Thorn (Salvation's Bane MC 3): A Bones MC Romance Read online

  “I think she’s ready now.” Red hiked his thumb at the man putting down the hood and wiping down the edges. “Tinker’s just putting the finishing touches on her. Should purr like a kitten now.”

  “I can’t think you enough, Red,” she said softly. “You guys always do a wonderful job on such an old car. It’s because of you it keeps running.”

  “You take good care of her, Mariana. Always bring her in for oil changes and tune ups on time. You’re one of my best customers.”

  Jason snorted. “Just ’cause she has a piece-of-shit car you have to continually repair. Hell, she probably keeps you in business.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “If she can’t pay you, she fuckin’ you for payment? ’Cause I’d totally pay to see Little Miss Prim and Proper get fucked by a grease monkey.”

  Thorn subtly moved Mariana behind him as he stepped in front of Jason. “You need to learn some respect, you punk-ass cunt.”

  Jason blanched, but one look in Mariana’s direction was all it took for him to stiffen his spine. “Look, man. I’ve had the bitch. She ain’t much to write home about. All I meant was that fuckin’ a roughneck might loosen her up a little. Get her to do something more than just fuckin’ lay there.”

  Thorn looked over his shoulder at Mariana. She wanted to sink into the ground, but she didn’t dare look down. “He not make it good enough for you to want to move on him? Seriously?”

  Mariana had no idea what to say, so she just shrugged, her gaze glued to his. Those consequences he’d spoken of earlier hovered in her imagination, taking all kinds of unpleasant shapes.

  Thorn chuckled at her before he looked back at Jason. There was an amused look on his face. “Man, if she didn’t move when you fucked her, that’s on you. I can’t get her to stay still. She wiggles on my dick like she’s never had cock before. Best pussy I’ve ever had the pleasure of fuckin’.”

  Yeah. She wanted to die. Right there. Then Jason’s face turned every shade of red she could imagine, from a light pink to, finally, a deep purple.

  “You fucking slut!” He made a grab at her, but Thorn backhanded him, then stepped into him and grabbed him by the throat, slamming him against the wall.

  Just like that, Thorn’s face was a mask of rage. Mariana had never seen a man so scary looking. She actually whimpered, taking a step back, but then Tinker was at her side, a hand at the small of her back. “Shh, there, girl. Just watch and listen.” He stepped a little farther away from her, but stayed close while Thorn dealt with Jason.

  Thorn was up in Jason’s face, his hand still firmly around Jason’s throat. Jason was up on his tiptoes against the wall, his face growing more and more mottled by the second. “This is your only warning, so I suggest you listen good, you little fucker. You so much as breathe in her general direction again, I’ll tear your fuckin’ head off. You say nothing about her. You don’t get near her. You don’t even fuckin’ think about her. Get me?”

  There was no way Jason could move his head. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He tried again, and, this time, managed to force out a “Yes.” Thorn held him there a few more seconds. Jason began to claw at his wrist, and Thorn just squeezed tighter. She knew because Mariana could see the tendons working in those massive forearms of his.

  Finally, he gave a little shove and let Jason go. The smaller man crumbled to the ground, gasping for breath.

  “Red, if you don’t mind, escort Ana wherever she needs to go. Me and this little motherfucker are gonna have a talk.”

  “No!” Jason scooted away on his ass, a hand raised defensively. “I understand! I’ll leave her alone! I won’t talk about her!”

  “Good. Now that we all understand each other, I suggest you go change your fuckin’ pants. Looks like you made a mess.”

  Mariana glanced down at Jason. Sure enough, her ex-lover had wet himself. There would likely be hell to pay later, but maybe Thorn had scared him enough Jason would just leave her alone. She doubted it, but a girl could hope.

  Thorn walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. He rested a hand on her rounded tummy and the baby kicked. A tiny movement, but definitely there. He gave her a little grin. “Looks like Bruno there’s wantin’ to join the fight. Don’t like anyone talkin’ bad ’bout his mama.”

  Before Mariana could say anything, Thorn kissed her again. This one lingered just a little, but was no less chaste. She’d give it to him -- he played the part well without freaking her out. Had he discussed it with her beforehand, she’d have said absolutely not, but the look on Jason’s face was worth it. He was equal parts disbelieving and angry-jealous. While she didn’t really want him jealous, it felt good to know she’d finally shocked him. Mariana wasn’t a fool. He didn’t want her any more now than he had an hour ago. But she represented something he’d thought of as his. Now, another man had what had been his. And Thorn had proven he didn’t care that she’d been Jason’s before.

  She was Thorn’s now. And he was keeping her.

  Except that was a fantasy.

  Before she could protest, Thorn ended the kiss, rubbing her baby bump tenderly. She almost hoped he’d continue with his plan to send her along with Red as her escort because she didn’t want to embarrass herself when they were alone. Right this second, she was feeling a little possessive her own damned self. Even as the thought entered her mind, she knew that wasn’t going to happen. Thorn would be her escort. Then he’d have to know she had no place to live yet.

  Yeah. This was going to be humiliating.

  * * *

  Thorn followed Mariana to the Motel 6 she was staying at. He wanted to toss her on the back of his bike again and take her to the clubhouse, but there was no way she’d go for that. He didn’t like her staying here, though. Didn’t sit well with him. When they pulled into the parking lot near her room, he pulled up beside her and climbed off his bike. Opening the door for her, he frowned down at her.

  “You’re staying here?”

  “It’s temporary. I’m supposed to look at apartments once I get my paycheck.” She didn’t quite meet his gaze.

  “When’s that?”

  She shrugged. “A few days.”

  “Come on,” he said, urging her away from the car as he shut the door. “I’ll walk you to your room.”

  “I’m good. Really.”

  Thorn studied her. She wouldn’t meet his gaze, looking down at her shoes where she toyed with a pebble on the asphalt. “You know I’m not gonna hurt you. Right?”

  “Yeah. I just don’t like strangers knowing where I’m staying. I’m sure you understand.”

  He did, actually. Didn’t mean he liked it, though. “Give me your phone,” he said, holding his hand out. She hesitated, but handed it over without a word. He sent himself a text from her number, then handed it back to her. Once his phone pinged with the message, he sent her a message that included the Salvation’s Bane clubhouse number.

  “Add both of those to your contact list. The number I sent you as well. That’s the clubhouse. You need anything, you text me. I don’t answer immediately, you call me. You still can’t get ahold of me, call the fuckin’ clubhouse. Ask for Thorn. Get me?”

  She nodded. “I understand. What I don’t understand is -- why?”

  “’Cause you need someone lookin’ after you, and I got a bad feelin’ about that motherfucker Jason. You keep your doors locked. Don’t let him in, no matter what.”

  “Hadn’t planned on it,” she muttered.

  He was silent for a long time, staring at her. She was uncomfortable with his gaze, he could tell, but he had to offer her more. “There’s a place you could stay in the clubhouse until you get your shit together. No rent. All you gotta do is help with the chores.”

  “Thank you, but no. I’ll be fine. Once I get my next paycheck, I’ll have a start on the next couple months’ finances. It’s all about priorities and management.” She sounded confident. Like the very thought was appealing to her. Hell, he couldn’t blame her. If she’d
lived with that son of a bitch for any length of time, she probably felt like she’d been freed from an interminable prison sentence.

  “Fine. Just keep the offer in mind. If you get into trouble, don’t let your pride keep you from what you know your baby needs.” It was a low blow, but he had to throw that in there. If it took guilting her into looking out for her safety, Thorn wasn’t above it. She gasped a little and looked away, but nodded her head, her hand going to her belly in a gentle caress. “Good. Use all the locks on your door. Don’t go out after dark.”

  “Are you always so bossy?” The little thing looked equal parts annoyed and embarrassed she’d asked the question, but didn’t back down.

  “No. I’m usually worse.” He tried his best to keep his lips from twitching, but it was nearly impossible. So he got on his bike as if to leave, hoping she’d take the hint and get her pretty little ass inside.

  “Don’t forget to add that fuckin’ contact to your phone,” he called out as she ascended the outside stairs. She clutched the phone to her chest and nodded once before continuing on. She waited at the top of the landing, apparently wanting him to move before she went inside her room.

  He took off, headed to the clubhouse, which was about fifteen minutes away. It wasn’t long before he felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket. When he stopped at a stop light, he checked it. Sure enough, she’d followed his instructions and sent a text. He grinned. Thorn honestly hadn’t expected Ana to obey, but then she had been pretty shaken up.

  A few minutes later, he pulled into his clubhouse, parking the bike just outside the entrance to the common room. He went straight to Ripper’s office. Ripper was their intel man. He could sometimes work miracles with his computers. Thorn didn’t necessarily want a miracle. He was just hoping he could keep an eye on one feisty little brunette.

  * * *

  The room Mariana had rented for the week wasn’t anything fancy, but it was clean. Just not in the best part of town. Thorn wasn’t wrong to warn her to use all the locks on her door and to not be out after dark. So, when the knock came just after dark a couple of days later, when the whole block was still going strong outside with a weekend party, she ignored it.

  “Mari! Open up! It’s me, Jason!”

  “Shit,” she muttered. Jason was the absolute last person she wanted to see. When she didn’t answer right away, he continued to pound on the door.

  “I know you’re in there, Mari! I’m just gonna keep knocking until you answer. It’ll make a lot of noise. Might even get you kicked out!”

  She sighed. Was it his mission in life to make her miserable? “Go away, Jason. I think you said all there was to say when you left me stranded on the side of the road.”

  “I just came to apologize.”

  “Fine. You’ve apologized. Accepted. Now leave.”

  “I’m not leaving until I talk to you, Mari.”

  She stood up from her chair by the window in a huff. “Don’t call me Mari!” She undid the deadbolt. Then the chain. “Say what you’ve got to say then leave.” She finished speaking, and finally got the door opened. Just as it cleared a couple inches, Jason shoved his way inside, knocking her back. She stumbled and fell to the floor on her ass.

  “What the hell, Jason?”

  He shut the door, then he was on her. The first blow took her in the temple as she attempted to stand, knocking her silly. She couldn’t even get out a cry of pain, the beating was so intense and sudden. And he continued to punch her. Over and over. Then to kick. He didn’t say a word. Just beat the living shit out of her.

  When she rolled over and protected her head, he kicked her back and stomach. Jason seemed to target her abdomen -- and the baby -- but the second she balled herself up and covered her unborn child with her arms, he moved to her head. Each blow landed like a hammer on an anvil until she once again covered her head with one arm, still desperately trying to protect her unborn child with the other arm. The coppery taste of blood was heavy, so heavy she thought she might choke as she tried to suck in a lungful of air.

  Finally, there was one solid kick to her abdomen and the huge pressure in her stomach suddenly gave way with a gush of fluid between her legs. She tried to scream, but nothing emerged. She needed to breathe, but when she tried to gasp for air, the pain in her side was so intense she could barely take a shallow breath. Nothing in her life so far had prepared her for this kind of pain. Every part of her body was battered and bruised. Mariana had no idea if any of her injuries were life threatening, but she had the feeling this was how she ended. She knew her baby was dead, and that was even worse. She knew in her heart that, if Jason didn’t stop immediately, she was going to die here. Might still die even if he stopped. But she couldn’t take anymore. Finally, she just gave up. There was no way to win against Jason, and maybe she didn’t really want to. Maybe dying was just easier. Dying meant she didn’t have to face the reality of what had just happened.

  Dying also meant that bastard had beaten her.

  “Filthy little whore!” he spat at her. “Where’s your needle-dick biker now! See? He doesn’t want you any more than I ever did. No one wants you, you little cunt! You’re not good enough to have my baby! Fucking whore! Probably wasn’t even mine.” Jason gave a harsh laugh then. “Not that it matters much now. Bet I killed the little shit. Oughtta kill you too, but you’re just not worth it. Good luck, Mari.” He spat the shortened version of her name at her. Probably because he knew how much she hated it. “Hope you rot in hell!”

  * * *

  “Hey, Thorn. Got a minute?”

  Ripper didn’t usually venture out of his cave this time of day. If he needed anything, he generally sent a text. Thorn hated texts, but he recognized it was the medium Ripper was most comfortable with for delivering news. The fact that he’d sought Thorn out said this was important.

  “What’s up?”

  The other man hesitated. “It’s your girl. She’s on the move and I’m… concerned.”

  Instantly Thorn focused fully on the other man. “Explain,” he barked.

  “I think she’s in trouble.”

  “Where?”

  Again, Ripper hesitated. “She’s on her way to JFK Memorial Hospital. I hacked into 911 and it sounds bad, Thorn.”

  Thorn swore as he bolted from his chair. “Get a team. Include Beast and Blood. We go with a show of force. I leave in five. Anyone not ready follows as soon as they are.”

  He’d just straddled his bike and reached up to start it when his phone buzzed. Normally, he’d have ignored it, but with Mariana having his number, he still held hope she’d call him. When he pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen his heart accelerated.

  “Ana?”

  “Uh, no. This is Miles from JFK Memorial Hospital Emergency Room. There’s a woman here with your number on her phone. We were hoping you might help us.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “Sir!” The man had been pretty calm and neutral until this point. He obviously didn’t want Thorn to hang up. “Is her name Ana?”

  “You don’t know her name?” Thorn asked the question with a harsh, growled snap.

  “Uh, no, sir.” There was a voice in the background Thorn thought he recognized. “Put Doc on.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  Thorn had to rein in his patience. “Put Dr. Collins on the fuckin’ phone.”

  The people Doc worked with didn’t necessarily know he was a member of an MC, but Thorn was past caring if he stepped on toes at this point. Logically, he knew the man was only doing his job, but there was an urgency inside him Thorn had never felt before. Not even during his time in the service. A knot in his gut that was busy tightening with every breath he took, making it harder and harder to think rationally. He needed to get to the hospital and actually lay eyes on Mariana. Ludicrous since he’d only just met her, but she needed him. He knew it in his heart.

  A moment later, Doc’s voice came over the phone. “Dr. Collins.”

  “Doc, it’s Tho
rn. What the fuck’s goin’ on?”

  “Gonna have to give me a point of reference, Thorn.” Doc was unruffled as always.

  “I didn’t call you. You fuckin’ called me. Through your flunky.”

  Thorn could hear Doc give an exasperated sigh. “You know, I ain’t the only fuckin’ doc around here, Thorn. What the fuck’re you talkin’ about?”

  There were giggles in the background and a mumbled apology by Doc. “Mariana Everly. Pregnant girl. She’s apparently there and unable to give anyone any information. They found my number in her phone and called. Ring a fuckin’ bell?”

  There was silence then, “I’ll call you back.”

  “Don’t bother. I’m on my way now. I’ll be there in ten. Meet me in the ambulance bay.”

  He didn’t wait for the other man to answer. Seconds later, he was on the road with Beast, Carnage, and Blood flanking him. He knew that all he had to do was give the word and his brothers would unleash hell on anyone he told them to.

  The entire eight-minute ride to JFK Memorial was an exercise in control. Control his brothers. Control the bike. Control his fucking emotions. It didn’t help that, all the way to the hospital, Ripper kept feeding him a running commentary of what he could pick up between EMS and the hospital. Mariana was hurt. Badly.

  And she hadn’t called him. He shouldn’t have been surprised. She didn’t know him. Still, he’d have thought he treated her better than that fucker, Jason. Maybe he’d overdone it. Not that he could have helped it. Thorn wasn’t a guy who could watch women being hurt. Sure, he’d killed his share when it was necessary, but he’d always made sure it was a clean kill. Women as sweet as Mariana turned him into mush. Not a good thing for an MC president.

  The second he pulled into the wide alley designated “Ambulance Entrance Only,” Thorn saw Doc leaning against the building. He straightened and hurried over. Thorn parked his bike next to Doc’s in the physician’s parking spot.