Page 1 of The Filth Kings II

Chapter1

James

Before Arkville went up in flames…

The rain hadn’t started yet; the air was thick outside with the promise of it coming. I felt Detavio’s eyes burning into my back as I rushed inside of my house to have a talk with my wife just before being held captive back at his house—until what I learned to be the demise of Impurity. My hands shook. I was desperate for relief from the anxiety that started to feel like suffocation. Too much was happening for me to grasp on to. I heard things that made me want to jump in survival mode. The main thing that I knew to be a fact was that eventually, I could use Detavio liking Angel to my advantage.

It sickened me that our kids couldn’t mind their motherfucking business. I’d grown comfortable with the way things were going for me, until Angel turned into inspector gadget. I loved my daughter, but didn’t know if I would ever be able to forgive her. My wife, Angelica, understood and knew everything, so I didn’t owe Angel shit but to be a good father like I had always been to her.

I reached the front door and struggled to put the key in. Once I turned the doorknob, Angelica stood in the middle of our living room with worry etched on her angelic face. After all of these years of being married to her, I couldn’t deny the beauty that radiated off of her. I never expected to fall in love with a woman. Nor look at a woman and experience my heart skipping beats.

Angelica wasn’t just beautiful, she was luminous. The kind of beauty that wasn’t just her face. It was in the way that she moved—the way her eyes softened when she looked at me like I was something worth loving, even though deep down inside, I had known for quite some time that I wasn’t worth the clothes on her back. I didn’t deserve her, but I refused to ever accept that and let her go. She made the insane part of me feel sane, she made me feel worthy in a world full of people that judged without cause.

I was a man who loved men, but I loved her, and that was all that mattered to me. I had always understood the rhythm of my heart, the way that it had never stirred for other women. Angelica was the exception to every rule that I had in place that I thought was unshakable.

“James, you told me when you came back…everything would be okay,” she stated in a shaky tone.

I took steps until I was close enough to smell her floral scent that would normally calm me. I took a minute to examine every feature of her face just in case this moment was the last one I’d with her. Her thick coils of hair cascaded past her shoulders. I eyed her high cheekbones, full lips, then stopped at her deep, knowing eyes that narrowed the longer she stared at me. She could probably feel the tension in my body. I swallowed hard as I dropped my head.

I needed to speak, but the words were thick and tangled up in my chest. My throat tightened as my heart slammed against my ribs. Angelica’s gaze didn’t waver. She tilted her head to the side, her coils shifted as she continued to study me. I took in a shaky breath then moved my mouth; no words spilled out.

Thunder growled throughout the house. My emotions and nerves got the best of me as my past that now collided with my painful present crashed inside of me like a tidal wave. I fell to my knees in front of Angelica. My breathing was choppy as my chest constricted. For a couple of long seconds, Angelica consoled me. Her soft fingertips ran across my shoulder blades then down my back. Finally, I found the strength to look up into her eyes.

My wife was my anchor, the only one I trusted with all of my twisted secrets. Right now, I was getting ready to do what I thought I’d never do… beg for another… A man… Whose sins mirrored mine in a way no one else ever could.

“Please, we don’t—have much time…De—Detavio will not let me come back here again to check on you… I need—you…to help me, umm…save, Impurity.” I dropped my head momentarily, feeling weaker than what I needed to be in this moment.

Angelica knew my secrets and she was well aware of who I truly was. I never revealed to her what my true weakness was even when I tried my very best to deny and stay distant from him… Impurity. For the most part, she thought that I hated him with everything inside of me. She also thought that I was forced to keep my relations going with him in order to spare our lives. It wasn’t until she caught me in a few lies last year that she discovered that I was very well madly in love with him still.

“I don’t understand, James. You told me all of this bullshit about who he is and how you’re ready to let go?—“

“I know! Fuck! Angelica, trust me… I know what all he’s done. I know what he is… but if he dies tonight… then?—”

“You will no longer be any good for me.” She dropped her head in defeat then looked away from me.

I could feel the hurt radiating off of her, the pain on her face was evident. She felt for me what I felt for Impurity.

“I remember the way.” She sighed.

Her soft silky fingers stroked my tear-stricken cheeks.

“Tell me, so I can be sure. This is dangerous, and I wouldn’t be able to live if I lost the both of you. I heard some of the plans. There will be a fire, I assume that he will be gravely hurt… so I want you to call my old, trusted bodyguard, his name is Diesel. Have him go with you.” I talked lowly, feeling relieved.

“The underground tunnel, like you showed me years ago.” She looked away.

I knew Angelica well; right now she felt broken. It pained me to pain her. I couldn’t live without Impurity so her pain had to be overlooked.

“How will you know if I survived?” Her bottom lip trembled.

“You will survive. Detavio has it bad for Angel. He won’t harm us right now because of her. Once you get Impurity to safety… you call my phone and I will have Detavio bring you back to Arkville. You can transfer money and pay the guard in order for him to call Dr. David to nurse Impurity back to life. There’s a house about twenty minutes away from Arkville. No one knows about it, that’s where Impurity will be taken to. You come back here, scrub yourself, then join me until Detavio releases us.” I talked fast.

“I don’t know, James… this is—” Boom! Boom! Boom!

Loud knocking from the front door caused both of us to jump.

“Please! I need you to do this for me!” I pleaded with her for great measure.

It seemed far-fetched but something deep down inside of me told me that it was possible. Another crack of thunder vibrated throughout the house. I got off my knees then quickly placed a firm kiss to her forehead.

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