Page 31 of Hush (Fighting Fate)

Fuck! I clenched my teeth together hard. “Fuck off, Aaron. Just give me the god damned bag.”

He lowered the cell and smirked at me again, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked me over. “They fuck you real good there, don’t they? Bet you love it too, don’t you, you little slut. Maybe I should try you for myself.”

I paled a little at that. I knew we weren’t blood relatives, but the thought of anything intimate with Aaron was so wrong, it made my stomach revolt. “Don’t even think about it, you disgusting pig.” I picked up the bag and glared at him. I had to get out of there. Like now. “I’m not catching the bus either. I’ll drive myself.”

He shrugged. “Whatever. Like I give a shit.”

I gave him one last hard stare before turning on my heel and storming out.

Throwing the bag on the backseat, I pulled out onto the road. I was probably driving a little too fast, but I was so god damned angry, I couldn’t bring myself to care.

It took half a dozen blocks later for me to realize how stupid I was being. If I got caught speeding or something else, I would be screwed. What if they searched the car? What if they found whatever was in that bag?

Easing off the accelerator, I tried to calm down. Now that I was away from Aaron, my sensibility meter was poking its gnarled finger at me. I bit back a curse. Driving right to TJ’s door was a mistake. I knew that. Well, now I did, anyway. I should’ve taken the bus.

I screamed with frustration, my shrill voice stinging my ears in the quiet of the car. What I really wanted was to tell Ken to go to hell. I didn’t want to go to the scary as shit house of horrors anymore. Mostly because I didn’t want to be caught up in whatever illegal stuff it was they were doing, but a little of it had to do with the confusion I felt when it came to Mitch.

The more I’d thought about it over the last couple of days, the more I realized how stupid it was for me to think he was protecting me. He was a criminal. A drug dealer and who knew what else. Just because he hadn’t forced me to do anything more than kiss him the two times I’d been there, didn’t mean he wouldn’t do anything else, and I would be insane to think otherwise. Maybe that was his plan. Maybe he was just trying to lull me into some sick sense of comfort before he made his move.

Nausea came to me the second I stopped the car. I knew this could be the time I lost. Anything could happen, and I needed to remind myself of that.

Locking the car, I left it in a small off street parking lot and started to walk the rest of the way to TJ’s.

My heart rate increased with every step I took. By the time I reached the back door to TJ’s house, I was surprised I wasn’t having a full on anxiety attack. The familiar dry mouth and sweaty palms returned as I stepped up to knock.

The door swung open almost immediately, and I was met by hard, black eyes. I remembered seeing this member of TJ’s gang the first time I came. He had dirty blonde hair, dark brown eyes, and a goatee that could rival one of those mean looking bikers. I couldn’t remember his name, but he jerked his head for me to come in.

Hesitantly, I stepped in and followed him through to the next room. All of them were there, and they all turned their hard eyes on me.

TJ walked up to me slowly, his gaze murderous. I felt the bag get taken out of my hand, but I couldn’t take my eyes off TJ’s to see who it was.

“What’s your part in all this?” he asked me calmly. Too calmly.

I swallowed. I didn’t understand his question. “What do you mean?” My voice came out sounding as small as I felt.

“This,” he said, indicating around him, and to the bag.

I still had no idea what he was trying to get at, but I could see he wanted an answer or he was going to flip the fuck out. “I…I don’t have a part. Ken threatened to hurt my mom if I didn’t deliver this bag to you. That’s it. I’ve never even touched the zipper. I don’t know what’s in it when I come, and I don’t know what’s in it when I leave. And I don’t want to know.”

His eyes narrowed, assessing. “What do you get out of it?”

His question surprised me. What did I get? I wanted to laugh. “I get to hope that the next time Ken decides to beat on my mom that she lives through it, so I guess I get nothing at all.”

He was silent for a while, his eyes drilling into me like needles. “What are we looking at, Mac?” he said without taking his eyes off me.

“It’s just like he said, TJ. Three bags.”

It was hard, but I met TJ’s stare for as long as he held it. After god knows how long, he finally stepped back and turned to the side. “You want her Mitch, or should I give her to Pock?”

My eyes flashed to Mitch and my heart starting racing even more out of control. Was it crazy for me to hope he’d say yes? I wanted that to mean I was just terrified to go with Pock – because I was, but I thought it was more a case of me just wanting Mitch to want me. Stupid, I know.

Mitch’s jaw clenched a little, but he didn’t react the way I was hoping. Instead, he sighed and ran his hand over his shaved hair. “Yeah, I could use a little release right now I think.”

He took a step towards me, and I don’t know why, but I took a step back. Where was the guy I thought would protect me? This guy was acting nothing like him.

He rolled his eyes at me and grabbed my arm. “Don’t make this hard. I’m not in the fucking mood.”

I closed my eyes against the sting. I’d never felt so alone in my life. I didn’t resist Mitch’s pull, but I didn’t try to stop the tears from sliding down my face either.

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