“He lied. He’s a liar, Dani. I told you that before you went with him. Didn’t you ever wonder why I wouldn’t let you watch Gray when she was a baby?” Mom shook her head, holding the gun with hands that didn’t shake. She knew what she was doing and she had no doubts about her course of action. I could see it in her face. “Now, drop the gun.”
Danielle shook her head, lifting her free hand to wrap her fingers around the butt of her gun to steady her hold. “I’m not putting the gun down. How do I know you’re telling the truth? You left Alex. I know you did because you caught us in bed together. I watched you pack your stuff and go.” She blinked, licking her dry lips as she repeatedly looked to Dominick for something – probably directions.
“I did leave. By the way, you sleeping with him was probably the high light of his life. He was never happy with anything he had. You gave me a ticket out. When I started trying to figure out where you were and what your problems stemmed from, I had to attach myself to this shithead.” Mom reached forward again, hitting Dominick with the gun.
Her anger came off her in waves. “You think you love this douchebag? He’s worthless, Dani. He might have power behind his cruelty and money from drugs and pimping, but he’s nothing good. Nothing. Why are you with him?
Danielle blinked, as if she’d never been asked that before.
Dominick grunted after the last hit, growling as he stared at Danielle in front of him. “Shoot her, Danielle, my love. She’s crazy. I only told you she died to protect you.”
Mom glanced dispassionately between Danielle and Dominick, lowered her own gun and shot Dominick in the upper thigh. Dominic screamed, clutching the injury with well-manicured hands.
Stryker and Brock moved to either side of my mom, their arms folded across their chests as if they’d protect her with whatever means necessary. The sight warmed my heart. They were on her side. Not Dominick’s.
Gasping, Danielle jerked the gun, but didn’t shoot as she kept her finger far from the trigger. “Why? Why did you shoot him? I love him. He’s… He makes me happy.”
“That’s why I shot him.” Mom motioned toward Dominick. “You think he cares about you? You’re so obsessed with him; you’ll do whatever he says. He has his hooks in you with his drugs and his words.” Mom blinked back tears. She glanced at me. “How are you messed up in all this, Gray?”
No one spoke. I honestly had no idea how I was involved or why I had to be dragged into the hellish decisions of my parents. How was that even fair?
Dominick didn’t say anything as he continued grasping the wound above the knee. His grimace didn’t change but he shifted his gaze between me, Mom, and Danielle. “Go ahead, Danielle. Tell them both what’s going on.”
My aunt’s breathing shallowed. From her spot right by me, it was easy to see how she waited for the answers. My reactions were easier to keep in check. I still wasn’t sure what was going on.
Danielle flicked her gaze at me and then looked back at Mom, lifting her chin as if to deny anything her sister accused her of. She took a deep breath and blew it out, then stared at me while she continued holding the gun on my mom and the guys. “You’re the pay-off piece, Gray. Your mom left and your dad… gambled the house away, as you know. What you might not know, though, is that he also gambled you off.”
I blinked, my jaw growing slack as what she said sank in. “He what?”
“He gambled you off to the Russians. I’m not sure which one. Dominick was working out a deal for Maria, but then decided you’d be worth more working for him and he paid the Russians off. He already has a buyer for your first time.” She smirked at me. My aunt smirked at me as she talked about her boyfriend selling my virginity.
“Well, he lost that sale. I’m not a virgin anymore.” I folded my arms, heat in my cheeks that I even had to reference the secret moments between Stryker and me.
Dominick groaned. “No. Are you serious? You just cost me a quarter of a million dollars, you little tramp.” He shot a look at Stryker and furrowed his brow. “I’m going to take that out of the money you’re making with your little factory.” Brock and Stryker stiffened.
Dominick snorted, squeezing his leg above the injury and shaking his head. “You guys think I don’t know about what you’re doing? All I had to do was offer more money to your little blonde twins and I got all the information I needed. All women have a price. How much did you offer the girl?” He nodded toward me; his eyes dark as he scanned my body like I was inventory for him.
Danielle laughed, shaking her head. “Like mother like daughter, huh?”
Mom stepped forward, threatening with the jerking in her hands. “I became a whore to save my sister. That’s the only reason.” She studied Danielle, her hope fading to something like a shadow of sadness. “You’re too far gone, though, aren’t you?” Mom lifted her hand, pressing her fingers to her forehead and studying Danielle and Dominick. We all fell silent as the situation crashed around us. Where did we go from there?
“I need to go to the hospital. You need to take me.” Dominick’s haggard rasp held only a fraction of the command he had when he had the gun in his hand or someone else running the manpower.
Mom moved up beside him, sitting next to him while staring at Danielle with a conspiratorial smile on her lips. “You know what I think? I think you’re going to have a hard time explaining why you were shot at the hospital. What do you think you’re going to say? Your slave shot you to free her sister who was holding her daughter captive? That sounds like you would be accused of being stoned on your own product, master.” Her tone couldn’t be snider as she slapped him on the back, her smile filled with revenge.
“Then leave. Just leave, if you hate it so much.” Danielle snarled, waving the gun toward the door like she could shew her sister off.
Mom’s features hardened. “You think I’m leaving you with him? No. I got into this to free you. I’m not leaving unless you go with me.”
“Then I guess you’re going to be with him for a while. We better get him to the hospital, unless you want to take care of him.” Danielle glanced at Dominick, the worry in her eyes more telling than her words or stance.
I glanced at Stryker, finding his eyes trained on me. A sliver of heat found its way down my spine and I smiled sadly at him. What I wouldn’t give to have a normal relationship with him. One without the worry of death, slavery, or drugs. One where we could explore our attraction to each other without having to explain to anyone why I wasn’t worth as much as they thought. Or maybe have a little bit of time together, sneaking off in the night to be alone as I giggled when he held my hand. Something… anything innocent would be worth all the pain we were going through.
His silvery eyes caressed me with his gaze and I wanted so badly to ask him to hold me, to lean into his embrace. But the short six feet that separated us could have been forty feet for all we could get together.
Who would win as they maintained their stances, their guns pointed at each other? Mom had Brock and Stryker on her side, and while Dominick was injured, he also wasn’t a man who would be left alone for very long. At some point, his associates or other people working for him would come looking.
Would Letesha do what I asked and find Vlasi Ivanovs? What would he even do? I wasn’t sure at what level the Ivanovs would even interfere. Would they call the police? Would they send people in to help? What could they do?
I didn’t bother running down that train of thought. Most likely Letesha had gotten her brother and sister to safety, putting significant distance between her and the problems around school. Isn’t that what most normal people would do?
Run away from their problems, instead of facing them head on?
Was that what I was doing? Staring at Stryker and wishing for things that couldn’t be unless I dealt with the issues in front of me? The biggest one stood in front of me holding a gun. I folded my arms and took a deep breath. “Mom, why did you do all of this to save Danielle, but you couldn’t suck it up and stay for me?”<
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Mom’s eyes misted as she looked at me, but she didn’t watch me long as she kept her attention mainly focused on Dominick and Danielle. “I couldn’t take you away from your life until I had something else figured out, Gray. My plan had been to move to Seattle, get a job, and a place and then send for you, but… then I decided to go after Danielle. I thought you were safe with your father. I had… no idea about their plans and what he’d done.” Pure regret and guilt darkened her tone.
I couldn’t help but feel bad for her. The choices she had to make couldn’t have been easy. Walking in on her sister and husband had to be hard but leaving her daughter had to be harder.
Sara’s breathing grew more labored and she coughed. She lifted her hand to her mouth as she tried to bend forward, but she screamed, unable to do much more, grabbing at her ribs and shaking her head. “Gray…”
I turned to her, ignoring everyone else. “What’s going on? Are you okay?” I could see she wasn’t okay, but it was one of those questions you asked because you were useless doing anything else.
She shook her head and lifted her face to look at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I don’t feel…” Her eyes rolled up and she slumped to the side.
I lurched forward, catching her under the armpits. “Stryker, what do I do?”
Brock moved forward, shoving Danielle aside like she didn’t have a gun and wasn’t blocking the way. “I’ve got her. Come let me out the door.” He squatted, shoving his arms under Sara’s legs and behind her back. Cradling her against his chest, he hiked her higher as he stood, meeting my worried gaze with his. “Let me out, Gray. I’ll get her help.”
I nodded. He would. I had no doubt he’d do everything in his power to save her. There was something there and I wouldn’t stand in the way. Brock was a Jameson and while they had all welcomed me into the group with a weird sense of chivalry that started out as asshole-ism and morphed into a possessiveness I kind of liked, they weren’t all mine to keep.
I moved fast, pushing Danielle to the side. If she shot us, fine. But I wanted to yell at her to do something – anything – rather than continue standing there in some kind of limbo with her finger close to a trigger she was nowhere near going to pull.
Brock wasn’t even straining under Sara’s weight as he waited beside the door while I turned the deadbolt and let him out. The crowd in the gym continued watching the fight like nothing catastrophic was happening in the girls’ locker room. I stood at the doorway and waited while Brock rushed down the hallway and out the front doors.
I wasn’t even sure where they were going. All I knew was I wanted to go with them with Stryker by my side.
Instead, I turned back to the interior of the locker room. I couldn’t leave Stryker in there without me. I couldn’t let my mom face the consequences of Danielle’s decisions alone. There was so much to be said and so much to do to try to unravel the pain caused by Dominick, Danielle, and Dad.
What kind of an ending would be acceptable in this time frame? What would be fair and right for society?
I slowly turned the deadbolt back into place, the scraping of the lock as it moved heavy on my heart. We were locked inside and I had no idea what to do or what to say or even how to process the information they’d told me.
My dad had traded me to take care of his gambling debt.
How did I come back from that?
Chapter 21
Gray
I chewed on my lower lip as I walked through the locker room to get back to my mom and Stryker. I could care less about Dominick and Danielle – family of mine or my boyfriend’s or not.
Danielle had moved to sit where Sara sat, taking her place as if she’d been in Danielle’s spot and how-dare-the-little-bitch.
“What happens to my dad, if I don’t pay his debts?” I could feel the consternation in tightness of my forehead as I stared at them while I leaned against the bank of lockers. I couldn’t look at Stryker as I asked. How could I even consider being the payoff for Dad? Especially when I had so much to explore with Stryker? He was my first and I wanted him for my last, but that didn’t matter.
I needed to know. What would happen to my mom and dad when this was all over?
Dominick’s face had taken on an ashen sheen with beads of sweat dotting his skin. He pushed away from Danielle as she hovered over him, having dropped the gun to her side. His eyes penetrated my confusion and I had no doubt if I went with him as payoff, there’d be no coming back. I’d die before I’d ever escape.
Stryker moved closer to me and I could feel his anger and rejection of what I was asking. But was I? Was I really questioning if I could give up my life for my father? My mom’s eyes matched the emotions exuding from Stryker.
I shook my head tightly, raising my hands and holding them in front of me like I was telling them all to stop. “Just answer me, Dominick. What happens to my dad, if he can’t pay off his debts?”
Dominick took a deep breath, holding his leg with a tight grip. “He owes me too much to pay me off on a measly coach’s salary.”
“That’s not what I asked.” I didn’t look away. He couldn’t talk me down or charm around my question. I wanted to know and I wasn’t backing down.
“He’ll die. I need to get my money out of him, one way or the other.” Dominick grinned; his teeth white behind his lips that definitely wanted to scowl as he flashed his oily charm. “The type of girl you are, Gray, you could have his debt paid off in no-time. Then you could go free. Live your life.” He adjusted his hand on his leg. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”
My mom moved closer to me, shaking her head, but I saw it from my peripheral vision. I didn’t turn to look at her or Stryker. I couldn’t.
Danielle watched me, as if she expected me to do exactly as Dominick suggested.
I nodded, sadness pulling at me.
“Gray, no. That’s not an option. We can figure this out.” Stryker stepped toward me until he stood at my side, reaching out and taking my hand. The heat of his fingers distracted me.
I stopped my advancement toward Dominick and turned to look at Stryker. Tears in my eyes, I shook my head. “Don’t you understand? I can’t do this. My father will never stop. He will never quit. He can’t find his bottom because everyone else has to suffer for his addiction except him. He is never held accountable. That has to end now.” My voice dropped into a whisper. “The only problem is, if I don’t do this, he dies. How can he learn from that?”
But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t give up anymore of myself because my dad had problems or my mom wanted revenge for a sister who had lost it a long time ago. I would help where they needed it and where I could, but not at the expense of my safety or health or happiness.
Not anymore.
My mom’s shoulders sagged forward in relief. Stryker reached out, wrapping the heat of his arm around my back. I sagged against his side and glared at Dominick from the safety of Stryker’s embrace. Not only did he make a fire burn in every one of my nerve endings, but he also consoled me in my times of need. I wouldn’t trade time with Stryker for anything.
Not even my dad’s life.
I looked past Stryker’s chest at my mom. “What do we do with Dominick? I mean, he’s done some terrible things.”
“He killed my father.” Stryker’s low rumble caught my horror and I looked up at him. He continued while staring at his uncle whose eyes were closed. “He admitted it. He killed Brock’s dad and mine – hired Tiny to do it over there and then he killed Hunter here. Set it up like a suicide. We should have known that Hunter wouldn’t quit. He never would have quit on his son.”
Danielle moved back from Dominick a couple inches. “You killed Hunter? Was he my Hunter?” She blinked, like there could possibly be a way that Dominick wasn’t as terrible as his actions made him sound.
Dominick slowly turned his face toward Danielle and studied her. I could almost hear his thoughts as he considered telling her how stupid she was versus doing whatever it took to
keep her on his side.
His survival instincts won out and he shook his head. “Yes, he was your Hunter, but the only reason I killed him was because he wanted to go back with you and I didn’t want to share him, baby. You’re my world.” Appeased by his lies, Danielle nodded and took his free hand in hers and hung on, daring us to touch him with her eyes. I couldn’t believe she listened to him and didn’t question him.
Dominick turned back to Stryker and shrugged. “What do you want me to do? As far as I’m concerned, you’ll never get out of this alive. You can’t kill me or the Ivanovs will get retribution. You can’t let me go, or I’ll come after you and kill you and all of your friends and your employees, and that entire town you love so much. You’re stuck, Stryker. There’s nothing you can do here. You should probably let the adults handle things.”
Stryker’s muscles flexed and ticked under my hands and I leaned back, staring up at him. “What does that mean, the Ivanovs will seek retribution?”
“It means, sweetheart, that I’m in bed with the Ivanovs. They do what I want and I do what they want. You could say I’m part of the family, but I’m not sure that’s the best thing at times.” Dominick winked, shifting his butt on the bench.
I couldn’t help the whimper working its way up my throat from slipping out of the sides of my mouth. I closed my eyes and then opened them, looking at Stryker and then at my mom. “When I helped Letesha escape with her brother and sister, I sent her to get help from Vlasi Ivanovs.” I shook my head. “I thought Vlasi was on our side.” Maybe she wouldn’t go get help.
Even as I thought it, there was a knock on the door and I knew… I just knew it was the Russian man I’d asked to come help.
I looked at my mother, watching as she moved through the possibilities in her mind. How could she still save Danielle and me, how could she possibly find a way to get us all out of there without causing more problems than we already had to face, but more importantly, how could she get rid of Dominick without destroying anyone else.
Her Champions: A high school bully romance (Bad Boys of Jameson High Book 3) Page 18