Page 21 of Room Seven

A stiff hand clenches around my arm, and I am hauled out of the shadows. Asshole number one with grabby hands throws me through the living room’s archway and I land on my knees. Hard. Every bone in my body screams in protest, and I tumble awkwardly before letting the momentum take over. I roll, turn, and get my footing before I launch to my feet.

I get halfway up before I am shoved back down by another set of hands on my shoulders. I turn my chin to find a set of familiar brown eyes and a too-small leather vest of a crisp white shirt.

“Joseph,” I seethe, my voice rough with disbelief.

He cants his head, causing dark hair to fall over his forehead. “Da, moy malen’kiy pitomets.” My little pet.

Fuck that and fuck him. I take in the rest of the thugs stinking up the room in one go. An older version of Joseph is leaning an elbow on the mantle, looking pretty happy with himself in a flashy suit and goatee.

Fat fingers dig into my shoulders and pin me to the floor between Junior’s legs. Like this, I’m sitting on my haunches and look no different than a good bitch being put in her place.

And it pisses me off.

“You should have taken up my offer for a night at Club Sin. Now we do this the hard way.”

“You would have to make me a corpse before I let you anywhere near my body.”

Dark eyes turn into raging slits as he looks down at me. “Da, whore?”

“Da,and it’swhorewith a W. Not a V, dumbass.”

I know I’m being petty, but I like the way his face turns blistering red with anger.

Cement knuckles connect with my left cheek, sending me flying across the polished marble.

Lights flash behind my eyelids and I take a second to peel my eyelids open from the pain going off in my skull. When I do, pitch black fills the room. Someone has cut the lights. Muzzle flashes from the far left tell me to hit the ground and it fast forwards from there.

Glass shatters, followed by heavy grunts. Bullets hit anything in their path. Years of living here give me the advantage I need to dash for the nearest exit. And I almost get away before a set of meaty fingers grabs my hair.

“Argh!” I roar and then face plant into hard muscle. I stumbled back, only to find myself hauled over a broad shoulder.

“Poshli, moy malen’kiy pitomets.” Let’s go, little pet.

“Oh no you don’t, asshole!” Feet and hands fly. But thugs only like it when you fight and this one is laughing like he’s gonna have fun with me tonight.

To hell with that!

Bodies and bullets hit the surrounding floor. I catch the sight of Harlon and Cassius taking as good as they are giving. Which means they will not get to me before I am stuffed in a trunk.

“Look,” I say, trying to reason with Joseph, but he’s not having it.

I go to grab a tall copper vase but he’s fast on his feet and so is his goon squad right behind us. They shuffle me out the same door I came in while the fight continues in the darkness of my parent’s home.

Rearing back with my elbow well aimed, I come down on Joseph’s collarbone at just the right angle to have him dropping me seven feet to the gravel.

“Umph.” It’s more of a sound than a word.

Eating rocks is about as fun as it sounds. I push to my feet and ball my fist, ready to dick punching some fuckers when Harlon’s bellow sends me face planting.

“Unicorn! Now, Aster!”

Our panic word has never sounded sweeter. I hit the ground. Bullets fly, but given the lack of light, I don’t think Harlon hits his target.

Glass shatters and my cousin comes out of the front entrance, ready to send souls to hell.

Fists meet flesh. It’s three against one until Cassius and Santi rounding the side of the house, bloodied but looking ready to murder.

Grady hands fist my hair from behind and I am dragged across the gravel entrance.

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