Lying on the floor, bloodied and bruised, I felt and believed I was Ugerella. The most disgusting human being on earth. What good am I? Why would anyone want me? I have no reason to hope for better. No reason to believe.
Too small to help Braylin on my own, I continue begging her to wake up so we can go. I cry all through the night, until I finally give into exhaustion. With a slight nudge and a faint plea in my ear I wake seeing Braylin over me, “Kayla, I am going to get you out of here. We are going to be okay.” Braylin cried. “Don’t give up, I love you. I need you. I need you, Kayla.”
I grip her, nodding, “I need you too. I love you, Bray.”
“Oh shut up.” Billy said, walking into the room, “Get out Braylin, I’m done with you.”
“No, I won’t allow you to do this to her.” He laughs at her and shoves her to the side, dragging my limp body to him.
“NO!” Braylin screams, running at him with a bat one of her boyfriends left. Billy falls over at once and doesn’t move. We were afraid he was dead. Braylin grabbed as many of our things as she could and pulled me - out of hell.
It took some time, but eventually Braylin helped me forget, or at least push the memories deep into the back of my mind. She helped me to believe again, not in men but in myself. I never thought I was beautiful, that was Braylin. I thought my job was to think and be smart … until Nick. Nick has a way of making me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, and the most deserving of anything and everything that I could ever dream of.
“Nick!” I scream, crying and searching the dark room as I hold my son close to me.
“Kayla, it’s okay.” I jump pushing and fighting. “Kayla! It’s Ryan! It’s okay!”
“Don’t hurt us! Please. Don’t … please.” I cry trying to contain my quaking muscles. I have stayed up for days watching over Nicky and I will stay awake to watch over him until Nick gets back. I can’t trust anyone else to protect us. Only Nick.
Chapter 23
~Nick~
Graham was unsure about me at first, but I used my skills to win him over and am slowly working information out of him. I am learning more about Ellis than I ever thought possible. Graham is becoming a crucial ally, and I plan to reward him highly if for no other reason than I can use him.
“Jayzon, you have a guest.” A guard says, pulling me out of the yard.
Ryan sits impatiently at the table as he waits for me, “What are you doing here, everything okay?” I ask and he shakes his head with obvious worry.
“No, it’s not. Kayla … and Nicky.” My heart jumps at the mention of their names and the look on his face. “I don’t know what happen, Nick. Welch introduced her to this man, this so called witness, and obviously he knows her. As soon as she saw him she began to tremble. Then she grabbed Nicky and started screaming and running away from the man. Dwayne and I had to carry her out of the restaurant. She was scaring Nicky. We tried to get her to calm down, but she wouldn’t. We tried to get him away from her but she fought us both, screamed at us to not touch them again. She doesn’t sleep and she won’t let anyone get near her or Nicky. She has him sleep near her every night. She is delirious Nick and I am afraid she is going to hurt herself if we don’t do something soon.” Ryan looks down and back up at me, “I thought she would at least trust me but … she needs you.”
“Tell her to come and see me.”
“Nick! You don’t have a choice right now, you have to go to her. Do you understand what I am saying? She is broken.” Ryan says with severe distress. “I don’t know who this man is, but he did something awful to her Nick, really awful. Welch must have had some idea because he is purposely giving this man opportunity to confront her. With you gone, he is going to do it again and again. She needs you now, Nick.”
I knew when it was time I could find a way out, but I didn’t expect to have to do it so soon. A drug addict by the name of Clive Baret is more than willing to take the hit for killing Broman. All I have to do is give him a nice supply of drugs for a few days and let him hole up in the house where Broman was killed. He barely remembers much of anything, but when Donovan and Dwayne explain to him exactly what happened, the fight the two had over drugs and the prostitute, he slowly recalls the images we want him too. We give him what he needs and wait as the cops pick him up. Baret happily pleas out giving them more than enough reason to release me, to Welch’s displeasure. Once I get out I make sure Baret’s wife and kids are taken care of and sent far away from him and his sphere of influence.
When I return home, the doctor has been struggling to calm Kayla without doing any harm to the baby. Even after Ryan’s warning, I still am unprepared for what I come home to. I don’t know how long she stayed awake before Ryan finally had to come to me, but I know how long it’s been since. Kayla looks months beyond that. Approaching her, I look over Nicky, sound asleep on our bed, and carefully check him when Kayla charges at me. “Kayla! It’s Nick. It’s your husband.” She slowly begins to recognize me. Her pleas soften but she continues to shake and her touch is weak. “Kayla, it’s okay now. I’m here. Tell me what happened.” I approach her carefully, speaking with a comforting tone. A voice she knows. She must have pushed some memory so deep into the back of her mind that she had hoped it would never be thought of again. Locking and storing it safely away so that even she wouldn’t recall the pain of it. It would have stayed there if not for this man showing back up in her life, forcing her to face it. He caused my wife, the love of my life, to become that scared little girl again. The girl he created. I watch over her as she calms and begins to let her eyes close. Even standing she could fall asleep completely. Picking her up, I carry her to bed and cover her quivering body.
Again, Kayla sits up screaming and fighting me, “Nick, he hurt me and Bray, and he is coming after Nicky. He is … he is going to hurt him. You have to stop him. You have to!” Kayla delirious pleas break my heart.
“Kayla, he is not here, Princess and I promise he will never get to either of you. I promise he will never, ever get near you or Nicky again. You know I will take care of him, and Welch, for bringing him back into your life. I will make him feel the pain he gave you a hundred times over, Kayla. He will die breathing in his own bloody offal.” I promise her, taking her frail body into my arms and trying to hold her still long enough for her to sleep. I can’t stand seeing her like this, broken into a million pieces and falling deeper into the pains of her past. I get hold of her strong and force her to look at me. “Kayla, look at me. Look at me, Princess.” Once the exhaustion sets in, her eyes finally still and focus on mine, giving me the opportunity to talk her down to a calmer state. As I talk, she watches me and listens, letting me slowly talk her into a deep sleep. I never wanted to do to her what my father did to my mother. I would never risk turning Kayla into a zombie like form who does as I tell her to. I love her, not what she does for me. When I finally manage to get her to sleep, I hold her tight to my chest, kissing her head and hoping I will never see her put through this again. “I promise you Kayla, this man will suffer … he will suffer like no other.” I assure her, placing my free hand on my son as I begin to plan a murder.
“Took you long enough,” I snap as Lena finally rounds the corner.
“Are you in hurry to be somewhere?” She asks with an agitated tone.
“I need to get back to Kayla. She hasn’t been feeling well, and I don’t want to be away from her too long until I know she is going to be okay.”
“What did you do?” I throw up my hands and she sighs. “Fine, this is all I could get. Not a certainty, but close.”
“Close? What do you mean close, I need to know for sure, Lena?”
“Well, you are going to have to get more than a fingerprint, Nick. The rest of the DNA was barely recognizable, and I could only get enough to say it is a probability. If you want a definite, then get me some blood. You of all people should be able to get that.”
“Fine, I will get blood then.” I snap at her and walk off in a huff. I fe
el bad enough later that I call her and apologize.
Kayla awoke somewhat refreshed a few hours ago and began to tell me in more detail the horror this man, Maynard, put her and Braylin through. It is all I can do not to hunt him down right now and kill him, but Welch has him guarded like Fort Knox. So, in order to get to him I am going to have to stick with the original plan. Until Welch finally gives and loosens his grip, I can’t get to Maynard without jeopardizing my family in the process, and I won’t leave them again.
Chapter 24
~Kayla~
We have been holding off on our next attack to get to know our new crew a little better. Nick is a planner and he doesn’t make a move without knowing who all the players are. In the meantime, he decides to treat me to a night out. He says I deserve it, but I am not sure what I did except make him a crazy these last few days. Dinner, dancing and a show to end our night, he says. Before I can leave, I make sure Nicky is safe with Ryan watching over him. I have to be reassured several times by both Nick and Ryan before I finally agree to leave.
Handsome as always, Nick escorts me in his perfectly fitted tux and treats me like the Princess he loves to call me. He kisses me sweetly between every smile. After we finish dinner, Nick feeds me a sweet treat from his own tender hand before asking me to dance with him. My dress flows against my body with every movement Nick guides me through. Laughing joyfully, his wide smile completes his handsome face.
Nick pulls me in close, pressing his lips against my skin, “You are so beautiful. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have you in my life, Kayla.”
“If you only realized how much you affect the rhythm of my heartbeat, Nick. You are my soul, the man of my dreams, my Prince that was sent to rescue me.”
“I am no Prince, I am simply a man in love.” Nick says, breathing me in and letting me hold tight to his chest. “What do you say we go home and enjoy the rest of the night in a warm bath together? I will let you bathe me.” Nick smiles, wickedly.
“I like that idea.” I say, following him as he calls Lionel back early.
We wait happily, but we didn’t count on the traffic jam keeping Lionel from getting back to us at the restaurant. I spot the hotel across the street and wink at Nick, which gets him to smile but he is clearly paying attention to something else. “What’s wrong?” I ask searching for what he is concerned about.
“Nothing, but let’s not stand out here in the open.” Nick wraps his arm around me, hovering around me and hurrying me down the street. Looking over his shoulder, he pulls up the collar of his coat and releases his gun from the holster under his jacket. Without even knowing what the issue is, I follow his lead and push my hand deep into my handbag. With a quick step to the side, we take a sharp turn down the adjoining street and quicken our pace. If my heart wasn’t racing before, the screeching sound of a car behind us awakens me to our danger. Holding tight to my arm, Nick weaves us in and out of pedestrians, all the while checking over his shoulder.
My already heated cheek feels the rush of an arm reaching between us, “Jayzon!” Nick steps in front of me and battles our sudden attacker. The danger becomes clearer when the blade of the knife the man is carrying shines brightly in the streets lights.
The snarling man attacks Nick with everything he has, dragging him into the street with him. “NICK!” I yell, fearing the speeding bus headed their way. A swift kick, and a fist-blow to the jaw, the man stumbles backwards allowing Nick enough time to step back to the curb, seconds before the oncoming bus reaches them. The attacker was not so lucky.
Taking my hand again, Nick hurries me out of the growing crowd and down another street, weaving and dodging the streetwalkers and pimps that are yelling their disapproval of our intrusion on their corner. “Here, come on!” Nick pushes me into a local dive bar and grips my hand tight as he drags me through the crowd of burly men. One of which grabs my arm and tries to jerk me away from Nick.
“Thanks for the gift pretty boy, you can go now. In fact, I recommend it.” He says with his gang of followers lining up behind him.
Before I have a chance to make a move of my own, the man let’s go as the snarling presence from beside me intensifies. I watch the man slowly back away and grab a pool stick, but he has it knocked out of his hand the following second. Nick takes hold of the stick and rams it just above the man’s kneecap. Down on his knees, the man holds out his arms with a breathless shudder as Nick forces his gun to his forehead. “Never fuck with the wrong person, you might get yourself killed.” Nick breathes fire with no ounce of fear or wavering.
“Okay man! Okay, I’m sorry!” The man screams, sweating profusely from his position of surrender.
“Look at me!” Nick yells, waiting for the man to meet his eyes. “I want you and your friends to block that door and do not let anyone come through it.” Once he nods, Nick takes my hand again and we rush out the back of the bar. He stops and looks around, analyzing our options carefully until he sees something he wants. The bar owners car is hidden under a tarp behind some trash and debris. Uncovering the car, Nick tells me to watch the back door and to shoot anyone that tries to come through it.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting us a car, Princess.” Nick says, raising his eyebrows at me with a smile once he breaks into the black Mustang. Interrupting my brief moment of pride is the rapid gunfire inside the bar. Nick immediately begins hot-wiring our getaway.
“Do you know how to do this?” I ask him.
“I stole cars for Harvey before I worked up to being a bagman.” He says, smiling when the car starts up. “Get in!” He yells, helping me slide across the driver’s seat. We fly out of the back alley just as three men coming flying out shooting at us. “Fuck!” Nick pushes my head down and shifts gears rapidly as we speed down the road. I can hear the gunshots, and then the engines raging towards us. The chase is on and our enraged followers are not about to give up on their pursuit. Dashing in from the left is another car which makes a point to ram us. The car spins sideways but Nick manages to regain control and shifts the car out of range from another car aiming at us. Shifting and pressing hard on the gas we fly into a speed that sends us blasting ahead of the remaining two cars. Twisting and turning through traffic, we speed faster and faster through the streets and my head begins to spin as Nick sharply turns the car in the opposite direction. Taking us against traffic, he speeds the car up the exit of the interstate ramp, dodging cars as they come barreling at us. Shifting again, Nick continues to swear as we reach top speed. Reaching over me Nick checks to make sure my seatbelt is on tight before securing his own. He is controlled and surprisingly more calm than I am feeling.
Shewaaak! I scream when the back window is shot out. Nick rolls down both of our windows, “Nick, what are you doing?”
“When I tell you, I want you to lie back out of sight, aim your gun out your window and fire as rapidly as you can.” He says without even confirming that I understand. I can hear the cars speeding closer to us as Nick shifts gears and takes hold of the emergency break. “Hold tight, Kayla.” He says, bracing himself in. “Now!” Our seats fall back and we brace ourselves, both firing our guns through our respective open windows while our car screeches to a halt and plunges our feet into the floorboards. When we come to a complete stop, we both rise out of our seats just as the two cars speed in an awkward twist around us and collide head on into each other - exploding upon impact. Nick smiles, and raises his eyebrows as he shifts us back into gear and off the interstate towards home.
“You enjoyed that.” I say, enjoying his laugh.
“Maybe a little, but we are going to have to move up our attack on Ellis.” He says. “That was his men coming after us, they blocked Lionel in traffic and tracked us down. I have to give him credit, he is smarter than I thought. He is expecting us to come after him.” Nick looks over at me. “That changes things.”
“It makes them harder?” I ask, but I already know the answer without him confirming.
Chapter 25<
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~Nick~
The only thing that makes battling more fun is blatantly ruining your opponent’s day. Ellis sits down at one of his favorite establishments and orders breakfast with a simple wave of his fingers. The usual for him I suppose, since no one bothers to question his movement. They begin by removing the unwanted dishes and glasses from his table before rushing around to bring him his meal. The man next to him sits straight up in his chair. His umbrella still stuck to his left hand as he sips his morning tea with sophistication. Who is this man? I didn’t want to believe Graham when he said he was Ellis’s prized possession, but the way he sits him next to him and makes sure no one responds directly to him, it makes me wonder. How important is he? The original game plan was to simply take him out and cause Ellis stress from the loss, but now I wonder if it is not worth the effort to steal him for myself. I sit by myself with my boys not too far off, watching the exchanges and the mannerisms of the entire table. When I finally feel I have a good understanding of the relationship, I approach. Not surprisingly, I am stopped before I can get too close.
The big brute grunts in my face with something that seems like a word, but I haven’t a clue what word it might be. “I’m only trying to say hello to an old friend.” I say, waiting for Ellis to take notice. Once he does, he sighs and allows me to approach. “Ellis, enjoying breakfast?” I ask with a charming smile.
“I was. What do you want Jayzon?” He asks.
“Nothing.” I sit down, to his immediate displeasure. “I saw you sitting over here with your friend and I thought I would come over and wish you a good morning.”
“A good morning in which you are so cheerful probably means I am about to get bad news.” Ellis sours.
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