Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I couldn't hear anything. I knew it couldn't have been from the gunshot. My ears were used to that shit. Everything was muffled, and I could barely see through the tears. I backed up slowly. Rio took my gun from me and shoved it in his jeans. I could vaguely hear Rio talking to Mick and Eddie when I started to fall backward. Rio grabbed me and held me up.

"Get her home. I gotta meet with the printers. Mick, get him outta here." Rio said as I felt him let me go slightly. Eddie put an arm around my waist and hiked my arm over his shoulder. The next thing I knew, I was in Eddie's car. I felt freezing, and I must have been shivering because Eddie cranked the heat on. I don't remember getting to the apartment. I don't even remember Eddie sitting down on the couch with me.

"Andy. Andy! Can you hear me?" He asked.

"I shot him," I said. Eddie nodded.

"I know. You had to." Eddie said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't regret it. Like..."I said as I took a breath. "I'd kill anyone for him. But, he was the only family I had left." I said, trying to hold back tears. Eddie knew already who I meant by "him." Anyone who knew me well enough knew I would kill anyone or anything for Rio. 

"Hey, that shit is not true. You've got a family. You've got me, Annie, Rio's kid. But above all of that shit, you have Rio. That dude would walk through fire for you. He wasn't tryin' to hurt you. He was tryin' to protect you." Eddie said.

"I know. I know. I'm glad he told me. I just..."I started to say. Eddie put an arm around my shoulder.

"I know, dude, you don't have to explain it. I feel you." Eddie said as he rubbed my arm. I loved Jason, and even though he was a rat, I would always love him. But Eddie was more of a brother to me in the year that I knew it than Jason was our whole lives. What kind of person was I to think something like that? Maybe Jason was right. Maybe I was a horrible person.

_____________________________________________________________________________

I woke up that night sweating bullets. My hair was sticking to my face, and I couldn't catch my breath. I had bolted upright and screamed. I felt Rio's hand on my shoulder, and I jumped.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay." He said to me as he pulled the hair away from my face. "Come on. I got you." He said as he pulled me back slightly. I snuggled into his chest and wrapped myself around his waist. He sat there with me for the next hour, smoothing my hair and calming my breathing. I finally fell back asleep.

Rio had told me the next morning he wanted me to stay home.

"You're trippin' about work, and I don't want you to. I want you to chill for a few days. I know it can be a lot." He said as he tied his immaculate shoes.

"I am perfectly capable of doing my job Rio," I said as I took a hit from my bong. Rio shook his head and stood up. He came over to me, his hands in his pocket.

"Oh yeah? I have never seen you smoke during the week, much less at nine in the mornin'." He said seriously. I scoffed and put the bong down. "I'll be home tonight. Love you." He said as he kissed the top of my head.

"Love you," I mumbled. He left, and I decided to sit outside. A few minutes later, Eddie came outside and sat down on the chair next to me. I grabbed his cigarettes off of the table next to his keys and took one. I lit it and sat back.

"You good?" He asked. I nodded as I inhaled. "Yeah? You don't look like it." He said. I eyed him and rolled my eyes.

"Look, I already got shit from Rio, okay? I'll be fine. Just mind your business." I said. Eddie nodded.

"I'll handle logistics until you start feelin' more like yourself." He said as he abruptly got up and left. I was getting really tired of people thinking they knew what this felt like.

_____________________________________________________________________________

"Dude, you sure you want another?" Annie asked me as I took another shot. I smiled.

"My boo owns this bar. I can drink however many of these shots I want." I said drunkenly. Annie nervously smiled as I downed my beer. We were sitting in the back of the bar, and we watched people pour in. I leaned on the bar and rubbed my eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Andy. If there is anything, I can..." Annie started to say before I held my hand up to wave the bartender back over.

"Hey Jonathan, can I get another shot? And one for my buddy here?" I asked. John nodded hesitantly.

"No, I am good, thanks, man," Annie said. "Hey, you stay right here, okay? I will be right back." Annie said as she headed to the bathrooms. I took the shot. Jonathan sat in front of me and groaned. I felt like shit, but I didn't want to feel anything. Just then, a guy who looked like he stepped out of a fraternity sat next to me.

"Hey, what's your name?" He asked.

"Cleo," I said jokingly as I took another drink of my beer. He laughed.

"You wanna get outta here?" he asked. I eyed him sideways. Who in the fuck did this douchebag think he was?

"I'm married, so fuck off," I said as I ran a hand through my long hair. He bit his tongue and smiled.

"Oh, are you this fiesty with your hubby?" He said, using quotations for hubby.

"Oh, you have no idea, man," I said, finishing off my beer. "Now run along," I said as the fat boy rolled his eyes.

"Fuckin' bitch." He said as he grabbed his drink and left. Annie came back from the bathroom and sat next to me. She drank another beer with me and then ordered me some water. I sobered up a little and started to hurt again.

"Hey lady, how about I take you home, huh? I gotta get home anyway so I can get up early and pick up Ben." She said. I nodded, and she helped me off my barstool. We headed outside and started to walk through the alley towards the parking lot where Annie's car was. Frat boy and his two friends cut us off. I rolled my eyes. Of course, I didn't bring my piece.

"Well, if it isn't the tatted-up trash cunt?" Frat boy said, his friends laughed. Annie nervously shook my arm.

"Go back to the bar. I've got this." I said as I stood my ground, my hands fisting at my sides.

"What?! Forget it. I'm going to go get help!" She cried.

"Yeah, sure. Go get help." I said. Annie tried to grab me to come with her, but I yanked my arm back and waited for the frat boys to circle me. "Come on, you little bitch, hit me," I said, smiling. The main frat boy laughed then landed a large blow to my jaw. I briefly lost my balance but quickly recovered. I smiled and wiped the blood from my lip. I gave him my best right hook, and he went down. Before I knew what I was doing, I was on top of him, landing blow after blow to his face. His little bitch friends ran off, and I laughed as I beat his face. I saw nothing but red. Just as I felt his tooth dislodge under my fist, I felt a pair of strong arms lift me.

"Enough, baby enough!" Rio bellowed. The kids' friends pulled up in their car, yelling at him to get in. Rio dragged me away from the kid, and I saw Mick pull him up and tell him to bounce. The kid staggered over to his friends' car that his friends were in and jumped in the back.

"Get off me!" I screamed. Annie was standing with Eddie, slightly crying. I fixed my leather jacket and wiped my lip. "He fuckin' deserved it," I said, spitting the remaining blood on the ground.

Rio tended his jaw and turned to Mick and his crew that was there. "I'ma get her ass home. Handle the warehouse, yeah?" He said he roughly turned me around and guided me to his car. When we were in the car and started driving, Rio slammed his fist down on the wheel. I jumped slightly and huffed.

"The hell is wrong with you, woman? Are you tryin' to get yourself killed? Bring heat on me, what?" He yelled.

"This wasn't about you." I hissed as I folded my arms. He laughed.

"Oh, it wasn't, huh? You ain't mad even a little that I outed your snitch of a brother?" He growled. I didn't answer. "Would you rather I let him turn us into the feds? Everything we worked for go down the fuckin' drain?" He said, eyeing me sideways so he could still drive.

"I shot him in the head Rio. Obviously, I'm not willing to risk you or the business for anything." I said.

"Then whatchu tryin' to do? Being a massive bitch to everybody ain't helpin' anything." He said as he pulled up to our building. I scoffed and quickly got out. He got out and followed me as I started to walk down the street. "Hey, where the hell you think you're goin'?" Rio called after me.

"Away from you're bullshit," I said. I flipped him off. Seconds later, I feel him turn me roughly and hurl me over his shoulder. "Put me the fuck down, Rio," I growled, trying not to make a huge scene or draw attention. Once we were in the building, I started struggling against him. He kept a firm grip on my legs and quietly told me to shut the fuck up. When we got back inside, Rio threw me onto the couch. I quickly got to my feet, so he wasn't standing over me—game on, asshole.

*Andy is struggling right now. The next chapter will contain a bit of domestic violence. It is Rio. But don't worry, it's very even. ;-) Comment, vote and follow me lovelies! Much love! Xo