt no strange premonition of doom like the time she spotted Cherry’s front door hanging open.

  Her man looked her in the eyes and told her, “I vow to cherish, love, and protect you for all the days of my life.”

  Tears gathered in her eyes. This was the most joyful day of her life. Tanya shouldn’t be crying, but she couldn’t help herself.