Page 80 of Bourbon Truths
I observed Vinny’s appearance and said, “How’s the wife?”
“Just had twins.”
“No shit.” I shook my head. “They yours?”
Before I saw it coming, Vinny cocked his fist back and hit my jaw straight on, sending me to the ground. Pain ricocheted through me—intoxicating pain, welcome pain.
“You know damn well they’re mine,” Vinny replied with mirth in his voice.
I stood up and gripped my jaw. “Fuck, wouldn’t have guessed you had time to work out if the wife just had twins.”
“Got to stay in shape for the missis.” Vinny flexed, showing off his bulky body. His bulk wasn’t defined since he loved his wife’s Italian food way too much, but beneath a thin layer of lasagna was some muscle that could do quite a bit of damage. I nodded at the other two men Vinny had brought with him. “New goons?”
“Meet my nephews, Johnny and Marco.”
I tilted my chin at them and then turned back to Vinny. “Nice that you’re keeping the business in the family.”
“We’re all about familia,” Vinny answered, laying his Italian accent on thick. “Are you done with the tea time?”
“Yeah, make it good. They know the rules?”
“They’ve been informed. Only a few head shots, mostly body, and they are aware of your ability to fight back.”
“Then take me fucking out,” I replied, opening my arms wide.
Marco and Johnny were hesitant, unsure how to comprehend the situation. They most likely thought of me as some crazy fuck who paid to get his ass kicked, and yes, that was true, but most of the time, people liked to be provoked in order to get into a fight, so I did what I did best on this day: I provoked.
“You just going to stare at me, you little bitch?” I asked Marco. He tried to fake me out with a little step forward, but I stood strong. “Fucking amateur, you really think your little juke move would work on me?”
Marco looked at Vinny, who was standing back, waiting for his turn, wondering if he should just come at me.
“Fucking Christ,” I said while I charged at Marco and pinned him against the opposite wall. Johnny was instantly on my back, defending his cousin. Just what I’d expected.
Marco squirmed underneath my grasp, and Johnny clawed at my back but left no impression on me, so I continued to hold on to Marco, slamming him against the brick building until a knee pelted itself in my liver.
“Fuck.” I let go of Marco and leaned against the wall. That was when a fist flew into my eye, shooting my head straight back into the brick. In a matter of seconds, my eye swelled shut, making the fight that much harder, that much more entertaining for me.
Call me a masochist, but I lived for this day, the day I was able to endure more pain than humanly possible.
My head was reeling, my pulse was rapid fire, and my will to fight was gone as I tried to navigate where everyone was but there was no hope. They surrounded me and used my closed eye to their advantage.
Blow after blow, I was tossed around the circle, kicked in the side, pelted in the arms, in the ribcage, in the chest.
Vinny’s tall frame hovered over me as his fist rammed into my side, making me buckle over just as his knee came up and knocked me in the head, sending me backward to the ground. One of the nephews straddled me and pinned my arms down with his legs, sending blow after blow into my sides and then one to the other side of my jaw.
Sharp pangs ran through me, my vision started to fade, and the slow warm drip of blood crept across my face. The person pinning me down fled, and when I thought they were done, they started taking turns kicking me with their steel-toed boots.
Kick after motherfucking kick had my stomach revolting and my chest heaving for air. The pain was excruciating, and even in my numbest state, I still felt every knock they threw my way.
Everything around me became hazy, and I started to slip into a dark delirium when I heard the distinct sound of Jett’s voice.
“I think that’s enough, Vinny.”
Why was Jett here? He never came down to the alley because he didn’t agree with my punishment, he didn’t believe it was a way to live my life, but what the fuck did he know? He had no idea of the kind of pain I went through on a daily basis.
“Mr. Colby, what a pleasure.”
The guys backed off as Jett approached. “Vinny, congratulations on the twins. How is Theresa doing?”
