CHAPTER FOURTEEN

TORI

THE TIME HAS COME TO PAY

A rlis and I met for my appointment in the living room at nine o’clock this morning. He told me he arrived last night. He didn’t explain why. I wondered; did it have anything to do with Catch’s father coming over today?

Arlis said I was healing well, and I could get the injury site wet. I’ll just need to bandage it afterwards.

The piping hot water pounding on my skin felt therapeutic. I’d taken for granted the simple act of being able to maneuver freely. I was filled with glee because I felt like my old self again.

I cooked Ritchie a big breakfast, pancakes, bacon, sausage links, eggs, and grits. Clutching the glass of orange juice in the crook of my arm, I carried the plate into our bedroom and kicked the door closed.

Ritchie left out again last night. Not sure when he returned, he was sound asleep when I woke up this morning. I let him sleep until now. He could go back to sleep after he ate. I placed the glass of orange juice on the nightstand.

Climbing onto the bed, with his meal in hand, I straddled him. Ritchie’s morning wood pressed against my pussy. I’d love to stay locked up in this room and fuck his brains out.

His brown hair was tousled across his forehead. My hand caressed his bare, muscled chest. Ritchie’s large hand squeezed my ass. “Baby, give me a few more minutes.”

“Ritchie, do you smell the good food I cooked for you?”

One stormy gray eye popped open. “Aren’t you supposed to take it easy?” he asked. His words came out gravelly.

Fatigue was heavy on his handsome face. He had bags under his eyes. They were noticeable before, but even more so now.

My smile withered. “Eat please and go back to sleep. I need you to get as much rest as you can.”

He stretched his other hand out for the plate.

I inched it backward. “Promise.”

He slid to a sitting position. I moved with him as his back rested against the headboard. Ritchie gripped the plate as his lips sank into my neck. “Thanks for taking care of me, baby.”

My fingers massaged his taut abs. “I’d do anything for you, Ritchie.” The words felt sour on my tongue as they fell past my lips.

His lips left my neck. I wanted so much to have that connection between us. Ritchie’s lips on my skin felt like wildfire skating over my skin.

“You mean almost anything?” Ritchie scooped up a forkful of grits, then shoved the food past his pink lips.

“Almost anything.” My eyes moved to my lap.

“Look at me,” he ordered.

I peered at him from under my long lashes.

“Work with your therapist. Hopefully, they’ll create exercises that will allow you to visit the new home I’m in the process of buying for us in Jersey. And the second home.”

My lips parted as my brows rose. “Second home?” I asked as my heart fluttered in my chest.

“We’ll visit the house in Evanston before I return to Jersey.” He smiled.

My huge grin returned. “I can’t wait to see them both.”

“In the meantime, I have a surprise for you,” he said before slipping a sausage link into his mouth.

I placed a sheet of paper towel on his lap after climbing off.

“You don’t have to do anything else for me, Ritchie.” I grinned.

“I’m happy just being here with you,” I stated.

He sat the plate on the nightstand and slid the paper towel over his lips.

“Tori, do you understand you’re the only woman who can tug on my heart strings and make this big ass man melt under your gaze?”

I chuckled uncomfortably. “Ritchie.”

He stood on his knees, peering down at me. The pad of his thumb slicked over my cheek. “Rage burns in my gut when I think about how the men in your life let you down. How you can’t see what we have is real.”

I kissed his palm. “It feels like a dream. Ritchie, I love you so much.”

He stared into my dark brown eyes. “I’m madly in love with you, Tori.”

It feels like a group of tumblers whipping through my belly, causing chaos. “With me, Ritchie? The independent woman. The woman who runs shit in the Chi. The woman who has a mind of her own.”

The biggest smile lifted his lips. “Oh, yeah, baby. Your bad girl ways definitely makes me hard as a rock every time.”

I dove into his arms. “Oh, Ritchie. I love us together.”

His big strong arms held me tightly. “Just me and my fucking woman,” he growled.

I pressed my lips against his in a bruising kiss. As I pulled back, I held his gaze. “What’s the other surprise?”

His eyes darkened as he sank against the headboard. “It’s upstairs. Don’t go overboard, but don’t go lethal either.”

I visibly swallowed.

He pointed a finger at the ceiling briefly. “There should never be any doubt in your mind about the lengths I’d go to for my woman. You’re my queen. I’ll burn it all down every time to keep you safe.”

I pressed a kiss to his lips again. “Thank you, baby. It’s time for me to have some fun. Eat. And rest up.”

“Don’t hold back,” Ritchie snickered as he grabbed his plate, not wasting time devouring his delicious meal.

THE GIRLS AND I STOOD outside the torture room. My chest rose and fell. Anger coursed through my veins. It just hit me.

“The war is over,” I whispered as my gaze moved over my friends’ faces.

Simone gripped her chest and released a breath.

Asia jogged down the hallway with her fists in the air. The heavy black leather apron smacked her black boots. “Yes,” she shouted.

Simone stored the leather aprons, bouffant caps, plastic, and leather gloves in the closet outside this room. That was smart thinking.

Bianca jumped up and down in place. “It’s over,” she whisper yelled.

I waved my hands in the air and danced in place, smiling from ear to ear.

“Let’s fuck this motherfucker up.”

I forcefully entered the room, slamming the door behind us. A pungent odor of decay instantly assaulted my nostrils. I quickly covered my nose with my hand and scanned the room as my eyes darted to the corner of the room, where Rosco’s lifeless body lay slumped against the wall.

“Damn, he stinks.” Asia let out a disgusted grunt at the stench.

It had been a long time since I smelled a corpse.

Bianca joined in with a burst of laughter. “Looks like the guys finally did him in.”

Simone added, “Fucking good. After the way, he tormented Tori and me. He deserved his painful death.”

Simone narrowed her eyes at Daryl. “The motherfucker urinated on, my best friend.”

Asia excused herself to grab some candles while I picked up a sheet of plastic from the floor and placed it over Rosco’s body. “Burn in hell, you piece of shit,” I muttered under my breath, hoping to block out some of the putrid smell.

Turning to Daryl in the center of the room, I feigned excitement as I approached him. “Daryl, it’s so good to see you again.”

His arms were zip tied to the back of the chair. His ankles were also bound.

“Girls, remember that time we met up with Man-Man at the chop shop?” I asked as I glared into his dark brown eyes.

“Yes,” each of my friends responded.

“The carnage in that place was unreal. I don’t recall ever seeing so many dead bodies in one place. That was when my so-called man had become the king of the Chi.” I pulled the blue plastic gloves over my fingers.

“Oh, so you think you’re the shit now, T?” Daryl asked. Anger etched in his once handsome face.

His right eye was sealed shut. There was a lump protruding from his forehead near his temple. No wonder my man didn’t want to wake up. Ritchie and the guys worked Daryl over good.

“Why would you ask me that, Daryl?”

“Because you linked up with the white boys. And now you’re about to take over the Chi?”

I laced my fingers behind my back. “Hmm, am I the woman because Ritchie’s my man?”

“You weren’t shit before me, T,” Daryl spat.

“One thing at a time,” I chuckled.

“Ritchie realized something was off in my life. He sent his cousin to watch over me. Once he found out I was in the hospital, he hired a bodyguard. I have my own personal bodyguard. Can you believe that?”

“You had bodyguards when you were with me too,” Daryl bit out.

Grabbing the bloody saw off a nearby stainless-steel table, I held it up under the bright lights, admiring the tool.

I shrugged. “Sometimes I did. The people of this town also feared you and me.”

My gaze cut to my cousin. “They feared me and Man-Man. Not me, you, and Man-Man.”

“Oh, you being petty now? Because he was giving me his dick. You had the power.”

I saw fucking red. “Shut the fuck up. You had no problem letting your so-called man keep you a secret. Making you his house hoe while he flaunted me around the city.”

“Shut the fuck up, bitch,” Reece roared.

“Someone’s touchy,” Asia chuckled.

His eyes cut to my friends. “All of you shut your greedy mouths. None of you had a problem eating off my man’s plate.”

“Says the secret hoe,” Bianca spat.

Simone stepped closer. “We had no idea you were the house dick. But man, it makes sense now. One day I caught you glowering at Man-Man and Tori. Now I know why.” Her gaze flicked to Daryl. “And you. Tori kept your secret all this time. How could you hold killing Marlowe over her head?”

“She’ll go down for his murder,” Daryl snickered.

“No, she won’t. Our mafia men will handle it,” Bianca added.

“I left a little something behind for you, Tori. It will come for you when you least expect it.” Daryl smirked.

“You thought you could kill us and there wouldn’t be blood on your hands.” Reece shook his head.

“Oh, how na?ve little sad Tori is,” Reece chuckled.

I snatched up a scalpel and stepped closer to Reece. “You see, I have the perfect fairytale after all.”

He smacked his lips. I jammed the scalpel into his cheek.

He screamed at the top of his lungs.

“T, what the fuck?” Daryl roared.

Placing my hands on my knees as I still clutched the saw in one hand, I peered into Reece’s eyes.

“As I was saying. I have my own man. One who wants to give me the world. He loves and adores me.” I bit back the tears.

“He loves me even though I’m a little fucked up because I was raped,” I yelled over Reece and Daryl’s hollering.

“And I have a hard time leaving this state. He’s getting me the help I need to move forward in my life. My man took bullets for me on more than one occasion. Killed the motherfucker who fucking peed on me.” My sinister eyes moved to Daryl.

“You let Rosco kidnap me. Like we were never best friends. You would do anything to keep your bottom, bitch,” I snarled as I slid the saw across his thigh.

“You were supposed to be my best friend. How could you use me for your own happiness? I deserved to have someone who would love me, too. Treat me like a queen.”

His body trembled as I cut through the bone. “I treated you good, good,” he stuttered.

The lower half of Daryl’s leg fell to the plastic sheet with a loud thud.

“Asia, create a tourniquet, please. This motherfucker can’t die yet. My man asked me not to kill him. I’m sure Ritchie wants to torture him, for shooting him so many times.”

“After everything...I did for you, T. And them.” He glared at my friends over my head.

“We were all from the hood. We were always supposed to look out for each other. Never use each other,” I stated.

Standing to my full height, I took a step back so Asia could stop Daryl from bleeding out.

“My girls always understood that. Tara didn’t. We had to get rid of her.”

Daryl smirked through the pain. “Did you get rid of her?”

Fuck, was she still alive?

Don’t appear shocked. Grin and bear his bullshit.

“If she’s still alive, the girls and I will kill her on land this time. That way, we can ensure she’s dead once and for all.”

“Bianca, I’m sure you’d like to fuck Daryl’s ass up for strapping explosives to Kam’s body.” I arched a brow at Daryl.

He shook his head. “You left me no choice, Tori.”

“I never outed you. If you would’ve agreed to let me go, we wouldn’t be here now.”

“Tori, you did. You told your fucking boyfriend.”

I shrugged. “Ritchie’s trustworthy.I knew I could tell him anything. So I let him in on the big secret. He couldn’t understand why I was in a relationship that made me unhappy. Especially one I supposedly couldn’t leave when I wanted him so badly. The truth about you and Reece only pissed Ritchie off more.”

My eyes narrowed. “You never had to involve Kam to get the money back.”

Bianca strutted around Reece, her gaze lingering on him for a moment before stopping behind Daryl. A devilish smirk played on her mahogany-colored lips as she gripped the knives behind her back.

Holding the saw at my side, the sound of blood dripping onto the plastic sheet caught my attention and I couldn’t help but smirk back at my best friend.

You used my brother to get to me. You knew he’d do anything for his big sister,” Bianca said.

“I needed that money,” Daryl barked out. She leaned in close to his ear. “Funny thing, I just transferred those funds back to myself and the girls’ accounts.”

“Of course you did,” Daryl muttered sarcastically.

Then, with a sudden movement, she plunged a knife into his back. He arched in pain and let out a scream, but I couldn’t help but feel a sense of freedom and satisfaction. This was the man who blackmailed me into a fake relationship, robbing me of my ability to choose who I wanted to be with. I had become complacent with the fancy cars, clothes, and people who feared me. But Reece was right- I loved those things more than true love or freedom. So I thought.

Bianca stepped back. “See what happens to backstabbing motherfuckers.”

I moved over to Reece and snatched the scalpel out of his face. Blood squirted all over my apron.

His chest rose and fell as tears streamed down his face.

“You were right. I loved my life as I knew it. The cars, clothes, and the condo. Honestly, what else could I have done?”

Bianca slammed another knife into Daryl’s back.

“Dirty motherfucka,” she hollered out.

Simone and Asia stood off to the side, sipping mimosas, bursting with laughter over me and Bianca’s torture tactics.

I chuckled too. Bianca wasn’t holding back.

“Reece, nothings better than having a man who will claim you. Fight for you. Take a bullet for you.”

The girls howled with laughter.

“The crazy thing is we don’t need the money from the heist,” Asia stated.

I peeked over my shoulder. “Ritchie’s taking me to see the house he bought for me.”

“That’s so awesome, Tori,” Simone boasted.

“He really loves you, T.” Asia lifted her glass.

“He does.” I felt my cheeks heat.

“T, I’m so happy for you,” Bianca said. “I’m learning to embrace this newfound wealth.”

I hoisted the saw in the air. “Good for you, B.”

“Tori, the gold digger,” Reece sputtered a laugh.

My eyes narrowed. “I’m a gold digger because the man I crushed on happened to be rich? I had no fucking idea. I’ll do something special just for you.” I pointed the saw at him.

Hopping over to the table, I grabbed another scalpel. It was long and sleek. “This should work,” I muttered.

“Simone, can we get some old school music going? How about Missy Elliot? Play ‘Hot Boyz.’ These two once were hot boys,” I burst into laughter.

My girl didn’t waste time playing my song request.

“Asia, can you give me a hand?” I asked, bobbing my head to the music.

“Gladly.” She snatched a scalpel off the table, then plunged it into Reece’s arm.

“What the fuck?” he hollered out in shock.

“Oh, you thought because we didn’t know the part you played in my best friend’s somber life, I wouldn’t help make you pay.” She chuckled. “You were mistaken.

Simone picked up a switchblade off the table and jammed it into Daryl’s arm.

“Fuck, Daryl,” screamed.

“Now you have matching stab wounds,” Simone stated.

Laughter erupted around the room.

I knelt down in front of Reece, a mischievous glint in my eye. “This is going to be bittersweet for you,” I teased, tugging at the side of his jeans. Asia joined me on her knees beside him.

“What are you two doing?” Reece protested, trying to wiggle away but unable to because of the restraints binding his ankles to the chair legs.

“Don’t worry, Daryl,” I reassured our other captive. “You’re next.” I smirked at Reece as I pulled his pants down past his knees.

“What the hell?” Daryl exclaimed in disgust.

“Relax, we’ll take care of you too,” Asia chimed in with a wicked grin.

Reece struggled against his bindings as I exposed his penis from his boxers. “Stop, please,” he begged.

“T, you better hurry before Ritchie comes in here. I wouldn’t be surprised if Catch is watching. My man has a sick kind of love for torture,” Bianca said.

“I think all the mafia men in this house do.” Asia smirked.

“Ok, I’ll hurry,” I said, staring into Reece’s desperate eyes as I gripped the base of his dick.

“Come on, don’t do this. I’m sorry,” Reece pleaded.

My smile faded at his words. “No, you’re not sorry.” With ease, I slid a scalpel along the base of his shaft, causing him to cry out in pain while Daryl yelled curses beside us.

Asia quickly applied gauze to Reece’s bloody and now dickless area.

I turned to Daryl with a sly look. “For old times’ sake.” I winked playfully.

Grinning, I shoved Reece’s penis into Daryl’s mouth. It was exhilarating to be in control, and this was definitely entertaining. Asia helped me pull down Daryl’s pants. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you suck Reece’s dick. This could be your first time. Now Reece, on the other hand. This might be the perfect way for him to go out sucking your dick,” I said as I slid the scalpel through his flesh, causing Daryl to scream in agony.

I walked over to Reece. “Here you go. It might have a hint of urine; he peed himself when I cut off his dick.” The girls and I snickered.

Asia tended to Daryl’s now missing genital area. Smirking, I pushed Daryl’s severed member into Reece’s mouth.

“Enjoy. Now my friends and I will sip champagne while we watch you two suck each other’s dicks,” I announced with glee.

With a skip in my step, I made my way over to the little bar Ritchie set up near the door.

“Girls, we have to celebrate. I’m thinking we should throw a party downstairs tonight. After my father returns to Chicago, we’ll go for a nice night out on the town.”

The girls gathered around. Each snapping off their bloody plastic gloves discarding them on top of mine on the plastic sheet.

I poured champagne into each of our glasses. “Girls, the war is over. And we are about to run the fucking Chi!” I yelled.

We clinked our glasses.

“We are about to show the South Side we run this bitch,” Asia screeched.

Bianca and Simone waved a hand in the air, dancing.

“This is our city now,” Simone shouted.

I turned to Daryl and Reece. “What a sight.” Their mouths were stuffed with each other’s dicks.

“Damn, I wish I could take a picture,” I said.

“A mental pic will have to do,” Bianca chuckled.

The door swung open, smacking the wall.

We turned.

Shit.

My gaze met the angry gray eyes of the towering, muscled man standing in the doorway.

“What the fuck, Tori?”

I sauntered over and halted before him. “What’s the matter?”

“Catch said you cut off their fucking dicks.” His beautiful gray eyes lifted over my head.

Ritchie burst into laughter.

“Cutting off their dicks was purely therapeutic, Ritchie.”

His large hand curled around my neck. His teeth clenched my pouty lower lip.

“You’ll pay for that, Tori,” he growled.

Heat flooded my core. “I guess that’s what I get for being a naughty girl.”

Ritchie crushed my lips.

I just became the queen of Chicago. It was time to bust some heads open.