Vicious Punks by Madeline Fay

Tillie

Imust have heard him wrong. He wants to… spank me? Here? Now?

What is happening? My heart was just starting to slow down from the adrenaline of the race, but it’s pumping faster now.

“Wha-what?” I stutter out, my jaw hanging open. I swear I’ll be catching a lot of flies in my mouth because I just witnessed a miracle…Is he teasing me? My eyes must be deceiving me, there’s no way his lips are twitching as if he wants to smile.

Nicky’s lips tilt at the corner, a half smile that gives me butterflies in the pit of my stomach and travels straight down to my pussy. What is it about a man with a beautiful smile? Once he starts to grin, all talking and thinking is impossible. He’s not playing by the game rules, so all bets are off. He doesn’t like me and I can hardly stand him half the time. If he thinks I tossed and turned all night thinking about his tattooed dick, he’s wrong. Even my thoughts lie to me. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m doomed and have to remind myself every time one of them smiles at me, that I’m just another body to them. Doesn’t matter if I live or die.

“I don’t like to repeat myself, but I’ll make it clear for you just this once. Pants down, ass up.” He sits down on the hood of his Nissan, propping one foot up on the fender and pats his muscular thigh.

I’ve been beaten, stabbed, cut with knives all over my body… tortured for days to learn a lesson, but I’ve never been spanked. I call his bluff, he has nothing to gain for smacking my ass. It’s not like it’s going to do anything to me. I’ve always rebelled, even when I was being tortured. I probably won’t feel a thing, it’s just my butt being spanked. No big deal. I can’t get a read on what he’s thinking from his blank expression, his sharp jawline tightens the longer I stand still though, making me want to ignore his command even longer. He grabs my wrist before I can follow through with my plan and yanks me over his thigh. I gasp in shock as he slides down my leather pants easily before I can blink. If anyone happened to walk by, they’d see some chick with her ass in the air in only a pair of purple, lacy boyshorts and a tank top as her ass gets beat.

“Hey! What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I push against his muscular thighs with my hands, wiggling in his lap to escape, but his forearm drapes over my lower back to hold me down, locking me in place.

I blow my hair out of my face and look over my shoulder to glare at him but he’s not staring at me. He places the palm of his left hand on my asscheek, staring at the difference of our skin as he runs his thumb back and forth on the curve of my ass. His pale hand against my tan skin is striking, making this more real and causing goosebumps to break out all over my skin from the feel of his calloused hand against my sensitive skin.

“Glare all you want, scream as loud as you can, swear at me with hate, but you can’t deny that you like this.” He raises his head and meets my gaze, his emerald eyes piercing my very soul.

Can he see me? See how dark and lonely I’ve been, scared to feel anything but craving the need to be wanted and touched to the depth of my soul.

“You know nothing about me. So go ahead and get it over with.” I roll my eyes and turn my head away to glare at the empty parking spots.

“I know plenty but I’m going to find out more,” he threatens and takes his hand away to whisper in my ear. “I can smell a pain slut miles away. Denial will get you nowhere.”

“You son of a bitc-” I wiggle in his lap, cursing at him, but I stop when pain blossoms on my ass, a startled gasp leaving my mouth.

The sound of the palm of his hand spanking my asscheek echoes around the parking garage, sounding louder than it should. I lay still, my breath drawn in my chest as I feel the dull throb sting my ass. My eyes water at the pain, trying to block out the memory of the time Cruz was behind me as he carved up my back, but that fades away into the background of my mind. I exhale in shock as I feel Nicky’s palm smooth over the sting, rubbing in tiny circles…comforting me. My own breathing sounds loud in the quiet parking garage as I wait to see what he’ll do next.

“If you stay here with me, you’ll only remember this,” he says in a quiet tone, almost like he’s talking to himself, but he definitely gives me something to remember him by.

His hand slides down to the back of my thighs, he brings his hand down hard suddenly, causing my body to jolt at the unexpected feeling. I can feel the heat where my blood gathers on that spot, no doubt turning pink. What surprises me is how good it feels when he stills his hand to skim his fingers back and forth over the spot. It’s almost like he’s testing me to see what I’ll do.

“What is happening?” I whisper in disbelief, not looking for an answer, but he pauses as he slides his hand back up to the curve of my ass.

“Pleasure and pain go together like the sun and moon. You can’t have one without the other. But I can stop if you want me to?” I can hear the smile in his voice, the soft whisper like the devil on my shoulder.

The bastard.

“No. No, keep… keep going.” I hang my head, terrified of these sensations coursing through me, but I want more.

“That’s what I thought. Good girl.” He makes a pleased hum under his breath, causing my thighs to rub together at the vibrating sound.

He gathers my boyshorts and tugs them up between my buttcheeks, exposing more of my ass under his heated gaze. At this point, I don’t care if anyone sees me or hears the sound of the moans coming out of my mouth as he brings his hand down again, five times in quick succession. Back and forth, he switches from spanking me and comforting me until my ass is burning, the blood pooled to the surface and leaves behind a pleasurable sting that has me biting my lip.

“I bet I could make you come with just this alone.” He leans down to the side of my body, grasping my chin and turning my head to look at him.

Meeting his gaze head on, his eyes are talking enough without him having to say anything. Control, power, and lust burn in his emerald eyes, turning to a dark green as he slides my panties to the side.

“If I touch you now, am I going to find you wet? Your thighs shiny with juices and sweat, dripping just for me?” His voice comes out deeper than before, hotly guttural, like it’s rolling over my skin and making it’s way over my entire body in a heat wave.

I can’t answer him, scared of what’s going to come out of my mouth. Am I going to beg him to fuck me, when I’m the one who’s suppose to be doing the seduction for revenge? I stare with wide eyes into his, he doesn’t blink until he slowly shakes his head and sighs in disappointment. Without warning, he runs those skilled fingers over my pussy lips slowly and dips inside to gather the juices that are currently coating my thighs. There would be no hiding it even if I wanted to, it’s obvious how wet I am just from him spanking me. He lets go of me suddenly, making me almost lose my balance and fall towards the ground before I catch myself. I quickly stand up straight to confront him, wondering why he stopped.

I freeze on the spot as I stare with my mouth pooling with saliva because it suddenly becomes difficult to swallow. Nicky brings his fingers to his mouth and slips them between his parted lips, sucking my juices off and sliding them out completely clean as he stares down at me.

“Nighty night, Tillie,” he whispers, that lopsided smile appearing again just as I feel a sharp pinch on the side of my neck.

Confused, I glance down to see a syringe in his left hand and I’m confused when I glance back up to him as my world tilts. My legs collapse under me and I find myself in his arms as he carries me around to the backseat of the car.

“Do you always carry around a tranquilizer?” I mumble, my vision blurry as he lays me down on the seat, cradling my head as he uses his leather jacket to place under me as a pillow.

“You never know. Now go to sleep, you're going to need it by the time you wake up,” he says and slides one finger down my cheek with a quiet chuckle.

I must have died, there’s no way Nicky just laughed. Those are my last thoughts as my world turns dark.

* * *

“When she wakes up, get her ready. She wants to hide shit from us, then she’s going to be more involved in what we do, so she’ll have no way of escaping this life.”

It sounds like Logan, but his voice comes out distant, almost like I’m dreaming and I’m wondering if I really am.

“I already found out she was born in the club so there’s a connection somewhere there. Do you think she was involved in drugs disappearing on the night of the race somehow?”

That’s Nicky’s voice, it sounds like he’s right next to me. I turn my head towards him, not being able to open my eyes which feel heavy and glued shut.

“Jesus, Nicky. How much of the tranquilizer did you give her? Enough to knock out a horse?”

Why does Logan sound so angry, the jerk better not be angry with me. I didn’t do anything… wait. Did he say tranquilizer? Flashes of my memory pop up like a movie, leaving me feeling dizzy. Those fuckers. I feel like I’m floating and so physically exhausted that this must be the most sleep I’ve ever had. I’m drifting away again before I can give them a piece of my mind.

* * *

I blink my eyes open,squinting at the blinding light trying to kill me and throw my arm over my eyes with a long groan of irritation. Did I get drunk last night? This feels like the world's worst hangover in history. I take a deep breath, feeling tired still but needing to go see where the hell I am. I hear a noise that sounds like quiet typing and move my arm to turn my head towards the sound.

The first thing I see is the dark grey walls, and the light grey fabric of the comforter covering me up to my mouth. Feeling weak as a newborn kitten and foggy headed, I grip the comforter and pull it down from my face to peak around. The typing stops as I meet green eyes over the soft edge of the comforter and I can see my own eyes widening in his glasses before he takes them off, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“Good, you're finally awake. I didn’t know how much of your snoring and cuddling I could take. You practically attached yourself to me the whole time you’ve been knocked out,” he states, looking down at me before turning back to his laptop.

“That’s right! You shot me up with drugs!” I tug the blanket the rest of the way off, completely furious, and launch myself at him.

His computer slides off his lap to the side on the bed as he catches my forearms in a grip to stop me from scratching his eyes out. But luckily, I still have my teeth. Turning my head, I clamp onto his arm and hold tight as he stops moving. Reality quickly comes crashing down on me as I find myself sitting right directly over his hardening dick, covered by his grey sweats. Why is he shirtless? Still biting him, I peak out of the corner of my eye to see his eyes closed and his lips twitching before he starts laughing. A deep chuckle that vibrates through my body and makes me shudder on top of him.

“Are you seriously biting me? I would have never taken you for a biter when I shoved my cock into your mouth, but it’s good to know now.” He opens his eyes while his lips spread into a half smirk and his white teeth flash.

“I hate you so much right now,” I mumble around his skin and release him with a groan of defeat as I hang loosely in his hands. “How many hours was I out for?” I ask and glance down at him, my hair creating a curtain around us.

“It’s Wednesday, so for a couple of days. You know you talk in your sleep, by the way?” He quickly releases me and curls his arms around my back as I drop on top of his upper body with a huff.

Trapped, his muscular leg thrown over mine to stop me from struggling. I’m pinned down even though I’m on top of him. I’m going to be late for school… wait… did he say...

“Did you say it’s Wednesday? I must have heard you wrong.” I can’t wrap my head around it, but small flashes of memories filter through my head as I lay there without moving, hearing his heartbeat under my ear.

I remember waking up a few times confused, groggy, everything fuzzy. I’m pretty sure I was fed something like soup and was carried to the bathroom like a fucking puppet but that’s about it. I’m going to murder him! Did he watch me pee? Yup, it’s official, Nicky is going to die slowly by my hands. I’m pretty sure he held me up in the shower and washed me. Then again, everything is a blur. I can’t think clearly and I’m starting to wonder if I dreamed that Logan was here or not.

“Nope.” He pops the P and skims his fingers back and forth over the skin on my lower back.

Why does it feel so breezy back there?

“Nicky,” I calmly say, gathering patience and willing myself to not kill him just yet.

“Yes, Tillie?” I swear I hear a smile in his voice and grip his biceps to keep my hands busy so I don’t strangle him.

“Where are my clothes?” I take a deep breath, trying to remain calm.

“You arrived hardly wearing any clothes, since I left your pants in the parking garage. I thought it made sense you only slept in underwear. Fear not, Logan dropped off some outfits for you.” He slides his hand into my hair and pulls back until I have no choice but to look at him. “Women who are guests in my household don’t wear clothes. Now, who is Cruz?” he asks so suddenly that I stop breathing and I swear my world stops on its axis, leaving me frozen with fear.

“How do you know about Cruz?” I croak out, feeling my hands starting to shake as I dig my nails into his shoulders.

“It could have been the time you tried choking me when you were sleeping. I would normally be jealous of you screaming another man’s name, but seeing as it was a nightmare, I’ll let it pass.” He looks like he’s going to ask more but his eyes widen as he crooks his head to the side, listening for something.

Hearing footsteps outside the door, I’m taken by surprise when he suddenly grabs my waist and drags me close to his body before I can protest. Sitting in his lap in my bra and underwear, he grabs my hips and flips me around until my head is facing his calves with my ass practically in his face.

“Bow your head and keep it down. Don’t say a word, Tillie. If you want to live or not be sold. Keep your mouth shut,” he calmly says, but I can hear the strain in his voice.

He picks his laptop back up and places it on the arch of my back and the top of my butt. On my hands and knees in a crouch over his lap backwards, I don’t move. I’m not sure what’s happening but I’ll take his word on this since it’s his house, and whoever is on the other side of the door even rattles Nicky.

He starts typing as if this is ordinary, his arms grazing my asscheeks and he pauses for a split second just as his bedroom door starts to open. Not saying a word, I keep my head down and peek out of the corner of my eye, as I see a man in black dress pants walk to the side of the bed.

“Father. Welcome home. I hope it was a good business trip,” Nicky says respectfully and then starts typing again as I begin to mentally freak out.

I’m in my freaking underwear in front of his father, but why hasn’t he said anything about it? Why isn’t he yelling or trying to kick me out?

“So, this is her?” his father says, completely skipping over Nicky’s greeting.

“Yes.” Nicky’s voice goes deeper, tighter, and I can feel him slide one hand down to the back of my thigh with a hard squeeze in warning before letting go.

“I can see what the fuss is about. She’d be perfect for next week's auction.” A finger glides down the center of my back, the touch barely there but enough to make my breath pick up as I try not to vomit.

“Not for sale. I think I’m going to keep her until I’m done with her,” Nicky responds in a bored tone and never once stops typing on his damn laptop.

“We’ll see.” His father hums in delight under his breath, his hand traveling around to my front and lightly grazes my breast.

Nicky stops typing suddenly, setting his computer to the side to caress my asscheek, while his other hand slides up my thigh to hold me still, just as I was about to flinch away from his fathers roaming fingers.

“I left a report on your desk, Jin. I mean, Father. Cocaine was stolen from the warehouse Friday. We planned on heading there with Tillie later tonight to see if she recognizes our thief. Mich caught one as a group of them made a run for it. We’re waiting for Logan to go question him.” Nicky presses on my lower back, making me arch my back so he has a clear view of my ass. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, Father, we were just about to start her training.” Nicky chuckles but it sounds fake to my ears, not like the one I heard before.

“Of course, Nicholas. If she resists, just hold her down and make her. Send her to me if you can’t handle her,” Jin sneers, causing goosebumps to cover my arms and I try not to shake at the scary, dark promise in his voice.

It sounds all too familiar. I’m wondering if this monster knows Payne. Two peas in a pod.

“I’m sure it won’t be a problem but if it occurs, I’ll keep that in mind,” Nicky says and I hardly breath as I see Jin walk out the door, shutting it behind him with a quiet laugh.

My body sags, my arms collapsing under me as cold sweat breaks out over my body. I can’t seem to stop shaking like a leaf. Nicky slides out from under me and presses on my shoulder to turn me over so he can see my face.

“You did good, but the question remains: why you didn’t flinch when he threatened controlling you with rape?” Nicky leans down close enough that I can see the green and gold specks in his eyes, making it easy to focus on something to stop a flashback before I’m dragged under.

“Sometimes there are worse things than being threatened, when compared to it actually happening.” I subconsciously rub the scar over my shoulder and clear my throat when I notice he’s watching me intently.

He lifts his arm, his hand sliding to my shoulder and around my shoulder blade while staring me in the eyes. I barely breathe, feeling trapped in his gaze and knowing he’s going to feel the bumps of the scar.

“I-I, we should go.” I desperately look for a distraction but his fingers glide over the raised letter C and pause.

“He did this, didn’t he? Cruz.” His jaw tightens as he whispers the name that gives me nightmares, looking angry on my behalf, but that doesn’t make sense.

Why would he care?

“They say when the devil makes an appearance, he leaves a mark so he can always find you. Everyone knows who you belong to,” I say in a raspy voice, swallowing thickly as I turn my head away from his gaze.

“There are worse things than the devil, Tillie, and you're looking at him. I said you’re mine to do with as I please, so that means you're ours. No one else can have you.” He places a finger under my chin to direct my gaze back to him.

“The scars on my body say differently. I’ve already been branded and no matter how much I cover them, they still tear through my flesh to remind me.” I push at his chest and he shakes his head slowly, like I’m wrong, but I’ve lived it, I know better.

“You’ll see. There’s no escaping us, even if you're taken from our side. It will only be for a little while before we come to collect you. Now, get dressed, your clothes are on the chair. Time to see if you're a traitor. I almost hope you don’t die tonight.” He points to a lounge chair near the window and stands up, walking to his dresser.

I sit there stunned, watching him step out of his sweats with a pair of tight boxer briefs hugging his muscular ass. He takes his time getting ready. I’m sure I turned into a statue, by the time he turns back around dressed in a dark charcoal suit and raises a brow at me. I shake my head and slide out of bed, moving over to the chair. I hold up fishnets, a short velvet dark maroon dress, and a black leather jacket in confusion.

“You want me to wear this? Aren’t we going to a warehouse?” I turn to him and see his serious expression.

“If you're going to die, you might as well look sexy.” He shrugs with his arms crossed and nods his head for me to put it on.

These men confuse me. He starts off with you’re a spy, we are going to murder you, but hey, let’s give you pleasure and call you our girl. With a long drawn out sigh of frustration, I slip the dress over my head, shivering at the erotic feeling of it sliding down my body. I step into the fishnets, admitting whoever picked this outfit out knew what they were doing… It looks good hugging my curves in all the right places.

Grabbing the jacket, I shrug it on and look around for my combat boots. I turn to Nicky to ask where my boots are, but I find his gaze is roaming up and down my body as he strokes his thumb back and forth over his bottom lip. He looks up into my eyes, crooking his finger at me. I slowly walk over to him, and if I’m admitting it to myself, I add a little swing into my hips. Seduce him, my mind screams. Get your revenge and leave, but I’m being pulled in another direction too.

It sucks how they stare at me as if I’m wanted. Body and soul. It messes with my head.

“Turn around,” he orders, spinning his finger.

I spin on my feet and face away from him, wondering what he’s going to do. Why does that get my heart racing when he approaches me from behind? He slides his hands through my hair, my head tilts back at the feeling, seeking more. I could fall asleep with this slight pressure on my scalp, and I consider begging him to never stop. He starts gathering my hair and puts it in a ponytail, as if he’s done this before.

“I have a little sister, remember?” he whispers in my ear at my outspoken thought and stays there for a second before drawing back. “Your shoes are downstairs, let’s go.” He leaves me there, feeling a little frazzled as he walks out of his bedroom.

“Don’t fall for it, Tillie. It’s a trick. You don’t need anyone. Focus,” I mutter under my breath, and quickly catch up to him just as he walks out the front door.

Does he expect me to follow him around like a lost puppy? He’s not even bothering to check if I’m behind him. I slide on my boots and take my time walking to his car as he drums his fingers on the steering wheel in annoyance. That’s right, fucker. You're on my time. I’m no one's dog. I slide into the passenger side and he takes off before I fully have the door closed. Soft music plays in the background as he drives us, the silence between us giving me time to think before we arrive at the warehouse.

I’ve seen how people like them take care of their enemies. It’s always the same. People are going to die tonight. Blood will be spilled. You betray once, you don’t get a second chance. It’s part of the code.

Before I know it, we’re arriving at a warehouse with a chain link fence surrounding the property. In the industrial part of L.A. near the run down neighborhoods, I would think this place was abandoned if I was passing by. Guess that’s a way to keep people out. I bet the neighborhood knows to stay far away, knowing who owns the building. Nicky parks and gets out without saying a word. I follow after him warily, tugging down the hem of my dress as I glance around. It’s extremely silent, the only sound is a light wind that kicks up the dust in the lot. I shiver, crossing my arms, and quickly walk behind Nicky as he approaches a steel door on the side of the building.

He opens it only to reveal how dark it is inside. He disappears into the building as I stand there, wondering if I should just make a break for it. I don’t care if my face is plastered all over the news, I can’t walk into the dark. It’s just like the basement. I can’t.

A hand reaches out, catching me by surprise and dragging me in by the wrist. I squeeze my eyes shut and bump into something hard as I stifle a scream. I won’t make a noise, won’t give Payne the satisfaction of my fear.

“Hello, sugarbutt. I know this isn’t the ideal date, but I’m hoping by the end of the night we are going steady.” A dark chuckle sounds next to my ear, the hard object I seem to have plastered myself to vibrates against me.

“Tey?” I ask in a shaky voice, trying to move closer to him as I grip his biceps.

“Don’t tell me you're afraid of the dark? Out of everything…” He starts walking backwards, dragging me with him step by step.

“We all fear something, don’t we?” My breathing picks up the farther we walk into the building, trying to focus on the person in front of me.

“I guess that’s true. If anyone hurt my unicorn, I think I’d go on a murdering spree.” His body shudders as if he really fears that and I shouldn’t be surprised, even crazy ones like him hold something dear to his heart.

I could, for revenge, burn the stuffed animal in front of him, but even I’m not that cruel. I’d rather stab him. If someone told me I can’t ever be free to live the life I want, I’d probably die. After everything I went through, to have it completely taken away from me would be like a slow death as I waste away.

“I’d probably help you on that murder spree if someone hurt your unicorn,” I admit softly with a deep breath, not wanting anyone’s hopes and dreams to go away because there isn’t anything else to live for if it’s gone.

He suddenly stops walking, making me trip over my own feet, and leans down in my face until I can only make out his electric blue eyes that make my heart skip a beat.

“You would, wouldn’t you?” His teeth flash in the dark and he starts walking again without missing a beat, not glancing away from me as he leads me into the darkness.

I guess my life will always be surrounded by the dark, I can never escape that. At least I have something to hold on to, to see his captivating blue eyes stare into mine as if we’re in this together.

“If you die tonight, I’ll honor you by painting a beautiful picture in your blood,” he says, all too seriously, his voice deepening and a hint of excitement leaking through.

He doesn’t try to hide who he really is, he bares it all for the world to see. It’s his way of letting everyone know just how cray cray he is.

As if we’d forget when he’s reminding us every second.

Tey’s crazy but, well, I kind of like that.

“Uh, thanks,” I manage to choke out around a tight throat, wondering where they breed his kind of crazy.

“Anytime, pet.” He laughs, the sound echoing and he stops walking so fast I bump my nose into his firm chest.

The lights turn on, blinding me as I hold my hand over my eyes so I can focus on the door in front of me as Tey steps away. Glancing over my shoulder, I see Dalton and Nicky and wonder if they’ve been following us the whole time on silent feet. My body shudders at the thought, knowing how deadly they can be.

“Go on, little bitch, open the door,” Dalton grins, winking at me and his gaze roams over my body with an approving nod, lust shining in his violet eyes. “I knew it would look fucking hot on you.” He bites his knuckle and I can only roll my eyes, looking back at the door in front of me.

A metal door with a square, frosted window makes it hard for me to approach it, but curiosity wins. As I walk up to the door and stand on my tippy-toes, I wipe at the window to see what's on the other side. Tilting my head, I’m not sure what exactly I’m seeing.

“Open it,” Tey says in an excited voice from behind me, breathing down my neck and almost making me scream.

Damn him! I didn’t hear him move.

Staring down at the handle, I square my shoulders and throw the door open without hesitating. If they are trying to scare me, it’s not going to work. I’ve seen it all. Blood doesn’t bother me, I could eat a hamburger with ketchup after seeing someone get cut open with blood running out of them in fountains. I was forced to watch people, who crossed the path of the Demon Jokers, get tortured for half of my childhood, and was told that I’d get used to it after a while. I guess I did.

A man sits tied up in the middle of the freezer, surrounded by clear tarp. He lifts his head and focuses right on me, mumbling something around the cloth stuffed into his mouth. It almost sounds like laughter. I glance over him, trying to figure out if I know him from somewhere. Tan skin, dark eyes, and both of his arms covered in tattoos all the way up to his neck. I get an uneasy feeling in my gut. One tattoo is inked out in black on his chest, concealing which gang he’s from. I don’t question how I know he’s in a gang. It could be his cold eyes as he now stares at me, noticing that I haven’t made a move to help him. Why does he look familiar? Has he been to the club warehouse before?

Movement to my right catches my eye and when I glance over, a clear tarp parts to reveal Logan as he casually strolls over to the gang member. Logan crouches down, clicking his tongue and shaking his head in disappointment as he rips out the gag.

“Miguel. Miguel. Miguel,” Logan repeats tauntingly. He slaps Miguel's face to make him look at him, but his captive just sits there staring at me.

I step back when Miguel starts to smirk, the smile creeping me out. It’s aimed right at me like he knows something I don’t. It says doom. Your end. It’s the same kind of smirk the Demon Jokers members had as they used my body, telling me that it can happen anytime, anywhere. My back bumps into a hard chest, making me jump before the smell of engine oil and sandalwood makes me relax my shoulders. I reach behind me blindly to latch onto any body part I can to ground myself. Lacing my fingers between whoever is behind me, I don’t let go, and feel relieved when my hand is squeezed in return. That simple touch tells me I’m safe and not alone. It could be a trick but it’s all I've got to survive at the moment.

“Someone’s looking for you, little girl,” Miguel laughs as the blood drains from my face.

“Who’s looking for her?” Logan asks as he pulls out his gun from the waist of his pants, placing it on his knee.

It’s a power move, letting the person know it only takes one bullet through the head to end your sorry life.

When Miguel doesn’t say anything, Logan looks over and nods at one of the guys behind me. Tey starts to walk around me but stops suddenly and grabs my other hand.

“Guard this with your life,” he commands seriously, as he places something in the palm of my hand and all I can do is close my fist around the object.

Tey rubs his hands together in excitement and swaggers towards Miguel as he draws his knife from his boot. A tattooed, muscular arm wraps around my middle, drawing me closer to a warm body in such a cold environment. Dalton slides his fingers into my hand that’s clenching the object placed there. Glancing down, I watch as he pries my fingers open to reveal a stuffed unicorn. I quickly glance over my shoulder to see both Dalton and Nicky staring down at the unicorn in disbelief.

“He never lets anyone touch it,” Dalton whispers, and sharply looks at Nicky who just clenches his jaw and glances straight ahead.

Shit. He’s mad. I thought we were at least on a level of having a decent relationship of being civil towards each other. But Nicky likes Tey. Anyone with eyes can see that, and I might have just crossed a line by accepting to look after the tiny stuffed animal. I was right, my doom is coming.

I awkwardly let out a quiet laugh and stuff the unicorn in my bra, acting like it’s no big deal. Deciding to ignore the anger radiating off of Nicky, I glance back to Tey to see what he’s doing.

“Do you know her?” Logan questions, standing up to move out of the way for Tey, as he moves around behind Miguel's chair without a word and starts circling him like a shark in the water.

Judging from the wide smile spreading across Tey’s mouth, this is about to get messy. Miguel doesn’t say anything, refusing to speak as his lips form in a tight line and he glances around. Bad move on his part.

“Here we go,” Dalton says and leans down until his chin is on the top of my head as he watches with rapt attention.

“Should I get you some popcorn?” I say sarcastically, but gasp softly as Logan lifts his gun and shoots Miguel’s foot without warning.

“This is my favorite part,” Dalton’s voice comes out gravelly and he starts swaying us side to side as Miguel’s screams echo around the freezer.

“I’ll ask one more time and if you give the correct answer, I’ll make your death fast. If you don’t, then my brother here is going to take his time. He’s an artist after all.” Logan nods his head over to Tey, who just stands there biting his tongue as he places his fingers together like a frame as he stares at a whimpering Miguel.

“Tey.” Nicky grabs his attention by calling his name and points to the other side of Miguel’s chair. “This angle is better over here, the blood splatter will reach higher.” He waves over to the tarp and watches as Tey does that thing with his hands again, as if he’s really looking through a lens frame to find the perfect spot.

“Nicholas, you know me so well. I’ll use this side instead.” Tey blows Nicky a kiss and I catch the pink rise in Nicky’s cheeks, but look away as he glares at me when he notices me staring.

Miguel wiggling in his chair draws my attention back to him, as he tries to free himself from the rope tying his hands together, but that’s a useless waste of energy.

Rope is not easy to escape from, it just leaves a bad burn and scars behind. Now zip ties, that’s a different story. All you gotta do is pop your thumbs out of place and it’s home free.

“Are you ready to talk?” Logan draws out, checking the gun chamber before snapping it back into place and tapping the gun against his thigh in an impatient move.

“Fuck you! I don’t know her, but I know of her,” Miguel growls out and groans as Logan steps on his injured foot. “People talk, man, and everyone knows of the Demon Jokers. Her daddy is looking for her. I’m not the only one who knows she’s here.”

I can see Miguel’s lips moving but can’t hear anything else as it becomes difficult to breathe, every little aspect of my being focusing on that one sentence.

Her daddy is looking for her.

“No. No. No,” I chant under my breath as I start shaking like a leaf, and glance around fast for an escape route.

I need to run. Start running now. He knows I’m here.

“Calm down, right the fuck now.” Nicky suddenly appears in my line of vision, blocking Miguel and pushing me further against Dalton as he steps forward.

I start struggling against Dalton's hold, needing to leave, but he lifts my feet off the ground as he holds me higher against his chest. Nicky’s face is a blur. My world comes crashing down around me and hope drifts away, as I keep repeating in my head that Payne is coming for me. The sudden slap on my cheek brings the noise back all at once, letting me draw in a proper breath, and I see Nicky frowning inches away from my face.

“Do you want to help Tey?” Nicky questions and I don’t understand what he means until he steps aside and grabs my chin to direct my attention to Tey as he holds up two knives, waving them like a psycho. “Miguel’s a bad man who only wants to cause you harm, and hurt my family by stealing from them. Should we silence him?” Nicky makes me look at the gang member, squeezing my chin tighter.

“He’ll only run back and confirm it with his gang leader. A dead man can’t talk, little bitch.” Dalton slides me down his body until my boots touch the concrete floor again. He unwraps his arm from around me just as Nicky let’s me go.

They are letting me decide and it really all comes down to this moment. I told myself I’d stop hiding, running while looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life. This man is stopping me from living. I was trained to seduce a man with my body, but I was also taught how to kill one by the gang members who hurt me. I’m not good myself, so why try pretending? Since birth, I was a mistake, raised by a monster, and destroyed by those who I thought were family. I have nothing to lose.

I reach into my bra and place the warm unicorn in Nicky’s hand as I start to walk past him.

“Guard this with your life,” I repeat the same words Tey used and catch the small twitch of Nicky’s lips as if he wants to smile but wouldn’t dare at a time like this.

“There she is. I knew it,” Dalton mutters to himself, leaving me clueless as to what he’s talking about.

I walk up next to Tey, ignoring Miguel as he curses at me, and I look down as Tey offers the knife in the palm of his hand to me. I wrap my hand around the handle and take it, testing the weight as I spin it between my fingers.

“That’s hot. I've changed my mind. I want to be your baby daddy right the fuck now. Pop my cherry first and then let me spread my seed in your love tunnel.” Tey plays with his lip ring by flicking it with his tongue as he stares down at me with wide, blue eyes filled with intensity.

I think he’s serious and I can’t help but snort.

“If you're a virgin then I’m the freaking Queen of England,” I tease, feeling lighter now, and flip the knife until I catch the sharp end between my thumb and index finger.

He grabs his chest, right over his heart, and staggers on his feet as if he’s having a heart attack. I crack a smile at that and can’t believe we are joking around. I’m going to murder a man and yet I can smile. Maybe I’m not so far off the same kind of crazy as Tey is.

The sound of the gun going off again makes me jump slightly and glance over to see Logan glaring at us before focusing back on Miguel. If you’ve ever seen a man cry after getting his fingers blown off, let me tell you… it’s not pretty. I’m talking about a babbling mess, some screaming, snot, the whole works.

“What gang are you from? Tell me or they will start playing.” Logan grabs a handkerchief out of his pocket and starts wiping his hands, then his gun before slipping the gun back into the waistband of his pants.

“Listen. Listen! I was only following orders. Steal from the Russo family, drugs mean nothing to you guys anyways, and confirm that she’s really here. Dom-” Miguel clamps his mouth shut, but I swear it twitches as if he’s trying not to smile even though he’s bleeding everywhere.

Something doesn’t feel right to me. Who’s Dom?

“Dom? Are you sure about that?” Logan questions Miguel again and nods to Nicky, who takes his phone out and walks out of the freezer to make a call

“Yes. He’s after the cocaine. He says that you don’t deserve to run his streets, taking his clients. He’s taking back what’s his.” Miguel hisses out, looking paler by the second as sweat coats his body.

“I don’t like liars, Miguel. You want to know something funny?” Logan straightens his jacket, picking at lint that isn’t there. It’s all for dramatic effect, to scare Miguel.

Logan slowly shakes his head and grabs Miguel's hair so he has no choice but to look into Logan's hard, caramel eyes. He’s really breathtaking when he’s like this, a man who has control and shows his power by just a few actions. As long as I’m not on that receiving end at least. That reminds me, I’m still going to make the fucker pay for making me get on my knees.

“Word on the street is Dom doesn’t deal in drugs since he took over for his dead father. But don’t worry, Miguel, I’m setting up a meeting as we speak. I’ll find out the truth. Now, tell me… who’s her daddy?” Logan asks and points at me.

“I’m her daddy,” Dalton answers from across the freezer while leaning against the tarp under a meat hook. He winks at me with a smirk as he crosses his big arms over his chest in arrogance.

“Oh, please.” I roll my eyes and pretend he’s not there, to get on his nerves.

He likes the attention.

“Don’t give me that sass. Get over here so daddy can give you a spanking.” Dalton’s violet, darkening eyes stay locked on mine when I look over at him again and I actually think he likes that idea.

“Sorry, biker, but Nicky already took care of that. He spanked me real good,” I taunt, watching as Dalton’s lips part and heat fills his eyes.

Oh yeah, he likes that a lot. Perv.

“What?” Tey’s voice sounds heartbroken and when I turn to glance at him, he’s actually pouting. “I can’t believe he didn’t wait for me. We’re a team, we are supposed to make a Tillie sandwich together! I’m kind of feeling betrayed over here.”

“Enough! I’ll get my answer somewhere else.” Logan stares me down and all I can do is look away, not liking how he plans on getting that answer. “Tey, Tillie… It's your turn to shine. Looks like you live another day, baby girl.”

Logan walks over to a corner of the freezer, ignoring Miguel pleading for his life, and presses a button on the wall before walking out the door with Dalton and Nicky following behind him without another word. Music starts playing from speakers somewhere, and I can’t help my surprised laugh at the choice of music.

Let the bodies hit the floor.

“You like?” Tey bangs his head to the music and casually brings his knife down into Miguel's thigh as he listens to the song.

He quickly pulls the knife out with sickening suction noise and we both watch as blood pools through Miguel’s jeans and onto the floor.

“The idea is to make it last longer-” Tey starts to say, but stops as I walk behind Miguel's chair and start cutting off his fingers, only to toss them at the tarp Tey plans on decorating with blood.

“Avoid the arteries for as long as possible. Got it,” I reply back calmly, almost like I’m in a trance as Miguel keeps screaming for mercy.

A monster fucks a human woman with a soul, she gives birth to a girl who’s half-human and the other half is a monster without a soul. I get to keep my humanity, but sometimes I need to turn it off to survive… This is one of those moments.

I toss another finger, watching it leave a streak of blood on the tarp, and glance back at Tey to see him adjusting his pants as he stares at me in awe.

“I knew it the moment I stared into your eyes, you're just like me. Damaged, broken, but only the best are,” Tey says passionately and plunges his knife into Miguel’s shoulder as he walks over to my side. “Tillie, I’m going to fuck you bloody one day. I’ll fuck you on your period. I’ll fuck you as you bleed for me. I’ll bleed for you and continue until there’s nothing left.” Tey gently grasps my face in his large palms and bends down until his lips are inches away from mine.

“What are you doing?” I whisper, only focusing on him and nothing else.

“Breathing, sharing the same air as you. Maybe, if I give you my breath, you’ll want me enough to stop breathing. If you give me yours, maybe it’ll make me breathe long enough to stay sane.” His lips graze mine, his hot breath warming my mouth and drawing in what little oxygen I have because I’m suddenly breathless.

My first real kiss and I can’t even call it a kiss because it’s something more. It’s a give and take as we stand there, our chests falling and rising, as we breathe together in sync.

“Will you create a masterpiece with me?” he mutters against my mouth and steps back to stare down at me with the most serious facial expression I’ve ever seen on him.

It’s like a bubble popped and I’m back in reality as Miguel sobs behind Tey, begging for his life. I almost forgot he was there. I stare into Tey’s eyes, the blue brighter than usual and decide to give him an honest answer as I take a deep breath.

“I thought you’d never ask.”