Page 62 of Rox

My punches land, one after another, and I don’t stop. I feel when I break the skin, but I keep going. Blood covers his face, and he isn’t even trying to fight back, and I keep going. I don’t stop until hands grip my cut and pull me off him.

“No. Put me down!”

I kick and swing, hoping to continue to hit Duncan, but I’m dragged backward and out of the house.

“Knock it off, brother. We’ll finish it, but we can’t do it here. Trust me.”

I stop fighting at Goblin’s words. When I nod in response, he lets me go. I’m about to ask about Rox when I see her father bringing her out. I rush to him with my arms out, and he hands her over without a fight. I’m sure I’ll be shocked about this later, but for now, I’m thankful my love is in my arms. I rush her to the SUV Goblin brought and get in the back with her. I’m going to make sure she’s okay, and then I’m going to kill Duncan for what he’s done.

* * *

“Has he said anything?” Prez asks.

“Not yet. He also just fucking woke up because someone,” Omen looks at me, “decided to kill him first.”

“Don’t fucking look at me like that. You would do the same thing if it were Mama Judy.”

“I want to lie and say no, but I’m not going to.”

We all walk into the room, ready to find out what the fuck made Duncan do what he did. Duncan is strapped up, hanging from the ceiling, with his toes barely touching the ground. I smack his face a couple of times as he groans from the pain. Good.

“Start talking, mother fucker.”

The man who looks up doesn’t look anything like Duncan. I’m not saying that because I rearranged his face in an attempt to murder him. It’s like his soul is no longer present, and his eyes show the truth he’s been hiding. If his eyes didn’t give him away, his smile did.

“How long have you been after her?” Prez asks, his voice calm and commanding.

“From the beginning. She was in my way. I wanted to get her to leave, but she wouldn’t. She just sat there and took the shit I gave her. I followed her to scare her. I wanted her fucking gone! Then she came in and paraded Angel around. He’s supposed to be with me! I’m supposed to be at his side. She wouldn’t fucking leave, so I decided to do something about it. But somehow, she escaped the fire. Then, she brought a new man around every day. Like a goddamn whore, yet Angel would still show up and wrap her in his arms. Angel’s mine,” he yells out before turning to face Angel directly. “You’re mine! She posed a bigger problem than an asset. So, she needed to be taken care of. Her usefulness was over the second I got what I needed.” He laughs again but loses air and starts coughing up blood.

Angel walks up and slaps him, which shuts him up for a hot minute. He then walks over to the wall and pushes the button to drop the chain. Duncan has no strength and falls to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

“If you wanted to be with Angel so badly, why haven’t you tried before?” Omen asks him as he lifts him up so Duncan is on his knees.

Duncan smirks, and for the first time tonight, I shiver in response. Something about his look, his demeanor, his…everything has changed. This is nothing like it was when we were speaking of Rox. This is something different. Something worse.

“It’s funny that you don’t think I haven’t. It’s okay, though. I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon enough.”

“What do you mean?” Angel growls out.

“ER visits can be so stressful but so fun.”

I have no clue what he means, but Angel seems to as he punches Duncan in the face. Duncan does nothing but laugh in response, and I know, even more so now, that getting answers out of him isn’t going to be easy.

“Enough! Angel, back the fuck off.” He turns to face Duncan after pulling Angel back, “You’re gonna tell me why you tried to kill my daughter.” Prez barks.

“I already told you,” he spits blood out onto the ground, “she was in my way. The other obstacles were working themselves out. It was her, and then….”

He looks over to Ink, and when Ink realizes Duncan’s eyes are on him, he rears his back. “What the fiddle fudge have I done?”

“I’m going to make sure none of them get between what I want.” Duncan spits.

“Get up,” Angel tells him. Duncan just looks up at him.

“I knew you would see it my way. I knew you would see we are a better team than you andher.” The spite and demonic hate in the simple word ‘her’ has my hackles raised. I look at Angel, curious as to what he’s doing.

Angel, not looking at anyone but the pile of Duncan-shaped shit on the ground, yells, “I said GET UP.” Duncan makes aneffort to stand. He takes his time and sways once he reaches full height. Angel reaches behind him and tosses a shovel at him. “Pick it up and walk.”

Willie opens the door to the building we’re in.

---