Page 105 of Avenging Devil: Part 1

“With the Crazy Wolves?”

He doesn’t use words to confirm, but the compassionate look in his eyes makes me shiver.I need to get gone, away from San Diego.

As if he can read my mind, his hand moves, raising my chin slightly, so I’m forced to look into his eyes. “I wish there was some way I could persuade you to stay.”

“Duke knows I’m in San Diego. He’s already closing in.”

“The offer still stands. You could still be my ol’ lady.”

Twisting out of his grip, I snap back, “And I’ve already told you, I don’t want to be anyone’s old lady, property, wife or possession again.”

“It wouldn’t be like that,” he replies sternly. “I wouldn’t ask anything you’re not prepared to give. We’re friends, aren’t we? Who knows what could develop?”

“I’m going, Niran. Alone.” The spark in my eyes challenges him, but my mind is made up.

His mouth opens, but at that moment, there’s a knock on the door and Kid’s voice shouts through it, “Food delivery.”

With a shake of his head, Niran approaches the door and opens it. When Kid enters, he goes to close it again. He’s got it almost latched when it’s kicked in, so violently, Niran’s knocked off balance, and falls to the floor as his prosthetic leg slips out from under him.

I watch as it happens in slow motion. Kid stands, mouth open, boxes dropping from his hands as Duke storms in, followed closely by Slit, Croak and Grit. As if they’d choreographed every movement, Slit drops to the floor beside Niran, holding a gun to his head and Croak rushes forward and puts his arm around the scrawny prospect’s neck.

Duke gives a sharp nod. Croak raises his other hand and twists. There’s an audible crack, and Kid’s only got time to widen his eyes before he falls to the ground. Sightless eyes meet mine, and I know that he’s dead.

The ensuing silence seems loud. I’m the first to react, turning and vomiting nothing but bile over the couch.Not again. Not another prospect losing his life.

“Whoops.” Croak grins unapologetically as he eyes the body at his feet. “Don’t know my own fuckin’ strength, do I?”

Duke gives a hearty laugh as if it’s the best joke he’s ever heard.

“Bastard!” Niran roars.

Quick as a flash, Slit pistol whips Niran, making him fall back to the ground, then sinks his weight over him, pinning him down, his gun inches away from Niran’s ear. “Don’t fuckin’ move. I doubt a shot would worry the residents in this fuckin’ dump.”

“No one else here,” Grit states, emerging from my bedroom.

Duke gives an assessing look around, seeming satisfied he’s in control of the situation. He holsters his weapon and approaches me. His hand rises, and his fingers take a painful grip of my chin forcing me to my feet.

As I stand, I stare at Niran horrified. When his eyes meet mine, I read apology in them. For a second, I want to rant at him, telling him the Satan’s Devils’ assurances had, in the end, been worth nothing. Then the thought comes to me that this is what he wanted all along, for Duke to catch up with me.

I don’t know what to believe. But the way Slit’s guarding Niran doesn’t suggest he counts him as a friend. I try to find comfort that whatever part he played, Niran will be dead soon anyway.

Then simultaneously, I want to scream at them to let him go free, unable to believe he had any role in this.

Duke has yet to speak to me. When he rectifies that omission, he does so first with his fists, not his mouth. I stumble, fall, my cheek burning, my ear ringing, and my stomach throbbing in agony.

“You killed my fuckin’ kid!” he yells. “My kid, Sapphire.”

The accusation surprises me. I had no idea he’d known I was pregnant. But his claim gives me the backbone I hadn’t expected to exist. “You did that,” I retort with a scream. “What you and your brothers did to me meant he couldn’t survive. I had no choice, Duke.”

“What I did to you?” He backhands me again, sending me to my knees. “If you wanted my baby, why did you take the pill for years and hide it from me? Why, when I planted my seed in you, you ran away and made sure it was killed? What did I do to you, Sapphire? You tell me.”

I should heed the warning in his eyes, but the events of yesterday make me want to fight back, if only verbally. “I didn’t beat myself, Duke. I didn’t feed myself drugs.”

“You took them fuckin’ willingly,” he snarls.

I brace for the next blow, but it doesn’t help. This one makes me see stars. Falling prone, I can’t move, just gasp for breath. For good measure, he kicks me viciously in the thigh.

Then he appears to lose interest. “Who the fuck are you?” he asks Niran. “Why are you with my ol’ lady? You fuckin’ her? Oh fuck it, I don’t even care.” He nods at Slit who cocks his gun. “Just kill the fuckin’ nigger. I don’t want him breathing the same air.”

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