Safe Haven

17. L is for.....

Haven

Fucking rat bastard. That's all I could think about sitting tied to the damn chair like a prisoner. How was I that stupid to think that things would ever be that easy for me. That I would ever find normal, or even semi-normal, with a fucking biker. At this point they were no better than the damn Cartel. I looked around the room. There was a long table with a variety of mixed matched chairs. I was tied to one at the very end. Nine chairs if I didn't count my own. Four to my left, four to my right and one very large cushiony looking one directly in front of me. The door opened and men started filing in none really looking at me and no one speaking. They just took a seat in what seemed to be designated chairs and waited. The testosterone level only spiked when Dante and the rat bastard came in last and sat down. I noticed Hog didn't sit. Instead he approached me and yanked the sleeve of my t-shirt up. It was then I saw the damn needle. "Touch me with that and promise you won't live to see tomorrow. I tell you what you want without it," I stated as I stared directly into Hazard's eyes. I thought I could see compassion but that was only brief. God who was this man? "Sorry Miss but it's this or a pill. This way's quicker," Hog explained. Everyone seemed to be holding their breathe. Finally Hazard spoke although I didn't like what he said either. "You won't be harmed. We find that people tend to be much more truthful with us when they are under the effects of L. That's why we use it." I wasn't paying attention to Hog so he chose then to stick me. I decided he's a rat bastard too. "Just cooperate Haven. Answer our questions honestly and everything will be fine." "When this is over. I want my kids and Punchy and I'm leaving." That was the last thing I said before I felt the drugs start to take effect. My body felt like it was weightless, the chair underneath me was a cloud. My head bobbled but I just laughed. It wasn't until I heard someone clear their throat that I looked up to see nine, very viral men staring at me strangely. The one on my left reminded me of a Hippo. How the hell did a Hippo even ride a motorcycle? Of course that image caused me to laugh even more. "Haven." I recognized that voice. "I prefer cupcake or kitten. Thanks." Shit. Why the hell had I said that. I was thinking it but I had no intentions on sharing that, especially with him. Damn drugs. "Ok cupcake, we have some questions and you need to answer them," said Hog. "I didn't say you could call me cupcake Santa Claus. What do you want to know? I have some questions of my own. Especially about a particular present I didn't get when I was seven. Seriously? Who brings a girl who asks for a medical kit and stethoscope and freaking nail kit?" His face turned red but before I could point that out someone drew my attention back the other way. "How do you know Vega?" The cloud I was on dissipated. Everything I didn't wish to want to remember suddenly rushed to the front of my mind. The blood, the beatings, the year of fucking hell.....and Sasha.

Hazard

I'd refrained from questioning her. I knew that our history was probably something she didn't want to share with all the men at this table but she would if her attention was on me. I nodded to Dante to take over after the cupcake comment. It was hard to fight the smile that one put on my face though. The thought that she was probably going to hate me forever after this erased it. I wanted to throw something when she said she was leaving. Like hell she was leaving. "How do you know Vega?" When Dante asked her the question I watched her body still and begin to shake. This was the side of L I fucking hated. Good memories were easy. If you felt comfortable with someone or a situation you would be fine. Floating on a cloud. Bad memories affected you in the opposite way. I'd watched men vomit when asked to rehash something. Unable to control anything. The feelings assaulted you just as the day when it happened. We had all went under L at one time or another. The first time I killed a man my Pops dragged me through the process. It was horrifying to relive even if it was out of necessity. I was barely 18. I knew Haven had dreams. This wasn't going to make it easy on her. Especially reliving everything in front of strangers. Regardless we had to know. I had to know. "Sasha. I left Sasha." "Who's Sasha, Haven?" Fuck I hated seeing her shake but crying was even worse. "My sister. He has my sister." "Vega has your sister? How did he get your sister? Can you tell me what happened? Tell me the story and we can help her." With scary clarity in her eyes she looked up at Dante, "You can't save my sister. She's gone." The pain was evident in her face. No one had said anything but we all gotten the idea. I watched as Burn crushed his cigarette out and lit another one. We had all seen Vega's handiwork before on women and it didn't sit well with anyone. My fists tightened and my jaw clinched....I wasn't going to like this.

Haven

I took a deep sigh. I could still feel the drugs but it almost felt like they were changing. I wasn't light and airy anymore. This was dark and heavy. I couldn't see anyone else around me. Just pictures of different memories. His face...her face...is was all a blur. I knew what I had to do. Why I was here in this room. They needed to know. He needed to know. "We were celebrating. I'd just turned 21 and got accepted in the Medical program. Sasha. My sister, she took me to this bar, said I had been working hard and I needed to let loose. She's a little bit of a free spirit but I loved her so I went. It was some wannabe cantina for rich kids she drug me to. I don't remember the name but he was there. He was polite but I didn't have time for any man drama at that point so I just avoided him, tried to get Sasha to avoid him too but she's Sasha so that didn't last. I started to feel sick though I hadn't really drank. Sasha was the opposite. I was worried she took something on although she usually was so against drugs. He offered to drive us but I said no. Dragged Sasha to the car. We made it a few blocks away before I blacked out completely. When I came to we were in a room with a bunch of other women. Some were drugged others not, but they were all nearly naked. At first I thought that he was just going to do to us whatever had been done to them." "What was he doing to them?" "Selling them to various places, mainly in Mexico but some in the states too. Overhead that from one of the men. Not before they got to sample though." "Why didn't he sell you?" I felt a hard laugh come out of me. "Apparently, he liked my red hair and the fact that I was Catholic. Sasha told him I was a virgin I think. Anyways he took us both back to the compound where he lived. Said he needed a wife to make his mother happy and a whore to actually keep him happy. Sasha volunteered to be the whore, so that made me the wife I guess." "Fuck. How long were you there?" "Almost a year before everything happened. He was getting agitated, his mother didn't like me because I wasn't Mexican. Too pale or something but he said he didn't care. Sasha was of no use to him so he turned to his attention to me. His started to allow his men to....prepare me for marriage." No one in the room moved. No one wanted to ask what that me I supposed but I didn't care. The story was coming out no matter how much I didn't want it to. The bastards asked for it so they'd hear it....every freaking detail. "They'd didn't actually get to rape me since that would be Vega's lovely present but they did enough. When I fought back they'd beat me. That was sometimes better because they wouldn't finish but it got to where they didn't care about bruises or busted lips or broke fingers. They had a doctor there. He never said anything, just looked me over and stitched me up. I stayed in the medic wing a couple of times. Vega killed the guy who did that. I knew it wouldn't be much longer. I hadn't seen Sasha in about three months and no one would tell me where she was." "How did you escape?" "His mother really hated me. Sasha made a deal with her apparently." "What kind of deal? She just let you go?" The darkness was closing in....I don't think I can take anymore. With every work I went deeper and deeper into the black abyss that was my drug induced state. "I didn't want her too. I asked her to go and let me stay. She'd done enough. She didn't give me chance to save her." I was sobbing now. Uncontrollably. "Don't Sasha. He'll kill you if you do it he'll kill you."

And then everything was gone. Lost.