Page 26 of Ivy’s Poison

Trying not to let him see how angry that word made me, I said, “I’m not. I blacked out.”

Meth added to our lie. “She ain’t lying, Prez. She was out cold ‘til I smacked her around.” He pointed to my reddening cheek.

Dad exhaled, nodding, and patted his VP on the back.

I heard Beth pleading as she was dragged down the stairs, “He punched me! How can you think I helped him?” She tried to catch herself when she was thrown to the floor, but her face bounced off the concrete. From the ground nearby her, my eyes screamed pity. The lie about her part in this escape hadn’t been believed yet.

Dad marched over to her and stood between us, facing Beth. In horror, I watched as he drew his leg back. Beth’s eyes slammed shut, and she winced through the kick to the ribs.

“No!” I screamed. “That bastard dragged her out of here because he was lost!”

Dad faced me and roared, “How the fuck do you know that if you blacked out?”

I held out my hands, wanting to block any kick headed my way. “I-I… Before I passed out. Before. Before.” Please don’t kick me.

Dad started to shake in his building rage. I started to shake in fear. I knew this look. I knew he was about to blow a gasket in that psychotic brain of his. And his rage was pointed toward Beth. Veins grew under his skin. “I want answers, Goddamnit!” His black steel-toed boot slammed into Beth again and didn’t stop. He thundered, “Who is he?”

She screamed and jolted with every blow.

“Why’d you help him!”

“I didn’t! I didn’t!”

“Stop, Dad! Stop!” On hands and knees, I scrambled toward her, but Meth wrapped his arm around my waist and yanked me off the floor, pulling me away from the gruesome attack. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I spun in his arms. “Do something. Please.”

He lifted a brow, insinuating it would cost me.

Breaths of air were forcibly rushing from Beth’s lungs due to the brutal attack, but this asshole felt it was time to bargain—trade services. Had I had a knife in my hand, I would’ve sliced his throat, just like I saw Champ do to Butch in the hotel room.

Trembling in anger and fear, I scoffed, “Done.”

Meth dipped his chin in a “deal made” and released me. Once at Dad’s side, he said, “Hey, ease up, Boss Man. I think this dumb broad is clueless and useless as usual.”

It worked. Dad roared to the ceiling but stopped the assault. He stepped over her injured body and headed for the door. Charging up the stairs, he was yelling demands. “I want this fucker found! A fucking helicopter? You’ve gotta be goddamn motherfucking kidding me!”

As I rushed to Beth huddled on the floor, Bikers scurried to follow their President. He was still screaming! Boots stomped on the wooden steps as Dad’s voice began to fade. “Who the fuck was shooting at us? I want some intel or I’m gonna start shooting each and every one of you good for nothin’ dipshits!... Cherry!” He screamed for his personal club whore.

High heels scurried above. I could hear the quake in her voice, even from the basement. “Here, baby. I’m here.”

“Get your ass naked and in my motherfucking bed!”

Her heels tripped and scraped above as she rushed to his room without another word. She didn’t dare. None of us did when Stain was ready to spill blood.

Pulling Beth half into my lap, I pushed hair from her face. Blood was dripping from her split upper lip. “Oh, God. Beth.”

I could tell her whole mouth hurt as she tried not to move yet still attempted to calm me. “I’m okay. I’m okay.” She tried to get to her knees to stand. “Out ‘f sight.”

Nodding, I understood her meaning: Get me to our room. If he doesn’t see us, we have a better chance of avoiding more of his wrath.

We held on to each other, like we had so many times, as I guided her up the stairs. Beth pressed a palm to her ribs, struggling to breathe without pain.

On the way to the kitchen for a bag of ice, there were members in the game room but they were all quiet. Beth and I weren’t the only ones trying to stay off Prez’s radar. We rushed past them and down a hallway. Passing Dad’s bedroom door, I could hear him grunting as he fucked Cherry. I could hear him smacking her while she choked as if he was strangling her at the same time. I didn’t intervene. They were noises we all knew. Someone had to take the brunt of his anger. That day was Cherry’s unlucky turn.

Almost to the kitchen, I heard Dad roar, “You fucking worthless shit! You passed out!” Then it was, “I need another bitch in here, now!”

Desperate whispers from club whores echoed from all over the building. They were begging other bikers to have sex with them so they weren’t available for Stain. Boots creaked as they rushed girls off to bedrooms. Then I heard Dad’s bedroom door open. Beth and I sneaked through the swinging kitchen door, hoping to be safely hidden. The huge kitchen was empty except for a club whore, Mandy, who had no present biker to shield her. Her watering eyes told me she knew it, too. Wrong place at the wrong time.

Appearing petrified, she stared at the swinging door while my dad scoured his club, screaming, “Where the fuck is everyone?”