City In Embers

by Stacey Marie Brown

  “And your circus monkey would normally go for a high price on the black market, but Seattle’s priorities have shifted a little. I’m still going to put the word out. See who is interested.” Words were coming out of his mouth with no emotion, but fire burned deeper in his eyes as his fingers trailed along my neck to my collarbone. “I think we’ll both enjoy this.”

  “Doubtful.”

  He stood abruptly, his fingers working at the button of his slacks and taking the gun from the back of his pants. He tipped the safety off. “If you use teeth, I have no qualms about shooting you. You’re pretty but very replaceable.” He tapped the muzzle on my head. I fought back the gut-wrenching terror wanting to break forth. My past was revisiting me.

  He shifted closer. He pushed at his pants, letting them fall around his ankles. He tugged down his boxers. His expression became distant and full of desire. He licked his lips, pushing his erection toward my face, the gun pressing into my temple.

  “Marcello?” A girl’s furious voice rang through the iron building, echoing off every wall.

  Marcello let his head fall back in a sigh, swearing under his breath, then grabbed his pants, pulling them up.

  The sound of mumbling voices floated up. “I don’t care if he said not to disturb him.” The girl’s voice went high and whiny. “Marcello!” Heavy footsteps pounded on the metal stairs.

  Marcello stuck his gun back in his pants and walked to the door. “Jesus, Maria. Shut the fuck up. Your voice is like eating glass.”

  “Screw you too.” A silhouette of a girl lined the other side of the door. She looked to be a little younger than me and my height but much curvier. Not fat, just very filled out. Her naturally curly brown hair hung to her boobs, which were on display in her low V-necked shirt. She wore tight leggings and gold heels. I was enough in the dark and balled in the corner she didn’t seem to notice me. “We have a problem. The Scorpions have taken the northern gate of the city. They have a place there where they are stashing the stuff coming from Canada.”

  Marcello grunted and rubbed his head. “How do you know?”

  The shadows covered her, but I could still see a sly smile widen her red lips as she tipped her head to the side. There was something in the taunting stance that struck me. A memory. It flittered something in the back of my brain, but the feeling was gone before I could grasp it. “I have my sources.”

  “You mean your pussy has sources.”

  “Works, doesn’t it?” She shrugged, not seeming to be bothered by his crude words.

  Was she a girlfriend? An employee? He seemed all right with her being with another man.

  Marcello shifted his shoulders back. “We’re gonna have to show those fuckers who controls what goes in and out of this city.”

  Maria put her hands on her hips. “Do you need the girls? They’d love to show those dicks who has balls.”

  “No. I don’t need females to help me fight. What kind of pussy do you take me for, Maria?”

  Her fingers dug into her sides. “A big one. You don’t get all sexist when you make money off them. They fight for you, and they can take out any guy. Hell, they could crush you.”

  “I still don’t need any girls fighting for me in this. I need them to stay out so I can keep making money off them,” he growled, moving farther in the room.

  “The Scorpion leader, Du, is no longer afraid of you. Not after we lost so badly last time. I mean, Crazy Kat didn’t simply knock Bethany out. She killed her.”

  He moved around the room, lost in thought.

  Maria’s eyes landed on me, and they widened. “Marcello, who the shit is this? What have you done? Are you kidnapping girls off the street now?” She stepped into the room, moving closer to me. Her eyes narrowed, taking me in. “Holy fuck! Is that who I think it is?”

  My back tensed as I pressed into the heater.

  Maria leaned closer, peering at my face. “Holy shit! It is!”

  “What are you talking about, Maria?” Marcello’s interest went from me to her. “Who is she?” He looked confused, irritated, and slightly intrigued. I couldn’t deny there was something familiar about her. The tickle in the back of my brain moved to my chest and dropped.

  “How do you not know? Why else would you have the legendary Avenging Angel tied up?”

  Air was sucked out of my lungs. My past came from the depths, finding its way to the surface, burying me. The name brought back all the memories I had repressed for so long. For more than three years, I had been free of the street-fighter life. I had cut all ties and left behind all acquaintances and associations a short time after I started with DMG. Every day with Daniel I felt the other life becoming a distant dream. Some other girl’s life. In a way it was the truth. I was another person then.

  “I fought this bitch.” Maria tilted her head. “Remember me? You gave me this.” She pointed at the scar at the corner of her eye. “I almost went blind.”

  Oh, yeah. Now I remembered. She had been new to the scene, and I was not kind. If I believed in karma, I would say it had just bitten me in the ass. Good thing I didn’t.

  “No way.” Marcello walked next to Maria. His head shook, refuting the declaration. “This girl is not the Avenging Angel.” Seeing them side by side I had no doubt they were brother and sister. The shape and color of their brown eyes, their mouths, and cheekbones were too similar for them not to be. “Not a chance.”

  A deep-seated arrogance pushed to the surface. I felt offended. It wasn’t like I got fat and old in the last three years. If anything, I was more fit from my training. But I had lost my blood lust, the feral aura that made my opponents afraid. Not many fought because they liked it. At the time, I did, and it showed.

  “It is.” Maria crossed her arms. “Tell him,” she demanded, acknowledging me. His head swiveled, locking on me.

  I kept my chin level. “I have no idea who she is talking about.”

  Maria’s features pinched, and her eyes flashed with anger. “You bitch.” She leaned over and grabbed the collar of my jacket. “Don’t make me look like an idiot. I know you. You think I could forget the face of the girl who put me in the hospital for four days?”

  “I am not a street fighter.” Anymore. “But it sounds like this girl really kicked your ass.” A taunting smile curled the corner of my mouth. “And enjoyed every moment of it.”

  The slap came quickly, but I was expecting it. I remembered her anger was predictable. She lashed out with her emotions. A good fighter learned an opponent’s weaknesses. A great fighter learned how to manipulate them and turn them against their owner.

  “You whore!” Maria came for me again. Marcello grabbed her by the arms and pulled her back. “It’s her, Marcello. I know it is.”

  “I believe you.” His beady eyes drilled into me. I could almost see his brain churning. He was planning something—involving me. This was bad, and I wasn’t the only one who saw the glimmer burning in his pupils.

  “What? What are you thinking?” Maria stepped out of his grasp, facing him.

  A slow smile parted his lips, his gaze never leaving me. “If the Scorpions want a fight for the northern boundary, we’ll give them a fight.”

  No.

  Maria studied Marcello, then me. “What are you saying?”

  “Contact your source. We are going to arrange a match. Winner takes all,” he responded.

  “Takes all?” Maria waved her arms. “Are you insane?”

  Marcello’s attention on me finally broke, his jaw set as he glared at Maria. “If you’re right, we can’t lose. The draw of her name will bring in a lot of money. You think Du would pass up this opportunity? If he does, he is a coward. If he takes it, he has a chance to take me. I know him too well; he will not keep away. He will not let the Scorpions appear weak.” Marcello bent, clutching my chin between his fingers. “I knew there was something special about you, but I never imagined your taut piece of ass was such a meal ticket.”

  My teeth clamped, fear and anger puffing at my l
ungs with shallow gulps. “And what if I am not this girl?” I uttered. Almost no emotion leaked into my words. The years I pushed down and the person I used to be were not enough to dissolve the instincts. It was part of me and a piece I denied for a long time.

  “I think we both know you are.” His index finger again slithered along my neck to the hollow area at the base of my throat. “But if not? Then you die. No real loss to me.”

  “Are you willing to lose everything if I don’t win?”

  “Oh, the fight is simply a front. While you are providing an exciting distraction for the masses, some of my men will be retaking ownership of the northern gate.” He inclined forward, his mouth brushed my ear. “You are going to make me a rich man while I get back what is rightfully mine. Fate brought you to me, and I will not let this chance go to waste.” He nipped at my ear, and I jerked away. He smirked and rocked back onto his heels. “I really hope you live through this, because I want to continue to make money off you.”

  My options here sucked. I either died or became his property, which probably included providing sexual favors. Death was looking like the better option.

  Marcello turned his head to Maria. “Tell them we want a match Friday night. And make sure you leave hints as to who we have but don’t actually confirm it. It will drive people out in force to see if the rumors are true.”

  She nodded. Her regard flickered back to me. “After the fight, let me have my turn. I want a chance with this bitch again. Show her who the better fighter is now.”

  “Yeah, so fair. After I’ve already fought a full round? I think it will only prove once again you are a mediocre fighter with a premature right hook and predictable reactions,” I snapped.

  Maria let out a wail and leaped for me. I tucked my head, waiting for her blows. Marcello jumped between us, grabbing Maria. “Whoa, sis.” He pushed her back, putting distance between us. “Wait till after she fights. I’ll give you one round with her. I need her to stay alive. She’s worth too much money to me.” He clutched Maria’s shoulders and twisted her to face the door. “But now you have a job to do. Go earn your keep.”

  Her glower full of hate and promise of what was to come reached me. Then she gave him a nod and stomped out of the room.

  Marcello stayed watching the door until he heard her walk down the stairs. Shortly after, there was a loud bang of a metal door clanking shut. He let out a choppy sigh and turned back to me. “If I didn’t know for sure you were the Avenging Angel, I do now.” He chuckled softly.

  I shifted but stayed silent.

  He walked back, put his hands on his hips, and stared down at me. “You’re good at pissing people off, aren’t you?” I was pretty sure it was a rhetorical question. “I should be more disappointed you aren’t some pretty girl who could suck me off right now, but you are going to make me far too much money to be upset. Actually, the thought of all the money you will bring in makes me much harder, but I will wait till after your fight. I know how keyed up you girls get after a match.”

  My insides twisted with crushing hate.

  “My girls help me, and I help them. We scratch each other’s backs around here.”

  “Sounds more like forced prostitution,” I snipped. “Oh, except prostitutes get paid for demeaning themselves.”

  “My fighters get paid.” He tilted his head. “I run an operation here.”

  “I wasn’t talking about fighting. That part I’d do for free.”

  His fists clenched at his sides, his nostrils flaring.

  “Like your sister, you’re just a mediocre game player with an inferiority complex and mommy and daddy issues.”

  I should have been playing the damsel, the weak-willed girl who didn’t have much fight in her. My mouth would only cause his retaliation to come back tenfold. He was going to work extra hard to break me. Normally, I was good at acting and doing what I needed to get by, but after hearing about Ryker, something in me snapped. I no longer could pretend. I was a ball of fury and fear. The Avenging Angel would come out with her talons sharp and ready to attack.

  Marcello did not trust the Avenging Angel to not break free of the plastic binds. He had me dragged to another portion of the warehouse. It was arranged like a cell, bars on the window and a metal door. One of Marcello’s minions dug out handcuffs from his pocket, chaining me to the exposed water pipes. My arms hung from above, and my feet barely touched the concrete.

  “This should put you in your place.” Marcello sauntered to me, grabbing my face. “But if you try and break free, your punishment will be beyond anything you could ever imagine. You will beg me for death.”

  I kept myself blank.

  Marcello stepped back, a snarl on his mouth. “You pretend to be tough and aloof. We’ll see.” He turned to the man who bound me. “Undress her.”

  A sickness rolled my lids shut but only for a moment. My jaw clenched.

  Smartly, the man didn’t say anything, but he smiled evilly when he faced me, his back to Marcello. He sliced my shirt open with a knife and slowly pulled my pants off.

  I focused on the window above where pigeons lined the cell, pecking and squawking, oblivious to me. I let my mind slide so far back I was not even aware of my body. It was a trick I learned when I lived in the foster home with the vile dirtbag. I could make myself disappear, not even feeling anything going on—a pocket in your mind you could disappear to, where things were pretty and people were kind.

  I was only semi aware Marcello left my underwear and bra on. It was the small blessings, I guess. It was a power trick. He wanted to demean me. Take my power away and leave me vulnerable in every way. Having me tied almost bare had nothing to do with the naked form. It had everything to do with power and control, to show his dominance over me.

  His mouth was moving, but it was a buzz in the background. I was no longer there. I didn’t even feel when he slapped me, but my head jerked to the side, his hand by my face, so I knew he must have. Then he stormed out of the room.

  Time here meant nothing. People came in and out. It didn’t matter. I stayed tucked away in my safe place, digging my heels in deeper. Becoming a vacant shell.

  Leaking water from the old pipes dripped on my shoulder, trying to keep me in reality, thumping a constant beat, like seconds on a clock. After a while, even it blended into the background.

  Then something changed. I could feel it even before the girl stepped into the cell. She looked familiar. She spoke to someone behind me for a while before my brain could focus on her words.

  “What the hell were you thinking, Marcello?” The buxom brunette flung her arms toward me. “You expect her to be ready to fight in this condition?”

  Maria. Right. Now I remembered.

  Marcello walked around, examining me. “She needed to be taught who the master is.”

  “So you make her useless to fight?” Maria put her hands on her hips. “Are you an idiot?”

  “Hey, I—”

  “No.” Maria raised her finger, rolling her head. “You were thinking with your dick and your ego. She pissed you off, and you wanted to beat it out of her. But it’s the exact quality she needs in a fight.” Maria let her head fall back. “God, you are so stupid.”

  His face turned a bright shade of red.

  “Get her down. I only have a few hours to prepare her,” Maria demanded. Marcello appeared to want to tell her off, but she stomped her foot. “Now!” He nodded and did what she said. As my cuffs were unlocked, my body fell to the floor with a thud.

  “Go get me one of those boosters and some water.” She sat next to me. Marcello huffed and stomped out of the room, slamming the door. “He is such a stupid fuck. Good thing I pretty much run the girls. He wouldn’t know what the hell to do with them.” She spoke to the room. It was humorous to watch the siblings. Maria seemed to be the only one who could tell Marcello what to do. It didn’t surprise me. With tough guys like him, they usually did fear the women in their families who dominated the house.

  Marcello cam
e in and left as soon as he gave Maria the items she asked for. She tipped a bottle of water into my mouth. I was so parched it took her several times to get the liquid beyond my dried lips. Once the water flowed, I couldn’t stop drinking.

  Maria cradled my head. “Did I ever think one day I’d be holding the Avenging Angel in my lap like this?” She shook her head, chuckling. “Of course, if you weren’t about to bring in a ton of money for my family, I’d probably enjoy kicking the shit out of you right now. But I can see clearer than my brother. His ego controls him.” She took a cloth and wiped at the dried blood at the corner of my mouth. “The buzz about you on the streets right now is insane. Even the hint you might be fighting tonight has brought people out in droves. Girl, you have caused an uproar in the underground community. You’ve brought it back to life right when people needed something else to think about and to be part of when our world is in turmoil. Even broke and poor, people will find the money somewhere when they need something to forget their troubles.”

  I swallowed, my voice breaking. “H-h-how long was I here?”

  “Two days,” she growled. “If I knew he was stringing up our prized fighter like a carcass in a meat house, I would have shot him. Now, instead, I have to pump your system full of drugs to get you to the fighting level we need.”

  “W-what?”

  She clasped a needle and shoved it in my arm before I could blink. “It’s only vitamins.” She smiled wickedly. It wasn’t simply vitamins. Oh, please, don’t let it be heroin or any addictive drug.

  I had seen it happen so many times. “Nooooo.” I shook my head violently, trying to sit.

  “Don’t worry. It’s not anything too bad.” She pushed me off her and stood. “It will give you some extra energy for tonight. Now, get up. We need to get you dressed and ready to go. You are the main attraction, and we need to present you as such.” She moved to the door, beckoning me to follow.

  I still felt woozy, but I forced my legs under me. Warmness slid along my arm. I couldn’t think about what she gave me. Whatever it was, I would deal with it later. Right now, surviving this fight was my main focus.