She had just packed everything in a big cooler she had found in the back of the pantry when she heard the back door slam.
Her smile lit her face as she turned expecting Jack, but instead found Fish leering at her.
“Hello mousey mouse. I came to collect a debt.”
Viki’s stomach rolled and she had to fight not to throw up.
“Not a bad place you got here, better than that shitty apartment, that’s for sure. Jack won’t mind if I take a little pussy, brothers share their mouses.”
“I’m nobody’s mouse.” She remembered what Law had said. She had to demand respect if she expected to get any. “I’m Jack’s old lady so I suggest you get the fuck out of our house.”
“Like hell I will. When they find out what you did they will cut your fucking throat you stupid shank.”
“I didn’t do anything and if you think anyone will believe a prospect over Jack’s old lady then you better think again. This is over Fish, so you better just swim away.”
Damn that felt so good, until his fist met her cheekbone.
She went down hard on the kitchen floor and hard her own head bounce off the cold tiles. It felt like she was floating. She knew what was happening, but she couldn’t make herself react to it.
Not until she heard Bobby scream.
The fear in his voice cause adrenaline to course through Viki until she was able to open her eyes.
Horror tore a scream from her throat when she saw Jerry dragging Bobby from his chair. Bobby fought as hard as he could, but Jerry was a big man. He reared back and slapped Bobby across the face as he spit curses at the boy.
“You worthless little piece of shit. I was aiming for you and your stupid mama stepped in the way to save you. Everything was great before you were born.”
He shook Bobby like a rag doll until he went limp.
Viki tried to fight her way to her feet, but Fish was still on her. He had a crazed look in his eye as he tried to find something to tie her up with.
“I’m going to leave your clothes in pieces right here and take you with me. Then that fucker will know who you belong to, not him, you belong to me!?”
Viki fought as hard as she could, but not for herself. She had to get away from Fish and get to Bobby.
She reached above her head and pulled out one of the drawers. She didn’t know what was inside, but she jerked with all her might and hit Fish with the drawer. He cursed and grabbed his head which gave Viki enough time to wiggle out from under him and chase after Jerry. She caught him in the yard and grabbed his sleeve.
“Let him go you dirty bastard. Give him back to me.”
Jerry just batted her away like a fly. Viki fell to the hard concrete sidewalk that led to the porch. She felt the sting of it on her palms and her knees, but she lunged back into Jerry.
Jack would be home soon. She just had to give him time to get to her.
She wrapped her arms and legs around Jerry and tore at his face with her nails. He dropped Bobby in the grass and used both hands to fling Viki away. She hit the ground hard again, but popped right back up to fight some more.
Jerry screamed in outrage when Viki found a clear shot to his balls and hit him with all her strength.
“Don’t kill her Jerry, I want to keep her.” Fish said as he grabbed her from behind.
Why hadn’t she cut his throat in the kitchen? She’d only thought of getting to Bobby.
She struggled in his grip and he dropped her to the rough concrete walk. He cursed as he tripped over her legs and fell on top of her. Viki cried out when she felt her cheek grind against the walk.
“Stupid bitch. Who the fuck will want you all scarred up? Have to fuck you from behind until that heals up, nasty.” Fish said as he scanned the damage done to her cheek.
Viki’s mind raced. She had heard the statistics on kidnapped women. Never go to another location. That’s what they always said. She had to fight until Jack got to her. He would, she just knew it.
She kicked out at Fish and caught him in the stomach with all of her strength and tried to stand and get to Bobby. Fish grabbed her ankle before she had taken more than two steps and she went down again.
Viki opened her mouth and started screaming. The rough concrete cut into her face as she struggled to get away. Jerry laughed as he watched Fish struggle with her to contain her.
“Damn, you’re having a lot of trouble with such a little woman. Looks like she may be more than you can handle, better just cut her throat and be done with it. You better shut her the fuck up too before somebody hears and calls a cop.”
“Shut up Viki!” Fish yelled, but she just screamed louder.
He took a handful of her hair and slammed her head against the sidewalk. Her vision dimmed, but she found the strength to keep screaming. She thought she heard a truck and maybe Jack’s enraged voice, but she couldn’t be sure. Fish slammed her head against the concrete again and everything went black.
16
Jack felt panic rising in his belly as he drove toward home. It had taken Law a few minutes to reach anybody and Jack was almost to the house before help even headed their way. He neared the turn to the house and heard a scream that made his blood run cold. That was Viki and she sounded like she was being ripped apart.
They skidded to a stop behind a big black van and both Law and Jack bolted toward the house. A tall man wearing a three piece suit held Bobby around the waist like a sack of potatoes and headed for the van while Fish held Viki on the ground. She let out one more scream that made the hairs stand up all over Jack’s body just before Fish slammed her head against the unforgiving sidewalk and silenced her.
“You son of a bitch!” Jack lunged at Fish. They fell against the stone steps that let up to the porch and Jack heard a sickening crunch when Fish’s head hit one step.
That didn’t stop Jack from pummeling his face until he couldn’t get his breath.
Viki let out a low moan bringing Jack back to his senses. He rushed to her as the roar of motorcycles filled his ears. Jack looked up to find Law holding Bobby cradled against his chest while he checked him over. He nodded to Jack letting him know he was alright as far as Law knew.
Ink fell to his knees beside Viki and started asking questions. Somebody yelled for an ambulance, but all Jack could do was hold Viki’s bloody head in his hands.
How could this be happening?
It seemed like forever before the ambulance screeched to a halt in the yard. Jack was ushered into the back with Viki and he tried to listen as the paramedics talked, but the smell of her blood was too strong. He grabbed a big plastic bag and wretched up everything he’d eaten that day.
How could this be happening?
He’d promised to protect her and he’d failed.
Jack didn’t remember much about the next few hours. He found himself in a room with terribly uncomfortable chairs. He sat with he is head leaned against the wall and somehow dozed off.
He dreamed he was back in that apartment he had once called home. His mother had been laughing with one of her men. Jack had hid from them. He always tried to, but his mom knew his hiding places and always found him.
This time she pulled him into the shabby living room. There were razor blades on the glass topped table and some kind of white powder.
His mom always laughed too much after sucking the white power up her nose and she always wanted to show him off, ‘her pretty little boy’ she’d call him.
Today had been different thought, this time mom wasn’t snorting the powder. She had a needle and had poked it in her arm. Then she had gotten on her knees and put that man’s dick in her mouth. She’d seemed to enjoy it, but Jack didn’t see how anyone would like that. He’d felt his own dick jump and it had scared him, but mom had seen him while she slurped the man’s dick and she had grinned at him around her mouthful and motioned for him to come closer. Jack had shook his head because he didn’t want to be around any of those men, but mom wouldn’t be argued with. He’d stepped closer and she had taken
his hand and guided it to the man’s balls.
Jack had felt dirty touching the man, but mom wouldn’t let him take his hand away. He’d be so afraid that he’d just closed his eyes and let her do what she wanted with his hand until her felt a big rough hand on his bottom.
“None of that now.” He’d heard his mom say. “He’s not ready yet and I’ll not have him spoiled. My pretty little boy is worth a fortune.”
Mom had reached down and touched him them. Jack had felt tears on his face as she tugged down his shorts and touched him the way she had touched the other man.
“Such a pretty boy you are Jackie. You are growing up to be such a good boy too.”
Jack’s dream changed and he was now in a brightly lit room. It was only a few weeks after the day his mom had touched him, but everything had changed.
He stood alone on a raised platform. The lights blocked out everything but the little space around him. His mom told him to stand on the x and do as he was told and nobody would touch him. She said if he wasn’t a good boy that those men would hurt her and it was his job to make sure nobody hurt his mom. She depended on him to protect her.
He did move or fight or even protest and when she told him to take off all of his clothes he did that too. It wasn’t until after that he saw that the stage had been surrounded by men and they had all been staring at him. He’d been taken to a room where there were other boys about his age. Some were crying, but some looked like they were zombies. Only one spoke to him. His name had been Adam. He had been small and afraid, but he’d explained that they were all being sold to those men and that they would be used in any way the men wanted.
“Oh no we won’t.” Jack had vowed. “We will fight them off and they won’t touch us.”
“You can’t do that or they will hurt you.” Adam had said.
“I’ll protect you Adam. I’m big enough.” Jack had made that promise and he’d meant to keep it, but nothing worked out the way he’d planned.
He’d woken the two days later to the sound of Adam screaming. They had taken him to the end of the room where there were big iron bars and on the other side was a big bench looking thing covered in what looked like plastic. Adam was bent over the bench while a huge man rutted into him. Adam screamed and cried as blood ran down his thin legs, but the man wouldn’t stop.
“That’s just the sample. Just a little runt. You can see that we have several other boys who would not be so…noisy.” A voice said from the shadows.
“I like it when they scream.” The man grunted as Adam’s screams grew quieter and he lost the life in his eyes. He still lived, but he’d become one of the zombie boys now.
Jack had gone into a rage. He’d fought everyone who’d come too close until his mother came into the room. She’d gripped his throat and slapped his face until he’d tasted blood in his mouth.
In that moment he hated her. It was all her fault. He lunged at her causing her to fall against the iron bars. He pounded her head against the unforgiving bars until blood covered his hands and she lay still.
It was all her fault. She had planned it all and she had planned on selling him too. She had planned on making him a zombie boy like the others. He snarled and screamed at anyone who dared come near him. He rubbed blood all over his skin so anyone who saw him would know what he could do and would if he ever got the chance.
A few days later he stood on the stage again, but refused to do anything and no one would come near him. He’d still been covered in his mother’s blood and looked like some sort of demon. They had sprayed him with a hose, but the blood was caked on his skin too thick. It had only made pink puddles around his feet.
Ziggy had been an undercover cop investigating the child trafficking ring. He’d brought down a few of his fellow officers during his time there and he couldn’t’ afford to blow his cover, but he could afford to buy one very screwed up kid.
It had taken every dime Ziggy had saved over the last ten years, but he’d always vowed that it had been worth it.
Ziggy had saved Jack….
Jack woke with a start when someone kicked his boot.
“Cut that shit out man, you’re fucking scary.” Law said dryly.
Jack knew he was a noisy sleeper and he usually didn’t do it in public, but he was exhausted.
“They are getting your girl ready for a room. Nikki got you some clothes and shit so as soon as you get a chance you need to shower and change. You look gruesome.”
Jack looked at his hands. They were covered in blood. The blood of another person he’d let down.
“I can’t do this Law.”
“Don’t be a pussy man. This ain’t about you. Last time I checked you hadn’t had your brains scrambled by a maniac fish man. Kid said she fought like crazy too. If a little thing like her can fight then I think a big guy like you can at least be there, looking less like an axe murderer, when she wakes up.”
Law was right. Jack let his eyes roam the room and found everyone was there. Of course they were, that’s what brothers did.
He forced himself to his feet and stumbled to the bathroom. Shadow stood by the door with his eyes on his wife.
“You have to believe she’ll be ok Jack. Make whatever deals with the devil you need to or pray or whatever, but you can’t give up on her or you don’t deserve her.”
Jack had heard about Shadow and what he’d gone through to get Lacey. He had almost lost his mind and now he offered Jack advice.
“Thanks man.”
He went into the bathroom and tried to wash away his doubt along with the blood. Viki needed him, Law was right, this wasn’t about him.
17
Viki sat in her chair with her legs out in the bright summer sun. A bright umbrella fluttered over her head shielding her injured face. Jack had plopped her down in the shade in a brand new chair with her umbrella. She was still recovering from her injuries, but she was still sore and probably shouldn’t be out and about, but he just didn’t want her to feel left out of this outing.
She listened to Bobby laughing at something Law said as he taught him to cast his new fishing rod. He had caught two fish already and his smile rivaled the sun.
She couldn’t believe how her life had turned out. How had she gone from scratching to just have enough money to eat to having this much happiness.
Jack looked up and grinned when he felt her eyes on him. He hopped up and jogged over to her.
“Hey Mighty Mouse. You doing alright?”
He leaned down and kissed the only spot on her face that wasn’t bruised.
“I am. I really appreciate you bringing me out here, I know it was a lot of trouble.”
He squatted down and looked her in the eye. “Let me tell you something little miss. You are no trouble to me. I want you to be around. I want you to see what that pain gained you.” He pointed to where Bobby sat. “You fought hard and you deserve to enjoy the rewards.”
He kissed her lips gently.
“I’m so damned proud of you. Love you Viki.”
Her heart swelled until she felt it would burst.
“I love you too Jack. I can’t believe this is really my life. You have changed everything.”
He ran his hand over her leg and looked out over the water.
“This is something I really want Viki. This life with you. You say that I’m doing this great thing for you, but really it’s for me too. I needed it too.” His eyes met hers, the corners crinkled as he squinted. “There is more than one way to starve.”
Bobby shouted with excitement as he pulled in another fish. Jack kissed her and headed back to the water. Nikki pulled her chair over and sat beside Viki.
“These are strange men we have chosen to love, but they are worth it.”
Viki looked at the woman who was so crazy over Law. She was beautiful. Captivatingly so and she loved a man that most would swear was evil.
“How do you do it Nikki? How do you live this life and not lose who you are or who you thought you should be?
”
Nikki laughed. “Honey it’s not about losing yourself, it’s about redefining who you really want to be right now, after all the shit life has thrown at you. That boy didn’t ask for his daddy to be a psycho maniac. He didn’t ask to lose his mama either. He could wallow in that shit for the rest of his life or he could go fishing and say fuck it.” She shrugged and took a long drink of water from the bottle in her hand.
“I worry about him. He has a lot to overcome.”
“Oh honey we all do. He has to find his place, same as the rest of us.” She looked over at Viki. “You found yours?”
Viki felt her cheeks go warm. Jack had been everything she could have dreamed. It was like he’d made it his mission in life to wipe away all the bad memories of the past few years and replace them with happiness. No, he wasn’t all roses and giggles, but he was solid and he stood by his word and he loved Bobby.
“I think I have.”
Nikki kicked back in her chair. “I have my demons and they still get to me sometimes, but I don’t let them haunt me, I can’t give them that power, but sometimes it’s ok to be weak, just for a little while. Law lets me do that. He doesn’t care what was, he cares about right now and who I am with him. That is a kind of freedom you can’t find anywhere else in this fucked up world. In my old man’s arms I have it all.”
“He’s sort of scary.” Viki said as she watched Law now. He seemed like a normal man if you didn’t see the ink and the metal in his face.
“Sometimes the good guys have to be meaner than the good guys to really make a difference. He does bad shit, but in his head, it’s for a good reason. Killing that boy’s daddy made his life better and to Law that’s justified.”
As bad as it seemed, Nikki was right.
Viki pushed herself to her feet. She was still sore as all hell, but she made her way over to where Bobby sat with Law. Law’s blue eyes glinted when he looked up.
“Thank you.” She mouthed not wanting to dampen the fun with the somber subject.
Law understood and nodded once. “I’s what we do Vik.”
Jack Page 8