by S Courtney
I cringe as he chuckles, taking another sip. I noticed her move a little out the corner of my eye. I hope she doesn't wake in the middle of this nightmare.
LYRIC
I'm conscious, finally. I don't move much after they move me off this cold ass floor and onto a blanket and wrap it around me. I move just a little because I know he's worried. I make the smallest movements looking for my phone, I put it in my bra before my 'date' with that backstabbing bastard.
I feel the numbers to try to dial the clubhouse from memory. I push the volume button in hopes it's as low as possible. I hear it ring...and ring...and ring. I don't hang up; I need somebody to pick up.
Somebody is talking to Cupid; I am not paying attention to the conversation I need to hear when someone picks up the phone.
I wonder where Digi is, too? He was shot and I just hope he wasn't...no, got to think positive, he's okay. He's okay. I bring the phone a bit closer to my ear and groan to make them think I was still unconscious.
Then it clicks over, I hear wind and... engine noises?
"Black Aces, this is Jackal."
"Jackal, help!" I whisper yell enough for him to hear me but not them inside the room.
"Lyric, sweetie. Don't worry we're coming for you we're tracking your phone. Don't do anything. Stay safe, we're coming."
"Okay."
I clutch the phone after hanging up, praying for my life, praying for my brother's life, and praying for the man who holds my heart. I just hope he can keep his temper at bay, who knows how dangerous this man is. The question really was, who was he?
MONSTER
CUPID
He takes another deep sip, "Anyway, I knew that it doesn't always work after the first time so I carried on a "relationship" with her, knocking her up as many times as I could while feeding her the American dream, I even took her to L.A. to show daddy that I had settled down. He created an account here in her name, so the money had somewhere to deposit. Until the kid was 18, she was the executor to the account."
My head was spinning as I was gathering his info to what my mom told me. I remember when she gave me access to an account, at 18, that had eight grand in it, saying she saved for me to be on my own.
If what he says is true...then that would make him...
"You're...my father."
A sinister smile forms, "Hello, son."
My entire body is on fire, there is a fury, a rage from the deep dark pits of my soul. My entire body is shaking in anger.
"Yeah, I didn't think you'd take the news well, which is why you're still tied, but no matter, soon I will tell you about your demise. You won't get your retribution for your mommy because you'll be dead."
I close my eyes to summon my darkness. I want the darkest part of my soul unleashed to watch him and Johnny suffer before the demons of hell drag their souls to eternal suffering. Even the demons would fear my rage towards my...father.
"Oh, and before you try to negotiate, I will put a bullet in her head if you do not take your fate. All whores are the same, but this sweet little treat will be one of my prized possessions."
His laugh is sinister and maniacal. All the physical pain I felt before was numbed by my hatred of the pathetic excuse of a man before me.
Now that he's close, I can see the similar features. The same thin lips with a slight Cupid's bow, the small dent in the chin even though my beard covered mine I used to poke at it when I was younger. We even shared the same eyes, I always wondered why mine never matched my mother's, seems the demon seed had stronger genes.
My father...I was looking into the eyes of my father.
"Ahh now it's sunk in, can you see the similarities now? In another lifetime, we could have been the perfect father and son, but fate dealt you a cruel hand. Living in squalor with a very unstable mother who..."
"You made her that way! Don't you fucking talk about her like she was crazy! You're the psychopath that used and abused her, discarded her like she was nothing and for what, money? She wasn't nothing, she was my everything, she was my mother!"
I'm so pissed I can't even cry. I want to get away from here and take my precious kitten with me, but I don't think I'll make it out of this. I have to make peace with the fact that I will probably die here. But it'll be worth it if she and Digi make it out alive, she could take him and live on the beach as she always dreamed and I could watch from the heavens and be at peace knowing she was safe. If only I had gotten the balls to tell her how much I love her.
LYRIC
I mimic tossing and turning as I face towards Aleister and the mystery man who I heard is his father?! I crack one eye open and my love is tied to a chair and he is irate and heartbroken as this man talks down about his mother.
It's too much for him to bear, he was staring at the other part of his life. The man who abandoned his mother, the man...wait, he was that older man who walked in my bar! Now I remember, how he eyed me down when I was soaked in water, how he licked his lips and stared at my bra and his subtle flirt when he said he'd return. Oh my god, it was his dad! I try to listen in, "All whores are the same, but this little sweet treat will be one of my prized possessions."
Wait, is he talking about me? I'm not going anywhere with that bastard! I rotate keeping one eye open and closed so no one will notice. His guards are pea-brained morons as they take a smoke break and leave their boss by himself.
Maybe I could sneak up and knock him out!
With what, Lyric? Your nifty cellphone?
I peek again and see that he has a gun in his holster and Aleister's screaming about how he hurt his mother. I notice movement on a metal beam behind him. There are hands tied with a rope and they are shifting side to side and that's when I notice the outline of the club's emblem.
It's Digi! He's still alive but I know he's hurt, and he desperately needs medical attention. I can't lay here; I need to see if he's okay.
At least I can help him if I can't help Aleister.
I had to make the decision, stay, and lie in wait or help my little brother?
DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
CUPID
"Listen, I didn't come here to be yelled at by my own flesh and blood about their stupid dead mother. No, I came to make sure that I get my father's millions, not you. If I remember correctly your 30th birthday is in... four hours, once you turn 30 the $35 million gets automatically deposited into your account with a note explaining your insta-wealth from your grandfather. I'll get rid of you and play the sob story of a broken-hearted father and gain the money by parental bereavement access. I just love these small weak banks, I'll put on the best heartbroken dad act they've ever seen! Anyway, let's spend these last few hours as a family. Father and son enjoying the good times."
I couldn't help but laugh at the notion, "So, I would have what? Walk into the bank one day and discover there's an extra 35 mil in there and what, you think I'd be excited to be an instant millionaire? Money means nothing to me, I'm not like you, I don't care about wealth, how fucking shallow can you be?! I have everything in my club, brotherhood and a place to belong, people who have my back!"
He stands by her still body, "And what about her? Do you care for her, like you do your boys or is she just something to get you off at night?"
I inhale deeply and sigh out my frustration at his harsh words, she was much more than just a lay. I stared at her and her beautiful hair, smooth but dirty skin, and knowing how deeply she cared for me, my answer was clear.
"No... I love her, she's my world and I wish I would have told her sooner."
"Aww, sounds like remorse. I don't care for love or anything, you got that weakness from your mother." He scoffs as he walks back to the bar cart to fix another drink.
I realized then that I was like my lovestruck mother but tried to cover it by being like him, cold and heartless but I wasn't him and I wasn't weak.
LYRIC
My heart fluttered wildly, I heard it with my own ears, he loves me. Aleister said that he loved me! He finally said
those words I've been waiting to hear but in the worst situation.
I can't act like a corpse anymore.
I make small movements and groan before I sit up holding my head, squinting, and seeing him.
"Ugh, Aleister? Where am I?" When I looked over, he looked so relieved.
"Lyric, baby, are you okay?"
I groan at the stiffness of my neck and body, "I think so. Did you...did you mean what you said?" I felt the tears well up.
His eyes widened as he nodded, "Absolutely kitten, I love you so much, I knew the very moment we shared our first kiss. It's always been you, I'm sorry I kept you waiting...I was scared."
I couldn't help but laugh while crying, "I love you too, baby. It's okay, I understand, I never wanted to rush you." I forgot my surroundings and sat up to run over and hug him until I was looking down the barrel of a gun and I stumbled back.
"Ah ah ahhh...albeit a sweet gesture let's remember why we're all here. As soon as the money hits your account, I can put a bullet in your head and take the money and your girl."
Is he serious?
"What, what do you want with me?!"
"Oh, since I saw your delicious knockers soaking wet at the bar, I knew I had to have you and soon money will be no object, we could fly anywhere in the world. I can have you screaming in a different country every single day."
I scoot away from him, "Get away from me, I love your son. I'd rather die with him than be anywhere near you!"
He cocks the gun and I gasp, suddenly frozen in fear.
"Don't fucking tempt me, Princess. You're as useful as he is, I just wanted to give you the chance to try the original. Come on baby, why don't you give daddy a try? I bet you my dick is much bigger than my son's and I've been told I'm an amazing lover."
I physically gag, "Ugh, hard pass. Do you realize that you have us hostage so that you can kill your own son for money, you’re despicable!" I huffed.
His dad scoffed as he waved in Aleister’s direction, "Whatever, I didn't want no kid! I wanted that money and I was going to do anything to get it and I did.” He gripped the back of my neck real tight causing me to reach back to try to loosen it, his grin was pure evil, “Wait, why are we still talking about this?! I will put a bullet in his head and yours too, Princess, if you don't shut up and come with me. Don't forget the kid, he's real expendable. Are you willing to let him die?"
"You let him go, he's just a kid!"
He laughs, glancing at Digi, "Well, sucks for you, kid. This is a fatal lesson in bad timing." Then he turns back to me, "Maybe if you agree to come with me, I'll spare him."
Oh god, I want to projectile vomit at his vile comments. He pulls me up roughly by my hair, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing me cry out in pain. I grit my teeth, breathing roughly.
"Now, what's it going to be? Come and be my slut so I can fuck you unconscious and the boy lives."
I had no choice, I didn't want to, but Digi was as close to me as my biological brothers and I would do anything for him. I see the heartbreak on Cupid's face, he wanted to help me. He wanted to save me...but he couldn’t.
I swallow my pride, "Okay, just promise to free him and... I’ll go."
If you could see how shocked Aleister was that I agreed to go with his dad, "Lyric, don't! He'll kill him once you get on the jet!"
I try to walk towards him, but he yanks me back." No way, you can say what you have to say right here." He runs his hands down my side brushing my breast and I shudder violently.
The tears fall and I can't stop them if I try.
"Baby...I can't let Digi die. He's innocent in all this, my life doesn't matter but his, it's just starting. I-I love you...so much and I'll always remember that as the best moment of our...last night together."
He just nodded trying to hold back the tears, "Don't give up on me, please! I need you..."
Words never sounded sweeter than those words right there.
Simultaneously, I felt the gun shoved into my side and saw the flash and felt a burning, aggravating sensation in my side, growing outward from where the pain started before I looked down to my clutching hand...is that...blood? I looked at him and muttered out,
"Aleister?"
The world went dark as I felt the soothing calm of nothingness. Well, everything here was okay…
FIND OUR FAMILY
BLACK ACES POV
Jackal and the gang park their bikes down the road from a compound that looked more like a factory than a residence but there was a lavish house on the grounds.
Jackal gathers them to huddle, "Cheetah, are they still there?" He checks the app on his phone.
"Yeah, they are in that warehouse by the house."
Jackal nods and then points at the compound, "Okay, we're going to split up. I need Cheetah with his speed and expertise with me. We will head to the warehouse and take out whatever threat is there. The rest will storm the house. This is a bloodbath, our brothers are in there with Cupid's girl, we don't even know if they are alive, but we will not leave without them. We will not take hostages, it is kill or be killed. I try not to condone this extreme type of violence but there are exceptions to the rules. This was boiling over and now it is at the tipping point. Is everyone clear?"
They all nod as they slip through the gate and sneak behind two men who were dressed like guards but were easily dispatched as Knox takes a knife to one guy's throat and Club snaps the other guy's neck. They both crumble to the floor and their bodies are tossed by the side of the building to hide it from anyone else who may walk by.
Knox and Club head around to the back of the house while Blondie goes through the front door.
The house was immaculate to be in the middle of the desert. Blondie looked around and took note of both floors, but no one was around. He walks straight back towards the kitchen.
Knox and Club dispose of three more guys who look like they were taking a smoke break. To save on ammunition they stabbed two and by the time the third reached for his gun, Club had already pulled his 45 caliber and fired the kill shot, right between his eyes then confiscated the weapon.
Cheetah had taught everyone to shoot comfortably and with practice, Club was easily second-best behind him.
They leave their bodies where they were, not caring about being found now, they needed to find their boys and their sister.
TRAUMA
CUPID
"LYRIC!" Digi screamed, I'm not sure if he saw anything from his position, but he knew, there’s no mistaking the sound of a gunshot. I hear pain fill his voice.
"Cupid, Cupid what happened? Is she okay? Please! Say something!"
He was panicking and I was numb as I watched her slump to the floor, a small puddle of blood escaping from between her fingers.
"You shot her, you son of a bitch! Why?! She's all I had!"
He nudges her body and she falls to the side, motionless. Her hand is still clutching the wound.
"Yeah, I wanted to take her, in more ways than one, but it was obvious she was stuck on my son...my useless, pathetic, worthless son. Look what you made me do! Now you and her can meet in the great beyond, happily ever after or whatever."
I didn't care anymore; my love was quite possibly dead right in front of me. Her last words were how much she treasured our time together.
God, I wish we had more time.
That bastard shot her like she was nobody, how was I supposed to go on without her? How do I break the news to Digi? I could hear him crying because I didn't answer, and he assumed. I wish he wasn’t right. Now, nothing mattered. If he wanted the money, he could have it, if I died in an hour I couldn't care less, my life meant nothing. I gave my heart only for it to be shattered beyond repair...again.
Fuck life, it wasn't worth living...without her. I felt my entire being give up and my head slumped down.
"Now now, son, let's not be down you'll be together soon enough. There's only...35 minutes left."
I was sick of hearing his voice.
&nbs
p; "Why don't you just shoot me now, what does it matter when I die?"
"Because there will be an autopsy and it needs to say you died on your birthday not beforehand. If not, then the money goes to an anonymous charity. It’s all in the details."
He sits in the chair in front of me, tapping the butt of the gun against the metal chair. I let the tears fall. I couldn't even look at him. I was so enraged, so heartbroken. At least she would finally meet my mom, the other love of my life.