5. Lafe
LAFE
N ow that I was alone in the room, full-on shakes were hitting me. I usually could control my reactions better than that. It had only been an hour since my last line. But that fucking girl…
She really was too stupid to live. Getting sucked in by some jackass who was more of an ass-kisser than any I’d ever seen? Seriously fucking stupid. And so fucking tiny. What did she really think she could do against Randall and those fucktards?
Going against everything I’d been ruthlessly and sadistically taught over my life, I’d snagged her as soon as I had seen her go down.
The guards knew better than to try and take her from my arms as I carried her out and back to my temporary rooms. One glare, and they shut the fuck up.
To them, I was their worst nightmare because I policed Maikel when he stepped out of line.
She should be thanking her fucking lucky stars I happened to be walking through the hall when they were sorting the girls.
The man towering over her was already swinging his leg back in preparation for a fatal blow.
There was no way she would have survived that kind of hit on top of her battered body.
How her spirit remained intact, I had no fucking clue. I hated her for it as much as I was drawn to her because of the fire in her soul.
I’d brought her to my room, had the Doc on hand look over her, and waited. Hours passed before she woke up, and I started worrying they’d done too much damage. Maybe even permanent damage.
Then, in a bout of reckless courage and na?ve altruism, she walked right out with that rat bastard.
And told me to fuck off!
I was the only one who had tried to do anything kind for her. At my own expense, not that she knew that.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I nearly threw it against the wall as I ripped it out.
“What the hell do you want?” I growled, glaring at the closed door.
“That’s not any way to greet your favorite brother,” Andre drew out on the other end of the line.
He had been my favorite brother. Until two years ago. Now he could go suck a disease-infested dick.
“If you weren’t aware, I’m on a job for Vicente. Something or someone better be burning down to the ground for you to be calling me.” I perched on the edge of the bed, half-distracted by thoughts of foolish little Amorette.
She was a mess. Her bruised and battered body was a collection of mottled and darkening marks.
The side of her face had definitely taken the brunt of Randall’s fury, and her hair was a tangled nest. Still, I could see why they’d chosen her.
Underneath all the swelling and grime, she was still stunning.
Maikel had been right. There was too much fire in her to last long here. Her days were numbered as surely as she breathed. And every spark of life she showed would chop away at what little time she might have left.
Why did I care?
I didn’t. I couldn’t.
It was ridiculous for me to even try to help her when I did. Especially after my parting words to her.
Andre cut the bullshit small talk. His direct approach was something I’d always liked about him. Before…
“Grey’s off on a bender. If we don’t get him under control, Vicente is going to have his head. This was his last warning.”
Ice filled my veins. “Who was the dealer that supplied him?”
Grey wasn’t a user. Not in the way people assumed. He didn’t use at all unless he wanted to burn the world down, which had been too often lately. Just because we had an uneasy fondness for him didn’t mean Vicente would spare him any mercy.
“None of yours that I’m aware,” Andre said in a droll tone. “Although he’s currently fighting his way through Vicente’s prized soldiers.” He paused. “The ones who guard the mansion.”
Fucking hell.
Which meant Grey wasn’t even at our compound.
Shit, man. Why did Andre even bother with him anymore? He was the crazy one, and he endangered anyone around just because he could. It was useless.
I was at a point in my life where I’d given up. I was never leaving, and the best I could do was lose any attachments Vicente could use against me. Grey was a very bold attachment that wouldn’t stay in the closet if I locked him in.
The fucker would fight his way through the door.
“And what do you want me to do about it?” My voice wavered and I knew Andre heard it. Shit, man. I hated this life. Spinning around, I landed a swift kick to the chair I’d been sitting in, feeling moderately vindicated as it flew across the room.
“Did that make you feel better?” Andre asked in a tired voice. The bastard.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Of course he’d heard, but I wasn’t ready to acknowledge it.
“The piece of furniture you just destroyed. It was too big of a crash to be anything smaller than an end table. Don’t worry, I’ll reimburse Maikel if he tries to bring it to Vicente.
” Exasperation was all over Andre’s voice.
It almost made me smile, except I was full of fear, and my body trembled for a very different reason.
Then there was Amorette, who walked out on my protection to let Randall torture her. Bitch . I couldn’t save those who didn’t want it. I learned that lesson fucking years ago.
Why was she even a blip on my radar? She was going to be used, abused, and killed just like all the other girls here. That tiny woman was no different.
“Maikel won’t make any complaints. He’s been skimming the profits for months. Last night at dinner, he all but admitted it when I reviewed my findings with him.”
The funny thing about working for Vicente, we were thugs.
Gangsters. Whatever society deemed low-life criminals who ran the most successful organizations in the world.
But, we were intelligent thugs. Parker, Andre, Grey, and I, especially.
Vicente had all the best tutors come in when we were growing up, ensuring we were all well-versed in business, languages, and economics.
Because what were drug sales without supply and demand?
I sneered at the idea. It was true, but it was still despicable.
“Fine. But if I hear any whispers of trouble, uncle or not, he won’t see the light of day again. I have to go. Hopefully Parker’s around to help me get Grey under control.” Andre sighed.
The beep echoed in my ear and I threw the phone onto the bed. It bounced harmlessly against the pillows where Amorette had just been ten minutes earlier.
That bitch had a death wish.
And I was a masochistic idiot who wanted to go save her.
I paced around the room, almost tripping over the edge of the bed because I was that much of a fucking f?ne .
A knock came at the door, and a part of me hoped it was the kid bringing Killer back, that she had changed her mind.
I snatched the phone up and slid it in my hoodie pocket.
Phones were data, and in this business, data was leverage.
Like hell, would I willingly leave any leverage for anyone in this prison to find.
When I swung the door open, I was sorely mistaken. Maikel stood there brushing the lint off of his long-sleeved buttoned-down shirt. He smiled and straightened his collar as I pushed past him.
“Not now,” I growled and marched down the hallway. I shouldn’t have answered Andre’s call. As much as I wanted to help him with Grey, I couldn’t, and it tortured me.
Sighing, I focused on the one thing I could do and hoped like hell it didn’t backfire in my face.
“Lafe, son. Wait up. Where are you running off to?” Maikel called after me as his hurried footsteps rushed to catch up. I did not need him following me. He would stop me. Or…he’d try to.
Because I was the bastard of the bunch, I flipped him off over my shoulder. The way he constantly tried to kiss my ass grated on my nerves, and I wished Vicente would give the order.
There might have been the smallest shred of loyalty between the brothers, but not much.
It would only take one colossal fuck up to make Vicente wash his hands of him.
There were a dozen men in the institution who were ready and willing to take his place.
They’d run the business harder, make more profit, and dominate the space.
If I shared my report with Vicente, this could be the end of it for Maikel.
If.
But there was something I’d rather have.
I jogged down the hallway toward the torture room. Randall wouldn’t wait. With her dumbass attitude, he was about to break her. I knew his signs. He was a predictable motherfucker.
The hall was mostly empty now that the girls had been sorted. The fans to keep the temperature down blared through the space covering up any conversation from the handlers.
Shit, that wasn’t good. The room wasn’t soundproof. Randall wanted everyone to know exactly what happened to those who displeased him. And for the girls, he wanted them to know what awaited them once it was their turn. With the fans on…That meant he had something special planned.
I skidded across the concrete floor as I approached a circle of handlers close to the room.
I was wrong, they hadn’t even made it to the room.
Whatever was happening was taking place in the hall.
Most of the men wore hunger and rage with pride as they flexed their hands and cracked their necks.
A few on the far side were rubbing their erect dicks through their slacks.
Shoving men out of the way, I forced my way to the center.
Shouts went up around me.
“This isn’t for you, Laugh,” one punk ass kid sneered and spit on the floor. The handlers laughed like he’d actually done something.
If my anger wasn’t already reaching a boiling point, that would have done it.
No one mocked my name like that. “Would you like to die today? Or would you rather wait for death to creep up on you when you least expect it?” I slowly turned toward him.
The shaking in my arms shifted to my legs as I watched for his next move.
He was too cocky to figure out that attacking me was a mistake.