CUT (New Adult Dark Romance) (23 page)

But I couldn’t do it.

I sat there in the dark, and all I could think of was Marcus Black. He had shown me there was another way. I didn’t need to cut myself. I didn’t need to hurt myself…

I could hurt someone else.

My fingers wrapped hard around wickedly sharp piece of glass.

It would work… It would do…

If Black isn’t coming, I’ll save myself…

My body calmed itself, working it’s way back to the bed. The plan was as simple as it was impossible. There was no way out of here, that much was certain, but I didn’t care. Jude was leaving this world before me, and if it took my life doing it, I’d die free.

I reached out, laying the torn collar back around my neck, staring at what would be the ceiling, if I could only see it. Focus filled me, every passing second just whittling away until he came. The jagged bottle top tucked in neatly next to the mattress, waiting. No sleep would come for me. Nothing would stop me. Minutes. Hours. Every inch of my body poised to strike. A party was just beginning upstairs. The club getting riled up before a big job. Music blared and base thumped my small little room.

Footsteps…

He was coming.

I could hear the bar slide free, every terrifying second spent coiled coming to an explosion of adrenaline. My heart raced, my breathing coming in fast bursts. The door opened as I closed my eyes, stretching my body enticingly against the bed. Just a little fucking closer…

The boots echoed in the small space, everything a mix of sound and the loudest of laughter. Above, engines roared and men fucked their chained toys. Men like Jude.

I wasn’t going to be his toy.

“Come here and fuck me baby…” I whispered as seductively as I could muster. I knew he wanted it. He’d been waiting on me to fall into my old ways. To let my dark desires override my mind.

I arched my back, breasts straining in the air. Hands came down on them, hot breath following. One hand wrapped its way around his head, pulling him to my left nipple as the right hand gripped the bottle. My whole fucked up life led up to this moment. Jude brought me into this, and I was going to take him out. There was only one problem.

It wasn’t Jude.

My nostrils filled with his unfamiliar scent, my eyes opening as the bottle’s edge plunged into the side of his throat viciously, wrist turning and wrenching the makeshift blade down and around the front in one devastating slash. I pulled his head free as I stabbed down again, the gurgling attempt at a scream muffled and impossible.

He tried to fight but I lifted the makeshift blade again, swinging it down further back, plunging it above his spine. The man went limp above me, his body crushing down as I pushed him off, blood pouring and eyes flashing with shock and horror as I ended him. It took longer than I would have liked…

He was the big man from upstairs… The man that had ordered Jude around...

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Panic struck me. Something inside snapped as I stared down at the bloody mess, then glared at the door. I needed out. I needed to get out now…

I needed clothes.

The bulky man’s body let out a sickening sound as I tugged at his pants, pulling them free before rolling him and working on his shirt. My movements were fast and furious. Jude could return at any moment and I had no time to waste. I tugged at his shirt, pulling it down over my blood soaked chest and thankful he wore black. I pulled a bandana from his pocket and wrapped it over my head. Last but not least, I drew the gun from his hip, staring at it. Six bullets. Fucking typical cowboy. With a semiautomatic I might have a chance at making a run for it. Six bullets? I’d be dead before I hit the door.

But I was going to take five of these assholes with me…

I’d save the last bullet for myself.

I left the boots, holding the huge pants up over my waist as I stepped out into the stairwell. The top of the stairs led out near the back of the club, and there was a good chance nobody would be looking this direction, but I still tried to look casual as I cleared the landing. Turned out I wasn’t in need of much subterfuge.

The men were occupied.

For the first time since I’d been here, it wasn’t girls keeping them busy. Two big men stood toward the front of the warehouse, talking to a half circle of men, the shouts and hollers echoing in the room even over the top of the music. I passed by the other stairwells that led down to the dungeons. Other girls were down there, waiting for rescue… Ducking down behind some of the furniture my fingers clenched just a bit harder around the gun in recognition. Jude was up there holding court.

“We know Black wants us off these docks, and we know he’s going to try and fuck up the drop. Dingo says he wants me on point for this one. I’ve worked with Black, I know how he operates, and we’re going to end this tonight. We’ve got numbers, we’ve got firepower! I’m ending the motherfucking Rampant! Who’s with me!”

I crept along the pleasure pits, moving out toward the side exit, my path blocked by a large pickup truck and a closed roll-up. No exits seemed readily accessible. The only way out was through the front, and that meant strolling right past every King in the building.

The Kings were cheering loudly, pounding on chests and chanting their agreement.

“Lets get the fuck out there and kill somebody.”

The roars of the crowd was only drowned out by the roars of their engines as they climbed into vehicles just outside the warehouse. I stayed low, crouched in next to the truck as I carefully watched the club rolling out. Jude took one last look toward the back where I was kept. He seemed to hesitate, then climbed into a car and drove away. A large trucking cab without its trailer rumbled to life and followed right along.

Black’s in trouble…

The thought sickened me. He’d be ready for the fight, but there was no way the club I knew was prepared for this. A simple head count made it more than two to one, and the Kings knew Black was coming. There was no way to get to him. Black didn’t carry a normal cellphone and I didn’t know the number to his latest burner.

“This guy’s off his fucking rocker.”

“Doesn’t matter, boss says he’s got a hard on for Black and we need that asshole dead. You got your dick wet, lets get the fuck out of here.”

The shouting voices echoed from the rear space of the club, back near the dungeons. Someone must have been back by the other women getting a little last minute fun. My head swung round to the main floor in horror, realizing there was nowhere to go. I’d be in plain view, and there was no way this disguise was going to hold up at this range…

I leapt into the bed of the truck. My body landed inside, the pounding music drowning out the sound as I fell onto a thick metal chain laying atop a large green tarp, pinning it to the bed. I rolled, pulling a flap over my body, shivering as I lay in silence.

The footsteps came closer.

They weren’t talking anymore. They’d seen me. They’d seen me and I was dead. My fingers held the gun in a death grip, pointing it toward the edge of the truck bed. I wasn’t going town with six bullets still ready to go.

The footsteps passed. My breath came in short quick gasps as they piled into the truck, the sound of the enormous roll-up opening as they fired the engine.

It was time. I knew what I had to do.

I’ll save you Black…

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I bounced violently in the truck bed as we careened through the night, the air becoming more humid. This was it. My life was meaningless. All that mattered was getting one fucking shot at the asshole who did this to me. I stared up at the green tarp, knowing exactly what kind of look was plastered across my face.

Murder eyes…

He thought he could pull me away and tear me down, but I was already one of the Rampant. Marcus Black held my heart.

“I’m coming for you…” I whispered, saying a little prayer. I’d never really put much faith in God. My father had shoved that little book at me my whole life, but in this moment, I wanted his help.

Lord help me put a bullet in someone…

If it wasn’t for the adrenaline and fear, I might have laughed. Another long turn had the speed rocketing upward. The tarp buffeted in the bed but I gripped it tightly with my free hand, keeping myself covered. In the regular cab I could only imagine the two smug Kings driving out to this drug drop off, talking about the killing and death only a few miles away.

They couldn’t know death was sitting right behind them, and I had no intention of cluing them in until we stopped the truck.

I thought about Black. How had he taken my disappearance? Did he look for me? Did he try to find me? A small part of my mind was convinced that he had, while the other half was pessimistic.

Maybe he thought you ran away like a scared little girl.

I tried to block out the self doubt, but it was right. I had run away like a scared little girl. Everything I’d experienced at the hands of the Jude. Every debasement, every night I’d spent in that little room, it was all my fault for trying to run away from my problems. Echoes and memories of the darkness were freezing my heart almost as surely as the rushing air sneaking under the tarp.

It’s time.

The truck rolled to a stop as I lifted the tarp, sitting up like a warrior in my little metal chariot surrounded by an unholy cacophony of sound. Nobody challenged my right to be there. In the distance, a huge cargo ship unloaded cargo one metal container at a time. It took a moment for the men in the truck to step out, the driver walking round the car to meet up with his passenger. I didn’t recognize them. To me, they were just two faceless assholes doing horrible things back in that clubhouse to the women they trafficked. The fire inside was lit and burning, and I sat quietly waiting for them to notice me.

Someone once told me you never see death coming. By the time you notice it, you’re too far gone to care. I know that’s not really true because I saw the look in these men’s eyes. The revolver exploded, time moving ever so slowly, the metal cylinder moving round to bring another bullet to the barrel. No hesitation, no remorse. The second man didn’t even react, he just stood there with that cold stare as I put the bullet in him.

Light shined on shimmering pools as I stepped from the bed of the truck, turning back only briefly to see the dark blood covered visage reflected back at me. I didn’t look any more alive than the men lying at my feet.

I am death.

My fingers trembled as I lifted the gun again, staring at the cold metal. Four bullets left. I turned to the men on the ground, reaching down to search them. One had to have a better choice of weapon. Before my fingertips could reach the fallen King, nearby shouts sent me running, one hand holding up the loose pants and the other gripping the implement of my revenge. My gunshots had opened up a whole new sound, and it took a moment to recognize what was going on. Black had arrived, and I was standing on the wrong side of the dock…

Sparks flew off a nearby shipping container, a line of bullets pounding the metal in a long line. I ducked behind a thick stack of pallets listening to the chaos. Hollering men screamed their war cries as the battle raged. A roaring engine approached, and I watched as the big 18 wheeler rocketed by, before the whole thing careened into a stack of containers and a retaining wall. Out stumbled a bloodied King, holding his arm limply as he moved away from the smashed cab and ruined engine. I waved to him and he turned, moving toward the pallets.