"Please Ash, I need to do this." Redline pleads again. Her body stiffens with apprehension before answering.
"Fine. But if they suspect you for anything, you get the fuck out of there. I don't care where you are or what you're doing. You get the fuck out, Redline."
"I will. Thank you," his blue eyes light up with excitement.
"First, you need to learn how to fight and it will have to be a quick lesson," I say holding up one finger. "Second, once you get in, keep your head down. They're going to make you do some shady shit and it will try to change you, possibly break you." I hold up two fingers. "Don't let it. Don't get sucked into that world, Redline. Once she sinks her evil claws in you, she won't let go. It's an adrenaline rush and one that's addicting. Third, you're going to want an outlet after you fight and there's one girl who can do that," I hold up three fingers. "That'll be your in. Cozy up to Wrath but watch your back."
"What can she do?" Redline asks, his sapphire eyes are wide, soaking in everything I'm telling him.
I hesitate to answer when Ashley splays her fingers along the worst scar marring my body over my shirt. The warmth of her hand encourages me to be strong. I lift my shirt up over my head and hear gasps coming from the room. I keep my eyes on Ashley as I speak.
"This one here," I say pointing to the long, jagged scar from my armpit to my collarbone. "Is what she's capable of when she's pissed. She used a dull knife and found immense pleasure in making it." I swallow hard and keep my eyes locked on Ashley as my mind drifts back to one of the worst days of my life.
Chapter 11
Nolan - 17 years old
It's been two months since I've officially been initiated into the Corridore Rosso gang. I've had to do some shady shit to be wearing this red bandana, but the power that comes with it is like nothing I've ever experienced. I'm hooked, and I can't let go. The demon I've fought with every day is slowly taking over and he wants blood.
Switch and I are walking down the street, towards a bar called "The Rosso." It's where my mother has been bar tending and working under Switch's father Marcus Angelo. She doesn't care that I've been involved with these guys, if I keep providing her money for her drugs. It's a warm spring day, but the light breeze blowing off the Hudson Bay sends a shiver down my spine.
Switch opens the heavy wooden door to the bar and it takes my eyes a second to adjust to the dim lighting inside. My mother is standing behind the bar, wearing a pair of short shorts and a black tank top that hangs off her slim frame. She's looking worse each time I see her. Her stringy brown hair is pulled up in a ponytail and her cheeks are sunken in. She's serving Marcus a beer, who's sitting at the end of the bar and he looks up when we come inside.
He nods his head at Switch and they go into the back room of the bar, out of sight. I take a seat at one of the scared round tables, near the door. My mother comes over and sets a Coke down in front of me.
"Looks like you can use this," she says and walks away.
I take a long pull, the cold liquid burning its way down my throat, looking around the bar. Shit, she's mixed some Jack in this Coke. There are just a few people in here watching me out of the corner of the eyes. They won't look at me directly, which is fine with me. Suppressing a cough from the strong mixture, I keep one eye on the door and stay aware of my surroundings. Leaving the drink my mother brought me alone, I play with the straw, waiting for Switch and Marcus to appear from the backroom. They do most of their business back there.
We just got done collecting money from our dealers and walked out with over fifty grand in cash. I had to use my fists only once when the asshole thought he could short change us. He'll be eating from a straw for a little while. I flex my hands and stare at the scars created by beating the shit out of people. Is this what my life has come to?
Switch appears from the backroom. He has a pissed off expression on his face and I immediately stand up. My head is spinning and my stomach is woozy from the drink. I never drink and my mother knows this. I need to keep my wits about me around these guys.
"Let's go now," Switch barks at me. Fuck, he's pissed about something.
We walk out of the bar and into the sunlight. The brightness is overwhelming, and I shield my eyes until they can adjust, stumbling a little on the cracked sidewalk.
"What the fuck's wrong with you?" Switch growls.
"Nothing. What's going on?" I answer.
"Bullshit. Don't fucking lie to me, Nolan. You can't walk a straight line."
"My mother served me a drink. Fucking shit, I don't drink. I'll be fine in a minute." I stumble again as we walk down the sidewalk.
"How many times do I have to tell you, don't take things from that woman? She's fucked up your ability to do your fucking job and we have another one." He stops right in front of me and I almost slam into him. "Don't fuck this one up. Marcus needs this money and if you fuck it up, you'll be sorry." The deadly look in his black eyes sobers me up immediately.
"Got it. I won't fuck it up." I answer, keeping my eyes locked on his. He must be satisfied with what he sees because he turns and walks away. I scramble to keep up. "What's the job?"
"You're going to go and collect twenty grand from this junkie named Tony. He's owed Marcus for a long time and we finally found out where he's been hiding. You do this job and I'll get you back in The Circle. You fuck it up, and you'll face me."
A shudder runs through my body at his parting words. My back is still healing from the last time I had to face him. I had a simple job to boost cars, but the cops were there and I had to abandon them. I didn't walk for a few days after Switch gave me a beat down of my life. One I never want to experience again. The bruises and wounds are still evident on my back.
"C'mon, we have a small window to deal with this asshole," Switch says, jogging across the street. Taxi horns are blaring at his disregard for the walking signal. I quickly follow and a grey sports car almost hits me. The man driving it blares his horn and slams on his brakes. I pound my fist on the hood of his car, causing a dent.
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" The man says, climbing out of his car.
"Someone you don't want to fuck with," I growl, glaring at him.
My body is shaking with rage. After a cold, hard, savage stare down with this guy, he finally gets back into his car. I'm still standing in front of him as he revs the engine. The demon inside wants to come out and play and a smirk crosses my lips. This motherfucker thinks he's a badass behind the wheel of his shiny car, but I will teach him a lesson. I keep my hands spread out on the hood and lean forward, not breaking eye contact. I watch his juggler move up and down in a frantic pace, sweat beads on his brow and his breathing turns erratic.
Switch grabs me by the arm and my head whips to the side. He holds his hand up in surrender when he sees how far gone I am. I've lost all control to the evil living inside of me right now.
"C'mon man, save it for Tony," Switch says. I cock my head to the side, watching and waiting. A smirk still on my lips. "Let's go. He's not worth it. Let's go get our money. Keep him out to play, but let's do this job."
"I'll do this job, but I want in The Circle, tonight." My voice is low and deadly. Switch backs away from me slowly, his hands are still up in surrender. I follow, watching and waiting. I’m the predator, stalking towards my prey with black hair and black eyes. Everything he's done to me in the past few months is in the front of my mind and I want nothing more than to shed his blood with my fists. My body vibrates with tension as Switch guides me to the sidewalk.
"You got it. Circle, tonight. You need to get in there and I have the perfect fighter." Switch agrees.
"Set it up, now," I demand through gritted teeth.
My eyes follow his movements, my body still vibrating with rage. I could easily end him right here, right now and I'd finally be free of him, but I can't. If I do, Marcus will kill my mother. He's already warned me if I do anything, she's dead. She might not give a fuck about me, but she is my mom and I have to get her out and far a
way first before I make my move. He slowly pulls his cell phone out of his jeans pocket and sends a text. He looks up at me and nods his head when his phone chirps in his hand.
"There, done. Now can we go?" He asks and shows me his message. The demon is satisfied for now and I'm able to pull him back and take control again. I hate it when that happens. I hate losing all control. I need to figure out a way to channel it and use it to my advantage. The more I fight it, the more I lose control. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and release it.
"Let's go," I agree.
We walk down the sidewalk in hurried strides and jog down into the subway station. A train is barreling through causing the wind to ruffle my hair. It screeches to a stop and we get on, taking a seat in the hard, plastic chairs. The locals give us a wide berth and keep their eyes down as the train shoots off into the darkness. Leaning forward, resting my elbows on my knees, I flex and unflex my fists, waiting impatiently for our stop. I can't fuck this job up. I need to get into The Circle tonight to keep the blood lust thrumming through my veins in check.
"We're here," Switch says, snapping me out of my mind.
We get off the train and make our way up the stairs, into the bright sunlight. The anger and rage are back, thrumming through my veins, watching Switch. I need to do something, anything to get away from him. The longer I'm in his clutches, the worse the evil wants to take over. Walking up to a rundown house on the outskirts of the city, Switch glances back at me.
"Ready?" he asks.
"Ready," I respond.
He jumps up onto the rickety old porch and kicks the door in. It swings wide and bounces off the wall, making the man inside jump up off the couch. He's about six-foot-tall with dirty blonde hair that hasn't seen a shower in a few weeks. His clothes are dirty and falling off his skinny frame. His dull green eyes are wide with shock when we come barreling in. Switch narrows his eyes on the guy and approaches him quickly.
"Where's my money?" he asks.
"What money?" The junkie's playing dumb. His eyes dart to the kitchen.
"The fifty g's you owe me, Tony. I suggest you pay up now or my man here will have some fun."
I crack my neck to the side and never take my eyes off the junkie. I give him a cold, hard stare and I swear he just pissed himself. His body is shaking, and the body odor stench is overwhelming when I stalk towards him. I try not to gag the closer I get, but it's hard. I grab the junkie by the throat and lift him off his feet. His jagged fingernails try to dig into my hand as I squeeze his windpipe closed with my fist. He swallows hard under my hand and his eyes dart towards the kitchen again.
"In the kitchen," I tell Switch, not taking my eyes off Tony the junkie. I can hear Switch leave the room and I tighten my hold on this guy's throat. His eyes bulge and his feet thrash, trying to connect with my shins. His face takes on a blue tint when Switch comes back into the room.
"Let him go," Switch says.
I drop him to the couch and he grabs his throat, wheezing and coughing. I'm not satisfied he received our message and my hands are shaking with rage, itching to spill blood. His blood, as his bones crunch under my knuckles.
"Let this be a lesson to you," Switch says staring at Tony still trying to catch his breath, on the couch. "You don't pay up when you're supposed to, I'm going to find you and let him," he says pointing to me, "loose next time. You'll be eating from a straw for the rest of your life."
Tony's green eyes grow wide again and he nods his head up and down. I turn my back on him and walk towards the door. Hearing a grunt, I whip around and Switch is on the ground with a knife to his throat. There's a line of blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. Tony is straddling him, pinning him down. In a quick moment, I have a choice to make. I can let this junkie kill Switch or I can kill the junkie.
Shit. With as much as I need to get out, I can't, not yet. I charge the junkie and throw him off Switch and he hits the wall with a thud. Without a second thought, I pick him up and pin him against the wall, the adrenaline flowing through my body leaves me no choice but to end his life. The demon I battle with daily is ready to wreak havoc on this guy. With surprising strength, he pushes off the wall and I lose my grip. He takes a swing and connects with the side of my face, making me stumble back. Blood fills my mouth and I spit on the ground.
"Wrong move asshole." I glare at Tony and am on him in a flash. My fist hitting his face with a satisfying crunch. He howls in pain, but I don't stop. I keep on raining blow after blow until he stops moving. Blood flying everywhere, hitting me in the face and arms. Hands grab my shoulders and Switch's voice is in my ear.
"Finish him."
Two words and my demon's happy. I grab the junkie’s head and twist his neck until I feel the bones snap under my hands and his body goes limp. Dull green eyes stare back at me, unblinking.
Fuck, that felt good. Tony the junkie's blood has stained my knuckles and I've taken another life with the order from Switch. Another reason to get the fuck out. It's not the first time I've killed under his command and I have a feeling deep in my gut, it won't be the last. Standing up, I catch a glimpse of Switch out of the corner of my eye. He's pissed, holding his throat, pacing back and forth. I don't say a word. His black eyes lock onto mine, fury and rage pass across his face.
"Check for anything valuable, then destroy and burn it down. Meet me at the apartment when you're done." He gets right into my face. "If this happens again, you're fucking dead. You got me?"
I nod my head. He has control over my mind and can fuck with it whenever he wants. I might be stronger and bigger than he is, but he's in my head and I can't help but do what he says. He's programmed me to be this way and I can't fight it. I'm not strong enough. I need to channel the evil lurking below the surface. He's afraid of the demon, but he knows I have no control.
Several hours, one burned house, and dead body gone later, I finally arrive at the apartments where it all started. I'm completely exhausted as I walk up the brick steps and into the foyer. My defenses are down and my body's sluggish. Strong arms grab me from behind and something dark covers my head. A needle pierces my skin and I'm out cold before I have a chance to fight them off.
******
Awakening to a slap across my face, I try to open my eyes, but fail at the attempt. Tingles work their way up my arms as my body wakens. My hands are tied above my head. I try flexing my muscles but it's no use. White hot pain radiates through my chest and back. I can't see what they've done while I was unconscious, but the stink of burnt flesh finds its way to my nose.
"It's about time you join us. We had a little fun while we waited." Switch's voice penetrates through the fog in my mind. "Hope you don't mind, but I needed an ashtray and your back made a good one."
Opening my eyes, I finally get a look at where I am. Shit, this isn't good. The evil lurking under my skin wants to come out, but with the drugs flowing in my system, it can't. I'm in a cellar, tied upright to a metal beam, my bare feet are dangling inches from the floor. If I flex my toes, I can touch the ground. I only have on a pair of jeans. No shirt, shoes, or socks. The dampness surrounding me sends a shiver down my naked torso. A bright bulb is shining in my eyes and shadows dance in the corners, water drips from somewhere off in the distance. Electricity hums softly next to my head, running through the wires in the ceiling. Switch walks up to me, blocking the light and stares me dead in the eyes.
"You fucked up today, now you must pay for your mistakes. Good thing you're awake for this part." An evil sneer is upon his lips.
I try to open my mouth and respond, but no sound escapes my lips.
"Let me do it," Wrath says from somewhere in the shadows.
My body turns stiff from her comment. She's the last person who I thought would betray me. I assumed we had something special. All the times we've been together invade my mind. Each kiss and caress of her body, each time I've made her forget her own name, every time I brought her pleasure, flips through my head. I've been played by the one person I though
t I could trust.
Wrath emerges from the shadow directly in front of me. Pain and remorse flashes in her eyes and she shuts it down, turning her hazel eyes cold and deadly. Switch moves out of the way and she takes his place. She removes a knife from her pocket and flips it open. The dull metal gleaming off the single bulb. I swallow hard and can't seem to find my voice. The cigarette burns across my back long forgotten as my eyes widen.
"Nolan, I hate to do this to you, but you fucked up today. Now you must pay for your mistakes," Wrath whispers in my ear. "Don't fight it and it'll be over quickly." She kisses the side of my cheek and runs her hands through my hair before slicing a shallow cut across my chest. Pain like no other, radiates through my body, but I bite back a groan, keeping my eyes locked on hers. Her hazel eyes are hesitant to keep going, but her hands work quickly making several small slices across my chest. Blood is dripping down my torso after another sink of the blade. She slices again, deeper than the others and I bite back another groan fighting the pain and unconsciousness wanting to take over.
"More," Switch demands from my right.
Wrath sinks the knife into my chest, breaking through several layers of skin. Hesitant in her strokes as she makes several shallower cuts across my skin. I'm helpless and defeated to stop her and fight back. After another sweep of her blade, sinking deeper than the rest, I can't hold back the pain. Even the demon I battle with daily can't help me now. A low agonizing moan leaves my parted lips, my breath coming out in shallow spurts. Fire is blazing through my body and blood is dripping down my chest to the rhythm of my heart. My head drops to study the damage done and I suppress a groan.
She draws her blade to my flesh one final time before my mind slips into the darkness, blocking out the pain. Her blade plunges deep into my skin, starting at my armpit and splits my flesh away across my chest up to my collarbone. The stroke of the knife is slow and jagged as she rips away my skin. I struggle to lift my head and find her eyes, but the pain is too much to handle. I let out a blood curdling scream as my mind shuts down and I succumb to the darkness dancing in the corners of my vision.
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