Page 63 of Run From Me

He stepped into the bedroom but the privacy that offered was subjective. I squeezed my ass into the closest the best I could and slipped out of my comfortable clothes, closing my eyes as I stretched out the fabric of the dress.

The one decent thing in this shitty life of mine was that I hadn’t been wanted or needed for my pussy. I had my dignity. Xander? For all his asshole tendencies, he had shown me he wasn’t using me for just what was between my legs either. Something was at war within him, and as much as I wanted to hate him for it, I admired it. I was attracted to it. Fuck, the darkness? The danger? The strange feeling that he saw me? Well, we all knew the bad choices that followed.

The thing about it? His actions were why I was hiding in my closet putting on this floss of a fucking dress. So maybe I should just hate him too.

I breathed in deeply and pushed all the feelings aside and repeated my mantra. I had nothing.

“I have nothing.”

I slipped off my bra knowing nothing was fitting under this thing. Luckily I hadn’t had underwear on regardless of it was laundry day or not.

The thin fabric of the dress slid up my legs and stretched across my thighs to my hips. I yanked down the skirt and was at least thankful it stretched pretty well and hid all the important bits below the equator.

The top was connected by the center of the waist of the skirt, both back and front, and I pulled it up and tied it around my neck.

“I have nothing left to lose,” I whispered to myself as I stepped out of the crap closet to see myself in the mirror.

Oh good lord. I yanked open a drawer of shit that had made it home from the morgue in my pockets. I was overjoyed when I found the medical tape. At least I felt a little more in control taping my breasts into this thing. I’d regret my choices later, but if I was able to tape my dress, then I was certain my breasts would stay put and maybe piss off one more Viper tonight.

“Bitch, you done yet?”

J stood in the doorframe, and that sickening crawl of gross slid over my skin as he leered at me.

“Nice. Ripple has good taste. Put your shoes on. We need to go.”

I did as asked and in record time. Nothing left to lose didn’t mean I was going to push and push and push. Not when, at the end of this murky looking rainbow of shit, there was Xander. He was at this thing.

“Let’s go, and leave your phone. You won’t be needing it.”

I swallowed and gave the phone on the floor a longing look. The sharp tip of the knife poked my exposed skin on my back as I slowed.

“Go.”

I followed without regard to anything. The only thing that snapped me out of it was the appearance of lights. Two? A car? No. Two single lights. Motorcycles. They were still far enough away that I doubted they’d hear me even if I screamed.

“Get the fuck in,” J said as he pushed down my head into the shitty beater.

Maybe someone would come for me. Maybe they wouldn’t. But I was still me.

“So now that we know the Vipers don’t have dental, I assume that means this is one of their luxury cars? You still might need anew one. I don’t think bungee cords and duct tape really scream success. Or does gang violence have different rules?”

I shut up as someone backhanded me, my eye stinging right along with my cheek.

NINETEEN

xander

I flexed my hands,the tape pulling at my knuckles, tightening, just like the anger writhing inside me. All of my senses were on high alert.

“This isn’t right, and something is really fucking wrong with this event. No one’s got money on it that we can find. And the matches?” Zeid said, leaning closer to me like someone might hear.

I looked at Zeid, his shirtless look matching mine. His knuckles were taped up just like mine too. Fucking twinning.

“You think? Cas not being listed? Strange really. Good for Rylee, sure,” I said scanning over the space. This was strategic, and who, other than the Spectors, had the ability to do that?

“Did anyone dig up who owns this park?” I asked.

The arena was set up in the middle of an abandoned amusement park. A massive tent that screamed a little bit circus and a little bit outdoor funeral. Better than a wedding, I guess. The black tent wouldn’t stand out from a distance, exactly what was required if this were an official illegal event.

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