GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AHEAD - SKIP IF UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THESE THEMES
Sending love!!!
...
Reid doesn't notice me staring as he spins his spoon in his fingers, frowning at it. "What did Elias tell you?" I ask.
Reid glances at me, "Uh, don' think you were there this morning, but Teacup is friends with this Ghost kid named Kensie. E was light on detail, but Teacup said Kensie ran away from her partner last night. Guards got her." Reid clears his throat, avoiding looking at me, "three of 'em raped this kid then delivered her back to her partner, so he could have a go."
I lean forward, placing my chin in my hand as the blood drains from my fingers, my stomach turning.
"When you an' Thai were with Hito, we overheard that guards don' get penalized for fraternizing with candidates no more. Elias told me the ringleader was Lieutenant Hinkley." He gestures his fork at a soldier by the door.
Reid's grave features harden, "Kensie's partner is a Ghoul. Kenner. E dropped contraband on his work gear this afternoon, the guards should pick him tomorrow... But the idea don' taste so sweet no more, now that them guards not even gon' get a smack on the wrist."
I know Kenner, he's a fat sleaze ball with a brute face like Wilkes.
We both fall silent as I picture Kenner receiving one of the brutal beatings that the guards have been dishing out. Lately there have been beatings at least every day.
"Where'd E get contraband?" I mumble.
"Gave it to him, after lunch." Reid glances around at the empty hall and gestures at my plate. "Hurry up."
"Whatchu give him?" I sit back.
He glares me dead in the eye, "You said you needed to drop them cuffs on someone. Eat. Vi."
I chew my lip and look at the plate he practically licked clean, before my eyes fall on his heavenly serving of cherry pie.
I sigh, "I'm not hungry."
"You're always hungry." He grunts.
I shrug, leaning over the table again, "Hito psyched me out." I keep replaying it in my head. What he said about Bloom... then his parting comment. Tokyo is better than Trick.
I cast a look across the hall at Hito but Reid simply observes me, and his expression darkens to a sour glare. Somehow his bad mood gets worse. He drops the plastic spoon and it clatters on his plate as he flexes his knuckles.
"Eat." He pushes, and I glare at him as I place my fork down, but then to my surprise he scoops it up and twirls a mouthful of noodles for himself.
"Hey." I complain, trying to retrieve it but he arches his brow around his mouthful.
I look at his dessert and try to go for the spoon but he bats my hand away, "No. Cost me a lot." He drops my fork and collects his own utensil.
"But," I try to argue but then he takes a spoon of cherries and pastry, hovering it in front of his lips while I watch like a begging dog.
Dickhead.
He smirks.
"You ask Hito those questions?" He drawls, looking ahead like he's uninterested.
I arch a brow at him in warning.
"Alright," He backs off, "Why'd him psych you out?"
"He said Dr Jewel has a fire-wall around my army file... said Tokyo is better than Trick."
Reid looks at me too quickly, trying to survey my reaction like he's gleaning my understanding of who and what that could mean. Trick is the leader of the Voytek's... but Tokyo is my brother. He's just a soldier, of course he's 'better' than the leader of a literal war tribe. It's such a strange thing to say, unnerving even.
"What else?" He prompts.
"One of him men called me a fuck-doll." I admit.
Reid grimaces, but he doesn't comment.
"Realised Hito was just deciding if he wan' fuck me or not." I mumble.
I wait for him to say something, but he just carves a spoon of cherry-pie, "Him wanted to fuck you since you got back from the Manics. Public meeting is just a formality." He raises the spoon in my direction, and my brows shoot up. Reid keeps his gaze low, not really paying me attention as I eye the food he's hovering in my face.
Just as he prepares to retract it, I take his hand and guide it to my lips. His dark brows loosen.
"Do you know who Trick is?" I ask.
"Leader of the Voytek's... gimme my spoon," murmurs before he takes it from me, our hands grazing.
"Why you got a problem?" I ask softly but then Reid adjusts his chair, tugging mine so he practically cocoons me against the table.
He carves a piece for me, "My problem is your inability to shut up, and eat. Here." His tone is chiding, not inflammatory. "I don' like our company." Hito is in front of us, the Dockside crew behind, and behind them, Trent's little band of thugs block the door.
Surrounded, outnumbered.
I glare up at him through my lashes, insulted by his assumption that I've somehow grown oblivious to the looming threat, "I'm taking my time on purpose," I mutter, "If we leave then they gon' jump us on the walk back so I'm waiting them out. Want the soldiers to escort all us back once curfew comes."
Upon realising I'm not oblivious, he raises a palm in mock surrender. "Don' blame me, you don' look one bit fussed." He twists to look at the soldiers, but they seem more like statues. Stagnant, uninterested.
"I am, fussed." I defend, but then my heart clenches at the gravity of our situation. We're sitting ducks. "I feel like I'm gon' be sick." I admit.
Reid's movement catches, like my admission of vulnerability has poked a hole in his understanding of me. "Could've fooled me." He murmurs, and for the first time since this afternoon his antagonistic demeanour subsides. Once we talked last night, I discounted the idea that his prickly demeanour was aimed at me. I think he was concerned with how my encounter with Hito would go.
I flinch when cheers break out. We both glance at the Dockside gang where Cola and another threadbare girl flirt, leaning over chairs and talking animatedly.
"You think we can go?" I mumble when Trent's group rises, staunching as they prowl over to the feral tribe of thugs and gangers, but Reid shakes his head. To get to the door we have to get through them.
"You stealin' our girls?" Trent extends his arms with a broad grin, but his shirt lifts to reveal a knife tucked into his pants.
The guards watch the little standoff that's about to start.
"Nah bro, nah, they came over to us. We just borrowing 'em, cuz," One of the black toothed gangers denies, standing so he can puff his chest.
"Oi fair aye, they're mint chicks." Saxon grabs his crotch callously, "Yous were behind the Jiggy Heist last summer, aye?" He points, sticking his chin in the air. They fall silent, discerning if he's gon' start a fight over one of the old skirmishes in the city.
"We was behind it, yes'suh," they start rising to their feet, shoving chairs and dumping utensils until the empty hall is overwhelmed with jarring sounds.
Now the Yakuza watch too.
"If we was back in LD then I'd never say it but yous handled yourselves proper wit' that one." Saxon grins and they start jeering again, laughing.
"Dap me up homes, you's the real ones aye." Just like that the two groups meld together, all barking and laughing about whatever bullshit they can.
Reid hisses under his breath.
I recognise a few of them, namely Vinnie who's about as rough as a Zero's guts.
Vin is nearly as grimy as Trent and his skin is covered in scars and dirt. He used to hit on me at parties. When I didn't wan' it he started talking bad on my name and dog glaring me wherever I went.
I take our silence as a chance to observe Reid's features. Set in a grim line, irritated and tense... he incessantly bounces his damn knee, collecting his spoon for one moment before dropping it callously.
He starts drumming his thumb and pinkie finger against the tabletop, so I lean forward, taking his hand in mine, "Hito said they're gon' take Newcastle, said the target is on the civilians, because first you got to 'kill the city to take it'." I murmur, turning his palm up and tracing from the bottom along the trajectory of each finger, "I asked him about Manics, just to see, and he got all staunch, but when I said the Voytek's might be a problem he relaxed, you know, got smug and cocky like. Makes me think Akimitsu is in bed with Trick, which would explain why the Voyteks are making such offensive moves. They commandeered the largest base near Lake Darling a week before the army abducted us, then four outposts since. I asked Hito when the attack would be but he wised up. Had to stop." Having traced all his fingers, I turn his hand and smooth my thumb along his scarred knuckles.
"If they're in bed with Trick then..." He scrunches his brows, "What'd he say about Tokyo? Tokyo is better than Trick?"
My jaw slackens, and I look up, "Tokyo is with them?" Betrayal strikes me hard in the chest. I have to swallow. "Dad said," I clear my throat, "When dad finally realised that he couldn't stop the soldiers from taking me he said I can't trust Tokyo."
Reid's gaze flickers across my face, our legs still touching, but the intensity of his attention makes me aware of how much he can see. He knows my heart just broke a bit. Trying to pass up the moment, I flash him a cheeky grin and eye the dessert, "I get the rest?"
He smiles, his white canines brushing his bottom lip. "Yeah, alright," His gaze wanders my face when I grin triumphantly.
Their discussion gets louder, rowdy and chaotic, just asking for a soldier to intervene.
I ignore it, "You think too much." I say around the spoon, and Reid arches a brow.
"Oh yeah?" His deep voice lilts.
"You got a lot of lines on your palms. Means you're thoughtful."
His lips tug into a smile, "Thoughtful or think too much? They're kind of different."
"See." I gloat, and he sighs out a laugh, trying to take his spoon back, but I bend the bowl to reveal that it's empty and he narrows his eyes at me.
I lose my hair from behind my ear, "This is new," I re-take his hand and inspect the gold signet ring, admiring the ridges of his knuckles.
Fuck, I love his hands.
"Yeah. I had to sell the family ring for mum's funeral, but I missed the feeling of it." He says absently and my breath catches. "This one don' got no ruby though."
That's the first time he's ever mentioned his mother's death. I open my mouth.
"Oi you's good with Myers?" Vin shouts, effectively ending that line of conversation.
"Fuck no, homes," Trent says for the whole hall to hear.
"Here we fuckin' go." Reid mutters.
Cola sits atop one of Vin's guys, whispering in his ear.
One of Trent's friends named Ezza laughs, "Screw that prissy cunt, I'd fuck his lil' sissy in his face all I care."
Vinnie grins snidely, "Beat you to it, bruv."
From the other direction, Hito laughs, inviting himself into the conversation.
"What's that?" Vin turns.
Hito replies in Japanese and his men burst into laughter. Sensing insult, the Dockside crew advance, and the Yakuza rise defensively within seconds.
We're in the middle. "This is a stitch up." I swallow. Reid looks at the bottom of his drink before he reclines in his seat and slings an arm across his chair. He rests his forearm against my seat.
"What's funny, China?" One of Vinnie's friends taunts across the hall.
The Yakuza men talk amongst themselves in Japanese, and Vinnie says something racist, which makes them bristle but Hito just crosses his arms. His tattooed biceps bulge against his wife beater top as he meanders toward us.
"Don' think that's any of your busines-."
"What's, funny, China?" Vin repeats, condescending and aggressive.
"Fine. I hit the other week and no fuckin' way." Hito taunts.
"Huh?" Vinnie barks, "Come on Ching-Chong, try again, I don' get it."
My heart thuds with every step they lay in our direction. Both sides are pretending we're not here, trying to put us on edge.
Vin and Trent arrive to stand above us; however, Hito's little gang crowds around the opposite side.
Hito braces his hands on the seat adjacent to Reid's, leaning over it, ignoring us as he glowers at Vin.
The last of their friends gather around, effectively encircling us. My stomach turns, "I fucked Myer's sissa," Hito says in a perfectly insulting Dock-Side accent.
A muscle in Reid's cheek flags, and I look to him, but he moves his hand to the base of my skull as though it will hold each of us still.
Hito nails it home, "And no way in fuck you did too coz she bled all on the sheets like a lil virgin."
Something in Reid snaps. He flexes his fingers against the back of my neck, but it's the only symptom of his rage. He breathes evenly, drilling a deadly glare up at Hito when their eyes meet.
A violent and devout thirst for blood dances on Reid's face.
"Careful," Hito clicks, glancing at the soldiers posted on the wall, "You're outmanned. Again."
Reid's chest rises, then falls.
Again. That was a reference to something that happened back in the Yakuza.
The air picks up a new degree of heat, only inflamed when Vin starts snickering, pointing at Reid and me.
"Look here. Them loved up," He tells Sax and Trent.
In my peripheral, Vinnie moves to stand directly behind me.
"How you been, Vin?" I flash him a smile, twisting to collect Reid's hand before I hoist myself up to sit atop the table.
"Aye look." Saxon misreads my action as an attempt to stand up.
"Oi, oi, we better bow." Ezza starts up, pretending to curtsey, which earns a litany of laughs and snickers, but instead, I rise to the table above Reid.
"Come on Ez, that wasn't a bow." I jeer, and Hito actually snickers in support of me.
"Don' flatter yourself baby, you ain't no princess no more." Ezza laughs but I ignore him.
"She's just a manic-fucker, now." Trent snaps, earning a bey of 'ooh's' from his dip-shit friends.
Reid's long legs leave a patch of empty plastic on his chair where I place my shoo. Reid leans forward to pull my abandoned plate of noodles toward him. His elbow touches my knee as he eats, nonchalant and unbothered.
Vin glowers down at his back like his disinterest is offensive, but then some of Hito's men start bickering with his guys. The discussion splits into two groups.
"Manic-fucker," I laugh, leaning back and subtly bolstering my palm directly beside the porcelain bowl that had the cherry pie in it.
I study the new fight as their bickering gets louder. Hito rounds the table, and we watch each other as he approaches.
"Careful Vin, you might catch M.A.D. if you stand too close," Hito spooks. "How it feel, Myers? Havin' a Manic's sloppy seconds and 'dat?"
Reid's hard features crackle with barely restrained hostility, but he makes everyone wait for an answer as he finishes his mouthful. Finally, he bounces his brows in silent assent, "Pitty you not gon' find out. Huh?"
Is he gloating about the sex we've never had?
Sax kisses his teeth, rolling his eyes, but Trent glowers straight at me. "You think you're gon' get away with Mal."
Reid twists to look at Trent with a threatening expression, dropping my fork.
"Oi look, big bad Myers comin' to save the day, huh?" Saxon intervenes, "You whipped on Tokyo's baby sister? Come on Cola, tell us how you had him shakin' like a lil' girl last week." He says but Cola is too busy watching the increasingly turbulent fight between Hito and Vin's guys.
Hito squares up on Vin, "Oi tell your boys to back off mine." Hito snaps.
Ahead, I glance at the soldiers, but they stand like modern-day gargoyles, waiting for some Corporal to utter the magic words so they can fly to attack. What happened to the daily beatings' motto? They should've intervened by now.
"Why? You scared we gon' put yous to shame?" Vinnie argues.
Before Hito can retort, the fight blows up and one of Hito's men shoves a Dockside guy who makes a face of dismay, "Did you just touch my chain?" A chair skids from the impact.
Reid and I both look.
"You disrespecting my boi?!" Another Dockside jumps in.
"Yeah what of it? Fuckin' stupid cunt." A Yakuza.
Amongst the chaos, I grab the rim of the bowl and sit forward, Reid holding my gaze as I bounce my chin at the doors in the distance. To my dismay, Trent catches me. His greasy skin is puckered with blackheads, and his blonde chin-sprouts curl at uneven lengths. His blue eyes quiver with barely reserved rage and... pain.
"Did you just disrespect my chain?! That was me mama's chain!"
"Yo, yo," Hito shouts, but they ignore him and Reid laughs.
Unable to take the insult, Hito abandons his attempt to restrain his boys and spins, "Laugh some more, cunt," He snaps, leaning over Reid and getting in his face, but even from his seated position, Reid jerks forward and rams Hito's head into the table.
They enter a scrap, and Reid kicks his chair back whilst I watch from my spot on the table, however when Myers shoves Hito back the budding fight escalates.
They get in each other's face, but Myers towers over Hito, hissing out, "Why'd you bring me in, huh?" In the gap between their face.
Reid's total pivot from calm to aggressive sends heads spinning, but what's worse is the shouting beside us. Shocked at his total loss of control, I try to watch their exchange, but Hito's response get's swallowed by the noise.
Trent gets in my face, "You killed him-." He shouts.
I nearly groan, trying to listen to Hito and Reid, "Why's it matter so much?" I bark, nudging him away as I rise to my feet. I know it's a heartless question but there's something about his agony that's different... I can't place it. Shame. Why is he ashamed?
Trent grabs me, wrenching me in front of him, demanding my attention. Shocked, I put my chin in the air defiantly, no longer split between the two conversations, "What you miss his wart covered face?" I bark, "Miss him beating you up for fun, making you his dog."
He flinches, top lip curling, "No." He grinds out.
No? No?! I lose it, "You're a fuckin' joker, cunt, I did you a fuckin' favour but you're too pig headed to fuckin' see-."
Trent grabs my throat and I clench the bowl, but I restrain myself when I witness the glassiness in his eyes. I realise he's too riled up to speak so I take the opportunity, "Mal was a monster. You weren't him brother, you were his fuckin' kicking bag. Stop acting like revenge over him is your damn proble-."
"He loved me." He hisses.
I blink.
"What?"
Someone shoves the table, which hits me in the back, and I stumble out of Trent's grip. He scratches my throat in the release.
"His mother died of DVB cunt, say sorry, say sorry!"
All of Vin's men start screaming insults at the Yakuza guy who raises his hands sarcastically, "Sor-."
"No, kiss my shoes! Kiss my fucking shoes!"
The brawl breaks out.
Trent lunges but I belt the bowl against his cheek, once, twice, before the porcelain shatters against his skull. He groans, stumbling as he cradles his head.
I weave free, but then Ezza and a girl named Blu crowd around me, herding me back toward Trent like a pair of hyenas.
My heart races, the overwhelming brawl so pressurized that I struggle to keep my head straight.
Hito punches Reid in the nose but then Vin kicks Hito, sending him sideways so he can dive for Reid. Just when I turn to face Trent, Hito barrels into me and smacks into the table. Everything happens too quick.
Trent rugby charges me, launching into a feral fly tackle that sends him up and over Hito.
His shoulder connects with my ribs which knocks my world on a tilt, and he slams me into the ground, "You fucking killed him!" He screams as I wheeze, winded beyond repair.
Agony clutches my ribs and head from the impact, but I fight to breathe, squirming under him when he wraps a grimy hand around my mouth. He pulls his knife out but when he swings I shove my hips up and dodge, grabbing his face, fighting to keep him away. It forces him to use both hands to grip my throat so he can slam me back against the ground.
The force sends his blade clattering. When I reach for it, Hito snatches the knife from my grasp. I dig my thumb in Trent's eye, except he manages to overpower me.
Horrified, I watch as Hito looms behind him, but then, soldiers tackle him. A soldier hauls me out from under Trent's legs, kicking me before he bends my arms at a harsh angle to subdue me.
Someone screams.
...
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