Chapter 3: The Cost of Freedom

!!!! **** WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATERIALS THAT SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING! SUCH AS VIOLENCE, CHILD ABUSE, DRUG ABUSE, ALCOHOL ABUSE, AND TALK OF SE.XUALLY ABUSING A MINOR! READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED! **** !!!! ******************************** Feral's P.O.V. ****************************** ~ Nadine: Age 11 / Feral: Age 18 ~ ****************************** "You ain't leaving here boy," Dmitry threatened me. It was pathetic honestly. He's wasted like usual. Smells like he hasn't showered in months. Looks like it too. His blue eyes are blood shot, and I think he's trying to grow a beard now. He looks unkept, dirty, disgusting. And I am fu.cking out of here whether he likes it or not. Even if Dmitry wanted to try to force me to stay, he couldn't. Legally, I'm an adult now. He can't call the cops on me. He has nothing to hold over my head, nothing I care about. And if he tried to fight me... well, I'd like to see him try. I've been training at the gym when I can with the guys. I've gained some muscle over the last couple of years. I could have beaten Dmitry's a.ss ten times over by now, but I didn't. I needed to be around for the club. Because I wasn't born into it like most of the other guys, I had to prove myself. At least, that's what Shooter always said. I had to be around to look out for his kids. Since he and his wife couldn't pull their heads out of their a.sses. And no way in hell was I leaving Naddy to be all alone. Kaizen and I have been pretty absent the last couple of years, but we still checked in with Nadine as much as possible. She was getting older now though and able to take care of herself a little better. We weren't as worried about her. Plus, we were dealing with things. Kaizen was plotting. Started at the age of fu.cking 12. Now he's 16 and has a plan. Since members born into the club get to start prospecting at 16, he and I got to start together this year, along with a few of our friends. He won't be able to take over at 18, but when he does take over... things will be different. Shooter isn't all bad. Not really. He's just blind. And stupid. Let's p****y run his life. Kaizen wants to get rid of all the club bunnies that start sh.it and turn the club around. He wants to help the ol' ladies feel like the clubhouse is their home too. He doesn't want the same problems his father and mother had. Plus, he wants to make us legit. And the entire new generation is behind him. Not that Shooter or anyone else knows. We love the old timers. They're good men, but they're stupid and let wh.ores literally ruin their lives. There are only a handful of them that aren't dipsh.its. We all sleep with the girls around the clubhouse, but none of us would ever take them seriously. And none of us would ever cheat. We are not our parents. Loyalty comes first, no matter who we pledge it to. All that being said, I needed to play my cards right the last few years. Now that I'm 18 though, I'm out of this place. I never have to look at their dumb faces again. I never have to worry about what they'll do to me. I'm finally fu.cking free. "You can't make me stay," I said as I tossed my duffle bag over my shoulder and looked Dmitry in the eyes. "Everything I'm taking, I bought. I'm 18 now. You have no more power over me." "You think I'm just going to let you walk out of here?" he replied with a laugh. "Honey, it's your birthday," Kenna said, slurring her words because she's so damn high that she can barely move her lips. "Stay for just one more night." "I'd rather eat glass than stay here one more second," I stated. "So serious all the time," she mumbled. "How about you come have a taste of this with us?" she said, offering the white powder they had laid across the table. "How the two of you managed to stay alive this long is beyond me," I muttered as I took a step towards the door. Dmitry grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back. I let him. I stumbled backwards, chuckling like this was all funny to me. It kind of was. Because these two have underestimated me for years. They took my silence these past few years as obedience. They had no idea that I was just biding my time. Trying not to get ra.ped or sold off until I was able to leave this place. "You think just because you're 18 now, means we have no power?" Dmitry spat, laughing smugly. "You think we didn't know you were planning to leave?" "Oh, I'm sure you did," I mumbled. "WE SPEAK RUSSIAN IN THIS HOUSE!" He screamed at me, slapping me across the face. I chuckled again, looking him straight in his bright blue eyes. "Now that I'm all grown up, Dad..." I said sarcastically. "You hit like a bit.ch." "You little sh.it!" he roared. "You've always been ungrateful! Today, you pay us back for raising you! Boys! Come on in and claim your prize!" The front door suddenly opened, and five men walked in. Three of them were dressed in all black and two of them were wearing cheap suits. I knew who they were. Not because of my parents, but because of the club. They were a small group of thugs that sold people on the black market. Some were se.x trafficked, some were sold by the organ. Shooter had dealt with them a handful of times, but with se.x trafficking. Shooter is a lot of things, but he ain't that. But I know he's helped them cut people open for their organs. Usually it's only bad people though. Not random innocents. Definitely not a just legal adult who's being sold off by his parents. "Well, I guess we're all in for a surprise tonight," I said with a laugh. The main man, his name is Kevin, raised a brow at me. "Never had one laugh before," he mumbled. "You think this is a joke, kid?" Now I raised a brow at him. "You don't remember me, do you?" I said. I met Kevin and his gang a few months back. Shooter likes to keep me close. I'm a bit older than the other guys of the new generation, so he expects more from me. Though, he's been letting Kaizen in on things a bit over the last year. Which means that he was with us when Shooter dealt with Kevin last too. Things are about to get interesting. Kevin inspected me for a moment. He may be an evil ba.stard, but he's not stupid. I may not have my prospect cut on, but that was because I didn't need Dmitry and Kenna seeing it and starting sh.it with the club. They suspect I'm going there, but they don't need confirmation just yet. That don't mean that Kevin won't remember me though. "You're one of Shooter's guys," he mumbled as realization dawned in his eyes. I didn't bother replying. "He know about your parents?" Kevin asked. "Yeah," I said tightly. "He'll definitely know if I try to sell you," he muttered. "Guess selling you for parts is the best way to go." I didn't bother taking a breath to respond. Didn't need to. I knew Dmitry would do what he could to make sure he got paid. Kenna stopped caring about me a long time ago. I knew they had something planned for tonight. They were too calm the last few weeks. I wasn't expecting Kevin, but maybe it's better it was him. Dmitry laughed like he'd won the game. He shoved my chest with his pointer finger. I looked down at him. Yes, down, because the man is now about four inches shorter than me. Before either of us could say anything though, the front door opened. It didn't burst open. Nobody kicked it in. Someone just turned the knob and walked in like they lived here too. I already knew who it was. After all, my brothers weren't going to let me come back here today without a plan. Kaizen walked in first, carrying a kind of confidence only a leader has. Our closest brothers followed in behind him. Harlan, Micah, Grey, Rogan, Cobra, and Bear all walked in, filling the small living room. Kevin took one look at Kaizen and paled. Kenna looked at them lazily, her eyes glossy from all the drugs she'd snorted. Dmitry turned his head to look at them before looking at me again. His face was pure rage. I smiled at him, loving every second of this. "You thought I wouldn't be prepared for you to pull some bullsh.it?" I asked him. "Sorry Dmitry, but he ain't worth pi.ssing off the MC," Kevin said. "We're leaving. Call me if you happen to want to sell your wife next." Without another word, he left out of the open door, his men following behind him. All my friends stayed where they were. This was Kaizen's plan. They were only to get involved if Dmitry wouldn't let me leave. He's lost his last hope of making money off me. "We're done here," I said, taking a step towards the door. "Like hell we are!" Dmitry shouted as he grabbed my shoulder. I stopped, but didn't turn around. He didn't let me go either. Kaizen and I connected eyes. He was stiff, waiting and ready for any signal to jump in. All I wanted to do was shove Dmitry's hand off me and get the hell out of here. I got a bottle of whiskey calling my name at the clubhouse. "You think this is over?" Dmitry hissed lowly. "You walk out that door, and you think I won't get my hands on you? Fine. Go ahead. Leave. I might not be able to touch you, boy, but what about that little sweet thing that's always hanging around you?" My blood turned to ice. Is he talking about Nadine? How does he even know about her? "You think I haven't kept an eye on the things you've been up to?" Dmitry continued with a light laugh. "I've seen you with that innocent little blonde girl. She's cute for a kid. I bet it would be easy to get my hands on her. Doesn't seem like she gets much attention round there. Kids that young and that innocent-looking go for the big bucks. Maybe I'll just pay her a little visit. What was her name again? Oh, Nadine, or something like-" He didn't get the chance to finish. Because I spun around and slammed my fist into his jaw. Dmitry fell to the ground. My duffle bag fell off my shoulder, plopping onto the floor. All I saw was red. Everything else happened in spurts. Like I kept blacking out or something. I was on top of Dmitry. My fists were flying, but I felt out of control. Like my mind had paused, and my body had taken over. "Don't you ever touch her!! Ever!! You hear me!! I will fu.cking rip you to pieces if you even fu.cking look at her!!" I screamed as I continued to bash my father's face in, my mother screaming in the background. "I will fu.cking end you if you ever touch a hair on her head!! You vile ba.stard!! You hear me!! I'll kill you!! You sick motherfu.cker!!" I was still screaming at him, my fists flying when someone tried to pull me off. I was too far gone, too angry to stop. It ended up taking Bear, Rogan, and Micah to pull me off Dmitry. I was still raging underneath the surface, but I finally got a hold of myself. Just in time for Kaizen to stand over Dmitry, who was groaning in pain. Kenna was at his side now, terrified to touch his bloody face. "Not sure what you said," Kaizen said causally, like Dmitry wasn't knocking on death's door right now. "But I heard my little sister's name. For Calix to go all... feral like that... after everything you've put him through... kinda makes me wonder what you said about her that made him lose his sh.it." Then Kaizen crouched down, looked at Kenna, and back to Dmitry. "You two have one week to leave town. I ever catch you around here again... being sold on the black market by Kevin will be the least of your worries." And with that, we were out. I was fuming the whole way to our bikes that were parked down the street. Kaizen kept looking at me, but I wasn't sure what he wanted me to say. "You gonna tell me what he said about my sister?" He finally asked as I mounted my bike. "You don't want to know," I replied as I strapped my duffle bag over my chest. "Never seen you lose your sh.it like that before," Cobra commented. "They never threatened someone else before," I said. "Let alone an innocent little girl." Nadine is full of sunshine and rainbows. She is pure happiness. Her smile brightens the whole clubhouse. Everyone loves her like a little sister. Including me. I'll be damned if I ever let anyone threaten her. "That was... feral, man," Harlan said, blowing out a low whistle with a smile on his face. "Maybe that should be your road-name," Micah joked. "How about we just make that official," Kaizen said with a smile. "We'll need your dad's approval," Cobra muttered, not too happy with the man in charge right now. "Nah, f***k that," Kaizen said, looking at me. "From now on, you're Feral." Feral and fu.cking free.