“Mommy,” Ryan murmurs, so sad that I gasp and I can’t get the oxygen to inhale back into my lungs. I just breathe emptiness… and it burns.
“Tell me, Vicki,” King purrs, bringing the needle up to Vicki’s face and letting the side of it caress her skin like a lover. Vicki trembles, her eyes closing—whether from the drugs already rolling through her system or the sick addiction that has her so twisted she feels the needle and craves it… I have no way of knowing… but I think I do and it’s agony to watch. “Do you choose getting clean and being a part of your son’s life…. Or more money and drugs?” King asks, and as he does he looks up at me and winks.
“Money?” she says, almost as a question. Her face is still watching Ryan, but her eyes are almost vacant.
“I’ll make sure you have all the money you need…until the day you die,” King says and his smile leaves me with no doubt of when that will be.
“Don’t. Don’t do this,” I plead and I don’t know if I’m talking to Vicki, to King, or to both of them.
“Choose, Vicki. Your son or the surprise I have in this needle for you,” King says.
For a minute, I swear Vicki’s eyes almost become clear. She looks at Ryan and it’s as if she can’t see what an amazing human being he is, how precious he is. I know this from her next words.
“Never cared for the bratty kid. Just needed him to get what I wanted,” she says. Ryan let’s out a whimper which is mostly silent, but I can feel it go through him and I hear it, even though it’s muffled.
“Mommy…” he cries.
“You see, Ryan? We all have choices,” King says.
“Give me the needle!” Vicki begs… begs.
“King don’t, it will kill her. She’s had too much.”
“Shut up, you stupid whore! I can handle it. King knows what I like, don’t you baby?” she purrs, sickly.
“I know exactly what you like, Vicki,” he says. “And I’ll make sure you get it,” he adds, then before I realize what he’s doing… what he has planned… he plunges the needle straight into her neck, hitting her jugular.
Vicki screams, then her body freezes. I watch and I know it’s not, but it feels like it is happening in slow motion. I pull Ryan into my body, even though he’s resisting. I can’t let him watch.
Vicki’s body begins convulsing. White foam gathers on her mouth and runs down the sides of her face and down her neck. She cries, but it’s muffled from the bile. Her head falls back, her face etched in pain as King lets her drop to the floor. She twists and curls, no longer in control of her own body and the quaking so violent I close my eyes against the harshness of it.
I hold a crying Ryan, trying to absorb his tears and his pain.
“Rory,” King orders. I don’t look up immediately.
I can’t.
“Rory!” he growls again and I force myself to bring my gaze to him, as I hold down the need to vomit. When I do, I watch him kick Vicki’s now lifeless body.
“You and I need to discuss how you’re interfering when I’m teaching my son.”
Ryan’s body jerks, and he cries out loudly, his fingers bite into my back painfully.
“Wolf drag her out of here. Throw her body in an alley close to that damn apartment I’ve been keeping her up in. Wipe the needle and stage it. You know the drill.”
“Will do, King.”
“No fuck ups. I’ve had enough of those.”
“You can count on me,” he says, but I have to wonder with the way he’s looking at King. There’s something about him that doesn’t seem like he’s one of King’s normal lap dogs.
“Now, Rory. What do you think I should do to you for interfering with Ryan’s lesson?”
“Leave Rory alone!” Ryan cries, turning around to face the monster who claims to be his dad.
“Loyalty is a good thing, Ryan. One day that loyalty of yours will be mine,” King says calmly.
“Rory, come here and submit to your punishment,” King orders. I start to get up and Ryan’s hold increases.
“Rory, no!” Ryan yells.
“Shh…” I tell him, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. I go to stand up. Normally, this is where I spoke back to King. This is where I would fight tooth and nail. I can’t do that with Ryan. Ryan is my weakness and King is a master at exploiting weaknesses.
“King, I need a word with you,” Sanchez says, coming into the room. I was wondering where he had gotten to. Usually it would be him carrying out King’s dirty work and not this Wolf person.
“I’m busy right now,” King growls.
“This can’t wait. Chul is demanding your appearance… first thing in the morning.”