Page 61 of Chula
“He’s rough. But it’s nothing, I don’t mind,” I blurt out. “He barely sleeps.”
“Rough how?” Damion growls.
“He doesn’t hurt me if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I was raped.” His words ring through the air and slam into my chest. A gasp escapes my throat as bile once again fills my throat. Damion makes a move to come toward Marco, but he throws his hand up and steps away.
“No. No. Don’t you come over here touching me, Damion. Don’t try to hug me or pat me on the back,” he tells him.
“I’m just trying to be your brother, Marco.”
“Well, don’t. Not right now. Let me finish.”
“Go ahead,” he tells him, motioning for Marco to go on.
“When I first went in, I was a target. They saw the new guys come in, and it was like a fucking feast for them. I was raped and beaten. Beaten more times than I care to count,” he says as he instinctively reaches up and runs his fingers over the scar on his face. “I joined up with a gang inside.”
“What?” Damion snaps at him. My hand comes up to cover my mouth because I can’t believe that he’d do that, not after everything else that happened.
“I needed protection. Where the fuck was I going to get that from?”
“Another fucking crew, Marco? And a prison crew at that? What the fuck were you thinking?” Damion roars this time.
“I was thinking how I wanted to live! I was thinking that I wanted to see my girl again!” He yells back at him. My heart couldn’t beat faster than it is right now. It’s hammering against my ribs, and all I can think is this is my fault.
“I should have run,” I mumble under my breath.
“Don’t start that shit,” Damion yells at me. I climb off the bed and pace the room, running my hand through my hair.
“I should have fucking run! He told me! You told me to, Marco, and I sat there like a goddamn fool!” I scream louder this time. But this time it isn’t Damion that moves. It’s Marco. His hand wraps around the back of my neck, and he jerks my face closer to his. I can feel his breath as it dances along my heated face.
“I warned you to stop saying that shit. What happened, happened. It wasn’t your fault.”
“You’re stuck with another crew, Marco!”
“I’m not stuck with shit!”
“What do they want you to do?” Damion asks him, but his eyes are on mine.
“They want one kill. That’s it.”
“What? No,” I tell him.
“I can’t not do it. They have ties outside the prison, Chula.”
“This is so fucked up. If you get caught again, you’ll never get out!” Damion roars as his hands fist at his sides. I shake my head. There’s no way. No way that he can do this to me. He can’t leave me. Not again.
“You promised me. You said you’re never leaving me again, Marco.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Chula. I’m here. I’ll always be here.”
“You can’t know that. Not if you’re out killing someone. Don’t do this. I’m begging you not to do this,” I tell him as I reach up and grab his face in my hands. “Please, Marco. For me.”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“Yeah, you do. Be with me, Marco. Choose me.”
Chapter 28
