Tainted Me

Chapter 20: Start A Riot (present)

PRESENT

I was freezing my ass off.

But I didn't give a shit because I had the softest and most beautiful girl in my arms.

A group of people walked by, whistling and hooting at us. I broke off the kiss and breathed hard. I didn't want to display Arisa like this.

I raised my head and was about to tell her that we should head back to the car, but then I caught a few guys watching us from across the street.

No, they were watching me.

Fuck.

"Do you mind starting the car for me?" I asked Arisa, handing her the keys. "I forgot something in the restaurant."

"No, go ahead," she said. "I'll turn on the heater."

"Thanks." I smiled, pecking her lips. "Here," I added, putting my scarf around her instead.

She let out a small smile and left.

I watched until she was far away before I turned around and crossed the road. There was about five of them, and they were obviously waiting for me.

"What's the message this time?" I asked.

One of them smirked, while two of them grabbed me. They dragged me to a nearby alley. Shit, no witnesses here. Ah, I was fucked.

I could've ran away, but I didn't want them near Arisa. I just wanted to get this fucking over with.

"This is the message."

I was able to dodge the first blow. But with five grown motherfucking thugs coming after me at the same goddamn time, I wasn't able to avoid every hit. The best I could fucking do was block their attacks to the more fragile parts of my body, where they could do some real damage.

Someone laughed. "He said you'd be a tough one. But shit, this is fucking easy."

I almost lost my balance when one of the dickwads punched my face. I leaned a hand on the brick wall, trying to get my bearing. I couldn't let myself fall down. If I did, it was the fucking end for me.

'Yo, you really gon' let some lowlifes fuck you up?' Kurt's voice rang in my head.

'C'mon, man,' Oz's voice said this time. 'You can fucking take them. What the fuck's stopping you?'

I spat the blood I tasted in my mouth.

What was stopping me?

I told myself that these fuckers were experienced with shit like this. I told myself that I couldn't take them all at the same time. I convinced myself to believe that bullshit because a part of me believed I deserved this hell.

"Who sent you?" I asked them, my voice raspy.

"Mauri Santiago."

My jaw clenched, and I shook my head. "Who the fuck sent you?"

"I already fucking told you," the one in the middle taunted. "It was Mauri Santiago."

"Don't make me drag your face against the wall."

At that, they laughed. Fuck this. I was done being fucking pathetic.

I raised my feet and kicked the nearest to me on his knee, making him lose his balance. I lowered my head when someone came at me and I punched his gut. When he doubled over, I grabbed his face and jammed it to my knee before shoving him to the ground.

"Hold him!"

A pair of arms went around my neck, while another one got ready to knock me out in front of me. I kneeled down, dragging the one holding me and making him crouch. I grabbed his legs from behind me and swung him around. I went all fucking WWE and slammed him down with his fellow dumbass.