Runaway ✔

145 • Cherry

With a sigh that was coming from her toes, Cherry closed the door of the dinner. It had been a quiet night. Again. It hadn't been any different the whole month, it felt like no one dared to go outside after that horrible Christmas Eve. 

It was a month ago. On the one hand it felt much longer, on the other hand not at all. It felt like life was on stand by ever since. 

Gemma and Chibs were still dead. 

Jax was still in a coma.

She was still plagued by nightmares every day. 

Often she woke up screaming, clinging to Kip's body. They never talked about it. What was there to talk about? He had lost friends, the family he'd just became a part of. She encouraged him to talk about his feelings and sometimes he did, but every time she tried to get her own sorrow off her chest, his eyes were glazing over. It was no unwillingness, she thought. It just felt like there was no room inside his head for her feelings. 

And that went for everyone. They walked alongside each other, they grew apart more and more. The glue that had stuck them all together, was crumbling down. Members from other charters had transferred to Charming, but the brotherhood that had characterized the motorclub, was no longer there. 

Her legs felt like they were made of lead as she walked to the car, her head being too heavy to lift. Her expectations of this life had been so different. For years she had tried to become someone's Old Lady, but she never imagined all the suffering, all the pain that came with it. She could see how her boyfriend was devouring, turning inwards more and more. More often she thought about Dana and Juice, who had tore themselves away from the lugubriousness of Charming and had started a new life elsewhere. She envied them. She didn't dare to admit it out loud, but sometimes she wished Kip and she could leave everything behind as well to join the couple. Without Gemma and Dana, she was the only Old Lady and she felt lonelier than she had ever felt. 

With a new sigh she blew away her thoughts. There was nothing she could do about it. Kip had just proven himself worthy to be a Son, he wouldn't leave now. Not even for her. 

She took the key from the pocket of her coat, pressed the button until she heard a click and the lights started blinking; then she opened the door of the car. 

It was quiet on the road, but for some reason Cherry didn't feel the need to drive harder. Rather slower. 

Arrived at their apartment, she put the key in the hole. The lights were on. Usually the sight of it would have surprised her, since Kip always stayed in the club until late, the past weeks however everybody had gone home early. 

The house was quiet as she walked in. Even the tv was switched off, which surprised her. Kip hated silence, the sports channel was always on. Maybe he had gone to bed already. Her nightmares disrupted his sleep too. 

She pushed open the door to the living room and froze as her eye caught a man sitting on the couch. Up to his neck he was covered with brightly colored tattoos, and when she stared at him completely overwhelmed, she even saw a small figure below the corner of his eye. From below a reversed cap, two brown eyes looked at her.

"Here you are at last." The man patted on the seat next to him. 

It felt like he was pronouncing some magical spell. Her feet walked up to him and she sat down next to him, straight as an arrow. Inside her, thousands of alarm bells were blasting, but it felt she could no longer control her own body. 

The man smiled at her. Friendly. A shiver crept down her spine. 

She had no idea where to look at. She really tried to look him in the eye, but for some reason she just couldn't and instead she stared through the large tunnel in his ear, where he could easily stick his thumb through. 

"Do you know who I am?" he asked. 

Cherry swallowed with difficulty. Yes, she knew who he was. That was the whole reason she couldn't move. Her stomach cringed as he laid a thumb underneath her chin and turned her face towards him. It felt like she was petrifying under his stare. The only thing that was moving, was her quivering bottom lip. 

"Well?" he insisted, tilting his head a little to the side. 

"I- I do," she stammered. "Mad- M-maddox."

"Good." He smiled again. 

It made Cherry feel sick. A little longer and she would puke over him. She didn't dare to think what would happen then. He would probably kill her in a very painful way. Or rape her, like he had done so many times with Dana. 

Dana... 

"Then I guess I don't need to explain why I'm here."

Cherry tried to fight the tears. Oddly enough she succeeded, it felt like Maddox laid down a calmness inside her for which she had been searching for a very long time. It was too late to find a way out. She had no choice but accepting the inevitable. 

"I don't know where Dana is."

"You don't. I know that."

She held her breath as he raised his hand, stroking his index finger very lightly along her cheek. Goose bumps spread across her whole body as she gasped for air. 

"But you know a way to find out where she is, right?" His lips turned into a convincing smile. He bowed towards her, pushing his cold lips against her forehead. "If you don't want to find a piece of your pretty blonde boyfriend on your doormat every morning, you better do as I say."

Again he stroked her cheek. 

Her whole body was shaking. Roughly, the peace that had controlled her for a short moment was expelled. She grabbed for her breast as her heart stung sharply. "W-what..."

He stood up, handing her a phone. "Call me every night to report your progress. I'm pretty patient, but I don't like long silences." He gave her a wink. "Give Dana a kiss for me as you've found her."

Then he turned around, his footsteps echoing through the house. Right before he reached the door, he stood still and turned around. "This information might be unnecessary, but you're the only one I gave this instructions. As soon as you tell someone about this little game we're playing, you're little toy is finished." His tone became darker, his eyebrows forming a threatening frown. "I give you the chance to save your lover, Cherry. A chance none of his brothers had. Don't think I'm making empty promises."

Cherry's mouth dropped and closed again, as if she was a fish out of the water. Motionlessly, she stared forward, even when he was long gone. 

He had Kip. 

He would kill Kip if she wouldn't do as he said. 

She had to betray Dana, bring her back to this creep. 

She couldn't, she could never do such a thing. 

But Kip...

She collapsed on the couch, crying, clawing, hoping to find comforting arms. 

But there were none. Not anymore.