Page 91 of Shadow

“Who’s Keys? I went out with Steven.”

“Steven is Keys,” I said, leaning my head against the wall.

God, I was getting really fucking tired of living my life in fear. First my father, then Conner. I was done with this shit. Why couldn’t everyone just leave me the fuck alone? What the hell did I ever do to Keys? I barely knew the man.

“I met him through Facebook. He seemed nice. We talked for months before I agreed to a date. It was okay, but there was no chemistry. He shocked me when he tried to kiss me good night.”

“Why?” Hope asked.

“Because I thought he was gay.”

“What?” Kali gasped.

“Yeah. I’ve been a waitress since I was sixteen. I know a gay man when I see him. That’s why I thought it was strange. He was my friend. We talked about so many things, so when he tried to kiss me goodnight, it shocked me. I stopped him and he got mad and left. I thought that was it. He never messaged or called again until he showed up at my apartment this morning asking if he could take me to breakfast as an apology. I went with him. God, how stupid can could I be?”

“Oh honey, you’re not stupid. You wanted to believe him,” Hope muttered softly.

“Keys is gay?” Kali asked, looking at me.

Shrugging, I had no clue.

I barely knew the man. I only met him once.

All talk stopped when Keys walked back into the cafeteria carrying a plastic tarp and a large machete in his hands.

Oh, fuck no!

Kali, Hope and Abigail moved closer together, none of them saying a fucking word while Keys spread out the tarp.

I’d seen this movie before and there was no fucking way in hell I was going to sit here and be the victim. If this crazy motherfucker thought I was going to just go along with whatever he had planned, he was fucking crazier than I thought.

I’d been running and protecting myself and my siblings my whole life. I didn’t survive my father’s sadistic ministrations to succumb to this sick fuck. I didn’t give a damn if he was a club brother or not.

Ignoring the zip tie digging into my wrist, I turned my right hand and firmly gripped my left thumb. Taking a deep breath, I pulled, swallowing the pain as I dislocated my finger. Once free, I twisted my left hand and wiggled my hand out of the zip tie.

With his back turned, I didn’t think.

I got to my feet and tackled the son of a bitch to the floor.

The machete scattered to the floor as I grabbed his head and pounded it into the floor. Keys roared, bucking me off him.

Rolling to my feet, I sneered, “Come on, you son of a bitch. How do you like it when someone fights back?”

“I’m gonna kill you first, bitch!” he screamed, rushing me, taking me to the floor with him, knocking the air out of my body.

“JOAN!”

Straddling my torso, Keys didn’t waste a moment before he punched me in the face. Could have told him it was going to take a lot more than that to knock me the fuck out. Kicking my leg up, I hit his kidneys with my knee, causing him to grunt before rolling to the side, allowing me the time to get out from under him.

Back on my feet, I kicked him repeatedly in his ribs and stomach. “You sick fuck! I didn’t survive my fucking father to have some pissant like you kill me!”

With one last kick to his face, I turned to the girls just as Kali screamed. “JOAN!”

It was then I knew I made a grave mistake.

Turning, I saw the machete swing.

Everything stopped as I stared into his smiling face.