Razer went to the next box and picked a tape from a couple years later. Beth would be about eleven, he thought. It was more of the same, except the beating became worse. Razer noticed one deviation, she begged God’s forgiveness, never her stern faced father no matter how many times the leather struck her back.

The next tape had Lily’s first appearance. The small underweight child was brought forward as they explained the charity they had to give a child in desperate need a home. No mention was made of where she came from. Several tapes were gone through before the minister ordered Lily forward for a misdemeanor for punishment. When she would have stepped forward, Beth pulled her back explaining it was her fault Lily had committed what had been deemed as sin. The pastor thwarted in his desire for new prey and took it out on a blank faced Beth. This continued on until a tape when the pastor ordered Lily forward and when Beth would have stepped forward, was denied.

“You will sit Beth, Lily will take the punishment for letting you influence her and then I will punish you for your part in it. It is time that Lily should learn not to let you force her from the path of righteousness.”

The strange part was that Lily didn’t look frightened. A look of peace came over her and she clasped her hands in front of her. Her silky black hair falling forward as she repented in a strong voice. When the leather struck her, she didn’t flinch or move, her voice the same monotone as before.

“I am going to throw up,” Natasha warned.

Shade walked forward and jerked the tape out of the VCR, throwing it at the television, busting it with sparks flying and not one member chastising him.

“Did that shit continue until the bastard got killed?” Razer asked Cash

“No, by then the new sheriff was in town and from what my grandmother wrote me, he had heard of what was going on, but no one would talk. Beth and Lily were home schooled, so he couldn’t get the girls alone to talk to them. The next day after that, Beth disappeared for an afternoon. The parents searched for her and found her at the restaurant across from the Sheriff sitting eating a sundae. Granny wrote she was frightened for Beth that following Sunday, but the new Sherriff showed up before church and had a talk with Pastor Saul. After that the Sheriff was there every church meeting, rain or shine. The girls both entered school the next school year also.”

“The sheriff probably threatened them with social services,” Bliss guessed.

Cash gave an evil grin. “Bet he threatened to kill him if he touched them again.”

“She won’t forgive me not after what I did. I humiliated her in front of everyone, just like he did. She was hurt and I ignored her just as those people stood around and didn’t do a damn thing.” His hands clenched into fists. “She begged me to talk to her in private…” Razer couldn’t continue.

The women’s smothered sobs could be heard in the silence of the room. The men moved to stand by their brother who stood staring sightlessly at a broken television, with no hope in his heart that he would get the girl and did what they always did, support their brother and come up with a plan of action. Because this mission was a rescue long overdo.

Chapter 20

The week ended up becoming a nightmare for Beth. Her clients seemed to be abnormally demanding and by the weekend she was worn out. As she drove home, she refused to let herself think of Razer and the customary Friday night gathering at his house. When she got home, she showered, but found herself antsy and couldn’t settle down. Determined to get Razer and his activities out of her mind, she texted the girls she had met at the gas station on the way to visit Lily.

She had been surprised when they had first texted her and the conversation was stilted. Several times she had wondered if they were trying to get information out of her about The Last Riders, but when she hadn’t responded to their questions, the conservations had turned to girl talk. The women were as bored with their lives as she was with hers. They had met up a couple of times, going to the movies or out to dinner. Both times Beth had driven to their town. Tonight they were coming to Treepoint and they were going to meet up at the Pink Slipper, a nightclub on the outskirts of town. It was the direct opposite of Mick’s, with regular guys wanting to hook up. Beth had never been there before, but her new friends had wanted to celebrate Sex Piston opening her own beauty salon.

Beth dressed in a black dress with a plunging neckline that complemented her full breasts. The dress came to below her knees, but the silky feel made her feel seductive. She slipped on her black heels and jewelry and was ready to leave. She was almost out the door before she turned back and changed her shoes to dark purple high heels. Now, feeling as if she was going out to have fun instead of a funeral, Beth left to meet her friends.

Beth waited at the door for the girls to show up. A bright green four-door Chevrolet parked and out they came, dressed like biker bitches. With the leather skirts or pants cupping their asses and black t-shirts showing pert breasts, they made Beth feel old and ready to retire.

“Hey girl been waiting long? Would have been here sooner, but T.A. had to stop for a piss.”

“Don’t blame me, you drive like my grandma.” The good-hearted ribbing continued until long after they were seated at a large table.

“Ok, let’s order some drinks and get the party started.” Killyama ordered the waitress to bring drinks, then sat back proceeding to flirt shamelessly with a good-looking blond man at the bar.

“We plan on getting shit-faced and crashing at your place. You cool with that?” Crazy bitch asked.

Beth smiled. “Yes, it’ll be fun. We can have a girl’s night.”

Crazy Bitch just stared at her. “Girl, I didn’t sneak away from my old man for a girl’s night. I plan to find a man who can give me an actual orgasm.”

Beth deflated; she didn’t know how she felt about her house being used as a place for the women’s hook-ups.

“My house isn’t very large.”

“Got a spare bedroom?”

“My sister’s room.”

“She there?”

“No.”

“Then it’s all good. We can take turns using the room.” Beth took a sip of the drink the waitress sat before her. She would hope for the best that the women would strike out, but if they didn’t, she would redo Lily’s room and buy her a new mattress. Beth was beginning to worry that the night wasn’t going to be as worry free as she had hoped.

This was proven a few minutes later when she casually was studying the other patrons of the bar and her eyes met Winter Simmons. Her mother was one of her former clients, she had breast cancer, and after a long fierce battle, she had passed away the year before. Winter was as prim and proper as a Sunday school teacher, which she was, she also was the principal at the local high school. Her table was filled with two members of the PTA. Beth was curious why they would be in a nightclub at this time of night.

Crazy Bitch let out a whoop whoop when a good-looking man asked Killyama to dance. Beth wanted to slide to the floor, but brazened it out, smiling at Winter before turning her attention back to the women at her own table.

“So when is the big opening?”

“Monday. You going to come down and let me do your hair?”

“What’s wrong with my hair?”