The Mafia's Secret

Chapter 5 ✔️

SCARLETT

Laying there on the cold ring floor, a groan escaped my lips as I turned to my stomach. Using my fists to push me up off of the ground, excruciating pain shot through my ribs. My face burned with the same pain. My vision was blurred as my eyes already began to swell. I knew within a matter of minutes, my entire body would be caked in bruises. Blood already covered my face and knuckles.
The crowd quickly dispersed. Tyler left with them, not bothering to help me up. Xavier whispered something to Caleb before leaving. I was glad for it. I didn't want him to stick around. Looking down at the ground, I stayed there for what felt like a few minutes before I heard someone enter the ring. They stood over me, crouching down. I refused to look up at them.
"Are you alright?" Caleb asked as he placed a hand under my chin, gently forcing me to look up at him.
Pulling away from his grasp, I looked back at the floor. "Stay the hell away from me." I said with more hostility than intended. Only to me it didn't matter how much anger I put into the words. Caleb was on Xavier's side. He was in his gang. I couldn't trust that he cared despite how much he seemed to show it.
"You know, none of this would have happened if you hadn't challenged Xavier. You challenged him and he gave you what you deserved." I ignored him, still trying to sit up. He extended a hand after a moment of watching me struggle. "Here. Let me help you."
I slapped his hand away. "Stop acting like you give a damn about me! Just leave me alone!"
Caleb sighed, standing up. He took a few steps back. Watching him from the corner of my eye, I tried to stand up, only to gasp from the sharp pain that formed instantly in my abdomen. My ribs felt as if someone was still kicking them, making it incredibly hard to breathe. All I could do was take sharp intakes of air, wincing each time air entered and left my lungs.
I could hear Caleb snicker as he continued to watch me. I didn't want to but when I finally gave up, slamming my fist against the ring floor out of frustration, Caleb couldn't help but chuckle. He crouched down, extending a hand once again. I couldn't help but feel awkward when his hand found its way to my waist as soon as he pulled me to my feet. His other hand grabbed my arm, wrapping it around his head to support my weight. Groaning, I could hardly stand straight without wincing.
Once Caleb brought me to the door of the shop, I couldn't help but think about escaping this hellhole. I didn't belong here and I wasn't going to stay here. I refused to. I wasn't here to expose the truth about my brother. Not that I knew where he was anyways. Trust was all that Xavier needed in order for him to find my brother. He was no fool to false trust so pretending would be impossible.
Mustering up as much strength as I could, I pulled from Caleb's grasp, bursting out of the shop. I barely made it a few feet from the shop before my arm was grabbed and I was slammed into the bay door. Sharp pain shot through my ribs at the impact. With the wind knocked out of me, I let out a breathless gasp of air. Tyler was inches away from me as he pinned me to the wall. He leaned in close as he held a lit cigarette only centimeters away from my face.
"Where do you think you're going!?" He asked rhetorically.
"Let go of me!" I cried out as pain spread across my chest from his arm resting there.
I tried to push against his weight to get him away from me but he only pushed back, moving his hand to my throat. He kept a firm grip as he kept me pinned. It was a struggle to breathe even with the air still entering and leaving my lungs. It almost left the feeling of tightness a choker chain would. That small bit of claustrophobia was getting to me within seconds.
Without releasing his grip, he pushed the end of the cigarette into the side of my cheek. A burning sensation formed within seconds. I tried to pull away but the grip Tyler had was too firm.
"Let me go, Tyler!" I screamed as the pain on my cheek worsened. Tears filled my eyes as I continued to struggle out of his grip.
"Now why would I do that? After all, you are trying to leave."
Caleb finally came out of the shop. What he had been doing the whole time Tyler tortured me, left me wondering but I barely had time to process the thought as I let out a cry of pain from the cigarette Tyler still kept against my cheek. In the blink of an eye, Caleb had rushed up to Tyler, shoving him away from me. Dropping to the ground, Caleb stood between Tyler and I. He grabbed my arm, pulling me to my feet before turning to Tyler.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" He shouted as he kept a firm grip on my arm. It was like he knew I thought about running. I wanted to.
Tyler rolled his eyes as he dropped his cigarette to the ground, stepping on it. "Come to defend an outsider, Caleb? That's low. Even for you." Tyler replied with a mischievous grin.
"You already beat her once. She doesn't need a repeat. Now stay the fuck away from her."
"I don't take orders from you, Caleb!" Tyler seethed.
I don't know why I did what I did next. It was like all control in my body was gone. Without thinking or knowing what I was going to do, I swung my fist towards Tyler's face.

* * * *

I don't know who was more shocked. Me, Tyler or Caleb. It was an action I would never dare to do. I only did it because we all knew I was no outsider. An outsider was an insult. An outsider's treatment would be much worse than what I was dealing with. I knew to others it wouldn't seem like it but I had seen the cruel treatment given to an outsider and to a shunned gang member's return. I was neither. Not technically.
Tyler raised a hand to strike me but before he could reach my face, a hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him mid-action. To my shock, Xavier was standing beside Tyler with the sternest look I have ever seen. His expression was mixed with rage and something else I couldn't identify.
"Enough! Go walk it off!" Xavier let go of Tyler's wrist. Tyler didn't move, still fuming with rage.
"Now!" Xavier ordered, more aggressively.
"She struck me. She deserves what's coming." Tyler responded with clear anger in his tone of voice.
"She struck you?! I'm pretty sure you deserved it, moron, now get out of here!"
Tyler gave me one last look of disgust before walking back up towards the house. Xavier turned to me as Caleb grabbed my arm once more. Xavier seemed angrier at me than at Tyler. I knew why but for the circumstances, it didn't seem needed.
"Caleb, lock her in your room and keep her there. If she gets out again, I don't care what you do. Don't let her out until I say so. Is that understood?" Xavier demanded as he kept a stern expression plastered on his face.
"Fuck you! I'm not some useless chick to be tossed around for your stupid amusement and tedious ways! If you want my brother so badly, find him yourself! Just leave me the fuck alone and let me go home!" I screamed at the two as I pulled my arm free.
Xavier kept his composure but I could see in his eyes that he wanted to strike me. Instead he moved so he was only an inch away from me. He leaned down close to my ear as he grabbed my neck, not putting any pressure to choke me. "I'm only going to warn you once. Watch your tongue." He seethed in my ear. His breath was hot and unpleasant due to the cigarette he had smoked recently.
        Looking him dead in the eye, I let the two words slip out before I could stop. "Fuck you!"