Page 11

Chapter 11

Reggy

A sudden pounding noise broke through the quietness, and my eyes batted open. I must have fallen asleep. I scanned around the room, trying to focus on something. I turned my head to the side, but the sound was gone. Am I hearing things or maybe I wasn’t fully awake? I questioned myself as my attention darted around Mordy’s room, and I quickly got to my feet.

Again, a pounding. Someone was at the door. No one knew I was here except the Crazed Kings, so there wasn’t any harm in checking to see which of the idiots was knocking.

As soon as I opened the door, I immediately regretted doing so. “Fuck you!” I screamed, whirling around as fast as I was able, and ran in the opposite direction.

Two people dressed in black, one large, presumably a man, and a smaller one, a woman, perhaps, were here. Their faces were hidden behind ski masks. I looked over my shoulder as I reached for the knob to the back door. The man cocked a rifle, and the woman swung a baseball bat at my head. As quickly as I could, I ducked, and her bat smashed against my hand on the knob. Horrific pain shot up my right arm, and I cupped it with my left, screeching out in pain. At the very least, a few of my fingers were broken; there was no question. I needed to act fast. Cracked bones were the least of my worries. Whoever these people were, they were making it clear they weren’t here for a friendly visit. Guessing who it was that came for me was pointless. Was it the Falbos? Did they finally see their opening now that I was stupidly left alone, and they took it? Or could it be my not-so-loving father coming to claim his heir to his bloody fortune?

I stood strong and reacted fast. My thoughts raced ninety miles a minute, trying to remember anything that would save my life. Maybe they were thieves, and I had caught them by surprise by being here. “I have a wad of cash in my room. Let me go get it,” I rattled off the first lie that came to my brain, knowing I didn’t have a cent to my name. I would try to reason with them the best way I could, lying straight through every one of my damned teeth. I hadn’t carried a purse for years unless it was absolutely necessary, but they didn’t know that. If I could make it to Mordy’s room, I could enlist his girls for help.

The man laughed gruffly as his head jerked backward. “We don’t want fucking money.” He jabbed the end of the riffle between my tits forcefully, knocking me back two or three paces.

“You sure? What about jewelry? I have a whole bag full,” I lied again, scooting my feet backward. I squared my shoulders and tried to act as if he didn’t hurt my breastbone and my hand wasn’t throbbing. Adrenaline was pounding through my veins, and I was riding its high out to the end.

“Can it, Angeloff!” the man shot out, taking one large stride that put him toe-to-toe with me.

“I don’t know who that is.” Another lie.

“We know the truth,” the woman finally spoke, confirming my observation of her being female. “You are the missing link that ties our forsaken families together. You shouldn’t have happened to begin with. I’m supposed to be the one who gets everything. Not you!” She swung the bat for a second time. The aluminum smashed against my naked calf, and I cussed myself for not looking for my own clothes that Mordy had stolen. Instead, I wore one of Stone’s button-downs. I fell to my knees, and I tried to swallow the pain. If I could get past the initial shock of it, I would be okay. I had to be okay. Unable to hide how much that blow hurt, I released a cry and grabbed my skin where she hit me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I sobbed, “I don’t know who you are, but I don’t want anything an Angeloff has to offer. Get fucked, bitch!” I forced the words out of my mouth, sniffing back the tears as they poured out of my ducts. All of this pain and suffering came from being the daughter of a man who I had never met and had no desire to do so. I’d hated him long before I met Stone, Mordy, or any of their motorcycle gang. Learning the truth about him only added to my hatred.

“No, you can go fuck yourself, bitch!” the woman repeated my words in a snarky tone, and her grip tightened around the neck of the bat.

Instinctively, my hands went up to defend myself, but it was useless. Sickening pangs shot through my stomach, and warm liquid traveled down my forehead. My entire body filled with heat, and I fought to keep my eyelids open, but they were so damned heavy. My head was killing me, and all I needed to do was give in to the sleep that called me. Maybe then, the pain would stop. NO! I screamed, but no sound left my lips. My eyes blinked again, and my vision blurred. I gave into the darkness and let the blackness envelop me.

…Finally, the pain was gone.