Collision

by Evie Harper

  We drive through Parkland’s main street, which is almost identical to Portland: low-income area with minimal shops, run-down homes, and drug dealers on corner blocks. But these dealers deal the hard shit, the stuff which kills, Rex’s merchandise.

  As we pass the corner stores, we see people with wide eyes and shocked expressions. Looking back in the rear-view mirror, we watch as they get on their phones. Rex will already know we’re on our way.

  A few minutes later, we turn down Rex’s street and see four guys standing in front of his house, bodies tense and on alert.

  I bring Chevy to a stop across the street from Rex’s one-story house. I step out, facing a deserted skate park, one I know very well. I spent a lot of time at this skate bowl learning how to ollie and kick flip with Rex by my side, cheering me on.

  Each of my brothers steps out of the car. Each of us has a bat and knuckle-dusters in our back pockets and we’re carrying, our guns tucked into our jeans at our backs.

  Poison Boys have already seen us, but they aren’t moving toward us.

  We walk up to Rex’s white, wooden fence and stop while the two men try to stare us down. Looking left and right to my brothers and seeing them with smirks on their faces has me grinning from ear to ear. We are the fucking Portland Street Kings; these new kids on the block ain’t gonna have us shaking in our boots.

  “We’re here for Rex, and he knows we were coming. Is he inside? Too afraid to come out and face us!” I shout out the last part.

  At my words, the front screen door swings open and Rex strides out with an angry expression and narrowed eyes. Corey, Kodi and Reed follow closely behind.

  “You’re on my block now, Slate. My turf, so watch your mouth,” he says and looks to my brothers. “I hope you all came to leave with broken legs because crossing my boundaries will not go unpunished,” Rex exclaims then looks to me. “And you, Slater? You just walked into your execution.”

  I chuckle. “You keep saying that, Rex, and yet here I stand once again, alive and unharmed. Too bad I can’t say the same for Dell,” I growl. Rex flinches and I continue, “You’ll be lucky to only get broken bones today. And if you don’t concede to my demands, you won’t live through the day.”

  Rex smiles snidely. “So cocky, Slate.” He extends his arm and gestures to my brothers and me. “Four on my six with only bats plus knuckle-dusters, I’m sure. Fools, your code will be what gets you killed.” All at once, Rex and his crew pull out their guns and aim at them at us.

  “Is that how you want this to go down, how you want to be remembered? Gunning us down, six to four? Why don’t you fight me like a real man? Put your toys away and fight me with honor, strength wins. Or don’t you think you could beat me?” I goad him.

  The screen door squeaks open and my eyes search the porch for who walked out. It’s Lana, Rex’s sister. I haven’t seen her for almost five years. She’s taller than I remember and her blonde hair is now long and straight when it used to be short with a wave to it. She has a tattoo on her left wrist and one further up on her forearm, but I’m too far away to see what they are. I wonder if she’s still the same gentle girl who would laugh at anything and always play jokes on us boys.

  Mack steps forward then suddenly, as if remembering where we are, he steps back quickly. I look over to him curiously.

  “Get inside, Lana,” Rex demands.

  Lana moves from the front door further out of the house and to the end of the porch. Rex sighs in frustration from her obvious refusal to listen to him.

  “What will it be? Shame or knowing you took down your father’s killer with your bare hands.”

  Rex snarls. “Fists only. This time you aren’t walking away unharmed, Slate. Corey,” Rex mutters and Corey steps down from the porch to Rex’s side. Rex hands Corey his Glock and he places it in his jeans behind his back.

  “Everyone, move aside,” Rex orders his crew.

  I step forward through Rex’s fence. My brothers stay put, understanding the meaning of honor, of fighting one on one. If something does happen to me, they know it’s how I would want to go out, like a man.

  I reach around to pull out my gun to give to one of my brothers when Rex lets out a war cry and comes straight at me.

  A throbbing pain explodes on the left side of my face, and I stumble back from the assault before righting myself.

  Rex comes for me again, a murderous look on his face.

  I duck and throw out a punch that connects with his gut. “Ooof!” Rex bends in pain, but still manages to catch himself quickly. I take the opportunity to throw out another hard punch, which lands on his left cheek and sends Rex flying backward to the ground. I dive on top and punch him then shake him to become alert quickly. “How does it feel to know you almost killed Della? You loved her once, before your heart grew cold and froze over. You taught her how to spell, how to fucking beat up the kids who made fun of her, yet you were the one she needed protection from. Does that mean nothing to you?”

  A furious growl explodes from Rex as he quickly throws me off him and has me pinned down, throwing punches left and right.

  I bring my forearms up to block his fists and it works to protect my face and me from getting knocked out.

  Rex then begins to punch the sides of my abdomen. I throw my head forward into his and knock Rex off me and into a dizzy state.

  He’s on his back, holding the front of his head with his eyes clenched closed. All I can hear are grunts coming from the both of us as I’m swinging my fists down brutally, left, right, again and again.

  Rex’s body starts to go limp and I keep hitting, each punch harder and harder. Adrenalin is driving me, my heart powerfully pounding and telling me I’m invincible.

  “Slater!” I hear Lana scream behind me.

  Below me, Rex’s breathing is rapid and he’s struggling to get a breath in and out. He’s still thrashing, but he’s not able to budge me. I move my hands to his throat and begin squeezing. Rex grasps my wrists and starts pulling. I clench my teeth, using all my strength to hold on to his neck.

  I sense movement behind me. “Slater!” Lana screams again.

  Mack growls, “Lana, move the fuck away.”

  I look over my shoulder and find Lana standing there, fear covering her once-gentle face. “Please, don’t take my brother. You already killed my father. I’ll have no one left,” she pleads with me.

  Mack moves forward and grasps her arm. She looks at who has her and narrows her eyes before yanking her arm free from his grip.

  “Don’t you dare touch me,” she sneers. “Never again, Mack.” Her voice is laced with anger and I watch as regret flashes in Mack’s eyes. What the fuck?

  Lana turns back to me, her eyes changing from hate to guilt. “I’m sorry for what my father did to Della. I don’t want to believe it, but we were all friends once, best friends. My heart tells me you wouldn’t lie about that.”

  “Lana,” Rex whispers and then continues on a shout, “Don’t believe their lies!”

  She looks to Rex. “Rex, please. I can’t lose you, too.”

  Corey moves to Lana and grabs her shoulders. In a flash, Mack is there, slamming him to the ground and snarling, “Don’t fucking touch her.”

  Everyone moves forward, surrounding Rex and me, ready for an all-out brawl.

  I tighten my grip on Rex’s throat as my mind races. What the hell is going on with Mack?

  Lana looks to Mack then back to me with a frustrated sigh. I’m missing something. And I don’t like to fucking miss things.

  I turn back to Rex and squeeze his throat tighter. “Give up this war, Rex. You go your way and we’ll go ours and never cross boundaries again. This can end differently,” I try to convince him.

  “Never. A life for a life,” he pledges.

  “You almost took Della’s!” I yell. “Make that enough.” I squeeze his throat tighter and Rex begins to claw at my hands. I loosen my grip, waiting for his answer.

  Rex swallows roughly and with a croaky voice,
he replies, “I haven’t even taken anyone from you and here you are, ready to kill me. Yet me wanting revenge on what you actually did to my family is not acceptable? I need to give it up and move on?” he says with a rough voice.

  Rex’s face softens and suddenly I find my hand loosening out of surprise. “I hurt Dell and if she had died, I would have ended my own life. And here you are avenging her, defending your family, yet you can’t understand that I need to do the same for my own.” Rex’s bloodshot eyes become glassy and I abruptly pull my hand back and sit on my haunches. “You killed my father,” he whispers fiercely.

  “Then aim for me,” I say with a thick voice. “Me, not the ones I love. Stop going after Piper.” I know I promised Piper I would return to her, but giving her a future is my first priority.

  He looks up to me with an agonized expression, “That’s too easy. You need to feel my pain, grieve as I have had to do.”

  “She’s innocent, Rex,” I say savagely, my anger starting to reignite. “Your father was not.”

  “You didn’t just leave me and my sister fatherless, Slate. You left us so much worse than you know. And I want you to suffer for that!” Rex shouts, shifting from calm to explosive within seconds.

  We both jump to our feet, ready to strike.

  I shake my head. “So we fight today, but you won’t take my life? You’ll fight until I have to kill you?”

  Rex nods.

  “I will, Rex. I will kill you for Piper. She’s my life. You kill her, you kill me.”

  “That’s the point, brotha,” Rex spits out.

  “Rex!” Lana yells. “What are you doing? Stop this! I can’t take it anymore!” Lana’s tears are heard in her screams.

  Can I take another from her? For Piper? Would Piper be able to love a man who has killed half a family and left someone an orphan, alone in the world? Fuck! There has to be another way.

  I wildly look from Lana back to Rex. I need time to fucking think, before I do something I will regret.

  I take my Glock from the back of my jeans and aim it at Rex. At the same time I sense his crew around me, all with their guns aimed at me. Rex smirks and says, “Really, Slate? You’re going to take the coward’s way out and shoot me?”

  I hear and sense Lana struggling behind me, but someone must be holding her back. I swing my gun around and aim it at her. Everyone, even my own brothers, inhale sharply and curses. Kodi is the one holding Lana back, but when I turned to her she froze, fear covering her features.

  I take two steps backward, keeping everyone in sight: Rex to my left and Lana to my right.

  “You dare fucking harm her and I promise I will murder your whole family. No one will be safe,” Rex warns.

  “Again, one of us is threatening the other to protect our family. This will never end until one of us changes the course of this dead-end trip.”

  “No,” he snarls, and I realize there’s nothing else I can do. Rex is a stubborn fucker, and he’s left me with no other choice.

  I unclick the safety and all at once, my brothers pull their guns from their jeans and aim them at Lana. Mack grabs the back of Kodi’s jacket and shoves him away from her. Thank fuck my brothers know me and can figure out my next move, because this will be our only way out of here alive with what I want to take.

  Lana twists her head, looking around her. Her gaze stops on Mack and her face falls instantly, silent tears flowing. Mack’s face stays blank.

  "What the fuck,” Rex growls.

  I move quickly and stand beside Lana then spin around, aim and shoot.

  The bullet goes exactly where I intended it to, straight into Rex’s left thigh.

  Rex groans in pain and grabs at his leg.

  Lana screams and Rex's crew start shouting at my brothers and me to put down our guns. They won’t shoot at us while we’re standing close to Lana but just in case, I say, “Anyone shoots my brothers or me, we will release a clip into Lana.”

  A breathless and pained Rex yells, “Put your fucking guns away!” Rex looks to me and says, “What now? More bullshit talking?”

  “No, now we’re leaving.” Rex’s face pales. He doesn’t know what to do. This is unexpected, and he’s not sure how far I’m about to go.

  Still staring at Rex, I say, “Mack, grab Lana and bring her with us.”

  Rex jolts upright. “You are not taking my fucking sister, Slater!” he roars.

  “Watch me. You have seven days to agree to my terms, Rex, or Lana won’t leave Portland alive. You crossed a line bringing my woman into this war. You crossed a line by almost killing Della.” Breathing heavily, I boom, “Now bend and take my terms or lose Lana. It’s an easy choice I could make in a heartbeat. Can you do the same for your sister?”

  Rex looks to Lana, anguish written all over his face.

  “Rex,” Lana whispers brokenly.

  His eyes shift back to me, panicked. “Our sisters have always been off-limits. Dell wasn’t supposed to get shot; that was an accident,” Rex tries to explain with a plea in his voice.

  “You tried to kill the woman I love!” I roar. “Unless you give up your revenge, no one is off-limits.”

  My brothers and I begin taking careful strides backward to Chevy. Kel has Lana still in his grasp, pulling her with him. Rex and his crew watch our every step, Rex with indecision written all over his face.

  They begin advancing when we make some ground.

  “Kel,” I grate out and Mack curses loudly. Kel knows exactly what I want him to do.

  He grasps Lana’s arm and bends it behind her back, hard. Lana screams out in pain.

  Rex narrows his eyes and stops advancing, holding his hand out to stop his crew. “Slater,” he growls.

  “Don’t come any further. You follow us, and Lana will have more than a sore shoulder,” I advise.

  “Fuck!” Rex roars into his street.

  “I get word you or anyone in your crew steps foot in Portland in the next seven days, I will end Lana’s life just as fast as I did your father’s.”

  The expression on Rex’s face changes into a murderous gaze, but he doesn’t move.

  Kel and I turn our backs on Rex and his crew and take a thrashing Lana to Chevy.

  “Get to your cars and follow them!” Rex booms, and I look over my shoulder to see Rex struggling to stay upright on his injured leg and Kodi, Corey and Reed racing to a silver Dodge Challenger, Kodi in the driver’s seat.

  Mack and Pacer keep walking backward, keeping watch.

  We reach Chevy, and Kel pushes Lana into the backseat as Mack follows, both of them positioning her in the center.

  Pacer and I are the last to climb in.

  I turn the key and Chevy roars to life. Pressing the accelerator down, I make a hard right and my tires squeal as we drive away from Rex and his crew, with the silver Dodge on our ass the whole way through the streets of Parkland.

  When we hit the suburb between Portland and Parkland, Russeltown, Kodi becomes desperate and taps our backend on the right side trying to spin us out, but I’m ready for it and I correct the steering and speed even faster through the streets. We pass Portland boundary doing one -hundred miles per hour.

  I look in my rear-view mirror just as everyone in the car, including Lana, looks behind us to see the silver Dodge brake and spin to the side, to stop just before crossing our border. Good to know they are taking my threat seriously.

  No one says a word all the way home, not even Lana. She’s in the back with her knees drawn to her chest and her face down.

  Through my mirror, I see Mack staring out the window with his elbow leaning on the door and his hand resting on his mouth, fisted so tightly his knuckles are white. I’m going to be talking to him later to find out what the fuck is going on with him.

  I hear Kel next to me talking to Brett, checking in and letting him know we are on our way.

  I drop Mack and Pace off with Lana at our house to get her sorted with a room, which will become her home for the next seven days. I need to get t
o Piper and Della then figure out what the fuck I have done. Rex will not sit idly by for long while I have his sister. He’ll need to remove the bullet from his leg and then he’ll start planning on getting her back, or hopefully thinking over my proposition. For the first time in my life, I’m hoping someone is scared I will kill their loved one. I hope Rex believes my threat and that Lana means more to him than his revenge for his father.

  Kel and I arrive at the hospital and I make a quick stop at the reception desk to talk to the ladies. I explain my sister may be in danger and with a lot of money passed between hands, they agree to change Della’s name on her medical files, so if anyone comes looking for her, there will be no record of her being in this hospital.

  I walk to Della’s room and find Kel sitting in the waiting room with Brett.

  As I walk past, I ask Kel, “Piper in there?” He nods and I continue forward to see my girl.

  I walk through the door and stop abruptly before quietly walking into the room as my eyes admire my two girls. Both safe and fast asleep, Piper’s in a chair next to Della’s hospital bed.

  Watching them peacefully resting, I’m reminded that I failed today. I didn’t solve anything and I didn’t end the war. Had I killed Rex, would it be Lana who came for me next? Do I need to wipe out their whole family to make sure mine is safe?

  I walk up to the woman who has changed my life, not once but twice now, and gently shift her hair that’s hiding her beautiful face. Piper and my family are why I will always cross the lines others wouldn’t dare touch.

  To be feared means crossing boundaries which others won’t. To be respected means abiding by my words even if it comes down to crossing Hell’s gates to do it. To be king means to do the dirty work.

  Epilogue

  My Street Thug.

  Piper

  “Adjust the steering, Piper!” Slater yells at me.

  “I’m trying!” I shout back at him, trying to drive straight, but with each slight shift of the steering wheel the car goes out too far.