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

Chapter 33 - Timeless Betrayal

Gangs Aren't My Style

Book I of the Black Death Trilogy

PART TWO: Memories That Don't Seem To Fade

Chapter 33 - Timeless Betrayal

The next day, Ally paced in anger and frustration as she watched James post guards outside her door. She clenched her fists, her fingernails biting into her palms and making a small trickle of blood flow from the cuts. She could look after herself, she did not need a protective detail. Too bad then that her brother had taken it upon himself to ignore every single misgiving she had about staying at the gang base.

Ally felt suffocated. She had never taken well to restriction but her four years spent away had only served to solidify that belief.

She sighed, having had enough, and turned to her brother. She was going to speak her mind no matter what he wanted. "I refuse to be followed around all the time like some criminal the police are trying to catch breaking the law. I can protect myself." Ally had wanted to continue and explain the reasons why she had to leave but James refused to discuss the topic, waving her off with a flick of his hand. He simply kept talking to the new guards, instructing them on her tricks for trying to escape and what the punishment would be if they let her go out on her own or if she got hurt. If he hadn't waved her off, Ally wouldn't have even known that he'd heard her.

She glared daggers into the back of his head. She was his only sister and he was the also the only reason that she was still standing in Black Death territory. Shouldn't that mean he at least listened to her, instead of brushing her off like any other one of his gang members?

"Look, I can't..." She trailed off as she noticed he was ignoring her and tried again. "James," Ally called but he still kept talking to the guards and ignored her. She pushed herself off the wall and stood up straight, crossing her arms in front of her.

"James," she snapped, finally getting him to look at her. "I can't stay."

The soft expression he usually wore around her had cracked and fallen off when he left the previous night to torture the man who had harmed her. The only thing Ally now saw when she looked at him was a man who was on a mission, a mission that just so happened to make her life miserable. It was almost as if he was so focused, he didn't stop to consider what he was saying or to who. He just couldn't stand the thought of his little sister leaving. He was selfish enough to keep her miserable in order to have what he wanted.

"You wouldn't be able to leave. The men would stop you. And, I will not be told what I can or cannot do by you. Even if you are my little sister," he said in response to her comment, turning back to the guards.

Ally bit her tongue so hard in her attempts to keep herself from exploding on him that it began to bleed. She knew from experience that would get them nowhere because he would simply reply by yelling too and soon they would be in a screaming match.

"Bro, I told you I would try it out and if it didn't work, I would be gone. Look at the facts, it's not working. I'm leaving. And you can't stop me. I won't live my life like some chained animal. I love you, James. But I can't stay here. I tried, but I can't." She started toward the door, but James grabbed her arm and refused to let her go.

Even as he tried to pull her around to look at him, Ally remained facing the door without moving. She couldn't look at him anymore. It felt like she was being betrayed.

"I will not let you walk out that door for a second time. It took me four years to find you last time, and even then it was an accident that I found you at all. I refuse to go through that again," he said, the caring tone leaving his voice. It was now almost threatening.

"Watch me," she whispered, so that the only one in the room who could've heard her was him. Ally then pulled her arm from his grip, and marched towards the guards who were standing by her door. Her brother must have given them either a signal or a look because suddenly her feet were kicking through air, and she was being hauled further back into the room against her will.

His men laid her down on her bed, each holding one of her arms down while she kicked as hard as she could. Her brother just walked to her with a pair of handcuffs, a sad look crossing his face; as if this was hard on him to lock her up. Once again, he was thinking only of himself.

James attached one end of the handcuffs to her wrist, and fastened the other end to the bedpost behind her head. The men then let go of her, and she was left alone with only her brother. Ally pulled on the handcuffs as hard as she could despite knowing it wouldn't help.

"I never meant to hurt you," he whispered from where he stood by the door.

Ally scoffed, glancing at him for the first time since he had latched the handcuffs. He was casually leaning against the door frame as if everything was fine. As if he hadn't just locked up his sister. "Well you have a fine way of showing it."

"I really am sorry, but I can't let you go."

A single tear slowly snaked its way down her cheek as she stared at the big brother who was supposed to protect her. "You can't let me go, or won't?"

James came to stand beside her bed, reaching with his thumb to wipe the tear off her cheek. When his thumb touched her skin, Ally stiffened under and backed away. "Don't touch me."

He shook his head, seemingly having an internal argument over what to do. Then, finally, he turned from her and exited the room, leaving her clasped to the bed frame.

She watched his retreating form with increasing sadness. He had lied to her once again. It seemed that some things just never changed.