The Other Side

Night Ten

TW: Physical Violence & Sexual Assault/Rape

Night Ten

I woke up in a dark, abandoned warehouse tied to a large pole that held up a beam for the roof. I could hear an occasional car drive past the building, the sound of birds - seagulls, maybe? - screeching around us. Something in the warehouse was leaking, the sound of a steady faucet or something dripping, echoing in my ears. The place smelled moldy and dusty, the floor I was sitting on, cold through my jeans. My head was killing me and blood was dried to my head. When did I hit my head?

Standing in the room were a few really buff guys wearing dark clothing and guns fastened to their hips.

"Go out there and find him! I need to know where that asshole is!"

I looked at the guy who was yelling at the buff dudes who left the room. The guy wasn't much older than myself, maybe 20. He had long, blonde hair and dark blue eyes, scary looking compared to Marko's. He was well built, muscled and tanned; obviously a day-timer by definition.

I heard a muffled noise and he turned around, the back of his hand colliding with someone's face. My eyes widened when I saw who it was.

Brant.

"Shut up you little fucktard!"

"Hey, leave him alone asshole!"

The guy turned to me and I clamped my mouth shut. Shit Claire, you shouldn't have said anything.

He walked over to me, smirking.

"Well, good evening sunshine. I didn't realize Ace's girl was such a feisty pepper."

I spit at the guy's feet.

"I'm not Ace's girl. He dumped me."

The guy chuckled, shaking his head.

"Oh. Oh! This is classic! He dumped you thinking he was keeping you safe! Haha!"

I furrowed my brows at him and he shook his head.

"Claire Marie, is it?"

I slowly nodded and he chuckled.

"Let me tell you something about little old Ace Carson. You see Ace and I, we go way back. I taught him everything he knows, got him in the business and got him the dough he needed to support him and little Brantley here. I got him all the money he needed to fund their worthless lives, that stupid garden of his, and I stood by him in everything. We were brothers. That is until the day he came and told me he had to get out of the business and get clean. I was pissed but you know what I did? I convinced him to do one more job for me. Simple but big enough for him to get thrown in jail when he got caught, which he did."

I stared at him. What is wrong with this dude?

"After he was released I tried to get in contact with him and do you know what he did? He told me to fuck off. I hunted him down and he decided it would be nice to beat the crap out of me. So I'm obviously a bit pissed off. I've been watching him for years, waiting for someone or something to enter his life, something that he cared deeply for, so I could rip it from his life and destroy him. Brantley entered my operations here and once I heard word of you, well I just had to check you out. It turns out you're the weak spot I've been waiting for all these years."

Brant began to yell something and the guy pulled out a gun, pointing it at Brant.

"Oh my god, stop! Don't shoot him!"

The guy looked at me, chuckling.

"You honestly care about this moron?"

"Yes! Leave him alone asshole!"