Page 72 of Wheelie's Challenge
“I told him I’d think about it.” Russ took out another cigarette and looked through the blinds. “I got a feeling someone’s watching me. Crazy, huh?” He laughed dryly. “That’s what being in prison does to you. It makes you always look behind your back. It was fuckin’ brutal in there.”
“I bet it was,” Sofia said softly. “I know you’re not a killer. Tell me what happened that night.” She had to divert his attention away from the window. What if he saw some of the Insurgents?But they know what they’re doing. I just can’t let Tigger come over here. He’ll beat me real bad and I may lose the baby.
Russ turned around and reclined against the windowsill, and looked at the stained carpet. “I didn’t mean to kill Kendra. I loved her, but I was so crazed that night because I just knew she was planning on leaving with Terry. There was a terrible sandstorm that night, and I got drunk as hell, but I had it in my mind that if I didn’t go home that night, Kendra wouldn’t be there when the storm passed in the morning.”
“Kendra was cheating on you?”
“Yeah. She denied it, but I knew she was hooking up with Terry. The bastard was a good friend of mine.” Russ stubbed out his cigarette and shifted in place. “I loved Kendra too much. If I didn’t love her, I don’t think I would’ve felt such pain. It was like she took an arrow and stabbed me in the heart. I couldn’t let her go. She was my life… without her, I was nothing.”
Chills ran up Sofia’s spine as she listened to Russ. He sounded so much like Tigger. “Did you beat Kendra like Dad does Mom?” She held her hands up while shaking her head. “I’m not judging you. I know by living the way we did, Mom taught me to be a victim, and Dad taught you to be an abuser.”
Russ glared at her. “I’mnothinglike Dad.” He lit another cigarette. “I only hit Kendra when I thought I was losing her, or when she’d flirt with other men. She was a big flirt. That’s how she was with me when I first met her.” Russ laughed and stared at the wall. The phone rang, bringing Russ out of his reverie. “It’s that fuckin’ husband of yours…again.”
“Don’t let him come over. He’ll hurt me bad, and when Wheelie sees me, he’ll know something is up.”
Russ nodded. “You got a point.”
As Russ and Tigger talked, Sofia’s heart pounded in her ears. She glanced at her phone and tried to keep the smile from spreading across her face.Wheelie should be landing about now. I have to stall until he gets here.
“Fuck, man. You can’t do anything to my sister.” Russ scrubbed the side of his face with his fist. “I know you’re pissed at her, and I get that you wanna punish her for being a slut with one of your biker friends, but he’s coming tomorrow and he’ll go ballistic if he sees her beat up. After you kill the asshole then do what you want to Sofia to teach her a lesson.”
Russ’ conversation with Tigger made her skin crawl, and she slowly inched toward the door. Sofia stood with her back to it, and she waited until Russ started another coughing fit before she turned the lock. Russ glanced over at her and scowled.
“Get your ass over there,” he pointed to the chair by the bed. “Don’t go pissing me off.”
Sofia sank back down on the chair and clasped her hands on her lap. Russ and Tigger talked for quite a while, and Sofia forced herself to be calm and not look out the window. There was no way she wanted to make Russ suspicious, so she replayed all the good times she’d had with Wheelie in her mind.
Bam! Bam!The worn door groaned, and hope consumed her as she looked out the window. Then….Tigger!Fear trickled through her when she saw him standing outside wearing the evil look she knew too well. Bile rose in her throat as she leapt up and tipped the table, knocking over several beer bottles.
“Who’s there?” Russ asked Sofia.
“Tigger.” She placed her fingers on her lips. “Don’t let him in. Please. I’m your sister,” she whispered.
Russ walked over to the door. “I won’t let him hurt you.” He swung the door open and Tigger burst it, closing it behind him. “I told you not to come here until tomorrow.”
“Nobody tells me what the fuck to do,” Tigger gritted.
“It’s just that I don’t wanna blow this thing, but it’s cool. Chill, dude.” Russ had a forced smile plastered on his face.
Sofia’s heart beat wildly as she cowered in the corner, watching Tigger carefully as he moved closer to Russ.
In one fluid movement, Tigger whipped out a hunting knife and plunged it into Russ’ chest. He cried out in a gasping, piercing shriek.
“Russ!” Sofia yelled, but stayed frozen as she watched Tigger pull out the knife and bury it over and over again into her brother’s quivering body. Blood spurted and spilled but it was lost on the cinnabar red carpet. Sofia bent down and picked up one of the beer bottles on the floor just as Russ collapsed. She quickly put her hands behind her back and looked at the door: the lock wasn’t turned.
“Now it’s just you and me, sweetcakes. We got a lot of shit to settle.” Tigger grabbed the sheet on the bed and wiped his bloodied hands and face.
Sofia drew a jagged breath into tight lungs and lifted her chin as Tigger glowered at her, the muscles in his jaw bunching and knotting.
“So you were fuckin’ a brother behind my back the whole time. You made a fool of me. It’s because of you that I got kicked out of the brotherhood. You’re gonna pay, bitch, but first you’re gonna watch me kill Wheelie then I got a lot of stuff planned for you.”
Where is everyone? Didn’t they see Tigger come in? Wheelie where are you?
Tigger slowly slid his belt from its loops. “What’s wrong, sweetcakes? Aren’t you happy to see me?” He locked eyes with hers, his grin maniacal, pure evil—the one she knew too well.
He’s going to pulverize me.
Instinctively, she put one hand over her stomach and braced herself for what was to come.
