by K. B. Saint
I have no idea what kind of issues they’re causing because he’s being vague but if I’m understanding anything, I think we’re here to kill some people who aren’t on our side. My belief is proven when the car stops and Preston hands me a gun.
“It’s loaded,” is all he says before he turns back around and gets out.
Hollis looks back at me, glancing at the gun in my hand and then back up to my eyes. “Come on, little one, it’s time to work.”
He gets out and I see him pull his gun out of his waist band before walking around to the front of the car to meet Preston on his side. I hurry to get out and look around for everyone else but all I see is darkness. There isn’t even another car on this street.
We don’t speak to each other as I follow Preston and Hollis through the shadows into an old church-like building. If it is a church it’s definitely been a while since anyone worshiped anything other than drugs here. In the darkness, the moon is the only light allowing the shadows to come out to play, but it’s not hard to see how torn apart this building is. It’s definitely a drug house.
As soon as the thought crosses my mind I see something move quickly to my right but the guys don’t seem to notice it. They keep walking but I stop and I hold my gun out before firing three quick shots. A roar rips through the darkness of the dilapidated cathedral and I run to the man, Hollis and Preston hot on my heels.
I don’t recognize the guy when I get to him but I kick his gun away from where he’s laying and gripping an area on his leg oozing blood fast. “Y’all are all dead,” the guy says to us when we’re all standing over him while he writhes in pain from the shots of mine that hit him.
“Looks like you’re the dead one to me,” Hollis says before pulling the trigger and blowing bits of the man's skull all over the place.
“Who is he?” I ask, my eyes wide. All of this happened so fast.
Preston beams, “Our intended target. You just officially started the war, baby girl.”
“So, I was supposed to shoot him?” I ask as they turn back to the door we came in leaving me next to the dead guy alone, his blood seeping out of him slowly now his blood pressure isn’t as high.
“Would you rather him shot one of us?” Hollis asks, looking back at me and I shake my head, “then you did good, little one, but the night’s not over yet. Let’s go find the others.”
They leave me alone in the church and I stand here for a second just staring at the man’s blood all over the wood, mixing with whatever was here before us. I’m lost in his blood when I hear the car start outside, yanking me out of my head long enough to remember I need to get out of here. We just killed someone for fucks sake.
With those thoughts I take off running back the way we came in and Preston and Hollis are both waiting patiently when I finally sit down in the back seat. Not a word is said as we drive through the dark streets and the silence is too much to bear for me. “Who was the guy?”
“Our enemy,” Preston informs me. I stare at the side of his head hoping he’ll explain it better but he doesn’t. He doesn’t say anything else until the car stops again. “Do what you just did again here, Ruby, and tonight will be over a lot faster than I thought.”
This place isn’t as dark as the last and I can hear the streets talking a lot more here but for some reason I have no nerves. I walk behind two of the most powerful people I’ve ever met and I realize what Messiah was saying I’d learn soon, is already in me. I’m not worried and the realization hits me like a pile of bricks being stacked on my chest.
It’s heavy and I know I have so much more I should be thinking about—like staying alive and keeping my … family alive too, but thoughts won’t leave me. They’re cycling around and around in my head and I do my best to calm my pounding heart. It’s not until I see a man I don’t recognize that I’m able to pull myself out of my head.
Hollis sees him as I do and has a bullet in his chest before I can even blink. The man is frozen where he stands and he drops his gun, the loud clank of it hitting the ground making me jump. His hands come up to his chest as he cries out in pain, looking down at the blood seeping out of his body as it stains his shirt. He hits the ground hard when he falls, and I can already hear a group of footfalls coming in our direction.
When the door bursts open my gun is ready, but I find I know every face coming in. Elijah, Messiah, Nicholai, and Salem all stop, out of breath and Elijah steps forward with a sinister grin.
“They’re all dead.”
Chapter Forty
MESSIAH—PRESENT
I wake up and look over at Salem and Elijah who are still asleep on the bed next to me and stretch my body before getting up. I can hear talking in the cabin and I stop at the door and listen with my ear pressed to it, my hand on the handle.
I hear Ruby, Hollis, and Preston talking but it’s just small talk about what vegetables Ruby likes the most. She hates vegetables, I think to myself just as she tells them both I laugh softly to myself deciding this is definitely a conversation I want to be a part of. Hopefully, it’ll stay light because I am not ready for the shit storm of a conversation coming from Preston as soon as he sees fit to rip me to shreds.
I push the door open and see Nic asleep in one of the plush chairs and Hollis, Preston and Ruby on the couch in front of the TV, but the TV is off. Their eyes fall to me when I come in but Preston doesn’t stop telling Ruby how important a well balanced diet is.
“You’ll thank me later for fixing your eating habits,” he tells her and I can tell it’s taking everything in her to not roll her eyes. “You know, when you’re my age and all of the other women your age are suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or hormone imbalances.”
“Diet affects all of your whole body so seriously?” she asks as I sit in the chair next to Nicholai’s.
Hollis laughs. “You have so much to learn about your body. It’s gonna be a long winter.”
“She’ll catch on quickly,” Preston assures before turning his eyes to me. “Like Messiah did.”
“I fought it pretty hard at first,” I laugh, “but I don’t miss treating my body like shit because it’s much easier to train and kick people’s asses now.”
“You would only eat right for some reason like being able to kick peoples asses better,” Ruby says laughing and shaking her head.
“What makes it worth it for you?” I ask.
“I guess it could be the hope of being one step ahead of other people my age who don’t eat right for their body. You know I am always up for a challenge,” she says, grinning.
“Which is why you’re here with us,” Preston tells her and she looks away from me to meet his eyes. “Because you’re always up for the challenge to be better.”
“And because I impress you, right?” She grins at him and I shake my head.
She and Salem are the only ones who get away with talking to Preston with so much attitude and him not come back with something even more challenging. He just lets them think they are bad asses to keep their brattiness intact.
He smiles a devilish smile at her and nods. “You are impressive and such a little brat.”
“It’s a gift,” she tells him, smiling back.
“Right,” Hollis tells her, standing and heading to the small fridge built into the corner. “A gift just like my personality.”
“Your personality is a gift,” I tell him, laughing. “Who else do you know on the same level of asshole as you?”
“You, motherfucker,” Hollis says, laughing too.
Nic stirs next to me and I look over at him but he doesn’t open his eyes. I start to respond to Hollis but Ruby beats me to it.
“You two are pretty similar,” she says. “But Hollis, you’re not mean. You just don’t like bullshit.”
“So Messiah is mean?” Preston asks and her eyes lock on me again but I avoid her gaze and look at Preston. “Are you still not doing what I asked?”
“Oh no,” Ruby tells him, “he’s not going out of
his way to be mean to me anymore, he’s just naturally a dick. His humor is dry and he makes you think he’s serious before laughing, but those seconds before he laughs he’s so believable.”
I laugh because I am a dick but it’s always in good fun, especially with her and especially now.
“He does love the dry stuff,” Preston notes. “Was he like this when you knew him before?”
Preston knows all about who I was back then but he’s baiting her. I don’t want to think about back then if I’m being honest, but I knew he’d bring it up before long.
“Yes,” she tells him, nodding her head. “Not so ... weathered. Though, I can say the same for myself also.”
“We’ve all been through storms,” Hollis says, twisting a water bottle open and taking a sip. “We’re all a little weathered.”
Ruby nods but looks into her lap with a frown, not saying anything else. “I’ve been through a few nasty hurricanes.”
“But you managed to survive and you know what you get to do now?” Preston asks Ruby.
“What?”
Preston hesitates and looks at me to tell her. I remember his words to me all those years ago and no matter how mad I’ve ever gotten at him, they’ve never been a lie.
“You get to live.”
Chapter Forty-One
RUBY—PRESENT
It’s been three days since we traveled to what I later found out was Atlanta, Georgia. I still don’t have every detail but Salem was able to get a little more information than I got and she told me the men we killed belong to a gang in Atlanta doing their best to come in and take over the territory Benzo’s people and Preston have shared peacefully for years.
When word Benzo got killed reached Atlanta people misunderstood his death for free territory up for grabs and now they want more than they originally came for. They want the entire west side of the river and from what Salem told me none of it sits well with Preston or Juice. They want Juice’s newly acquired territory and Preston’s too.
She didn’t go into detail on what having these territories actually means but I get the idea a lot of money is involved and just knowing my city tells me drugs and sex are definitely involved too.
Sawyer, Alabama isn’t exactly known for its friendly neighborhoods or clean streets. The news likes to focus on things like the high death rate among the people here and insane use of heroin and crack ruining so many families. Not to mention how the human trafficking ring here has grown insanely over the last few years.
Nevertheless, the people we went and hit the other night want a piece of the dark underworld of Sawyer and from what I gathered from Salem and the eavesdropping I’ve been able to do, Preston is not about to let the shit they’re trying to pull happen.
Once I’m finished with my solo run around the track, I walk another three laps in hopes of calming my racing mind. Nothing has worked this far and I’m starting to think the only option I have left is to beg Preston to let me get some form of sexual activity. I’m not even picky over the person at this point. I’ve been overly picky in the past either.
When I get to the bottom of the steps I sigh and just like every other time I’ve been to the track I count to three and then take off in the same pace Hollis had the first day I was here. I’m damn near dead as I push myself harder up the steps and when I get to the top without stopping for the first time I’m hit by a second wind.
It’s fueled solely from the excitement of my accomplishment and I scream out a loud, “Yes!”
I am a sweaty mess, but I run all the way to the house, hoping to catch Hollis before he leaves for the day. He’s been giving me a hard time about still not being able to get to the top in one go and now I can tell him I did it. If he doesn’t believe me, I know he can always go back and watch the cameras and he’ll see.
“Hollis,” I yell as I bust through the back door. I don’t hear anyone and I know it’s likely they left me here alone again but I hope someone stayed back so I don’t have to feel this excited all alone. “Hollis?”
The sweat underneath the hoodie I’m wearing is dripping down my back and my legs feel like lead but I take the back staircase two at a time anyway. When I get to the top I see it’s not even eight-thirty yet which means it’s likely for at least one of them is still in the gym. Preston might already be gone, but with him I can never be sure because he doesn’t follow any kind of schedule at all.
When I get to the hall with the gym on it I slow my roll when I hear the loud thumping of the music telling me at least someone is still in the gym and I hope it’s Hollis. I push through the door, still trying to catch my breath and smile big when I see Hollis still in front of the mirror deadlifting one of the most stacked bars I’ve ever seen in person.
When he notices me coming toward him he puts the bar down and wipes his hands on his grey joggers. My eyes do their best to not stray but I can’t help but to look and when I see the rise of the fabric over his dick my pussy aches with need. I remind myself I still need to beg Preston the first chance I can get, but the excitement from my run is still too high for me to forget about it completely. Even if sex is all I can think about lately.
Deprivation is a bitch.
“I ran four and a half miles and then ran all the way up the steps without stopping,” I tell him, smiling and still out of breath. “Oh, and good morning.”
“Morning,” he says and laughs softly, putting his hands in his pockets and walking toward me. “So, you finally did it?”
I nod, fucking beaming because never in my life have I ever felt so accomplished. “I finally fucking did it.”
“Good job,” he says as he stops in front of me. “Now you have to set a new goal.”
“I don’t know what goal I want to go for, I don’t think I ever imagined completing this one,” I tell him honestly just as the door to the sauna opens and Messiah walks out alone.
“Well now you’ve completed it you’ve got to use your momentum to keep pushing yourself to be better. Reaching your next goal will happen, too, even if it seems unattainable like the last one,” he tells me with confidence.
“What did you accomplish?” Messiah asks as he takes a seat on one of the benches and wraps his arms over the bar before smiling at me while he waits on my answer.
“I just finished my run and I ran up the steps without stopping,” I tell him and he raises his eyebrows.
“No cappy wappy?” he asks.
“No cap.” I laugh and reply, “you can check the camera.”
“Nah, I believe you. It’s dope you met your goal. It took me a year,” he says with his eyes wide, “but I’ve never been much of a cardio person and like I’m sure you’ve heard, I was a bit of a shit head when I first got here.”
“You’re still a shit head,” Hollis tells him making me laugh.
“True,” he says, “but I feel like I’ve grown.”
“Yeah, your head has gotten bigger,” I joke. He cuts his eyes at me.
“Also true,” he says, laughing.
“Are y’all the only ones who are home,” I ask, lust already clouding my judgement.
“Preston took Salem and Elijah out of town for a job and Nic is on his way to get more guns for Juice’s crew. They’re paying us out the ass too,” Hollis tells me and my chest gets heavier as I read between the lines.
“Why did Nic go alone?” I ask, trying to focus on anything but my thoughts.
“Because Salem was needed elsewhere,” Hollis tells me, not offering much else.
“He’ll be back before we leave tonight,” Messiah says. I frown.
“We’re leaving again?”
“We are,” Hollis tells me. “You’ll be here with Nicholai until Preston gets back.”
“I don’t think he likes me much,” I tell them both, sitting on one of the machines to my left. The run is catching up with me still.
“Nicholai just isn’t social. It will be good for you to have him alone, he works best by himself,” Messiah says with a nod. “He’s
a part of the team but he spent a lot of his life relying on no one but himself.”
“Sounds familiar,” I say, blowing a breath out.
“Exactly.” Messiah grins. “So just enjoy your day with us and then you can spend all the time you need getting to know the grumpiest of the gang.”
“What’s on the list of things to do?” I ask, and the look Hollis gives me tells me just about everything I need to know before it even leaves his lips.
“Nothing on the agenda. Preston gave us the day off.”
“To hang out with me?”
“He figured you’d be mad Salem didn’t get to say goodbye,” Hollis tells me and I start to think their trip isn’t a day trip like Nicholai’s.
“Will she not be right back like Nic?”
“‘Fraid not,” He tells me, squinting some. “You’ll be here with Nicholai for a while but Preston did say you two don’t have to stay at the compound so I doubt he’ll keep you here. He prefers his apartment over anywhere else.”
“If Preston lifted the ‘stuck here’ stipulation is he done depriving me sexually too?” You can hear the frustration and annoyance in my voice and when they laugh I should probably feel some form of embarrassment, but I don’t. All of my horny thoughts cloud my judgment too much for their laughter to even bother me at all.
Hollis shakes his head at me as he comes even closer. “Nope he said you still can’t have none,” he tells me with a lopsided grin, but I can already tell he’s going to give me what I need just like he did the last time Preston left.
“Maybe we should let her have a taste,” Messiah says, his voice playful. He just wants me to suck his dick again.
“Aht aht,” he says, shaking his head, “but then we’d be breaking the rules, Messiah.”
“You don’t give a shit about rules,” I challenge.