Page 1 of Poisonous Savage

ROSALIND

Iemerged, the water falling off my body in rivulets, the sun's touch warm against my cool skin.Thelake was a secluded haven, a lush cocoon of greenery that felt worlds away from the brutal, cutthroat lifeIwas born into.Here,Iwas notRosalindThorn, the daughter ofTheBlackHand'sleader;Iwas justRosalind.Theboring girl who enjoys being outside with nature.

Ireveled in the silence, punctuated only by the soft lapping of water against flesh.Mylimbs moved with a graceIcouldn't display in the rigid world of drug deals and gun running, each stroke slicing through the liquid embrace that promised escape.Freedomhere was loud, an intoxicating rush that filled my lungs with each breath of crisp, unpolluted air.

Thesunlight danced on the water’s surface, creating golden flecks that shimmered.Unlikethat heavy burden of wealth and power, in this place, the light and water soothed rather than suffocated.Idove beneath the surface again, letting the cool depths swallow me whole, silencing the hatred.Thebitterness.Everythingchanged after my mother died.

Downhere, in the murky depths,Icould pretend.Pretendthat the violence that seeped through my family's veins hadn't touched mine, that the darkness my father was wouldn't one day come to claim me, too.

Fornow,Iwas free.Yet, even as the thought crossed my mind, it brought a bitter taste to my mouth.Itwouldn't be long until he used me in some capacity to further his own gain.Mymother was the only one who ever truly fought for me to remain blind to the business.Ikicked upwards, bursting back into the light, gasping for the realityIdesperately wanted to reject.

Theshore came into view.Luciawas there—her silhouette cut from the rest of the world, like a figure in one of those old-timey paper theaters.Shehad that grin plastered on her face, the kind that knew too much and said too little.Mybest friend in this whole universe.

Ipaddled closer, my muscles singing with the effort, each stroke pushing me closer.Thewater caressed my skin,cool and indifferent to the chaos it would soon surrender me to.Mylong curls were heavy with it, almost trying to drag me into the depths whereIcould stay forever free.

"Comeon,Rosie!Raceyou to the end!"Lucia'svoice shattered the silence as she dove in, swimming furiously towards the boundary.

Alaugh bubbled up from my chest, raw and real, asIsurged forward.Thelake's edge approached—an imaginary between our territory and that ofTheCinderCrew.Witha few more powerful strokes,Ireached the shore.

"Shit, you're fast,"Igasped out, crawling onto the land.Thewater streamed off me, soaking into the dry earth.Myskin tingled from the sun's touch, drying the droplets left clinging to me.

Luciastood over me, blocking the sun for a moment, casting a shadow.Hereyes held the spark of adventures yet untold, the loyalty of years bound by shared secrets and silent understandings.

"Alwaysbeen a wild thing in the water, huh?" she remarked, offering a hand to haul me up.Hergrip was solid, grounding.

"Wilddoesn't even begin to cover it,Luce,"Imuttered.Theplayful glint in her gaze didn't waver, butIcaught the flicker of something else—concern.Shemust have heard something through the grapevine.Therehadbeen whispers of issues happening inArizona.SomethingaboutJohnhanding off his chapter to a psycho namedGia, who was doing a lot of damage.Myfather was concerned it would cause instability here between us and theNewMexicoguys.

"Let'sget you dried off," she said, her tone light but her eyes tight.Shehanded me a towel, the fabric rough against my skin.

"Yeah, let's."Mywords were clipped asIpondered if that could be what had everyone on edge.Ifthat was what was causing the increase in security, that wouldn’t bode well for me.Itcould mean confinement.Orsomething much, much worse.

Myresolve hardened asIstood there, wrapped in the coarse towel.I'dbeen born into a world that dealt in shadows and pain, but standing next toLuce,Ifelt the first stirrings of something formidable within me.Iwouldn't allow myself to become everythingIhated.

"Fuckin' perfect day, ain't it?"Lucia'sgrin was infectious, the kind that dared you not to smile back.Shewrapped her arms around me.

"Damnstraight,"Iforced out a grin, squeezing her tighter before we both pulled away.

Wetrudged through the underbrush, our bare feet sinking into the soft moss and dirt, until we found that spot—a clearing just shy of being touched by the sun, where the grass was long enough to tickle your thighs when you sat down.Theplace where secrets were shared, and futures were dreamed up, if only in whispers.

"Shit,Rosie, this place..."Luciatrailed off, her eyes scanning the horizon like she could see beyond it to a world without blood oaths and iron fists.

Idropped down beside her, the towel slipping from my shoulders to pool around my waist. "It'sour little slice of heaven."Andfor a fleeting second,Ibelieved it could stay that way.

Sheplucked a blade of grass, twirling it between her fingers, face scrunched in thought.Thesun caught the flecks of red in her brown hair.Shewas beautiful with her light blue eyes and curvy hips.

"Rememberwhen we'd play mafia boss out here?Youalways had to be the damn queenpin."Herchuckle was low, a husky sound that spoke of too many cigarettes stolen from careless adults.

"Guesssome things are destined,"Imused, tracing patterns in the dirt with my fingertip.Mynails, once painted a vibrant red, were now chipped and marred and bitten down until they were raw. "NeverthoughtI'dactually end up... y'know.Ialways just imagined this world in my dreams.Mymother hid me from it.Withher gone... it'slike my dad's gone mad.Hejust... he almost gave me to his guard to appease them.It'sa lot."

Lucestayed quiet asIspoke, but her lips thinned into a line.Istretched out on the grass, the blades prickling against my skin, sun kissing my face.Shesprawled beside me, her own body a canvas for the light and shadows that played through the leaves above.

"Shit,Rosie, you ever think about just... taking off?"Iturned to her, eyes tracing the clouds drifting lazily as sin across the sky. "Hittingthe road without looking back?"

"Everydamn day,"Isaid, voice thick with yearning. "Dreamabout it like some folks dream 'bout riches.Wannasee the world, taste every cuisine so spicy it burns, dance in streets where no one speaks my tongue."

Shehummed, her fingers digging into the earth. "Yeah, you'd rock that wanderer life.Noroots, no chains, just freedom.Youeven have that weird paisley dress to go along with it."

"Wouldbe nice to roam, not a care or a curfew.Tolive without theDonofTheBlackHandsbreathing down my neck."

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