Ella Stolen

18: Zach

ZACH

The bitch. She ran again. I took the car trying to find some clue where she was while the guys search the grounds. I remembered the trail that takes her to the road that she used to take to go home, what were the odds she went there? I shouldn't have gotten drunk, I need to keep my guard up at all times with all that's going on. This is her fault, though. I was clear that no one leaves. She tried to defy me as if she's the one in control. I'm done taking shit. This will end my way.

Sure as hell I found her. She almost got away but I grabbed a stone and threw it last minute, as hard as I could, at her. It made a sickening thump as it collided with her back but it worked and she fell. I don't mess around. I do this shit for a living and in case she didn't realize, I'm fucking good at what I do. I dragged her out of the creek and threw her to the ground. It was clear right away that I lost control. My heart raced as the anger built. It consumed every inch of me. I hit her. I hit Ella. I hit my baby. I chained her, I kicked her, I dragged her. I went crazy and I wish I had some real excuse besides claiming this is her fault. Any sane person would have done what Ella did. Why didn't any of this go according to plan?

Now I sit outside a basement room. All the walls and the floor are solid concrete. She's on the bare floor, bleeding, bruised, and out cold. I'm fighting an internal battle between my dark, twisted side that's a leader of Z-38, and my self before all this fucked up shit killed my soul. I love Ella but love is becoming my weakness. That bitch thought she could get away. I let her free and this is what I get.

My street side wants to kill her or hurt her, knock submission into her like I do to all my enemies. But she's not an enemy, she the one keeping me from completely loosing control. My soft side wants to forgive her and place her somewhere where people can find her and send her home where's safe. Safe from me. My realistic side wants to keep going like before after she learns a lesson. I have sat here for four hours. I finally just stand and open the door.

She looks so small in the corner. The water got rid of her makeup and she looks so young. She is young... young and stupid. I get what I want and she can't stop me. I want to force her to regret it. I shake her and she starts to wake. She opens her eyes but it doesn't make her look anymore alive. The light in her eyes is gone. She doesn't show the fear I expect to see.

"You fucking thought you could run. What a plan Ella. I could kill you any second. What were you thinking?" I demand.

"Go ahead," her dull eyes meet mine. She has given up. Good.

"I could put you through hell!" I scream at her. The fury building up for months now explodes.

"I don't care," she doesn't flinch as she speaks. I want her fear. I get fear all the time. It's my lifestyle, fear feeds me. Others fear me. I have power and they try to defy me but I always win. But isn't that the difference with Ella? She doesn't play by my rules. I hated it at first but I grew to live off of it. The one who didn't follow my every word. She's just being Ella. Plus I did bring this on myself. If I hadn't left her that night, she wouldn't be running from me at all. I'm the reason she forgot me. I'm the only one to blame.

Finally, the anger dissolves and I'm back in control. I take a second to look at her. Her ribs are bruised and so is the left side of her face and her back from the rock. I kicked her. I hit her. I got her drunk. I almost slept with her while she was drunk. I got her hurt. I made her forget. I made her bleed. I am pushing her away. It's all my fault. Here I am letting my anger take over. I wanted to kill her. She isn't some guy from the other gangs trying to take our territory, if anything I dragged her into this. I need to calm down and fast. I storm out the door and slam it behind me. I told everyone to stay away and thankfully they have. I go upstairs and wash her dried blood off my hands. Zee stares at me with a look of pure terror and literally passes out. Mac catches her in time and shoots death glares at me. I don't care, I need to fix this. I need to back off.