“Well, if you insist,” he passes the gun to his other hand and back again. I could grab it. I could turn it on him. I feel my muscles tense as I prepare to grab the gun from his hands.
Wait a second.
Who the hell did I think I was? Buffy? Not gonna happen. I had no idea what this guy or his partner were capable of, and I was outnumbered. I did not want to provoke these guys. Far too many women are murdered senselessly, and I did not want to be a part of that statistic.
“Look, guys, I don’t want any trouble.”
“No, sweet thing, no trouble. But if you’re sure you can’t help us, we can’t just let you go. You know who I am now. Either you come with us, or…” He lifts the gun, pointing it towards me and straightening his arm. I stay perfectly still, heart-pounding, paralyzed by fear. I feel a drop of sweat running down my back. I watch as his finger curls around the trigger. But then my voice cuts through the silence.
“Wait.”
“Wait?” He repeats.
I let out a shaking breath. “I’m… I’m pregnant, please, don’t do this.”
For a long moment, he doesn’t speak, just looks at me with those deadly, glittering eyes. Then, to my relief, Durk lowers the gun. Tears prick at my eyes. I’m so relieved that I want to curl up into a ball and cry.
“I think, sweet thing, that you have vastly underestimated your worth after all. Here’s what you’re going to do.”
Tyler
I’m just walking back into my hospital room when I hear the familiar ring of my phone. I rest on the edge of the bed and open the bedside drawer. The flashing on my phone reads ‘Jessica’, I set it back down.
I hate ignoring her, but I’m not sure now is a good time to talk. I think some space right now is for the best, or at least I feel like it’s the best for her. She doesn’t even know the trouble she could get herself caught up in. Just being around me, talking to me, she’s putting herself at risk, and I care about her too much to put her in any danger.
I slowly move back into bed, getting myself in a comfy spot before flicking the channels on the television. It’s the middle of the day, I don’t expect anything good to be on so I settle for The Simpsons. Never once had I watched the show and enjoyed it until Jess forced me to sit and watch it with her. It wasn’t even that funny, but that whole night I found myself smiling and laughing along with Jess. That’s one of the first nights we hung out without taking it further, just two people chilling on the couch eating pizza.
Ugh, I sound like a sad sap.
My phone starts buzzing again, pulling my attention from the TV.
Jess. Again? My eyebrows pinch together as I stare at it. Normally, if she doesn’t get an answer, she would text, if anything, not ring a second time. My gut twists uncomfortably. I pick it up and hit that big green button.
“Tyler!” The panic, the raw fear in her voice has me up and ready to move, injuries be damned.
“Babe, what's wrong?”
“There’re some guys here…” ‘Guys’ I think, deflating slightly. The Sapphires must have gotten there real fast.
“Oh, yeah,” I say, “Don’t worry about them, Jess, I sent Cohen and Sage to check on you, make sure you’re okay. They’re good guys.”
“Ty, you don’t understand.” Her voice breaks on the last word. She stops talking, and I hear her take a deep, shaking breath. “They said they’re looking for you, the- they have guns and, and… Tyler, baby, I’m scared. They said you owed them something. I don’t have any money, and I don’t know what to do.” A helpless sob hitches in her throat, and suddenly I’m all anger.
“Jess, I’m on my way. Just hold on.” My voice is hard and clipped. I want to rage at whoever has scared my girl. “Don’t let them lay a finger on you, okay?” I click the end call button and rip off the stupid hospital gown. I find my jeans and boots in a cupboard by my bed. No shirt, though. This will have to do.
The door of the room swings open and a nurse walks in, pushing a trolley full of instruments to no doubt do tests on me. She smiles blandly at me.
“What’re you doing up? You need to be resting.” Her voice is calm, placating, my polar opposite.
“I need to get out of here. Like, now,” I say, easing into my jeans, then my boots. Everything aches and twinges with sharp shooting pains, but I need to go.
“You can’t leave; you were in a car accident,” she says patiently as if I’ve forgotten I was run off the road. “I’m going to take your blood pressure, then the porter will come round with more drinks. I see you’ve had visitors?” she prattles on, gently putting her hands on my shoulders and starting to ease me back onto the bed.
“No, ma’am, I am leaving,” I say firmly, as I duck around her arms and bump into the trolley, sending it rolling across the floor. I feel too angry to feel guilty about it.
“Sir?”
I stagger into the doorframe, gripping it hard, suddenly dizzy. I shake my head and press on. The bright corridor lights dazzle me, making everything seem closer and further away at the same time. Machines beep and whir, people are shouting, and some are staring, probably at the fact that I’m staggering around with no shirt on in a hospital…
“Excuse me…” I say as a nurse nearly collides with me. I see the exit signs and head that way. I’m coming, Jess...
Tyler
I’m out of the cab and at her front door before the car has even stopped moving. The door is slightly open, and there’s no sign of the Sapphires anywhere on her street.
Shit. Looks like I’m on my own here for now.
Pushing the door open, I see her immediately, sitting on the couch with her hands tied in her lap. There’s a bruise starting to form on her cheek. She’s not crying, but her eyes are puffy and bloodshot, so I know she has been. Now, she just looks mad as hell.
That’s my girl. I think again. My girl. The words ring in my head and I know I have to get her out of here. No matter what, I need to get Jessica out of here.
“Look, fellas…” I slowly edge inside towards the horrifying scene playing out in front of me.
“Little Tyler Michaels, all grown up,” one guy says in an annoying sing-song voice. Despite how long it’s been, I recognise him, my Pop’s right-hand man. Durk, I think his name was. With his fat fingers and even fatter fists, I’ve seen my fair share of the damage he’s done in the past.
I don’t fancy my chances against him as injured as I am...
“Look, I’ll pay you what my brother owes you, just give me twenty-four hours to sort it out. I swear, I’ll get you your money.”
For a split-second, he looks like he’s considering my offer, but then he sighs. “Sorry kid, that’s not what we’re after.”
My world shudders for a split-second. If he’s not after the money Stefan owes, then I’m at a loss. I have no idea what the hell is happening, and that scares me.
“What? Then why the fuck are you here?” I try to keep the panic out of my voice. I don’t need to give away the very real fear that I’m feeling.
“We’re here for you, and now her.” He gestures to Jess. She glares up at him, silent but with fire and annoyance in her eyes. If looks could kill, I’d already be dancing on his grave.
“I have to say, your parents were thrilled to be getting three for the price of one.” The other guy speaks up for the first time. It takes me a second to remember there are actually four of us in the room. I don’t recognise him. He’s pale with an earring and a scar on his cheek. If I had met him before, I definitely would have remembered his face.
I didn’t know what the fuck he was on about, but what pissed me off more was the fact that they were acting like they owed the place. They had no business being here, and I wanted them out, now!
“You’re saying that my parents sent you?”
“You catch on quick, that’s probably why they want you back so badly.”
What the fuck?
“They have no need for me. Ivy is doing just fine handling that shit.” As far as I k
new, anyway. It had been a while since I had last checked up on my sister, but I can’t imagine she’d let anything stand in her way, not even my parents.
“She’s out, you’re up.” As he’s saying the words, I can’t help shaking my head, my fury is growing by the second. There’s no way I’m going back.
“I won’t ever go back.”
“That’s why we’re here, sunshine. Waiting for our chance to swoop in. I really didn’t think a woman would ever be your weakness. At least she’s a pretty one, probably why you knocked her up, right? But ahh, another fuck up. That only made your parents want her more.” ‘Knocked her up’ - what the hell? His hand reaches out to stroke the side of Jessica’s face and I want to chop it off. She isn’t his to touch, she’s mine and only mine.
I catch Jess’ eyes and I know it’s true. She’s pregnant. She’s carrying our child.
I watch almost in slow motion as his chubby fingers close in on Jess’s face. Her mouth opens, her head snaps to him, and her teeth lay into his outstretched fingers. Durk curses loudly as he tries pulling back, but her hold is strong. When he does eventually pull back, I see blood spatter and look to Jess’s mouth. Yep, his blood lines her teeth and lips, it’s not sexy but I’ve never been so proud - or turned on.
Those feelings rescind really quickly when Durk raises his hand and brings it down hard across her face. I rush forward as she falls over the sofa, but I am quickly snapped into place by the other guy. All I can do is stand and watch, and hope that he doesn’t hurt her further. I’m completely helpless. Facedown on the sofa, her hair covers my view of her.
“You like watching that, boy? We aren’t messengers…” The guy in front of me doesn’t get to finish his sentence before I deck him square in the throat. I send the S.O.S on my phone to Cohen. He and the rest of the Sapphires will be here in seconds, lighting the place up. I need to grab Jess and run.
“C’mon, let’s go.”
I pick her up off the sofa and drag her towards the front door. Cohen and the boys are already running from their bikes and towards the house. I pull Jess to the side of the door as they stream past. We need a cab, and quick.
Cohen
“You get your girl, we’ll handle the rest.”
“I owe you one, Cohen.”
On that note, I drop Tyler’s call. I sigh, out of both sympathy and annoyance. I haven’t known Tyler, or his girlfriend, for all that long but Sage vouched for him. We took him in, and he became one of us, and we protect our own.
It takes only a matter of seconds for me to mobilise a group of the guys and send them over to Tyler’s girl’s apartment. I didn’t get everyone to go, that would’ve been too obvious and have alerted the threat of our involvement. But by the time we get there, there’s a cab pulling away and Tyler’s nowhere to be seen.
I idle my bike on the curb and signal the guys to do the same. We dismount almost in unison, standing by our rides until we’re needed. The mass of blue bodies ready to storm the apartment gives me faith that we can — and will — always look after our own.
I glance down at my phone. Nothing yet.
I double and triple-check that I have everything I need: my gun, my back up, and my god damned fists. I’m ready. I just have to wait for Tyler’s signal. He didn’t seem to have much of a plan, and he’s the least experienced of us, but I trust him. I’ve got to. He’s one of us, after all.
My phone buzzes in my hand.
One word.
— NOW
I whistle, loud, and we’re moving.
My gun is in my hand as I take the steps up to the open door two at a time. Sage is to my left. My most trusted man, he’d take a bullet for me and I for him. But hopefully, we won’t need that kind of dedication today.
I spot Tyler, covering Jess’ body with his own battered one. Sofa. Keep them clear. I don’t stop to think how they’re gonna get out: he’s moving her out of the way, and I’m giving them covering fire. Then Sage is there, and one of the big guys I don’t recognise — one of the guys manipulating our boy — goes down with a roar.
Tyler’s in the corner of the room when another guy runs at Sage, gun out and shooting. I pop a shot between the two of them, distracting the guy long enough for Sage to tackle him to the ground. Two punches with his meaty fists and the other guy is out cold, bleeding from the nose and mouth.
“Go, Jess. Go!” Tyler urges the young blonde past me and into the street.
“We’ll meet you there!” I yell to Tyler as I move forward, away from the door, and keep firing. My men follow suit, and it’s just moments before we have the situation totally under control.
I leave Sage and Mel to handle the two men while the others secure the house.
Were they coming after the girl, or was this a way to get at Tyler? Or the Sapphires’? Wondering about it now didn’t matter, I would know soon enough. I looked around the room. It was a mess. It hadn’t entirely been trashed when we got here, but now there was a wall full of bullet holes and bloodstains.
I would have to send in a clean-up crew. It seemed like a nice enough neighbourhood. But I doubted Jess would be coming back here anytime soon.
I made my way to the kitchen where Sage had handcuffed both men to the wide metal radiator.
“Injuries?” I ask.
“None on me, boss.” Sage nods to one of the guys — the bigger one — and says: “That one’s got a broken nose, maybe a concussion, and a nasty bite mark on his finger.”
I give him a confused look.
“I didn’t bite him,” Sage says with a smirk. “But someone sure as shit has.”
“And the other?” I ask, looking to the paler, thinner stranger.
“Took a bullet to the shoulder. Tried to take a knife to one of ours, but didn’t quite manage it.”
I nod, satisfied.
“Any affiliations that are obvious?”
“None that I can see.” He turns away from them and ushers me in closer. “I think they came here after Tyler. I know, er, his family,” he says, uncertainty in his voice. “His family has been putting feelers out, but I’ve been running interference as best I can.”
“You should have said something. Does Tyler know?”
“I know I should have, I thought I coulda protected him,” Sage says, regret lining every inch of his face. “I didn’t tell him anything about them.”
I don’t say anything — I don’t need to. Sage knows he fucked up.
“We need to get everything from those two as soon as goddamn possible. Everything they know.” Sage goes to move towards them, and I stop him with a hand on his shoulder. “Not you, you’re going to Angel, and you’re going to tell her everything you know about Ty’s family and why they’re looking for him.”
I thumb one of the guys towards the two thugs. I know they’ve all been listening to what I just said. I’ll have my information. A threat to one of us is a threat to all of us.
Jessica
In the cab, I slump against Tyler as the awkward silence fills the air between us. Fuck!
So many things are rushing through my mind that I’m stumped into silence. I understand why he’s silent, he’s probably thinking the same shit that I am, but hell if I’m praying that he be the one to say it first.
I’m pregnant. I’ve been threatened, hit, and chased out of my own home. Now? Now, I didn’t know what the hell was happening. I was putting all my faith into Tyler, hoping that he knew more than I did. Praying that he’d have a plan as to what we were supposed to do now.
“We’ll meet you there,” Cohen had said in passing as we left my apartment. He was pissed, he’s even scarier when he’s pissed. I already know that whatever is happening in my apartment right now, I didn’t want to know about it.
I read in a book once that you kill the messenger to send a message, ironic if you ask me. They’d better not trash the place otherwise I won’t get my security deposit back.
As the ride continues on in silence, I find myself hoping that they don�
��t take long. I don’t know how much longer I can stand the waiting period. The cab comes to a sudden halt at the curb of what looks like a mechanics garage, attached to a luxury trailer with a porch and a wire fence.
This must be where the Sapphires hang out. I’ve never been to the clubhouse before, even though on the odd occasion I’ve seen the guys at Sal’s with Tyler.
As soon as the door to the Sapphires’ clubhouse is open, Tyler darts up the stairs, leaving me in the dimly lit hallway. I don’t have long to look around before Angel appears in the closest doorway to me. I’m not sure what room it leads into, but I know she’s probably not here alone. As if on cue, I hear shouts and glasses clinking from one of the rooms off the hallway. I guess not everyone went to storm my apartment.
I try to put my apartment out of my mind. To put the whole damn situation out of my mind. The feel of that guy’s fingers gripping my face, the smash of his blow which knocked me flying. People in my house, strangers in my home. The almost indecipherable look on Tyler’s face when they told him I was pregnant. I should have been the one to tell him. I should have told him sooner. Tears prick at my eyes. I wanted to be the one to tell him the news.
Angel looks over at me from her position leaning against the doorframe. Her lightweight leather jacket is open and the dark tank top she has underneath is rumpled. Her dark hair is tied up in a messy bun. Her jeans look old and worn in, but I can’t tell whether it’s a fashion thing or whether they’re really that old.
My emotions swirl as I panic at the sight of her. I’ve only met Angel a few times, most of which happened by accident. She seems nice. I’ve never really spoken much to Angel before, but I know she’s Cohen’s girlfriend and is just as scary and capable as he is, even if she is deceptively petite.
At first, I couldn’t understand what she was doing with Cohen, what she saw in him. But then I saw them together, and it explained everything. My opinion did a complete turnaround. The way he looks at her and the way he reacts to her, it’s almost as if they were made for each other. I scramble for something to say, but she opens her mouth first.
Wicked Little Thing Page 6
