Phoenix's Lies

Truth and Lies

Phoenix

Pulling me upright a little I feel my vision tip up and down from when I'd been 'visited' by Ivanova, Hawk, Talon, Scar, Connor and Jordan. The beating that followed made me dizzy and my head hurt. I was sure I was beyond bad concussion like the last time I was trapped in this situation but it seems to make Jordan happy when he comes back and all I do is sigh. "Out of fight already North? Seems you're not as tough as you let on."

I sigh again, giving him as good a look as I can through at least one bad black eye. "If I thought you were worth my time I'd try but one you're not and two I know someone's here. Someone who's supposed to be here. Maybe they came to take you down. Haul your sorry ass off to jail where it belongs to rot for the rest of your miserable motherfucking pathetic excuse of a life."

Jordan smirks wider, "On what charges? You and your girlfriend hate me? Sorry to break it to you but that's not solid ground to convict someone." he comes over and leans toward my ear from behind. "Not like the evidence we have to put her away. She won't get away with what she did. Even if the ones that you two put in ICU don't make it out before the trial. We have enough without it."

I sigh again, trying to think around the pain that I knew he was here to keep giving me. Him and Connor being the ones who visited me often. More so than the others since they both seemed to have something against my beloved Riv. against me too. But I don't respond with verbal anger, not now. I had before, but that had only made it worse and I knew if I carried on down the 'worse' path I could end up in a coma. Or dead. So I kept my anger down. Even if I'd rather punch Jordan in the face.

"You seem to have given up now, North. Something I said or have you just realised that you can never win? No different to when you tried to face me at twelve years old. Still a coward and still the weaker one. The one who will never win because he'll never fight for what he wants. Just wait. Shame that'll end up being your downfall."

"And hubris will be yours," I mumble, seeing a satisfying frown from him when I say so. As if he wasn't aware of the word. Or that I knew it. "The one who will never win is you. You and the rest of the Spades. Not when we know what he did. Who he's responsible for killing. Something you don't seem to care about."

Jordan comes closer, moving faster than my tired and dizzy eyes can follow properly without it looking like he was splitting and then re-joining. Almost like a mirage. I blink a few times but it's hard to see what he's doing. The beatings were severe enough that I was worried I'd end up with a brain bleed if he didn't stop. But he didn't seem to care. Hitting at me again and again even when I pull on some remaining strength to go on hidden deep inside and try to figure out how to survive this long enough to get back to Riv and the others. To tell them what I'd found out. What I'd been able to hear but was afraid I wouldn't remember nearly enough of it or remember it clearly when it mattered.

Something that was made worse the longer I was left with just my girlfriend's ex going after me as if it was his life's mission to make sure I ended up dead. Or if not dead then as close as he could put me without meaning he'd end up in jail. The unfortunate perks for people like me when the ones against us know the fine print and parameters of the law. Are protected from loopholes. Attack after attack comes at me and I keep my eyes closed to see if I could bear it as long as I wasn't able to see. Until I'm balancing on the brink of passing out.

"Oh Derek, did I not tell you not to kill him?" Ivanova's voice comes into my hearing and I moan once under my breath. She comes closer and roughly tips my head up so she can see if I'm alive. Eyes open to slits she seems satisfied and drops me again so my head hits my chest where I can't keep it upright. "He has to be alive since she turned up so the deal supposedly still stands. Once my brother and the family reunion is over. Given that we're to finish this. Today."