Heart

Nineteen

Squeeze stood at the edge of the mattress, grinning down at me. “I saw her first, boys,” he replied, giving them both meaningful looks. He winked at me.

“Ha, so what? She talked to me first,” Dynamite argued.

“What the heck does that matter?”

“She clearly was more interested in me.”

I would have made a run for it while they bickered, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have made it. Not with that boulder of a guy barring the exit.

Biggie shot out his arm and almost barreled them over, glaring at them. “Well, you ladies talk it out, alright? I’m taking my turn now.” I gulped as he trained all of his attention on me and slowly lowered himself on the mattress. I tried to crawl away, but he quickly grabbed my ankle and dragged me roughly closer. I had to bite my wrist to keep from screaming, and the result was big round tears spilling down my cheeks. And it wasn’t from the pain of the bite.

“Remember?” Biggie growled above me, “It’s easier if you relax.”

I choked on a sob. “Please,” I croaked, “Please, don’t. Please.”

His grin was horrific as he shook his head. “That won’t work.”

I shut my eyes tight and tried to steel myself, tears flooding down my face, but then I heard someone else walk into the room. I bit harder on my wrist, trying not to sob pathetically.

“Will this work?” the newcomer hissed.

“Huh---"

Biggie’s weight suddenly slammed down onto me, making the air whoosh from my lungs and my eyes to pop open, but then it vanished. I stared down my nose, shocked; a guy with dark shaggy hair had yanked Biggie off of the mattress and was now punching him in the jaw. My attacker’s head jerked from side to side with the blows until he lost his balance, arms wind-milling. Squeeze and Dynamite rushed for the newcomer’s back, but he spun around with his leg stretched out high. Squeeze took the blow to the side of the head and fell like a rock, but Dynamite ducked. The shaggy-haired guy kept the momentum he had going and placed his kicking leg on the ground while spinning his body so that his other leg came up to kick Dynamite in the face after he straightened up. The guy joined Squeeze on the ground.

“What’s wrong with you, man?” Biggie slurred from where he’d fallen on his rear, tenderly touching his bleeding lip.

The dark-haired guy bent down at the waist and grabbed fistfuls of Biggie’s shirt, shaking him hard. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you, you son of a--”

“What the heck, Capone, chill out. She’s just a chick!”

I heard the solid contact of fist against jaw as the one called Capone threw another punch. Biggie’s head rolled. “She is not! She’s my girl, and if I ever see any of you touch her again, I will kill you!”

My eyebrows puckered up, and I felt my heart clog my throat. Oh, God, he wasn’t my savior, he just wanted me for himself.

Biggie raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. We didn’t know, man, I swear. We’d never seen her before.”

“There’s a reason for that!” Capone barked. Disgusted, he shoved Biggie onto his back.

Oh, Alan I wish you were here, I cried silently, watching as the shaggy-haired guy slowly turned to face me. His hair flipped over his forehead, casting a dark shadow over his features and hiding his eyes. A baggy black jacket, similar to the one that the other three guys wore, draped over a gray T-shirt. His slightly baggy jeans hugged and released his legs as he walked over to me.