Page 106 of Mayhem

Until it happened to me.

I saw that man creeping in the dark toward their home and I acted without thinking about myself. I made a split-second decision that altered my life forever.

I felt a sense of loyalty to a couple of men who didn’t deserve it. They never did anything prior to that moment that would have made me feel that way, yet I did anyway.

Maybe it was because I camped in their woods nightly. Maybe because as much as everyone else feared them, I always felt safe around them. Even when I fought with them, I never thought that any harm would come to me. I never felt ill will from them, even with the harsh words they would hurl my way.

Whatever the reason, that decision led me here. Led to my life ending far too soon. I chose the path with the shorter ladder.

Maybe this was fate’s plan all along.

Goodbye, Chase,I think.At least I know you’ll be okay.

That’s the only comforting thought. At least, he will be okay.

Because you love him.

My chest tightens painfully. I love him. I wish I could have told him.

“Fuck! What the fuck. He was supposed to care about you. Why the fuck doesn’t he care? You were my golden ticket. I’m a dead man. Fuck,” Bruce rants, face red dripping with sweat.

I listen as the man paces in front of me, muttering to himself.

I stay quiet, resigned to my fate. He could shoot me right now and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

A knock at the door stops the man’s steps.

“Come in,” he says.

My veins turn to ice.

The butcher.

“He left the premises with his guards. Looks like they are headed back to the house. What’s the next move?” the butcher asks.

Gone is the pacing, anxious man, in his place the facade he puts on for others.

“Get rid of the girl. We need to get our hands on the brother. He’s the key. He’s the only thing Rocky cares about.”

“Why not give him his product back like he asked?” I snark, having nothing to lose.

He sneers at me. “I can’t do that. The product is gone. Even if it wasn’t, giving it back would be admitting that we were in the wrong. I told you before. This is our territory.”

“Seems like a lot of trouble for a little product. He won’t give up. You’d have to kill him first.”

“You think we haven’t tried that? Do you know how the kid even got his start? He was the best fighter at the fights. He worked his way up until he killed his boss and his boss’s boss until he was the number one guy. Bet you didn’t know that. You were sleeping with a cold-blooded murderer.”

I smile, confusing Bruce. “That’s actually kind of hot.”

He sneers. “You’re a slut just like your mother.”

I grind my teeth, looking away, refusing to react. As much as I hate being compared to her, my heart aches at the thought of what happened to her. I hope if they killed her; they did it quickly.

Not that I’ll have the same luxury.

“She’s all yours. Make it fast. We need to clear out.”

Bruce leaves without another look back.

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