Gangs Aren't My Style (A Black Death Novel)

Chapter 8 - Return of the Fire

Gangs Aren't My Style

Book I of the Black Death Trilogy

PART ONE: Tears Fall When You See The Truth

Chapter 8 - Return Of The Fire

For Ally, the passing of the next five days marked not only a week and a half of captivity within the gang, but also a drastic rise in her frustrations. Daniil had been forcing her to go everywhere with him and, even on the days where she had not disobeyed him and so had not received one of his beatings, she still found herself miserable within her new lifestyle. Ally had never been one to sit around and even as she reclined against the wooden back of her chair and watched the man arguing around her, she found herself bored with gang business. She slid further down in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest as she once again pondered the idea of this having been part of Daniil's punishment for her escape attempt.

Movement from her peripheral vision caused Ally to glance up from where her eyes had fallen to her lap and she released a sigh of relief when she saw that Daniil was standing to his feet, a clear sign that the meeting was over. She slowly sat up in her chair, stretching out her muscles that were sore from sitting in the same hard seat for almost an hour. Ally groaned when she felt the stiffness of her joints but still forced them back into submission and obediently stood to her feet when Daniil called for her.

"Come on, Ally."

She was already at his side, assenting to his demand and following him out of the room before her mind suddenly realized that she had never told him her name; rather, he had seemed to know it since the moment he had laid eyes upon her. Somehow, despite the precautions and alias she had adopted since leaving her brother behind, Daniil had found out her real name and that meant that he was one step closer to discovering her true identity. Panic rose within her and she blurted out her question without thought, a look of surprise and bewilderment flashing across his face in response. "How do you know that name?"

"What name?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"My name. Almost no one knows that my real name is Ally."

Despite his obvious wonder at the origin of her question, he replied with a shrug, briefly glancing back at her over his shoulder before quickly scaling the steps two at a time. "Your friend told me."

Ally chased after him, a warning churning in the pit of her stomach to let the subject rest but her need to know ultimately won out. "Trenton would never betray me."

He chuckled, as if from an inside joke as he finally reached the door to his bedroom. "No, why would he betray you when he was willing to die to protect you?"

The door swung open, revealing to her the now familiar room, but it was of little concern to Ally as she froze. His words repeated through her mind, the ominous echo leaving her breathless. "He was willing to..." She trailed off, tears of remorse glinting deep within her eyes as she looked away from Daniil's burning gaze, knowing that it was her fault Trenton had even been involved with the gang.

"You know, he must have been very dedicated to you because even when he was kneeling on the ground with my gun held to his head, he did not beg for his own life. He was pleading for yours."

Ally snapped, rounding on him as her fists clenched. She pushed back the feeling of guilt and instead focused on the anger that had been building within her ever since she was kidnapped. It was the only thing keeping the tears at bay and she welcomed the emotion with open arms. "Did you kill him?" she demanded, her words a mix of raging fire and piercing ice.

Her spine stiffened further at his answering silence and the smirk that slowly leaked onto his face sent her into a maddening fury. "Tell me." Her words were a hiss, her flashing eyes daring him to ignore her one more time. Her flickering orbs promised a hidden fire that had long-since been suppressed and was more than ready to break free and leave behind destruction in its path and Daniil instinctively rose to their challenge.

"Honestly, you shouldn't feel bad about what happened," he said dismissively, but a fire akin to Ally's own burned in his eyes and anyone else that had not been blinded by anger would have realized he was purposely egging her on. "His last words were a plea for you to know that his death wasn't your fault and that it was his choice."

She snapped then, flying at him in a blind rage. She attempted to punch him in the jaw but the rushed action was thwarted when Daniil expertly caught her fist in his palm, pulling her towards him. "You know, I always have liked them feisty. I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy the time it takes to break you," he purred, his eyes wandering down over her body suggestively.

"You filthy pig," she spit at him, raising her knee to harshly connect with the sensitive flesh of his family jewels. A strangled groan left his lips and he dropped to his knees, his hands going to cup himself instinctively.

Ally moved to hit him while he was down but Daniil grabbed her wrists one at a time, holding her in his firm control until he managed to stand back to his feet, a wince the only evidence that he still felt the after effects of her blow. Once he recovered enough to stand straight and defend himself, Daniil released her wrists from his grasp and she leapt away from him as if she had just learned he had a deadly, contagious disease.

"Did you pull the trigger?" she demanded, her voice bordering on hysterical as she fought to hold onto the last hope that her friend might not be dead, not willing to believe that the man who had saved her was gone forever.

"Yes." The reply was simple and that same accursed smirk set itself upon on his face.

Ally flew at him with a loud cry of outrage, tackling him to the ground before either of them could blink. She had no battle strategy as she hit and kicked him as much as she could, her hits sloppy and, because of that, ineffective despite the hate she put behind her strikes. The only thought storming through her mind was that he had killed her only true friend, the only person who had ever truly cared about her, and he must pay.

Daniil rolled over so that she was under him, his knees on either side of her torso. Once again catching the flying hands that were still trying to injure him, he pinned her hands above her head. Ally hissed out in protest, her pulse thundering in her ears as her hips bucked up in an attempt to shake him off. Nonetheless, he remained on top of the writhing woman and simply allowed his full weight to settle onto her, no longer attempting to hold himself up. She winced against the new pressure, finding herself helpless beneath him and unable to escape his grasp. With him positioned as he was, even her free legs were of little help to her.

He leaned down, forcing her arms back into submission when she violently jerked against his hold upon noticing him closing in. "I never said the gun was loaded," he murmured, a tone of mocking victory displayed in his voice.

Ally stopped fighting all at once, reason leaking into her body limb by limb. "He isn't dead?" The question was timid and hopeful, all anger forgotten as she lay slumped and worn out against the plush carpet.

"No."

She had never thought a single word would cause her entire world to shift but as she felt a forgotten security flowing through her blood and filling her with warmth, she knew that it could. Trenton was alive, and he would accept her back into his care with open arms should she escape. With him, she had protection and more importantly, she had a home.

"Let me warn you, though, he is not out of my reach and if you push me, your actions may force me to harm or even kill him. I am not above holding him against you and, should I need to, I will end his life to put you in your place."

Despite the obvious warning and threat in his tone, his words could not deter the hope and longing inside of her.