Unbroken (Forgotten Rebels MC #1) Read online

  Evernight Publishing ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2015 Beth D. Carter

  ISBN: 978-1-77233-564-4

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: JC Chute

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  Special thanks to Stacey, my editor Jane Chute, and to the readers.

  As always, CR Moss, for reading through this and giving me pointers.

  And lots of love thrown to M.W. for helping me out.

  UNBROKEN

  Forgotten Rebels MC, 1

  Beth D. Carter

  Copyright © 2015

  Chapter One

  Piper stood in the corner of the living room, staring at the drunken people laughing and gyrating to the music. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to join in the party, but she’d been drunk once before in her life, and had hated the feeling of being out of control. Ever since then, she’d made sure to drink only enough to get a nice buzz, without losing her common sense.

  The party had progressed, and the teenagers around her clearly showed their typical relinquishment of self-restraint. Piper really didn’t want anything to do with the drugs and drinks being passed around.

  “Piper.”

  The voice sent a cold shiver down her back: A voice she didn’t think she’d ever hear again, or shouldn’t. Not with the restraining order.

  She spun around and saw Tyler Stafford smirking at her. His blond hair was slicked back, and the ice in his pale blue eyes froze her instantly. She didn’t know what to do. She had changed schools because of this person. Her mother and stepfather had even tried to file charges against him, only to have the allegations buried under the influence and wealth of his family. Piper had left friends behind in order to escape his obsessive desires, and yet, he had found her again. Followed her here.

  “What are you doing here, Tyler?”

  He waved, gesturing around behind him. “Not my usual scene, I know. High school parties are so immature, don’t you think?”

  “No, I don’t, considering I’m still in high school.”

  She took a step back, intending to turn and run as fast as possible, but he moved like lightning and grabbed her arm. He yanked her in close to his body, and though she tried to push away from him, his football player physique overpowered her smaller frame.

  “Did you think you could hide from me?” he asked.

  “Let me go, Tyler.”

  “Never,” he vowed. “Don’t you see? You and I were made for each other.”

  He tried to kiss her but she turned her head away and his lips landed on her cheek. How did she ever think herself in love with him? He wasn’t a boy, and yet she hesitated in using the word man. Tyler was a bully, and a delusional one at that. He had proven himself a sociopath when he wouldn’t take no for an answer, refusing to consider her feelings on sex. She had managed to get away from him in time, but ever since that night he’d almost raped her, he had been hounding her.

  “You are in violation of your restraining order, Tyler.”

  He shook her. “We both know it was your fucking stepdad who put that in place.”

  “Let me go and I won’t call the cops,” she said. “Even your family’s name can’t get you out of that violation.”

  “You bitch! Why do you insist on pushing my buttons?” He sighed and shook his head. “You know I’ll have to punish you.”

  Even though he gripped her arm uncomfortably tight, Piper ignored the pain and twisted until she broke his hold. She backed away.

  “Leave me alone, Tyler. We’re over! Do you hear me? I don’t want to date you. I don’t want to see you. If you contact me again, I’ll call the cops.”

  With that she turned and fled, getting as many people between them as possible. She thought a party would be relatively safe. After all, it wasn’t every day that she graduated high school. It was only two weeks away, and she figured being a teenager for one night would be okay, if surrounded by a house full of people.

  Obviously, she’d been wrong.

  Piper ran to her car, jumped in and started the engine. In a panic, she floored it all the way home.

  ** * *

  Piper lay in bed that night, tossing and turning, unable to shut her brain off. All she kept picturing was Tyler, the night he tried to rape her. She had thought he was a nice guy: Rich and cool––a college man, willing to buy her gifts. Granted, she’d been a typical teenager, and had liked him spoiling her. He had nice parents, and a fun little sister getting ready to start fifth grade.

  Life had been great, until he’d shown his true colors. During her first frat party he’d wanted sex. She’d said no, but he had held her down, managing to get his hand up her skirt. She’d fought like a wildcat, kneeing him in the groin. When he let go of her, she ran fast as she could. At the door were his buddies, listening in. Laughing at her. It had been the most humiliating night of her life. The next morning, her mother and stepdad had filed a complaint with the police, but when the name Stafford had come up, so had a brick wall. In the end, all their lawyer had been able to do was file a temporary restraining order.

  Piper had felt bad for bringing the trouble to her parents’ doorstep, especially to her stepdad, Michael. His first marriage had ended badly, which had caused his oldest son to run away. She had met Chadwick once, at the marriage of Michael to her mother. She’d been shocked to discover her stepbrother was in a biker gang. After the ceremony, she had heard the two fighting, and Chadwick had roared away on his motorcycle. They hadn’t spoken of him since. A year later, her brother Casey had been born, and Chadwick had faded to a distant memory.

  As she lay there, half in dreamland and ready to succumb to sleep, a hand slapped against her mouth. Terror poured through her as she opened her eyes and saw Tyler looming over her. Acting on pure instinct, she fought, but he was too strong. He lay half on her, pinning her to the bed, and she couldn’t get her knee up to hit him where it counted.

  “No, no, no,” he cautioned. “I know that move now. You’re coming with me, Piper, and we’re going to live happily ever after.”

  She shook her head. Behind her hand she opened her mouth and his finger slipped a little. Piper took advantage, and bit down hard on the digit. He cursed and pulled his hand away, and she screamed for all she was worth.

  “God damn it!” he yelled. “Bitch!”

  He reared back and punched in her the face. Stars danced through her head, and she had the urge to cave to the darkness that lingered around the edges of her vision. But Tyler yanked her up by her arm, and she stumbled after him.

  As soon as they entered the hallway the light flipped on and her stepdad, Michael stood there with a baseball bat. Behind him was her mother, clutching her ten-year-old brother, Casey. Piper wanted to run to them, wanted to feel safe in her mother’s arms, but Tyler’s grip was too tight.

  “You son-of-a-bitch!” Michael shouted. “Let my daughter go!”

  He raised the baseball bat he clutched, and took a step toward them.

  “She’s not your fucking daughter,” Tyler snapped. “I bet you’re some pervy old man sneaking peeks of her through the bathroom door.”

  “You’re nothing but a foul-mouthed hooligan,” Michael said. “She’s my daughte
r because I’ve raised her, and what she ever saw in you I have no idea. Evil to the core.”

  Tyler raised his hand, and that’s when Piper realized he held a gun. It went off, its roar deafening, and Michael fell face down. The baseball bat rolled from his hand toward them.

  Her mother screamed. Her brother screamed. Two shots later, they too lay in a puddle of their own blood. Piper simply stared at her family’s lifeless bodies with wide eyes, her mind unable to comprehend what had just happened. Just like that, three people were dead. People she loved. Tears poured down her face. Piper remained frozen in place, unable to move. All she could do was stare.

  “See what you made me do?” Tyler yelled. He shook her. “I came here for you, Piper. I came here to cement our love for each other and you had to scream!”

  He spun her around and backhanded her across the face. It should’ve hurt, but Piper was so numb the pain didn’t really register. Everything inside her was just––dead. But her hand brushed against the baseball bat and her sense of self-preservation kicked in. As Tyler loomed over her, she grabbed the handle. With a scream of anger and horror rolled into one, she swung. The bat collided with the side of Tyler’s face and down he went. She didn’t check him to see if he’d lived or died. She didn’t care. She crawled over to her young brother and wrapped her arms around his limp body.

  She couldn’t stop sobbing, not even when the cops showed up. Not even when they arrested a groggy Tyler, who was bleeding from his split cheek. Her only regret was that she hadn’t killed him.

  Chapter Two

  “What do you mean he made bail?” Piper demanded. She looked back and forth from the District Attorney to the homicide detective who had handled her case. “How does a judge grant bail on a triple-murder charge?”

  “His defense argued for voluntary manslaughter,” the D.A. said.

  “Manslaughter? Are you kidding me? He murdered my entire family in front of me, in cold blood! He had a gun. How can that possibly be anything other than pre-meditated murder?” She ran a hand through her hair in agitation. “Wait. Is that why you brought me to this safe house? Because he’s still out there?”

  Both stared at her with helpless regret.

  “That fucking psychopath! He is going to come after me, isn’t he?” she asked¸ horrified.

  “He’s got an ankle bracelet on,” the detective said. “He’ll be under house arrest until his trial.”

  Panic threatened to strangle her. Piper’s heart pounded fearfully in her chest and she knew, without a doubt, Tyler Stafford would come after her and kill her. Just like he had killed her family.

  “Did his family’s connections influence the judge?” she asked. Neither answered her. “That’s going to happen at trial too, won’t it? He’s going to get off. Sent away to some fucking hospital to live the good life, while my parents and brother are six feet under!”

  “With your testimony, he will be convicted, Piper.”

  But Piper didn’t believe him. She was beyond listening to the lies they told. “When my stepdad came to the police, you did nothing except wave a piece of paper saying he wasn’t allowed within a hundred feet of me. When he was taken into custody that night, you assured me he wouldn’t make bail because it was murder. I can’t trust anyone!”

  “That’s not true,” the detective said. “You’re in a safe house, Piper. There’s a guard posted on your door. He can’t hurt you here.”

  “So I’m under guard twenty-four seven, while he’s running around scot free?” Piper threw her hands up. “Unbelievable. Just…just go away. Please.”

  The D.A. sighed. “I’m sorry. But we will protect you.”

  She watched the two men leave and the female cop stationed at her door closed it behind them, locking her inside. She may be in a safe house, but she didn’t feel safe at all. In fact, Piper didn’t think it was possible to relax knowing he was out there.

  She lay down, crying out her misery in silence. Tears were for the weak, and yet, she couldn’t seem to get them to stop. She’d done all her crying in private, away from the pity in everyone’s eyes. In the two weeks since her family had been killed, Piper had graduated high school, but her diploma had been brought to her by the detective. In a flash, her childhood was over, and so, apparently, was her future.

  Once upon a time she’d contemplated what she’d do with her life. Where she’d go to school. The boyfriends she’d have and the friends she’d make … but how could she even think about all that, when she’d been responsible for the rest of her family being murdered? It had been her fault for bringing Tyler Stafford into their lives. Her fault they were now dead. There would be no happiness in her future.

  The day dragged on, the afternoon falling to evening, and the female cop assigned to guard her door knocked once, to let Piper know dinner was ready. Before the safe house she’d existed in this state of limbo, not really living and unable to move forward. Food tasted like sawdust. Didn’t matter if it was spaghetti or steak. Piper only ate to keep her strength up, but all the pleasure she’d once found in food was gone.

  Once she placed her dishes in the kitchen sink, she headed to the bathroom to bathe. The apartment was small, located on the second floor. It wasn’t a bad apartment but it wasn’t great, either: White walls, tan carpet, and IKEA furniture. Non-descript was the best compliment she could give it, but she supposed that was the main purpose. They had escorted her here only a few hours ago, but as soon as she knew she would have a guard, Piper had surmised Tyler’s family had once again pulled strings.

  She peed, then washed up. As she dried her hands, sounds suddenly exploded outside the door. Yelling. Fighting. Something broke. Then the sound of a gun went off and finally, silence. Piper stood rooted, once again terrified. The night her family died rushed back with all the fear and horror the nightmare held. She stared at the doorknob, knowing Tyler was on the other side. He’d made bail, and it hadn’t mattered if he’d been fitted for an ankle bracelet. Guys like Tyler did what they pleased, and right now, he was hunting her. Only one way he’d known about the safe house. Seems like his family’s money made someone talk––which meant, she was completely alone. No one could help her now.

  Piper reached out and pushed the lock button before looking around to see what she could use as a weapon. The window caught her attention, and she stood on the toilet and opened it. It was narrow but she could fit through it. The drop was steep, but hopefully she wouldn’t break a leg. But where would she go? She had no one. She couldn’t trust anyone––not even the authorities, who’d assured her she would be safe.

  Taking off one shoe, she placed it sideways on the back of the toilet and then hurried to cram herself under the sink cabinet. Had she been a couple of inches taller or a few pounds heavier, she may not have been able to fit. As it was, she had just barely maneuvered the door closed when the bathroom lock busted open. She held her breath, praying that Tyler wouldn’t look under the sink. If he did, she was dead.

  He cursed and she heard a footstep on the toilet seat. A second later, the sound of a punch against the wall reached her ears. Heavy footfalls from his boots stomped away as he exited the bathroom. Sweat poured off Piper as she waited in the cramped space. A minute. Two. When she heard nothing else, she cautiously opened the door and peeked out. The bathroom was empty. Quickly, she scrambled out and made her way through the apartment. In the bedroom, she grabbed her backpack and stuffed it with her clothes and the lone picture she had remaining of her family. She slipped her sneaker back on without bothering to untie it.

  She rushed into the living room and saw her: the police officer, dead on the floor, a bullet wound in her forehead. Piper wanted to vomit. Instead, she sucked in a deep breath and hurried over to the woman. She rummaged through the uniform pockets and found a money clip with some twenties and the woman’s driver’s license. Didn’t matter that the woman was older and had blonde hair. She could always dye hers to match if she needed to, or wear a hat. As she stood, her foot kicked so
mething and she looked around. A gun rested half under the coffee table. Piper didn’t know much about guns and less than zero about how to shoot one, but she knew enough from cop shows to put the safety on. When she picked it up, a sense of calmness came over her. Suddenly, she didn’t feel so helpless. So she stuffed it in her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

  Knowing time was of the essence, Piper hurried out of the apartment. She had a little cash and no options.

  Except one.

  ****

  Piper stared up at the tall walls, a virtual fortress behind concrete and barbed wire. A small sign declaring the building was property of the Forgotten Rebels Motorcycle Club let her know she was at the right place. She wasn’t sure if the people inside thought the zombie apocalypse was going to happen, but if she could get behind the fortification she knew she’d be safe. Piper pulled her baseball cap low. For the past week, all she’d done was run and look over her shoulder. She just wanted to be able to sleep at night and not worry that Tyler had caught up with her.

  Squaring her shoulders, she walked up to the only door she could see and banged.

  A second later, it was opened to reveal a tall, bearded biker, who stared at her with cold, dark eyes.

  “Yeah?” he asked in a low, scratchy tone.

  “I…I need to see Chadwi––um, Wick,” she muttered. For a moment she’d forgotten he preferred to go by his nickname.

  The bearded biker looked her up and down, and smirked. “Listen kid, I’m sure Wick gave you the ride of your life, but he ain’t looking for no lasting pussy. Got it?”

  He went to close the door, but desperation had her foot stepping in the path to halt it. The biker looked pointedly at her foot, but she ignored him.