Ecstasy

Chapter 46

Tyson:

I felt as high as a kite – the happiest I'd ever been walking home from Sam's party. I still couldn't believe what had happened, and I didn't want to think about it too much for fear of over thinking what I did. But I couldn't get the image of her out of my mind, the feel of her silky hair or the taste of her lips on mine.

I shook my head and stopped in my tracks, looking up at a street sign. I had decided to walk to Tommie's, it wasn't that far away. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and continued down the road. I looked up when the house fell into view. The old red brick terrace house was looking tired, it had been divvied up into pokey apartments years ago and Tommie's front steps were the worst. The iron balustrade was rusting and the black paint was flaking off. The steps had forever been uneven and the cement was crumbling at every footstep. I past by the alleyway that sidled onto Tommie's block and caught movement in the corner of my eye, but I kept walking.

I almost felt the shadows shift and heard the footsteps before I saw the two bodies come out of the dark. I pushed my hands deeper into my pockets and kept my head down, trying to pick up the pace. Too late. One of the heavy men stepped in front of me blocking my path. I knew the face but I couldn't place it. Both of them looked familiar.

I didn't anticipate the pain or the winded feeling when I first saw his enclosed fist flying towards my stomach. I doubled over, groaning. Trying to take a breath. The air struggled to make it into my lungs before he grasped hold of my collar and aimed for my face. I pulled back just in time to miss his swing but his fist caught my collar bone and I cried out. This time the other guy had stopped circling us and went to stand behind me. Taking my arms and holding them behind my back he gave the first one a clear shot of my already burning stomach. I struggled against his grip, trying to jerk away but I couldn't slide out of his hands.

"What is your problem? Let me go!" I shouted still trying to pull myself away, I nearly had it, but the man behind me was so strong he dragged me back and then the first one hit me. All the air in my lungs left me and I couldn't breathe. I wasn't prepared for the second blow or the ones after that. Before long they didn't even have to hold me up. I was on the ground just trying to protect my face. I felt his boot. Must have been steel tipped. Push into my kidneys. Again and again.
One of them dipped into my back pocket with his hand pulling out my wallet, I didn't look up to see that he'd taken my money but I knew he had when he flung the leather bundle back in my face.

The heavy guy warned the first one to back off for a moment. I peaked a look under my fingers. He took one knee, kneeling in front of me and got his face close to mine.

His breath stank and he slapped the notes from my wallet in my face. "That's what you get for messing with Mikey."

That was it and they were off. Running back down the street. Disappearing.
His words rung in my head and that's when it clicked. The bodyguards in Sean's basement. The two men too big to sit on a small sofa together. Mikey.

I laid on the ground for a few minutes, waiting for my breathing to go back to normal – it didn't. The pavement was cool against my cheek and I tried to calculate how painful it would be to stand and walk up to Tommie's front door.

After another five minutes I decided to try to get up. My stomach muscles protested as I struggled to make it to my feet and I doubled over again coughing blood. Limping and huddled over I made it up Thomas's steps and thumped on the front door. There was no answer so I knocked again. Two minutes passed and I slowly sunk to the ground, leaning against the door for support. I was panting. Finally I heard the key in the lock and just caught myself before my support was pulled away from me at the opening of the door.