Chapter 153 *
Scarlett’s POV
I didn't move. I was running calculations in my head. Three men. All bigger than me. But their stance was sloppy. Their movements were uncoordinated. These weren't professionals.
They were street thugs. Probably hired muscle.
"I don't carry cash," I said.
The leather jacket guy laughed. It wasn't a friendly sound. "That's alright. We take Venmo. Or... other forms of payment."
He took a step closer. The threat in his movement was obvious.
The bald guy added, "Yeah, we ain't picky. You could come hang with us for a bit. We'll show you a good time."
I almost laughed. These street thugs thought they had the upper hand. I could take all three of them down without breaking a sweat. They had no idea what they were walking into.
But I needed information first. I needed to know who sent them.
"Look, if someone paid you to scare me, I can pay you more to leave me alone."
The bald guy's eyes flickered. Just for a second.
Then he laughed. "Paid us? Baby, nobody pays us to do shit. We just saw an opportunity."
That flicker told me everything I needed to know.
Someone had hired these men. Someone wanted me hurt.
The leather jacket guy pulled out a folding knife. He opened it slowly. Made sure I saw the blade catch the streetlight.
"Stop talking and start walking." He pointed the knife toward the dark entrance to Morningside Park. "Into the park. Now."
My heart rate kicked up.
The park at night was empty. No witnesses. No cameras. That was exactly what I need. I let my voice tremble. "Okay, okay. Just... don't hurt me."
I took a step toward the park. Made my legs look shaky.
The bald guy's grin widened. "That's a smart girl. See? This don't have to be difficult."
The third guy pushed my back. "Move faster."
I stumbled forward. Caught myself. Kept walking.
They herded me through the park entrance. The streetlights disappeared behind us. Trees blocked out most of the ambient light from the buildings.
It was dark here.
I walked deeper into the park. They followed close behind. I could hear their breathing. Smell the cigarette smoke on their clothes.
Then I stopped.
"Was it Zelda?"
The bald guy frowned. "What?"
I turned around to face them. My voice was still shaking. But my eyes weren't. "The person who hired you. Was it a blonde girl? Or maybe an older woman?"
The leather jacket guy stepped forward with the knife. "Shut up. Nobody hired—"
The bald guy cut him off. "Don't matter who it was. What matters is you're gonna learn to keep your mouth shut and stay in your lane."
I nodded slowly. "I see. So this is a message."
The bald guy's shoulders relaxed. He thought I'd accepted my fate. "Yeah. A message. Don't fuck with—"
"Can I ask you guys something?"
The leather jacket guy gripped his knife tighter. "Enough talking. Grab her."
The bald guy reached for my arm.
I moved.
My hand shot out and grabbed the bald guy's wrist before his fingers could touch me. I twisted hard. His arm bent at an angle arms weren't supposed to bend.
He let out a yelp.
I used his momentum to flip him. His entire body went up and over. He crashed onto the ground with a heavy thud that knocked the air out of his lungs.
I didn't wait for the other two to react. I drove my boot into his ribs.
The crack was loud and satisfying.
"What the fuck—" The leather jacket guy swung his knife at me.
I stepped to the side. The blade cut through empty air. I grabbed his wrist with both hands and yanked him forward. My elbow smashed into his nose.
Blood exploded across his face. The knife clattered to the ground.
"You bitch!" The third guy came at me from behind. He tried to wrap his arms around me.
I didn't even turn around. I just kicked backward. My heel connected perfectly with his crotch.
He made a sound like a dying animal and collapsed.
The leather jacket guy was stumbling backward. His hands were pressed to his face. Blood was pouring between his fingers.
I kicked him in the balls too.
He went down hard.
The bald guy was trying to get up. His face was twisted in pain. He was holding his ribs.
I walked over and kicked him right in the family jewels.
He curled into a ball and started rolling on the ground.
I looked at all three of them. They were lying on the dirt. Clutching their groins. Making pathetic whimpering sounds.
"You know what?" I said conversationally. "When you're dealing with rapists, the best strategy is to confiscate the equipment."
I dusted off my hands. Picked up the knife from the ground. Wiped the handle clean with the edge of my jacket.
Then I walked over to the bald guy. He was the leader. He'd know the most.
I planted my boot on his chest. Put just enough weight on it that he couldn't move.
"Let's chat."
He stared up at me with wide eyes. His face had gone pale.
I crouched down. Held the knife where he could see it. "I'm going to ask you some questions." My voice was pleasant. Friendly even. "And you're going to answer them honestly. Because if you lie to me, I'm going to get really upset. And trust me, you don't want to see me upset."
I traced the tip of the knife along his cheekbone. Not hard enough to cut. Just hard enough to make my point.
"Who hired you?"
"I don't—I swear we don't—" His voice was shaking.
I pressed the blade a little harder. "Wrong answer."
"Okay! Okay!" He fumbled in his pocket. Pulled out his phone with trembling fingers. "We got the job through a middleman. Some professional guy. We don't know who the actual client is."
He opened his messages. Showed me a phone number.
"This is the guy who hired us. That's all we got. I swear to God that's all we know."
I memorized the number. Then I looked at the message thread.
The instructions were clear. Rape the target. Take photos. Send proof. Five thousand dollars on completion.
My stomach turned.
"What else did he tell you?"
"Nothing! Just that you were a college girl. Easy target. That's it."
I studied his face. He was telling the truth. These idiots really didn't know who they were working for.
"Alright." I stood up. Stepped back. "I believe you."
The relief on his face was almost funny.
"But here's the thing." I tilted my head. "You guys tried to rape me. And I'm not really the forgiving type."