Dice’s POV

When the darkness fell and I was left alone in Jay’s penthouse apartment, locked away from the society and aching to split one’s skull open, I started recalling the days in Crimson Dragon’s. Should’ve stayed there? Damn right I should’ve. Now when I’m kindapped, held hostage in a child proof apartment on the fifteenth floor with no sharp or heavy objects to help me on this journey, I kinda start thinking Jay could’ve been a great asset to the biker gang. Almost the criminal mastermind. Almost. He had planned everything, starting with taking me away from my own home and bringing here to dull my days with nothing else but the nicely done furnishings and the never ending spin of the Simpsons. But he hadn’t planned on me being almost the McGiver of Johnny’s Saloon. Did he actually think a penthouse and those double metal doors would keep me from escaping? Moron. He didn’t know the first thing about holding a hostage – you didn’t leave them in a fucking penthouse! Maybe he thought I wouldn’t fight back, maybe that was what he hoped for somewhere deep down, well, I wouldn’t... If he hadn’t beat me up.

Looking down the fifteen story house felt like looking straight into my grave. Somehow I didn’t actually believe I would make that jump to the lower balcony, not even with the sheets of the bed tied together to lower me a couple of floors. Right now I just hoped MJ had goten to Duke and he nor Ripper were holding a certain grudge at me. I mean, come on, it’s been years by now, he couldn’t hold my own stupidity against me, right?

I had to act fast, I didn’t know for how long Jay will be gone and I had already spent a good half an hour, watching Simpsons, completely forgetting that I wasn’t here on my free will. And ‘here’ was a fully different question. A question without a question mark. I was somewhere in the heart of Vegas, even from here I could hear the slot machines and the chips rolling in one’s pocket, but this wasn’t the apartment we had shared in the past. This was far more luxorious and intended to be a fortress in the sky for some drug lord. It was designed to be hard to get in, but easy to get out, so what gives? If it was supposed to be easy, why was I standing on the balcony and thinking about swinging myself to the next balcony? Did he rob a bank to afford this?

As a breeze hit my face, I could feel the regret and bad decisions thick in the air, maybe that was just me, but Vegas wasn’t a necessarily happy place to live in. Even now when I’m securing the sheets in the knot on the railings and stepping on the edge, I didn’t feel like a superhero. No batman, spiderman or wonderwoman shit was flowing through me, more of a Superman staring at kryptonite thing. This wasn’t a story where I was a badass and each and every plan of mine resulted in a victory. No. I knew this was a dumb idea and what made it even dumber was the fact that I was going for it. I simply did not feel fear, I knew a broken leg would be the least I’d worry about if my arms wouldn’t go week and I wouldn’t fall down, but I was willing to take the risk. I was no-ones bitch and I’d better be dead than be trapped and relying on someone’s generosity.

A tiny voice in my head kept repeating – Lucy Reed, you’re fighting a losing battle. You’ll die here. You can not survive this. Stop fighting. You will fucking die!

Ha. Lucy Reed’s at her crack house. Try banging on that door. Dice’s handling the situation now. Which is not necessarily a good thing.

But wasn’t that the purpose of standing on the edge of the fifteen story building? I felt strongly suicidal at the moment. One step and I’m dead. Don’t tell me no one has ever wondered what’s it like. My grip tightened around the white sheets. I bet it’s painful. If only MJ knew what I was doing right now... She’d fucking kill me. Maybe I’ll even give her the satisfaction. If I don’t die here...

I heard the lock turning in the front door. There was no more time to think. I was surprised no one had called the cops on me by now, but maybe this was just an everyday thing for Vegas. A chick standing on the railing and looking down, ready for hell to swallow her alive. Suck’s all life out of one. No pun intended.

I had only one way out of this. Sometimes you have to go down in order to get up.

The only thing I remembered was I jumped.

Death was inevitable. Fear was what made the game safe, kept us all from making idiotic decisions. So what if a child was born without the option to be scared?

The answer’s simple. She’s already dead inside. You can’t die twice. I’m immortal.

The funny thing about immortality – it’s subjective. My body may not survive, but it’s my spirit which’s immortal and would live on. I mean come on, who would forget a sick bastard like myself? I’m awesome. That’s what immortality really is. It keeps telling you that you’re smart, when the obvious truth is you’re the most stupid fuck to walk the face of earth.

Although, I can’t quite say I felt too immortal when crashing in that wall or when my arms failed on me and I went falling two floors lower than expected. Suicide gone deadly wrong. I’d laughed if this was a laughing matter.

I had no idea what had I broken during the fall or how much Lucky Charms had I eaten through my life to be this fucking lucky, but I survived. Landed in a two by eight balcony, hit my head against the railings, but other than that I was fine. Maybe a broken arm and a sprained ankle and a strong concussion, but I’m fine. Looking back at the fall... This was the perfect outcome. I would’ve never made the jump to the intended balcony. Now I saw how far away it was. There was a rather large empty space between the place where I jumped from and the actual balcony.

This must be my lucky day.

The apartment in front of me seemed to be empty. The only thing staring back at me was the reflection on the soon-to-be broken glass. Say what the hell you want about me, but the insanity’s what makes me hot. That’s why Matt loves me. Oh that sick, sick bastard. If I was in his place and I had to choose between me and Val, I’d choose me all day every day. I took off my shirt and wrapped around my hand.

The swollen lips of the reflection curled up in a devious smile. A fist ruined it.

I was surprised an alarm didn’t go off. I put the shirt back on and walked in, in a desperate search of a phone. Didn’t need to look for too long, since there was a phone just a couple of feet from me.

My head was spinning from the fall and every inch of my body was screaming for bloody mercy, but I waved the pain away as I pressed the right combination of numbers on the phone. It took four beeps for someone to pick up.

„Hey, doll,” I smiled into the conversation, before hearing rushed foot-steps just outside the apartment door, „Fuck. shit... MJ, no time for long explanations, get to Vegas and find me. If you’re lucky enough, I may be alive by the time.”

The world was getting a bit too small for comfort. What are the odds of Jay figuring out where I’d landed, right? Too bad that moron was smarter than he looked.

Brian’s POV

„Just you, Mia. The dudes stay out here.” Was he fucking kidding me? The hell I knew what could happen to her when she follows them in the back room. We weren’t in Huntington Beach or at Johnny’s where I knew what would happen and I could control the outcome. No. This was a place I wasn’t familiar with and had I told how much I hated bikers? Well, I’ll repeat the matter – I fucking hate them. Go on and tell me that they don’t scare you, you fucking liar. I noticed MJ’s pleading look and I had to remember that this was about Dice. About a friend.

I had to do something with my hands before I killed a bastard. The blonde dude gave me a small nod and led MJ away from us. Away from safety, a place where I could keep my eye on him. Precisely. It wasn’t MJ I didn’t trust, it was the guys since I know how they thought and what they wanted.

I emptied the scotch and slammed the glass back on the counter, Matt staying oddly quiet next to me. How could this even happen? I didn’t want to blame no one, but Matt was supposed to take care of her, wasn’t he? No one thought this kinda thing would happen to them, but when it really hits you that a friend, one of the best friends, has been kidnapped and you have no idea if she’s alive, you’re slowly starting to drive yourself mad. So I could just imagine what Matt’s going through.

„Give me a refill, babe,” I said simply as we sat back on the bar stools. And the view earlier. He fucking kissed her! Seriously? In front of my goddamn eyes? He was lucky Matt kept me from losing my shit right then and there. It was just easy like that for me to snap and I swear to god I wouldn’t stop till the anger would’ve drained and the asshole won’t be breathing, even if it kills me in the end.

The girl refilled my glass, her eyes lingering on Matt as she did so.

„Why the long face, darlin’?”

He responded with a frustrated sigh as he threw his head back and downed the whiskey.

„Don’t tell me... Dice?” Her eyes shot back to me as an amused smirk ghosted on her lips. Matt’s eyes instantly shot to her. „Yea, well, I’ve seen guys like you come and go. She screwed you over?”

„That would be the best kinda scenario,” He scoffed, motioning for a refill as his hand rubbed over his head. The bartender frowned a little, looking for answers at me.

„She’s missing. Kidnapped.” I explained, the anger slowly backing off with those bouncing tits in front of me and my thoughts of MJ. Matt grunted behind me as for the barmaid? Her eyes grew wide.

„Shit, you’re serious?” She questioned while sliding a couple of beer bottles over the counter to some other guys. „The guy’s are gonna flip!”

„Don’t tell me... She dated someone here too?” Matt didn’t look the last bit amused, as for me? The girl had some beautiful... eyes. And besides I knew Dice hadn’t been with anyone from here, she told that – I believed her.

The barmaid chuckled lightly, „No. She’s never been anyone’s Old Lady. The bitch’s too self-centred for that.” She smiled mischievously, before pouring herself a shot, „She’s a part of the Dragon’s. I know you guys don’t think too highly of the guys, but this is family.” A family where they fuck each other? Yea. „That’s why I’m kinda surprised anyone had the balls to mess with her. Last time I saw her, she punched Viper in the nose.”

„Viper?” I frowned.

„MJ’s guy. Duke.” With the corner of my eye, I saw Matt’s lips curl up in a tiny smile. He couldn’t be serious... He actually liked Dice’s sadistic side? Well then... They were fucking made for each other. I couldn’t call Matt himself quite cuddly and lovable. There’s a reason why he’s called Shadows. „I don’t know if I should be telling you this, but... Viper didn’t want to let MJ go and Dice’s idea of becoming a lawyer seemed like a fully different level of stupidity... speaking of which, did she finish that school?”

„Yale?” Matt asked, „yea, and I think that’s the core of her fucking problems.”

„Well then... Maybe the guys had been right.” She smiled, propping her forearms on the counter, my eyes locked on her breasts. Come on, dude, control yourself, you have a stunning girlfriend and your best friend is in trouble... I can’t actually be thinking about fucking the barmaid... knowing I have a barmaid of my own. Do they have to be so fucking mouthwatering? „Anyhow, they got into a very and I mean very heated argument, word after word and in the end Duke was walking around with black eyes.”

„Shit...” Matt sighed, his eyes on the bartender. Was he thinking what I’m thinking? How stupid Red could actually get? Did she have to make her life a hell or was it coincidental?

„Oh don’t worry about it,” The brunette waved Matt off, „She was like a sister to the guys, a homicidal, sick in the head, but nevertheless a sister.”

And as if on a snap on ones finger’s MJ both with the two guys flew around the corner, confusing me with their anxious features.

„What’s going on?” I asked, watching the guys head straight for the exit.

„Dice called,” MJ said, being pale as a sheet of paper, „We’re going to Vegas.”

„So that means she’s fine?” Matt was already on his feet and ready to head wherever.

„I...” She sighed, anxiously running her fingers through her blonde hair. „I don’t think so. That’s why we have to do this fast. Please, guys...”

„What are you begging for? Let’s fucking go!” Matt yelled, bolting towards the exit.

„Okay, let me just pay—„ I was already reaching for my wallet, when the barmaid cut me off.

„It’s on the house, darlin’,” She smiled, „Just promise, MJ, you’ll bring them back. Real eye candies,” She winked – MJ’s jaw locked.

„I’ll think about it.”

„I hope everything blows over. And tell Dice she still owes me a lap dance.”

Notes