I could call Colton or Hendrix but by the time they actually get here, it’d be quicker just to walk.
I make my way out through the back of the mall parking lot and am just about to cross the road when a noise up ahead draws my attention. I glance up to find a guy leaning against a brick wall. He's not paying attention to me but my stomach twists, telling me that he’s more than aware that I’m here.
Why the hell did I have to walk out through the back of the mall? That was fucking stupid. Nic has always drilled into me to always stay on the main roads whenever I have to walk somewhere. Never take shortcuts.
Trusting my gut, I cut across the road and walk to the other side only to find the prick following me across, this time his eyes focused heavily on me.
Fuck.
Why the hell did I have to insist on hiding Nic’s gun away in my underwear drawer? I should be carrying it everywhere in this fucked-up town.
I pick up my pace and get a good grip on my math textbook, preparing to launch it at the fucker when another guy appears at the other end of the walkway and starts heading toward me. My heart starts racing. I’m in fucking trouble here.
They couldn’t know each other, could they? Is this a trap?
The guy in front of me is covered from head to toe in tattoos, and not the sexy kind, but the kind that makes my skin crawl. My palms grow sweaty as I remain extremely aware of both the men, constantly watching the guy in front while keeping my peripheral vision on the guy behind, especially as he starts picking up his pace.
Going against my better judgment, I slow down, trying to avoid getting closer to the guy in front.
I’m fucked.
What do they want?
I glance around in a panic. I’ve already had my innocence stolen from me, I’m not about to let it happen again. There’s an alleyway across the road and right now, it’s my only chance of getting away. If I can run across and somehow lose them, I’ll be alright.
These guys don’t look like they’re from around here, they look more like the kind of guys from back home, the kind that you’d never want to be alone with. In fact, they look a lot like my boys—deadly, cold, and vicious.
The gap between us gets smaller and I stop in the center, flicking my gaze between the two. They nod at one another as they bear down on me, making it clear that I’ve fallen right into their trap, but I’m not a fucking quitter. I’m not about to roll over and allow them to have their wicked way with me.
I'm better than that. I have to fight this.
I drop everything in my arms and run.
I dart across the road faster than I’ve ever moved in my life, running straight for the alleyway. I’ve never been down here before and I have absolutely no idea what’s at the other end but I have to hope that there’s salvation. I can’t have this happen again. I won’t survive it a second time.
My feet pound against the road and I hear the two guys instantly take off after me, their feet moving like lightning. Panic surges through me as I become extremely aware of every step I take, desperate not to fall or stumble knowing that one tiny little fuck up could end me.
I glance back over my shoulder to find one of the guys with a gun in his hand and an involuntary scream tears from deep within me.
I remember the words Nic always taught me—if you can’t fight back, run. Run as fast as you fucking can. A slow target is a dead target.
Repeating his mantra over and over again, I race up the pathway and slam my hand against the brick wall to fling myself around the corner faster. I dive into the alleyway but don't dare stop as their footsteps grow louder, closer.
Glancing up ahead and trying to figure out my next step, I come to a screeching halt, finding three men already there, waiting for me at the end of the alleyway.
“Fuck,” I breathe, glancing around in a panic, desperate for some kind of escape. I start backing up as they move toward me and for some reason, I find it impossible to tear my eyes off them, particularly the older man standing in the center. He has an air about him, something that screams danger.
He’s in a suit and the way he holds his shoulders and oozes importance tells me to keep my fucking mouth shut.
The two men behind me finally catch up and I feel the gun at my back, forcing me to walk forward and meet the men in the middle.
My eyes flick around, desperately searching to figure out who’s the weakest link, which one would I be able to take down, which one could I fool?
The suited man takes a step forward. “I wouldn’t, Oceania Munroe,” he warns, shocking me as he uses my full name, though I hardly hear him over the deafening pulsing in my ears as my blood pumps wildly through my body with fear.
“Who are you?” I demand, far too bravely for how I feel inside as I try to look over them in a new light. They clearly know me and I too easily just fell into their trap. These fuckers have been watching me, waiting for me.
He steps in closer and scans over my face, looking for something but I have no idea what. “I think the real question here is who the hell are you?”
I slam my hands against him, forcing him a step away from me, his closeness way too disturbing for my own liking.
The gun at my back moves to my skull. “Don’t fucking tempt me,” the guy murmurs at my back, his hot breath hitting the side of my face. “I’ve been waiting for my fucking chance to take out Dominic Garcia’s girl.”
Fuck. They’re Wolves.
I’m in more trouble than I could ever have known.
“Easy, Snake,” the suited guy demands, his sharp, deadly glare shooting up over my shoulder to the armed man at my back. “Hurt her and you’ll spend the next week in the cell.”
The gun instantly eases off the back of my head as a low, rumbly growl sounds behind me. “Yes, boss.”
“Boss?” I question, my eyes going wide as I stare at the man standing way too close. I suck in a sharp breath. No, this can’t be happening. “You’re Mikhail Russo.”
His eyes sparkle with danger and in the blink of an eye, he seems to grow a million feet taller. “Ahh, so you know who I am.”
I swallow back fear, doing everything in my power not to let on just how fucking terrified I am. “What do you want with me?”
He licks his lips and shivers travel right down my spine, turning my blood freezing cold. “I’ve been watching you, pup,” he says in a chilling tone. “You’ve been a very naughty girl spending so much time with those Widows. Anyone would think that you’re a traitor to your family.”
“Family?” I scoff. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re a Wolf, girl, and have been since the day you were born.”
“No,” I say, shaking my head and scrunching my face in distaste. “‘I'm no Wolf and I sure as hell am no Widow, but I know where my loyalties lie. I don’t want anything to do with your stupid gang.”
A hand shoots out and slaps hard across my face, leaving a stinging ache in its wake. “Watch your mouth,” Russo spits. “The Wolves are your family whether you like it or not. Out of respect for your father, I’ve kept my distance, but I’m not a very patient man. With Dominic Garcia now leading the Black Widows, it’s time for you to come home. You could be of great use to me.”
I laugh at him. “You think I'm about to come and sit by your side in your shitty little clubhouse and tell you everything I know on Nic and the Widows. Yeah, fucking right.”
“Careful,” he says, stepping into me and forcing me back a step, only to stumble over the gunman’s boot and fall into the brick wall of the alleyway. “Keep talking like that and my men may get the impression that you’re a traitor to who you are, to your father, and your family.”
Fuck. Being labeled a traitor by anyone is never a good sign, even if they’re not your people. That’s practically begging for a bullet through my temple, but at the same time, I won’t turn on the boys—they’re my family.
“I am not a Wolf,” I tell him, raising my chin in defiance. “And I sure as hell won�
��t be giving up Nic to you. I’d sooner die.”
His men step closer and I become completely surrounded by Wolves. “Let me at her,” one of them snaps. “She’s not loyal. She’ll only stab us in the back and cause problems. Just end her now before it gets out of hand.”
Russo places his hand against the guy’s chest and he instantly retreats, like some kind of lap dog. The two share a look and Russo’s little Wolf goes white. Apparently speaking out of turn is a big no-no and threatening to take out the girl that the boss man clearly has plans for is an even bigger mistake.
Russo looks back at me and somehow the leer he gives me is a million times worse than anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s darker than my soul during those moments with Jude, it’s more lethal than Nic with a blade, and fuck, it’s a shitload worse than any damage my father could have ever done. He’s the real definition of a monster. The shit my boys bring to the table is just child’s play. This right here is the big leagues and I’m in over my head.
“Listen here, pup,” he says, folding his hands together and drawing my attention to a chunky, black ring on his left hand that has an engraving of a Wolf. He slips it off his finger and hands it to one of his men. “Whether you like it or not, you belong to me. You’re a Wolf and you’re going to be in my ranks. You are loyal to me.”
I swallow my protests, being smart enough to know when to keep my damn mouth shut, only when he looks to the tattooed man who’d chased after me and led me into this fucked-up trap, his next words have screams of terror tearing from my throat. “Turn her around.”
In a flash, the tattooed man grabs me and spins me around. I’m slammed back against the brick wall with both of my wrists locked in his tight grip behind my back. My face is pressed hard against the rough wall and I feel the brick slicing through my soft skin.
I fight against his hold, fearing the absolute worst. “LET ME GO,” I scream, desperately trying to free my hands and kick out against his vice-like hold.
I hear a strange sound, one that’s familiar but one that I can’t quite place. I try to peer around to see what’s going on, but the tattooed man holds me tighter. He steps right into me and I feel his horrid warmth against my back. “This is going to hurt just a little.”
My breath comes in sharp, terrified gasps as another guy steps into me and bunches up my hair until the back of my neck is completely on display. “NO,” I scream. “NIC IS GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU FOR THIS, JUST LIKE HE KILLED THOSE SCUM LOSERS WHO SHOT KIAN.”
Laughter sounds at my back and just as Russo takes a step closer, that odd familiar sound suddenly clicks and my blood runs cold.
It’s a fucking blow torch.
He’s going to brand me like cattle.
I scream louder, absolutely terrified for what comes next when a rough hand presses down over my mouth, muffling my cries. Russo steps in right behind me and the tattooed man moves out of his way but doesn’t dare let up on his hold.
I hardly have a chance to fight before a searing, sharp sting burns into the back of my neck. My skin blisters and bubbles under the ring and I clench my eyes as my teeth bite down hard against the hand on my mouth.
I howl in agony and feel myself becoming light-headed. My knees give out and just like that, the five men step back from me and I crumble into a mess on the dirty ground.
Tears stream down my cheeks, dropping into my lap. My head remains against the brick wall being the only thing that’s keeping me up. There’s an odd rusty taste in my mouth and as my senses begin to come back to me, I realize that the first man I had seen in the street is clutching his hand with blood pouring between his fingers.
Realizing it’s his blood I taste, my stomach churns and I throw up the contents of my stomach right into my lap and all over the ground before me. Having absolutely no energy to do anything about it, I just sit here weeping, knowing damn well that this isn't the last I'll see of these men.
Sobs begin tearing from my throat and as Russo looks down at me in disgust and leans in, I try my best to reel it in. “This isn’t over, pup. Like I said, I’m not a very patient man, but I respected your father and I respect his wishes. He didn’t want you brought into this life until you were eighteen. Fucking stupid if you ask me, but lucky for you, I’m going to allow you to see out your senior year, and then you’ll be coming home right where you belong.”
I shake my head but the movement sends a searing bolt of agony shooting through me. “Be smart, girl,” he warns in a chilling tone. “I’m watching you. You're branded with my mark and that means that you will never escape me. If you run, I will find you and you won’t like the consequences, so I suggest that you come with a fucking smile on that pretty face.”
I go to look up at him but by the time I find the energy to raise my chin and fight the pain at the back of my neck, all I see are five retreating forms, escaping the alleyway in their need to get out of here before someone comes looking.
I keep my eyes locked on them and not once do they look back.
They hit the end of the alley and finally disappear from view but I’m not fooled. I know they still have eyes on me. Either way, it’s enough to allow me to finally take a proper breath.
The pain in my neck is next fucking level but the relief is too great to pay attention to it right now. All I know is that I have to get out of here.
Finding the energy that I just don’t have, I dig into my bra and find my phone before pressing a few buttons and holding it to my ear as my hands shake, still rattled by fear.
“O?” his concerned voice comes streaming down the line, making the tears spring from my eyes once again.
“Please,” I sob, my voice barely audible. “Please, I need you to come and get me.”
Chapter 20
Forty-eight minutes is all it takes for Nic’s car to come screeching to a halt at the top of the alleyway. Car doors are thrown open and within seconds, their feet are pounding against the pavement, the echoes bouncing off the walls in the narrow space.
“Baby,” Nic rushes out, dropping to his knees and searching over me from head to toe as Sebastian watches on with wide, horrified eyes. “What happened? Who did this?”
Nic reaches for me and a strangled squeal tears out of my throat, the vibrations from my voice box aching against my sore throat. I flinch away and instantly regret the movement. “Don’t touch me.”
His hands fly away from me and for a brief moment, he just stares in silence, completely horrified by what he’s seeing. I’ve never allowed the boys to see me in pain, but truth be told, I’ve never experienced anything like this around any of them before.
Sebastian crouches down to see my face and the anguish in his eyes is enough to cripple me. “Ocean, please,” he begs. “I know you’re hurting but we need to know what happened. We need to make it better.”
I meet his haunted stare and everything inside of me breaks.
Painful sobs tear up my throat and I try my best to swallow them down while struggling to breathe past the massive lump in my throat. “Mikhail Russo,” I say, looking across from Sebastian to meet Nic’s eyes. “He wants me in their ranks to take Dad’s place.”
Nic flies to his feet and turns away, running his hands through his hair. “FUCK,” he roars, his voice traveling right through to the other end of the alleyway. He spins back around to look down at me and there’s nothing but guilt shining in his eyes. “I’m so fucking sorry, O. This is all on me. This is retaliation. He thinks he can get to me through you.”
“Well, it fucking worked.” I nod and cringe at the burning pain at the back of my neck. “He marked me,” I say, feeling more ashamed than I have the right to feel.
“The fuck?” Sebastian grunts as understanding dawns on Nic’s face, knowing all too well what the fuck I’m talking about. After all, he stood behind three Wolves not that long ago and paid specific attention to their necks, he would have seen their mark, the same one that now has a permanent residence at the back of my neck.
N
ic drops down beside me, his face so fucking white he looks ready to pass out. “Please,” he says, cautiously reaching for me. “I need to see it. I need to make sure you’re okay.”
I pull back from his touch, in far too much pain to have him poking and prodding me but realizing that if I don’t have someone pay attention to it and get some first aid, I could end up with a severe infection. I let out a shaky breath and nod. “Just … go slowly,” I whisper, fearing my voice will break and show just how miserable I feel. “It fucking burns.”
He nods and ever so gently brushes my hair back from my neck. Strands have dried into the wound and he has no choice but to pull them away, making me groan in pain as shivers run through my body. “Fuck,” he breathes as Sebastian moves in beside him and crouches down to get a good look.
“We have to get her out of this dirty alleyway or she’ll end up with an infection.”
“Yeah,” he says, raking his eyes from my head all the way down to my toes. His lips press into a hard line and the grimace on his face tells me that I’m not going to like what he’s about to say. “O, I need to get you out of these clothes, and then we’re going to get you out of here.”
I glance down, almost having forgotten that I’d thrown up all over myself. “Okay,” I finally whisper, hating how weak I must appear to them.
Sebastian moves around to block me from sight from anyone who happens to walk by as Nic takes my hand and helps me to my feet. I start unbuttoning my blouse as Nic pulls his hoodie over his head and wedges it between his legs.
He helps me get my shirt off and just as I knew he would, he doesn’t stare or rake his eyes over my body like other men would do in his position, and right now, despite the fact that he’s already seen me in my naked glory a million times over, I appreciate his respect.
Not wasting time and desperately just wanting to get home and off the dirty streets, I start tugging on my skirt. Nic brings his hoodie over my head and carefully settles it into place as my skirt drops to the ground.
Barbie B*tch: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rejects Paradise Book 3) Page 19