“You looking for Royal?” he asks. I nod my head as he walks closer.
“You seen him?”
“He hasn’t been around in a few days. I heard he took a little vacation.”
“Where?” the man shrugs before nodding to someone else. Before I know what’s happening, my arms are being jerked behind my back, and I can feel the zip tie tighten around them. “What the fuck?”
“Royal hasn’t made it back for his last fight,” the asshole tells me.
“I don’t even know where he is,” I remind him.
“That makes sense as to why you’re here looking for him. But I need him back here in a timely manner.”
“What the hell does that have to do with me?” I snap as I jerk at my arms, where they’re being held behind me.
“He brought you here a few times. Seems he really likes you, right? What better way to get his ass back here in a hurry?”
“Let me go. I don’t know anything,” I plead with him.
“I’m not letting you go anywhere. In fact, you’re going to help me get his ass back here,” he sneers at me. My insides somersault at his words. What’s he going to do to me?
“Take her in the back and cut her up real nice. Send the pictures to Royal as an incentive,” the bastard tells the men behind me. They laugh as they drag me down the hall and into a back room. I’m tossed to the floor like a rag doll when one kneels in front of me. The other moves behind me and cuts the zip tie, and that’s when I try to fight. I swing, kick, and even try to bite the assholes, but it’s useless. One back hands me across the face while the other holds me down.
The one in front grabs my wrist and begins to cut as I scream for him to stop. He doesn’t. He moves to the other and cuts it as well. Then he pulls out his phone and snaps a picture ofwhat he’s just done and one of my face as tears stream down my cheeks.
“He’ll kill you,” I tell them as pain shoots through me. The cuts on my wrist are deep, but not deep enough to kill me right away.
“We’ll see how long you bleed out for. If he were smart, he’d get back here soon.” The one behind me stands and drops me to the ground. I immediately move to cover the cuts on my wrists. It’s hard to do when both of them have been slashed opened.
Tears continue to slide down my cheeks when I hear the door lock from the outside. There’s no way out of here. I look down at my arms and cry a little more. Blood seeps out around my fingers, and I wonder if this is the way I’m going to go. Am I going to die here on this dirty floor? Where is Royal anyway?
Chapter 27
Royal
“You could always stay,” April says as we walk to the bus station.
“I wish it were that easy,” I tell her.
“It could be. We could make mom leave,” she adds.
“That wouldn’t be easy either. I can’t stick around, April. I’m sorry. If I could take you with me, you know I would.” She nods her head before throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me. I hug her back and pull her in close. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Royal. When I’m eighteen I’m out of here,” she says softly.
“When you’re eighteen, we’ll figure it all out.”
“I’m glad you came. It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.” When she pulls away, I reach up and wipe the tears from her cheeks.
“I know, and I’m sorry it took me so long. There’s just a lot of shit going on.”
“And the money. I get it. I told you you don’t have to send me that much anymore. I’ll be fine,” she tells me.
“You need it more than I do. Living with her has to be hell,” I say, already knowing the truth. I lived it once, and I never want to go back to that again.
“You were right. Give her what she wants, and she leaves me alone,” April says sadly.
“I know this is fucked up, April. I wish it were different.”
