He smiled casually, like we were making dinner plans. “Well, first, Ihave amessage Ineed you to deliver for me,” he continued as if Ihadn’tsaid anything.
“I’mnot afuckin’ mailman. Deliver it yourself,” Isnapped.
“Oh,” he said, “this message is for your club, and it’simperative if you want any of them to live thatyoudeliver it for me.” He nodded to his guys and they all descended on me.
Ireached for my gun, pulling it out just in time for abullet to hit me in the left side. Icried out, my grip on my gun never loosening even as hands reached for it, fists hitting me, boots kicking me. The gun was eventually snatched from my grip and Iwas dragged to the ground, boots and bats finding placement on my body. Ifought back, grabbing one of the men closest by his calf and dragging him down with me, my fist hitting him in the ribs over and over. Icontinued punching until Ifelt something snap and he screamed, his own hands hitting out blindly.
He was finally torn from my grip, the relentless fists and boots stopping long enough for me to catch my breath. Iwas curled on my side, blood pouring from the bullet-sized hole in me that Ihoped had missed anything important. My knuckles were itching to hit something, anything. Ilooked up, finding alot of angry faces staring down at me. The group of men parted and Christian filled the space they had just made.
He smiled down at me before pulling aswitchblade from his back pocket and crouching down to my level.
“You hurt my man Ryan,” he said calmly, gesturing to the man who no doubt now had broken ribs.
“Sorry ‘bout that,” Igrunted, my eyes trained on his face as Itried not to look at the knife in his hand. “He your special boy or something?” Ispat blood out at his feet and chuckled painfully.
He stood up and stalked over to Ryan before taking agun from one of the other men and shooting poor fucking Ryan in the head. He handed the gun back over and made his way back to me, crouching down once again.
“Does that answer your question?” Christian’sface was devoid of emotion as he glanced at his men and the men descended, grabbing my arms and legs. He smiled as he leaned in closer to me, my body splayed out on the floor like Jesus fucking Christ.
“The woman that was in here with you. Where is she?” he asked.
Ikept my mouth shut.
“Why take the blame for this? It’sobvious that this was her doing. AHighwayman has no need for such senseless killing of an unarmed man,” he reasoned.
“That’swhere you’re wrong; Ilove senseless killing,” Iargued, taken aback that he knew Iwas aHighwayman. “Ifuckin’ love asenseless killin’.”
Christian laughed and leaned over, slamming the blade into my shoulder in amove so quick Ididn’teven know it had happened until the searing pain burned through my muscle. Iroared out in pain before clamping my mouth shut.
He pulled the blade out slowly before pushing it back in. Each movement was slow, deliberate, and each movement was agony.
“Look, Gauge, I’mfucking you with my knife.” He barked out alaugh as my blood sprayed across his face. He looked into my eyes, his expression empty, though his mouth was turned up in an ugly scowl, my blood dripping off his chin. “I’mgoing to cut off your fucking arm and feed it to you if you don’ttell me where the little slut is!”
“It was me,” Isaid pointlessly, because he already knew, but there was no way in hell that Iwas giving up Jolie. She may have been atough woman and apain in everyone’sass to boot, but she’dbe dead within minutes if Igave her up.
He tutted and pushed the knife back in, the sharp blade cutting through my flesh easily.
“It was me!” Iroared, lifting my head off the ground and spitting in his face. “Ikilled that thick fuck Jeff. It was me. The bitch was just someone that was in here fucking him at the time Icame in.” Sickness and pain clawed at me as Ifought past the pain. “She was just some little bitch that ran out of here as soon as she saw me come in with agun.”
Christian pulled the knife back out and slammed it back down into the top of my thigh and Iroared in pain again. Icould feel the puddle of blood building underneath me as Iglared up at him, my nostrils flaring.
“I’mgoing to fucking kill you, motherfucker!” Igritted. “You’re dead, ya hear me. You’re fuckin’ dead once my brothers find you!”
Christian wiped his bloody hands down the front of my sweat-covered T-shirt and stood back up with atut.
“Oh, I’ll be seeing all of them soon enough,” he said with asmile. “And Iwill be counting down the hours of my next meeting with you, Mr. Wright. Of that you can be certain.”
He knew my name.
He knew my real name.
But how?
And if he knew my name, what else did he know?
“Now, about the message Iwant you to pass on…”
“Itold you, Iain’tno mailman. Do it your fuckin’ self,” Isnarled, and spat out another mouthful of blood.
He nodded to his men as Istared up at him in shock. “Send the message, and find the bitch. Ihave plans for her.”
All other thoughts fled as his men pounced on me. Ifought with everything Ihad, but Icould barely lift my arm, and every twitch of my torso sent searing pain through my guts.
My vision turned hazy as blood spewed from my lips, one thought and one thought only staying bright in my mind: he wanted me kept alive. For now, at least.
This was only amessage.
And that meant that this was only the beginning.
