To Redemption (Whitsborough Chronicles Book 4) Page 4

  I nod because he’s correct, it’s bad enough being young, but owning a pair of tits makes it difficult to order men around. Especially those who think their balls are the size of fucking soccer balls.

  “And now, Carm? How do you feel?”

  “I feel like this would never be what you choose. You found someone you want to spend your life with, maybe start a family. If you were here, doing my job, your kids would be next in line and I know you would want something better for them. Look, you wanted something better for your twin.”

  He’s right again, this is not where I would raise a family and if I did in fact ever take over the Rampage, it would be dismantled in a hot minute.

  “Emmett not being here,” I study his face. “How do you really feel about that?”

  “I wanted him here with me. I didn’t want him running off into the sunset with his-sorry-crazy ass sister and thinking life was peaches. Lose his abilities he took years to master and become complacent in life. Instead, he has people he loves and he is the happiest I have ever seen him. I am jealous I couldn’t provide the same but at the same time I am grateful to you.”

  “And me? What do you see when you look at me? Am I your sister or the best fighter you have?”

  “Both.” He doesn’t hesitate. “When we were in Spain, I went there knowing I cared about you because you were my sibling. It was innate but that was it. I didn’t want harm to come to you because of how important you had become to Emmett and also because we shared blood.” He shakes his head with a chuckle, “I wanted to kill you pretty much every day of that trip. Then, the last few days, I found myself fucking laughing at your antics, even though it was always at my expense. I saw that you weren’t just fearless but you were multidimensional. You had depth so deep, I could drown and you weren’t just strong, you were soft, too.

  “So, yes Ember, you are my best fighter. When I have you in that ring, no matter the type of fight, I am rolling in money. You know it because I send you home with a large chunk of it. But when you are outside of that ring, you’re my baby sister and I don’t know what I would do if anything were to happen to you.”

  “Just know, I would kill for you, Carm. You’re my family and from the day I knocked you out with that gun instead of shooting you, I knew you would be important to me. You’re my big brother, helped me with finding Vin and Travis, moved at my every whim and always the first to protect me. I love you.” I tell him.

  His eyes fill with unshed tears and his cheeks turn pink, “I love you, Hermanita.”

  He runs through some drills with me and helps me tape my hands. Vin walks in with Travis and Emmett not too long after.

  “Where’s Adri?” I ask quickly.

  “She’s watching the other fights happening before yours. I think she’s trying to desensitize maybe?” Travis grins. “Trent is sitting with her.”

  I look quickly to Vin in question, do we trust him? He nods once and I let myself relax. I know Vin would never let anything happen to our family.

  “Are you nervous?” Emmett asks, worry plain as day in his eyes.

  “A bit.” I admit. “Mostly I just want this done because I have a lot of shit to get to at home.”

  Carm and Emmett chuckle while Travis comes up beside me. He pulls me into his arms and tucks my head under his chin. I can feel the tension thrumming through his body and I try to rub soothing circles into his back. I know he hates when I fight and out of everyone, he is the most prone to overthinking.

  “Tell me to whisk you away right now.” He whispers into my hair.

  “I have to show people what happens when they mess with us.” I whisper back, “I could never leave you guys vulnerable.”

  “Okay.” He replies sounding sad.

  “Look at it this way,” I pull back and look up at him with a grin. “I am going to enjoy kicking that scumbag’s ass. He has had it coming from day one. I will not lose, Travis.”

  “There’s no option, Ember. You don’t have a choice. You have to win.”

  I get on my tippy toes and kiss his cheek, “I will never leave you.” I promise him.

  He crushes me back into his chest and I wrap my arms back around his waist.

  “Hey, stop monopolizing my fiancée.” Vin’s raspy growl bursts our little bubble.

  “Fiancée?” Carm looks to Vin and then me.

  “Si Mano, our baby sister is getting married.” Emmett holds his hands to his chest.

  “You don’t know that you’re older!” I stomp my foot, “I can bet I am because you still act pubescent.”

  “What? I trim that shit. Manscape baby!” He gyrates his hips.

  “You’re a fucking idiot.” Carm slaps the back of his head as he makes his way to me and Vin. “Congratulations.” He holds his hand out to Vin, “brother.”

  Vin takes his hand and Carm drags him in for a hug, “in this family we are touchy as fuck.” He chuckles when Emmett jumps on the both of them, hugging them tighter.

  This overpowering feeling rushes my chest and I look to each of them and sigh in contentment.

  My family.

  The energy in this place tonight is molten. I have no other way to describe it. It’s moving slowly but once it hits someone, they are completely covered by the rush. The hot burn to move and filled with a restless energy making it hard to sit still. People pace the aisles and my family paces the perimeter of the cage.

  Molten lava.

  When I admitted to Emmett that I was nervous, it wasn’t about me fighting Wade. It was about them watching me again. I worry about Travis who is so empathic, he can feel everything and Adri who is innocent to this side of my life. I know I will take some hits tonight, I am prepared for that. But I worry that they aren’t.

  I look at my reflection in the mirror and the grin that climbs across my mouth and creeps into my eyes is fucking scary. This Black Slaughter makeup is no joke, I look demonic and I fucking feel like it, too. I have let my anger simmer now for days, and after learning what I have recently, it’s brimming over. I almost feel sorry for Wade, almost.

  I told Carm my portion of tonight’s winnings will go to his wife and child. I refuse to completely ruin their life, and who knows, maybe I am saving it by eliminating him. He agreed and will send a portion of his as well.

  I pull on my sweater and open the door to find Emmett and Carm waiting. “How much longer?” I ask them. I’m eager to have this done.

  “They’re bringing him out now.” Emmett hushes and closes my door.

  I can hear the crowd quiet down. They are probably watching the guy knowing he is Blur’s opponent. But tonight, I’m not Blur. I’m not fighting to the death to settle a score. I’m fighting to protect my family and I from a threat, I’m Black Slaughter.

  I begin to hear a slow chant for Blur and grin because I know they’re bringing Wade to the cage. I’ve given my new name to the MC along with new music. Blur came out to Bodies by Drowning Pool but the Black Slaughter needs her own identity.

  “Welcome back!” The MC booms over the mic. “Tonight we have your favourite fighter in the building!” Chants for Blur grow louder. “Tonight, she’s not Blur.” The crowd falls silent. “Tonight… she is Black Slaughter!”

  The goosebumps I feel breaking out over my skin cause a surge of adrenalin. I am Black Slaughter, I will do anything to protect my family. I can be the monster needed and then reign it in on command. I can do this without losing myself.

  I really hope I can do this without losing myself.

  Skillet’s Monster melody begins over the speakers and the door in front of me opens. I look into two sets of eyes, one so dark they look black and another like the Caribbean ocean but both shining with pride. They turn and begin to lead me towards the aisle. As I pass, people either gasp at my appearance or try to reach out and touch me.

  By the time I get to the cage, Skillet’s screaming about feeling like a monster. Ditto dude. I look inside and see Wade in nothing but a
pair of track pants, his wide toned chest and stomach on display. He’s leaning against the wire of the cage as he casually waits for me to get this going.

  The cage door closes behind me and I throw my sweater to the side, keeping an eye on my opponent. We already know he likes to play dirty.

  “Black Slaughter.” Wade calls out to me. I ignore him like I do all the others and concentrate on regulating my heartbeat and breathing. “I didn’t do it. I didn’t plant a knife on the man that conspired to kill me. If I didn’t do it, that leaves something you don’t want to even fathom. Right? Someone real close to you, betraying you and trying to kill you.”

  I don’t let his words affect me. That’s what he wants so he can finish what he started months ago. I shake out my arms and legs, keeping my muscles warmed.

  “I won’t take it easy on you, but if at any point you want to tap out and end this, I will oblige. I don’t want to kill you, I fucking respect you.”

  His words don’t invoke the usual rage I feel when I am about to fight. It’s there in the base of my stomach but it’s not bubbling its way to the surface. Not that I need it, regardless of what shit spews from his mouth, he has to die for what happened to me. I can’t be seen as weak because I will never know who is watching and planning my demise.

  I barely hear the MC calling the match to start, I’m already running at him. His eyes widen but then a smile spreads across his face. Once I’m in reach, his arms come out to grab me but I quickly side step and punch him on his right elbow. Imagine knocking your funny bone… now imagine that pain times one thousand. He yelps and jumps back out of my way.

  My disadvantage here tonight is that Wade has seen me fight on a few occasions. And although I try to keep my fighting unpredictable, I do have moves I tend to rely on more with men who are bigger than me. This time, I know I have to switch it up. Where I usually play level headed and dodge in the beginning, I now have to flip and try to catch him off guard.

  I swing my leg out for a roundhouse kick and he looks triumphant as he grabs and holds my foot. Perfect. Using the momentum and the strength of him holding my one leg, I swing my other leg off the floor and kick him on the side of his head. We both hit the mat with a loud thud. I’m already on my feet while he gets up to his knee. So far, he really hasn’t tried to hit me or act on the offensive and I need to change that up.

  He jumps to his feet and I swiftly kick out again, catching him in the stomach this time. He bends over and I quickly slam my knee up and into his face, hearing the distinct crack of his nose.

  “That’s it!” He screams as he stands to his full height, his nose dripping blood. “I was being easy on you, but that ends now.”

  Wade may know some of my moves, he may have watched me and learned for just this moment, but he doesn’t know exactly what blood does to me during a fight. I watch transfixed as it runs down over his lips and drips off his chin. The red colour is so bright against his white skin. Time to take this match to the next level.

  He flies towards me, and I dodge both of his hands as they reach to grab me. The heel of my hand shoots out and I hit him under his chin, driving his bottom tooth into his lip. Again, more blood he spits onto the mat. I bounce on the balls of my feet, trying to contain the surge of adrenaline rushing through my body. I want to pound his face so fucking bad but I need to keep a level head.

  “Black Slaughter!” He laughs, “this is absurd. I don’t want to kill you.”

  Then he’s coming at me again, his bare feet making deep slapping sounds against the mat, I move out of the way of his fist but I’m not fast enough and he clips me on my left cheek. I stumble and before I can right myself he punches the back of my head. I hit the mat face down, my hands breaking my fall. I flip quickly onto my back and see Wade is literally on top of me. This is a bad position to be in when fighting a man of his size.

  I kick his left knee and he drops down onto it, his hand flies out to grab my neck but I quickly jerk it to the side. Using my core strength, I lift my upper body and headbutt him in his already broken nose. The headbutt does some damage to me too as I can feel the swelling start on my head. He falls back, both hands clutching his flattened nose and rolls across the mat, trying to get away from me.

  I stagger to my feet and try to blink through the fog creeping into the edges of my vision. The motherfucker hit me good, I can feel the tight ball on the back of my head. He’s on his hand and knees, one hand clutching his shattered nose. I prowl up to him and quickly jump back when he tries to grab at me. I jump behind him and kick him on the back of his neck. He falls forward again and tries to drag himself towards the cage door. I take advantage and stomp down on his left ankle, the crack is satisfying but his scream of pain is euphoric.

  Fucking music to my ears.

  I grab that ankle and grin as he screams some more. I drag him back into the center of the ring, drop his ankle and chuckle as the bounce makes him moan in pain. I straddle his back and reach down to grab a handful of his hair. I lift his upper body, making his back bend in an uncomfortable position.

  “It wasn’t me.” He says as he struggles to breathe. “You need to talk to your brother.”

  “Desperate words coming from a dead man.”

  “I know I’m dead. I’m not getting out of this. I am telling you so this doesn’t happen to you again.”

  I don’t bother to let his words sink in, at this point it’s dragging out the inevitable. My arm comes around his neck almost like a sleeper hold and the other rests against the side of his head.

  “I’ll make sure your family is okay.” I tell him just before I break his neck.

  I watch him fall with a dull thud to the mat, his life shut out forever.

  So why do I still feel like this isn’t over?

  5

  “Daddy!” Rebecca giggles as she runs into her bedroom from her closet. “I need new pajamas, these are getting too small.”

  “That’s because my big girl is growing.” Jack croons.

  I watch them through the cracked door to her bedroom. He’s looking at her like he’s starving and it makes my insides twist with a mixture of terror and disgust.

  “Did you brush your hair?” He asks her while taking a piece and holding it to his nose.

  “Not yet.” She jumps off the bed to grab her brush.

  Her birthday is tomorrow and she’ll be eleven years old. I fear everyday as her body slowly begins to become that of a woman’s. What will he do to her then? What does he do to her now when I am not around?

  “You can’t even lift your arms in that shirt.” Jack chuckles. “Take it off to brush your hair, then you can put it back on.”

  “But I’ll be naked.” Rebecca turns to look at him with a pout.

  “I’m your daddy.” Jack says soothingly. “I’ve seen you naked plenty of times.”

  “Okay.” It’s almost reassuring that she looks a bit uncomfortable. It means she can sense this is wrong.

  She pulls her top off and places it on the vanity top. Her bright blue eyes-identical to his-stares into her mirror as she begins to brush her hair.

  “Lots of tangles.” Jack says as he sits forward on the edge of the bed. He’s watching her so closely.

  “I think I got them all.” She murmurs after a few minutes.

  “Keep going.” He demands and I watch as she visibly swallows.

  I want to go in there, I want to help her but I am a nobody in this house... just a woman. If I go in there and stop this, he will not hesitate to kill me and bury my body in the backyard. Then what could I do? I just have to wait for the perfect moment to act on the plan I have put together. Something that will hopefully save both of the little girls in this house.

  “Turn around and face Daddy as you put that shirt back on.” Jack says in a husky voice.

  She does as he says and I sigh with relief once the shirt is on and she is once again covered.

  She walks slowly to her bed and looks at her fa
ther while she climbs up and under the covers. There’s a slight furrow between her brows as she watches him stand up. Please let her be ready to inform someone about this.

  “Okay, my big girl. Time to sleep. Tomorrow I will come pick you up from school.”

  “Okay, Daddy.”

  I step away from the door and hurry down the corridor. One day, I hope I find the courage to put an end to this.

  6

  The drive home is quiet. She hasn’t spoken much since the fight last night and I can tell something is eating away at her mind. Her face is pensive and that adorable little crease she gets between her eyebrows alludes to the fact that she’s troubled.

  “Em,” I get her attention. “Tell me what you found.”

  “I found a file on Wade, he was into some fucked up shit as most of the Heads are. But he went a step further. Kidnapping young girls for sex trafficking, drugging them, assaulting them. He has a fucking family, a wife, and a young son. Why? What made him want to do that stuff?”

  “The same thing that coerces everyone… money.” I tell her truthfully.

  “There has to be more, something sadistic inside of people like that.” Her hands press against her chest. “I have it too.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “Yes Vin, I do.” She looks out of the passenger window. “I want to kill people. I like to kill them. I like knowing I’m handing out a different sort of punishment, something absolutely permanent. It’s wrong, no matter what these people do, it’s wrong that I want to kill them.”

  “Em-“ I start.

  “-Stop,” she cuts me off. “I know you love me and I’m so grateful you see the good in me, however small it is. But I am my father, everyone says it and even if they didn’t, I would still think it. Trent, Carm, and the Heads. They all think I am exactly like him.”

  “However small it is?!” I can’t help it, I raise my voice. “Your kindness outshines anything else to us. Who gives a fuck about anyone else? You took in a long lost twin, you didn’t even know him but you gave him a home and a family finally, despite him living with his brother, it still wasn’t home. You took in my brother who was so broken and you were a major part in piecing him back together. Adri who went through high school lonely and sad, until you came along. And me, Em! Me! The guy who couldn’t stand to touch a female in public for fear of forming a bond, a guy who couldn’t muster up any feelings of love outside of his mother. I hated my brother and you showed me how to love him! You did all of that.”