“Well well, look who's woken up from their beauty sleep,” it was Juan’s voice, and he sounded as menacing as ever. I knew he always hated Papi, even when he was younger and worked as one of the fighter kids in the ring. It was more than just a handful of times that Papi had beaten the shit out of him for being disrespectful. So, it was no surprise, which Juan was thrilling in his torturing of me. He had waited a long time to stick it to my father and now was his chance. And Papi had happily obliged.
I struggled against my bonds again, to no effect, and I heard the crunch of his boots as he took a few steps towards me.
“The best idea for you, beautiful Valentina, would be just to stop fighting and accept what’s going to happen to you. It will be the least painful option for you,” he said, and his shoe came into my sight. I still had my cheek pressed to the floor, my nostrils flared with rage. If he was going to rape me or kill me or hurt me…I wasn’t going to let him do it without putting up a fight.
“Fuck you, Juan! You’re nothing but a weak loser!” I screamed, and the sound of his shrill laughter rang out in the room, the sound bounced off the walls.
Then he bent forward, hovering his face right over mine. Even though I couldn’t see him, I could sense his every movement.
“Your choice of abuses is very cute, Valentina…so typical of the Luis family, you can’t even instill fear in my heart without cracking me up,” he hissed and laughed some more.
“Your battle is with Papi, take it out on him and leave me out of it. Hurting me will not hurt him. He gave me up willingly, so what else do you have to gain?” I screeched, cutting his laughter short.
I heard him crack his knuckles and the sound made my heart stop beating for a moment.
“You don’t get it do you, sweetheart? He gave you up for a particular reason. So that he could pay off his debt to me. I’m going to make excellent money on the market when I sell you. Such a beautiful face, a flawless body and those tits…” he continued and whistled like a hungry wolf.
My breath ran out, and I could feel myself going cold. I knew exactly what he was talking about. The Muerte Viviente were going to sell me in the flesh market; they were going to make money from putting me into prostitution.
I screamed again, and this time, Juan fisted a bunch of my hair and lifted me off the ground, including the chair that I had my arms tied around.
“Stop screaming, Valentina, nobody is going to hear you,” he hissed in my ear. I was in pain, and I couldn’t stop kicking my legs around, and he crashed me down on the floor, my ass bouncing off the chair as he did. I couldn’t help but scream, and Juan’s slap landed with a sting across my cheek.
“Shut up. Stop whining like a little bitch. Just shut up and deal with what your father is doing to you!” Juan was growling, right up at my face and I glared back at him. Tears were streaming down my eyes and it felt like every inch of my body was hurting, every cell in my body was on fire. If I could inch just a little closer to him, then I’d rip his veins out with just my teeth.
“Be a good girl, and I might just initiate you into the business myself. Believe me, you can’t ask for a better first, then me,” he said and his face stretched in a smile again. I spat at him, the spittle landing straight on his cheek and with one forefinger, he wiped it off his face.
He punched me, this time toppling me and the chair over and I was on the floor once again. Just then, we heard a sudden uproar outside. My breathing quickened. Something was going on outside. I didn’t have to look at Juan to know that he heard it too.
“It’ll just have to wait then. Don’t go anywhere,” he said and still laughing, I heard the crunching sounds of his shoes as he walked away from me and out of the door.
I was alone once again, and I tried to concentrate on the sounds outside. My heart was beating fast, and I couldn’t stop imagining that it was King. That he had found me. I was going to be safe.
Chapter 17
King
We had charged into the bar, just the three of us and I’d said a silent prayer before we entered. Chances were that we were going to be outnumbered. I prayed to God to keep my brothers alive and for me to find Valentina and get her to safety.
I was carrying, as were Commando and Girth, and when we first entered the dingy bar, we didn’t need to use our guns straight away. We used our elbows and our knuckles instead.
I punched, and I could hear my brothers doing the same behind me. Muerte Viviente members came charging towards us, but we were better trained, and I was on a mission. I needed to know where they were holding Valentina. I twisted arms and punched guts, and gang members went flying, falling to the floor holding their stomachs. I was leaving a clear path for my brothers to follow as I edged towards the back door.
“Where is she? Where is Valentina?” I growled as another guy came at me. I socked him out straight with a punch to his jaw, and in the same moment, I slid my gun out from my belt and pointed it at the group that was making its way towards me.
“Where the fuck is she?” I growled, and they stood back. I couldn’t see any of them carrying; they weren’t prepared.
Just then, the back door opened and the man of the hour stepped out. Juan clapped his hands in slow motion when he saw me standing there, pointing my gun at a group of his men.
I hadn’t laid eyes on him in ten years, but there wasn’t much that had changed about him. He was still his slimy self, and just one look at him made my blood curdle.
“You’ve grown up, Jesus. Almost a man,” he said, with a sickly smile stretching his lips. Behind me, I could hear Commando and Girth fighting still. They hadn’t stopped throwing punches yet and were keeping the others in check. However, most of the bar had fallen silent now. Everyone’s eyes were trained on Juan and me.
“Can’t say the same about you, Juan,” I hissed at him. My eyes were bloodshot; my muscles were taught in my neck. He erupted in a forced laugh and clapped again.
“Jesus Moreno. Always the one with the sense of humor. How are you brother?” he said and stepped towards me, but stopped when he heard the click of my gun.
“Where did you take Valentina?” I barked at him, and he widened his eyes like I had said something shocking.
“Since when do you care about Valentina Luis, my brother?”
“I’m not your fucking brother. I have nothing to do with you!”
“But Jesus…after what Romero did to all of us? What do you care what happens to his silly daughter?” he continued, and I clenched my jaw, gripping my gun a little tighter in my hands. Juan was glaring at me, trying to peer into my soul through my eyes.
“Unless…wait, brother are you fucking that booty?” he asked and clutched his belly as he broke into another laugh. I couldn’t stand him talking about Valentina like that, but I needed to know where she was.
“Where is she?” I ignored his questions.
“You are! You’re scoring that pussy! Since when? Does Romero know that you’ve been sticking your dick in his daughter all these years?” Juan continued to laugh, and I growled and charged towards him.
Juan backed up, with his hands up in the air. My eyes shifted to the door he came out of.
“If you kill me now, brother, you will never know where she is. She’s just going to rot away, and you’ll spend your life looking for her,” he said, and I stopped in my tracks.
I knew he was lying. There was no place that he could have possibly hidden her that I wouldn’t be able to get to. But time was of the essence, and I needed to find her before she gave up.
“Where have you kept her?” I hissed, closer to him now and he smiled some more.
“Or what? Little Jesus Moreno…” he said and smoothened the top of his greasy hair with a hand.
“Are you going to shoot me? You’re never going to shoot me, brother. Not after everything we’ve been through,” he said, and for the first time in my life, I could feel the gun shaking in my hand.
Images of Juan beating the crap out of me came flas
hing through my mind. His cackling laugh, the joy in his eyes as he broke my jaw with punch after punch, my screams and pleading for him to stop. His forceful blows as he made me stand in a corner and watch the way he was beating up my friends.
“You’re never going to shoot me, Jesus…you can’t. We’re brothers, we’ve been through too much,” his voice sizzled in the air, and I blinked. I could feel a drop of sweat bouncing off my eyelid and falling on my cheek.
“Just stand down, Jesus. Let’s just sit and talk,” I heard him say through the white noise in my head and that was when I knew…Juan was afraid. For the first time in my life, I saw fear in his eyes. In the eyes of the guy I had always despised, who I had been too afraid of as a kid. Whose memories I had buried deep in the back of my mind somewhere. Now, he was the one at my mercy. He knew I had him and his men in a corner. Not this time Juan, this time I have you, and you’re going to pay for everything you’ve done.
I didn’t have to say it aloud, all I had to do was pull the trigger. I pulled my finger back.
The bullet left my gun in a fraction of a second. I saw it in slow motion as it flew in the air and punctured a hole in Juan’s gut. On his side. Blood seeped through his shiny cream shirt and spread quickly. Juan’s hand flew to cover the wound, and then he looked up at me, his mouth gaping open; like I had betrayed him.
A shot rang out beside me, and I whipped around with my gun in the air. A Muerte Viviente member slumped to the floor beside me; a bullet had passed clean through his skull. The silver of his dagger caught a glint of the light and sparkled in my eye. He was charging at me; he was about to stab me. I looked up and saw Commando’s gun still pointed in his direction. He tipped his head at me, and I looked back at Juan.
Two of his men had rushed to him and were trying to keep him balanced up. His legs were giving way, and his knees were buckling.
“You shot me! You fucking bastard! You shot me!” he blubbered, and spittle flew out from his mouth. The men were trying to wrap his arms around their shoulders.
“Where is Valentina?” I asked and pointed the gun at him again. His men were trying to drag him away, but they couldn’t do it fast enough. Juan was too heavy for them. I followed their slow movement with my gun. The rest of the Muerte Viviente were either dead or knocked out cold.
“Tell me where she is, or the next bullet is going to go through your skull,” I hissed, and I heard a loud wail. It was coming from the back room.
“King! Jesus! I’m here!” it was Valentina’s voice.
I forgot about Juan in a second and rushed towards the door. One Muerte Viviente stood in my way, trying to hold me back and I pointed my gun at him, and he quickly stepped away. Bunch of pussies. All of them.
I kicked open the door and ran in. Valentina was on the floor; her hands were tied behind a chair that she was stuck to. Her dress was soiled, her hair was in tangles, and her makeup was running down her cheeks. I ran to her, crawling down on the floor so that I could kiss her cheek.
“I’m here, baby, I’m going to get you out of here,” I said, feeling for the knots that the rope was tied with.
“Juan…he’s out there…” she was choking up as she spoke and I started pulling the knots apart.
“I got him,” I said.
“Did you shoot him?”
“Yes, I shot him. I hope the fucker dies,” I replied, just as I untangled the knots and the rope fell away from her hands and the chair.
Valentina sat up, the wide skirt of her beautiful yellow dress ballooned around her.
“King…” she began to say, but I grabbed her waist and pulled her close to me.
“We’re going to get out of here, c’mon,” I said, and I was about to stand up, but she tugged at me and pulled me back down to kiss me.
She was able to overpower me with just her lips, forcing my mouth open so that my tongue could thrust into hers. She was whimpering as I kissed her, and I stroked her matted hair. I didn’t even want to imagine the horrors that Juan had put her through this time.
“Take me home, King,” she whispered when I pulled away from her.
I lifted her up in my arms, and her legs dangled as I carried her across the room and out through the door.
Outside, the bar had cleared out more. Most of the Muerte Viviente gang members that were still breathing had made a run for it, especially when they saw their leader shot and scurrying away in fear. Commando was standing over Girth, who was on his knees on the floor, beating the shit out of one of the guys, who still had a pocket knife in his hands.
Commando looked over and smiled at me, and I sensed him exchanging a look with Valentina as well.
She didn’t move in my arms as I carried her through the bar. None of the remaining Muerte Viviente guys even dared to come near us. They just cleared a path for me, and I carried her outside.
I didn’t stop till I had placed her safely on my bike.
“Are you strong enough to hold on to me for the ride, babe?” I asked as she swayed where she sat. Valentina nodded her head, and I could see that she looked weak. Juan had been beating her up. A purple wound was beginning to bloom on her cheek where he must have slapped and hit her. I had already noticed the bruises from the rope burns on her wrists, which had made my blood boil.
“I just want to go home,” she said, and I swung my leg over the bike.
“And that’s where I’m going to take you,” I said and revved up the engine. I felt her wrap her weak arms around my waist.
“Are you taking me to Moira’s apartment?” I heard her ask and I looked over my shoulder to shake my head.
“I’m taking you to our home, the only place you need to be. You’re going to be safe there, the safest there. I’m sorry for thinking that you could be safe anywhere else,” I said, and Valentina leaned her head against my back.
“Thank you…” she said, in an exhausted voice, like she had no energy to say anything more. I was just glad that she was with me now and I had no plans of ever letting her go. Juan and his gang were never going to get their claws on her again.
Chapter 18
Valentina
Back at King’s apartment, he ran me a hot bath, and I spent an hour in there, trying to soothe my nerves. I’d dozed off at some point and didn’t wake up till King eventually came in to check up on me and helped me out of the bath. He cleaned my bruises and sterilized them and helped me change into one of his shirts that I pulled around me. It comforted me, and I felt safe now, finally at peace, like nothing could hurt me.
“I’m sorry, baby,” King whispered in my ears as he led me back to his bedroom. When I looked at him, for a second, I thought he was close to tears, but he controlled it quickly. A man like him was never supposed to cry, right?
“This wasn’t your fault. None of this was your fault,” I said and stroked his shoulder.
He helped me to bed, swinging my feet up to rest and then pulled the covers over me.
“I’m not sleepy anymore,” I argued and pouted my lips.
“You’re going to have to sleep now, and I’m not leaving this apartment till you have regained your strength fully,” he said and bent down on his knees and clutched my hands. I leaned over and kissed him on his forehead and smiled at him.
“Stop blaming yourself, King. You saved me…twice. I probably wouldn’t even be alive if it wasn’t for you,” I said, and he stroked my cheek. The touch of his rough hand on my skinniest shivers down my spine. Even after all these years, he was the guy who turned me on. I couldn’t have asked for a better man.
“And you’ve been so strong, you make me proud to be your man, Valentina,” he said and then kissing my fingers, he stood up.
“Where are you going?” I whined as I watched him walking towards the bedroom door. He turned to smile at me indulgently.
“You need to eat something. I’ve made you chicken soup,” he said, and then he left the room.
I sunk into the bed, surrounded by the scent of the man I was in love with. I coul
d hear him in the kitchen outside, tinkering about and getting the tray ready. Then I heard his cell phone ring and his raised voice. I tried to listen, but I couldn’t listen to the words. A few minutes later, King walked back into the bedroom, gripping his cell phone tightly in his hand.
I straightened up when I saw his face. He looked like he was ready to punch someone again.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him as he walked towards me.
“It’s Romero. He knows what happened and he wants to speak to you,” King said, and I stared back at him. His dark eyes had darkened, even more, his face was taut and humorless. I needed him to tell me what to do. I didn’t know if I even wanted to speak to my father.
“King…” I breathed, and he sighed.
“Speak to him if you want to, Valentina…he’s your father, it’s your choice,” he said, and I looked at the phone in his hand.
“What should I say?” I asked him, and he clenched his jaw.
“It’s up to you, babe. I don’t give a shit as long as you are safe,” he said and slid the phone into my hands.
I took it from him and stared at it for a few more moments. King was about to walk away, but I stopped him.
“Please stay here,” I pleaded with him, and he nodded and sat down at the end of the bed.
“Papi?” I said, bringing the phone close to my ear.
“Valentina! Oh, my baby girl! I’m so happy to hear your voice. Are you all right?” he sounded worried, like genuinely worried…but I wasn’t falling for it. My voice hardened quickly, as memories of everything I had endured in the past week came flashing through my head.
“What do you want, Papi?” I snapped at him, and a sound like a wince escaped his lips.
“Please, Valentina…you have to understand that my hands were tied. Juan was threatening to kill me, you and everyone we know,” Papi was pleading, and my nostrils flared. I was staring straight into King’s eyes as I spoke to my father.
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