Chapter 30

"Well, look who decided to show up. We've been waiting for you!" Frankie waves the gun in the air, laughing like a fuckin' lunatic. I scan the room until my eyes land on Shorty. My knees buckle at the sight in front of me but the asshole holding onto me yanks me back up to my feet.

My heart stops.

I can't breathe.

Fuck, I can't breathe.

"Take a good look, asshole."

Ignoring Frankie's words, my eyes are focused on the only girl who can easily rip my heart in two. Shorty's hands are tied together above her head by a rusty metal chain that's attached to the ceiling. Her legs dangle a few inches off the dirty cement floor. Her beautiful face hangs downward, and her matted black hair with spots of dry blood sticks to her curls and covers her face.

Her chest is barely moving.

What the fuck did he do to her?

Bile rises in my throat when I take in her condition. Tears well up behind my eyes when I notice her clothes are torn, and blood is covering her face and stomach..

Shorty groans when Frankie grabs a chunk of her hair and yanks her head back. I snap.

"Don't fuckin' touch her!" A kick to the back of my knees forces me to the ground.

The fucker laughs.

"Baby, you have a visitor. Look who came to say hi."

Shorty slowly opens her beautiful brown eyes.

I take in a deep, harsh breath.

Her right eye is swollen shut. Black and purple bruises cover her right cheek. It's like he purposely left one side of her face—untouched, as if he wants me to be able to compare the damage he's done with what she looks like underneath it.

What a sick, twisted motherfucker.

When Shorty realizes I'm here, her bottom lips tremble and tears begin to fall down her face. I give her a small smile, trying to let her know it's going to be ok.

Frankie raises the gun and points it to her temple.

My heart beats erratically.

My hands roll into fists that are itching to beat the shit out of him.

"Don't, please don't," I beg when he pushes the gun to her temple.

Asshole number two kicks me in the back again, forcing me lower to the ground. I grunt in annoyance.

"I'm going to kill you," I seethe through my teeth.

He punches me in the face.

Shorty gasps.

I laugh and spit the copper taste out of my mouth. "That's all you got?"

He punches me again.

"Stop." Shorty's plea comes out a painful whisper.

"Shut the fuck up!" Frankie roars in her face still holding the gun against the side of her head.

"I'll fucking kill you if you hurt her." I threaten, chest heaving.

"Oh, yeah?" he chuckles. "I'd like to see you try."

"Untie me then. Fight me like a man." I snarl, wanting to rip the motherfucker's head off.

Frankie turns to me and then back to Shorty. "What the hell is so special about this girl that any man would risk their life for her?" He brushes the gun up and down her cheek.

"Even Christian was fucked in the head over this girl."

Speaking of Christian, I realize he's not here. It makes me wonder where he is and when he's going to show up.

"But he won't have to. Not when I'm done with her."

My skin grows hot. My body thunders with rage. So much adrenaline fills me that my body begins to shake.

The back door opens, revealing Ash being dragged by asshole number three.

"Ah! Now we can start the party!" Frankie yells in excitement. "Put him next to his brother." Frankie orders and disappears to the back.

Ash grunts when he's thrown down next to me, his hands tied behind his back.

"What the fuck, D." Ash groans in pain. He has a bruise over his left eye, and blood dripping down his nose.

"What the hell is going on?" He spits the blood on the ground. His eyes follow my gaze in Shorty's direction.

"What the fuck!" His outburst causes Shorty to jerk and earns him a swift kick to his side.

"Motherfu—" He's interrupted when that fucker Frankie drags a very unconscious Tia in his arms followed by two other guys. He drops Tia like a rag doll on the ground next to Shorty.

Shorty whimpers and she shakes from sobbing as she stares at her bloody and bruised best friend.

"What did you do to her?" Ash screams and thrashes against his restraints. I try to speak but I've lost my voice.

"Oh, we did all kinds of things, didn't we Tia? This is what happens when you disobey." Frankie leans down and kisses her cheek. He forcefully yanks her up and ties her up the same way as Shorty.

"Wake up!" Frankie throws a cold bucket of water in Tia's face. Her body jerks and she cries out when she scans the room.

"You think you know what pain is?" he bellows slapping her across the face blood flew out of her mouth. "Nah, not yet. But you will."

"Please! Stop. Please stop." Shorty's broken voice tears a hole in my heart as she begs Frankie to stop. Tears runs down her face like a river.

Frankie slaps duct tape over Tia's mouth then walks over to Shorty and stands behind her.

He pulls her hair over her shoulder and kisses her neck while his eyes stay on me along with a sick, twisted grin on his lips.

I'm going to kill him.

"Let's play a game," he calmly says which doesn't sit well with me. I move uncomfortably and I wait to see what he plans next. Suddenly, Frankie grabs a baseball bat from the guy standing beside Tia.

No.

"What are you doing?" Ash frantically looks between Frankie and Shorty.

"Bro, don't you think you're taking it too far," one of Frankie's guy says.

"You think so?" Frankie looks between him and Shorty, shakes his head. "Nah, I'm not." Then he points the gun at the guy and shoots him right between his eyes.

"Fuck!" Ash and I say at the same time.

He swings the bat into Shorty's stomach, and she gasps for air. Tia screams through the tape over her mouth and swings back and forth.

"Strike one!" Frankie yells and laughs.

"Stop!" I yell, pulling against my restraints, trying to get to Shorty.

"You fucker!" Ash yells.

Shorty coughs as if she's trying to catch her breath while blood mixed with saliva drools down the side of her mouth. Endless tears fall from her angelic face. Frankie swings the bat back and forth like he"s warming up for his next strike.

"Shorty." Her name comes out broken. "Look at me." She turns to face me. My heart is being torn out of my chest from watching her get beaten. And there's not a damn thing I can do to stop her from being hurt or worse, killed.

"Just keep your eyes on me, ok, baby?" I croak, holding back a sob.

"Strike two!" Frankie swings the bat to her stomach a second time. Shorty lets out a horrific cry that will forever be etched in my memory.

"You motherfucker! I'm going to kill you!" My voice bellows through the warehouse.

Tia cries and struggles to keep her breath.

I cry like a baby because not only did I find Shorty, but I also lost her. I will never forgive myself. I don't deserve her forgiveness.

Frankie raises the bat again when I cry out, "Please stop this. Don't do this. I'm begging you."

He hands the bat back to his guy and release Shorty from the chains. She drops to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

She doesn't move.

"Shorty," I whisper. "Baby, get up. Look at me," I cry.

He kicks Shorty in her side.

"STOP, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" I roar until my voice is hoarse. I manage to get on my feet but then I'm tackled to the ground. I keep fighting as Ash fights against the guy holding onto him. We thrash around the floor until one of the guys lands a swift kick to my gut.

Fuck.

I roll until I'm on my back and try to catch my breath, but I'm yanked up by my collar and back onto my knees, giving me a perfect view of Shorty. She's laying on the ground on her side with her face in my direction, but her eyes are closed. Her body is twisted in an unusual angle and a pool of blood grows around her frail, broken body.

"He killed her," Ash says in a broken whisper.

I've must've passed out because when I come to, Ash is on his knees sobbing.

Tia still dangles from the ceiling; she must've passed out from the pain.

Shorty is left on the dirty floor like trash. I let out an agonizing cry and try to get to her, but the pain ricocheting through me keeps me from reaching her.

I glance around the room and notice we're all alone. It's quiet but I can hear distant voices from behind the door.

"Ash."

He doesn't respond. He just cries silently.

"Ash!" I whisper yell.

Again, no response.

"Ash! Goddamnit!"

He turns to face me, eyes full of pain, and the door swings open. Frankie walks past us and stops in front of the girls. He raises his gun and points it at Shorty, while one of Frankie's goons points his gun toward Tia.

No. What the fuck is he doing?

Frankie looks over his shoulder with a malicious look in his eyes, but he's no longer smiling or laughing.

"Say goodbye."

"NO!" Ash and I yell at the same time.

One gunshot.

Two gunshots.