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Chapter Eleven
Niko
Age Fourteen
I jump off the top step of my porch, cursing myself for being late to Aislin’s bus stop. Normally, I’m with her on the bus, but I had a doctor’s appointment today, so I got picked up early. And then the appointment took longer than it should have. The bus stop is only two blocks away, but I still don’t like the thought of her walking alone. Not in our neighborhood. Too much bad stuff happens around here, especially for a girl as young as she is.
My feet pick up speed when I turn the corner. Just one more block and one more turn to go and I’ll be there. I kick a crushed Coke can out of my way. I can’t wait until I’m old enough to drive. Two more years and neither of us will ever have to ride the bus again. I haven’t figured out how I’m going to afford a car, but I will. I’m supposed to start doing yard work this summer, so I’ll start saving then.
I look up when I round the last corner, expecting to see Aislin walking toward me. When I don’t, I stop in my tracks. The bus should have already come by now. I turn around and look behind me just in case we passed each other on opposite sides of the road, even knowing there’s no way that would have happened. Fear grabs a hold of my throat, making it hard to breathe. I spin back around and look back toward the bus stop. I start running toward it, something inside me telling me to go that way.
I come to a stop on the street corner where our bus stop is and look around again. The houses around this area are all shabby and broken down, peeling paint or the siding falling off on some sides. Trash or toys litter the yards, and the grass is either overgrown with weeds or nonexistent at all.
I run my eyes over every house, seeing if anyone is outside to ask if they saw a girl get off the bus. A curtain flutters in one house, indicating someone is watching from inside. A lot of the residents here are scared to come outside and only do it when necessary. Most people who live here don’t care if something bad happens. They’ve lived here their whole life, so they know when to be cautious and when it’s safe. They know what to expect in a place like this.
My eyes land on something blue lying in the side yard of someone’s house. I sprint over to it, knowing what it is before I get there. My blood runs cold when I bend and pick up Aislin’s bookbag. It’s bright blue with a silver unicorn on the front pocket. I look up, my eyes narrowing in on the backyard.
I take one step when I hear a scream come from around the back. I take off running and round the corner seconds later. What I see has fear spiking through me at the same time anger makes my vision blurry.
Two kids several years older than I am have Aislin pinned to the back of the house. Tears streak down her cheeks, but her eyes are blazing with hatred. She’s a little spitfire when she needs to be, but she needs to learn when to curb it. Right now would be one of those times. The guys will tear her to shreds and God knows what else in the process. Right now, though, they’ve messed with the wrong girl.
With a growl, I take off running. The two boys hear the feral sound and turn their heads. I bare my teeth at one of them. Denny Valeris, one of the punks of the neighborhood. One who has tried to get me to join his stupid gang of terrorizers. He didn’t like that I refused him, and he’s had it out for me ever since.
I swing my fist at him as soon as I get close enough. The move surprises him enough that he releases Aislin, and I manage to clock his chin; however, I put so much swing behind the punch that I stumble. I catch myself right before I fall and spin around to face him. He’s rubbing his jaw, his eyes alight with fire as he looks at me. I look over to where Aislin was only to find the other boy, Ricky, holding her against his chest with his hand over her mouth. She’s struggling, and there’s pure loathing in her eyes. That look makes me both proud and worried. Proud because she’s not scared of these guys, and scared because she should be scared of them.
“Let go of her, Ricky,” I snarl, taking a step toward him.
My eyes dart back to Denny when he steps in front of Aislin and Ricky.
“No need to get all pissy, Niko. We were just going to have a bit of fun,” he says, his voice causing goose bumps to appear on the back of my neck. “Way I see it, her mama gives it to any man who asks for it, so I figured little Aislin here would too.”
A growl slips out of my mouth, and I gnash my teeth at him. “You sick fuck! She’s twelve years old. Now let her go!”
He takes a step toward me, and my back goes straight, not backing down. He may be older and bigger than I am, but I have more determination. No one messes with Aislin.
“Don’t matter.” He shrugs and flashes his yellow teeth. “She still has the same parts that’ll work just as good. Although she hasn’t grown any titties yet, what she has will have to do.”
Bile rises in my throat, and I have to force awaythe need to puke. It’s my turn to take a step toward him. One thing you learn here in our kind of world is not to show fear. The minute you do, you show the person you’re vulnerable.
Denny is taller than I am by several inches, so I have to crane my neck back to look at him. I ball my fists at my side, wanting to ram them through his throat. I glare up at him, silently letting him know I’m not backing down. Yes, I may get my ass kicked, but it won’t be before I put some damage on him. Hopefully, it’ll be enough for Aislin to get free. I don’t care what happens to me; I just need to know she’s okay. No way am I going to let these guys do what they want with her.
“Boy, you have no idea what you’re getting into here. Just turn around and walk away.”
“Screw you, Denny. I’m not leaving without Aislin.”
He grins crookedly. “Big words coming from you, Niko.” He tilts his head to the side and curls his lip up. “I got an idea. I seen how you and her are always together. I know you got to want to get some of her yourself. How about we let you have a go at her first then we’ll do her seconds?”
His words send a spark of fire into my blood. I’ve heard the phrase seeing red before and never thought there was any truth to it, but there is. I swear my vision goes from colored to pure red. My heart slams in my chest, and it feels like my head is going to explode from the pounding in my head.
Before I realize what I’m doing, I’m launching myself at him. I take him by surprise and knock him to the ground. Then I’m sitting on his chest, beating my fists against his face. He tries to block the blows, but I’m so far gone that I just knock his hands away with my fists. Roaring sounds in my ear, and it takes me a minute to realize it’s coming from me. My throat burns from yelling so much.
I land punch after punch, not letting up as his words from a moment ago play in my head. Not one person will ever lay a hand on Aislin. Not as long as I’m breathing or able to stop them.
A piercing scream has me stopping mid-punch and lifting my head. My blood runs even colder when I see Ricky lift his hand and hit Aislin on the side of her face. “You fucking bitch,” he snarls.
She lands on her side with a loud cry. I’m off Denny and running at Ricky when he takes a threatening step closer to her, his hands raised to strike her again. My head hits his side, and we both fall to the ground with grunts. I land halfway on top of him, and he manages to get his leg up and knees me in the ribs. I fall to the side as air whooshes out of my lungs. I roll to my side, only for a fist to land on my face. My head hits the dirt ground, and I see stars.
I look over and see Ricky getting to his feet. I pull in a deep breath, wincing at a sharp pain in my stomach. My eyes land on Aislin, who’s still lying on the ground. She’s turned away from me, so I can’t see her face, but I see her side rising and falling. As I’m crawling to my knees, Ricky turns to face me. Satisfaction hits me when I see a dirt-matted scratch on his cheekbone.
