Page 78 of Tico

The heavy lock disengages and the door is thrown wide open. My stomach clenches when The Collector and The Shadow step through the door followed by Scooter, Rocco, several other club members, some unfamiliar faces that I’m assuming are Oasis members, and finally, Drone, my dad. My gaze roams over his bruised face and body. I’m not sure if they’re from when I pummeled his ass before leaving or if the club took out their aggression on him for me leaving.

The Collector steps up to my bars and my lip curls in disgust as his beady little eyes rake over my body. Behind him The Shadow watches me almost warily, but every now and then, his eyes soften when our gazes meet.

“So, you’re the bitch who thought she could run away from me. I bought you. I own you. I am your Master. Iwillbe the first to claim you per my contract and youwilllearn to obey me,” he says as he pauses and a dark, almost excited look crosses his face. “Or I’m going to have a lot of fun breaking you in.”

I quirk an eyebrow at him as I snort. “You aren’t my anything. I don’t give a fuck what deal you think you had with the Chrome Vipers, but they do not speak for me. I am my own person and I decide who I give myself to and who I want to create a life with. You aren’t included in any of those options. My life is with the Royal Bastard’s and my Ol’ Man, Tico. The same man who I gave myself to for the first time the other night.”

The Collector’s eyes darken with rage at losing out on what he was promised and then his gaze drops. He finally noticed my cut. I stand and his gaze darkens even further when I do a little spin so they can see the back of my cut.

“As for your little deal with my father and the club, I know all about it. I know you ‘paid’,” I say using air quotes, “for a month with me and then you’d hand me over to Scooter.” I pause, smirking as I stop just out of their reach. “But you were never going to hand me back over, where you? You were going to keep me until you used my body up and then you’d dispose of me, just like you have done to hundreds before me.”

The Collector’s gaze narrows at me and my smirk deepens.

“Your little birdies sang quite beautifully after Bug broke onto club grounds and tried to kidnap me.”

Scooter rounds on him, his face red with rage. “You fucking think you can cheat me out of my share? You didn’t pay for that kind of access,” he seethes.

The Collector spears me with a look that promises retribution for spilling his little secret. Then he turns his anger on Scooter. “I also paid for her fucking virginity, but you assholes couldn’t even hang onto her long enough to prevent her from giving it to someone else, now could you?”

The Collector pulls out a gun and shoots Scooter in the shoulder. Scooter falls to the ground, crying as he clutches his shoulder.

Lena trembles in the corner and I pray like hell that they don’t notice her there, though I am proud as fuck of her for not screaming when the gun went off.

The Collector waves his gun at my cage and turns to the men I’m assuming are from Oasis. “Unlock the door and bring her out.”

I barely suppress a smile as I back up a few steps and keep my hands loose at my sides.

Rocco unlocks the door and one of the goons steps inside, stalking forward toward me. When he gets in range, I swing, breaking his nose and send him staggering back a few steps.

“You broke my nose!” he screams as he clutches his nose.

I swing again, striking him on the temple with the full force of my fist, dropping him onto the dirt.

For a few seconds, everyone stares at the goon on the ground and for a moment I freeze when I see The Shadow’s proud little smirk at what I’d just done. What the fuck?

My gaze snaps back to the door as two more goons rush in, but I make quick work of them and soon, they’re also lying unconscious on the floor.

Just then, an explosion rocks the compound.

“What the fuck was that?” The Collector yells as bits of concrete fall from the ceiling.

I grin darkly when his panicked gaze lands back on me.

“That would be my Ol’ Man and the Royal Bastards coming for me.”

Like the little snake that he is, he panics and runs out of the room, his goons trailing behind him while the Chrome Vipers all look to Rocco for orders.

“Find them,” he seethes as he glares at me.

The club members damn near run out of the room, guns drawn, but Rocco stays behind.

“You think you’ve won,” he growls as he slams my door shut again. “I hope those three wake up soon and make you pay for what you’ve done. And when they’re finished with you, I’ll make sure you’re chained to a bed where you will never see the light of day again.”

He locks the door but then freezes as The Shadow places a gun to the back of his head.

“Unlock the door,” The Shadow grits out.

“What the fuck? You are going to pay for double crossing me,” Rocco hisses.