Gangs Aren't My Style (A Black Death Novel)

Chapter 22 - Burnt by Truth

Gangs Aren't My Style

Book I of the Black Death Trilogy

PART ONE: Tears Fall When You See The Truth

Chapter 22 - Burnt By Truth

After another round of torturous beating and endless questions that she was unable or unwilling to answer, Ally was too exhausted to bother fighting back when her brother cut the ropes securing her to the chair and lifted her over his shoulder. The position sent her head spinning, and Ally squeezed her eyes shut against the dizzying influx of blood.

The swaying motion of James' walk nauseated her and Ally felt the beginnings of bile rising up in the back of her throat. However, she had had nothing to eat for over a day and so the basic reaction yielded nothing more than painful dry heaving. James set her on her feet and she swayed, as if drunk.

A door swung open in front of them and James used no prelude to hide or build up to his intended action. He pushed Ally's prone body onto the large bed in the center of the room and held her down. Realizing what was happening, Ally began to weakly fight back, but her brother anticipated every struggle. A gag was ready for when she attempted to scream. Flailing arms were caught and secured above her head with one hand. Kicking legs were pinned down with the weight of his body.

Once she was helpless, he attacked her -as if only her pain would be enough to settle the craving for truth and answers inside of him. James ripped open her shirt with the ferocity of a man torn, sending buttons flying. His breathing was erratic, his movements uneven, his eyes wild.

It was then Ally understood. Her brother felt responsible for Daniil's death and was avenging him the only way he saw fit. When answers appeared to be unreachable and his friend remained missing, he imagined the worst and strove to punish her for her supposed affiliation with his enemy. Moreover, he was punishing her for the death of a friend.

James separated the ripped halves of her shirt, pushing the fabric back from her torso as far as her raised arms would allow. The sight of wounds and gashes covering the entire length of her abdomen filled him with great satisfaction. However, it was not yet enough.

He reached to unclasp the button on her jeans and Ally tried to shift away from him by twisting her hips but the action did not phase or hinder him. James roughly shoved her back onto the bed so that she was laying flat and slapped her.

The stinging hit caused Ally's head to jolt to one side and the force of the impact caused the gag to loosen slightly. Voice now unhindered, she let out a stammered plea for him to stop as the zipper of her jeans was slid down. He paused only to tighten the gag around her head before tugging her jeans down her hips. He had to release his hold on her legs to slide her jeans completely off and Ally used that moment to aim a knee at his family jewels. She miscalculated his movement, however, and only managed to strike him in the upper thigh. Still, he winced at the blow before reciprocating with a harsh punch to the gut.

A cracked rib protested against his punch, pain stilling her completely as, for a moment, any ability to think past it was impossible. Her lungs could not get enough air and her ribcage seemed to be pressing in on the precious organs it was supposed to rigidly protect. Ally cried out, the sound muffled by the gag. There was no way to tell the extent of the damage that her body had suffered during her brother's latest torture session but, with each movement, it seemed to be worse.

A sneaker-clad foot managed to clip James on the jaw during the extent of the struggle and he stared down at Ally with rage. Her jeans dropped to the floor beside the bed.

Time stopped as James grinned evilly. His had dropped to her thigh and he ran it up slowly, soaking in her muffled pleas. In nothing changed, he really would rape her and she would be powerless to stop him. The truth was her only chance.

Desperation spurred Ally to toss her head from side to side, loosening the gag once again. The gag slipped down around her neck. She opened her mouth to speak but James was already covering her parted lips with his hand, cutting off any words. He hissed at her to shut up, unappreciative of her attempts to enunciate her words through the barrier he imposed.

The hand that had been holding her wrists changed tactics under the new circumstances and continued where the other had left off. Ally pushed against her brother's chest and pulled at the hand covering her mouth but he did not budge.

His fingers pressed into the flesh of her hip. Ally panicked and bit down hard. James pulled his hand back with a startled cry of pain.

Ally took her chance. "They didn't capture me because I was an accomplice of Adam Soverage! They captured me because I'm your sister!" The exclamation left her panting for breath, all of her energy invested in the halting of her brother's questing hands. He stilled against her.

James pulled back, not releasing her, but retreating enough to fully take in her features for the first time. At each familiar feature that stared back at him, James loosened his grip. He shook his head, his eyes wide and disbelieving. "It couldn't be..."

Ally implored him with her eyes to believe her. "I'm not a traitor," she whispered, certain that if she convinced him of that one fact, the rest would work out itself. He could not deny the similarities.

James stumbled off the bed in a daze. Ally was sure he had realized.

She sat still, remaining spread across the bed in a mass of tangled limbs, ripped clothing, and purpling bruises. She waited for his reaction.

"Ally?" he questioned softly, slowly approaching. He seemed to be subdued for the moment, waiting to base his actions off hers.

"Don't you dare come near me," she hissed. She was not giving him any pretenses of friendship. "This gang has made you a monster, James, and I want nothing to do with you."

"Why didn't you tell me? Why would you let me go on thinking that you were the enemy?" James demanded, desperation in his voice. He was striving for a reason, any reason, that would place the fault on someone else. The guilt of hitting, torturing, and almost violating his own sister was well on its way to eating him alive.

"Because you would have never let me leave." Ally anticipated the reply forming on his lips and cut him off quickly. "I can't stay here, James."

"Can't or won't?" he questioned bitterly.

Her reply was immediate and honest. "Both."