Outlaw's Ride: An MC Romance by Carter Steele (books recommended by bts .txt) 📕

front of me flashed then booted up. A few moments later the monitors blinked to life bathing the dirty, disorganized room in harsh blue light. It took several minutes for the computer to become fully operational, but after I saw the mouse cursor move on it's own and the password to unlock the home screen get entered I realized Patrick must've been controlling it remotely.

That wasn't all that surprising. Computers, networks and gadgets were his thing. He was an IT technician before he became a glorified pimp with delusions of crime-boss grandeur.

Eventually his face appeared on the screen. Far too close to the camera. He checked the connection then backed off. When he pulled away I saw where he was and I tried to scream, but only ragged air came out. I thrashed in my chair, the cuffs cut small gashes in my wrist. All of it was useless but I couldn't stop myself.

It might've been seven years since I saw it, but I immediately recognized my little brother's bedroom when Patrick stepped away. He slept in a small bed with star stickers glowing on his walls around a Baltimore Ravens poster. Jeffy had to be ten-years-old now. God he was so big!

There was no audio on the feed so I couldn't hear what Patrick was saying, but I did see him pull out a box cutter from his pocket and sit on the bed next to Jeffy. Jeffy stirred but didn't wake. With one hand Patrick gently rubbed my little brother's head and with the other he slowly extended the razor to the full position, closed it, then extended it again. Over and over all the while looking directly at the camera. Looking directly at me.

Get the fuck away from him, you monster! I screamed again, and like always my throat betrayed me. Hot tears ran down my cheeks. The only screaming and pleading I could do was trapped in my own mind. Please! Please don't hurt him. I'll do anything. I promise!

Patrick heard something off camera and slid the knife back into his pocket. Low light from the hallway flowed into the room, then another person became visible on the screen. It was my mother just as I remembered her. Her brown hair was pulled back in a loose braid and her smile was every bit as warm as it was on the last day I saw her.

I missed them both more than words could say...

Bile rose in my throat as I saw the way she looked at him. He was a lying, sadistic bastard. Everything was so much better before Patrick came into our lives.

She leaned against the doorway, crossed her arms and looked wistfully at her son and her husband. She had no idea what kind of monster shared her bed. If I had one wish it'd be to show her what kind of man he really was.

Patrick was all smiles looking back at her, then he leaned over on the bed and kissed Jeffy on the forehead. He took her hand and just before they left the room together he glanced back at the cameras, knowing I was watching.

The look was very clear.

This is what you have to lose if you don't do exactly what I say.

I shivered and hung my head, desperately trying not to vomit. The bastard left the live feed on while they went off to have a glass of wine together in the dining room. I couldn't see them of course. If he had other cameras set up in the house he didn't switch my feed outside Jeffy's bedroom. If I listened closely I could hear him making mom laugh and carrying on like he didn't have her daughter held captive across town.

I spent hours crying off and on while watching Jeffy sleep. It was incredibly bittersweet. I was so glad my family was ok, but knowing that psychopath could turn on them at any moment was soul-crushing.

Whatever happened next I had to be extremely careful. As much as I really hated the idea I knew I couldn't ever see Wreck again, that much was for sure. But how much of that was in my control?

Like everything else in my life, ultimately Patrick got to decide what happened next.

7

Wreck

“She's unavailable unfortunately.” Patrick adjusted his glasses and looked at me with an air of apology that was mostly full of shit.

“Again?” I asked through clenched teeth despite us both knowing it wasn't a question. It was bullshit. Had to be. Sarah had been unavailable every single night. It'd been a week since I'd seen her last.

This past week had been packed with shit. We'd been out there cutting break lines, lighting fires and generally fueling a gang war that was decimating the criminal underground in the area. A couple more weeks of this and Patrick would have the little empire he was paying us for.

And all I wanted was to see Sarah.

“I don't know what to tell you, big man...” He shrugged innocently, then snapped his fingers and waved over the girls that hadn't been taken yet. “But I have other girls that are very talented.”

Three girls surrounded me, seductively laying their hands across my chest and back. I wasn't interested in any of them. I wanted Sarah, but she wasn't here.

If I pushed any harder about Sarah Patrick could take out his frustrations on her. No I couldn't rock the boat until I at least found out what happened to her.

I gave Patrick a sour look and grabbed the ass of one of the other girls, leading her away Along the way I grabbed a bottle of tequila, some limes and salt then set me and the blond up at the back of the room at an empty table.

“What's your name?” I asked setting the supplies down and pouring us a double shot each.

“Gingger with three Gs,” she replied with a wide smile.

“How long you been working for Patrick?” I slid a glass over to her and raised mine for