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Beckett
You can take the rat out of the sewer but you can’t take the sewer out of the rat.
Most people hate rats. They call them rodents, a menace but what they don’t realize about us rats, is that we are fucking resilient. You lay traps to catch us, bait us with the food we crave, tempt us to come out of the shadows, you think we’re just dumb rodents. I’m here to fucking tell you that we are anything but dumb. We are smart, cunning, and fearsome because we know what it’s like to have nothing, so when we fight for what we want, we don’t give up.
I may be the rat but Valance Karver is the cat. She’s the one who tried to lure me out of the shadows. She thought she was the predator and I was the prey, she was so fucking wrong, I showed her what happens when a rat is backed into a corner with nowhere to go. We will fight to the death, and claw our way out of any situation.
I showed her what happens when you backmeinto a corner that night I killed her father. What I didn’t expect when I left her behind that night was for her to show up years later with my four-year-old son, threatening to take him from me. She thinks she knows me. Nah, she knew the old me who had nothing—no home, no parents, and nothing else to care for except her.
She’s about to meet the new Beckett Dawson. The one who is cutthroat and willing to play dirty to get what he wants. I’ll ruin everything she holds near and dear to her black heart for keeping my son from me.
Beckett
Four years ago
I jump through her open bedroom window and immediately the sound of shouting hits my ears. I fucking hate her piece of shit father. Her mother is just as bad, she allows this shit to happen to her own daughter. I grind my teeth and clench my fists at my sides, trying with all my might to keep my composure and not go out there and beat the fat piece of shit myself.
“You best get that shit fixed up fast, little girl, or else.” I close my eyes, trying to block out the sound of his voice, I’ve told her time and time again to run away with me. I can’t keep staying in this town, I’m bound to get caught soon and I ain’t going into the fucking system. I’d rather take my chances on the streets. I had to drop out of school this week because social services called them about me. Mrs. Patterson—my homeroom teacher—gave me a heads up, she even gave me fifty bucks to get me some food. I’ve kept that money close to me for four days, it’s going to pay for mine and Valance’s bus ticket outta this fucking place.
“Yes, sir. I’ll fix it up now.” The tremble in her voice cuts me deep, she is fucking petrified of her father. He’s nothing but a fucking useless piece of shit. He lost his job a few years ago when the old mill on Johnson Road shut down. He’s been on a pension ever since and drinks away their money. If he isn’t drinking it, then he sure as fuck is chewing it. The cunt makes Val scrub out the spit stains on the carpet from his tobacco. He is a poor ass excuse for a father and a man. He constantly lays hands on Valance and her mother does nothing. She just sits there and watches as her daughter gets beaten. She’d rather say nothing and allow this to continue than risk his anger turning on her and receiving the same punishment.
“You fucking idiot! I said over there,” he shouts. I hear something shatter then a scream tears from Val. I try to block it out, but every time I bring up her father and what he does, she gets pissed off. She hates him but won’t allow me to share in that hate.
“I’m sorry,” she cries out, and the sound of glass shattering has me taking a step toward the door. I war within myself on whether I should stay out of it as she has always told me to or do the right thing and give him a taste of his own medicine.
“No, but you will be.” The icy tone of his voice fills me with dread. I hear her begin to sob and my chest aches.
“Mama, please,” Val begs. Her father’s laughter is dark and dreary, sending a cold tingle down my spine.
“She won’t help you. She learned the hard way and now so will you.” Acracksounds out followed by a pained scream from Val.
Stay out of it, she has warned you to never step in!
I try to repeat that over and over in my head but when I register what is making thatcrackingsound, my whole-body thrums with the need to inflict pain. I grip her door handle still trying to talk myself out of it, then she screams again, but this time she calls for help and I’m powerless to stop myself from tearing her bedroom door open. I storm down the tiny hallway that opens into the filthy living room. The sight that greets me is gruesome. Valance is on the floor, hands over her face and tucked into a fetal position as her father stands over her trembling body striking her with his belt. I dart my gaze to the couch in the corner where her mother sits, puffing on a cigarette while staring at the TV.
“Fucking cunt, you’ll learn to do as you’re told you good for nothing bitch!” That’s it, his words hurl me into action. I charge forward tackling him from the side, a scream tears from her poor ass excuse of a mother. Ronald grunts as he hits the floor, fueled by my anger and blinded by the need to teach him a lesson of my own, I flip him onto his back and straddle his legs. His eyes widen in shock at the sight of me. Before a single word can be uttered from his mouth, I clock his jaw with a right hook, followed up by a left.
I keep this up until my arms feel like lead, his face is busted and bloody but anger still courses through my veins. I look to my left to find his discarded belt. I push off him and grip the belt before wrapping it around my hand, leaving the buckle end dangling. I hear muffled sobs from behind me but don’t dare look. Valance can be pissed all she likes but I’m doing this for her, if she chooses not to come with me at least I’ll know she is safe.
I rear my arm back, ready to strike him but falter at the sound of Valance’s plea. “Beckett, don’t.” I peer over my shoulder, the sight of her bloody face, the split skin on her arms and the welts on her legs has a rage like I have never felt before tearing through me. I swing my gaze back to the unconscious piece of shit on the floor, a groan tumbles from his busted lips and that simple sound snaps me back to the task at hand. This time when I ready to strike, I ignore her pleas and I whip him as hard as I can with the belt buckle. Everything becomes white noise, the sounds of her pleas, the cries of her mother fade to nothing, I don’t even see clearly anymore. It’s like I’ve retreated so far inside myself that I am no longer in control and my body is acting upon its desires. I feel no pain, no anger just… nothingness and it’s fucking euphoric.
Pain explodes in the back of my head, ripping me from my blissed-out state, I stumble forward and catch myself on the edge of the old worn-out recliner Val’s father normally sits in. I reach up and press my hand against the back of my head hissing as pain explodes. I pull my hand away and frown when blood coats my fingers. I slowly turn around to see Valance standing there with tears rolling down her cheeks, glass littering the place I was just standing—she hit me over the head with a vase!
“What the fuck have you done?” Val screams so loud I almost shrink back. Her mother leaps off her perch on the couch and crawls toward her husband's unconscious body sobbing. Lynette grips his shoulders and begins to shake him. I cringe at the ungodly sight of him. His face looks like it has been shredded, his arms are coated in blood, the white singlet he wears now torn and stained red.
“Ron!” Lynette cries as she continues to shake him. “Wake up, you have to wake up!” Valance darts her piercing sky blue eyes at me, they’re filled with pain and fear. She drops to her knees beside her mother and reaches out to place two fingers against his neck, feeling for a pulse. I want to roll my eyes, the asshole is just out cold from getting a taste of his own medicine.
“He’s dead.” Two words, that’s all it took to shift my whole world upside down and set me on a path I never saw coming.
Beckett
Now
The sight of the cabin we purchased nearly three years ago has a sense of belonging flowing through me. This is the only place I can truly call mine–ours—but same thing. I’ve never had a place to call my own, with this cabin I know I will never have to sleep under another bridge or feel the bite of the cold snow against my skin as I struggle to find warmth.
Darius rides his Ducati in front of Corvin’s car with me taking up the rear in my car. I’m so fucking ready to hang out over the Christmas break and just chill with my brothers and the girls. Leah, Cody, Katie, and one of Leah’s other friends will be coming up tomorrow after they finish their final assignments. Parking my car in front of the garage, I step out and breathe in the fresh scent of pine. The wind has a bite to it as I blow out a breath and smirk at the cloud of smoke that lingers in front of my face.
“It’s fucking freezing!” Saint bites out as he rubs his hands together, and heads to the trunk of Corv’s car to grab the bags. I meet Nathan at the back of mine and help him and Crue grab the bags out. We packed most of the food in my car and stuffed the bags in Corv’s. I love being here at the cabin, but when it’s winter it always pays to go overboard with the food shopping in case we get snowed in, which happens more often than not. Nathan nudges his way past me as I shake my head. Leah seems to think he has slotted in with us easily but it's not that simple. Yeah, he seems cool and we all get along with him for Leah’s sake, but trust and loyalty are earned and he has a long was to go. The dude has the best of both worlds. He can hang with the girls and the guys. I know Darius still eyes him whenever he’s near Leah, which is fucking stupid. Nathan has admitted more than a dozen times he would rather fuck Darius or Saint, the man prefers sausage to bun. He isn’t unashamed of his sexuality and embraces who is without reservation. I envy him. His green eyes shine with life, and his multi-colored brown and blond hair is always a mess but he makes it work. He’s a big guy and should be on the team. When we offered him a tryout spot, he looked Darius right in the eyes and said‘the only balls I want to catch from you are in your pants’,we haven’t tried again.
