Room Eight

SAPPHIRE

The last two days have been a whirlwind of passion and fire. I don’t know how long we just stayed in bed. They’d make love to me until we fell into a heap of exhaustion. Sometimes all three of them or sometimes just one while the others watched.

It was a dream.

But now it is over and I need to face the consequences of my actions.

I pace in front of the window. First left then right. The plush carpet softens my footfalls. I have no nails left to bite and if I have to spend another day in an oversized t-shirt, I will lose my cool with these men.

I need to reach out before Harlon sends runners for me. I’ve hidden long enough. They’ll think I’ve run off with Riot’s money before too long. What if they didn’t find my note?

I lean my forehead against the window. One long breath in, and then out. In all the ruckus I dropped my phone and all access to reaching out.

All the men in Elyah’s penthouse with Elyah his father. Something they have daily at this time. I’ve asked to join but I don’t think they’ve filled him in on my bloodline or our agreement, so that makes me a pregnant kidnapped dirty secret they don’t want anyone to know about yet.

Before they snatched me off the streets and brought me to their side of the city, I didn’t have time to process a lot of information. Like the fact they had a fourth friend I didn’t learn about until last night over pizza. When I asked, I got the abridged version of a deeper story I got the sense none of them want to share.

There are pictures of him on a few tables. Handsome with black hair and the bluest eyes. Almost the same shade as mine. I pick up a silver frame from a small table at the end of the sofa. He has to be in his early thirties. His arms are slung over Gregor and Lev’s shoulders with Elyah being the one to hold up the phone for the picture at the end of the group.

Big badass mafia men taking a moment for a selfie. I can’t imagine many people getting to see the non-scary human side of the Southern Alliance.

I’ve tried getting them to talk to me about the scars but I think the three of them think they’ll be weak if they share. Maybe in time. I can see Lev’s resolve weakening.

I take the same path I traveled yesterday. I start in the living room and make my way through the kitchen. This time when I get to Gregor’s bedroom I slip into my laundered clothes.

I fall onto the sofa and press my hands over my face. I’m not a prisoner. They made that clear. But Elyah wants me to give him a few days to reach out to the men of Genesis. I know he’s trying to do the right thing, but it won’t work. I know my cousin. He won’t listen. Not unless it comes from me.

I flick the TV to help drown out my rambling thoughts. Usually, I click past the evening news, but I stop cold when I see my face on the large screen.

“...missing for nearly three days. If anyone has seen this woman, please alert local authorities.”

I drown out the rest of the broadcast. What I am seeing is because of Belle. Harlon handles everything in-house while Belle prefers to do things legally when she can. It’s one of their ongoing arguments. She’s gone to the police and Harlon will order a contract out for me.

I am pushing the down button on the elevator before I can talk myself out of what I have to do. This has gone on long enough and I am not about to let anyone get hurt because of me. They are probably upstairs right now sharing a bottle of vodka and talking over strategy.

It won’t work. On the flip side, Harlon has every right to think the worst of me. The knot in my stomach grows bigger making me feel ill.

As soon as the elevator dings, I head straight to the counter. “Excuse me, would you call me a cab please?”

“Sure, miss.”

“Thank you. I’ll wait outside.” Thunder rumbles and the skies threaten to open.

Thunk.

I don’t feel the pain. It’s the black eyes I see first when I turn at the sound of my name.

The smell of copper hits my nostrils as a streak of white burns across my vision and then everything is black.

* * *

Idon’t know how long I’ve been out, but I wake to find myself slumped over in the middle of somewhere. It’s almost dark now but with the storm, it seems later than it is. I think. I’m all turned around. Water pours over me and there’s wet cement under my palms.

My head pounds but I block out the pain so I can push to my knees. Everything spins until I close one eye and pick one point to focus on. A tree, a man. Could be an alien for all I know. I can’t tell through the throbbing blur.

Cold steel taps my head and I look around to find a barrel of a Glock staring back.

“Up here, bitch. I thought I might have killed you.”

“Right now, my head hurt so badly I wish you had.”

And then I think about my unborn baby and rethink kicking this particular bear.

“But here I am.” I work nonchalance into my tone like getting kidnapped by the most dangerous killer known between the territories happens all the time.

He’s left me untied so I try not to draw attention to the fact when I press the palm of my hand to the back of my head. I bring back blood.

Shit.

Keep calm.

My unhealthy addiction to danger is suddenly gone and I no longer feel cocky in front of Snake Eyes. Not when he can change my very fragile future with the twitch of one finger.

“When your cousin was beating the shit out of me, I made a promise to myself. If I survived, I would find you.”

“I wondered how you got the two black eyes,” I lie. It’s been a couple of weeks since he choked me and I stabbed him.

“Stupid bitch. You know exactly how I got them.” Spittle shoots from his mouth and rage wars across his expression. He’s close to losing his shit.

I feel the cold tip of a blade under my chin and just like last time we were like this I have an urge to fight and take him down with me. But I can’t. My men told me stepping outside would result in me getting in trouble and here I am.

Snake Eyes gathers himself but still looks a little wild in the eyes. “Lucky for me I have a cousin of my own, too, and guess what?”

He legit pauses like I am supposed to guess. Okay. I need to keep him talking so someone somewhere might have a chance of finding me. Miracles happen, right? I have no phone, no tracking device. I don’t even know if there are traffic cameras in this part of town. Wherever here is.

“What?” I ask slowly, keeping my eye on the gun in his hand and tensing against the blade at my throat.

“They love Club Sin. Imagine how happy I was when I heard you were hanging out with the Southern Alliance. I was going to snatch you the second they left you at your apartment. After I took that pussy and beat the shit out of it like your cousin did to me.”

My stomach heaves. It takes a lot of effort, but I manage to push the bile in my throat down at the idea of how close I came to death. The stench of it rolls off him in black waves of energy.

I keep my mouth shut and eyes open.

In goes the blade a little deeper. This time blood streams down my neck to wash with the rainwater. I reach behind me slowly and feel for the spike of my heel. Can I break it in time? Can I break it at all?

“I’m glad I waited. Now I get to kill you and them and prove to Harlon he was a fool. Then I can kill him too.”

Snake Eyes holsters his gun and pulls a phone out of his front pocket. He taps out a number. “Tell your bosses I have their girl. Ping my phone for a location. They have five minutes to get here if they want to die with her. Otherwise, they can wait their turn for a bullet. Don’t worry, we aren’t too far away.”

That is pure arrogance speaking. It is his one-hundred percent kill rate that makes him think he’ll win at this twisted game.

He ends the call and immediately dials up another number. “Hey, boss. I found your cousin. The Southern Alliance snatched. Let’s talk. Ping my phone. You’ll find me.”

Pure evil glitters in this man’s eyes.

He replaces the phone in his hand with the gun. I’m going to die with my family thinking I followed in my father’s footsteps.

“Do you know how many broken ribs a man can live through before passing out?”

Even if I knew, there is no way in hell I would answer that question.

“No? Let’s play a game while we wait.”

I don’t know where I get the strength but I manage to break the spike on my heel.

I swing.

Roars of pain chase after me and I don’t turn around when I hear the squeal of tires over the pouring rain.

I stumble, fall and jerk off the last shoe as I run for my life. I manage to get my footing and do a thirty-yard dash in record time. We’re on some abandoned dock road and I see a warehouse dead ahead. No lights. Perfect.

High beams shine from behind and when I hear the rev of a motor coming from the opposite direction, I do the only thing I can and duck for cover.

A nearby trash bin is my first choice and then I scramble behind a set of crates. Rats scurry around and I kick one off my bare foot.

“Shit! Get off!” I scream and crab walk backward into a stack of pipes. They clatter around me giving away my position.

Shit.

Instead of the midnight Rolls Royce I expected, it’s my cousin’s Ghost—a pearl white luxury Sudan that I suddenly feel euphoric to see.

Both sets of cars skid in the rain and then all hell breaks loose. Pings and pops go off around me and then I see him. Out of the darkness I see a blur of blackness and realize too late that Snake Eyes is barreling toward me. I cast around for something, anything. I clutch something long and cold and swing with all my strength

Cold steel connects with ribs and the giant killer about to tackle me drops to his knees at my feet. From over my shoulder, I hear another motor revving through the rain.

But it’s the gun going off beside me that kills the excitement at hearing my men racing to save me. Nor is it Snake Eyes meeting the same end he’s given so many others.

I turn. Drenched through to the bone and scared, I stare into the eyes of the man who saved me years ago and saved me again tonight.

“Harlon.”

Headlights hit us and he whirls, gun raised. “Get behind me and stay there.”

The Royce skids to a stop and all three men are out guns drawn. Behind them, Santi and Cassius step out of nowhere, their guns aimed at the back of my men’s skulls.

Elyah, Lev, and Gregor don’t seem to give a fuck when it guts me to think they will die because of me.

This can’t be happening. I will not lose them like this. I will not let my family take everything away from me. We are all so close to finding peace.

No one seems to pay any attention to the rain.

“Harlon. Listen please.”

Using my calm voice isn’t getting anywhere. He shoves me behind him when I try to move. “Careful.”

“The dead man behind me says you kidnapped my cousin.” Harlon pulls the second gun he carries.

Fuck this. I rush between them, hands raised. Not my smartest move of the day but this can join the list of stupid shit I’ve done lately.

I place myself in front of Harlon’s gun and he does what I hope. He drops the barrel so as not to shoot me in the face. He can afford the move when he has two men at our backs.

“Don’t shoot, please, Harlon. Don’t shoot the men I love.” I feel a rush of adrenaline saying the words out loud at a time like this, but hey, when opportunities strike, right?

I dare a look at my men and I see the same emotions staring back at me.

All three of my men rush forward and move me behind them. I realize they will face down any threat to me. Their touch is possessive and loving.

Santi and Cassius move to Harlon’s side. We are in an official standoff. I love both sides but neither want to listen to reason.

“It’s always the same with you, Constantine. Always quick to judge and think everyone needs to drop to their knees before you.” Elyah is filled with rage.

I see the intent in Harlon’s eyes. The years of fighting and bad blood between them.

“You don’t see us saying anything to the contrary so let's see those pretty suits of yours get ruined. Drop to your knees.”

“Not happening, fucker.” Lev snarls.

“Your cousin–” Gregor starts but I’ve had enough.

“–can speak for her fucking herself.”

Realization crosses Harlon’s face. And he lowers his weapon. I walk out from behind my men even though they are holding me back.

“I have to do this. Please. Trust me. I wasn’t running away today. I was going to save all of us. You don’t need to fight my battles for me.”

“I know that now. I didn’t want you to face him when it was us who put you in this predicament.” Elyah places a tender kiss on my lips. It’s a bold move when it could get him killed in current company, but he does it anyway.

“I am here with you because I want to be. Got it?”

I turn a pleading eye toward my men begging them to trust me and they slowly lower their weapons. “It’s okay.”

One group down, one to go.

I turn to my cousin and his two best friends hoping they give me a chance to explain.

“Harlon. This isn't what you think.”

Hurt rushes across his face in a blur before the scowl he wears slips back into place.

“Then tell me, Sapph. You're ripping my heart out. I have half the city looking for you and Belle has the other half.”

I cross to him. “I love them.”

A level of understanding stares back at me.