Fight Like A Girl

by A. D. Herrick

  As smoothly as he could, Chaos lifted me from the lukewarm bath water. The cool air hit me first followed by the aches and pains of my injuries. The hot bath had soothed away the pain but without the heated water, it had all started to come back. There wasn’t a stitch of my body that didn’t ache.

  “I know baby. I know.” Wrapping me firmly in a thick white towel Chaos cradled me to his chest and carried me into the bedroom.

  “Hijo, leave us be while I help her dress, and go change your shirt,” Mamá ordered, standing firmly at the end of the bed.

  “I don’t-”

  “Hijo, that’s not a request.” She cut him off, not allowing him to finish.

  With her hands balled at her hips, she gave him a punishing look. There was nothing he could do but nod and do as he was told.

  A small laugh bubbled up in my chest at the sight. Chaos shot me a scathing look that did nothing to calm the laughter that tittered from between my lips.

  Placing me gently on the edge of the bed he pressed his lips to my crown promising to return as soon as he could.

  “I love you.” His words warmed my heart.

  “I love you, too.” And I did, more than I ever thought imaginable.

  Mamá stared us down, her eyes narrowed into slits as she waited for Chaos to leave, relenting he let out a petulant huff, turning on his heels and storming out from the room.

  “Ay, that boy.” Mamá chastised affectionately as she sauntered over to where I sat.

  “You can’t deny it any longer, Hija. That boy is crazy for you.”

  “I know, Mamá.” I half smiled finally allowing myself to believe it.

  “Let’s get you dry and into some clean clothes. Doc is here. I can’t cover you fully because he will need to look you over. But I can give you some modesty. Doc wanted me to ask you a few questions. Questions he didn’t think you would feel comfortable answering in front of Carlos.” I felt my stomach clench at the implication. I knew the questions would come. There was no escaping it. But it didn’t mean I was ready to answer.

  “I understand.”

  “One of the men told Carlos Shank was going to sell you, Hija. I need to know if he did. I need you to tell me what happened. I need you to start from the beginning.”

  So I did.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Chaos

  How much longer were they going to be in there? I felt like a caged lion as I paced the living room floor. My mind swam with questions. What were they talking about? How badly was she injured? What did that asshole do to her? The questions filtered through my mind so swiftly the made my stomach churn.

  “Easy son. If she sees you this riled up you’re liable to scare her. She’s been through enough already.”

  “Fuck.” I roared tugging with both hands at the side of my head.

  “Don’t you think I know?” I growled in my father’s direction venting my aggression at the only other person in the room.

  “Don’t get testy with me.” He demanded shooting me a scathing look, completely unperturbed by my outburst.

  I knew I was pushing him. I was being unfair. But I didn’t care. Drake had been in with G and Mamá for the past hour and I was going crazy waiting.

  Had I known Mamá had gone behind my back and called my father and his husband I would have - Hell, I don’t know what I would have done differently. I hated admitting Mamá was right. I hated for any of them to be right. Not because I didn’t want G better but because I felt so helpless.

  Deep down I was glad Pop and Drake had come. Drake was the Doctor Mamá had spoken of. If I was being honest, he is the only Doc I would trust around my girl. Not because he was gay, but because I knew he would do anything and everything he could to help my girl. He may have been the Prez of one of the toughest MCs in the state but he was also one of the best Docs I knew.

  Drake wasn’t a bad guy and maybe that was the worst part of it all. It had always been hard to hate him when my father left. Just like it was hard to hate him now for keeping me from my girl. He wasn't doing it to hurt me. He was doing it to help G. And damned if it didn't kill me to know that he could do things for her I would never be able to do.

  It wrecked me.

  I was the one that was supposed to keep her safe. I was the one who was supposed to slay all of her demons. Me.

  But I had failed. God did I fail her. It ate at me constantly. Every mark on her body was a reminder of that failure, a glaring reminder of my inability to keep her safe. I had let my ego get in the way and left my girl in the hands of the very people who set out to hurt her. I had been a fool.

  “Sit down.” My father commanded rising from his seat at the dining room table, towering over me.

  “I can’t sit, Pops. I need to see her. It’s driving me crazy.”

  “Well, you’re driving me crazy. Sit down so we can talk. I have some intel for you on that little slimy fucker.” The mention of Shank had my attention. My body perked up, ready to attack.

  “What do you have?”

  “If you would sit the fuck down I’ll tell you. You’re not doing any of us any good wearing a hole in your Mamá’s rug. She’ll skin your fucking hide.” I chuckled despite the seriousness of the situation. He was right. Mamá would have no qualms about kicking my ass over one of her rugs.

  Taking the seat across from where my father had vacated I clasped my hands in front of me urging him to continue.

  “You done now?” He asked finally taking his seat.

  “Yes.” I chirped through gritted teeth.

  “Good.” He huffed out in annoyance. Though he acted the part of angry father I could see the worry in his eyes.

  My father and I had not always seen eye to eye after he and Mamá split, but before that, we’d had a pretty good relationship and he loved G just as much as Mamá did. Both of them loved her like she was one of their own.

  It was my father’s suggestion to start bringing her to the gym when she was just a kid. He had seen her walking down the street, coming back from the store, one day with a couple of guys following closely behind her, their ill intentions were written all over their faces. My father had sent me ahead, telling me to bring G to the gym while he handled the men. I never knew what happened to those men and it didn't matter because I had never seen them again. But from that day forward my father had made it his mission for me to teach G self-defense and to never let her wander the streets alone. G was only sixteen, but even at that age, I knew there was something special about her.

  I’d known Marco from school. We’d grown up together, the two of us becoming fast friends. I’d known G too, but back then she was Ginger, Marco’s bratty little sister. It wasn’t until that first day at the gym did I truly finally see her. My world hadn’t been the same since.

  “Drake and I have been keeping our heads down listening to the talk on the streets. Most of what’s gone on you know about so I won't bore you with the details. The gist of it is Marco was taking bids on G. He drugged her one night and brought all the interested buyers in, allowing them to lay eyes on their purchase.”

  My father had confirmed everything Fred had told me, just before I ended his life. The muscles in my jaw twitched, rage like nothing I’d ever felt before coursed through my veins.

  My father’s eyes met mine, silently begging for me to let him finish. It took everything I had in me to stay seated with my mouth shut. Everything. With my jaw clenched tight I listened, willing my body to stay in place.

  “Apparently Marco had two different auctions going on. One for G as a fighter and one for her body.”

  Like a bull, I was ready to charge. My hands flew out angrily doing little to dispel the rage burning in my soul. “How the fuck did he manage to do this? How was he able to organize an auction on his own sister, my girl, without anyone finding out? Without me finding out?”

  My father blew out a long shaky breath. I saw the hesitation in his eyes as he debated on how best to tell me. It killed me. I didn’t want the wate
red down version. I wanted it all and he knew it.

  “That’s where Shank came in. Marco used Shank to gather the buyers. Only when it came down to collecting, the buyers found out Marco had taken them all for a ride, accepting all of their bids and collecting all of their money. Marco had no intention of actually selling G. He was banking on you protecting her, keeping her safe from those coming to collect.”

  I was completely floored. How fucking stupid could Marco be? He took a fucking gamble with his sister. He took a gamble with her life. If he wasn’t dead already he would have been. I hated the fact that those fuckers got to him first. I wanted to dig his cold lifeless form up from the ground just to kill him again. “How do you know all this?”

  “There was another buyer in the game, only when they found out who the fighter was they backed out, but not before going to the auction. The buyer has been willing to give us intel so long as we don’t mention their name and Drake and I agreed.”

  “How the fuck can you defend someone who is willing to buy another human being?” I screamed leaping from my seat in anger. The dining room chair fell back against the floor with a clatter, the sound echoing off the empty walls.

  “I’m not defending their actions, but regardless of if I agree with their unethical business practices or not, this person has been helping you get your girl. This person cares enough to put their neck on the line and help clean up the mess Marco made.

  So before you go judging people, I suggest you think really hard about that woman in the next room. Think about all the shit she went through and all the shit you saved her from because this person DID have a conscious. This person DID you a solid. And this person fucking cared enough to fucking help you find her and is willing to help you to get rid of that piece of shit that took her in the first place.” He bellowed out rising from his seat. He punctuated every fact with a thrust of his finger into my chest.

  “You’re angry, I get it. You have every right to be angry. But you need to be angry at the right people, the people at fault. Marco made the deal. Shank came to collect. The Hunters, The Crows, The Devils, Angry Spades, and Undertakers helped Shank to hide her. They were the MCs willing to buy her KNOWING she was yours. So sit your fucking ass down and get your head out of your ass for just one second. You have the girl. She’s safe. If you run off half-cocked everything you fought for the past few weeks will be for nothing. Shank will swoop on in here and snatch her from you again and this time you may not get her back.”

  “Fuck you.” I seethed. My breaths came out in an angry huffed of air. I could nearly see the steam billowing from my nostrils.

  “Chaz,” like a bubble blown too hard all the anger I felt deflated with a resounding - pop.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Ginger

  His body vibrated with rage beneath my hand. I had never in my life seen Chaos so worked up. It was frightening.

  I wasn’t afraid of him. I was afraid for him. Fear like I’d never felt before coated the back of my tongue leaving it thick in my mouth.

  “Chaz. Leave it. Please.” I begged unable to take any more talk of Shank or the people that had helped him.

  I just needed one day. One night without that piece of shit ruining it for me. I just needed one night of Chaos holding me in his arms. One night to recover. One night without nightmares. Was that so much to ask?

  His eyes fell on mine. So much pain and anger simmered just below the surface, waiting to escape. “I can’t leave it. You know I can’t.” The anguish in his eyes told me what I knew to be true. He couldn’t let it go.

  I knew he wouldn’t be able to. I wasn’t able to. But I just needed this one night.

  “Just give me tonight. Just tonight.” I begged, ignoring the tears that burned behind my eyes.

  “Ginger.” I flinched at the sound of Drake’s voice, hating that I did. It wasn’t the man himself that caused the reaction, it was the way he said my name. The truths he urged me to disclose. He wanted me to face a reality I wasn’t yet ready to face.

  Turning my head my eyes met his. “I will,” I promised, hating every moment of it. Despite it all, I knew he was right. I needed to tell Chaos everything, even if it killed me.

  Chaos’s arm went around me protectively, pulling me into his side. The pain of the movement had me cringing away. Chaos’s gaze was too transfixed on Drake to notice, his grip tightening beyond what I could handle. Instead of fighting him, I relaxed into his side, allowing my body to conform to the dips and curve of his taut frame.

  “Leave it. He’s not the bad guy.” I urged pressing my hand firmly against Chaos’s chest, pushing him back from whatever madness had taken over him.

  “What is this? What’s going on?” Chaos demanded glancing between me and Drake. The pain and confusion in his eyes killed me.

  “Nothing’s going on but we need to talk.” I looked up at him, begging him to not fight me on this.

  I’d spent the last hour with Drake as he examined my body from head to toe. Once upon a time, I’d had some decorum of modesty but it seemed those days had passed. Instead, I willed my mind to go back to that safe place, that place where no one could touch me, as Drake looked me over. His cold fingers pushing and prodding at my discolored flesh.

  I answered all his questions, like a robot, I stuck to the facts unable to delve any further, for if I did, I knew I would never recover.

  Aside from the obvious bruising and contusions, I had a possible fractured rib and internal bruising which would explain the pain I felt when I breathed and the weight I felt against my chest as though an anvil were sitting on it. I was dehydrated and malnourished all of which could be fixed after turning Mamá loose in the kitchen. Which she was busy seeing to as we all stood around waiting for Chaos to calm down.

  Drake had asked about the abuse, all of it. I had been honest - To an extent. I couldn’t lie about the physical. It was all there for him to see, inscribed into my flesh.

  But there were things I didn’t tell him. Things I couldn’t bring myself to admit. Things I still couldn’t bring myself to accept. But he saw it. I knew by the look in his eyes that he had seen right through me.

  Drake didn’t push me. Instead, he reached into his bag, extracting a colorful array of pills to which he offered me. Mamá was at his side, a glass of ice water in her hand at the ready. I didn’t ask what they were. With a watery smile, I accepted the cocktail and tossed them back, chasing them down with the glass of water. Hoping they held the magic to wipe away the past few weeks.

  Drake had drawn blood while Mamá held my hand. The thick red vials were placed in a small cooler like box in his bag, a thin bandage attached to the puncture mark on my arm.

  It was then that Drake encouraged me to open up to Chaos. He believed that I was the only one who would be able to calm his savage beast. Chaos was in his element, unpredictable and unstable, ready to destroy anything that stood in his way. Both Drake and Mamá were concerned, afraid he would take things too far.

  “You’re the only one who can calm him Hija.” She had said, placing the burden solely on my shoulders. I knew she didn’t mean for it to be that way, but we all know it was true.

  “Please. Just come with me while Mamá cooks. I need you.” It was true. I needed him like my next breath.

  Reluctantly Chaos allowed me to lead him back into the room. Without flipping on the light I shut the door behind us, leaving us in the dark. Wordlessly he followed me to the bed. He didn’t flinch away when I pulled back the covers, or when I tugged him down into the mattress after me. The cover of night wrapped around us, creating the illusion of security.

  He laid on his back allowing me to curl up on my side, resting my head on his chest. His heart beat erratically beneath my cheek. The whooshing sound of his blood pumping through the ventricles was hypnotic.

  “I dreamed of this, of you and me lying together in bed. Only I never imagined it would come about in this fashion. I always imagined it would be in my bed, in our apartment over
the gym, your hair draped over my pillow.” His voice was low and dreamy as though he were lost in a fantasy.

  “Me too,” I replied smiling against his chest.

  Chaos’s arm banded around my waist while his thumb stroked small circles along my hip. We lay in silence, eyes closed as we listened to one breathing. It was peaceful. Comforting. Soothing. It was everything I had ever dreamed of and hoped for, yet it was tarnished. Dirtied by the memories of the last few weeks. Soiled by the reminders left on my body.

  “I never stopped looking for you. From the moment I found out you were taken, I never stopped.”

  “I know.” And I did. I never once gave up hope that he would find me. That hope was what had kept me alive. It gave me a reason to keep going.

  “I had to kill people. A lot of people. I don’t regret it. I’d do it again. So many lives were lost.” The honesty in his voice should have scared me. I should have got up and walked away right then. But I couldn't. This man was everything to me.

  “I’ve killed people. One I know of for a fact. She was just a young girl. She didn’t deserve it. But I had to make a choice, her or me… I chose me.” Tears ran down my cheeks like liquid fire. I made no attempt to wipe them away. Admitting my guilt was cathartic. I felt like a heavy weight had been released from my chest, allowing me to breathe better.

  Chaos’s thumb quit moving, his arm banded around me tighter. His other arm wrapped around me, securing me firmly against his chest.

  “I’m sorry you were ever put in that position, Baby, but I’m not sorry you made that choice. Always choose you, Ginger. Always. I can’t imagine a world without you.” I wept openly in his arms, allowing him to comfort me with his touch and the press of his lips against my crown.

  “I want him dead. I want him to suffer the way he made me suffer. Does that make me a monster? Does it make you love me any less?” The honesty poured from me, spilling out into the open night air.