Page 87 of A Hurt So Good

“Good. Is she okay?” she asks.

“She won’t let us see her. Long story, we don’t have time for right now,” Harlon tells her. We all head back inside, and I grab my guns while War grabs his knife.

“Lock the door and stay inside, Sasha,” I tell her. She nods her head as we go out the door, and she does as she’s told. I wait to hear the door click before we walk down to Rachel’s house. I don’t bother knocking. I just kick the door in and walk inside. The girls scream before they see it’s us, and then they calm down. They shouldn’t be this calm.

I raise my gun and aim it at Rachel as her eyes widen.

“You sent her messages of us?” she shakes her head, looking confused.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Arya! You sent her pictures of all of us?” I roar this time. She shakes her head as War wanders around, dragging the tip of his knife along their cheeks. I can see the fear in their eyes. They know they fucked up.

“I didn’t send any pictures, Denz!”

“But you did jump her,” Harlon adds now. She looks at him and opens her mouth. That’s when I move, shoving the barrel of the gun into her mouth as she begins to cry.

“You and your girls jumped her even after you were told to stay away from her. What the fuck were you thinking?” I growl low in my throat. I pull the gun free and stare at her, waiting for her to answer.

“Yeah, we did, but she showed up here!” Now I chuckle.

“Everyone on their feet. First one who tries to run, I’ll shoot.” The girls all stand as we lead them out the back door and toward the reds. Har makes the call and tells them everything they need to know.

“Can’t I just kill her?” War asks, pressing the tip of his knife into her cheek. Blood blooms on her skin as sobs fall from her lips.

“You could if you really wanted to, but I figured they’d do a little more,” I say, nodding when I see Rocky. One of the girls decides it’s a good idea to try and run when I aim and fire. I missed her on purpose, but it got her ass back in line.

We walk up to Rocky, and War stares him down.

“You’re out?” he asks, looking between the three of us.

“We’re out. There’s still blues over here, and I expect they’ll be left alone once we’re gone. After all, the ones you had a problem with were us anyway,” War tells him as he grits his teeth. I know he wants this kill, but he isn’t going to take it.

“And them?” Rocky asks, nodding toward the girls.

“They no longer have our protection. Any of them,” I tell him this time. Rachel gasps, turning her head to look at me.

“You can’t do that. Do you know what he’ll do to us?” she cries.

“I know exactly what he’ll do to you.”

“And you’re going to let that happen?” Now I laugh.

“You fucked up, Rachel. When you put your hand on our girl, you messed up. Now you’ve lost everything. Rocky here will treat you good,” I say nodding toward him. He smirks, his greasy ass smile making me sick to look at, but he will make good on what he’s promised to do to them in the past. He’s sick. Sicker than we are.

“Yeah, he’s right. I’ve been waiting on you, Rachel,” he says, smiling at her.

“Denz, you can’t do this!” She screams as I shove her over the invisible line that has kept us all separate for years. She stumbles when Rocky grabs her and whistles for the others. A shit ton of reds come out from where they were hiding as War ushers the rest of the girls over there. They’re crying, sobbing, and begging as each one is grabbed by one of the reds.

“Pleasure doing business,” Rocky says as he runs his tongue up Rachel’s cheek. I see the knife he pulls from the back of his jeansbefore it plunges into her side. Rachel screams in pain as Rocky jerks her along with him.

The three of us stand still and watch until they’re all out of sight.

“I wanted that kill.” War snarls.

“Yeah, I know, but imagine what she’s getting from Rocky.”

“Yeah. He’s going to ruin her and have her begging to die,” Har adds.

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