Beautiful Fiend: Chapter 11

On Tuesday morning, Caden texts me that he’ll need me on Wednesday and Thursday night. I’m going to have to cancel my Thursday night with Xi, so I call him right away.

“If it’s not my favorite stepsister.”

It always feels a little strange and forbidden when Xi calls me his stepsister. Lik truly sees me as family, and he dropped the step before the sister a long time ago. Xi doesn’t do it because our history is different.

“I’ll tell Emma,” I tease. “Look, I can’t come over on Thursday. I’ve got early training on Friday, and I want to get a good night of sleep.” The lie slips so effortlessly past my lips that I surprise myself.

“Why are you doing me dirty, Bil’s? I thought you loved me.”

“I do!” I laugh. “But I’ll see you on Friday for family dinner and we can have game night next Thursday.”

Xi lives in the house they lived in before his dad died and his mom married my dad. He’s the oldest out of Lik and him. He pays for the rent, so he considers it his house. Every Thursday, I go over so we can play PS4 and shout at each other over who’s the best UFC3 player.

“Yeah, yeah. Miss you already.”

“Miss you, too. I’ll see you on Friday.”

We hang up and I get off my bed, snapping my fingers and whistling for Murder to follow. I grab her leash in the living room and look around the house. Everyone is gone, and no one will be on my back for not attending classes today.

“Come on, baby girl,” I exclaim. “Who’s excited for a walk?”

She runs to the door, wagging her tail with excitement. I grab my phone and headphones, and I open the door.

I put my music on shuffle and Head by Layto comes on. I bob my head as I walk down the street, or rather Murder leads me down the street.

After ten minutes of walking around and letting her do her thing, I bend down to tighten my laces and straighten back up.

“Time to exercise, baby.” I redo my ponytail and start jogging.

For an hour, I push my body past its limit, sprinting when I think I can’t do it anymore. I’m careful to track my calories to make sure I eat accordingly and not lose weight. Running is to work on my fitness and endurance, and I must always be careful not to lose mass. I’m stretching my leg against a wall, Murder playing on a patch of grass further down the road, when I hear some snickering past the music in my ear. I pull my headphones out, rolling the string around my phone and tucking it in my leggings pocket against my leg.

“If it isn’t unbeatable Billie,” I hear as I turn around.

Caden’s friend, Jade, and three other girls come to crowd me against the wall.

“Great,” I say bitterly. “Is Kings’ turf getting a bit too crowded now that you’ve stolen half of our crew? Is that why you’re venturing onto our territory?”

“Someone should keep up with the shit going on around her,” Jade mocks me. “This isn’t yours anymore.”

My chest tightens at the revelation. When did this happen? I want to look around and check for the street sign, but she’ll just use the occasion to attack me.

“So,” Jade smirks. “How is it being Caden’s little bitch?” The reminder of what happened Friday at Caden’s house makes me want to disappear on the spot. “He can’t stop talking about you and how you’re so compliant.”

I don’t miss the undertone of jealousy. “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll be over his obsession very soon. Then you can go back to begging for his cock.”

She explodes in a laugh and claps her hands. “Aw, girls. She thinks he actually gives a shit about her.” Her voice drops. “You’re just a life he doesn’t care about sparing, Billie. Why do you think he’s not asked anyone from his crew? He can make money off your back, doesn’t have to pay you, and if you go down, no one will care. You truly are the Kings’ new pet.”

Clenching my jaw, I have an internal fight with myself. Thinking of what’s important—and ignoring how I want to smash Jade’s face against the wall—I swallow my pride and nod. “Whatever. I was leaving anyway.”

“And now you’re not anymore,” she spits at me.

The brunette to her right looks me up and down. “I’m dying to check if you’re truly unbeatable.”

I recognize her from amateur MMA. I think her name is Reilly. She’s two weight classes above me and looks like a wall of muscles compared to me. But she also lost her last two fights.

“In the ring? With rules?” I say. “I’m not entirely sure.” I narrow my eyes at her before adding, “But on the streets? Bitch, I’m giving you an out now before you truly piss me off.”

The two blondes on Jade’s left snort. My gaze goes to them, and I don’t even have time to look at Reilly again. All I feel is her fist against my cheek.

I stagger back, caught by the wall, before exploding into a laugh. “You’re gonna have to try a bit harder than that.”

I’m on her the next second, raining punches on her as she falls backward and onto the ground. Someone grabs me by the ponytail, pulling me off her and then I get a kick on my back, forcing me to retreat slightly. Without knowing who it is, I twist and grab the back of their head before pulling down as I bring my knee up and hit them in the nose.

I recognize Jade’s voice when she shrieks, and blood spurts all over her face as she recoils. Turning around, I use the minor reprieve to whistle as the two blondes hesitate. A loud bark is heard as Murder sprints her way back to me. I grab one of the blondes and throw her toward my dog. She cries out as Murder unleashes on her leg.

Reilly and Jade are back on me despite having bloody faces. The former grabs me from behind, holding my arms behind my back as Jade punches me in the face.

I lose my focus for ten seconds, unable to defend myself and take a few hits. But if MMA teaches you anything, it’s to keep going under the pain.

I grunt while pushing myself against Reilly for balance and kick Jade in the stomach.

“Lea!” Reilly shouts from behind me. The blonde my dog is not attacking, and who simply standing there uselessly, starts shaking her head, wondering what to do. “Call the guys,” Reilly orders her in panic.

“You’re such a fucking coward,” I grunt as I do my best to make us both fall backward. The problem is that she’s so much bigger and heavier than me that she feels like a wall behind me.

I whistle again, and Murder comes to bark at Reilly. She lets me go in fear of getting bitten and I turn around, striking her tactically in the chin. I see her lights blacking out in a split second and she falls unconscious to the ground. Next, I’m on Jade. I grab her by the hair as she tries to run away and shove her to the ground. My kicks to her ribs and stomach make her screech, and I only stop when I see she’s lost the strength to defend herself anymore.

I grab Murder and the pouch that I’ve attached to her. I take my switchblade out and open it.

“Fucking come at me and see what happens,” I say to Lea, who is stepping back anyway. I sit on Jade’s chest and hold her face between my knees.

She gargles something, spitting out some blood, but she’s barely conscious. I bring my knife to her face and carve her with the tip of it. One line from the corner of her eye, across her temple and until her hairline.

“Gave you a nice NSC pathway of tears. Look at it next time you think yourself bigger than you actually are,” I seethe in her face with all the rage I hold.

When someone messes with our gang, we don’t always kill them. Sometimes, we give them what we call the pathway of tears. Because once they’re on the floor crying, this is the way their tears will fall. That way, they never forget they once lost a fight against us.

The Kings have their own mark. I know people in our crew who walk around with a messy crown carved into the side of their neck.

A loud exhaust startles me, and I hear one of the blondes muttering I’m dead.

I spit blood on Jade’s face and hear her whimper underneath me. I jump to my feet and whistle for Murder, who’s been barking at the blondes all this time.

I turn around to face a matte green truck and recognize Ethan’s car.

“Fucking bitches,” I tell them.

“Scott!” Elliot shouts as he hops out from the passenger seat and Ethan from the driver’s side.

“Fuck my life,” I mumble as I look around. I’m going to have to sprint to the woods if I don’t want to end up in a body bag.

“What the fuck,” I hear Elliot’s shocked voice. “Yo, Reilly.”

“She’s out, brother.”

“You fucking K.O-ed Reilly? You psychopath,” Elliot says with a little too much pride in his voice to sound angry.

My eyes dart to the forest again. Will they catch me if I run?

Ethan sees where I’m looking and shakes his head. “Don’t even think about it.”

Both their gazes land on Jade, and I bite my inner cheek. When they look at me again, Elliot has lost his usual spark of humor, and Ethan’s normally unbothered stance has turned into tension in his body.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you,” Elliot says.

“She attacked me,” I defend. “I—”

“You’re on Kings’ territory, little bitch,” Ethan snarls. “Rules are rules. Only NSC seems to be unable to respect them.”

“I didn’t know!” I shout. “I was defending myself,” I add, dejected. The bitches I beat up don’t scare me. But when it comes to Caden, Elliot, or Ethan, I’m always brought back to that night two years ago, and my bravery slips through my fingers every fucking time.

As soon as they take a step toward me, Murder barks at them.

“She’ll bite you,” I say in a weak warning as they keep approaching.

Ethan reaches for the back of his jeans and comes up with a gun. “I don’t give a shit about animals. I think you should know that. Call your bitch back.”

What kind of psycho doesn’t care about animals?

“Don’t,” I put my hands in front of me and whistle at my dog. “Easy. Come here, girl.”

“Drop your fucking knife,” Ethan says. The two men clearly care about Jade. I’d never realized it before and I’m starting to regret having unleashed on her.

I drop my knife as Murder nestles against my leg with one last growl at Ethan. Elliot is saying soft words to Jade, helping her sit up against the wall, but her head keeps falling against her chest. There’s too much blood on her face. Thank fuck, neither of them can see the pathway of tears on her yet.

Ethan is pointing his gun at me, but his eyes are on Jade and I use the occasion to slip my hand inside my leggings pocket and press the home button five times in a row. This automatically sends Xi my location along with a text that says S.O.S. It’s always been his number because he’s my closest friend. I put that system in place after that fateful night with Caden, Elliot, and Ethan. Xi never asked what happened. He just agreed and said he’d be there if I needed him. I know he will always keep his word.

Ethan keeps his gun on me for a solid five minutes as Elliot helps Jade. The two blondes are on the phone with other crew members, and the more I wait here, the more I risk my life.

My hope is running low, and I thank God when I see my stepbrother’s car slowly drive past us. None of them notice him, too busy threatening me or taking care of themselves. He pulls down his tinted window, and I see him with a finger on his mouth, telling me to keep quiet.

He keeps driving, and I’m assuming he’s going to park his car somewhere they can’t see it. I only have to wait another minute before he shows up. I let him walk quietly behind Ethan and point his own gun to the back of his head.

“Get the fuck away from her right now.”

Before the Kings crew people can react, another car arrives at full speed and stops right by Ethan’s truck. Four windows roll down, and they shoot at it. The sound of guns and bullets against metal renders us all deaf. Ethan’s windows explode, and the front of his car starts blowing smoke. Chaos ensues.

Xi hits the back of Ethan’s head with the handle of his gun so hard he practically passes out from the hit. Falling to the floor, he’s not a threat anymore. I grab his gun and step over just as more Kings appear.

“Fuck,” I huff.

It’s not often that our crews come to full fighting. We have ‘rules’ in place and as long as everyone stays in their lane, it doesn’t end up being too bad. I fucking hate being the source of the current mess we’re in.

Some of our guys are fist-fighting Kings and some are threatening the others with guns. Murder is whining away, losing her mind from the gunshots she heard.

Xi is on Elliot as he helps Jade up to try and get her out of the way. He grabs him by the back of the neck and throws him to the floor before pointing his gun down at him.

“If I see you near her again, I’m going to burn your fucking house down with your entire family in it.” He shoots, making me shriek in surprise. The shot was far from his head, into the ground. But Elliot has curled into a ball, with his hands on his ears as he grunts in pain.

“Cops!” someone shouts, and everyone starts running away.

“Come on, Bil’s. Get in the car.”

I follow Xi to his car, helping my dog into the back, and we drive away in a screech of tires. In the mirror, I can see the Kings’ crew spreading out and ours getting back into their cars.

Xi’s eyes dart to me and his hands tighten on the wheel. “Are you okay?” he asks softly.

I pull down the passenger mirror and look at my swollen lip and bleeding brow.

“Fuck,” I push through clenched teeth, hitting my head against the seat. “My face.”

“Are you hurting?” Xi asks worriedly.

“No,” I say. “But Dickie is going to fucking kill me.” I look down at my bleeding knuckles and notice my right index finger is swollen. “Fucking…fuck,” I breathe out. “Fucking bitches.”

“It’s gonna be okay.” Xi’s hand comes to rest on my thigh, and his touch brings me calm.

“They cornered me,” I pant. “They fucking attacked me. What was I meant to do?”

“Bil’s calm down. I can come with you to training tonight. We’ll tell Dickie the truth and he’ll understand.”

I run my hand against my face, feeling tears threatening to spill out now that the adrenaline is running low. “I’m sick of this place.”

“I know,” he says with an understanding only people on the North Shore have. “I know, babe.”

His hand tightens around my thigh reassuringly, and I can finally take a full breath.