by J. C. Allen
By Chuck! The man so skinny and withered that he looked a missed meal away from grave. I never would have heard the end of it from the Savage Saviors, nor should I have if so.
But I never had to face those conversations, because I struck so quickly that I dropped him immediately. In his fall, he dropped the knife, which I picked up myself. I put my foot on his chest—more like stomped his chest—as his eyes went wide.
“You must have some kind of desire for death,” I growled. “To come and see me here as you have? You’re out of your goddamn mind!”
I expected Chuck to spout some bullshit about how I was too smart of a guy to know that was true, to hear how Eve was the one desiring death, or some other nonsense that I had much less patience for than before.
But instead, he did something far less expected.
He started laughing.
“The fuck’s so funny?!?” I said, digging my foot into his chest.
“You… you think you can hurt me?” Chuck said in between gasps. “Oh, sure, boy toy, this hurts. But you can’t hurt my spirit. Not like I hurt yours and the whore you call your girlfriend.”
“I don’t give a shit about hurting you, you piece of shit,” I said. “I came here for one reason only, and that’s to kill you.”
But Chuck just kept laughing.
“Really, you’re going to die laughing?” I said. “So cliche. At least I’ll make this quick!”
“You’re still the same Derek,” Chuck said just a half second before I brought the knife down on his throat.
“And?”
“You were so easily manipulated once again.”
What the fuck.
What now…
“Don’t you see, Derek Knight?” Chuck said with a smirk. “The Falcons have always been watching. They brought me out to get Eve out in public, but what they didn’t realize was that it was actually easier to get you out. They saw how quickly you came with my first text. So they laid a trap, knowing you’d fall for it so easily.”
Oh fuck…
“I’d guess by now, Eve is in the back of some trunk, about to be club-raped by the entire Falcons and—”
“You fucker!” I roared.
I meant to drop the knife into his throat, but my rage made me miss just a hair, driving it between his neck and his shoulder. He let out a sharp cry but, somehow, sickeningly, kept laughing.
“I knew you couldn’t kill me, Derek,” Chuck said. “See, I know you’ll kill Black Falcons. They’re your rivals. It’s war. All’s fair in love and war. But for the life I’ve had, you can’t bring it on yourself to kill me. I’ve had it too hard. You have too many morals, and—”
“Joke’s on you buddy,” I said as I held the knife back very slowly. “I don’t have morals when I get angry.”
I saw Chuck’s eyes flare in genuine surprise just as I began to drop the knife on him. In that moment, he realized I was not fucking around—he realized that I was deadly serious.
Too bad for him, he finally had faced someone willing to drag him to death.
The knife cut into his throat instantly. He let out one loud gurgle before failing to draw another breath.
“That’s for Eve,” I muttered as I stood up, preferring to let the body lie there in this shithole part of town.
Eve.
Oh, shit.
I’d killed her greatest stalker.
But, I realized as I ran back to my bike, I may have just opened the door for someone even worse to come after her.
10
Eve
Derek certainly knew how to wake a girl up.
I smiled, thinking back to the memory of the previous night as I looked through his walk-in pantry, wanting to give him something in return for the pleasure he’d given me. My body warmed as the memory swam through my mind like a scene from a dirty movie.
I was pretty sure that over half the reason the sex was so good was because it was classic makeup sex. Not only was my body yearning and aching for him, but my heart had wanted him even more after his confession that he had become sober. Actions truly spoke louder than words, and breaking down the door to rescue me and giving up alcohol to rescue our relationship was the equivalent of grabbing a microphone and screaming on live TV.
And the kind of sex that ensued was probably audible to everyone within broadcasting distance.
And yet, do you think it’s all cherry blossoms now? Chuck is still out there, you know…
I cleared my thoughts at that, still unsure where that sudden fear had come from—even if it had been recurring since the sex had ended. I hadn’t brought it up to Derek, not wanting to seem like a burden and deciding that it was just a residual thought from our earlier separation. And while there was perhaps evidence of the fear being legitimate, I didn’t worry about it as much as perhaps I should have since I had the Saviors back to protect me.
After all, if Chuck made the audacious decision to cross paths with me, it would be in front of Derek, and that would not end well for him at all.
Going back to my task, I continued to look through the pantry.
“Get it together, Eve,” I whispered to myself.
I looked up at the sound of my phone ringing and stepped out of the pantry, looking around for my phone. The proximity of the phone call to me thinking about Chuck had me a little nervous to see who was calling, even if Chuck had not called me since he arrived. You have his number saved, you know. Unless he got a burner phone, which…
When I found it, I saw that it was Tara. Thank havens.
“Little early for you to be awake, isn’t it?” I said, thinking back to our days under Rock when an early wake up time was before 12 p.m.
“Is that how you talk to your best friend ever?” Tara’s voice replied with mock-hurt. “Damn, girl, you should be happy someone’s checkin’ on yo ass to make sure you’re alive!”
“I guess so,” I said, maintaining the playful back-and-forth. “But hey, I’m answering the phone, aren’t I? My voice is still normal, isn’t it?”
“Hmm,” she resigned without words, then asked, “So… you two okay, then.”
It wasn’t exactly a voice of confidence in Derek, a feeling that reminded me of how she had wanted to spill his brains out with the baseball bat. It was of enormous relief to know that if someone was going to end my boyfriend’s life, it was not going to be my best friend.
That would have been a story too ridiculous to be believed.
“We are, yeah,” I said with a smiled. “Thanks… you know, for everything.”
“Uh-huh,” she hummed, sounding cocky. “Told ya it wasn’t forever, didn’t I?”
Oh, so now you’re going to play therapist? I thought teasingly, but we were shifting to more meaningful words.
“You did,” I admitted.
“And you’re for real okay, not ‘oh I just got my pussy slammed so all’s forgiven okay’, right?”
“Yes, Tara, I did.”
“Hmmmm,” Tara said, dragging out the word for so long it was clearly done for effect.
The only effect it had, though, was to emphasize to me just how much I missed Derek at that moment. He had gone off to see Matty for business, which I should have been totally fine with. After all, it was ridiculous to think I could date any man and just expect him around the house or apartment twenty four hours a day.
It would be no different if Derek had a “real” job. And to some extent, I guess I could say I was fine with it on a fundamental level, the one that was satisfied. But the one that wanted immediate happiness and immediate gratification wasn’t satisfied—though, to be fair, it was rarely satisfied unless it was getting laid or getting fed.
“Where’s that boy at now?”
As if you’re reading my mind, Tara. That’s a little creepy.
But I suppose if anyone’s going to know, it’s you.
“At the shop, taking care of business. You know, like the song.”
“What?”
“Never mind,” I said with
a chuckle. “I’m just here by myself right now.”
“So… you want me to come over?” she asked, although it leaned more toward a statement than a question.. “Day’s open—like my door, thanks to your lover-boy—and I was thinking you could treat me to a movie in that private theater you get to call a living room.”
I laughed at that. Also, your door? That’s quite the claim, Tara!
“Anything to ogle Derek’s place some more, right?” I asked.
“Well, that… and I bet you he has some real good booze hidden there,” Tara laughed.
I hesitated for just a second, wondering if it was my place to tell Tara that Derek had sworn off drinking for some period of time. On the one hand, it hadn’t felt like some magical, intimate confession that Derek had given me. But, on the other, if anyone could not be trusted to keep quiet on the issue, it was Tara.
“He actually ran out last night,” I said, which was… kind of true? “I’m sure he’ll be getting some more later, but he’s on empty right now.”
“What? Boy better be runnin’ to the liquor store soon! How else we supposed to enjoy his movies for our enjoyment on his dime?”
I laughed again at her joke, even a part of me was just a tad suspicious that she wasn’t joking.
Nevertheless, I decided I liked the idea of not being alone and agreed for her to come over.
“Alright, cool!” she said. “Gimme, like, an hour-or-so, kay? Bus schedule’s shit—I’m sure you can remember from way-back-when—and it ain’t like I got a pretty biker boy to drive me everywhere. Don’t even got Roost here. Seriously, I been reduced to a fag-hag, and I ain’t even got a fag to hag? Can you believe that?”
“The struggle is real,” I said with another chuckle, knowing Tara was now just in rant mode.
“Tellin’ me,” she grumbled. “Anyway, I’ll be there soon… ish. Just have a movie and a bottle… or, shit, I dunno, a movie and some pizza ready. I’ll take that at this point.”
“Kay,” I said, grinning at how easily the word came to me when I was talking to her.
And then the phone was silent.
And, thankfully, so was my mind.
Smiling, feeling refreshed, I went back to planning out a nice dinner for Derek as thanks for all that he had done for me. Starting to decide on a meal, I realized a few things were missing and pulled out my phone again, typing a message to Derek:
Hey! Could you pick up some salad mix and Italian bread pls?
I want to make something special for you tonight.
Love you :-*
Finished, I set the phone on the sideboard next to me as I went about getting things set up. I hummed a Taylor Swift song to myself, imagined Derek’s reaction when he saw the meal, and melted just at his smile, even if it was all in my head.
Outside, it had started raining, and the sound, distant and muted through the walls of the condo, was a soft hum that faded off and was easily forgotten. The only real hint of the storm was the lack of natural lighting that I was used to around this time of day. This, however, was what electricity and indoor lighting was made for.
In other words, the sign of the storm was nothing more than the equivalent of a computer screen saver, maybe something I’d look at for a couple of seconds before moving on to other, more important tasks.
Turning on a few more lights and reveling in the sudden safety that a few extra bulbs seemed to provide, I went about working on a sauce for the spaghetti I planned to make. I turned on the speakers to “Shake It Off,” danced as I cooked, and lost myself in the moment.
So perfect! I had Derek back. I had my safety back. Derek and Matty had plans to end the tenure of the Black Falcons. Perhaps even my brother had gotten the hint to go the hell away, never to return.
A moment later, my phone buzzed. I smiled, thinking of how lucky I was that, even with all his work, Derek was so quick to respond to such an unimportant message. I unlocked the phone and only felt a modicum of disappointment it was Tara.
Gonna be held up a bit. Silly girls here being salty. C ya soon.
Oh, yes. I knew how some of the girls could be in the group. I didn’t think much of it and moved my finger to close my phone.
And then, just before I did, I saw a number that was not saved in my phone had sent me a text. Thinking it was just some random marketing spam, I quickly hovered my finger over it to delete it.
And then I read it.
knock knock
“What the fuck?” I said out loud.
I’m sorry? Wrong number.
I put the phone down, listening as Swift moved on to “Bad Blood” before the music dimmed because a new message had come through. Tara, come on.
But it wasn’t Tara.
Oh it is right. Eve. :-(
The sad face emoji threw my emotions for a loop. I began to have a very bad feeling about this… they had my name, they spoke to me with a foreboding tone, and I didn’t have the slightest clue who they were.
I was getting paranoid enough, in fact, that I was looking around the room before I realized I had no reason to do so. My breathing was coming in jagged bursts, and I worked to get that under control. I may have escaped Rock, but I had not escaped the crippling fear that came from moments like this.
Calm down, Eve. Rationalize this!
It was a threat, sure, and I didn’t need to be a genius to figure out who it was. My fears of a burner phone had seemingly come true.
But there was nothing Chuck could do over the phone—Just the phone! Just the phone! That’s all he has. Just the phone!—and nothing he could do so long as I was here in Derek’s. I was in the safest place in all of the city, and—
BOOM!
Lightning clapped outside, making me jump and scream.
“FUCK!” I screamed, instinctively grabbing the knife and brandishing it.
I looked at my phone as I saw a text bubble appear. I was not having this any longer. I may have gotten thrown off on first contact, but I was going to take charge and end this.
I told you to leave me alone! Go the fuck away!
The response came before I’d even had a chance to steady my breathing again.
Shuldv cum wen I sed. Warned U, dint I? And I ant goin anywher. And now your gonna cum when I cum.
I was shaking. I was afraid.
I was furious for those two facts.
My fingers flew across the digital keyboard of my phone as I desperately tried to scare him off. For all of the thoughts I had about being safe, I knew they were lies, or at least I had to believe they were lies for the sake of my own protection. I was not going to just roll over and let Derek rescue me again.
Text me again and I’ll call the cops! I mean it!!
I pounded the Send key and cocked my arm back to throw my phone down on the couch.
But I’d decided I hadn’t made my point strongly enough.
Or the Saviors. You really want to fuck with them? Be my guest!
Then I threw my phone to the couch.
But it did little for my nerves.
Four rounds of pacing back-and-forth through the living room had my head somewhere in the right place. In the time it had taken me to do that, there’d been no more buzzing, no more messages. I was beginning to feel like the threat might have gotten through to my brother.
Of course, that was probably wishful thinking. In reality, he was probably just squatting outside the apartment, like a coward, waiting for Derek or I to come out so he could ambush us. He’d sent the texts almost for the psychological thrill of seeing me suffer. No, no almost—he had.
Knowing this, I waited for him to say something. Give me some more words to work with, or some more information I could use. Something to fight against.
A full minute passed in silence, save for the dull-yet-constant hum of the rain outside.
But still nothing happened.
Two minutes.
Three.
Or had it all only been a few seconds?
Time sure seemed to mo
ve slowly when you were holding your breath.
But still nothing happened.
Thunder bubbled outside. Every now and again the already brightly-lit condo was made white and blinding with the flash of lightning. It really wasn’t the best thing for the amount of stress I was experiencing in that moment.
But still nothing…
You know. If you need help, you might as well ask for it.
There’s no point in being a strong woman when you can be a stronger couple. Especially when it’s in the face of real violence.
I decided that I should call Derek.
Now!
I started for the couch, looking for my phone. It didn’t take long to find it—it wasn’t like I had just thrown it down and then buried it in the wood flooring in a million pieces, Edgar Allan Poe style. I scooped up the phone.
It looked like such a simple, trivial thing in that instant. So unbefitting of so much worry. So…
So terrifying for who was on the receiving end of those haunting texts. It may have been an unknown number, but it was all but certain to be Chuck. The Falcons wanted me, sure, but who else would go to the trouble of tormenting me like so?
The only thing that seemed out of place was the “cum when I cum” line. Although Chuck could torment me physically, call me a whore, and do many things, he never seemed incestuous to me, although I suspected that had less to do with any fiber of moral boundaries and more just with he stuck with what he knew worked. But, then again, he’d never been with a club before, and it seemed the stakes had raised quite a bit over the past few weeks.
The pad of my thumb, shaky, worked with trembling awkwardness to the tauntingly calm icon of an old-timey phone set against a green square. The white silhouette of a rotary phone seemed to mock me with all that it promised. By now, I was imagining every worst case scenario.
Chuck was like Batman, hiding in the shadows, waiting for me to come too close to the corner before he grabbed me, muffled me, and took me away.
