The Beginning

Nicky

Jessica struggled against me. Her nails fought to find purchase in my flesh. Her feet kicked wildly, bouncing off the mattress and banging against the footboard.

"Nicky." Roni reminded me.

I eased some of the pressure.

Jessica gasped for air, then panted as she tried to regain her breath. "I don't know anything." she rasped.

I constricted around her once again.

She tapped at my forearm as if this were a cage match. Unfortunately for her, it was to the death, and I knew I'd be the victor.

Letting up once again, I pressed my cheek to the top of her head. "You're going to tell me where she is, Jessica."

"I told you--" she whimpered.

"I know what you said. I know you're lying." I pulled tight around her throat, enough to remind her of my power. "You slept with Noah, got in with Hannibal. The only part I don't understand is how you're connected to Dom, but that won't be hard to figure out. You're not going to make this any harder on me, right?"

"I did you a favor." She admitted breathlessly. "Tess is a plague, Nicky. She can put up a good front, but a zebra can't change it's stripes. How long before she used her cover to finish what her family started? How long before fentanyl overdoses overtake our community, and you end up just like your uncle?"

"I wouldn't ever be Dom." I seethed.

"Bullshit." She spat. "He knew that you were coming for him."

"What?" Marcelo questioned. His gaze shot to Roni's.

"Don't play dumb." Jessica commanded. "Dom knew what you were all doing behind his back." Jessica wriggled to free herself. "You think I planned all of this? Hannibal's been on the streets for months, Dom knew that. He tried to start the rumor himself, but everyone laughed it off. They said Dom would never let that happen. He realized you were the ones who would take it seriously, the only ones who needed to know."

"Rico overdosed and brought us all back, not him." I informed her.

"Overdosed?" she asked pointedly. "You still think it was an accident?"

A pit formed in my stomach. For a second, I could feel my heartbeat bang through my chest at an irregular rhythm. I began to hear it in my ears. Heat rose to the surface of my skin, so much so that I could feel a bead of sweat roll down the back of my neck. I could only hollowly ask, "You?"

"My brother, Hannibal."

His name left her lips and like a starving snake, I pulled my arm tight around her neck.

Jessica's feet kicked wildly. One shoe flew across the room, clapping the wall behind me before it fell beside me. She tried to press herself upward but found no reprieve as she was tucked beneath my chin. Her arms reached back toward my face, intent to dig into the softest parts of me.

I overlapped her arms with one of mine.

Her slapping feet grew weak. Her clawing hands, bunching the bed sheets, now only clutched loosely. Jessica kicked one last time before her body fell limp.

Even still, I held on. I wasn't sure if I was stunned by the information or entangled in my unencumbered rage. My grip tightened.

"Nicky." Roni breathed.

"I think you got her." Marc added lackadaisically.

Roni let her hands smack her outer thigh in a show of disapproval. "We needed her to find out where he's got Tess."