I tried to strangle him the second day I had the leash on. I wasn’t successful, and all my attempts did were anger him to where he ignored me for three days. Thank God for that. But he’s been back, and every time he comes in the room he tries to engage me in conversation. To make it seem normal that he’s doing this. I refuse to talk to him. He won’t break me. One day, I’ll break free.
He lets me eat and bathe. After each time he cums in me, he leaves me. There is no intimacy building, and I think that’s the point. He wants me to know I’m his prisoner until I see eye to eye with him. That is a pipe dream for him.
In the lonely moments, I wonder why I am going through all this. What did I do to deserve such agony? I’m not sure it matters anymore. He’s going to be here any moment with lunch. To be honest, I'd rather starve. But I eat just so I can keep my strength up.
“Little bird.”
My head snaps up and I sit up from my lying position on the bed. “Yes?” I try to keep the hostility out of my voice. Haydes doesn’t hit me when I anger him. No, he takes me hard and fast in every hole I have.
“I’m running to town. Is there anything you need?” he asks as he sets the food tray down on the desk.
I blink at him, confused. He’s running hot and cold. One moment I am in fear for my life. The next moment, I see the old Haydes. I feel as if I have whiplash from his conflicting personalities. I can see that every time he’s near me. But it makes it awkward between us when he’s acting nicer to me. It would be nice if he would choose an emotion and stick with it. Some part of me wants him to be the old Haydes. Unfortunately, I’m no longer naïve enough to believe in that miracle.
“My freedom.”
He shakes his head like he’s disappointed in my answer. The door clicks closed, and I’m once again left alone. I run my hand along the silk cover he brought into the room yesterday. The smooth texture along my skin has me closing my eyes. I think about Kronos, Ayres, and Hypnos.
I whisper out into the room. “I think I miss you.” The words slip out with tears running down my cheeks. I’m stupid for thinking about them at all. When this is all over, I should see a shrink.
Those mother fuckingTimberwolves kept us waiting for two goddamn weeks. I almost broke the treaty. My baby rabbit is with someone far more insane than any of us are. Every day we get video streams of her. Some days it’s just her lying in bed. Others, it’s of him fucking her. Those are the days I kill someone. My need to kill is through the roof. I don’t want to think about how many damn people Ayres has killed. I’m quite sure he sneaks out at night to fuck people up.
My limit for waiting for an answer is wearing thin. We sit here at this fucking bar again, and I’m forced to deal with the leader of the motorcycle gang that pushes drugs for us, the same leader I made a treaty with, Jameson Wolfe. Normally, I would have beheaded him by now. But I’m trying to be amicable. When I first approached him, his younger brother was dealing with a trial for murder. I gave him time to get it settled.
Considering that our treaty is new, I asked for updates and tried hard not to just take over the territory. Instead, I relied on Wolfe being honest with me. When we made this alliance, he agreed he would sell the drugs in the slums and leave every other part of Timberland, TX alone. They could have the run of the slums and enjoy the profits our beneficial friendship would garner. What I didn’t know was whether Haydes was collaborating with the rat bastard.
That’s why we are here tonight. The big ass tattooed mother fucker is sitting here with his beer gut hanging over his leather pants and a push-brush mustache that almost covers his entire face. I will never understand how he can stand living in filth like this. My patience is over now that his brother has gone through his trial and is in jail. Now’s my turn to get to the point.
“Man, I get it. You want to get into my territory.I get it. I know I put you off for a bit, but I had to deal with my younger brother’s run-in.I also got the count of all my men. The consensus is that you aren’t welcome here. We don’t fucking trust you in our territory.” Jameson shrugs his shoulders like it’s no big deal.It’s a big fucking deal.
Ayres smashes a pint of the stale beer he was drinking against the counter of the bar.
“Look here, you dumb…” Hypnos grabs him and pulls him from the bar.
“Not now!” Hypnos hollers over Ayres. I watch them sit down in a booth, and I turn to Jameson. I keep telling myself it’s in the best interest for this city if we don’t start a war. This might just change tonight. My hand twitches, ready to pull my guns out.
“I never beg for anything. You know my rules. You know I don’t give a fuck about anything or anyone, and I will tear the slums down one side and up the other. I came to you in peace, as we have been for almost two years. Are you willing to fuck it all up over pride of having territoryIgave you? You kept me waiting for two damn weeks. If you remember, we are supposed to be on the same page. And if you recall, the last stipulation of the treaty was that if you refuse me anything, I own you.”
He throws down the chicken bone he was just cleaning with his dirty teeth. “Now see here, Kronos.” I’m off the stool I was sitting on within seconds. Grabbing his old lady, I point a gun at her head as I snake an arm around her waist. She’s a tall bitch, but I have her restrained. I think.
Jameson moves to get up and Hypnos throws a knife that lands on the bar, sticking into the old wood right next to his hand. Jameson looks around, coming to terms that he’s out numbered here tonight. His crew isn’t with him. Everyone in the bar turns their eyes away. They know not to fuck with us.
“You’ve got one fucking choice. You go with me to the fucking house, or I fuck your wife in front of you. After that, I’ll shoot you and we’ll call it Powers Territory. What’s it going to be?”
He holds his hands up and nods. “Fuck, you win. I’ll ride with you. Shit man, you need to learn to loosen the fuck up. Let my old lady go. She’s not a part of this shit.”
I cock the gun. “One more damn word and I blow her brains out. Understand?”
He nods his head yes. I release the woman, but I pull my second gun out and aim one at her and one at Wolfe.
“Because of our agreement and respect to your family, I have upheld my end of the fucking bargain. Your men can either fall in line with your decision to take us to the Goddamn house, or we start the mother fucking war right here, right now with you both dead.”
“Kronos, man, we want no war. None. These streets have been peaceful for a long time. I’ll go with you. My old lady rides with us, though. I won't leave her anywhere without me.”
“Hurry the fuck up and let’s go.” I nod over toward Hypnos and Ayres. They follow us out of the bar. My gun stays pointed at him as he takes his woman and moves out of the bar. I’m so fucking tired of this bullshit that I’m willing to burn the whole fucking city down until my rabbit is in my arms again.
* * *
We drivein silence to Dockson Avenue. The house looks abandoned, and the car we are looking for sits out front. This is a dead end. I feel it in my bones. We park out front and get out. The neighborhood looks quiet. The same looking house stares back at us across the street. They’re cheap track houses.
