Chapter 1
Shawnas POV
My name is Shawna, and I live in the small town of Genoa, California. It has a machine shop. The shop has Harleys coming and going at all hours. My little town has a motorcycle gang. They have been there since I was young. I believe that they have a house outside of town. I was never allowed to go there. I was also not allowed to go out after dark for as long as I could remember. There are bars on my windows, and the only way out of my house is through the front door. At night, you can hear the Harleys and growls and howls. My mother and father adopted me. It was rumored that my biological father was the leader of a dangerous motorcycle gang, and he was killed. My biological mother gave me up for adoption and left town. My parents adopted me. They told me I was adopted when I was fifteen.
I knew I was adopted way before they told me. I found my original birth certificate when I was twelve. At first, I was upset. But not my parents, but my birth parents. I then did some research and found out about my birth mother. In the end, it did not matter that I was adopted. They love me and treat me amazingly. I'm OK with being adopted. I'm excited my adoptive father is taking me to get my first car. I have saved up for it for a long time. I have worked as a waitress since I was fifteen at a little café. I was not allowed to work at night until I was eighteen. That is what the café's owner has said.
Today is my eighteenth birthday. To celebrate, I went to get my permit and buy my car. My adoptive father, George, is taking me.
" Sweetheart, are you sure you're ready for this?"
" Yes, Daddy, I am."
"OK, baby."
My adopted mother was at work. Her name is Marcia. She wanted me to wait for my permit, but Dad told her it was time for me to grow up. Then, they went into their room and had a discussion. However, they kept what they were discussing a secret. I couldn't help but feel that they were keeping something secret. I didn't know what it was. But I would be OK if they wanted to keep it a secret. They have always done everything to keep me safe.
We got to the car lot, and I found the perfect car. It was a black Camaro. It was an automatic. I took it for a test drive. There was a rattle coming from the engine. I let my dad drive it when I returned to the car lot. When he returned to the car lot, he said he would take it to the machine shop and have one of his friends look at it. I followed him in his car. When we went to the machine shop, I smelled coffee and chocolate. That was strange. The café was at least six blocks from here. I ignored it. Then, I noticed the leader of the motorcycle gang staring at me. Our eyes met.
I was strangely drawn to him. It was as if my feet had a mind of their own. They started walking over to him. My father stopped me. I was grateful.
" Shawna, what are you doing?"
" I don't know daddy."
That was the truth. He finished talking to his friend, and we left. I was happy to get away from there. I had a bad feeling about things, like tonight was going to be a life-changing thing. I knew turning eighteen had responsibilities that came with it. I was legally an adult. My parents no longer had to say so in my life. But I wasn't ready to be thrown out of the house. I was quiet all the way home.
" Baby girl, what is wrong?"
" Daddy, are you and Mom going to kick me out now that I'm eighteen?"
" No, sweetheart, we are not going to do that."
I squealed in delight and hugged him. I was happy about that. That was one fear that could be put to rest. I was so afraid of that. Some of my friends from school were kicked out when they turned eighteen. I did not want that to happen to me. We got home in time for me to change into my waitress uniform. Mom was home.
" Happy birthday, baby girl."
" Thanks, Mom."
" Tomorrow, we have a party planned for you."
" Really, Mom."
I had forgotten to ask for my birthday off. I graduated from high school last week. I was so busy ensuring I had completed school and work that I did not consider asking for it. I know everyone else takes their birthday off. I was going to have an easy night tonight at the café. Thursday nights are always slow, and the other waitresses and I get to sit down. When I arrived at the café, the biker gang was already there. I walked in, and Alex, the manager, approached me.
" I'm so glad you are here."
" As you can see, we are busy."
I clocked in and started doing my job. My shift went by quickly. Before I knew it, it was time to close. I was relieved when everyone left. The leader of the gang's name was Billy, also known as Wild Bill. I learned tonight. He kept staring at me. I was also finally close enough to see what it said on their leather vest. The name of the motorcycle gang is The Wild Wolves. That was a strange name for a motorcycle gang. They seemed to eat everything in sight. I finished cleaning up the tables, sweeping, and mopping. I then called my parents, and they did not answer. They must be sleeping. They go to bed early every night. It is ten o'clock.
I told Alex goodnight, and he offered to give me a ride home, but I turned him down.
" I need to walk and work out some of these cramps in my muscles."
" Alright, darling, be safe, call me when you get home."
" I will."
It was late, and I needed to get home. I was halfway home when a giant wolf emerged from behind the corner. I started to run and turned into an ally. It was a dead end. The wolf followed me. Then, as if in the blink of an eye, a male stood where the wolf was. At first, I thought he had come to save me. But the look he had on his face told me otherwise. He backs me up against a wall and slaps me. He then ripped my clothes off and slapped me again. My head is spinning, and I'm fighting this man off me. He is raping me. Then I heard a Harley pull up, and the leader and president of the motorcycle gang were there. Before everything went dark, I only heard one word: "mate."