Page 13 of Hunter
“THESE MOTHERFUCKAS TELL YOU THAT I WAS OUT THERE MINDING MY OWN FUCKING BUSINESS WHEN THEY BEAT A MAN’S ASS AND STARTED POPPING OFF SHOTS? OR THAT THEIR MAN MADE A GRAB FOR ME?THAT HE THREATENED TO RAPE ME? DID THEY FUCKING TELL YOU THAT?!”
It sounds like she’s blaring an emergency fucking siren through a loudspeaker as she screams her words. They detonate through me like a nuclear reaction, melting down all of my defenses while I realize just how shatterproof hers are. Because clearly, you don’t fuck around with Edison fucking Santos.
She’s not afraid to go up against anyone. She’s got no problem dueling with the fucking Devil. She really is a demon.A pretty little demon that evidently unalives people who deserve it. And one who stamps her feet when she yells.
“Where are they? You just let them fucking go, Alv?” I roar out, but it’s not enough. Not when my fire-breathing dragon wants to burn these motherfuckers alive.
I’ve got a bad fucking habit of hitting shit when I get this fired up, and now is no different. If I were on the ice, I’d be dropping bodies left and right. But I’m not, and I don’t fucking think twice before I’m twisting my body around, winding my arm back, and punching the fucking wall next to the door. I hit it so hard, my fist cracks through the sheetrock as my knuckles paint the wall red.
“¿Qué chingado te pasa? (What the fuck is wrong with you?)” She grabs my hand to inspect the damage before throwing it away when she sees that I only cut open my knuckles. Her touch is stronger than my punch and splits off into a thousand different directions underneath my skin. I feel her everywhere. “Are you stupid? Why are you punching shit?”Because someone hurt you, and I FUCKING HATE IT.
“Sit down, you fucking idiot. I don’t need you breaking your hand or the shop. Control yourself, Hunt,” Alv shouts while pointing at me. I can’t. I literally can’t. Someone tried to rape her. Someone put their hands on her. She had to kill him to protect herself.
SHE. HAD. TO. KILL. HIM. TO. PROTECT. HERSELF. I’m legit screaming inside of my head, and fire shoots out of my fucking dragon’s flaring nostrils, as it all hits. And it hits fucking hard. All these fucking pieces of shit men who go after fucking women should be tied to a fucking skate sharpening machine for their dicks to be sliced open and their nuts to be cut off.Fucking bet.
“I’ve already got a tail on them, I need to know who the fuck they are and why they’re stepping out like this before I do anything, alright? You get me?”Oh my fucking god, what is happening right now? Why are they both not freaking the fuck out over this? And why are they looking at me like I’m the crazy one here?
“Walk me through what happened, tell me everything because they sure as fuck didn’t admit to anything. Although I did hear the gunshot,” he says to her. She scowls as she stares him down.
“I don’t know you, I’m not saying shit about shit,” she sasses back at Alv. I wanna spank her ass for giving him fucking attitude. All that shit is for me and me alone.Bad girl.
“Well, here’s what I said and what we’re gonna roll with until I can get to the bottom of this. I told them that you work for me and that if they saw you outside in the back, it’s because you went to throw out the garbage and got locked outta the shop. That’s your cover.”
“Are you stupid or something? You told them I was here like that, and what? A bunch of gangbangers just believed you?” She looks Alvi right in the eye and challenges every fucking word that he just said. She either doesn’t know or doesn’t give a fuck that she’s questioning Alvino Rossi and his family name.
“It’ll fit into what I want them to believe, especially if they’re being honest about the guy you stabbed wearing a bodycam.”
“A what? Why would some gangbanger be wearing a bodycam out here? That shit sounds crazy. I didn’t see him wearing a vest or nothing.”
“Could’ve been an initiation, blackmail, or some task for him to move up a rank. Either way, I’m hearing there is one. Which means there’s footage.” Which means she can get arrested. Which means she can be taken away. Even if she is innocent.
“Then I gotta get the fuck outta here, now.” She reaches for her giant bag, and I grab the handle at the same time she does.You’re not going anywhere. Your ass is staying right here with me.
“No, you stay. Some new thugs have moved into the neighborhood and are starting up shit in the wrong fucking place. You’re not running, we’re gonna make them run instead.”
“Why would you do all that? You don’t even know me.” Her surprised look makes me wonder if anyone’s ever done anything nice for her before. Even a little nice. I sure as fuck haven’t.
My sister is the nice one. Our brother, too. But not me. I’m not a nice guy. I can be decent, but that’s as good as it gets. I don’t go outta my way if I don’t absolutely have to, and even then, very few people get anything more than the bare minimum from me. I’m not good at being nice and make it a rule not to do shit that I’m bad at.
“I may not know you personally, but I’ve heard a few things.” His eyes shift over to me, and I tap the spot on my chest that he just tattooed. He lifts his chin as I confirm everything that he put together earlier. There’s no use lying about it or trying to hide it anymore, not after all this.
“You should know that I don’t tolerate violence against women under any circumstance. And someone tried to assault you tonight behind my fucking shop. They will be dealt with.” I’m not surprised Alvi threw his weight around and backed herup behind the Rossi name. He doesn’t turn away strays.He takes us in.
“Thanks… you didn’t have to do that.” That looked difficult for her to spit out. She seems the type not to want to owe anyone anything. Alvi isn’t like that, though.
“You’re right, I didn’t. But you do have to tell me what happened. Every fucking detail. And no lying to me this time.”
“I didn’t lie to you. You asked me if I knew something. I don’t.”
“Then what’d you see, sweetheart.”
“I didn’t see shit, I heard someone getting fucking beat, and then the gunshot.”
“Which was where?” Look, I can’t help you if I don’t know,-“
“¡Carajo, wey!Idon’t need you to help me, I appreciate you giving me an out, but it’d be better if you tell thispendejoto move outta the way so I can go.” She chin points to me while her hands slice through the air as she talks. She stomps her combat-booted foot, her warning to the world that her patience is running dangerously thin.So is mine.
“Are you for real? It’s not safe for you to be out there,” I breathe out with flared nostrils.
