Page 12 of Breaking Hudson

“I know. I’m sorry. I don’t know why…”

“It’s been less than a day, baby. I wanted to tell you all of this now because I can certainly help, but you need to know how I’m able to,” he says. “Also, if we are together, you deserve to know this side of me.”

“I don’t know if I fit into this world, but I want you,” I say.

“Well, I fit in you, so that’s gotta count for something,” he says with a playful grin.

“Hardly,” I say, returning his smile. “You’re sugar-coating things. Give it to me straight.”

“I’m going to find who hurt you and I’m going to beat the ever-loving fuck out of them for what they did to you,” he says. “If there is anyone on this planet that I am willing to kill for without hesitation, it’s you, Colette.”

“You’d kill for me?” I ask with a smile.

“In a heartbeat,” he says. “No one hurts my girl… No one.”

“So… do we get to find out what’s going on?” Doug asks.

“Good?” Hudson asks me.

“Go ahead,” I sigh.

“Last night, Colette was leaving work. She was later than usual, so it was dark. She ended up in an alley but hid when people came out of one of the buildings. They shot some guy for owing them money but spotted her when she reacted to the shot. They all then raped her in various ways. She was stood up at one point and threw up on one of them. He hit her and she got hold of a board. When she swung it at him, there happened to be a nail sticking out of it. So, she slammed the nail into the guy’s head and ran. She got home and called me. I immediately went and got her, so now she lives with me.”

“They got my address off my license,” I say quietly. “They know my name… age… address… they still have my license, I think.”

“I’m going to fuck someone up,” Dallas says. “What did they look like?”

“So… he’s missing details,” I say.

“Figured I’d let you explain if you wanted them to know,” Hudson says.

“Well, if any of y’all are killing for me, it’s only fair you know what happened to me,” I say. “They all were white. Had a Russian accent,” I say. “The first guy that made me blow him… He seemed like the pack leader almost. He was definitely the oldest. The guy that raped me, the one I killed, he seemed like the youngest. The other one that assaulted me orally… he, I guess, is younger than the leader, but not younger than the one I killed. The one I killed hardly looked my age.”

“What alley?” Colton asks.

“The one next to The Galway Pub,” I say. I think that’s the door they came out of, actually. Like their back door, or whatever.”

“Shit, girl,” Andrew says.

“What? Is that bad?” I ask.

“There is a Russian mafia around here that openly abuses women. They never get charged with rape because the victim never lives, and evidence disappears,” Hudson sighs. “It’s the Ivankov brothers. Vlad is the oldest. Middle is Dima and the youngest is Akim.”

“Oh… shit,” I say slowly. “That’s bad.”

“Very bad,” Hudson says.

“But… manageable,” Doug says.

“How?” I ask.

“Well… Hudson here is basically the mafia as well. Others don’t start wars with us, because we have far too many people behind us,” he says. “If you two are married, you belong to him. It means that if he fucks with you, everyone will be on his ass.”

“I mean we still will,” Hudson says.

“Yes, but the others will only rally behind you for family or those you consider family. They don’t care about girlfriends. If you are married; they’ll help you with no questions asked,” Doug explains.

“Time to see if you really meant it, I guess,” I say to Hudson. “That was a joke. You don’t have to marry me.”

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