SO COLD (18+) currently editing

Chapter 19

"Don't k-ill her. Rough her up. Send a picture."

"Sure. She misses you, drove me crazy how she wouldn't shut up about you. I had to put the bit-ch to sleep before I blew my brains out."

Uncomfortable with the disrespectful way they spoke of her, I shifted uneasily. Twenty-something year old Jess, red-head with big green eyes, and curvy. The sort of curvy that wasn't fat but slim, plus-sized model material. Morning after I slept with Doriano, Jess was sitting on Cole's lap. He paid her attention, something she begged for with her wide-eyes and puckered lips, and her perky ti--ts.

I scratched the back of my hand. Cole laughed. "Rough the bit-ch up. Turn her into a pretty mess." I looked at Irvin and hoped he'd intervene. He didn't return my gaze and deliberately stared out of the window as if the muddy road and terraced houses were captivating.

I wanted to speak up.

Doriano promised to give 'the sl--ut' what she deserved.

I wished I spoke up.

*

Charlie's place was a flat on the third floor of a building. The lifts were out of order so we trudged up the stairs having left our suitcases in the trunk of the car. On the second floor was a bearded –homeless, I think–man, he smelt foul, in desperate need of a bath and new clothes. His discoloured coat had holes in and his trainers were almost falling apart. He was asleep. "Filth like him should be ki-lled." Doriano said.

Cole pushed him ahead. "Fu-ck it. Who cares?"

"If I lived here I'd push him down the stairs." Doriano threw one last hateful look before continuing up the stairs. "Charlie likes to be amongst his own kind, I guess. White trash."

The flat was filled with familiar faces and strangers. There was a lot of foggy smoke and the music was too loud and I got a headache as soon as I walked in. I didn't want to be here. Most certainly not with these mean-faced men and half-naked women I didn't know. Two dark-skinned women in underwear were making out with each other to an audience of intoxicated men who cheered them on and whistled loudly. Jess sat on a worn out sofa next to a fat man. He pawed at her greedily, clumsily. She was only wearing knickers and a thin t-shirt. Her nipples made it clear she wasn't wearing a bra and the man was seconds away from tearing her modesty away from her. I strode across the room, yanking her up by her arm. "Hey, bit-ch!" the fat man yelled.

"Fu-ck off, you creep." I threw a dirty look over my shoulder and dragged Jess away. She didn't object, singing off key. She had a belt wrapped tightly around her forearm and I unbuckled it; sighing when I saw she had multiple holes, the surrounding areas were red.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"You're going home. Where do you live?" I asked. We were standing outside of the flat and Jess stared at her hands.

"I don't know." She was clearly distressed.

"Oh, sh-it. Okay. No worries. You can stay with me until you get your senses together." We could've gotten away if Jess hadn't fell. She didn't get back up. I crouched down on my knees and touched her shoulder. "Hey. Jess, get up."

She landed face down and was motionless. She was so eerily still it both unnerved and terrified me. I turned her over and brushed her hair away from her face. Placing my head against her mouth, I held my breath...until I heard the soft unmistakable sound of her breathing. "Jess, please, wake up." I slapped her, first softly and then whacked her when she didn't respond.

The flat was doors down. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't give her back to the very same men who wanted to hurt her but I also wouldn't be able to carry her down three flights of stairs. It turned out I didn't need to make a decision: Cole walked out of the flat, his phone in his hand. He looked like he was about to make a call. There was nowhere I could drag Jess away and hide. He glanced up, looked down, and gave a second, longer stare. His rage grew in a matter of seconds. "What the fu-ck are you doing?!"