Chapter 46
Shay-Lee
“T here’s no way you can get out of those ropes,” Jordan told me, but I ignored him, as I had for the past hour or so, and continued trying to get free. Thus far, other than getting chafed by the ropes, I’d made zero progress.
“The knots are too tight, and you’ve been trying to loosen them for over an hour now.”
“Just shut up,” I shouted and tried moving again for nothing. “Fuck!” Tears started to flow down my cheeks, and I blinked my eyes, trying to make them stop. My life was collapsing in front of me, and I couldn’t do shit about it because I was tied to a stupid chair while Camilo was being tortured. My stomach flipped, and I felt sick with the mere thought.
“I just can’t do nothing while he’s there. I just can’t.” I broke down, my face hot from sweat and tears.
“I understand that it’s hard for you, but what you’re doing clearly isn’t working.”
My eyes snapped open, and furious, I stared straight ahead. “You understand?” I hissed. He sure had guts saying that, considering he never once cared for someone other than himself .
“Yeah, I understand that you’re worried for him, but we better face reality, Shay-Lee. We’re screwed.”
“So what am I supposed to do? Just give up like you did?” I turned to face him, although the room was too dark to actually see anything.
“I-I didn’t give up,” he said in protest.
“Sure you did, ’cause you’re a fucking loser, Jordan.” While speaking, I moved my hands, which were tied behind my back, trying to wriggle out of the ropes. “You always were such a loser. Shit . Just thinking about it pisses me off.”
“D-don’t let your frustration out on me.” His voice shuddered. “I get that you’re angry, but I’m not the reason we’re here.”
His pathetic words made me stop moving, and I breathed through my nose while rage simmered through me. “You’re not why we’re here?”
“N-no.”
“Oh really? Because if I recall correctly, none of this shit would have happened if you hadn’t been a psychopathic liar who helped my father get away with his crimes.”
I heard his chair dragging on the floor before he spoke. “How does that have anything to do with this?”
“It has everything to do with it! If you had just stayed out of my life, as you should have, then Camilo would have never gone to jail.”
He sighed. “You realize you don’t even make sense, right?”
“I make perfect sense.”
If Camilo stayed out of prison, he would have never signed that deal with Dion, meaning he would have never worked for him again and, more importantly, never met Oro. See? Perfect sense.
“Like I said, I’m sorry about your dad, but I was terrified back then. He would have killed me, too, you know?”
“So what?” I snapped, my brain nearly exploding with anger. “You could have at least tried helping me, even afterward. You had the whole trial to stand up for someone other than your own ass, but you didn’t. You didn’t because you’re a coward.” I knew telling him this now was pointless, but I was too angry to stop. Frustrated over life, I let it all out. Besides, lashing out at him was probably the last thing left to do as I waited for Oro to return and shoot us.
“I’m not a coward.”
“Oh, but you are,” I laughed, and my voice danced around us until it died, and we were left to sit in silence.
“I’m not trying to be mean, Jordan. I’m just putting reality in your face. If we’re going to die soon, the very least you could do is take accountability and admit that you’ve never stood up for anyone. Not for me, obviously not for Camilo… not even for that poor girl that killed herself back in high school.” At the time, I might have told him not to blame himself for her suicide. As it turned out, Jordan’s behavior wasn’t a onetime thing of cowardice but a fucking pattern.
“Laura,” he said.
“Huh?”
“Her name was Laura.”
“Whatever. It’s not like it actually matters right now.” I shrugged. “Maybe it did back then, but it’s already too late now,” I muttered, pissed off at him for suddenly pretending to care. Where was this care when I needed it? When I lay in that hospital bed with broken ankles and a father that watched my every move, scaring the living shit out of me?
The sounds of the door opening interrupted the silence a second before all the lights turned on, and Oro stormed in, looking pissed as fuck. In fact, it looked like someone had broken this motherfucker’s nose.
“Time is up, bitch,” he said, eyes focusing on me before he circled the chair and began untying my arms.
“What do you mean?” I asked, voice choked with nerves.
“It means you’re going to die, asshole, and I’m going to enjoy every second of it.”
Oro released the knot tying me to the chair before he forced me to stand up. And while I was able to walk, my hands were still tied behind my back. The thought of making a run toward the door crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it when the fucker pulled out the gun from his pants and shoved me with it.
“You seem nervous. Is everything alright?” I tried making small talk when he grunted.
“Shut up and move your ass, bitch.”
“W-wait. I need to—” I turned to face him but choked once I faced the barrel.
“You were saying?” he asked, one brow raised.
“Yes.” I coughed. “I… I need to pee.”
That’s smart . And half true.
“Seriously?”
“Well, yeah, I’ve been tied to this chair for hours.”
Oro tsked. “Who the fuck cares about going to the bathroom before getting shot?”
“I do.”
“Why?”
I rolled my eyes. “Sorry for not wanting to be covered in piss when they find my body.”
Tapping his shoe, Oro looked down at the floor and used the moment to glance at Jordan, who, for some reason, had sat still without uttering a single word ever since Oro returned. Was I too harsh with him before? Now I felt bad about it.
“Fine,” Oro finally said, catching my attention back. “I’ll let you pee, but then that’s it, and you’re dead.”
“How are we going to do it, then?”
“What do you mean?” He frowned.
I looked down at my crotch. “How am I supposed to pull it out with my hands tied behind my back?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Oro closed his eyes and pressed the handle of the gun to his forehead. “Ain’t no way I’m touching your cock.”
“So untie me. ”
“No.”
“Then you’ll have to hold my dick—”
“Fine!” he snapped and moved toward me. “I’ll tie your hands in front of you, then you can hold your dick yourself. Okay?”
“Thank you,” I said, a cheeky smile plastered to my face.
I turned around and gave Oro access to my wrists as he began untying me. After he released my hands, he moved them in front of me and started tying them back, except unlike when he released me, now he needed both hands to do it, so he lowered his gun. Apparently, this dude was as dumb as he looked if he bought this whole “I gotta pee” thing. The second the gun was out of my face, I seized the moment and punched the idiot. The gun fell from his hand, and so I moved to catch it, but I was pushed to the floor. I fell on my face right before this freak jumped on me.
“You little fuck!” I tried hitting him when he pulled my fucking hair. Fuckkkk . “Get off of me,” I shouted, the veins in my neck bulging. Sending my hands back, I hit the fucker until he finally released my hair from his fists. My first instinct was to reach and check I didn’t have any bald spots, but then he scratched me with his nails. Actually scratched me . I turned my head to shout that he fights like a bitch, but his arm was right there, so I parted my lips and sank my teeth into it with all my might. He cried in pain as I continued to bite him so hard my mouth filled with his blood, and I didn’t let go until I ripped a piece of his skin.
“Fuck!” he cried as I spat it out, blood dripping down my chin.
Satisfied, I fixed my hair and wiped my lips. “Not so cocky now, are you—”
My words cut off as I felt a sharp stab in my thigh, and I looked down to see the fucker had stabbed me with a knife. While not too deep, it hurt like a bitch, but before I could recover, he reached for the gun. I tried standing up to catch him, only to fall down, and by then, he’d already grasped the gun in his hand.
Shit .
“You really are one cunning slut, aren’t you?” he hissed, the sound of the gun loading following his words.
I sighed in defeat. At least I tried .
“Just… make it quick,” I said.
Oro’s finger slid to the trigger, and he was about to pull it when—
“Let me do it.”
Shocked, I looked at Jordan, who finally chose to speak up.
“What did you say?” Oro half glanced at him while still pointing the gun at my face.
With cold eyes set on me, Jordan clarified himself. “I said, let me kill him.”
Feeling my heart in my throat, I stared at him, utterly appalled by his request.
Soon, my shock changed into anger, and my fists curled at my sides. “You son of a bitch—”
“Nah-ah.” Oro shut me up with a mocking smile before he tilted his head in Jordan’s direction. “Let’s hear what he has to say.”
Jordan smiled at Oro before looking back at me. “Since we met, all you’ve ever done is take advantage of me. You never saw me as an equal and instead mocked and patronized me. You never loved me, let alone appreciated me, and instead, you used me.” His jaw clenched while he held his chin up. “And to think you talked about accountability… You’re the one who ruined my life, Shay-Lee. I was normal until I met you, and now… Now I can’t think of anything better than to put a bullet in your brain and make you pay for it.”
My throat seized at his confession, and I was left speechless. Here I was, kneeling on the floor like a used rug, with my executioners standing above me, while Jordan had just sentenced me to death, leaving no space for omens.
“Let me do it, Dylan. Let me be the one who kills him,” he asked, voice unwavering.
Oro’s eyes studied me carefully before he slowly moved to look at Jordan, who was still tied to the chair. “Why should I trust you?”
“Because…” A soft smile pulled on Jordan’s lips, a smile I knew all too well. “Because I want to be with you.”
“What?” Oro gasped.
“Why are you so surprised?” Jordan’s brows relaxed into a tender expression, one full of love. “I always liked you, because unlike him, you actually listened to me. You cared for me, and I appreciated it. I appreciate you, Dylan, and I only now realize that it was never our fault.”
“What isn’t?” he asked.
“Them being bad people. Shay-Lee, Diesel… it isn’t our fault they never appreciated us but theirs . And they deserve to be punished for it, Dylan, just like you said.”
Jordan’s betrayal struck me harder than I would like to admit, and for a moment, I hoped Oro would be the one to shoot me, and only so Jordan wouldn’t get the pleasure of killing me. Sadly, it wasn’t about to happen, as Oro then moved to free Jordan. My heart galloped in my chest as I realized this was the end. I’d lost, while they won. Running away wasn’t an option, as there was no way I’d outrun them.
While Oro began to untie my ex, who apparently wanted me dead, too, I thought about everything that he’d just said. Perhaps I did deserve to die. Truthfully, I was the one who ruined his life first, so if there was anyone to blame, it would be me because he learned from the best—
All my thoughts were cut off once Jordan grabbed Oro’s body and threw it over his back in some insane judo-like move. My jaw dropped as Oro’s back hit the floor, and I shouted with excitement while Jordan disarmed him.
“Fuck yeah, bitch!” I roared and pumped my fists in the air like I’d just watched the best fucking touchdown of my life.
“W-what the hell…” Oro grunted before he opened his eyes to see Jordan looming above him. The little shit tried running away, only for Jordan to grab his sorry ass and keep him neutralized.
“You had me fooled,” I told Jordan while slowly getting up to my feet.
Jordan glanced at me over his shoulder, an apologetic smile on his face. “Sorry about that,” he said before his attention was snapped back to Oro, who began wriggling on the floor like the worm that he was.
Satisfied, I walked over there, only stopping to pick up the gun. When Jordan disarmed Oro, he also disassembled the weapon by taking out the magazine. Taking my time, I picked it up and checked it still had the bullets in before clicking it back inside the gun. I knew what to do, thanks to my man, who one night taught me how to work this thing just in case.
Thank you, baby.
Now being the one with the loaded gun in hand, I walked over to where Jordan and Oro were.
“You did good,” I praised Jordan while patting his shoulder.
“Thanks.” He smiled. “We should call the police now.”
While Jordan spoke, my stare locked on Oro’s scared eyes, and I realized how long it had been since I’d last felt like this . Like the one in charge. The predator and not the fucking prey.
Without batting an eye, I pushed Jordan aside and got on top of Oro, my leg stepping on his heaving chest and keeping him down as I loaded the gun in a sharp move.
“Shay-Lee—”
“Where is he?” I asked, completely ignoring Jordan.
“I-I don’t know,” Oro cried, his eyes moving from the gun to me. “P-please, I’m sorry about everything—”
His words were cut short by the sound of a gunshot and replaced with an ear-piercing scream after I blew out his kneecap.
The little worm cried in horror, but not giving a shit about his pain, I bent down until my face was an inch away from his, our eyes locked together. “If you don’t want me to fuck you with this gun, you better start talking, or I swear to God, I’ll shove it deeper than any cock has ever breached that slutty ass of yours.”
Oro’s eyes were red, his face full of snot and blood, as he stared into me with pure fear, his lips trembling nonstop. He still didn’t seem to speak, so I moved my hand down and shoved my fingers into the bullet hole in his knee until he screamed like a bitch.
“Please!” he begged, his high voice scratching the walls. “Please, stop, I’m just a kid, please.”
Immune to his begging, I ignored his cry and leaned close so he’d be able to look straight into my eyes.
“I was a kid, too,” I said before pulling the trigger.
“Jesus Christ, Shay-Lee.” Jordan tsked after I shot Oro again, this time in the other knee. When I told him I’d fuck him with this gun, I wasn’t kidding, as I was well prepared to empty a cartridge into his body until he spoke. Thankfully, we didn’t have to go so far, as he finally spoke up.
“T-they’re keeping him at a warehouse near the old docks,” he cried while sniffing his nose. “H-he’s still alive. D-Dion won’t kill him anytime soon.”
“Do you know the way there?” I asked.
“Y-yes.”
“Good.” I straightened up. “You’ll take us there.”
“What?” he gasped, hardly able to move. “No! I need to go to the hospital.” His eyes dropped to his legs and all the blood coming from them. “I-I could die.”
“You definitely could, so you better take me to Camilo before that happens, right?”
Fear struck his face before he nodded. “W-will you take me to the hospital if I do?”
“Sure.”
“F-fine.” He gulped. “I’ll take you to him.”
“Good.” I turned to look at Jordan, who, in his defense, was handling the situation quite well. “Give him a tourniquet and meet me outside.”
Jordan nodded. “Okay.”
Before leaving Jordan to handle Oro, I reached down and searched his pockets until finding what I was looking for. Staring at the small flash drive, I smiled and slipped it into my jeans.
“Hurry up,” I told Jordan, then skipped over Oro’s useless body and made my way out.
I’m coming to get you, baby.