“Aww, don’t be that way, baby. Whatchya got in your bag? You holding?”
“Go fuck yourself,” I called out as I yanked the hair tie from my hair, wincing as it ripped a few strands. My own pain was a momentary distraction that afforded the stranger time to get dangerously close without my noticing.
“What the fuck you say?” Large, calloused fingers wrapped around my throat, squeezing effortlessly as the smell of tequila wafted over my face. “You got an ugly tongue for such a pretty girl.”
I dug my fingernails into the back of his hand until the pressure on my throat eased fractionally. “You’ve got an ugly fucking face.” I swung my leg wildly, begging to connect with his groin as my heart pounded against my chest, which was threatening to explode. I worked out daily, had taken self-defense classes, but nothing really prepares you for the real thing.
“You have a big set of balls thinking you can talk to me like that, bitch.”
“I just have nothing to lose.” I shoved against his shoulder with as much force as I could muster as his hand came down across my face. Since I made an effort to avoid the blow, he just caught the left side of my forehead. His ring bit into my flesh, and I yelled as I struggled to put a few inches of distance between us.
“Wrong, bitch. You have your life.”
Sacrifice
Chapter 6—Rellik
Sacrifice: the act of giving up something that you want to keep especially in order to help someone
I waited outside the door, breathing in the humid night air as I waited for Phantom to come out. The door opened, and Phantom slapped his palm against mine. I held up the little plastic bottle filled with pills he had handed to me. I slipped the drugs into my pocket with a nod of approval as shouting from across the alley got our attention. We were illuminated by an old streetlamp that bathed us in yellow.
“I love it when a plan comes together,” I joked as I struggled to see what was happening in the dark.
“We need to rehearse, man, it’s already nine,” Phantom snapped, making it clear he knew what I was thinking and didn’t approve.
I glanced back at him with my arms extended. How could we just walk away? Phantom’s jaw clenched, and I knew this would be an argument later. But he didn’t understand why any of us cared about anyone outside our group.
“Hold my bail money.” I pulled a wad of bills from my pocket and shoved it against Phantom’s chest along with my wallet.
“Oh hell no. Don’t do this, man. We have a fucking show,” he yelled after me, his deep gravelly voice causing a cat to take off across the alleyway. I ignored him as I pulled my Pink Floyd T-shirt over my head, adrenaline causing my heart to race.
“I’m about to give you a show!”
I crossed the alley and was behind the large man who towered over a frightened woman. His fingers were around her throat, and she was using the last of her breath to curse him. When I tapped him on the shoulder, he spun around and eyed me up. He was a good half foot taller than I, but I had learned young how to take care of myself.
“What the fuck do you want, pussy?” He sneered at me, his face red with anger. I took a step closer and looked him square in the eye. I never showed fear, never backed down.
“My turn.”
He widened his stance and chuckled, the smell of stale liquor wafting off him. “Go home, boy.” He dismissed me with a wave of his hand and turned back to the girl. I rolled my neck and glanced over my shoulder to Phantom, who shook his head. I shoved my palm hard against the man’s shoulder, causing him to almost lose his balance before spinning back around to face me.
“I fucking—” His words broke off with a guttural groan as I swung a wide right hook and connected with his left cheekbone. He stumbled backward, and the woman squealed as he collided with her. She jumped and took a few steps back as the man touched his face before examining the smattering of blood on his fingers.
“You fucking son of—” My next blow hit his stomach, and he doubled over as the air left his lungs in a rush. He stood quickly and lurched for me, but I dodged his grasp and tossed my shirt to the girl. She caught it as she stood frozen just feet from us.
“A big guy like you who likes to manhandle women should be tougher than this. I’m kind of disappointed,” I joked, my body humming with the rush of endorphins. “Show me what you got, pussy,” I goaded him, and his lip twitched as he took a large stride toward me. He swung with his left, catching me off guard. His knuckles collided with my jaw, and my mouth filled with the metallic taste of my own blood as my lip split inside against my teeth. I grinned as I wiped the pad of my thumb over the dampness.