Tennessee Heat

by Cami York

“Damn she’s getting the shit beat out of her,” someone yelled as Annabelle felt tears fill her eyes, and Lisa had to stop once more to catch her breath. “World Star!” Someone else yelled and only then Annabelle remembered the latest fad of putting embarrassing things on the web.

  “Come on now y’all stop. Didn’t you hear her say earlier that she was pregnant?” Annabelle didn’t recognize the voice but she was grateful for the one voice of reason even if it did her no good.

  “Well, it's her own fault,” answered another woman in the crowd; “she shouldn’t have taken home girl’s man. That’s what she get for stepping out of her lane.”

  “Well, I don't think it's right,” added the first girl. “She's pregnant and she’s getting hit too much. Some of you should be ashamed of yourselves, standing around here encouraging this shit. I hope her man puts all your asses in jail.”

  “Shut the fuck up bitch unless you want some too. She’s getting what she deserves, always walking around here acting like she’s better than everybody else. I bet you wish you’d have given me the pussy when I asked.” Dirk laughed at his own joke.

  “That’s right, she did our boy Tim dirty too. Go on home girl, when you’re done we’ll take turns on her out back in the alley ain’t that right Dirk?” Annabelle stood dazed from the blows to her head and wondering why this should be happening to her.

  Had she been too happy these last few months? Is that why life was reminding her of who she was and letting her know in this most horrid way that she was never going to escape the filth and degradation of her birth?

  “She’d be lucky if there’s anything left for that rich boy when we’re done with her, ain’t that right boys?”

  “That’s what the fuck Im saying.”

  “I want in on that.” Annabelle had lost track of who was saying what. It felt like hours had gone by but she knew it had only been a few minutes.

  “But how do you guys know this bitch is telling the truth? Y’all just jealous that the girl wanted something better for herself and you’re using this excuse… Go ahead Dirk hit me, I bet my old man would just love that.”

  “As I was saying, she’s pretty and smart so why the fuck shouldn’t she want to get the hell out of this dump? All you bitches would’ve done the same damn thing if given half a chance.”

  “Fuck that noise, ain’t nobody jealous of her. Jealous of what? Her mother’s the fucking town dump and a alcoholic at that. If she’s such a great person how come her mother’s still here after she so-called got out?”

  The insults were flying fast and from every corner, some of them hitting just as hard as the blows had. “If she messed around and fucked with my old man, I'd stab her ass that’s for damn sure. If she’s fucking this bitch’s man who’s to stop her from coming after one of ours?”

  “She'd better not let me catch her ass anywhere near my damn man; I'll give her worst than what she’s getting now.” Meanwhile Annabelle was standing in the center of all this trembling with tears running down her face. Chase where are you?

  One of her eyes was starting to throb and she felt like throwing up. She knew she wasn’t going to hold out much longer but there was no escaping since Lisa had one route blocked off while the unruly crowd took care of the other.

  Two of the women, the ones who had spoken up for her somewhat tried to get to her, to take her out of there she supposed, but the others weren’t about to let her off that easy.

  One of them was wiping something off her face with a tissue from her purse and only when she took her hand away did Annabelle realize that she was bleeding.

  “Listen, these fools aren’t going to let you out of here without a show. You have to stand up to this bitch, Annabelle.”

  “But my baby.” The other girl, who Annabelle now saw was her childhood friend Tessa, the one that she’d lost along the way to the streets, closed her eyes and bit into her lip.

  “There’s no hope for this shit you gotta fight, you know how these people are. If you just stand and let her wail on you it’ll just be worse. You gotta hit her back.”

  “Bite, scratch, kick, do whatever you gotta do, but unless the cops show up that’s the only way you’re gonna get out of this. I’m sorry, so sorry that I can’t be of more help. You were a good friend, I know what they’re saying isn’t true.”

  Annabelle tried to hold back her tears. “Yes, I know you can fight, you didn’t grow up here for nothing. You keep worrying about the baby but this bitch is crazy you can see it in her eyes. This is a fight for your life, wise up girl.” The other girl who Annabelle did not recognize whispered.

  “Just get in one good hit, kick that bitch in the crotch if you have to, but you have to take her down before she do you, you hear what I’m saying?” Annabelle nodded her head but she had no will left in her. She felt beaten, and not just by her enemy’s fists. Where was Chase?

  “Yeah, and if she gets the drop on you, close in on her and grab her hair hard, then go for the eyes. Do just like you did when you scratched up her face Annabelle, when she spit on you.”

  “Enough a this shit, you two get outta the way.” Dirk shouted as he pulled the two helpers away. “Let's get this show on the road. Everybody place your bets now.”

  “Watch out for the cops!” someone shouted, which made the crowd break out into laughter. “There're no worries about them showing up here, they know better,” answered somebody else. “They haven’t been around here in years. We own their asses.”

  While they were talking and high fiving each other Lisa attacked Annabelle like a mad woman; but this time she stood her ground, and gave as good as she got, always making sure to protect her stomach, which seemed to be Lisa’s target this time around instead of her face. The spectators grew even more excited.

  “Whoa this shit is gonna make me rich, I’m live streaming this shit.”

  “Punch that bitch in the chest Annabelle, that's good, keep hitting until your hands get tired.”

  “I got twenty on the rich bitch.” Shouted someone in the crowd; followed by shouts of me too, but no one bet on Annabelle.

  “That bitch can fight though look at her, taking those blows to the head like a fucking champ.”

  “I still say the rich bitch is gonna finish her off.”

  “Oh shit, knockout punch!” Dirk shouted as Lisa brought her fist down on Annabelle's nose; Annabelle staggered back, with blood flowing from her nose.

  After seeing her blood something inside her snapped and she lost all fear as the rage built up inside her. She rushed Lisa who she knew was no damn fighter and punched her all over her face, until she cut her hand on her teeth.

  Lisa seemed shocked by this sudden show of violence and the onslaught of blows that rained down on her head and chest, and when the crowd started praising Annabelle for her comeback she lost her ever-loving shit. “Damn, I didn’t know Annabelle had that in her. Looks like I placed my bet on the wrong horse.”

  The laughter of the crowd at her expense was the last damn straw for Lisa. She was tired of this nobody besting her at everything. She quickly recovered and rushed Annabelle, this time trying to head butt her in the stomach.

  33

  Annabelle countered her move and grabbed fistfuls of her hair and pulled with all her might, before sinking her teeth into the other girl’s face. For a solid minute the two women scrapped with each other, each exchanging blows, scratching, tearing and biting, with sweat and blood running down their faces.

  There was nothing but rage in both their eyes as they fought, one to destroy a life, and the other to preserve it. The audience shouted and cheered and clapped their hands like they were at a prizefight.

  “What the hell are you guys doing?” Annabelle heard Kimmy’s voice and her knees almost buckled with relief. Kimmy stood on tiptoe and looked over the crowd.

  “What the fuck,” she yelled, “Annabelle!” She roughly pushed her way through the crowd and made it into the center, and thrusting herself between the two women, tore them apa
rt.

  She turned furiously to Lisa. “What the fuck are you doing? Are you mental bitch?” She placed her body in front of Annabelle’s protectively. “My brother is going to kill your ass bitch!”

  Just then Annabelle heard a car door slam and suddenly Chase was there. He, too, pushed his way through. “Come here, Annabelle,” Chase said in a voice that she’d never heard before.

  “Chase!' Her legs gave out as he reached her. He lifted her in his arms, and took her through the crowd of people, who gave way to let him pass.

  “Kimmy, come here!” He walked silently to his car and placed her inside. Only then did Annabelle notice Colin and Emory standing there, but she was more focused on Chase.

  As much as she’d wanted him here now that he was she was afraid of what he would do. The look on his face…

  “Chase….”

  “I’m sorry baby, so sorry.” The hand he raised to her face trembled with rage and there were tears in his eyes. Kimmy stood next to him in the car door, tears running down her face.

  “Where do you hurt baby?”

  “The baby’s okay, I protected him.”

  “I’m asking about you, where did she hit you other than your face?” Annabelle shook her head and reassured him that her face had got the worst of it.

  Chase got to his feet. “Take her to dad Kimmy. I’m right behind you.” The look on his face when he walked away scared Annabelle more than the fight had.

  She called after him and tried getting back out of the car but Kimmy dragged her back in and put the car in drive. “Take me back Kimmy,” she sobbed, “He’s going to get himself in trouble.”

  “This is all my fault, I should’ve listened to him.” Kimmy didn’t say anything, she was still numb from what she’d just witnessed, and yes she too was worried about her brother.

  When Chase had called her asking if she’d heard from Annabelle she knew something was up. Those two lived in each other’s pocket so for him not to know and not being able to reach her meant something had to be up. But never in a million years would she have expected to find what she did when she turned up there.

  When Chase had insisted she go there because he was too far out and to take Colin with her, she thought he was overreacting, now she wished she’d gotten there sooner.

  She looked over at her friend who had sunk down in the car seat, crying her poor heart out. Kimmy got the bottle of water her brother always kept in the cup holder and reached in her bag for some tissues. Wetting them she passed them to Annabelle to wipe her face. It was a mess of blood and tears.

  Annabelle took the tissues in shell-shocked hands and wiped her face uninterestedly. She moaned when she touched her now swollen cheek. “Thanks Kimmy, how did you know….?”

  “Chase called me, he’s been trying to reach you and you weren’t picking up the phone so he panicked, good thing too. I’ll never tease you two about living in each other’s pocket again.”

  “Your parents are going to hate me!”

  “Like hell, you’re a Worthington, carrying the much awaited first grandchild. Right about now Lisa must be shitting a brick. I have no idea what the hell that fool was thinking. Dad is gonna go ham on her family for this.”

  “Stop crying babe, it’s over. You’re not cramping or anything are you?” Annabelle touched her tummy and shook her head no. Although she felt battered and bruised everywhere else, at least she’d been able to protect their child.

  She drank some water, and rifled through her purse, which had stayed cross body on her shoulder this whole time for her little hand mirror. She looked at the damage to her face and felt like she looked.

  “She really did a number on me!”

  “Did you see her? she looks just as bad or worst.” Kimmy kept talking until they pulled into the long driveway of the Worthington home where her dad was waiting at the front door for them.

  From the look on his face it was obvious that Chase had already called him. When he rushed down the steps and opened the car door, lifting her out, Annabelle burst into tears. “It’s alright now, I’ve got you.”

  Chase stood watching until the car disappeared with Annabelle and Kimmy, before turning his attention to Lisa. His brother and brother in law were there making sure she didn’t slink away.

  “That’s what you chose instead of me, that bitch can’t even fight. You should never have chosen her over me, now see…” She recoiled at the look of venom on his face when he finally turned his full attention on her and she got a good look.

  “Shut up!” Chase said, angrily as he advanced on her.

  “Make me!” she answered, raising her voice, thinking that the crowd was her safety net and that there’s no way the great Chase Worthington would ever stoop so low as to hit a woman.

  “You should’ve never thrown me over for her. What does she have that I don’t have? Huh? Look at where she came from, at what she is. Did you really think I would stand by and let you two make a fool of me?”

  Chase knew he couldn’t put hands on her, it just wasn’t something he could ever see himself doing in his life no matter how much he’d threatened, but he was this close to slapping the shit out of her.

  “If you value your life, you’ll shut the hell up.” Em, pulled Chase back when he advanced on her and he had to shake his head to clear it. He was shaking with a rage he’s never felt before and the only thing that would assuage it, is if he wrung her scrawny neck.

  “Don’t hit her bro, that’s just what she wants, she’s not worth it.” Em said out loud before leaning into his brother’s ear. “We’ll deal with this later.”

  Chase let his brother talk him down for now. But he wasn’t done, not by a long shot, he had bigger fish to fry. She was going to get hers sure, but he knew there was more to the story, more to what was going on here.

  When he couldn’t find Annabelle he had no idea that things would turn out this way, that Lisa of all people would be at the end of it. Of all the scenarios that played out in his mind, this wasn’t one of them,

  He thought for sure Ms. Scacci, or even that Tim jerk was behind it, but not this. This, was on him. It was because of him that Lisa had attacked Annabelle. He’ll have to deal with that guilt later, right now he was out for blood.

  Just then Annabelle’s childhood friend, Tessa, who was sick and tired of the way things were going in her old neighborhood and no longer cared what anyone thought, not since she’d found a decent man of her own, a cop no less, that would tear apart the whole neighborhood if any of them dared to touch her, approached him.

  She whispered a few words in his ear then pointed at Dirk and a few of the others. She wasn’t done talking before Chase was on the move. “You were taking bets on my woman and child’s lives?”

  Chase punched Dirk in his face with a heavy blow that made him stagger backwards.

  “Motherfucker, are you crazy? You know where you are?” Dirk pulled his gun, which was the only way he knew how to fight, but his eyes widened with fright when Chase just looked at him and laughed.

  Emory started to rush forward but his brother held up his hand to stop him.

  “You’d better put that away if you don’t want to get shot with your own gun.” Dirk didn’t even see him move until the gun was being wrenched from his grasp.

  Chase threw the gun to his brother who caught it, and grabbed the other man by his neck. For a moment they grappled with each other, then he lifted him off his feet and threw him to the ground.

  Dirk reached out and caught him around the leg and Chase came down on the top of him. Dirk screamed as his head thumped down on the cement when Chase landed the next punch to his face. The crowd was going wild once again, but Chase blocked them out.

  He caught hold of his Dirk's head and began beating it against the ground in between punches to the face that soon had blood flying over both of them.

  “Dude, he’s killing him.” The crowd was now begging for mercy for one of their own. But some were silently gleeful at this turn of even
ts.

  Someone in the crowd came forward and tried to break the two men apart. “Get the fuck outta there!” Emory yelled, pushing the bystander away.

  All this time Colin had ahold of Lisa making sure she didn’t make a getaway like she’d tried to ever since Chase’s attention had turned to the guy he was now in the process of beating to a pulp.

  “Okay bro, that’s enough, you don’t want this shit stain’s blood on your hands.” Em pulled his brother off of Dirk when it looked like he’d stopped breathing.

  Chase stopped and gazed at the other man, his blood still up. He got up and gave him a kick to the balls. “Get up!” he said; but Dirk remained in the fetal position on the ground, moaning in pain as his friends watched.

  Chase was reaching down to help him up on his feet when the door opened behind him.

  “What the hell is going on outside my front door?” Ms. Scacci finally peeped out her door. Chase took one look at her and saw red. She tried to disappear behind the door when he dropped Dirk and approached but Chase got there first and kicked it open.

  “Did you do this?” She shook her head in fright but Chase knew that she was lying.

  “If anything happens to my woman and child I’ll make you regret the day you were born. If you ever come near her again, I’ll end you.”

  “She’s my daughter, I gave birth to her.”

  “You got part of that right. You might’ve given birth to her but you’re no mother.” Chase then turned to the crowd.

  “I know some of you taped what happened here tonight. I’ll give fifty thousand dollars to anyone who caught it from beginning to end, anyone who wasn’t involved that is.”

  A lot of hands went up and down quickly when he tacked on that last part. Again it was Annabelle’s friend who came forward with her phone. “My man is a cop, I was going to give this to him later as evidence, you can have it.”

  Chase reached in his back pocket for his wallet and gave her his card. This is my number, call me tomorrow or after the holiday is over and tell me where you want the money to be sent.” He then downloaded the video from her phone to his without watching it. No, he needed to see this shit when he was alone.