Page 52 of UnWholly Angels
Tiredness poked at me, and I rested my head against the chair, allowing the buzzing to lull me to sleep. The others made separate conversations, and I hardly felt the pain as I attempted to drift off, but buzzing in my pocket brought me back, and I rolled my eyes.
Well, that was quick.
Before meeting up at the tattoo shop, I held firm on my deal, running to the store to buy a new phone, and thankfully, everything was in the cloud. Well, everything I needed anyway. The rest didn’t matter, not anymore. Scanning across the single message, my stomach fluttered at the simple statement.
Fuck Nugget
I miss you.
More than I’d like to admit.
It’s a weird feeling sometimes.
Looked like Mr. Heartless wasn’t the monster everyone thought he was, and I thought he deserved some appreciation for it. I was sure that was hard for him to admit, and I knew what he was putting his heart on the line here.
Contact changed toRiley.
Maya
I can’t wait to go skating.
Tattoo isn’t so bad, I want to sleep.
Riley
Maybe you’re the monster.
Glad you’re having fun.
Chapter Twenty-One
Riley
The phone sat comfortably in my hand, and I smiled under the mask as the message splayed across my screen. I know it wasn’t said enough, but I really did love Maya, and I’d be damned if Rocco thought this was going to be easy. What I had said to her weeks ago rattled around in my head as the memory of feeling every part of her for the first time caused heat to spread rapidly across my body.
I don’t want to be angry anymore.
My body tensed when an equally large hand clasped onto my shoulder. “You don’t have to do this,” Nick said. “Let me take care of it.”
In reality, he was right, but I had to do this. Rocco needed to know that I would protect Maya from whatever he threw at us; something I’d failed at in the past. To this day, he remained a coward, hiding in the shadows behind his band of followerswho had no problem completing his dirty work. They paid the price for Rocco’s wickedness, and he indulged. The rat would be brought out of the shadows, even if it was the last thing I did in this life. He took everything from me, us, and it was time he faced judgment for all the dirty dealings, violence, and the trafficking of my girl.
The small pang of guilt instantly washed away as the smell of blood and mildew infiltrated my nostrils, and my head whipped around at the creak of the heavy door, forcing me back to reality and why I was here. The heaviness of the room increased the further I walked until I was face to face with the person who had infiltrated my home. My breathing was loud against the silent room as I looked over the naked, scared man. He was hanging painfully from a meat-hook, ankles and wrists bound with copper wire cutting painfully into his skin, biting into his flesh the more he struggled. In any other situation, I would be extremely impressed by the way he was hogtied and begging for mercy. Instead, my jaw tightened as I walked over to the table that had the battery, the one conveniently attached to our victim.
“You’re late,” a voice called out. I looked toward the tall figure, rolling my eyes at the man who stood leaning against the wall, wondering when we could start.
“That’s a cute mask, hockey boy,” the voice echoed off the walls of the concrete room, and I threw a grin his way. He couldn’t see it though, but I could see his, even from across the room.
“It’s all I had in my closet,” I replied in a mocking tone. Rowan stepped from the shadows, adorning a lateral scar across his cheek and what looked like a missing finger. I had no idea what the man had been up to since the last time I saw him, but he looked rough. “What happened to you? I know your girl won’t tell you, but you’re fucking ugly,” I chucked lowly.
A haunting laugh penetrated my ears, quickly replaced by Nick’s groan from behind me. “Can we just get this over with, please. We have practice tonight.”
Nick seemed slightly more irritated than usual, his darkened gaze meeting mine as I glanced over my shoulder. Nodding at my impatient friend, knew exactly how to make the shitbag suffer. He would watch every minute of what was happening, just like I was forced to watch Maya fight for her life.
With a deep breath, I picked up the surgical knife from the table and stalked toward the shaking man. A number had already been done on him with a broken nose and white gauze patched in red from where Maya stabbed him.
Good Fucking Girl.
“How did you get into my house?” I asked, but he only spat on the ground near my feet. For the first time, I’d heard his voice, and his answer made every hair on the back of my neck rise.
