Chapter 75 PERFECT DESTRUCTION!
The bat swung into her stomach—first, second, and finally the third. Each impact drove the air from her lungs in a wet gasp, the wood thudding against her soft flesh with a sickening, dull crunch that echoed in the dim room.
Cash coughed, blood spraying from her split lips in warm flecks. Her wrists were bound tight to a chain dangling from the ceiling, her toes barely scraping the cold concrete floor, her body swaying helplessly like meat on a hook.
"Let me the fuck go!" she roared, her voice raw and ragged.
Nine frowned, glancing down at her watch. A low, amused chuckle slipped from her painted lips.
"Wrong answer," she said coolly, and whipped the bat around in a vicious arc. It smashed into Cash's face with a sharp crack, the impact snapping her head back. A tooth flew free, clattering somewhere in the shadows, and hot blood flooded Cash's mouth, metallic and thick.
"Spill it again," Nine demanded, her voice calm, almost bored.
But Cash only laughed, a broken, defiant sound bubbling through the blood. She kicked out wildly, her legs thrashing in the air, aiming her foot at Nine's smug face. Nine caught her ankle mid-swing, her fingers like iron clamps digging into her skin.
Crack!
The bone shattered under the twist, a wet snap that tore a scream from Cash's throat. Pain exploded up her leg, white-hot and blinding. "Let me go!" she howled, her body trembling violently, mouth foaming pink with blood and spit.
Nine glared down at her, no mask this time, just that pretty face twisted with cold satisfaction, letting Cash see exactly who was breaking her apart.
"Just kill me already!" Cash spat, her voice cracking.
Another chuckle from Nine's lip, light and mocking. She placed a hand on her hip, rolling her eyes like this was all some tedious game.
The chain rattled loose. Cash dropped hard, collapsing to the filthy ground with a heavy thud that jarred her broken leg. She hissed through clenched teeth, curling jersey, every breath a stab of agony.
"Do you remember who you offended?" Nine asked, stepping closer. Her heels clicked deliberately on the concrete, sharp and rhythmic, like a countdown.
"No!" The word burst from Cash's swollen lips. "I don't hurt anyone unless they deserve it," she snarled, defiance flickering through the pain.
Nine cackled, her eyes burning darker as she crouched down, bat still gripped loosely in one hand. The air smelled of sweat, blood, and something sweetly floral—Nine's perfume cutting through the rot.
"You made her bark like a dog. Forced her to pay up, and when that wasn't enough, you teamed with Giselle and Carter to destroy her."
Cash's eyelids fluttered, her vision blurring. "Celina?" she whispered, horror widening her one good eye. "Isn't she... dead?"
Nine's lips twitched into a wicked grin. "Of course. She became a ghost," she muttered, her tongue flicking across her lips like she could taste the fear.
"Do you want to leave here alive?"
Cash tried to move, her shattered bone grinding horribly, silent screams ripping through her parted lips as fresh pain clawed up her body.
"I... I'll help you," Nine said softly.
Cash blinked through the haze, her mind reeling, could she trust those words?
"Did you do that to Max?" she rasped.
Nine sighed, her patience thinning. She lunged forward, grabbing a fistful of Cash's blood-matted hair and yanking hard enough to lift her head.
"Who's your boss?" she hissed.
Cash's lips parted, breath hitching. "We have no boss. We just... do what we want. For money. For pleasure," she muttered, her voice small.
Nine's smile widened, almost tender. She reached out, her fingers squishing Cash's bruised cheek gently, like a lover's touch twisted wrong.
"Take this." She shoved a backpack into Cash's trembling hands.
Cash stared at it in terror, the weight heavy, unfamiliar.
"Don't worry, it's not a bomb. I'm not killing you yet." Nine clicked her tongue, then caressed Cash's hair with mocking gentleness. "Karma... I want it to catch up to you slow."
Cash flinched under the touch, her mind flashing back to earlier despite the pain. This female dressed head-to-toe in pink, that gummy smile, those glasses had seemed so harmless earlier. Cash remembered it vividly: Nine licking a lollipop, her smile widening as she leaned in. Cash had felt the pull, heat throbbing low in her belly, her pussy aching with raw want. When Nine hugged her, those soft breasts pressing close... it had felt electric.
"Where do you live?" Cash had asked then, her voice husky and hot.
Nine had leaned over the table, her breath warm and sweet against Cash's skin. "Down that alley," she had said, pointing.
Cash had grinned, already plotting to follow her home, to have sex with her. But the second she'd turned, the bat had crashed into her face.
Now, yanked back to the present by another brutal tug on her hair, Cash whimpered.
"If you dare reveal even a hint about today; tell anyone anything, I will hunt you down. Burn you. No... I'll do worse." Nine's eyes glistened with pure evil, her voice dropping low and venomous. "I have your nudes. Everything about you."
For the first time, real fear coiled cold in Cash's gut.
"Leave," Nine muttered, turning away.
The door creaked open. Two men strode in, grabbed Cash by the arms, and dragged her out, her broken leg scraping the floor, backpack clutched tight in her hand.
(HANGOUT)
"Where the hell is she?" Giselle muttered, staring at her phone. The news about her had finally died down—Boss's arrival had been a blessing. She licked her lips, savoring the quiet.
"Why are we even here?" Nelly asked, her eyes scanning the room warily. No answer came, so she grabbed a drink from the table, gulping it down. The cool liquid burned sweetly down her throat, warming her stomach.
To the left, sharp heels clicked, Christian Louboutin, red soles flashing. The silhouette figure stood poised in a strappy suit top and baggy trousers, flipping through documents. Max's medical report: Deep wounds. Internal bleeding.
"So who did Max offend?" she asked, her voice smooth, her gaze lifting to sweep the room.
Silence. They froze like cornered animals.
Until Giselle sneered. "Some rival boss he shouldn't have crossed. He won by cheating...he had it coming."
The figure's smile widened, slow and dangerous. "True. You all do."
Her eyes slid to Carter, hunched quietly over his phone, looking like a petrified rat too scared to run. Even after his "accident" tonight, he couldn't sit still.
The door swung open. Cash stumbled in, face a swollen mess—bruises blooming purple, white bandage plastered over her shattered nose.
"What the fuck happened to you? Someone finally get to you?" Giselle asked, half-mocking.
Cash shot her a venomous glare. "Fucking debt collectors paid a visit," she grumbled, slumping into a seat beside Nelly.
Giselle cackled. "Aren't you supposed to be good at fighting? You could've thrown at least one punch."
"Against six guys?" Cash snapped, irritation twisting her battered features. "Who do I look like—fucking Superwoman?"
Nelly glanced at her, smiling softly. Cash returned it, their eyes locking a beat too long, heat flickering despite the pain. The silhouette figure noticed, then looked away.
"So who's in trouble? Feels like someone's targeting us," the figure said coolly.
A sneer curled Giselle's lips. "Not you. Stop tagging it as 'us,' for Christ's sake," she mumbled, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
The silhouette laughed: a rich, wondering sound, her hand delicately covering her mouth. Giselle froze.
Then the smile vanished. The figure stalked forward. "So I have to show you who's Boss?"
She grabbed Giselle's hair, yanking hard. Giselle's head snapped back, pain flaring hot across her scalp as she glared up in fury and fear.
"We're not friends. I'm on top, you're all below," the figure spat, her voice like ice. "That's the fucking hierarchy here."
"Do you understand?"
Giselle's lips parted, her breath shallow. "Yes."
She was shoved back into her chair. Giselle clutched her throbbing scalp, massaging it as angry tears pricked her eyes.
Cash watched, then flicked her gaze to Carter. "You're awfully quiet."
No response.
"Carter!" Giselle yelled.
He didn't look up.
SNATCH!
Giselle lunged, trying to grab his phone. Carter yanked it back, standing abruptly. "Fuck off," he growled. It was the first time he had ever snapped at her like that.
Giselle stared, shocked.
He headed for the door, but the silhouette's hand caught his shirt.
"What's wrong? Spill, I can help."
Carter's eyes darkened with rage. "So I look like I need help? Fucking prideful bitch." He spat the words right in her face.
Her brow arched in disbelief.
"Stay out of my shit. You all can die however you want, I'm leaving."
He stormed out, the door crashing shut behind him.
Nelly's eyes brightened, a sly grin spreading "That was... perfect."