Page 5 of Gang of Roses: Rebel

The entire bar stayed quiet, watching us like they had front-row seats to a damn show. So, I decided to give them something to look at. Standing up from the barstool, I wrapped my hand around the handle of my Louisville Slugger and took one hard swing. The glasses lining the shelves behind the bar exploded into thousands of pieces. I didn’t stop there and did another hard ass swing. On impact, bottles of whiskey, vodka, tequila, and rum shattered one after another, sending liquor pouring down the shelves and onto the floor. Customers screamed, ducked, and scrambled out of the way as glass flew through the air.

“What the fuck!” my father roared from behind the bar.

I ignored his ass and took another swing.

More bottles burst apart as alcohol soaked the floor.

“I said stop!” Titan yelled.

I smiled and swung again before speaking. “Make me.”

That was all it took to make Titan react. He quickly shoved the woman he had been talking to out of his way, pushed through the swinging gate at the end of the bar, and stormed around to my side. His fists were balled so tight the veins in his forearms looked ready to burst.

I grinned at Titan’s reaction.

“There you are,” I said. “I was wondering how long it was gonna take for you to stop hiding behind that damn bar.”

It didn’t take Titan long to prove he wasn’t the one to fuck with. His hand cracked across my face so hard it sent me flying backward. I slammed into a table before crashing onto the floor, pain exploding through my jaw. Despite the pain, I quickly pushed myself to my feet, snatched up my Louisville Slugger, and swung that motherfucker with everything I had at Titan, who ducked just in time. The bat whistled past his head before smashing into the edge of the bar. I ripped it free and swung again. This time, that son of a bitch caught the bat with both hands before it could connect. We struggled for control until I drove my knee straight into his balls.

“Fuck!” Titan grunted, doubling over.

Titan’s grip loosened just enough for me to yank my bat free. I raised it over my shoulder, ready to cave his ass in. Just as I started my swing, something slammed into me from behind. The hit sent me sprawling across the floor, and my Louisville Slugger skidded several feet away. I looked up to see my father’s longtime friends, Gao and Rudy, standing over me. Before I could get back to my feet, they rushed me. At my father’s command, Gao and Rudy grabbed me from both sides. I thrashed, kicked, and fought like hell to get away from them, but they were too damn strong.

“Let me the fuck go!” I yelled with my mouth dripping blood.

None of the customers came to my rescue, but I didn’t give a fuck. I was a lone wolf and ready to face whatever consequences came my way. I already knew Titan wasn’t about to let me walk out of his bar untouched. He was the type of man who loved using his fists to prove a point. To him, fear was respect, and pain was power. Unfortunately for him, I had never been the type to bow down to bullies, even when I knew I was about to lose the battle.

Titan slowly walked over and stopped inches from my face, looking me over like I was a disappointment instead of his daughter. Just like the bully he was, he grabbed my cheek, his fingers digging deep into my skin. That shit burned like hell, but I refused to shed a single tear. Crying in his presence was never going to happen. Over my dead body.

“You thought you could walk into my bar, destroy my business, and embarrass me?” he said with a smug grin. “Looks like you’re the one getting embarrassed.”

I smiled through the blood coating my lips. “Fuck you.”

Titan’s grin disappeared. Without warning, his fist slammed into my face. Instantly, my head snapped to the side. Then Gao followed with a hard punch to my ribs. After that, Rudy buried his fist in my stomach, knocking the wind clean out of me. Before I could recover, Titan hit me again. They took turns beating my ass while everybody in the bar stood there and watched without helping. Every punch and kick rattled my body. Blood began to drip from my nose onto the floor. Still, I refused to scream and beg. If they wanted me broken, they were gonna have to kill me. Titan then grabbed me by my chin and forced me to look him in the eyes.

“You ain’t so tough now, are you?”

I laughed, then spat blood at his boots. “That’s the best you got?”

“You still don’t know when to shut your damn mouth.”

“And I never will.”

He wrapped his hand around my throat and squeezed just enough to remind me who he thought was in control.

“The only reason you’re leaving here alive is because you’re still my blood.”

I stared right back at him. “That’s funny... because I stopped claiming your bitch ass a long time ago.”

He released my throat and nodded toward the door. “Throw her out.”

Gao and Rudy dragged me across the floor. I fought them every step of the way, cussing, kicking, and trying to break free until they threw me through the front entrance. I hit the pavement hard as my Louisville Slugger clanged against the concrete a few feet away. The bar door slammed shut behind me. I laid there for a moment, tasting blood in my mouth before forcing myself back to my feet. Every inch of my body hurt. But my hatred hurt even more.

I picked up my bat and looked back at Stone’s Bar. Honestly, I was too fucked up to ride my motorcycle, so I left it parked outside Stone’s Bar and started the long walk home.

Every step hurt like a bitch, my ribs throbbed with every breath, and my jaw felt like it’d been hit with a damn sledgehammer. The bastards had gotten me today. But they hadn’t broken me.

Streetlights cast long shadows across the sidewalk as I limped toward my house. Normally, I’d enjoy the ride home on my bike, letting the wind clear my head. Tonight, I barely had the strength to walk. By the time I reached my building, I dug my keys out of my pocket with shaky fingers and unlocked the door.