Page 2 of Darling Nikki

“You let me deal with him,” my father says dragging me to a sitting position. “You’re bout the dumbest motherfucker on the planet.” He smacks me the rest of the way lucid. The sight that greets me is the stuff of nightmares every man Don, Carter, Russ, Lester and Tim all have young girls some who don’t even have full breast yet, strung up on beef hooks raping them.

“Want to see something cool?” My father follows my horror filled gaze. “Russ?” He calls over. “Want some boy ass? We know you like’em.”

My gaze swings to him. “Not you. Your little friend here.” He nods to Angel’s bound hands and bloody face. “Shelbys don’t get fucked. We do the fucking. Since you want to be the big man. You can have the new one over there. The rest of them already been broke in.” He shows me a girl bound and struggling on the floor. She’s not an immigrant though. She’s the daughter of one of his top competitors.

“Saw her, had to have her.” He gets up going over the girl dragging her up by her strawberry blond hair. “What do you say son? Want a go? I bet she’s sweet.” He rips the gag off her mouth , plunging his tongue in. “Ow, bitch” He pulls back. She spits out blood from her mouth.

“You taste like a pig, Shelby.” She gives him a wild smile.

“Bitch,” He start punching her even harder thane did Jessie. I have to look away.

“Aye,” I look up into the midnight misery of Angel’s gaze. “When Russ comes over here, get the gun he’s always carrying wrong.”

I nod focusing on him instead of the sound of the grown men raping young girls and my father beating another one to death.

“Who’s next?” Russ calls in a singsong. “I’m bout spent but I got enough for a pretty boy.” Taking a swig of what can only be moonshine in he swaggers over to us.

“Just his mouth. I want his ass.” Lester says from where he’s brutalizing a girl.

“Fucker,” Russ mutters but nods in acceptance.

Just as he reaches us, I shove my hand in his holster taking his Smith and Wesson semiautomatic.

“Get the fuck back,” I say more calmly than I feel. I keep the gun in front of me. “Come on.” I say to Angel, helping him up.

“Give, Angel your keys.” I tell Russ. Watching him place the keys in Angel’s bound hands.

Slowly we start backing up to the barn door.

“Son, now you know I can’t let you leave here,” my father says in a sick, cajoling voice.

“Wanna beat?” I swing in his direction firing off a shot.

“Fuck,” He says grabbing his shoulder blood already seeping through his fingers.

Just then Russ charges but I’m quicker. I shoot him square in chest. The look shock right before he collapses is forever engraved in my memory.

“Get him.” Lester shouts. The rest rush forward.

“No.” My father shouts. “Let’s go. They can’t tell anyone. Not with both their mom’s at my mercy.” He says with the confidence as only a man holding all the power can.

Half dragging Angel’s battered form with me, I make it almost out the door weeny father calls to me. “You killed your first man tonight, son. I’m proud of you.”

SIX YEARS LATER…

“Last one.” Angel’s dark shadow looms beside me as we watch Lester struggle in the pit we dug for him.

“Good. I’m glad you got it done before you left for college,” he says with dry amusement. “It’s good to get it out your system.”

“Yeah, no business left undone but that one thing.” I remind him.

“You need to let me do it. It’s my right as much as it is yours.” he grumbles knowing he won’t convince me.

“If I die you can do it.” I pat on him the back. “You promised, fiiho.” I remind him of the night I saved him and we promised to avenge all the people my father and his men hurt. Angel said I saved his life and he owed me his. “Let me be the one to kill my father.” I told him knowing he had no choice.

Picking up the shovel, I toss dirt on the grimy form of the bitch ass coward who thought by going to Alaska he could escape my wrath once we got control of the land.

A few months after we escaped, Angel’s mom died in childbirth. The community rallied around him but he was essentially his sister, Lourdes’ guardian.

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