8. Wyn
Wyn
Rico’s eyes dart to my hand clutching the mirror shard. I squeeze it harder, making more blood ooze out of my palm.
He eases his own hands out, like I’m a rabid dog. Composed, but I know it’s an act. He’s finally out of his element. Auty was always the suicidal one, not me.
“Snow,” he mutters, taking a step toward me.
“I’ll do it. I swear I will.” What exactly? I don’t know. Lowkey, I could just jab my throat and end it all.
He must see me weighing my options, because he takes another step.
“This is what you wanted right? For me to kill myself?” I lift the shard to my neck.
He straightens, too, the flicker of emotion leaving his face.
His whole body relaxes in fact, as his posture turns casual.
“Do it.”
I blink at him. He takes three more steps until he’s mere feet away.
“You don’t think I will?” I press the shard into my neck. It breaks the skin easily, it's so sharp, and I flinch.
He shrugs. “Do it, Snow. Exert more pressure then drag it across your neck. It doesn’t surprise me that you’re a coward.”
“A coward?!” My hand drops to my side. The blood dripping from my hand is audible.
“Yeah, you a cowardly bitch. No coke around, no weed. No heroin. Still wanna be numb, so do it. Good riddance. Maybe I will breathe again once you’re gone.”
Fuck. It’d been so long since Rico truly cut me down. The veiled threats here and there are nothing compared to how low he can truly go.
I’d gotten glimpses when we were together. When he’d get upset and catch himself.
This, though… this vitriol.
My left eye begins to twitch. Oh, how I wish I could cut him down. The words are there, brewing on my tongue, but they feel like another language. And I know it wouldn’t be enough.
He’d never hurt like me with just words.
I puff out my chest, and lift the shard to the other side of my neck.
“You did this to me,” I whisper, a tear escaping my lid.
Time slows down as he launches himself toward me.
My teeth clench. All that bravado and he was just calling my bluff.
His angle is so unclear. His hatred for me is so palpable it fills the room, and yet, he’s bounding toward me, ready to save me.
Or save Auty’s feelings.
Envy roars through me again. All these years, and I never felt like this. I didn’t care that they were close. I didn’t care that she took my friends away from me. I found new ones.
God, I feel everything.
I’m already tired of it.
I’m already over it. Over feeling. Being the only one who’s feeling it.
He needs to feel me, too.
Just as he ducks to tackle me, I swipe down with all my strength. He knocks me into the wall as he cries out in pain, before stumbling back, both hands on his bloody face.
Both hands covering his right eye. Dark red liquid pouring from between all ten of his fingers.
His other eye stretches beyond its socket as he gapes at me, mouth open.
I think we’re both surprised more than anything.
“Oh shit.” I drop the shard onto the floor.
Rico’s teeth snap together as a growl erupts from his chest.
“You fucking BITCH!”
I scramble out of the way, climbing onto the bed as he charges toward me. Blood ripples through the air as he lets go of his face, but I turn around. Adrenaline has kicked in, and he left every door open in his haste to get to me.
My bare feet slap onto the floors as I pump my arms as hard as I can. He’s stumbling behind me, knocking into walls as he roars and curses me.
But the door to the suite is right there. Wide open. Waiting for me.
A slick hand clamps onto my arm and whips me into the sitting room at the last second. I scream out in frustration, but it’s cut off abruptly by two hands squeezing my neck.
My eyes balloon, both at the lack of air, and how bad Rico’s face is.
I cut him something serious.
A long gash cuts through his eyebrow, lid, to right before the apple of his cheek. Most of his face is covered with blood, but the rage in his good eye is still front and center.
“YOU STUPID BITCH!” he shrieks, lifting me by the neck and throttling me around. “LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY FACE!”
My hands scratch at his wrists, but he just tightens his hold and brings me into his space.
I refuse to let him snap my neck like this, so I take my palm and mash his cut.
He cries out, dropping me to cover his face.
Air rushing into my lungs feels like a burning sensation, but I cough through it, crawling on my hands and knees. I reach the coffee table, and use it to stand up, grabbing the look book in the middle.
Swinging my body around, I gain momentum and whack Rico on his cut again, making him drop to his knees.
“I HATE YOU!” I scream, my throat raw from him choking me. I hit him again as he palms his face.
“NOW YOUR OUTSIDE CAN MATCH HOW UGLY YOU ARE ON THE INSIDE!”
My body feels like it’s on fire. Distantly, I hear footfalls and shouts, but I can’t look away from Rico, cowering on the floor.
Who’s the coward now?
The power I feel is indescribable. I seriously doubt that anyone, dead or alive, has ever brought Richard Alvarez to his knees.
No one except me.
Sheesh, this is the wrong time to get turned on by myself.
A chuckle breaks me out of my reverie. Rico’s back quakes with laughter, making my face scrunch up.
Then, in one quick movement, I’m on my back.
Rico’s hands are around my neck again, but this time, he alternates between squeezing and picking me up to slam me back onto the floor.
“I’ma murk every muthafucka who loves you, Snow. A short list, but I’ll still have a ball,” he snickers.
When I try to palm his face again, he leans up, extending his arms so far his elbows lock.
Thankfully, multiple men grab him off of me just as black dots swarm my vision.
“Cuff that fucking bitch and put her in my room!” he bellows.
The man with the hoop earring lifts me from the floor. “Her hand is bleeding–”
“I DON’T GIVE A FUCK! ON MY MAMA THAT BITCH BETTER BE CUFFED TO MY HEADBOARD OR IT’S OVA WITH! JUEGAS CONMIGO SI QUIERES CAbróN!” He lets the other men drag him out of the room, but he only has eyes on me.
He wipes the bottom half of his face, but since his hands are saturated with blood, it doesn't do anything. Still, he does it and grins. “I got you, Snow. You know I always get mines on the back end!”
“You got him good on his face.”
I turn to the man, hugging myself as the adrenaline finally leaves my body in shivers.
He grins, and gestures for me to follow him. “He’ll need stitches. Let’s get you cleaned up before you guys have round two.”
I take tentative steps after him, thankful we turn left toward the rest of the house, and not right toward my bedroom.
Nan is in the hallway, shaking her head at me. She mutters something in Spanish, and I duck my head, somehow knowing she’s chastising me.
The man says something back, and guides me past her, to another hallway, then what looks like a primary bedroom.
“Don’t trip about her,” the man says, pulling me into a bathroom. He finds the first aid kit easily, and silently cleans my hand and bandages it. I’m dumbfounded as he leaves me in the bathroom, only to return with some towels and some folded clothes.
“I’ll be right outside. You got ten minutes.”
Autopilot kicks in as I shower. All the fight has left me. I’m glad I’m out of that godforsaken room, but now, seeing glimpses of the rest of the house, I know how futile me trying to escape really is.
This nigga has henchman. Guys in pajamas and some in tactical gear that listen to him and do his bidding.
I’m never leaving here.
Resigned to my fate, I dry myself quickly and put on the men's t-shirt and sweats. The man is waiting outside when I’m done, and I let him lead me to the bed. I lay down, and sigh as he cuffs me to the iron rods.
“Look, pretty girl. Rico would have killed you weeks ago if that’s what he wanted to do. You may be missing some fingers or toes, but you gon’ live.”
“Doubt it, but thanks.” I throw him a brittle smile, but he returns an earnest one.
“Trust me, we all been taking bets and honestly, I won the pool. All the other cousins bet you’d be dead before the first week was out. You got heart, and he respects that. You’ll be straight.”
He taps my shin before ambling over to the door.
“Wait!” I call out, not ready to be alone. “What’s your name?”
He turns just as he reaches the doorway. “If I see you again, I’ll tell you.” He winks, and closes and locks the door behind him.
I deflate, melting into the soft bed. My eyelids become heavy, and even though I know I shouldn’t fall asleep, and that this may be the last time I ever fall asleep again, I still let it take me, praying for a quick and merciful death along the way.