Death of Me | Now Published to Kindle and Paperback!

Kidnapped

Warning: This is a story about a gang. Cursing and violence is almost necessary. While I do try to keep it a minimum in order to keep my PG-13 rating, if it will offend you then I suggest not reading it.

PS: Update as of 5/8/22 - I'm probably going to lose that PG-13 rating by the end of this lolol

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Also, dedicated to nyctphiliac_ for the amazing cover she did when this was still "Bad Meets Worse" :)

Chapter One – Kidnapped

"You're a damn idiot, Juliette," I muttered to myself as I pulled my leather jacket tighter around my shoulders. Everybody knew that being outside in the city at night was a bad idea, an even worse one if you lived on the bad side like I did. Walking home was practically suicide.

So of course that's exactly what I was doing.

Cursing under my breath, I made sure to watch where I was going as I navigated the dark streets. Growing up where I had I was used to the violence that happened around my home, but that didn't mean I wanted to be a part of it. Three near assaults in the past year were enough to teach me to keep a switchblade in my purse along with a can of mace. Getting my hands on a gun was my next task when I earned the money.

Glancing up at a street sign when I passed under a light, I grumbled as I realized I was still half an hour's walk from my apartment. Having your mother die just as you graduate takes a toll on a girl, which is what led me to take up residence in one of the shadiest neighborhoods in my city. My heels clicked along as I walked, practically announcing my presence to anyone within twenty yards. This was the last time I allowed Dante to work me this late. He had other bartenders.

Who was I kidding? I would never tell him no when he needed me.

Sighing heavily, I cast my eyes skyward. The moon was bright, but the stars were nearly blocked out by the lights of the city. Though out here where almost every streetlamp was busted, they were slightly visible. You have a death wish, I thought as I hopped over a wide crack in the sidewalk. After taking only a few more steps I was positioned at the mouth of an alley. Out of instinct I clutched my bag even tighter against me before glancing inside it.

I should've just kept walking.

The sounds of a scuffle reached my ears causing me to freeze in my tracks. Straining my eyes against the darkness I could make out the shapes of what looked like four men. One was lying down with the three others surrounding him. As one of the ones standing kicked the one on the ground, my heart burst into overdrive.

A mugging. That's what I was witnessing.

Run!

It took me a minute to register the order my brain had screamed at me, but once one of the men's head raised and our eyes met I regained control of my body. A small squeak escaped me before I spun on my heel and took off in the direction of my home. When the sounds of pursuit broke through the panicked haze that had settled over my mind I only pushed myself to go faster. However, the heels that were required with my uniform were not helping my speed any. I knew that if I stopped to take them off my assailant would only catch me, so I just pushed my legs to move faster.

My street was in sight when I was roughly thrown against the brick wall of a building. "Okay, ow," I hissed, shoving my fringe out of my eyes as a man glared down at me.