No Pain: Book 1

Chapter 11: Najee

            "What are you doing?" I growl, John's tracker is still in the US. "You have to get her out of here!" My foot slams into the desk, it wobbles but the computer stays on top.

"Move on, Najee." Marco hangs out in my door way. I know why Star gets so upset with him, he's acts like a psychopath when he's supposed to be an immortal. He should be an Idio, not one of us.

"She's gone, I'm surprised it took her this long to get caught." Marco scoffs "you guys babied her too much, always protecting her, always watching her like a toddler."

"I'm not in the mood to entertain you, Marco. So, unless you're looking for a fight, leave."

"Isn't that Star's line?" Marco smirks. I feel Thierry clawing his way toward the surface, I should fight it, I should stop him. Star spent so much time refusing to fall back into old habits and here I am giving into it. I should stop him but Thierry shoves me back and I'm watching my body move toward Marco. Marco is cocky at first but then he sees it. He sees he isn't about to fight me.

"Why don't you let Najee fight his own battles?" Marco tries to draw me out but Thierry is more brutal than me, he won't stop, he doesn't care. He should be an Idio too.

"Najee's not here at the moment, can I take a message." Thierry advances on Marco. He's ready to fight. There is one thing we agree on, Star is our friend.

"What's wrong." Thierry laughs at Marco, his favorite part is the fear, knowing that whoever he is staring down knows exactly what he is going to do.

"Don't want to fight anymore?" My hands grab Marco, but I don't feel anything. Thierry is doing it, he's doing all of this. He's even letting me watch.

"Najee!" Kader yells. Thierry ignores Kader and Keller as they run toward us. Don't stop him. I yell at them. Don't, he deserves it, Marco deserves everything Thierry wants to do to him.

"Let him go, Thierry." Kader grabs my wrist, Thierry is ready to hurt Kader.

Don't. I snap at Thierry they're our friends

No, Star is our friend, these are your friends Thierry yells back at me. He's pushing me down now. He's taking control on his terms.

"Don't go away again" Star says as she traces circles into the palm of my hand, there's blood, Mason cut her, I cut her.

"I'm sorry, I swear I-"

"Don't worry." She cuts me off and smiles up at me "it doesn't hurt."

"Star..." I trail off, she's so small, she not weak though. No, she is so far from weak.

"Promise me you won't let him take over again." Star looks serious again.

"I can't control it, Star, you know that." She seems to consider it but sadness slips into her eyes and her mouth opens. "Najee, do you know what it's like to look at a monster every day? To have to face your family's murderer every day and not do anything about it?"

I watch her for a second, I don't know what she's going to say and that's rare, I know her so well now.

"You ask me not to kill their murder." Star says, her eyes fierce and sad and filled with more pain than most ever have to suffer through in their entire lives.

"That's different-" I try, but I know what she is going to say now.

"If you want me to try, then you have to try." She says simply. It's not unfair.

I feel Thierry winning as I resurface from the memory. I can feel Star's hands on mine, I can see her fierce eyes and hear her words. I will try I pull myself through, closer to Thierry.

Your turn is over

He has Kader by the throat, my gun on Keller.

They sent Star away and now they're defending Marco Thierry yells at me they're not Star's friends and they're not yours Thierry's finger twitches on the gun.

I will try the thought spurs me forward and I take control of my hand. I swing the gun away as my finger pulls on the trigger. The bullet whistles passed Keller's shoulder. I open my hand and Kader falls to the ground rubbing his throat.

"Najee?" He asks.

I nod "sorry." I hand him my gun. I hadn't carried a gun around the compound before Star, Star taught me a new kind of control when she joined us, but she's gone now.

"Najee." Keller grabs my shoulder, I hesitate.

"How's Star doing?" Keller's eyes are filled with regret. She's worried about Star too.

"She's on a plane to Australia, she and John boarded two hours ago." The lie is easy.

"Good." Keller offers a smile but it doesn't reach her eyes. "It's what's best for her, you know that, right?"

"If you're so sure." I shrug her off, annoyed "why are you looking for reassurance from me?"

"Najee-"

The door cuts Keller off. I glance at the computer they're headed for the underground I shouldn't go, John will lead Star off just like he's supposed to and then they'll leave. She'll be safe. I could just check on her, she'd never know I was there. I take a seat on my bed and I stare at the computer, the beep indicating where John, and indirectly, where Star is. The knife glints under the light from the ceiling.

It would be fast.

I take Marco's car. I shouldn't, but Thierry can be persuasive. No one messes with Star but me Thierry thinks spitefully.