Burning Bridges

Chapter 25

Hopping out the window, I allowed the rest of Mason's flirtatious comments to blow away with the warm wind of the sunny evening. Despite being back at home, I was beyond angry. Mostly at myself for being oblivious.

Every man in my life has screwed me over. My dad. Mr. Jones. Mason. Jaden-No. I fucked that one up. He did nothing wrong because you can't control your feelings for one another. He tried to save me, and I owe him for that.

But I also owe Mr. Jones for saving me years ago. And Mason for teaching me how to survive. But it seems that every time I stay loyal for those reasons, people end up hurt. I end up hurt. Maybe I'm the problem here. I'm too hot-heated for my own good. I start fires and allow others to get burned by it.

But deep down inside of me, I enjoy it. I enjoy causing chaos and raising hell on my victims. Because they deserve it. My breathing shortened as I sat on the rooftop of the compound. Those people aren't victims. They're villains just like me.

I'm burning those who have killed more bodies that I can count in their lifetime. All of the stupid and immortal stuff they have done to others was punished for. By me. Maybe I'm actually the hero here. I've just never realized it.

Maybe I am actually a good person. Nope, that's too far. I'm still going to hell, but I can still be a hero while I'm here. Why am I even criticizing myself? I may have done bad things in my life, but so have so many others that I have punished.

Because I don't know any better. I've learned to be the best. I've learned to put my gang first. I've learned to put first all of the people in my life that hurt me. Gaslit me. Tortured me. Those are the people that have to pay because they turned me into something I'm not. They made me believe that I was actually the villain here when they were all along.

Oh my fucking God, they're the ones that I succumb to. I let them control me because I didn't even know who I was anymore. Maybe I never knew because the streets and the gang are all I know. They preyed on me because I was the naive one.

But now I know my place and my value. I may be naive, but I'm one hell of a fighter. Because I have rage. A force that's maybe stronger than love because hatred makes you see red. It can take down a whole army if you use it correctly.

The force allowed me to be a big girl and get off the dirty ground of the compound. I let the rage fill my lungs and mind with all of those past traumatic experiences.

"But you see, darling, you're the perfect bait here. A woman like you will easily be accepted as a hostage to the Crown Heights Gang, thus you start the ambush from the inside for us."

I'm not the perfect bait, I'm their worst nightmare. I climbed down the pipes on the side of the building, thinking of all the sexiest men in my life.

"Shut the fuck up! You have no right to be speaking to me like that!"

They can't control me anymore. I'm a force that can't be stopped.

"You're the reason dad left us! You piece of shit!"

No, I'm the reason why the bad guys get burnt. They deserve the boiling fury.

"Uh, uh, uh. What you did back there was unacceptable, and I should have you punished. However, I've been convinced to not do that."

What's unacceptable is their behavior because they should know. If you play with fire, you're going to get burnt.

"Come on, darling. Kiss me. I can prove to you what it's like to be with a real man."

That's the worst of it all. I didn't need a man or anyone, just myself. That's what fuels my anger the most. All of these fucking toxic men in my life think I need a man to survive, dwindling my own abilities so that they can shine brighter. They like control, but what if I like it as well? I like being able to dominate because it fuels my energy. It gives me a reason to wake up every day.

It gives me motivation to end this all. Maybe this war could be over, and I could actually win on my own. I don't need anybody except myself. They've turned me into a monster. They let me think I was in control of my actions while fucking gaslighting me along.

They turned me into something I'm not because I was never the reason as to why hell broke loose. They fucking put me into those situations and blamed it all on me. I allowed myself to succumb to their way because I had trusted them. I gave them my loyalty, and they threw it back at me, expecting me to act like the little bitch I am.

Well, this bitch can play that game too. I may not have alliances anymore, territory, or hell, even weapons. But I was going to prove to them that I am not the one they should be fucking with. Because all of their sexiest and egotistical lies only fueled the anger I had inside of me even more. The Snakes were going to face my wrath. Glancing at the propane tanks next to me, my smirk grew wider.

Because I knew the best way to get revenge.