“I have shit here under control. When, and I ain’t saying if, because we are getting them back, tonight in fact, but when we do, you take all the time you need with her. Understood?”

I bite my lip. What is my brother’s meaning? She’s Piper. She’ll bounce back from this quicker than Winter did after her kidnapping. But hell if I say that to my brother. He would have my balls cut off if I said anything about Winter. I guess it goes to say I’d do the same for Piper, too.

“Now go make sure you have all the guns and ammo you will need for this raid and for protection once you get to your house,” he directs.

When I stand, my brother says something I have never heard him say to me. “And Sniper?” I look over at him. “I love ya, brother,” he says with a serious tone.

I walk over to him, clasp his outstretched hand, and jerk him out of his chair. I hug my brother in the first family hug we have ever shared. When we pat each other twice on the back, we loosen our embrace, and I say the same words to him. “I love ya, too, blood brother.”

He nods his head and sitting back down in his chair, he studies the map while I head to my room to gather my fire power.

***

Chapter Twenty

Piper

I lost all the sensation in my face when I took that blow from the guy who raped me. I know the feeling will come back and that it will take time, but it is scary. I think we have been here for three days, four tops, because my body is crying out for food. The pain in my ribs has not lessoned any. Nothing can be done for broken ribs but to wrap them, so my concern is my face, and if my jaw needs to be wired shut or not, and if I will require corrective surgery. This is what worries me the most.

“Piper, I’m worried about my kidneys,” Jinx whispers.

Whispering has been our only form of communication. When and if we get out of this, it will be a long time before we both stop with the whispers. Feeling threatened does that to you. Afraid if you speak too loud, it will result in another beating or rape. We’ve been lucky. We haven’t been touched sexually for a few days. I assume they are too busy trying to get whatever they want from Breakneck. I have been strong up until this point, but my mental stability is threatened more with each passing moment.

“Faith, Jinx.”

I have little left to give her and telling her to have a little faith makes me feel like a dirty liar. And I hate lying, and false hope is just that, lying.

“I ran out of faith the second day.”

I turn over on the cold concrete and sob my fears out in silence so she doesn’t stress out even more. I thought I would be able to come out of this, but this time is different. The first time I was drugged so much that I could barely remember anything, but this time, I am completely sober, and every second that goes by that we are down in this basement is burned into my memory.

Everyone thinks I am this easy going person and I was. I can no longer say I still am. This time I will be forever changed. It does not make me weak. It makes me human. I was easy going and lived life to the fullest because of the years I lost. Not being able to remember is the one thing that made it easy to move on with my life.

I pray Sniper loves me enough and isn’t so angry he is not out there looking for us. I regret our last conversation and the things we did not resolve. I guess, deep down, a part of me knows he is doing everything he can to bring me home, but when you have been through all the things I have, you learn to doubt everything and everyone.

It is all about self-preservation.

If he happens to save my miserable sorry ass once again, I am going to kiss him on the lips, say thank you, and then I will sleep forever.

“Piper?”

“Yeah, Jinxie,” I mumble.

I hear her stir about. “If we get out of this, I want the biggest, fattest steak ever, and I’m a vegetarian.”

I giggle for the first time in days. “You aren’t anymore, huh?”

“Hell no,” she whispers. “I understand the food chain now.”

I don’t laugh because being in a position such as ours, you learn to appreciate the stupidest things.

“I’ll buy an entire cow for you,” I say.

Jinx says nothing back and I assume she is falling asleep. Rest is key to our survival now.

I close my eyes and picture my badass biker best friend who, now that I am fucking dying of thirst and starvation, I realize I may be in love with. Our photo booth fun flashes in my mind and tears form in my eyes. That was one of the best days of my life. I had that giant biker laughing, smiling, and enjoying life that day. His beautiful sun bleached hair spiked up, his gray eyes twinkling, and his straight white teeth smiling into the camera as I made faces. The screen on the photo booth reflected our images back at us and counted down the seconds each time it went to snap the picture, and I would do something crazy stupid like always.

“Piper, you’re a fuckin’ nut job,” he teases.

I fake hurt until he falls for it, and when he goes to embrace me in a hug, I reach up and run my tongue along his cheek.

“Darlin’, if you’re gonna run that tongue on somethin’, it needs to be below the belt line,” he growls playfully.

“Shut up and take pictures with me, Snipe.”

He wraps his large, muscular arms around me and laughs into the camera. “Better?”

I squeeze him back. “Yes, thank you.”

He leans down and kisses the top of my head. “Anythin’ for you, darlin’,” he whispers into my hair.