I slid the picture toward Moody, meeting Jace’s eyes. “Pretty girl.” I leaned back in my chair. “What makes you think she’ll be there tomorrow?”
He shrugged. “I’m going by Duponte’s history of getting rid of his girls within a month of taking them. I want to get in and out without bloodshed, if possible. Duponte isn’t someone you want on your bad side, he isn’t afraid of leaving a bloody trail when someone crosses him. Even if the Feds grab him, if he finds out we were there he’ll assume we led the Feds to him and we don’t need that kind of trouble.”
“Information like that gets out there, we’ll be signing our own death warrant,” Moody added gruffly. “No one likes a squealer.”
Moody was right. People believed what they wanted. All it would take was a fucking seed of untruth to set off the rumor mills. I ran my hand through my hair. While the three of us were hard-core through and through, we were only three. Duponte had an army behind him that wouldn’t be eager to see him go down because of the hefty profits they each made from his auctions.
“So here’s what I’m thinking—we go in right after dark. There’s a divider of trees that bumps up to the guest house, we’ll go in from that direction. I don’t want them to know we’re there, but if it comes down to their lives or yours do what you have to. Keep in mind that if this shit goes south, Duponte will get spooked and close down before the Feds even get there. We don’t want that to happen.” He took a breath and reached for his beer.
“You don’t have any idea how many will be guarding the guest house?” I questioned Jace, watching as he chugged half his drink down.
Jace shook his head. “The guest house bumps right up to those trees, so I’m guessing no more than a couple, mainly to keep the girls from wandering. Duponte has no reason to suspect that anything is coming, and with the guest house located at the back of the estate he probably thinks that it’s secure. We’re lucky that there’s construction going on right next door. We can park the van and go in from there.”
“It would probably be a good idea if we don’t wear our cuts.”
Jace nodded in agreement at my suggestion. “We go in wearing black. When we reach the guest house you two will each take a side and create a distraction that will draw the guards away to investigate. I’ll go in through a back window for the girl.”
“How much time will you need?”
“Let’s make this fast and quiet. Give me three minutes, then head back to the van. I’ll drop you two off and return the girl to her father.”
“Where and what time are we meeting?”
“Here’s as good a place as any. Six o’clock. We can grab a couple of beers and eat something before we take off. We’ll change clothes at the construction site.” He finished his beer. “Remember, the last thing we want to do is alert anyone that we’re there. I doubt they’ll miss one girl until it’s too late and the Feds are already there.”
Moody asked what I had been thinking. “How you going to keep the other girls quiet?”
“Tell them the truth,” Jace replied without hesitation. “That they’re going to be rescued by the Feds.”
“That works,” I grinned.
“Closing in ten!” someone yelled out from behind the bar.
That seemed to be our cue to finish up our drinks and get the hell out of there. Jace’s plan was solid, as long as we got in and out without any trouble from the guards. If that happened, more than just our plan would be shot to hell. The Feds wouldn’t be happy with us, either. I threw back the rest of my beer and set the glass down, getting to my feet.
“I’m out of here.” I rubbed the bottom half of my jaw, suddenly tired as hell.
It was already tomorrow.
Chapter 16
Ginger
The pelting of rain against my window gradually roused me from sleep. At least, I’d thought it was rain. There was no doubt that there was a storm raging full blast outside, but in the middle of stretching against my warm, twisted covers I heard the muffled sound of a scream, and then a heavy sounding thump. I stilled for a second, trying to decipher was it was that I’d heard. The second scream registered more clearly, and so did the frantic pounding on my door. I shot up from my bed and rushed through my apartment without thinking, recognizing Della’s panicked cries as I grew near the door.
Her terrified screams sent a chill through me. I didn’t even hesitate to open my door, but I’d been unprepared for the solid weight that had been pressing against the other side at the same time, and I stumbled backwards into my apartment. I was momentarily stunned, taking in the scene playing out before my eyes with disbelief. Della was there, but so was Daryl, and he was going at her in a crazed, frenzied way with his fists, muttering angrily beneath his breath as he hit her mercilessly. I screamed and jumped him, trying to pull him off of her until she fell and they were inside my apartment.
“Let her go!” I screamed clawing at Daryl wherever I thought it would make a difference, trying to get his attention off of Della and onto me. He was like a madman, though, fueled by some unseen rage. I was amazed at his strength as he ignored my pounding on his shoulders and backside, and swatted me aside when I pulled at his hair. Undaunted, I went at him again, punching him in the side of the head and pulling his hair again until I came away with clumps of it in my hands.
Della had stopped screaming and was crying now, curling into herself with her arms over her head and doing the only thing she could do to try and lesson the pain of his blows. It was clear from her appearance that this attack had been going on for some time. Her clothes were torn and hanging off of her, her face was swollen and bruised, and there was blood. So much blood! Tears spilled from my eyes as I looked around my apartment, searching wildly for something that I could use as a weapon. I was certain that Daryl meant to kill her.
“Ginger‒” Her murmur was low and weak.
“Shut the fuck up, bitch! This is your fault! All you had to do was give me money!” Daryl cut Della’s desperate plea off by kicking her in the ribs. The sickening crack sounded through my apartment like a gunshot blast.
“You fucking bastard!” I screamed, jumping onto his back and wrapping my arms around his neck. I pulled with all my might, but Daryl seemed to have gained super human strength. I punched him repeatedly in the neck and head, not satisfied with the sound of his meager grunts. It wasn’t until I bit down on his ear that I got the reaction I wanted.
He swore viciously, grabbing at his ear and swing around to face me. “Fuck!” he snarled, spit flying from his mouth. “You’re gonna pay for that!”
His face was a twisted mask of rage. This wasn’t the Daryl that I knew. This was a monster. His face was red and blotchy, his eyes glittering with uncontrolled rage that made me wonder what Della had done to provoke him to such viciousness. He shoved me backwards with a sneer, clenching his fists at his sides as he glared retribution down at me.
“Are you fucking crazy?” I screeched at him, backing up with fear. I wanted to get to Della, who was lying motionless against the wall, but his threatening presence terrified me. Tears fell down my cheeks as a deep hopelessness suddenly overwhelmed me.
“Yes!” he replied through clenched teeth. “I’m fucking crazy!” He was on me before I could stop him.
My breath caught because of what I saw in his eyes. Death stared back at me, soulless and evil, convincing me that Daryl no longer cared about anything or anyone other than satisfying the darkness that controlled him. There was also desperation in his dilated eyes, which frightened me most of all. I pulled out of his grasp and backed up, holding my arms out in front of me as if they alone could stop him from getting to me.
“Just get out!” I screamed, realizing that there was no reasoning with him. The door was open, why didn’t he just leave?
He ignored me, stepping closer. “Someone needs to teach you a fucking lesson, too!” he seethed, more spit flying. “You’re always around! Always interfering!” he snapped, his fists clenching and unclenching.<
br />
“Daryl, just leave so I can help Della, please!” I begged, my heart pounding fast. “She needs‒”
“Shut the fuck up!” he growled, cutting me off. “I don’t give a shit what she needs!”
I threw myself at him with a frustrated scream. I wasn’t sure what I would gain, but doing nothing while Della was suffering drove me to act. I couldn’t hold out hope that a neighbor may hear the attack and call the police. In this neighborhood, folks kept to themselves and turned up their TVs to drown out the things they didn’t want to hear.
I managed to get a punch to his mouth before he shoved me back roughly. “You fucking bitch!” He spit blood and narrowed his furious eyes on me, wiping the corner of his busted lip. “I’ve about had enough of you!”
I landed on my butt, and glared up at him. For the first time I noticed the deep scratches lining his face and neck.
“Daryl, stop…” Both our gazes shot to Della. She’d managed to pull herself up into a sitting position, her head rolling against the wall, her eyes closed. Seeing her condition, I didn’t know how she managed to remain upright. “Le-Leave her alone. Please,” she pleaded. The strength of her tone belied her appearance.
It broke my heart that she was worried about me. I crab-walked backwards when Daryl stepped closer, bending over me slightly. Part of me was thankful that he was leaving Della alone, the other half scared shitless that I was now his target. I couldn’t help but wonder where Rebel was. Apparently he hadn’t returned yet from whatever business he’d needed to take care of.
“Don’t touch me!” I hissed, kicking out at him as he reached down for me.
“You got any money, bitch?”
I just blinked up at him.
“Do you?” he yelled when I hesitated. I shook my head.
A movement drew my gaze to Della. She was clutching her side, slowly tilting to the side. I could see the regret in her wet eyes and the trembling of her swollen mouth. I knew that she was in pain. It was painful looking at her.
Daryl snorted. “I knew you’d be no use to me. Just like her,” he grumbled with a sneer on his face. “You bitches are only good for one thing.”
He brought his foot back and I knew that he was going to kick me. I braced myself for the blow.
“Daryl!” someone called out from somewhere close to the apartment. Suddenly a man appeared in the open doorway of Della’s apartment, and halted.
His unexpected presence stopped Daryl from kicking me.
“Over here, asshole,” Daryl snorted, drawing the guy’s attention to us.
The man spun around. “What the fuck, man?” he said, walking across the short space to us. He glanced down at Della and then back up at Daryl. “You were supposed to get money from her, not beat her up. I thought she was your girl.” His eyes met mine briefly, before traveling over my body with leering interest. “Who’s this sweet thing?”
“Della’s fucking friend,” he said with all of the hate that I was feeling for him right then.
“She’s cute,” I heard him say to Daryl.
“Looks like we’re gonna have to find another way to get money.”
The man’s expression switched to slight panic. “You need it now, man! Wicked doesn’t fuck around when someone owes him money.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Daryl yelled back at him.
I’d had enough of their inane conversation, which, thankfully, had taken Daryl’s interest off me and Della for the moment. Della was a mess. I crawled my way over to her slowly. I needed to assess her injuries, and as soon as I could I was going to call the police and an ambulance. There was no way I was letting that prick get away with what he’d done.
“Della,” I said softly, cupping her face gently. She opened her one good eye, a low moan escaping her. “Do you have your phone on you?” I whispered, feeling that the possibility was high considering that she was dressed for the day. She usually kept it in her pocket. Even before she responded I began to check her front pocket, trying to be as careful as I could. If I could get my hand on it without Daryl noticing, I could at least dial 911. “Honey, talk to me.”
Her lips turned up in a half-smile, but all she did was moan. I kissed her forehead. “It’s going to be okay.” No phone. Damn! I took her hand in mine, and that’s when she flinched and I noticed her fingers, which were bent at odd angles. She whimpered in pain as I frowned, trying to make sense of what I was looking at. My gaze snapped back up to hers in horror. “Did he do this?” I whispered sharply. The slightest of nods confirmed it.
I felt sick inside. “You fucking asshole!” I screamed up at Daryl. “You broke her fingers?” I was so enraged that I was shaking.
Daryl shrugged, unconcerned, looking suddenly proud of himself. “She shouldn’t have slapped me.”
I was going to do more than just slap him. His smug look was like adding gas to the fire. I lost it, flying up at him with a snarl, intending to hurt him in any way that I could. “What is wrong with you?” I hissed, not really expecting an answer. “You’re insane!” I cried, going for his eyes, my hands curling like claws. I’d obviously caught him by surprise, because he froze, and I managed to claw deep furrows down his face, to match the ones that Della had given him, before he grasped my wrists and held me back. I kicked out at him. “Bastard!” My hate gave me the fuel to force myself back toward him close enough to knee him in the balls. I took gleeful satisfaction when he released me, doubled over in pain, and fell to his knees. “You’re going to prison, Daryl!” I would see to it.
“Jesus Christ!” his friend said sharply, coming up behind me and taking hold of me to keep from doing more damage. I struggled to break free. He lost patience and jerked me backwards against him, wrapping both arms around me and pinning my arms to my side. “Calm down,” he demanded roughly against my ear.
“He deserves that and more!” I breathed harshly, ignoring his command. Daryl was slowly getting back to his feet. When he glanced up at me, I could see by his expression that he planned to hurt me. The door was still open, and I took advantage. “Help! Help! Someone help us!” I screamed as loudly as I could, praying that someone would hear and at least call the police. “Help! Hel‒!” A smelly hand slammed over my mouth, cutting me off.
I watched Daryl’s hands curl into tight fists. He was breathing heavily, anger glittering in his cold eyes. And then he did something that I hadn’t been expecting—he reared back his leg and kicked Della hard between the legs. She cried out in pain and slumped the rest of the way to the floor, writhing in agony.
I twisted away from the hand over my mouth. “Noooo!” Tears filled my eyes in response to Daryl’s cruelty. I fought his friend with everything that I had, but it wasn’t enough to gain my freedom.
Daryl grinned evilly, totally lost in his madness. He came over to me and grabbed me roughly by the hair. “You fight me, she pays,” he groused, making his intentions clear.
I wilted against his friend’s hold, silently acknowledging defeat. “You’re a fucking coward,” I hissed with feeling.
“Look, are we gonna spend all day here, man, or what? If they don’t have any money I don’t see the point.”
Daryl looked like he was thinking the situation over, as if he had options. I kept my gaze on Della’s quiet, broken body, anxious to get to her. Daryl had to know that as soon as I could I was going to call the police on him, he wasn’t stupid, and Della needed medical attention. There was no telling what kind of internal injuries she had. As more time passed, the bleakness of the situation began to overwhelm me. Why didn’t they just go away?
I finally lost my patience. “Della is hurt, she needs a doctor!” I rushed out in a pleading tone.
My voice seemed to break through Daryl’s thoughts, and suddenly he was focusing his crazed gaze on me. I didn’t like the way that his eyes moved slowly down my body and back up again. There was a speculative gleam in them that hadn’t been there before. It unnerved me, and I really didn’t like the slow, knowing grin that s
pread over his face, as if he’d just had an epiphany.
His gaze shifted beyond my shoulder to his friend. “You know, Jack, I think I know a way I can get some money.”
“What’s that, man?”
“I met a dude the other night snorting coke in the bathroom of a bar. Struck up a conversation, had a few drinks. He got wasted enough to tell me that he knows a man who’s always on the lookout for young, pretty chicks. Pays good money for them, too. I don’t know what he does with them, and don’t give a fuck.”
Dread began to fill me at the thought of where Daryl was going with this. Too many scenarios ran through my mind as to where I could end up.
Jack grunted. “Why didn’t you think of that before half-killing your girlfriend, man?”
Daryl shrugged. “She’s always come up with any money I needed before now, never thought about selling her ass to get it.”
Jack chortled. “Too late now, bro, look at her.”
“Yeah, but we still have sweet Ginger.”
Daryl’s lascivious gaze filled me with apprehension.
“Can you get in touch with this man?” Daryl nodded. “Then we’d better get out of here before someone shows up.”
“No!” I dug in my heels and pressed my weight back against Jack. I wasn’t going with them willingly. I wasn’t leaving Della.
“You have no choice,” Jack grumbled in my ear, bumping me forward with his hips.
“Please!” I struggled to no avail. “Don’t leave her like this. I’ll go willingly if you call for an ambulance.” I met Daryl’s eyes. “For Christ’s sake, Daryl, she was your girlfriend! She must have meant something to you once.” Fresh tears escaped my eyes as I pleaded with him.
He snorted. “She hasn’t meant anything to me in a long time, bitch, except for easy pussy.”
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