Twisted World: A Broken World Novel (6 page)

I didn’t really need to go, but I’d had to make up some excuse to get away from Jackson. A couple minutes of standing in the bathroom should be all I needed.

I’d just turned to face the door when a man stepped through it.

He froze when he saw me, pausing just inside and blocking my escape completely. His eyes, which were hazy from alcohol, slid over me, and the expression in them was enough to put me on alert. But it was the smile that stretched across his face that set alarm bells off in my head. He was older than me by at least thirty years, and slightly hunched over. The wrinkles lining his leathery face were deep and dark, probably filled with years of dirt, and what little bit of hair he had was greasy and matted to his scalp. He probably hadn’t bothered to make a trip to one of the city’s bathhouses in months, instead spending his free time and credits in places like this.

“I was just leaving,” I said, trying to use my size to my advantage and duck past him.

His hands closed on my shoulders before I’d managed to squeeze by, and I jerked away, but didn’t get anywhere.

“Hold on now, girl,” he said, his mouth so close to my face that even over the stench of moonshine I could smell the food rotting between his equally rotten teeth.

“Let go.” I made the words as hard and menacing as possible, but I doubted there was much about me that would intimidate this man. Even with his hunched frame he towered over me by nearly five inches.

His grin stretched wider and his grip tightened on my shoulders. I slipped my hand around my back and pulled out my knife—I never left home without it—but the blade didn’t make it even halfway to his throat before his free hand had swatted it away. The knife flew from my hand and clattered across the floor, and the man slammed my back against the wall. He pressed his whole body against mine.

My heart was pounding like the beat of a drum when the guy put his face against my neck, moving his nose down over my breasts. “This night’s gonna be better than I thought.”

I screamed and tried to raise my knee, hoping to get him in the balls, but he just pushed closer to me. His body was flush against mine now, and he had me pinned. I squirmed and growled, probably sounding like a zombie, but made no progress. This man was bigger than me, and he had the upper hand. Even worse, I couldn’t hear a single sound from the bar, so I knew they wouldn’t be able to hear my screams. We were too far back, and the cement walls were too thick.

T
he waitress
who called herself Glitter wouldn’t shut her damn mouth even though I hadn’t said more than two words to her. Okay, four, but they were
get me a drink
. Not exactly an invitation to chat.

The other waitress, Helen, gave me the vaccine with a grin on her face, her eyes moving between me and Glitter like she expected to hear an engagement announcement any day now. Right. Even if I wanted to get involved with this girl I couldn’t. I was a convict, which meant anything I wanted to do was off limits. I couldn’t even walk out the front door.

“I’ve really never seen anything like it,” Glitter said as Helen walked away. The girl pushed her barely covered chest forward and her tits threatened to spill out. I stared at them as I took another sip. Anything so I didn’t have to focus on the words pouring out of her mouth. “Are you that good all the time, or was it just an easy fight?”

I blinked and pulled my gaze away from her flesh. The girl batted her gray eyes in my direction and disgust rolled through me. She was young, probably barely legal, which meant she was Patty’s age. Shit. I wasn’t about to screw some chick who was the same age as my sister. I didn’t care how willing she was or how amazing it would feel.

“I’m good.” I threw the rest of my drink back as I got to my feet, slamming the glass on the bar with so much force that I was shocked it didn’t shatter. The blood on my arms had started to dry, and I wanted to wash it off. There was a small bathroom and shower in the back room, but I’d seen Helen and Dragon head in there. The way they’d been making out made my skin crawl. No way did I want to walk in on that.

“There another bathroom in this place?” I asked Glitter. “I need to clean this zombie shit off me.”

The waitress frowned, but pointed to a dark hallway that seemed to stretch on forever. “That way.”

I nodded before turning away.

The few light bulbs hanging from the ceiling were out, which was probably a good thing. I doubted the people coming here would be surprised to see the roaches and rats running up and down this hall, but that didn’t mean they wanted to have a spotlight shining down on them. Filth was a normal part of life these days, and you couldn’t escape it no matter how hard you tried. The best thing you could do was go about your business and pretend it didn’t disgust you.

I’d made it halfway down the hall when something that sounded like a scream bounced off the walls around me. I froze, but only because I was trying to figure out where it had come from. My ears perked up and the blood pumping through my veins moved faster while I waited. It didn’t take long.

“No!” a woman screamed, her voice trembling with fear.

This time, I didn’t hesitate. I took off after the sound, charging down the dark hall with my fists already clenched at my sides. There was no mistaking that sound, but I still wasn’t prepared for what I saw when I charged into the bathroom.

A man who was so filthy he could have been mistaken for a zombie had a girl up against the wall. Her shirt had been torn open and his hands were already working on her jeans. She fought and kicked and struggled, but he was too strong and she wasn’t making any progress.

Red spread across my vision, painting the room and the man and the girl he was pawing at until it looked like everything was covered in blood. Something inside me snapped, and before I knew what was happening, the asshole was on the ground. He snarled up at me, but anything he might have said was cut off when my boot slammed into his face. Just like with the zombies in the ring, my heel made contact with his nose not once, not twice, but three times. Blood sprayed across the already red room and pooled on the floor under the man’s head, spreading. Filling the cracks in the old cement floor as the rage that had taken over me started to fade. He wasn’t moving when I stepped back, and my shoulders were heaving. I stared down at the bloody mess in front of me. My whole body was tight and my hands were clenched until it felt like my bones would break.

I’d done it again.

Shit.

Sobs drew my attention to the girl. She was leaning against the wall, her shoulders shaking as she pulled at the tattered remains of her shirt, trying to cover her breasts but not making any real progress. Seeing her like that knocked the wind out of me. Made me think of Patty and how she’d looked that day. Made me want to throw up or kill the asshole on the floor all over again.

“Hey—” I reached for the girl, but she shrank away. I didn’t blame her. Why would she want a beast like me near her? “Are you okay?” I asked even though I doubted she wanted me talking to her.

“Y-yes.” She nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Th-thank you.”

I nodded in response because I couldn’t think of a thing to say.

Her shirt was so ripped that it didn’t cover much. I looked away, trying to give her some space so she could pull herself together. If only I had a shirt I could give her.

The girl took a couple deep breaths that seemed to echo through the room, but I kept my eyes on the floor.

“Could you—” She hesitated. “I have a couple friends in the bar. We were in the VIP area.”

Of course this girl was a VIP. That’s the way my life went. It should make me hate her, living the life of ease while the rest of us had to struggle, but I couldn’t. Not with her trembling hands covering her body the way they were.

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat as I headed for the door, but I didn’t have anything else to say.

The VIP area was empty when I reached the bar. Before and during the fight I hadn’t paid enough attention to know who’d been sitting where, and the VIP area was the last place I’d ever look. I’d learned my lesson and I knew that those were the kind of people to avoid if you wanted to stay alive. They were worse than the damn zombies.

It only took one look around the room to figure out who the right person was, though. He was young, but carried himself like he owned the world as he leaned against the bar, flirting with Glitter. The waitress was talking to him, but she wasn’t as excited as she had been with me. She seemed hesitant. A little afraid. Like she wanted to get away but was scared to offend him. He must be the son of someone pretty high up if she was acting that way. Great. What the hell had I gotten myself into now?

I cleared my throat when I stopped behind the guy. He turned my way, his gaze moving over me with something that looked like appreciation, which made no damn sense. I was nobody to this asshole, but he looked like he wanted to pat me on the back.

“Donaghy.” He stuck his hand out. “Hell of a fight.”

His tone was cordial, but something about the gleam in his eyes made me squirm. Like he was still thinking about the violence I’d inflicted on the dead, or even worse, like the same kind of violence lived inside him. Like he thought we had some kind of a bond that only men who beat people down on a daily basis would understand.

He was wrong.

I didn’t take his hand even though I knew from experience what a bad idea it was to piss off the rich kid. “You have a friend? A girl?”

The guy in front of me blinked and dropped his hand to his side. “I’m sorry?”

“There’s a girl in the bathroom who needs help. She said she was sitting in the VIP section with her friends.”

He shook his head twice before what I was trying to say finally sank in, and when it did something else flashed in his eyes. Surprise. Not worry.

“Meg?” he said after a second.

“Didn’t get her name.” To be honest, I probably couldn’t have described her even if someone held a gun to my head. When I’d walked into the bathroom, all I could focus on was the rage. Afterward, when the prick had been dead and bleeding out, I’d done my best to avoid looking at the sobbing girl.

“Shit,” the guy in front of me muttered, then hurried off.

An Asian girl at the end of the bar ran after him, but I stayed where I was. I’d done my duty. Now all I had to do was wait and see if saving the girl’s life had earned me a one-way ticket back to DC.

“Get me a drink, Glitter,” I said, sliding onto a stool.

The waitress headed off without responding. She almost looked relieved to be free of the rich guy. At least she was smart. He may have been at the top of the food chain, but she was better off here where at least she knew what to expect from people.

I
lost
it the second Donaghy left. My legs gave out and I sank to the filthy bathroom floor. Shaking. Holding my tattered shirt against my body even though it didn’t come close to covering my breasts. The man who’d tried to violate me was lying on the floor less than a foot away. Dead. A bloody mess that didn’t even look human. I spit on his corpse, and then burst into tears.

Coming into this bathroom alone had been dumb and I should have known better. There was a reason DC was as overrun as it was. Men—and women—had turned feral. They were worse than the zombies.

I was still a blubbering mess when Jackson came rushing into the room. He paused in the doorway, his eyes going from me to the dead man as Charlie skidded to a stop behind him. The second she saw me she started crying.

Charlie ran back the way she came while Jackson dropped to his knees at my side. “Tell me Donaghy stopped him.”

I nodded, trying to get words out through my sobs, but finding it nearly impossible.

Jackson put his hands on my shoulders. “Breathe, Meg.”

Slowly, I sucked in a deep breath, filling my lungs. When I blew it back out, I somehow managed to regain my composure. Crying and losing control, those were two things I didn’t typically do. I prided myself on being strong. It was how I’d been raised. Of course, this was a situation I’d never found myself in before.

“I’m okay,” I finally managed to get out.

Jackson sighed, but I wasn’t looking at him. I was staring at the corpse that had been my attacker, and it suddenly hit me that Donaghy could get sent right back to DC for killing this man. For
saving
me. Justice was swift and harsh these days, and self-defense was rarely an excuse. Especially if someone already had a reputation for being a troublemaker. He could get the death penalty this time.

Not if I had anything to say about it.

I dragged myself to my feet, brushing Jackson off when he tried to help me. “I said I’m fine, but Donaghy might not be.”

“Are you seriously worried about him?” Jackson shook his head. “After what you just went through?”

“Yes.” I turned my back to Jackson and slid the remains of my clothes off. The bra was done for, so I tossed it aside, but the shirt I slipped on backwards so the tear was in the back. “Tie my shirt closed.”

Jackson sighed, but did as he was told, and I took the opportunity to gather my strength. What had almost happened here was horrible and traumatic, but I was okay. Donaghy had gotten here before any real damage was done, and right now he was the one in danger. Not me.

“Let’s go,” I said when I’d turned back to face Jackson.

“Seriously?” He was still shaking his head when I headed out of the bathroom, but it only took him a second to hurry after me.

I wiped my hand across my face as I headed back down the dark and stinking hall, trying to get rid of any remaining tears. I needed to look as strong and put together as possible. As strong as my biological mother had been and as strong as Vivian Thomas had raised me to be. Being weak in this world would get you killed.

The enforcers had just arrived. At the bar, Donaghy was slumped over his drink like he knew he might be enjoying the last few moments of freedom he’d ever see. If they sent him back to DC now, he was right. He’d either die within the walls of that retched city or he’d be put to death an hour after he got back. My guess was the second one.

“We had a report of an attack,” the head enforcer called.

I recognize him right away. It was the leader of Al’s crew, and it only took two seconds for me to locate my uncle in the crowd of men. Damn. Charlie must have been really freaked out if she called her dad.

“The body is in the bathroom.” Charlie was shaking when she pointed down the hall, and Uncle Al was at her side in a second as two other guys headed to the back to check it out.

“What happened?” Al asked his daughter, forcing her to look up at him.

Charlie swallowed and said, “Some guy attacked Meg.”

Al’s eyes moved my way, and the second he saw me his daughter was forgotten. He crossed the room and pulled me against him, and I tucked my head under his chin. Being in my uncle’s arms wasn’t as comforting as it would have been to have Dad here, but it was the best I was going to get. I squeezed my eyes shut and let out a deep breath, blowing the rest of the tension out of my body.

“Fucking great,” Donaghy muttered just loud enough for me to hear.

I pulled away from Al, but didn’t take a step back. “You have to listen to me. That man would have had his way with me, and probably killed me when he was done. Donaghy—” I jerked my head toward the fighter without looking his way. “—saved me. You can’t let him get sent back to DC.”

Donaghy twisted to face me and Jackson stepped up so he was standing at my side. Dragon and the older waitress stood behind the bar, watching the scene unfold while behind Al, Charlie’s bottom lip quivered. My uncle’s eyes were focused on me, though.

“You’re alright?” It was rare that I saw Al looking so serious, and twice in one day must have been some kind of record.

“I’m fine,” I said firmly. “Did you hear what I said? Donaghy saved me.”

Al’s gaze moved to the fighter, and his lips tightened as he looked the big man up and down. “Meg said
back
to DC, so I’m guessing you’re here as part of the release program.”

“That’s right.” Donaghy’s ice blue eyes moved toward me, and his gaze was so intense that it made the hair on my scalp prickle.

At my side, Jackson stiffened and moved closer until his arm was pressed against mine. It would have been nice if I’d thought he was doing it to comfort me, but it felt more like a possessive gesture than one that revolved around concern for my well being. Plus, the expression in the fighter’s eyes wasn’t threatening. If anything, he was looking at me like I was a puzzle he needed to solve.

“Eyes on me.” Al’s voice was thick with authority.

Donaghy complied but his jaw twitched like he wished he could argue. He clenched his hands the way he had in the ring.

“Good,” Al said. “You got lucky, because this is my niece, and any man who risks his neck to save her deserves a medal in my book. Not a trip to the gallows.”

Donaghy’s back stiffened but he looked uncertain. He didn’t answer right away, and I got the impression that he might be waiting for a punch line.

Finally, the fighter’s hands relaxed. “Thank you.”

“No,” my uncle said firmly. “Thank you.”

Al gave my shoulder a squeeze before heading back toward the bathroom. Jackson hurried after my uncle without telling me why, but I didn’t care, because right now I had too many things I wanted to say to Donaghy.

I turned to face the man who had saved me, forcing out a smile that was shaky but sincere. My eyes filled with tears, but I blinked them back. “Thank you.”

The fighter’s gaze met mine, but it was hesitant. Confused. “Why?”

“Because you saved me.”

“No.” Donaghy got to his feet.

He was so tall that when I tilted my head back so I could look up at him, it hurt my neck. My gaze narrowed in on the scar that cut across his chin. Something about it made him seem so vulnerable. Despite his size and his muscles and the tattoos, and even the knowledge that he was a convict.

“Why did you stick up for me?” he asked, and I moved my gaze from the scar to his eyes.

“Because you saved me, and because it’s the right thing to do,” I said it like it should be obvious.

He didn’t respond, and his blue eyes held mine for what felt like hours. It was just the two of us, Donaghy and me, silently trying to figure each other out.

Jackson stopped at my side, popping up out of nowhere and bringing us back to the present. Once again, he stood too close to me. Made his presence too known. He cleared his throat and the fighter tore his gaze from mine somewhat reluctantly. Donaghy took another drink while I shuffled my feet, and neither man said a word as they sized each other up. I felt trapped between them, their bulk overpowering me. It was like I was a tiny pawn in a game I didn’t know how to play, but I wasn’t sure what to do about it.

“I want to thank you for helping Meg.” Jackson straightened himself to his full height, which was nothing compared to the fighter’s, and thrust his hand at Donaghy. “You could have walked away, and these days a lot of people would have, but you put your neck out there. You’re a good man.” The fighter stared at his outstretched hand until Jackson finally dropped it to his side. Irritation flashed in his eyes, but he didn’t back down. If anything he seemed to straighten his back even more, making himself a bit taller. “Where are you staying while you’re in New Atlanta?”

Donaghy tore his gaze away from where Jackson’s hand had been just a moment ago, once again focusing on me. “There’s a back room here. Dragon set up a few cots.”

A shiver ran through my body at the way the fighter was staring at me. He kept his gaze on my face, his eyes sweeping over my features slowly as if he was trying to memorize every line and contour.

“I’d like to offer you a room.” Jackson turned on the charm, flashing the fighter that signature smile of his. The way he straightened his shoulders made it seem like he was waiting for a pat on the back. “My father is the Regulator here, and we have plenty of extra space. We’d be honored to have you stay in our home.”

“Not interested.” Donaghy didn’t take his eyes off me long enough to look at Jackson.

“I’m sorry.” Jackson’s smile didn’t falter, but he blinked and shook his head. He wasn’t used to hearing no, except from me, so I was sure he didn’t have a clue how to respond to that.

“Donaghy.” I touched his arm and the fighter’s muscles contracted under my fingertips while at my side, Jackson’s body stiffened even more. “Sometimes when people offer to help you, they’re being sincere.”

The fighter’s eyebrows pulled together, but his gaze was focused on my hand, still resting on his forearm. I held my breath, hoping this man would take Jackson’s offer of goodwill. If I could repay him for what he’d done I would, but the truth was, there was absolutely nothing I had that would be a sufficient thank you. Jackson had everything, though, and a room in the Regulator’s house would be more luxury than Donaghy could have ever hoped for in this world.

Finally, the fighter nodded. “Okay.”

“Excellent.” Jackson let out a breath, but his body didn’t relax. “I’ll make the arrangements.”

He hurried off, leaving Donaghy and me alone yet again, but the fighter turned back to the bar. I shuffled my feet, not sure what to do or where to go, but knowing my conversation with Donaghy was done. At least for now.

When I looked up, I found the pink haired waitress staring at me from the other side of the bar. Dragon and the other waitress were behind her, talking quietly to each other. I’d almost forgotten why I’d decided to risk my life in the first place, but finding myself suddenly alone, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to talk to her.

I headed over, my heart thumping even harder than it had in the bathroom. It got even worse when the bar owner and the waitress at his side turned my way.

“Hi,” the young waitress said quietly, her gray eyes oddly innocent when they looked me up and down.

“Hi.” My throat suddenly went dry, and all the conviction I’d come over here with melted away. I wasn’t sure how to go about this, and trying to have this conversation with my uncle, Charlie, and Jackson around was risky. “I was wondering how you got a job here,” I said, keeping my voice low.

The girl’s eyebrows shot up, getting lost under her pink bangs. “You need a job? I thought you were with the Regulator’s son.”

“Not exactly.” I glanced around, and once I was sure the coast was clear, I went for it. “I need the money, and it seems like you do pretty well here.”

“Tips are good as long as you didn’t mind…” The waitress looked down at her dress and shrugged. “If you want a job, though, you’re going to have to talk to Dragon.” She nodded behind her. “I’m sure he’ll hire you. Finding girls who want to work here and still have all their teeth is tough.”

I almost shuddered, but managed to control it. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, and right now I was as close to becoming a beggar as I’d ever been. It was this or nothing.

She turned to face her boss, and when I looked up, I found him staring at me, a thoughtful expression on his face.

After a few seconds he said, “You’re a tough girl. Pulled yourself together awfully fast after that business in the bathroom. We need tough people around here. Especially when they look like you.” His gaze moved over me slowly, causing every hair on my body to stand on end. Despite the fact that I desperately needed a job—and he seemed on the verge of offering me one, oddly enough—I had the sudden urge to run. “What’s your name?”

“Meg,” I said, the word almost getting stuck in my throat. “Megan James.”

Dragon’s shoulders stiffened, but something about the expression in his eyes told me he already knew that. Not a surprise, most people knew who I was before I introduced myself. Still, I found myself squirming under his gaze. Hopefully, he wasn’t some religious nut. I needed a job, but I refused to work for a crazy person.