34. Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Easton
Waking up in a cold sweat, I can’t fucking breathe. My entire body aches from the beating I received. It was only hours ago that they dumped me on my doorstep with instructions to stay away from Dylan and to keep my mouth shut unless I wanted to die. Business will still be as usual, but that’s as far as it goes. If I step out of line, they will leak this to Spade and I will be done for. There’s no running from this or The Cartel.
Seeing Dylan in the window damn near killed me. I wanted to go to her and explain everything, but I couldn’t even stand long enough, let alone take a breath to say a word. I should have told her, should have done so many things differently, but I was terrified and look where that got me; shunned and hated by the ones I care about most. I lost the girl and my best friends who are more like brothers to me.
What hurts the most is none of them let me explain. Not a single one of them asked questions. The video was enough evidence to crucify me. I guess that says a lot about them and what they truly think about me. Have they always thought I was some loose cannon that would kill anything and anyone in sight? That I’m some kind of predator that goes around raping girls and video taping it for fun? All I’ve done over the years is train, kill, and be the best at what I’m paid to do.
Bentley has always told me, not the others, to protect his sister. When did that change? When did I lose his trust? I know the last couple of months we drifted a bit because I was keeping secrets and so far up Dylan's ass, but I have never given him a reason to think I was disloyal to him or to Fatal.
We still never figured out who set Bianca free from the basement. We keep getting hit from all sides. Almost like all of this is one huge distraction or an inner take down to something bigger coming. Am I the only one who sees what’s happening here?
I reach over and growl at the stabbing pain running up my left side as I grind my teeth so hard to get my phone. I can’t even take a breath without wanting to scream bloody murder. Where are my pills? I need something to take the edge off. I’m all about suffering the consequences of my actions but, fuck, this hurts so bad. Finally, after taking ninety million quick breaths just to get the phone, I pull up the thread with the guys. I don’t fucking care if they hate me. If I’m right, and something bigger is happening, then they just left themselves wide open with me being down.
Me: I don’t care how you all feel about me right now, but you need to put The Den on lockdown.
Kingston: Too late.
Ace: Why would we listen to you? Are you the rat?
Bentley: I guess the beating didn’t do you any good.
Antonio: Enough you guys!
Me: What do you mean too late? And fuck you Ace, you know exactly where I was and what I was doing the night we came back from getting the job done. So don’t sit there and play Mr. Innocent. HA. Maybe if you didn’t hit like a bitch Bentley, the beating would have done more damage.
Kingston: It doesn’t matter, you cannot be trusted anymore.
Me: Me? I can’t be trusted. Clearly someone let Bianca out! Did any of you figure out who that was? No. Don’t sit there and place blame solely on me. None of you let me explain, so fuck all of you. Some fucking team you are.
Bentley: I’ll show you a bitch. You’re done!
Me: You are all blinded by the fucking video and not seeing what is happening here. Someone is purposely moving in and taking us out from within. Open your fucking eyes. Secure our shit before we all end up dead.
Kingston: We already did. That’s all you need to know.
Me: So I should expect an ambush? You’re all sitting ducks. We may all have our own skill set, but we work as a team. That’s what we have always been, and they took out the silent killer, leaving you all wide open for the taking.
Bentley: We don’t need you. We will be fine on our own.
Antonio: I’m sorry, but I agree with Eas. That video was sent anonymously at the perfect time. We were so busy worrying about him and Dylan that we left everything and everyone else unprotected. Amy was almost taken at the gas station. If it wasn’t for that biker guy being there, she would be gone.
Bentley: Shut up Antonio. For all we know, he’s working with the enemy. We all saw the video.
Me: You’re a fucking idiot, Bentley. I’m done with this conversation. You don’t want to let me explain? Fine, that's on you.
Bentley: There’s nothing to explain. Everything we need is in the video.
Me: Whatever you say, man.
Kingston: I want to hear it.
Antonio: So do I, we may be a team but you don’t speak for all of us Bent.
Bentley: I’m the leader. What I say, goes.
Antonio: Well, if that’s the case. Fuck this.
Kingston: Same. This is not trial and execution. He has the right to explain. We are more than just a team. We’ve known each other our entire lives and that’s been for a reason. We don’t turn our backs on one another.
Me: It’s fine, you guys. He’s the leader. Follow what he wants. This should’ve never happened to begin with. You beat the shit out of me without thinking. We just blindly follow the leader into damnation and where did it get all of us?
Ace: This is bullshit! You hurt her, you raped her and you lied. What is there to explain? We saw it.
Me: You, out of all people, should know the answer to that. Think about it. Dumbass.
Bentley: Fuck this. It’s him or me! Choose.
Me: Wow. You really are something else. I’m out. This was pointless.
Kingston: I’m not choosing shit. Everyone needs to cool down.
Antonio: I’m out.
Antonio Roselli has left the chat.
Me: You are all letting whoever is responsible for this win. I’m out! This is pointless.
Kingston Marks has left the chat.
Sighing, I grit my teeth, clenching my jaw so tightly as I roll out of my bed, dropping onto the floor, trying not to scream from the pain in my knees, neck, back, and ribs. Wrapping my arm around my middle hoping it would relieve some of the stabbing pain but it doesn’t. I let go, gripping onto my mattress for support, trying to lift myself from the floor. I finally stand on wobbly legs and make it to the bathroom.
Turning the shower on, I let the water pelt against my bruised skin. I wash my body to the best of my ability without fucking screaming in absolute agony. I need my fucking pain pills. I step out of the shower and wrap myself with a towel as I take in my appearance in the mirror. My face is all sorts of fucked up. The swelling in my eyes is going down slightly but not by much. I take a slow deep breath and instantly grab onto the sink. Fuck, this hurts.
Grabbing the cup from my vanity, I fill it with water and go to my desk, removing a few pills from the drawer. I take a sip and pop the pills into my mouth, swallowing them down. I stand in front of the window, looking at her blinds, wishing she didn’t block me out.
As I wait for the pills to kick in before I can get dressed, I pull up the message thread with her and scroll up to the night of her rape, screen shotting the conversation as proof for later. To show I was lured out to the academy that this wasn’t a plan I had any part of. Scrolling back down, I hover over the picture she sent me in nothing but a thong and my racing jacket. My dick twitches under the towel at the sight of her. I need to get her back. I just need her to let me explain.
Me: Hellcat, I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I hurt you and betrayed your trust. You probably hate me, and never want to speak to me again, but you deserve to know the truth. All of it. The night you were taken, I was waiting for you to show up. Hours went by and you never showed. I stepped outside to text you in which you replied, luring me to the academy with your usual games. I didn’t think anything was amiss other than you calling me big boy. Once I arrived, I was sent a video of them beating you and I ran into that academy completely blind, not knowing where you were, but knew that you were hurt.
Me: Once I reached the floor you were on, they held a gun to my head, beat the shit out of me, knocked me out and when I woke up, you were tied to a bed with a sac on your head. They forced me to do those things to you. They held the gun to my head, calling the shots. I didn’t know they would take it as far as they did, so I knocked you out once they ordered me to rape you. I didn’t want you to feel me. I didn’t want you to experience our first time together like that. I would never hurt you. All I was trying to do was protect you from what little that I could. They ripped me from you and zip tied me to a chair and made me watch each and every one of them touch what didn’t belong to them.
Me: You woke up at one point fighting back and I was so proud of you. I wanted to be set free so badly so we could take them down together, but you kept screaming and they couldn't have that, so they drugged you again and then drugged me. I woke up in my car and immediately tried to find you. Bentley had texted me as I pulled into my driveway, letting me know you were home and had been all night, and that’s when I texted you and let you lie to me. I tried to come clean so many times, but I was terrified of losing you. And now look where that got me. You’re gone and I’ll never get to hold you again.
Me: I’m sorry Dylan. I’m so fucking sorry that I’m a coward and never told you. I don’t know what else to say other than I’m so fucking sorry and I love you. I’ll never stop fucking loving you. Now you know the truth, whether or not you believe me is up to you.
Me: I will leave you to live your life in peace and hope you heal from all of this. I wish you nothing but the best and know there will never be another love for me. You were it, until my dying breath. I love you now, forever and always. -Easton
I hit send and wipe the tears from my eyes. I’ve never cried over a girl before. Matter of fact, I don’t ever fucking cry, but this, this hits emotions I didn’t know I possessed. Taking a deep breath, the meds finally kick in. I get dressed and lay back down, shutting my eyes for a bit, hoping that one day she will forgive me, even if it is too late.
A few days go by and everyone has been radio silent. I keep taking the pills to function and adding a bottle of vodka with it. Tomorrow is race night with The Midnight Rider and some clowns from the new crew that rolled into town not too long ago. I haven’t left the house other than to attend classes. I’ve watched Dylan come and go from my window and it’s killing me that she won’t even look up at me, nor has she unblocked me. She still doesn’t know the truth, and it’s starting to really piss me the fuck off.
Needing to clear my head, I take my bike out for a ride and gas up before tomorrow’s race. One thing I’ve noticed on my drive is someone following me. At first, I didn’t think anything of it until I purposely took us in a huge circle leading to the gas station. Shutting the bike off, I remove my helmet, heading inside, I ask the attendant for the key to the restroom to take a leak.
Before I leave the bathroom, I check for my knives just in case I need to protect myself from whoever it is following me. Feeling better knowing I’m armed, I grab a drink and snack, paying for them along with the gas for my bike. I notice how dead this usually busy gas station is. Something isn’t right. I nod a thanks to the attendant and step outside to a gun being cocked and pressed harshly against my temple.
“Walk to the truck and get in.” He says and I nod, knowing this is the end of the road for me. Taking out my phone as I walk to the truck, I send one last message, knowing damn well she will never get it, but needing to send it anyway.
Me: I love you until my last dying breath.
Bang, bang…