“Hey everyone,” I reply. I put my hands in my pockets unsure on what to do next.
“C’mon Nolan, relax. We hang out here when things get hard at home and we can’t stand to be around our family.” Switch says, throwing an arm around my shoulder.
I stiffen from his touch and he immediately removes his arm. I don’t like to be touched at all. I’ve always been that way since I was little, and I think it’s from lack of affection from my parents. They never showed me love or attention and when someone touches me, my reaction usually isn’t good.
A girl I didn’t notice before comes out from behind the other boys and shoves her way through the crowd, a glimpse of something in her hazel eyes I can’t quite place. She stands close enough I can smell her raspberry body wash, but not touching me. She has on a black tank top, black skin-tight jeans and a red bandana around her left leg. She has light skin, long blonde hair, and big hoop earrings. Her face is covered with make-up, hiding a bruise I can faintly see under her right eye. She pops her strawberry flavored bubble gum before she speaks.
“Name’s Tatiana, but everyone calls me Wrath,” she states with a thick east coast accent. Her hazel eyes staring into my brown ones.
“Why do they call you Wrath?” I ask her.
She rolls her eyes before answering me. “Because if you piss me off you meet the ends of my fists. Wrath of fury. This bruise is nothing compared to what the other guy looks like.” Wrath answers pointing to her eye.
She doesn’t appear like she could do some damage, but her knuckles are scared and bruised. She cracks them while watching me and I swallow a lump in my throat. She’s really hot and my teenage hormones kick in from her being so close but not touching me. Wraths’ soft body, sneaks closer to mine, so we’re only a hair's breadth apart. She’s got me under a spell I can’t shake and quite frankly I don’t want to right now.
“This will be so much fun,” Wrath says giving me a wink.
Chapter 24
Nolan-16 years old
Six months later I’ve been initiated into the group and been with them every day after school until the early morning when I’d sneak back into my rundown apartment building. My mother has no idea what I do anymore, and she doesn’t care. If I stay out of her hair, she stays out of mine. My mother and Marcus are on again and off every other week. I don’t pay attention to her because if it’s not Marcus, it’s someone random guy she picks up.
The cold snow is flying as I trample my way through the thick wet stuff on my way to school. My shoes and jeans are soaked when I enter the building. I’m waiting in line to go through the metal detectors when someone slaps me on the shoulder. My fists clench and I immediately whip around ready to beat down whoever is touching me. Switch is standing behind me with a smirk on his face and I relax a little.
“C’mon kid, we need to take care of some business. It’s time you get further involved.”
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out. Let’s go.” Switch’s voice is rich with authority and I have no choice but to follow.
We walk out of the brick building and the snow is falling harder. I pull my black hoodie up over my head and hitch my backpack up on my shoulders. Guilt eats away at my conscience for skipping school, but I need a change. Something different, instead of being part of a herd of mindless sheep. Doing the same thing day in and day out is grating on my nerves.
We make our way down the slippery sidewalk and into the underground subway station. I scan my metro card and we hop on the R train heading towards the Bronx. Neither Switch nor I say a word the whole time. He’s sitting in the hard-plastic seat focused and determined. I, on the other hand, keep an eye out for any kind of threat. Watching everyone who gets on and off, alert, and ready for a fight. My face must relay what I’m thinking because most people take one look at the two of us and quickly turn away.
We change trains two more times in the underground city before we emerge up the concrete steps into the frigid air. My breath catches in my throat and it’s hard to breathe as the wind whips around us. I tuck my hands in my hoodie, my backpack securely on my shoulders and my head down. Switch and I walk down a busy street and he stops at a corner. Taxi’s and cars are honking and driving by us like crazy people in the falling snow. Bike messengers are flying by everyone, not caring if they cut cars off or not.
“Ok kid. Here’s what you’re going to do. There’s a guy in that building there,” Switch says pointing to a rundown concrete apartment building across the street. “He owes me a lot of money. Your job is to go in and get my money. I don’t care how you do it. If he doesn’t have it, then make him pay another way. All that pent-up anger and rage you’ve got, use that. He’s in apartment one-o-six. I’ll wait here.”
I stare at Switch like he’s lost his damn mind. He wants me to go in there and face some unknown man and get his money? What the hell? Yeah, I have a lot of pent up anger and rage, but I’ve never been in a fight. No one challenges me. They usually just walk away.
“C’mon kid. You can do this. Just aim for the most sensitive body parts and you’ll have him crying like a baby,” Switch reassures me. There’s a deadly gleam in his black eyes.
I nod my head and make my way across the street and into the courtyard. My heart is hammering in my chest and my hands are sweaty, so I wipe them on my jeans. Despite the frigid wind whipping around me, my body is overheating. I think it’s adrenaline pouring through my blood. I approach the outside door that is supposed to be locked so strangers don’t get in, but it’s busted, and I use that to my advantage. I search around one last time before I duck into the hallway, my hoodie still pulled up over my head, hiding my face. No one is around, but loud voices are coming from another apartment and someone has their T.V. up really loud. Garbage is littering the hallway and a skunk odor is coming from the walls. I count down the doors until I’m standing in front of one-o-six.
I pound my fist on the door and stand off to the side, waiting for someone to answer. There’s no movement inside so I pound a little louder. My heart is beating hard again, so I take a deep breath trying to calm down and stop the trembling in my hands. I can’t show weakness. I finally hear shuffling behind the door and a lock turning. The door slowly creaks open and a man peeks his head out. His hair is greasy, and he has acne all over his face, either from the drugs, not knowing what a shower is, or both. I have the element of surprise on my side and barge through the door, hitting him in the process. He tries to right himself, but I kick the door closed behind me and approach him quickly. My movements surprise me. It’s as if my body knows what it must do. I shut down all rational thoughts as my fist lands on the druggie's face. Blood sprays from his nose and he releases a pitiful a whimper.
“Where’s the money?” I demand. My fists are ready to inflict pain on this deadbeat.
“What...what money?” The druggie stutters.
“The money you owe Switch. Where. Is. It.” My voice is low and deadly.
I crack my knuckles one more time when the druggy’s eyes dart towards the kitchen. Oh yeah, he just gave away where his stash is, a wrong move on his part. I approach him, making myself tall and menacing. My muscles are rippling with rage as I get closer to him. His stench is penetrating my nose and I shove back the urge to vomit.
“I... I don’t...have it,” the druggie stutters.
“Wrong answer bitch,” I assert as my fist flies again landing on his stomach.
The vibrations of my fists hitting his body over and over produce a sickening, satisfied excitement through my veins. He collapses into a ball crying and mumbling something incoherent. Strong arms wrap around me, dragging me off the piece of shit.
“Rocky, stop. We have what we need,” Switch’s voice penetrates my rage induces brain.
I quit struggling against him and what I did dawns on me. My stomach is rolling, the acid burning its way up to my throat, I’m going to be sick. Switch disappears in another room and I gla
re down at the druggie, schooling my features. I get right up into his bloody face. I’m so close, I can see and smell the fear radiating off his body.
“Let this be a lesson. Pay up on time and you won’t be meeting me again.” Venom drips from my voice.
I rise up and tower over the piece of shit. Glaring at him, he looks up at me in fright and nods his head. Switch comes back out with a satisfied smirk on his face. We make our way out the door. Before I leave, I twist around and offer him one last parting advice.
“Tell your friends. If you don’t pay, I will make you pay.”
I leave his apartment and meet Switch outside. My adrenaline is fading, and my bloody hands are starting to shake. My stomach is rolling again, I’m doing everything I can so my breakfast doesn’t make a reappearance on the sideway. Switch is grinning from ear to ear standing on the corner.
“Fuck bro. That was awesome. We need to get you training so you’re stronger, quicker and more in control.”
Switch grabs my shoulder and I shove his hand off me, bracing for another fight. The rage is brewing again just under my skin when he touched me.
“Whoa, calm down. It’s just me, Switch,” he says holding his hands up in front of him. I glare at him in the eyes.
“Don’t… Touch… Me…” I grit out through my clenched teeth, struggling to clear my head of the red-hot sensations burning in my veins. I inhale a deep breath and shake my hoodie, trying to cool my body down. Once I feel somewhat normal again, I smirk. A dark, menacing look crosses my face.
“Bro, love the look. Now c’mon it’s fucking cold out here.” Switch says sticking his hands in the pockets of his black hoodie.
We stroll across the street and down into the subway station. We ride the trains back to Manhattan. Before I realize it, we’re at the apartment building where I first met Switch and the rest of the guys. Switch walks into his apartment and I follow. My mind is still not with it, it’s still back at the apartment, imagining the blood flying everywhere as my knuckles rein blow after blow. The demon I’ve been fighting off for a while came out to play and it felt good. Really good.
Switch disappears into the little kitchen, leaving me standing in the doorway. Wrath approaches me slowly, licking her lips. A glimpse of desire in her hazel eyes penetrate my mind and the only thing I want to do right now is fuck. Never having been with a girl before, I’m not sure what to do, but she takes my hand. When I don’t recoil from her touch, she leads me into a bedroom. I don’t bother to search around as I kick the door shut with my foot and lock it. The only thing on my mind is her. I yank Wrath against my body and her raspberry smell invades my nose, making my mouth water. My lips crashed against hers, my heart beating in my ears loudly as she makes whimpering noises against my lips.
I pick her up and she wraps her legs around my waist. Her center rubbing against my bulging cock. I break the kiss and assault her neck, nipping and biting the soft skin. She lets out more whimpers and moans and it fuels me on even more. I set her back on her feet and yanked her black hoodie and shirt up over her head exposing her bra covered breasts. Her chest is heaving, her breath is heavy as she yanks me to her pulling my hoodie and t-shirt over my head throwing them on the growing pile of clothes.
I yank off my jeans, leaving my boxers on, and motion for her to do the same. No words are needed when she looks into my dark, deadly eyes. Wrath slowly removes her jeans, giving me a strip show, but the lust flowing through my veins doesn’t want slow. It wants hard and hot. After she removes her jeans, I appraise Wrath’s slender body in her tiny panties and bra. I rip her bra off and yank her panties down causing her to let out a groan. I kiss her hard and run my palm down her stomach into the V of her legs. Her wetness coats my hand as I spread her legs wider and plunge my fingers into her heat. My thumb draws circles on her clit. It’s like my body knows what it has to do because my brain has shut down. The demon inside me takes over and wants it hard and fast. I remove my fingers and bring them up to her lips. I kiss her at the same time she sucks on the digits, spurring me on further. I’m ready to explode in my boxers any minute.
Wrath stops sucking on my finger and kisses me. Her flavor invades my mouth as our tongues collide battling for dominance. My body doesn’t want to be dominated, it wants to be in control. I break the kiss and pick her up. Her legs instinctively wrap around my waist, her hot center grinding against my covered erection.
I toss her on the bed and remove my boxers, freeing my hard cock. Wrath licks her lips as she eyes my shaft. My brain is screaming at me to remember protection. I shake my head and grab a condom from my jeans pocket. Wrath takes it from me and opens it. Before she rolls it on, she sheathes her hot mouth around me causing a groan to pass my lips. It’s the first time for everything today as she sucks me off. Tingles start in my spine as she pushes my cock in and out of her mouth, sucking and licking hard and quick. Knowing I’m getting close I yank her up off me and she pouts, sticking out her bottom lip. I bite it with my teeth and Wrath shudders.
“I need to fuck you now,” I demand.
She rolls the condom on my hard cock and lies on the bed spreading her legs for me. I lay on top of her, holding a majority of my weight on my arms. Wrath finds my cock and guides it towards her entrance. Once I get myself back under control, I push her hands away and sit up on my knees. I keep her legs spread around mine and look down between our bodies. I take my shaft in my hands and run it up and down her pussy, coating my cock with her juices. Wrath wiggles under me and I plunge inside her heat, hard and fast. She lets out a groan as I pound into her tight body. I lean over her so we’re chest to chest. Wraths nails dig into my back as she makes noises of approval from the back of her throat. The pain spurs me on and I keep up my punishing pace, driving in and out of her tight body. My brain has left me as my mind wanders back to the pain I inflicted on the druggie. The rage and anger flowing into my veins as my fist collided with his face and body. The sickening sensations of releasing the demon on the unsuspecting guy surfaced, and it fuels me on to pound into Wrath harder.
Her walls tighten around me the moment she finds her release coming all over my hard cock. The screams of my name from her lips sends me over the edge. The tingles start in my spine and flow into my cock as I find my release exploding inside of her. I slow my pace down draining everything I have into the condom, sweat dripping from my body as Wrath kisses me again.
“Holy shit that was hot,” Wrath breathes heavily against my lips.
I shudder as her hot breath fans across my face. I don’t say a word as I get up and remove the condom. I lay back down on the bed and pull her into my arms. She snuggles against my side and I can feel her heart beating against my chest. Her breathing evening out as she falls asleep.
I lay in the bed with Wrath wrapped around me for a little while, but then I start to feel anxious. The demon inside is satisfied for now and I have to get up. My brain won’t quit replaying how I beat the shit out of that guy with no remorse. My stomach is rolling, I’m going to get sick. I don’t know what is happening but a part of me loves the feeling of power I have.
I slowly remove myself from under Wrath and put on my jeans. I look at her sleeping form before I leave the bedroom. Satisfied that she pushed the demons away for a little while, I walk down the small hallway and find Switch sitting on the couch. No one else is around yet and I sit down in the chair facing the T.V.
Switch mutes the volume and turns his body towards me with a raised eyebrow. He’s waiting for me to say something, but nothing comes to mind. I look back at him and cross my arms over my bare chest.
"You’ve definitely earned my respect and approval today. Nice work. We need to work on keeping the rage under control, but I can see you becoming my enforcer.” Switch says.
He looks lost in thought as he gets up from the couch. I follow not saying anything yet as we walk into his little kitchen. Switch hands me a stack of money, my eyebrows raise in disbelief.
“You’ve earned that share and if
you take the position, there’s more where that comes from," he tells me.
“Thanks.” That’s all I can get out as a whole new world opens up in front of me.
No more living by handouts. No more wondering where my next meal will come from. No more worrying about not having someone watch my back. I finally feel accepted and wanted as Switch hands me a red bandana.
“We’ve all discussed it and feel you’re ready to become a permanent part of us. Do you accept this position I have for you?” Switch asks.
I nod my head, excitement flows through my veins. “Yes, I’m ready,” I tell him. No hesitation, no question.
“Good. Wear your colors everywhere you go, and no one will mess with you again.”
I wrap the red bandana around my bicep with shaky hands. Finally getting approval from someone, accepted into the group. Little did I know at the time, the jobs Switch has for me through the next year, changes me for the worse, not the better. I was in so deep, had so much blood on my hands I thought they’d never come clean and I’d never be able to find my way out.
Chapter 25
Ashley-Present
My naked body is wrapped around Nolan’s as he retells a part of his past. His beautiful whiskey eyes have a distant look in them as he’s lost in his own mind. My heart is breaking for the teenager he was and the scarred man he has become.
I run my fingers gently up and down his chest over his scars and tattoos. A tear slips from my eye and I wipe it away. The ocean’s breeze has cooled down our heated skin and goosebumps break out on my arms. I snuggle closer to Nolan trying to get warm, not wanting to get dressed yet.
He finally quits talking and takes a deep breath. I wait for a moment before asking one of the million questions floating around in my mind. My head is resting against his chest and his heart’s beating rapidly in my ears. Nolan’s strong arms are tight around me, holding me like I’m his anchor in an ocean of chaos. My hand rests on his cheek and I’m surprised when my fingers are wet. I glance up looking at his face and he has tears flowing down his cheeks. I sit up and wipe them away with my thumbs. His brown eyes are shining with sadness.
Racing Dirty, L.A. Page 16
