Living With Dee

Nine

Edited

Loud banging startled me awake, shaking my sleepiness away instantly. I fumbled with the sheets wrapped tightly around me, trying to get up from the comfortable bed. As I stumbled to the door and wrenched it open, I was shocked to see a frightened LizAnnie.

"Liz?" I whispered with a yawn. She clasped her hand over my mouth and shuffled into my hotel room, closing the door behind her.

"Shush," she commanded into the dark. "We need to get out of here."

I pulled her hand from my lips. "And how do you suppose we do that? We are under their watch Liz, and I have a hunch that they are gang members."

The lights came on when she felt around on the wall. I squinted at the brightness but focused solely on her, waiting for an answer. "I know this stuff, Kenzie. It's pretty obvious they are in something together. The only way out is through that door right there and down the stairs."

I shook my head. "It's a set up, I've seen this kind of thing before. They could do plenty of harm if we try to escape now. Gain their trust, and we'll have a better chance than when they are still wary." I grabbed her hands in a pleading way, emphasizing the dangers. "Please. I need this baby and you to live."

"And you," she says determined. I gave a little nod and shake before agreeing. But I knew, they were my top priority. "Okay, so we first learn the rules, then break them."

"Yes."

She stayed with me for the rest of the night, praying Raven and Cory had forgotten us by morning. Our wishes were fatal and did nothing because of their newest member Jason. He remembered us.

Cory gripped my arm tightly. "Come on little girl, we don't have all day," He grunted in aggravation. I tried, I really did, but I couldn't keep my mouth shut and barked back a reply.

"I shouldn't have to listen to a low-life like you."

He halted, yanking me back from my previous stumbling as he pulled me down the hall, Liz right behind. "What did you say?"

I gritted my teeth and glared right back at him, ignoring the red alarms ringing furiously in my head. "Deaf too, I see?"

"Crap," Jason and Liz said behind me, knowing exactly how this would play out. Both of them knew me well enough to know I wasn't going to stop just because it was good for me.

"Listen, blondie-"

"I'm obviously brown haired. I'll add color blind to the list, yeah?" 

Cory turned bright red and reached out, back handing me on my cheek. Shocked, I put a shaky hands over my swollen cheek and stared at him for a moment. Just as Raven came out from the elevator, I threw myself onto Cory and tackled him to the ground.

"What the-"

Jason begun to freak as well as Liz and Raven. I withdrew my fist and without second guessing myself, I socked him right in the jaw and just kept going. Cory begun to fight back, tangling his legs around mine to throw me off. I slammed into the nearest wall once he did, but I got to my feet before him and started to kick his stomach.

"Don't ever touch me!" I shouted as my arms were pulled back roughly. Cory held his busted lip and bloody nose, glaring harshly but didn't do further attack. I kicked around in the person's hold but they didn't let me go.

"Stop." Raven commanded from behind me, twisting my arms. "You're making a scene." 

I cried out in pain and instantly stopped moving. I was panting by time I was done fighting back, my arms still twisted a way they shouldn't be able to go.

"Boss," Jason started, but Cory cut him off, a mischievous look in his eyes as he kept them solely on me.

"She just attacked me, like a dumb animal. I didn't do nothin' but tell her we are leaving. Dang women and their urge to feel in control of themselves."

Eyes wide, I began to thrash around until I could get my hands wrapped around his neck. "Liar," I screeched loudly at him. "You're a liar!"

Raven then threw me to the ground and whipped out his pistol, aiming it straight at me. I gasped and scrambled to get away, but his foot clamped down on my leg to stop me. Cocking the gun, he positioned it right above my eyes and in the middle of my head.

"You will do as your told!" He bellowed at me, the empty hallways making it echo. His black hair fell in his eyes as his small stubbled jaw clenched tightly. "Don't disrespect my men or there will be consequences."

I parted my lips and inhaled sharply. No one dared to say a word about this and I caught Cory smugly smiling at me. Closing my eyes, I nodded towards Raven as a sign of surrender.

His foot left my leg and I cradled it, the pain seemingly less bearable without the pressure. Liz ran towards me with tears springing from her eyes, but Jason held her back, a lost look in his features. I didn't recognize my best friend at that moment, and I don't think I ever will see him in the same way.

Cory and Raven talked for a minute in low whisper until Jason turned to me. "Don't think of escaping," he said finally. "He has eyes every where. This building is his, everyone who works here is under his control."

What about the people watching this go on?

Jason acted like he knew what I was thinking, as well as LizAnnie. "They know to leave us alone. Boss keeps things confidential here or else their life is on the line."

LizAnnie gave me a frightened look, and I almost thought of soothing her worries, when my stomach gurgled. 

Everyone apparently heard it because Raven and Cory turned to look at me. I didn't cower away from the look, but I did allow my brown hair to cover a part of my face.

"Jason, get them food." 

Jase nodded and darted down the stairs, passing the elevator. At first I also thought my stomach was making noise because I was hungry, but when my throat constricted and just kept getting tighter, I knew that wasn't it.

"Liz," I whisper shouted at her. She came towards me and crouched down, still being ignored from the other two. "I'm not hungry."

I held my stomach and rubbed it gently to settle it, but LizAnnie still didn't understand. "What do you mean? Your stomach just-"

I groaned and turned away, leaning in a half push up position and started to cough. I had finally gotten their attention by the time I started to gag, still trying not to puke in the middle of the hall.

Raven growled in irritation and hauled me up, pulling me towards my room and getting me into the bathroom. I continued to cough violently until I opened the toilet seat, no longer able to hold it in. 

Spit was basically the only thing that came up because I hadn't eaten much before the doctors appointment. I was quite hungry come to think of it, but I don't want to think too much about it while I was dry heaving. Though I will have to eat soon after this.