Page 36 of Going Down Smooth: Part One

“Like you?” he replies, with a sardonic twitch of his eyebrow as he steps closer, swaggering towards me as if his dick hung the fucking moon. “Can’t do that, Mercy. Your death has been bought and paid for.” He stops and turns back to Chasson. “Get her to the fucking car!” he barks at his packmate, throwing out his weak power that slides over me like slime on my skin.

“Let’s go, Faith,” Chasson commands her, yanking the chain around her neck and tightening the collar once more. The blood dripping from the wound on his face is like something out of a horror movie. I watch him begin to drag her to the exit and I take off running in their direction.

“Stop it! You’re hurting her!” I scream as my sister claws at her throat, legs kicking in front of her as she tries to stand.

Derrick catches me around the waist, and I’m sent flying across the floor, my back hitting the still, and I feel something crack inside of me. My mouth parts as a silent oomph escapes my lips. The pain has rendered me speechless. Sucking in a shallow, painful breath, I slump to the floor as Derrick steps towards my broken body.

A loud boom erupts from somewhere behind me and he stops, shielding his face from flying debris. I cover my head with my arms as smoke begins to roll along the floor. Someone has tampered with a still, the pungent smell of ethanol hits my nose, makes me panic.

“Fuck. I told that asshole to wait!” Derrick curses as he backs away from me, coughing into his hand. “Well, Mercy, I thought I was going to get to play with you before you die, but it seems it’s hard to find good packmates these days,” he says, obviously referring to the third member of his pack who must have been hiding somewhere in the distillery.

I cough and crawl forward, trying to stay as low as I can to the ground.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure your Alphas will get over your death. I mean, look at it as another rejection.” He shrugs with a cruel smile of his face. “Goodbye, Mercy Smooth, you get to keep dear old dad’s company and burn right along with it,” he says with a hateful sneer, eyes black as night, smoke swirling all around him, making him appear as the devil himself.

“I’m going to kill you, Derrick.” I cough, watching him run toward the exit door. The door opens and smoke billows out into the air beside him. He takes one last look at me before he slams the door shut, the lock mechanism engaging, leaving me locked inside.

I know if I get to my feet the smoke will kill me before I can find my way out, so I crawl towards my destination. I just hope I can make it in time. I’ve spent most of my young life in this place, if anyone can get out of here, it’s me. I keep my thoughts positive as another still explodes behind me. I stop and cover my body as more debris falls, hot metal cascading to the floor beside me. It’s hard to maintain optimism after everything I’ve witnessed in such a short period of time. Faith. Oh dear God, my sister needs help. I can’t be upset that they used her to lure me here. She had no choice. Now, no one will help her. She won’t last much longer in their torturous hands.

My tears fall unchecked, everything my father worked for is burning down around me. Why? What was so wrong with me having this one thing? I proved I am more than capable. It dawns on me; it was never about me being able. It was about keeping me under the heel of those who consider themselves better. I can’t let them win. I can’t die here. Not like this. With a newfound determination I keep crawling, coughing the entire way. Black spots fill my vision as my breathing becomes more labored.

I’m not going to make it. Is this how I die?

My phone rings in my hand like a blessed lifeline. I keep my body moving, my one arm pulling me towards the ventilation grate on the side of the wall. I can see the sun peeking through the frame as I hold the phone to my ear.

“H—help—”

“Mercy! We’re coming!” Knight roars in panic, and I can do nothing in response but cry. Just hearing his voice is a comfort. I wish they were here. I wish. . .I wish. I have so many regrets, so many things I would have done differently.

I cough but keep going. “Knight,” I call out, my voice hoarse from screaming, coughing and smoke inhalation.

“Baby, what is happening?” he asks calmly, but I can hear Lox, Nate, and Trey yelling in the background.

I cough. “Fire—explosion— They—took—her—”

“Did she say fire? Merce. . . It’s OK. We’re not far away and I know the fire trucks will be there before us!” Nate shouts. If my situation wasn’t so dire, I would smile. I can almost see him leaning over the seat in the car as he tries to talk in Knight’s ear.

“I’m coming for you, Little Mouse,” Lox says, his voice shaking with fear, and it only makes me sob more. I long for the safety of their arms. I just want them to come and save me.

“Mercy, baby, please?” Knight pleads. “Don’t cry. Please don’t cry. We are almost there, I promise.” I can hear them shouting at Knight to go faster, no doubt they are breaking all the rules of the road to get here.

My sobs turn to hacking coughs as I tell myself to keep moving. The pain in my body is excruciating, making it harder and harder to crawl forward. The urge to vomit as I cough is unbearable, the black dots in my vision seem to be closing in on me, making it harder to see.

“Talk to us, Songbird. So close, baby. We are so close!” Trey shouts. I want to believe him, but I know it will be too late. I’ve wasted so much time fearing the wrong things. Running from the wrong men. I didn’t even get a chance—

“I love you,” I say with the last of my strength as a coughing fit steals away my breath. I can hear their panicked cries for me down the line, but there is nothing I can do. My eyes begin to close as my fingers brush the edge of the ventilation grate. With my energy depleted I curl in on myself as the coughing continues. My phone falls from my hand and I succumb to the darkness with my Alphas shouts carrying me into oblivion.

. . . TO BE CONTINUED.

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