Page 61 of Ripper
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I woke up to the sound of someone calling my name, and when my eyelids finally fluttered open, all I saw was the blinding fluorescent ceiling lights above.
“Ripper? Ripper, wake the fuck up!”
“Tank?”
“The fuck happened here?”
I groaned, wincing in pain, and that’s when I remembered.
“Fuck. Ronnie’s gone. They fucking took Ronnie.”
Chapter Fourteen
Veronica
My eyelids fluttered open to a dark room. All I could see was the reflections of the warm streetlights spilling in through the only window in here. My heart thumped loudly in my chest while I desperately tried to catch my breath. It was so hot that I struggled to calm myself down, the room around me was spinning, and my entire body was doused in sweat. I tried to move, tried to get up so I could run right out of here. Part of me tried to tell myself that it was just a nightmare, that it had to be because there was no way something like this could’ve happened.
I squirmed in my spot, feeling the bindings around my hands and feet. That’s when I remembered what happened before I blacked out. That’s when I realized exactly who I was dealing with here. I could barely see a few feet in front of me, so I knew that trying to escape was out of the question for now. My heart hurt when the thoughts rippled through my mind when I remembered that I was here and I had no idea what was happening to Ripper or Uncle Axle.
I felt the tears start streaming down my face when I heard footsteps approaching. I furrowed my brow, staring out into the emptiness until the lights finally switched on and I could see the door at the other end of the room swing fully open. In she came with her high stiletto boots and that perfectly tousled head of blonde hair. She smiled at me, her pink lips glistening like she’d just caught the sample sale at her favorite store. It made me sick. She made me sick to my stomach.
“Oh, what’s the matter, Ronnie? Lots to cry about I suppose,” she said, bending down to stare me straight in the face.
“What do you want?” I asked, my voice low because the second I spoke I felt how dry it was.
“I want you to know that I had a lot of fun toying with you. It’s too bad that we ended up on opposite sides of this. I’m sure if you weren’t with Ripper we could’ve been friends, but you dug your grave. Now, it’s time you lie in it, huh?”
“What are you going to do, Anna? Hold me forever? Kill me?”
“We’re gonna keep you as long as you prove useful to us. That won’t be long. That lovesick idiot is going to come running for you any minute. I’m just waiting to see how long it takes him to track this place down,” she said.
“You bitch. You do realize this is the reason Ripper could never love you. What did he call you? Oh yes, a psychotic, egotistical, maniacal bitch.”
She slapped me across the face so hard I could’ve sworn it would’ve left a mark. I stared up at her, gritting my teeth. I braced for it as she took another swing, her knuckles digging into my jaw, and I winced in pain.
“You should’ve just got us the information we fucking needed, Ronnie. If you did that, there may have been a place for you with the rest of us, but you just had to go blabbing your mouth to Ripper, didn’t you?”
“And I’d do it again,” I said, confidently.
Anna blew a little air out of her nose, shaking her head before she delivered another blow in the hopes that it would shut me up this time. I heard the sound of heavy boots on the concrete coming toward me when my head finally stopped spinning, and I looked up to see a burly, tattooed man with his graying beard staring back at me from over Anna’s shoulders.
It hit me instantly where I knew him from.The shop. Anna came in with him.I remembered how friendly he’d try to be, and even then I could never get past how uncomfortable he made me feel. I knew it had to be him, the one in charge, the one that was calling all the shots now.
“Anna, leave the girl alone. I know you’re still a little jealous, but don’t take it out on her. If she’s dead, we can’t dangle her in front of the Rebels as easily. I’m not in the mood for any changes to our plan, okay?” he asked, sternly.
“Fine. When she acts up, I don’t want you to come crying to me.”
He bent down to meet me at eye level, and it took everything in me not to look away. I didn’t want him to sense the fear that was creeping up inside me, that made me feel like I wasn’t going to get out of here at all. I took a deep breath, staring back at him. He reeked of alcohol and cigarette smoke, his hands bruised, bloodied, like he’d gotten into a few fights recently. He smiled at me, and I saw that single gold tooth of his.
“Well, Ronnie, I’m glad to finally meet you for real this time. It was nice exchanging a few phone calls, but now that you’re here, we’re gonna have loads of fun, aren’t we?”
I couldn’t say a word, feeling them catch in my throat whenever I tried to speak.
“Oh, that’s right, I haven’t properly introduced myself. Name’s Ray. You already know the rest.”
I grit my teeth, my blood boiling, replacing the fear that I’d felt because the man standing before me was the one responsible for all the pain I’d felt. He took my uncle from me, he nearly destroyed everything I loved, all so he could destroy the Rebels. I was done playing games, I was done letting Ray tear apart everything I cared about. I refused to let him get to me now, not while Ripper was still out there. I had to trust that he’d come for me.
