Page 88 of Hash

A hole punches through near the handle before a large, bloodied fist pokes through.

This is it.

This is how I die.

The large fist relaxes as he stretches his fingers and begins to search around. I stay frozen in place, watching as he reaches for the lock and starts to open the door. It moves only an inch before the dresser blocks it.

A menacing growl emits from the man when he realizes getting to me isn’t as easy as he thought it was going to be.

He pulls his arm back through the hole he punched before he starts punching more around the existing hole, attempting to make it bigger.

Cormac screams from behind me, terrified and not understanding what’s happening.

I rush to pick him up, wrapping him tightly in his swaddle that’s loosened. “It’s okay, baby, mama’s here.” I kiss his head as I hold him against my body. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

I try my best to soothe him, but I feel like I’m failing as my body violently trembles against him.

Tears spill out of the corners of my eyes at feeling helpless and trapped in this room. Hash should be here by now, and he isn’t.

With one more punch and the middle of the door caves in, revealing a man with a ski mask over his face.

I feel like a deer caught in headlights as I stare at him while I hold Cormac protectively to my body.

“You thought a locked door and a dresser would keep little old me out?” The man sneers.

I say nothing as I tuck the hand with the wand in it behind my back, so it’s out of sight.

“You talk, bitch?”

I press my lips together, keeping the attitude that is begging to spill out of my mouth on the tip of my tongue.

“Alright, we’ll do this the hard way.” He grunts as he pushes his body through the broken door and throws a leg over the dresser. “I was hoping to have a nice little chat with you, but I’ll just have to send the warning a different way.”

“The warning?” I ask, sounding alarmed, the words slipping out.

“I want you to tell your man the Dirty Devils’ days are numbered in Ravenna Heights. They can go out easy, and I won’t cause any smoke. If they don’t though…” he trails off as he smirks at Cormac and me. “There will be consequences I’m sure they won’t like.”

“Like what?” I ask stupidly.

“Like your man losing two things he just got back in his life.”

I sharply inhale as I angle Cormac away from him, trying to shield him from what’s coming.

He takes a step toward me, making me tense, my shaking arms holding Cormac to me even tighter.

“We didn’t do anything to you. I’ll let Hash know what you said. Your message was delivered loud and clear,” I tell him, proud of how strong I sound when inside I’m peeing my pants.

“See, that’s where we disagree because I don’t think it was. How am I supposed to trust you’ll actually tell him and you’re not lying to my face?”

Is he crazy?

He doesn’t think Hash is going to want to know why my house is trashed and the sliding glass door is shattered?

“I promise,” I tell him, deciding it’s probably best not to argue with a maniac.

“Your promise means jack shit to me.” He sneers as he pulls out a pair of silver brass knuckles from his back pocket.

I watch in horror as he slips it on his right hand, flexing his fingers to test the fit. He pulls out a black handkerchief from his other pocket and begins polishing each knuckle one by one.