Warped (Dueling Devils Book 4) (5 page)

The
heat had grown more intense as the fire spread up the hallway, seeking to
engulf them in its fiery embrace. He forced himself up onto his knees, gripped
the black t-shirt with both hands, and pulled Hartley with all his strength.
His muscles screamed in protest. Sweat stung his eyes. His vision faded in and
out. Despite it all, he continued to inch his way to the door. He dropped
Hartley and he groaned.

The
sound gave birth to hope. He reached up to the handle. “Shit.” The metal burned
his hand. He waved it in a pitiful attempt to cool it down. Desperate, he
lifted the end of his shirt up and wrapped it around the knob then turned. He
pulled. The door held tight. Tears of frustration and exhaustion distorted his
vision. He slapped the wood and gave a hoarse cry. His attention refocused on
the window. Time was ticking down. If he didn’t get them out now, they’d all
perish. He grabbed his father’s steel-toe boot and flung it at the window with
all his strength. The glass gave. The air rushed through and the place went up
like dry kindling. A wave of fire spilled across the ceiling and knocked him on
his ass. Dazed, he lost valuable moments. He sat up to see the fire less than
four feet away from him. The smell of burning flesh turned his stomach. I can’t
lose anyone else. He grabbed Hartley and slid them across the floor to the
window.

The
sound of sirens in the distance, told him help was on the way. He slapped
Hartley’s face.

His
brother groaned as he stirred slightly.

He
took some of his own weight as Hayes hefted him up and shoved him out the
window frame. Heat exploded onto his side.

The material of
his shirt melted to his flesh and he began to scream
.

CHAPTER THREE

“S
o,
what’s the story between you and the V.P.’s old lady anyway?”

Symone
choked on her beer.

Chase
rushed forward and thumped her back a few times.

“Holy,
shit, Chase,” Symone croaked.

“I
didn’t know you’d forget you were a human and try to breathe through liquid.”

Symone
snickered. “Most people would’ve asked about my scars.”

“You
know me, I always have to be different.”

“I
noticed.”

“So,
no story?” Chase tilted her head.

“I’m
shocked you didn’t already know the story.”

“Nope,
Lefty’s been buttoned up tighter than the shirt of a preacher’s daughter in a
whore house.”

“What?”
Symone snickered.

“Yeah,
no one knows shit other than the fact that you’re off limits.”

“I’m
shocked he didn’t declare open season,” Symone retorted. “Every time we’re in
the same room, it’s all he can do not to take my head off.”

“Um,
I noticed. It’s not like Lefty to hold a grudge.”

Symone
took a long draw off her bottle of beer. “We knew each other from before in
Jamaica. We grew up together in a tiny town with no prospects for the future,
few ways to make money, and desperate people everywhere.” She could still smell
the urine soaked alleys, see the malnourished women and children and the awful things
they’d do to make money. “It was a rough area. No one came out unscathed. What
our parents did, they saw as a necessary sacrifice. A way to give us both a
better life.”

“What
did they do to you?” Chase whispered.

“They
offered us up to a high brow Madame.” Symone peered up and met her gaze
straight-on. “See, you were right when you said whore house.”

Chase’s
eyes widened.

“We
were fed, well-kept, and taught all the ways to pleasure a man.”

“Oh
my God.”

“It
sounds horrible, looking back on things now. I know it’s disgusting. But back
then, I was too young to remember anything different. It was a career, the same
as any other. When I remembered the children on the streets withering away or
caught up with the low-end prostitution, I felt lucky even…”

“I
sense a huge
but
coming.”

“No
buts.” Symone smiled sadly. “It’s an
until
. With time came wisdom and the
understanding that I’d never escape the highly decorated prison I’d been sold
to. That I would be used up until nothing but an empty husk remained and they
moved on to the next pretty young thing. One of us got out. The client fell for
her, bought her out-right while Gia and I began to plot. We’d talked about it
in whispers. What if we ran away and left the island far behind? What would we
do? Where would we go and how would we be? We vowed to live life on our terms,
never let anyone control us again. It was idealistic. But it got us through the
rough time and helped us grow our courage. After a while, it became all we
talked about. It took us a year, but we roughed out a plan with a girl who’d
been purchased permanently by one of our clients. We’d run and they’d be
waiting to get us from the island and to the US. It went off without a hitch.
We were out of the house and running for our lives. We almost made it to the
shoreline and then they showed up. The men who keep the johns in line and us
locked up nice and tight.” She played with the label on the bottle, unable to
meet Chase’s gaze as she told the story.

Chase
sat very still, and not a word left her lips.

“I
figured, worst case, they’d snatch us up and bring us back. I was wrong,
so
wrong
.” She shook her head. “We were to be made an example of. The minute
they saw us, they started shooting. I was hit in the back twice. I went down. I
think I might’ve been in shock. She hung back, but I didn’t want to be the
reason she got caught. I—I begged her to leave me and live our dream before I
fell into the blackness. I crossed the threshold to death. I was almost free
from this life and then they brought me back.” She snickered. “And the real
hell began.” She glanced up at a stunned Chase. “I don’t need to explain to you
how I got the scars now, huh?”

Chase
shook her head. “I—I don’t even know what to say.”

“I
don’t expect you to say anything, Chase. I just wanted to be upfront. I’m
trying to leave my past behind me, but it’s hard. So when I fall short, know
it’s not you and don’t take it personally. This is the most interaction I’ve
had in years.”

“Hey,
I’m honored you decided to let me in,” Chase said. “It’s not easy to lay your
cards out like that. So, I’m going to do the same. I grew up on the outskirts
of the club. My brother Creeper was a patched member and even though my mom was
around, she was absent as hell. Other than paying the rent and mostly keeping
food in the fridge, she was insanely absent. So, Creeper picked up the slack.
He raised me. Until I made a poor judgment call on men and ended up with a
husband who liked to knock my head through walls.”

Symone’s
jaw dropped. She couldn’t even reconcile the woman standing before her with the
imagery running in her mind.

“Yeah,
there’s a reason I am the way I am. It was a long journey through darkness and I’m
never going back.” Chase shook her head. “I don’t talk about this ever. But
your story deserves one in turn, out of respect.”

Symone
nodded. They understood one another.

“Now,
that we’re officially besties, ‘cause you know my deep dark secrets, you want
to explain why that pisses Lefty off?”

“Because
there’s no love lost between us. She escaped and I lived through something out
of a war movie. Leaves behind some harsh feelings. I know it’s fucked up, but I
can’t help the way I feel. Not when I see the empire she built and the
happiness she found. I’m not a shallow bitch. But I had a long time to grow
sour over the way the cards got cast.”

Chase
turned the corners of her lips down. “Fair enough.” She cleared her throat. “So,
now might not be the best time to tell you there’s a party tonight and you’re
required to come.”

“What?”

“If
you’re working with us you are family. If you’re family, you show your face at
family events. Especially, when you’re new.”

Symone
sighed.
Great, another freak show display.
The first time out of the
gate was always the worst. There would be the shock, the whispers, the snickers
and then the low life bottom feeders convinced she’d do anything to be the
center of their attention for a moment. Truth was…she’d had enough male
attention to last a lifetime.

“Come
on, it’ll be fun. You, me, beers, and eye candy.” Chase wiggled her eyebrows.

“If
they’re so yummy, why aren’t you with one of them?”

“Hmm,
been there done that. I’m no saint. I get laid when I need to scratch an itch,
but the boys know it's never anything serious. I’m not ready for that. Might
never be. I like coming and going as I please. Relationships require a lot of
giving. I’m in a
taking
period.”

Her
simplification amazed and impressed Symone. “How can you joke about it?”

“Simple.
I got sick to death of crying about it. When there are no more tears left,
there’s nowhere to go but up.” She shrugged. “I figure we’re here, we've
survived things most people couldn’t wrap their heads around. We owe it to
ourselves to live the fuck out of what’s left of our lives.”

“The
question is how?”

“However
we want.” Chase’s features softened. She rested a hand on Symone’s shoulder. “I
knew when I first met you, we were kindred spirits, but I didn’t get why until
know. You and I are going to remember how to do this fun and living thing again…together.”

“I
think you got it down, Chase.”

“Yeah,
well, debauchery is always more fun with a partner in crime. I never had that
before.”

Her
lips curved upward at the corners. Solemn wasn’t a mood she could hold onto
with Chase around. Chase was refreshing, a fresh rain after a drought. “You got
yourself a partner.”

Chase
grinned. “Good, now let’s get you into something less…” She looked at her
capris sweat pants and tank top. “Comfortable.”

“Is
that the nice way of telling me I look frumpy?”

“Maybe.”
She wrapped an arm around Symone’s waist and pulled her toward her room.

I
knew this woman was a storm I’d get sucked into one way, or another
.

Two
hours later, Symone stood in a knee-length black pencil skirt with a black V-neck
shirt and ankle boots. She felt sexy without being completely exposed. What an
amazing experience, dressing up simply to please herself. Getting ready with
Chase at her side felt like a re-birth.
This is the rite of passage most
women experienced in their teen years.

They
parked in a spot outside the club.

“Don’t
worry, this is tame. It’s a family affair, so it shouldn’t be too bad.”

“There’ll
be kids here?” she asked, stunned.

Chase
laughed. “Not
that
family friendly. It’s an adult get-together. The kids
are at home for the night. I’m just saying there won’t be a lot of strange.”

“Strange?”

“I
forget you’re a newbie. It means random girls looking to get tossed up by the
boys. They usually keep that shit from the old ladies.”

“Does
everyone cheat?” Symone asked.

“Depends
on the brother. First rule you need to know, club business stays at the club. No
matter what you see, you can’t go running your mouth. That’ll get you fucked
up. These boys play rough. Gender doesn’t mean shit. It’s all about loyalty.”

Symone
nodded. She’d learned the nature of men. No matter what they had, they always
wanted more. Something different, exotic, and new. The number of clients she’d
had
with
wives was mind-blowing.

They
stepped from the mid-sized black sedan and she took a shaky breath. This would
be her first introduction to Dueling Devils as one of them. As much as she
wanted to make it on her own, she’d be a fool to reject their claim. They gave
her protection, the peace of mind she needed to move forward. Her heels clicked
along the blacktop as they entered the club.

A
roar of greeting went up over the loud classic rock, deafening her. The smell
of smoke, the heat from the crush of bodies and the noise disoriented her. She
stepped closer to Chase, allowing her to be an anchor in this strange new
world.

“Hey,
fellas.” Chase grinned. She wrapped her arm around Symone. “Let’s make the
rounds, pay our respect to Pres, and mingle a little bit.”

Hungry
gazes swept over her, but no one said a thing.

They
worked their way toward the back and inside a room fool of pool tables.

Demon
stood by the pool table, watching as Lefty lined up a shot. Gia stood beside
Demon talking.

Her
stomach lurched.

“Hey,
P.”

Demon
glanced up and smiled. “Chase, you made it, and brought your friend.”

Gia
met her gaze and the rest of the conversation between Chase and Demon turned
into background noise. A wealth of unspoken words formed an invisible barrier
between them. Her mouth went dry.

“We
should talk,” Gia said.

Symone
shook her head. “Nothing to say.”

“I
disagree.”

“For
once, I agree with, Taffy,” Lefty added.

“Symone,”
she corrected him.

“Like
the name change is going to change anything about you.”

His
scowl struck a nerve. “And what would you know, or do you think you know about
me, Lefty?”

“I
know you’re an ungrateful bitch.”

“Oh,
I am? Tell me, Lefty what should I be grateful for? ‘Cause if I remember
correctly, I haven't asked for a damn thing and I’m supporting myself.”

“All
the shit Gia’s done for you and this is how you repay her?” Lefty sneered.

“She’s
done for me?” Symone sputtered. “She left me for dead, escaped here, and has
been living the high life. You expect me to worship her for that?"

“It
wasn’t her fault!”

“It
doesn’t change the fact that she was here building her empire while I was
surviving a hell I couldn't escape.” Symone’s chest heaved. Her face grew hot.
She stared at Lefty in a silent refusal to back down.

“Hating
ass bitch.” Lefty spat on the floor. “Gi— should’ve let you go back where you
came from.”

“Lefty.”
The shock and horror in Gia’s voice brought their standoff to an immediate end.
“This is between me and her. You don’t understand how she feels. I do.”

“No,
bullshit. You don’t take her side. That bitch is wrong.”

“You
need to sit this one out, brother. Seems like sisters need to work out their
family drama same way us brothers do,” Demon urged.