Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 14546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 73(@200wpm)___ 58(@250wpm)___ 48(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 14546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 73(@200wpm)___ 58(@250wpm)___ 48(@300wpm)
4
Maddy
Time to go. I’m nervous, but before I give myself time to back out, I get in my car and drive over to the address Tara gave me. It’s a part of the neighborhood my dad and Iron have always warned me not to go to because it’s on the edge between Exiled Guardians territory and the Fallen Kings.
There’s not any empty spaces in her driveway, so I pull around to the side in the gravel lot. As I walk up Tara is walking out the front door of a white trailer with a man covered in tattoos behind her. Probably her date. As I draw closer, I can hear them talking. “I’m going to the Guardians’ party to get your info, Crater. Chill out. I’ll get what you need.”
I stop in my tracks and my stomach drops as what I heard sinks in. She is going to the party to spy on the Exiled Guardians. She must be with the Fallen Kings. What have I done?
The guy she called Crater sees me as I turn to go back to my car. He grabs me from behind, and Tara tries to pull him off me. “She’s with me. She’s friends with the Guardians. She’s going to be my cover when I’m in there.”
Crater turns me to face him and he’s leering down at me. I can’t tell if he wants to punch me or kiss me, but either one I want nothing to do with. I struggle in his arms, but he doesn’t let up. “Is that right? You going to help Tara get in with the Guardians?”
“Yes,” Tara says behind me at the same time I say, “No.”
If I was smarter, I would have told them anything to get out of this situation, but instead I told him the truth. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt Iron or the Exiled Guardians. They’ve always been good to me and my dad. But maybe I should have softened my answer because in an instant, the man rears back and punches me in the face.
I shake my head, trying to focus. Before I can get myself together, he has his mouth on me and his hands are grabbing me. I inhale his rank breath when he looks at me menacingly. “I’ve always wanted to fuck one of the Guardians’ sweet butts and then send them back to them in a body bag.”
Fear overcomes me, but I know if I don’t get out of here right now, I’m not ever leaving. I use the move that Iron taught me when I was a senior in high school and talking about going away to college. I lift my knee as hard as I can and then use my head to head butt him right in the nose.
Dazed, he lets me go as he falls to the ground, and I run as fast as I can to my car. I look over at them, and the man is still on the ground. I would offer to help Tara, but she’s waving for me to go. I don’t even question her; I lock my doors and throw gravel everywhere as I step on the gas. I pass a van coming in, but I pull farther down into my seat and don’t look at them. I just want to get out of here. I just want to go home.
The whole way I’m a mess. I’m so angry with myself that I let my own gullibility get into that situation and then also letting that man pin me. I still don’t understand it. I remember screaming, but no one, not one person came out of their trailers to help me. I should have listened to my gut and not pulled into that little trailer park.
When I get to my apartment, I go inside and check all the doors and windows, turning off all the lights, and sit down on the couch, only to instantly jump up and run to the bathroom. I heave into the toilet. The fear and worry over what could have been is too much for me to handle right now. When I’ve emptied my stomach, I am about to open the medicine cabinet when I see my reflection in the mirror.
I’ve got a busted lip and a black eye aside from all the other cuts and bruises on my body. But at least nothing is broken.
I walk out of the bathroom in a daze and lie across my bed. There’s so many thoughts going through my head, and I can’t make sense of any of it. I know I won’t be able to go to work tomorrow. Heck, I won’t be able to go for the rest of the week. I hate to lie to my father, but I also know that I can’t pull him into this mess. I try to think of excuses, and even though I hate to lie to my dad, I know I’m going to have to. When I was younger, I had horrible migraines. I’ll just tell him I have a migraine. And I have no idea what I’m going to do about Iron and Exiled Guardians. I don’t want them to associate me with Tara, the Fallen Kings spy. I’m so full of shame and I wish I’d never trusted that girl. I need to let Iron know, but I can’t tonight. I’ve heard of the Fallen Kings and I know they are no one to mess with. I lay my head across my arms and cry until I can’t cry anymore before I finally pass out from exhaustion.