Dirty Nails (14 page)

Twenty- Epic Fail

              “Never thought you’d see me again, did you?”

              “What are you doing here?”

              I backed myself up against the bed, but I had nowhere else to go.

              “Max needed me back, and now I know why. It looks pretty shady in here Shay.”

              I was fucked.

              I could kick him in the balls, but I’d never get out of here. Someone would stop me.

              His boots made a loud thumping as he walked across the hardwood floor and picked up my phone.

              He read it. He read every word I’d just texted.

              I took a deep breath. I didn’t have any choice but to run at this point.

              I looked to the left of him to see how close the door was. There was no time to lose.

              One.

              Two.

              Three.

              I swung my leg up to kick him, but he caught it mid swing. He knocked me hard onto my back. My breath was gone, and I clawed at my throat for it to come back. It burned and I felt it in my chest. But just as soon as I got my breath again, he pulled me up off the floor by my hair.

              With one hand in my hair, and the other arm around my waist, he pulled me out of the room.

              I knew exactly where he was taking me. I didn’t have the strength to fight him, and it wouldn’t have done me any good anyway.

              When I tried to say something, my voice failed me. It was no use. Within minutes we were already inside Max’s room.

              Trick made sure that everyone in the house heard the commotion. He kicked the door in so loud that it could’ve woken the dead.

              Max jumped up quick, and saw me standing there being held hostage.

              “What the fuck is going on?”

              Everything was over. The entire plan was a fail, and now everybody was going to die. Including me. What hurt me worse was I knew that no one would know. They’d be blindsided as soon as they got here.

              “Read this.” Trick released my hip and threw the phone over on the bed.

              Max looked at me before he looked at the phone, but I had to look away. There wasn’t a look in the world that compared to Max’s.

              “Leave!” He yelled from across the room. He hadn’t even climbed out of bed yet. Trick just stood there holding me, unsure if Max was talking to him or not. “Get out Trick. Now!”

              There was so much rage in his voice. More rage than I’d ever seen from him.

              I had never once considered that I’d die by his hands until now.

              Trick released my hair, and I gasped as I fell straight to my knees. The door slammed closed behind him.

              I was alone.

              All alone with him, and though I should have been upset that I was about to die, I wasn’t. Two things crossed my mind as he walked slowly toward me, the faces of my parents and Cam.

              It’s amazing how your mind goes to the people you love when you know your world is about to end.

              I was scared, and my body shook with nerves. Each footstep sounded louder than the last as he made his way across the floor. I couldn’t move. My body felt like it was glued to the floor. This was it.

              “Get up Shay.”

              Though it was hard, I did what I was told. But what was the use? It’s not like it mattered one way or the other.

              “So this is how I’m repaid. I gave you everything.”

              Oh, if looks could kill. He’d be dead.

              “You can’t be serious right now.” I spit back. “You beat me half to death Max.”

              He smacked the side of my face hard with the back of his hand. “You are not speaking here. I am.”

              Just to think that I’d felt sorry for him, that I’d considered for one second that he might’ve actually cared a little. He always managed to find his way inside my heart making me take pity on him.

              “I brought that boy into this house to work for me and the first opportunity you got, you fucked him. Didn’t you? You’re a fucking cunt. I should have offed you when I had the chance.”

             
And the truth shall set you free…

              “Why’d you do it Max? I loved you. I believed you. Why’d you kill them?”

              His tight lips turned up at the corners. I knew the maniac was out to play.

              “Your father was a worthless piece of shit. He was fucking mole, a goddam narc. He was nothing but a liability. Better dead than alive,” he smiled.

              It only took seconds for my fist to find his face. I hit him with every ounce of energy that I had. It hurt him, and I knew it did. It also stirred the rage inside him. I didn’t even have time to react before he had his hand around my throat, and backed against the nearest wall.

              The look in his eyes was that of demons, but I gritted my teeth back at him. Hurt me or not, that was my father, and I wasn’t going to listen to it, or anything more out of his mouth. If enemies had a smell, it would smell like Max. It’d be raw and gritty. It would burn your nose.

              I wanted to vomit right there on the floor, but couldn’t find the strength. His words were heavy on my heart, and by that point I was ready for him to get it over with.

              “Just kill me Max,” I grumbled. The words barely left my mouth.

              “You’d like that wouldn’t you.” He squeezed my neck harder and I winced under his grip. I could feel the rough tips of his fingers pinching the life right out of me.

              He pressed his lips hard against mine, and then bit down on my lip. The vile taste of blood covered my tongue and I cried out in agony.

              “I’m sorry my love, but your death won’t come easily. First I’m going to kill that boy right in front of you, then I am going to take my time draining every last ounce of breath from your body.”

              “No,” my voice croaked and the tears stained my face as they fell from my cheeks.

              “Oh yes, and until he gets here you can wait for him in the cage.”

              I sobbed under his hold. I wanted my nails. I needed them. This pain was too much for me.

              His fingers released my neck and I couldn’t stop coughing. I didn’t even have time to find a full breath before he yanked my arm and pulled me out of the room. My head was down against my chest where I was still trying to get my chest to stop burning. Everything was in knots.

              I smelled the stench of Trick, but didn’t lift my head. There was no use. My muscles weren’t working like they should have been, and my head was spinning round and round.

              “Take her to the cage and lock her in there. Don’t fucking linger. I want your ass back here in two minutes. Now move.” Max yelled.

              Thankfully, I didn’t have to be assaulted more by Trick. He just threw me inside and shut and locked the door behind me.

              No lights were on and the smell was foul. Lifting myself up onto my feet, I reached for the light switch. When I flipped it on and turned around there was a dead body on the floor. His body was cut open from his throat all the way down his stomach.

              I couldn’t hold back. I took two steps back and fell down to the floor. I gagged twice before I finally lost it. The smell of blood soaked vomit made it worse. I puked until there wasn’t anything left inside me. My body heaved for the longest time, and I hoped that I would soon become oblivious to the smell. It was foul.

              I reached up and turned the light back off. The less I could see the better. I pushed myself as far into the corner as I could get and pressed my nose against the wall. There was a faint smell of bleach against the white paint and I took it all in. Steadying my breath, I must have drifted off, because the next time I opened my eyes all I heard was commotion, and lots of it.

Twenty One- Bloody Hands

              For a second I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. I shouldn’t have been able to hear much from inside the room. The cage had walls that helped to avoid sound. Something loud hit the door full force and I jumped back. I stayed as close to the wall as I could get. The smell was awful, and in the darkness I was afraid I’d step on vomit or a dead body.

              Another loud shove and the door swung open. My hands flew to my chest as if it would save me.

              “Fuck it stinks. Come on.”

              “Bram,” I nearly cried.

              “Let’s go.” I grabbed the hand he had stretched out.

              We stepped over Trick’s dead body as we rushed out the door. I wanted to spit on him.

              “Take this.”

              I took the gun, but my eyes were bugging out of my head. “I don’t know how to use this.” I whisper yelled.

              It felt cold and heavy against my hand.

              Bram reached over and push some kind of a lever on the side of the gun. “The safety is off. Point and shoot.”

              “Okay,” I said. I could see the gun moving from the shaking of my hands.

              “Stay behind me.”

              Where the hell else would I be?

              I followed him up the steps, but before we got to the door I stopped him. He turned to face me, and his eyes had a dark look of worry.

              “Cam.” I whispered.

              “He’s here.”

              I figured that. I just wanted to know if he was alive. The adrenaline was kicking in because I was able to move quickly and quietly behind him. There were no thoughts of my stomach or the way I smelled. I was on a mission to get the hell out of that house, and shoot anyone who stood in my way. We made our way through the darkness of the kitchen and into the hallway. Several bodies covered the floor as we walked. I didn’t look close enough to see if it was Max’s men or Bram’s. The less I thought about it the better.

              We weren’t walking towards the exit. This was the way to Max’s bedroom. What the hell were we doing?

              The sound of struggling was coming from just beyond Max’s door. Bram busted in with his gun pointed out, only to find Max standing there with his gun pointed at Cam’s head. All the blood rushed from my body when I saw Cam on his knees in front of him.

              Bram kept one arm out to the side in blocking me, and the other was holding the gun at Max. I kept the gun I was holding hidden behind Bram’s back.

              I could feel the pounding of my heart in my neck and I could hear it beating in my head.

              “A fucking family reunion.” Max laughed as if it were no big deal. “How are you Abram? My brother.”

              Abram??

              Brother??

              I looked into Cam’s eyes. He was just as confused as me. They were brothers.

              Bram’s hand was still outstretched and steady. His eye was on the target. I just wanted him to pull the trigger already, before Max killed Cam.

             
Do it!
I screamed in my head.

              “We are not brother’s anymore. You fucked that up along time ago.”

              “Why? Because I killed Flori?” His smile was big.

              Bram tensed up, but went back at him. “It was long before that, and you know it. When you killed my wife and daughter, it sealed your fate.”

              “You’re not going to kill me.” His evil laugh was sickening, like a punch to the gut. “No, see, what’s going to happen here is I’m going to kill this little twat on his knees,” he pointed at Cam. Then I’m going to take you out next. You know I’m quicker than you. And once you’re all dead I will have my girl one last time before I take her out too.”

              Fuck no. I’d kill myself before I let that happen.

              Cam’s face was tight, and he was looking at Max like he was up to something.

              “You don’t even know who I am do you?” Cam said to Max.

              “Shut up boy,” Bram yelled.

              “No, he should know.”

              “I don’t give a damn who you are.” Max said.

              I couldn’t figure out where the hell he was going with this. My mind was running away from itself.

              “I can’t believe you don’t remember me. That night you killed my mother and my sister I was sitting there watching. I was meant to die too, but you failed.”

              “Cam.” I could see the realization all over Max’s face. He was well aware, and caught off guard.

              “That’s right Dad,” Cam said to Max.

              I sucked in the loudest breath imaginable.

              Why didn’t I put two and two together? I should have known?

              Cam had a single tear that slid down his face, but there was so much anger there.

              Max let his guard down for only a moment and Bram tried to make a move. He took one step forward and just when I thought he was going to shoot. Max turned the gun on him and with one shot Bram fell to the floor.

              I was in shock, but Cam jumped up and wrestled the gun away from Max. That brief moment took Bram, but saved Cam. The tears fell hard down my cheeks. My feet were planted and I couldn’t move, no matter how hard I tried. I wanted to go to Cam. I wanted to drop to the floor for Bram, but everything happened so fast. The shock was too much.

              I was glued.

              The tables had suddenly turned on Max, and now Cam was holding the gun. But his hands were shaking so bad.

              He could barely speak. “You fucking killed him.” He said talking about Bram. “He was the only father I’ve ever had.” The words sounded like they choked him when they came out.

              Max didn’t reply he just stood there like the Joker. A wide grin spread across his face. He was a soulless monster.

              Cam cried hard, like a little boy. He was breaking right before me.

              “Kill me you pussy.” Max said.

              Both of the men in my life were standing before me. For so long I had been sleeping with the enemy, and I never knew it. The world was a blind spot to me. Everything was gray, and now that it was laid out to me in black and white it was crystal clear what I had to do.

              The two men stood there staring at one another, father and son.

              Both of them had stolen my heart at one point in time. They completed me. I loved Cam as much as I hated Max.

              Cam stood there shaking and crying. He couldn’t do it. He was not heartless like his father. He couldn’t kill him.

              But I could.

              I pointed the gun I was holding at Max’s head and pulled the trigger. He fell to the ground, and I shot him again.

              And again…

              I watched him die by my hands.

              Redemption was bittersweet.

              I dropped the gun on the floor and backed away. I did it. I killed him.

              My sentence was over.

              I fell to the ground and cried. I rested my head on Bram’s shoulder and held him. He saved me. His life was over, and my life was only just beginning.

              Cam was within arms length when he kneeled down beside me. His hand touched the back of my head softly and the two of us shared a moment with Bram. It was the hardest thing in my life outside of losing my own parents, but I couldn’t help thinking that this was the last person that would have to die for me to live.

              “Get out of here Cam. You need to be gone before the cops get here.”

              “I’m not going anywhere.”

              “You have to go. They can’t find you here. If it’s just me then they will know it was all done in self-defense. Now go. You can come for me as soon as they’re gone.”

              He twisted a finger around the end of my hair and looked deeply into my eyes. My breath hitched and I thought for a moment that he might say he loved me, but he didn’t. “You’re mine.” He whispered and that was good enough for me.

              “I will be down the street where I dropped you off before. Meet me there as soon as you can. I’ll wait for you.” He said.

              “I’ll be there soon.”