Malachi #5
“I can stay for a little longer,” I whisper softly into the space between us, not wanting to disturb the peace that has settled over us. “By the way, happy one month anniversary, Kitten,” I add, tilting my head up for a kiss.
“Happy anniversary, Khayos,” he mumbles, placing soft pecks on my lips and across my jaw.
He relaxes beside me as we lay cuddled together under the blankets, in our spot. ‘I can’t fall asleep here,’ I think to myself, ‘I’ll just stay here till he’s asleep and then I’ll go. I’ll just catch up on sleep after my shift.’
Thinking about my plans, I feel Kai’s breathing slow as he shifts against me, nuzzling into my hair.
‘Mmm, so warm and comfy,’ I sigh, feeling myself start to relax.
‘Just a few more minutes, then I gotta go. But I don’t wanna go cuz God, layin’ here with him just feels so good,’ I think as my eyes flutter closed.
Minutes later, I hear an annoying ringing sound and start shifting around to find it.
I can’t move because there’s a heavy weight on me.
‘What the fuck, get offa me,’ I think. With the sun coming through the van windows, I rub my eyes looking around blearily for my phone.
Taking in my surroundings through sleep filled eyes I snap awake.
My eyes land on Kai as I fumble to turn on my phone. Seeing the time, panic floods my veins. “FUCK!!! KAI! I fell asleep! I gotta go. Fuck fuck, fuck!” I mutter as I throw on my shirt and slip on my shoes.
As I toss my stuff in my bag, making sure I don’t forget anything necessary, a sleepy Kai sits up and gently grabs my hand, mumbling, “Calm down, it'll be fine.”
I pull him in, kissing him hard, “Don’t think so Kitten. I gotta go, I’ll text ya when I know what’s happenin’, okay?” I say, pulling away. As I move towards the door I feel him grab my wrist.
I turn back, seeing the worry in his eyes, “Stay safe,” he says, fidgeting with the blanket and chewing on his bottom lip. I can tell he needs something more from me to settle whatever nerves he’s feeling.
Turning back to him, I climb over, straddling his lap and push a curl off his forehead. Pressing a gentle kiss to the spot, “I’ll be safe. I promise. Stay by your phone,” I say as I crawl off him with a wink and leave the van.
I speed walk to the front of the house before breaking into a run. This is when I realize that I forgot my backpack in my need to reassure my Kitten that I will be okay. Patting my pocket as I round a corner, I find that I thankfully have my phone and cigarettes.
‘I have to get there and hope like hell he hasn’t talked to Nik yet,’ I think, slowing to a walk, chest heaving as I reach for the door.
Malachi
‘Where the fuck is Niky!? I’m gonna kill him.
It’s 6 am, and I’m stuck here. When I get my hands on him he’s gonna be in a world of pain,’ I think as I hear Niky’s voicemail start again.
Slamming my fist on the counter, I give up and call Ollie.
He answers on the third ring, sounding groggy from sleep.
I tell him to get his ass down here so I can get the fuck outta here.
I’m stuck until he shows up but I shouldn’t even be here in the first place, but that will be handled soon enough. I pace the front of the store while I wait for Ollie to show up and when he finally does, I shove him towards the counter and storm out the door heading home.
Like a lion finally free from its cage, I take a deep breath digging the keys from my pocket before throwing a leg over the seat of my Harley.
I pause, pulling the vial of coke from my jacket pocket.
Tapping some out, I snort the bump off the back of my hand and wipe my nose as I start the bike.
Revving the engine before I pop the kickstand up and head off.
‘Time to knock some heads together,’ I think, gritting my teeth.
Slamming open the front door, I find Niky casually sitting at the kitchen table, leisurely eating cereal.
Rage boils my blood as I clear the distance in two steps, shoving the table out of the way to yank him up by the arm.
The fear filling his eyes fuels my anger and I pull my arm back, fist clenched, ready to fuck this kid up.
“WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SITTING HERE EATING CEREAL?!?! YOU SHOULDA REPLACED ME HOURS AGO??!!??” I scream in his face, shoving him back into the kitchen wall.
Fist poised to fly, I let go of his arm and wrap my hand around his throat, lifting him off the ground. His face contorts, eyes wide as he fights to breathe. He scrabbles to pry his fingers under my grip while his feet flail to find purchase beneath him.
‘Beg for it, beg me to let you go, you little shit,’ I think, dropping my hand as his face turns red. I watch as he falls to the floor, disdain flooding my face. Satisfaction fills me as he rubs at his throat, choking out coughs while gulping down air and trying to talk.
“Mmmm-mad–Maddox’s s’posed to be there,” Niky manages to choke out in a croaky whisper.
My ears perk up, crouching down, “What did you say?” I ask, fisting his shirt, lifting him from the floor so that he is nose to nose with me.
Nicky takes a couple of deep breaths, “Maddox was s’posed to cover me this morning. I needed to do something with the guys last night.”
Letting him go, he falls back to the floor with a thud as I stand up, running my hands through my hair, ‘Oh, this is perfect! Maddox, huh?…I got ‘im now. This time that little faggy runt is done,’ I think. Moving quickly outta the kitchen, I throw open Maddox’s door ready to lay into him, but as the door slams into the wall cracking the plaster, I find no one in the room.
In fact, it looks like no one has been there in a while.
‘Where the fuck is he? He knows he’s supposed to be here or work. Fuck! Okay, Mack, think.’ As my thoughts race, I pull the vial out of my pocket and do another bump before heading back to the kitchen. Niky is still on the floor, sitting against the wall rubbing at his throat.
Sneering, I pull out a chair, flipping it around backwards, I throw a leg over and sit. “Well, he’s not here so where the fuck is he? Someone needs to explain why the fuck he didn’t show up. Someone needs to tell me what the hell is goin’ on.”
Niky set his jaw and rubbed his throat glaring at me. I slammed my fist on the table and he jumped. “Talk, now!” I snarl, pulling a cigarette from my pocket. Lighting it, I inhale as I watch him look at his hand and eye the scars. He knows I will get what I want, he knows he can’t fight it.
Finally, Niky rolled his eyes and looked at me, “Fine, Dax was supposed to cover for me, but he said he also had plans last night. I think he was out with his boyfriend again,” he said non-chalantly with a shrug of his shoulders.
My eyes go wide at his words, “What d’ya mean boyfriend? Men don’t do dicks in this family unless we’re jacking off. Boy, you better be lyin’.”
Niky looks at me with wild eyes now, “What? I don’t have one, he does. What are ya lookin’ at me for?”
“If this is true, you obviously didn’t beat it outta him or let me know so I could,” I growl out, grinding my teeth. “Clearly you knew and since you did nothin’ it’s your fault he’s out there disgracin’ the family with this faggy shit.” I pause, “ Wait…How do you know?”
Nike stood, “I’ll show you, there’s some box in Mel’s room. It used to be in his room, but he put it in her room before juvie. It’s all locked up, always was. I’m guessin’ that’s got somethin’ in it that he don’t want no one to find.”
Dropping my cigarette in Niky’s cereal bowl, “You were done with that right?” I say with a smirk as my face darkens, “show me.”
Melody
I was startled from sleep by the front door slamming into the wall.
Looking over I sigh in relief that my door was closed.
‘Thank God,’ I think, moving slowly, I snuck over to check that it was locked, I froze by my door listening to Mack scream at Nik.
I went completely still to hear what was going on and trying to decide if Mack was on a tear or if he was only going after someone in particular.
‘Not that that’s ever stopped him from taking it out on me before,’ I mutter in my head .
I shudder as sounds of Nik choking in the other room filter through my door.
Breathing as quiet as possible, I listen.
It’s when I hear Nik say Maddox’s name that sends goosebumps down my arms. ‘Fuckin’ snitch!
’ I think. Hearing the door slam in Maddox’s room, I hope that he’s not sleeping.
Trying to stay quiet, I press my ear to the door, trying to find out what’s going on.
The distinct lack of more of my father’s abuse is odd.
Hearing Mack say that Maddox isn’t here, I breathe a small sigh of relief. I start to head back to bed, pausing when I hear Nik say Maddox’s name again. My blood runs cold as I listen to Nik out my twin brother to the biggest homophobe around. ‘Fuck!’ I think, ‘I gotta warn Dax and Kai!’
My thoughts are racing with where Dax could be but time stops when I hear two sets of footsteps coming down the hall.
Quickly looking around the room, I go for the open window and have all but one foot out of the window when I hear my door handle jiggle before being kicked open.
I should have kept moving, but I froze, glancing back into my room and locking eyes with Mack and Nik.
That second of hesitation cost me my escape.
“Melly, honey, we need to talk,” Mack says as he enters my room.
That fake saccharine voice attached to the nickname makes me cringe.
He only uses that name when he wants something from me, usually something I don’t want to give.
He spots me almost out the window and snarls, “Oh no you don’t, you fuckin’ bitch.
Where do ya think you’re goin’? Huh?” Sneering as he lunges across the bed and grabs my foot he drags me back through the window.