I DON’T CHECK the peephole. I always check it—but this time I don’t. It’s funny how that happens. The first time you break tradition you think it’s fine, what bad could possibly come of it? That’s when the shit hits the fan. It’s like a swift kick to the stomach from the universe itself. A not-so-subtle reminder of why you always check the peephole before opening the door. There’s a solid reason behind it, and that’s what awaits me on the other side as I fling the door open in a single reckless act.
I’m expecting Annie to be standing in front of me. She dropped me off moments ago; she must have forgotten something. Only it’s not Annie. My heart sinks in my chest, and my greeting dies on my lips, the words suspended and unspoken. Mr. Carter smiles a sinister smile, sidestepping through the door and into my apartment.
“You have something for me.”
It’s a statement, there’s no question in it because there was never any room for negotiation. He’d told me he’d be here to collect and he is. And I’m not ready. I don’t have the full amount together yet.
He’s waiting for me to answer, but I’m too busy trying to formulate my next move. “I’ll just…can you wait? I have it here, I…”
The mumbling is a surefire giveaway that I’m not in a position to give him what he came for. I rummage in the drawer of the dresser I have by the door, pulling out a wad of cash and then taking the tips I made tonight from my back pocket and adding them to it. I thrust the money at him, wide-eyed and anxious because I know I’m still short.
“You’ve had enough time to get the money. You shouldn’t be so surprised to see me. I said I’d be back, and I’m a man of my word.”
My flesh crawls as he leers at me; his repulsive perusal of my body sends a shiver bolting down my spine. He’s a tall and intimidating man, wide set and hard faced. I can smell the staleness of his breath given his proximity, and I recoil in disgust. It’s in the early hours of the morning, so he’s probably been here waiting for me to return. I hate that thought almost as much as I hate Danny right now.
“I couldn’t get the whole amount. It’s a lot of money to get my hands on in only ten days, and I’m giving you literally everything that I have,” I admit. My nerves are spilling over and getting the better of me, causing me to talk at a mile a minute.
“Not good enough!” he spits out at me.
“What do you want me to do? I’m not a magician!” I fire back. My mistake is realized immediately as his eyes harden and burn with annoyance.
“You might want to talk a little nicer to me, bitch.” His hand moves at lightning speed, his thick fat fingers wrapping around my throat. Panic crashes over me, my hands fly to him as I pull and grapple at his wrist, trying to pry his vice-like grip away. My eyes water as he squeezes tighter, letting me know my attempt to stop him is futile. I’m gasping, arms flailing and legs kicking at his, as I try drawing in oxygen. The more I manage to suck in, the more my throat constricts and the tighter his grip becomes. My lungs are burning, and my head feels like it’s about to explode with the dizzying pressure of his grip.
“I…I ca…”
“What’s that? Not so fucking feisty now, huh?” He smiles, dropping his hand in amusement.
Oxygen floods my lungs, never more welcomed or tasting so good. I stagger backward a step, before bending as I struggle to take a long steady breath. Salty tears pool on the floor below me and I hate that he’s seeing me cry.
“You’re $200 short,” he says thumbing the money. ‘What am I going to tell the boss?”
“I can get it,” I lie. “I just need one more day. Just a day, please!”
I’m bawling my eyes out, scared to death, and he looks like he’s enjoying the show. His beady eyes run the length of my body.
“We don’t give extensions,” he deadpans. “Unless you want to work it off some other way?”
His tongue runs across his thin bottom lip, and he moves forward, curling his fist around the cotton of my loose pink t-shirt, pulling me toward him.
Dread descends on me like a bucket of ice water. “Don’t fucking touch me!” I roar, pulling back hard and swatting his hands away.
I don’t have time to move as his fist flies into my gut with the force of a freight train. “You don’t learn, do you?”
I drop to the floor like a stone in a pond, heavy and fast. I’ve barely landed as he curls my hair around his fist, and I’m pulled back up. The burning in my scalp is unbearable and offsets the searing agony taking residence in my abdomen.
“Stupid little bi—”
I’m dropped back to the ground, hard. The sound of his voice has been replaced by the sound of dull, weighty thwacks. There are grunts and growls before the sound morphs into wet, sickening thumps.
I scurry across my living room floor, using the arm of the sofa to pull myself up. I turn toward the sounds emanating from the corner of the room.
Callum’s on top of Carter, raining down punches in a furious deluge and I watch in horror as he transforms into a foreboding force, delivering blow after devastating blow to the bloody mush that lies beneath him. I can hear the nauseating squelch as each strike connects and sends splatters of blood everywhere.
“STOP!”
My body heaves forward as I run toward Callum, grabbing his arm. “You’ll kill him! Stop, please stop!”
Crazed eyes crash into mine as he takes a ragged breath and straightens his stance, stepping over the bloody pile of flesh and bone spread out on my rug.
“Get your stuff together,” he barks. “You’re not staying here.”
I don’t answer; I don’t even move. I’m planted to the spot in fear.
“Now, Tweet!”
I twist and run for the bedroom on autopilot. I grab a duffle bag and begin throwing piles of clothes into it. I rush to the bathroom and sweep the contents of my shelf into the bag along with my clothes, and then tear back into the living room, zipping the bag as I go. I crash into Callum as he grabs my shoulders and slows my erratic tirade through my tiny apartment. Tears are streaming down my face, and my lungs are heaving, panic wrapped around my chest like ice, squeezing uncomfortably. I’m terrified and shaken and freaking the hell out.
“Tweet, breathe. Damn it, Robyn—look at me! Breathe.”
I focus on his words, dragging a long breath in and completely falling apart. Cal’s eyes are onyx globes; his pupils are so dilated they’ve swallowed all the color around them. He’s panting, breathing hard through his nose and flaring his nostrils. His whole face is covered in speckles of blood.
It’s frightening.
As if reading my mind his expression softens and his posture relaxes, opening up and un-tensing. The hard, grim line of his mouth smoothes into a sad smile.
“You okay, Tweet?”
I want to answer, tell him no, but I can’t make anything come out as I open my mouth. I’m shaking my head wildly, and he sighs, cussing under his breath as he pulls me into the safety of his embrace. Warm, strong arms envelope me, stifling the trembling that’s taken over my body.
“You’re okay, I’ve got you.” He speaks into the top of my head where his chin rests, and I cry harder into his chest. I can feel the gentle pressure of his hand as it slides through my hair, resting at my nape while his other rubs large circles across my back.
Groans begin to arise from the corner; the calm of the moment dissolves as the reality of the events of two minutes ago flood the room in nauseating deluges of whines and moans.
“Let’s go,” Callum says, pulling me quickly across the room and out of the apartment. I don’t argue. I cling to his arm like a life preserver and let him lead me through the hall and down the dark stairwell. We burst through the doors and out onto the sidewalk in a rushed, disorientated flurry. No words are exchanged as he takes my bag and fixes it to the back of the bike. He fastens the helmet under my chin and mounts the motorcycle. I climb behind him, circling his waist and plastering my chest to his back as I grip his thighs with my own. I squeeze my eyes tight as the bike propels forward at breakneck speed, the breeze freezing the watery remnants of this evening’s misadventure on my cheeks. I look back quickly at my building getting smaller and smaller until it disappears completely. We weave through traffic, overtaking everything in our path and leaving the asshole and my problems behind.