Page 43 of Lost in Life

Nova wipes the moisture away with their sleeve, jutting their chin out and crossing their arms. “How would you feel if I constantly calledyouby the wrong pronouns?” Holding his gaze, they ask me, “What do you think, West? Wouldshelike it if I constantly calledherby the wrong pronouns?”

Taking a step closer to him, they snarl, “You haveno ideawhat it’s like to constantly have people ignore who you are, even after you’ve gone through the hard part of telling them.” Zayn’s eyes sadden as he listens to Nova’s outburst, surprising me by the effect their pain seems to have on him.

My gaze travels back to the man about to be responsible for my own pain. Rex glares at me, twisting in the seat in an attempt to loosen the ropes tying him down.

Fuckfuckfuck. I am so fucking fuckety fucked.

“-sorry. Truly.” I vaguely hear Zayn apologize but my attention is focused on my palpable fear.

I need to get out of here.

Pushing to my feet, I sneak toward the door, hoping the spat between Nova and Zayn is enough to distract them from my escape. Before I can make it out the door, a firm hand lands on my shoulder.

“And where are you off to, pretty boy?” Zayn rumbles, trapping me in his grip. “You haven’t unwrapped your gift yet.” He chuckles, a sinister sound that sends a shiver down my spine.

Turning me so I’m facing Rex, he releases his hold, handing me the long curved blade I had found earlier. I eye him warily, taking the knife in my trembling hands. “W-why?” I stammer, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. “Why would you bring him here?”

Sighing heavily, Zayn rubs his chin, looking me up and down with the same feverish eyes he had before. A warmth pools low in my pelvis, guilt eating at me from the reaction. I avert my gaze, my mind racing.

I can’t get distracted by this…this monster.

“He sold you out.” Zayn’s voice breaks through my tumultuous thoughts.

I whip my head toward him, my erratic heartbeat halting. “What did you say?” I whisper, gripping the knife so hard my knuckles turn white. I had vaguely heard the words earlier but they didn’t click in my frazzled brain.

Zayn smirks, nodding his head toward Rex. “That scumbag is the reason you went to prison.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a small device, tapping away before turning it to show me the screen. My eyes scan the information.

No. It can’t be.

I lift my eyes to meet his, getting lost in the grey orbs momentarily before shaking myself. “This can’t be true.” I mutter, returning my attention to the screen and reading it again.

Tucking away the device, Zayn walks over to Rex, ripping the cloth down his chin. “Tell him.” He growls, gripping Rex’s chin and forcing his face toward me.

Rex spits at me, the saliva falling several inches away. “Yeah, so what?” He snarls. “We needed a scapegoat so you took the fall.” Baring his teeth at me, he snarls, “You’re lucky that’s all we did with all the shit I’ve had to put up with you. Late for deliveries, short on sells, backing out ondeals,” He runs his gaze down my body, his lip curling back. “And now kidnapping.” He laughs, the sound hollow. “You’re going to wish you stayed in prison when I’m done with you, jailbait.”

Before I can react, a blur of motion moves past me. Rex shrieks as Nova shoves their own knife into his thigh. Brushing up against Zayn, they lean closer to Rex’s face and growl, “Don’t you fucking dare threaten him, you small dick douchebag.” Ripping the blade from his thigh, they hover it over his lap, “Or should I say no dick?” All three of us with a third leg flinch at their threat.

Zayn recovers quickest, barking a laugh as he grips Nova’s wrist, tugging them back from the now ashen Rex. “While that would be a just punishment, this is pretty boy’s revenge.” He gestures toward me, keeping hold of Nova. My eyes narrow as I catch the shift of Nova’s thighs in response to his touch.

How am I supposed to compete with that?

At least I’m not a complete psychopath.

Turning my attention to the bound man, I question how true that thought is. Because, as I stare at the struggling asshole, my mind flashes back to all the torment I endured in that prison cell. All the times I went hungry over the years because he stiffed me on my cut, claiming I was short. The constant fear whenever I would get a text from him with barely veiled threats and sometimes outright ones. As the memories flood me, I find my feet moving forward, propelling me to a revenge I didn’t know I needed.

“What are you gonna do?” Rex sneers at me. “You’re nothing more than a sniveling coward, you don’t have the bal-”

I snap my hand out, sinking the blade into his gut. His words cut off as a scream erupts from his throat. Twisting my wrist, I make sure to cause as much damage as I can as I yank the knife back out.

Zayn chuckles, momentarily distracting me before Rex sputters, a dribble of blood forming in the corner of his mouth. My hand shakes as rage courses through me, the desire to slice into him for every time he has caused me unnecessary pain overwhelms me.

Unable to stop myself, I begin stabbing. Much like in the alley, my wrist jabs forward, sinking the blade into his soft flesh and ripping it back out, blood flinging off the knife. I shout unintelligible insults at him, my mind lost to the need for retribution.

By the time my vision clears, Rex is a limp pile of mutilated flesh. Crimson liquid pools beneath him, dripping down the sides of the chair and down his lifeless limbs.

My chest heaves with each labored breath as I stare at the corpse, a sickening satisfaction filling me at his brutal death. “Fuck you.” I spit out between clenched teeth, jabbing the blade into him one last time.

Turning away from the dead man, I catch the looks on the two witnesses to my loss of control. Zayn watches me with a mixture of pride and lust, whereas Nova stares at me like they’ve never seen me before, like I’m a stranger. Their eyes are filled with horror and sadness, a familiar agony to my own.

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