16. Chapter 16
Mano closed his eyes and let out a long breath. He’d made himself look weak on purpose. Let Ody think he was all talk. Let him think he folded the second things got difficult. Risking Ody’s safety wasn’t an option.
The next morning, Ody woke up knowing they’d come for him again.
“Morning,” he greeted his friends outside the classroom.
“Morning. You okay?” Steve asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”
“Nothing, man. Just asking.”
“Coffee after class?” Chris asked.
“Uh… yeah, sure.”
As they walked inside, Kash passed Ody and slipped a note into his hand.
Ody kept his expression neutral, not wanting anyone to notice. He sat down, unfolded the note, and read it. Meet me in the backyard after class. If you don’t show, you know what’ll happen to Mano.
“What’s that?” Steve asked.
“Nothing. Trash.” Ody crumpled it and tossed it in the bin.
On the way back to his seat, he glanced at Kash. Kash gave him a small signal with his eyes, his friends right beside him, one on each side.
When class ended, they gathered their things.
“Let’s go,” Chris said, reminding them about coffee.
“You guys go ahead. I’ll catch up. I need to call Anna,” Ody lied, heading toward the backyard, a barren corner behind the building where no one usually went.
He arrived first, pacing. When they appeared, he braced himself.
“Glad to see you’re obedient,” Kash said, smug as ever. “Hope you’re not still upset about the water.”
“Let’s get this over with,” Ody muttered, earning laughter from the group.
“A little eager today. Don’t tell me you’re starting to like the way we treat you,” Kash teased.
Ody shoved him hard.
Kash’s face darkened as he slowly turned back to him. “How’s your buddy Mano? Maybe we should drop by and say hello,” he sneered, pretending to walk away.
Ody grabbed his arm. “I…” He exhaled hard, voice shaking. “I’m sorry.”
“I want you to mean it,” Kash demanded.
Fury burned beneath Ody’s skin. His chest tightened as the silence stretched for several long seconds.
“Let’s go, guys,” Kash said.
“Sorry!” Ody shouted, eyes squeezed shut, ashamed of himself.
Kash chuckled, leaning close. “Look me in the eyes…” he commanded.
Ody forced his eyes to meet Kash’s stare.
“…And say it again.”
Ody swallowed hard. Humiliation. That’s what this was. Breaking him.
“Last chance,” Kash said. “Say it, or we visit your friend.”
Ody inhaled slowly, steadied himself, then whispered, “I’m sorry.”
A sly grin appeared on Kash’s lips, and relief almost hit Ody’s chest.
“Get on the ground,” Kash ordered.
Ody froze. “What?”
“On your knees.”
Ody glanced at the others and took two hesitant steps back.
“Get on the ground and apologize,” Kash repeated.
Ody’s breathing grew shallow. He backed away instinctively, but the group closed in, cornering him against the wall.
“This is the last time I’m asking nicely. Kneel,” Kash said, his voice cold.
“No,” Ody managed, gathering what courage he had left.
Kash shoved him hard, forcing him down while the other two stepped in on both sides, blocking any escape. Ody stayed on his knees in the grass, face turned away. “Let me go.”
“Look at me and apologize.” He grabbed Ody’s face and forced it forward. Ody resisted, but Kash turned to one of his friends. “Record this,” he ordered Pablo, who pulled out his phone.
“No!” Ody lunged to grab it, but Kash stepped between them.
“You recording?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s try this again,” Kash said coldly. “Apologize.”
Ody turned his face away, fighting humiliation.
He wanted to disappear. Sink into the earth. Make the moment stop.
His vision blurred for a second.
“Come on, Stavrinos. Look at the camera,” Kash teased, laughing with the others.
Then a hand snatched Pablo’s phone. Mano slammed it to the ground and stomped on it, shattering the screen.
Before anyone could react, Mano’s fist crashed into Kash’s face. Ody stared, stunned, his eyes still glassy.
“Oh, Jones, you just signed your death warrant,” Kash hissed, wiping the blood from his lip, fury burning in his eyes.
“My fucking phone!” Pablo grabbed Mano by the collar.
“Eye for an eye. Mine’s trashed because of you too.” He shoved him off. Then he extended his hand toward Ody. “Get up.”
Ody hesitated, then took it and pulled himself to his feet.
“You know what’s coming Mano,” Kash said, locking eyes with him. His gaze flicked briefly to Ody before he turned and walked away.
Mano didn’t need clarification. He knew exactly what Kash meant.
He looked back at Ody. His eyes were still glassy, humiliation lingering all over his face. Mano’s hands lifted before he even realized it. “Are you okay?” he asked, cupping his face.
Ody’s eyes locked onto his, vulnerable in a way Mano had never seen before. “I don’t get you. One moment you call yourself a coward, and the next you do this?”
“Listen to me,” Mano said, leaning closer, holding Ody’s face. “I don’t want you to be scared. I need you to be brave.”
“What are you talking about?” Ody asked.
“They’ll come for you. Tonight. They’ll take you somewhere isolated.”
“What?” Ody’s stomach dropped.
“I need you to hold on until I get there.” Mano searched Ody’s eyes, worry written across his face. “I won’t be long. Can you do that for me?”
“Mano, what the hell are you saying? You’re freaking me out!” He pulled away from his touch, fear rising in his chest.
“They threatened me,” Mano admitted. “They said if I tried to help you, they’d do to you what they did to me.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry,” Mano whispered, guilt heavy in his voice. “I didn’t help you yesterday because I didn’t want you to get hurt. But now… when they come, you have to stay strong. Hold on until I get there. I promise, I won’t be late.”
“I don’t understand any of this! What are you talking about?”
“I broke our deal. Now they’re coming after you.”
Around 10 p.m., Ody lay restless on his couch when the intercom buzzed. “Yes?” he answered, heart pounding.
A threatening male voice said, “We’ve got your girlfriend. If you don’t want her hurt, come down now.”
Ody’s stomach dropped at the mere possibility that it was true. He knew how violent they were. He had seen what they did to Mano.
They could be bluffing. But what if they weren’t? The only thing that mattered was getting to her.
“Don’t touch her!” he shouted. He slammed the intercom, threw on his shoes, and bolted down the stairs.
At the building entrance, he yanked the door open. Kash stood waiting.
“Where is she?”
“In the car,” Kash said, tilting his head toward a nearby SUV.
Ody sprinted toward it, Kash following behind. As he neared the car, the back door swung open. Two hands grabbed him and yanked him inside. They shoved him into the middle seat. Kash climbed in after him. The driver locked the doors and hit the gas.
“Where’s Anna?” Ody demanded, his voice shaking.
Kash chuckled, leaning back as the car sped off.
Ody looked around the car. Kash sat on one side of him, another guy on the other. A driver and a passenger in the front. Anna wasn’t there.
Relief washed through him. His stomach twisted a second later. Mano was right.
A few meters behind, Mano followed on his motorcycle, keeping his distance.
They arrived outside the same school where Mano had been beaten. The car doors swung open.
“What the hell do you want from me?” Ody shouted as they pushed him toward the gates.
Four more men emerged from the shadows. The same ones who had beaten Mano, plus two new faces. Eight men total.
Ody’s back pressed against the gate.
“Get inside,” Kash said.
Ody turned, climbed over the gate, and dropped inside. Gravel crunched under his shoes as he landed. The men vaulted over the fence after him and closed in.
Ody’s fear was written all over his face.
“Do you know why you’re here?” Kash asked.
“No,” Ody replied, his voice trembling.
“Because your buddy didn’t do what he was supposed to,” Kash said. “If he’d stayed out of it, you’d be safe right now. But the deal broke this morning.”
“What do you want?” Ody asked, stepping back.
“Stop walking,” Kash said.
Ody continued retreating, his eyes darting between the men surrounding him.
“I said stop walking!”
Ody stopped mid-step.
Seven men stood behind Kash, all staring him down. Mano’s words rang in his mind. Be brave.
Kash stepped closer. “You know, Ody… I never planned on hitting you. We never laid a hand on you, and you know that.”
Ody kept his head turned away.
Kash lowered his voice. “But after what he did, I don’t have a choice.” He raised it again. “These guys don’t show mercy. If I give the word, they’ll jump you.”
Ody swallowed hard. “Why are you doing this to me? I haven’t done anything to you.”
“I know.” Kash shoved him hard. Ody hit the ground. “Do what you didn’t do this morning. Apologize.”
He looked up, horrified. He never imagined he’d end up here… like this.
“If you don’t apologize, I’ll give the word,” Kash said, jaw tight. “Come on, Ody. Just do it.”
Ody stared at him, terrified and silent.
“Get him,” Kash said, never taking his eyes off him.
The seven men advanced.
Ody raised his hands defensively. “Wait—I’m sorry!” he gasped, shaking. “I’m sorry.”
The men stopped at once, waiting.
“Aww, look at him,” Kash sneered. “Such a good kid. Why do we even have to beat him up?”
The group burst into rough laughter.
“But you know how this works, right?” Kash turned back toward Ody. “One apology doesn’t fix everything.” He grabbed Ody by the collar and drew back his fist.
“Hey, boys!” Steve’s voice echoed across the yard.
Everyone turned. Kash let go of Ody.
Twelve men stood behind him, baseball bats resting on their shoulders.
Mano stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. “You’re fucking dead now.”