Saving Mia (12 page)

Mia watched as Lisa and Molly desperately tried to suck down their milkshakes to the cheers of the on lookers. She grinned at Racheal who rolled her eyes. This had all started about twenty minutes ago when Lisa had told Molly she was a light weight when it came to eating. Molly had growled that she wasn’t and that she’d bet Lisa that she could eat more than she could.

Lisa had laughed making Molly angry, and suddenly Molly was screaming that she could choose her food, and she’d be able to eat her under the table. Mia had laughed thinking it was a joke. Only Racheal had sighed and whispered, “Not again.” From beside her in the booth.

Apparently this kind of challenge between the two women happened a lot. They were good friends but both were competitive and it ended with them having ridiculously childish show downs like the one she was currently witnessing. They had started with burgers and fries, then moved on to onion rings and were now at milkshakes. It was silly. The two women were enjoying it as was she and the other onlookers.

“Come on Molly you can do it!” Racheal said cheering her friend on when she looked like she was slowing down. Lisa already looked a little green around the gills from her side of the table.

“Lisa hurry it up I bet on you.” Cried Pretty Boy from the next table. Earning a glare from Terry, Dog’s old lady who yelled at him.

“Damn it, stop talking to her. It makes her slow down!” Mia knew that Terry had bet on Lisa too. No one thought Molly could pack away as much food as she’d so far been able to. Racheal was just about the only one who’d bet on Molly. Racheal leaned forwards catching Molly’s eye.

“You’re gonna lose, bitch.” Racheal barked. At first Mia thought that was a little harsh of her considering they were both likely to get a ice-cream headache from this challenge if they didn’t slow down. Not to mention the stomach aches that were a given after eating all that food so fast. Only suddenly new determination entered the woman’s eyes and she sucked harder at the straw, her milkshake disappearing much more quickly.

Mia would be surprised if the headache they were going to have wasn’t going to be joined by vomiting. This really was a ridiculous challenge, but she couldn’t deny that it was funny to watch. The boo’s from the onlookers were loud from the Lisa supporters as Molly pulled into the lead.

“What the hell is going on in here? Shit, not again Molly.” Bone said trying to contain his laughter from a few feet away the crowd having parted to let him in.

Molly’s straw made a slurping sound as she sucked up the last of the milkshake. Earning a whoop from Racheal and groans from everyone else. Molly held her arms up like a prize fighter winning a match.

“I won! Ha, take that bi-otch!” Molly yelled.

“Pay up dumbasses!” Racheal told the Lisa supporters as she stood going around collecting her winnings.

“When are you people going to learn not to bet against my woman? You all know that she never loses.” Bone chuckled kissing Molly, hugging her from behind. His arms over her shoulders.

Mia was laughing so hard at the comical expressions of the people who were still shocked that Molly had just won this challenge. She couldn’t believe that these people were always so energetic. They really were just a giant family. You could see it at moments like this one. She knew that somehow she’d managed to become a part of that family and it made her smile.

It wouldn’t replace the family she’d left in the city, but she was glad that she had them. Mia watched as Racheal sat back down in the booth counting her credits. Pretty Boy shook his head and grumbled about the loss.

“You know better. I’ve told you that she’s never not going to let someone beat her. If she does this it’s because she knows she’s going to win so quit bitching.” Bone told the man a proud smile on his face. Mia almost felt the love the man felt for his pretty little wife when he looked back at her.

“Well how was I to know that the woman has a hollow leg, damn it?” Pretty Boy growled before he stormed from the diner.

Molly wasn’t smiling anymore though when Bone looked back at her. She saw Bone sigh before saying, “Stomach ache?”

“Yes.” Molly said looking green.

“Poor, baby. Let’s get you home and I will take care of you.” Bone whispered into her hair lifting her in his arms. The crowd parted letting him by without a word.

Lisa wasn’t looking much better where she sat across the booth. Mia tapped Racheal on the shoulder as she scooped the credits back into the bag.

“Huh?” the woman said turning to her.

“I think you should maybe help Lisa get home she doesn’t look so good.” Mia said indicating the woman who was holding her stomach as she sat beside her.

“Oh. Yeah, I’d better help. Lisa are you going to be able to make it to the car or should I call Slim?” Racheal asked the woman beside her.

“I can make it. I still don’t know how she managed to beat me. She really must have a hollow leg. Good thing Travis is with his Aunt today or I’d be unable to take care of him. I know better than to pull dumb shit like this challenge.” She sighed, before she slid from the booth letting out a moan as her hand went to her stomach. “Ugg…I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Mia followed the two women out of the diner to Lisa’s car. She helped the woman into the car then shut the door stepping back onto the sidewalk. She was waving when she heard a door behind her open and turned. What she saw made her heart almost stop.

Ratchet had been working Harry over for nearly two hours. He was almost sure the man wasn’t going to be easy to break. He was just too quiet. When you were torturing a man and he didn’t react to that torture you knew that he was no longer afraid to lose anything. Which made it likely that the only way he was going to get the man to talk was to find the one thing that scared him. He knew that Bone and Tank had already tried the usual stuff.

He needed to think on how to work him over. He was wiping the knife on a cloth to clean it in front of the man’s face to let him know what was coming.  He didn’t even blink and Ratchet almost sighed. Bone had left a few minutes ago and Tank had just moved to the door. He was pushing it open when Ratchet called out to him.

“I’ll be at least another two hours. Tell Bone it’s unlikely that it will be finished toda…” That was when he saw her. Standing in the middle of the side walk as Tank looked at him from the door he’d already opened. Tank was a large man and his hand rested on the door was near the top allowing Mia a full view into the room. He knew what she saw and he felt his heart pick up, fuck. Just, fuck.

What was she doing here at exactly the moment that Tank had opened that door to leave? She wasn’t going to go anywhere with him now unless he fixed this now. Right now. He shoved the little knife he’d been cutting Harry with onto the table next to him screaming at Tank. “Grab her.”

This seemed to bring Mia out of her stupor. She jumped back from the door turning to run, but not before Tank turned caching her around the waist lifting her struggling form off the ground. Mia screamed clawing at him. Desperate to get away. She needed to run. Now that she’d seen that what would they do to her? Would they strap her to that chair like they had that man strapped to? Would the hands that only hours ago had brought her to completion now wield a knife against her?

Her panicked thoughts didn’t register that Tank’s hold wasn’t hurting her, or that he was saying over and over that he wasn’t going to hurt her. Ratchet came up to them his hands had blood on them she saw with dismay. What would he do now?

His hands reached out cupping her face as he’d done earlier. She tried to twist away but he wouldn’t let her. He waited as she struggled finally stopping when she met his eyes. The one’s she’d stared into for long periods of time while he made love to her. Tears sprang to her eyes and she trembled in Tank’s arms. She was shaking all over and her heart was beating so hard she was light headed with the rush.

“Mia, beauty, your safe. Your safe, baby. Nobody’s going to hurt you.” Ratchet said. And somehow she knew looking into his eyes that he was telling the truth. He wasn’t going to hurt her. Only she didn’t understand why he would do that to the man in that room. Because there was no doubt in her mind that he’d been the one to break every one of that man’s fingers, and he’d been the one to remove his finger nails, and the one who’d sliced him up so bad he’d looked like every inch of skin was bloody. 

“Why? Why did you do that? How could you do that?” Mia demanded. She saw his eyes darken and then he was taking her from Tank’s arms as he moved away to give them privacy.

“I’ll let Bone know about this. Take care of her. This will be here tomorrow.” Tank gruffly ordered before he walked away.

“Thanks.” Ratchet called after him absently.

“Let me lock up and then I can show you why.” Ratchet said grimly.

“I don’t know if I want to go anywhere with you Ratchet.” Mia informed him. He winced yeah he’d bet she didn’t. He just hoped that when he showed her Monica she’d give him a chance. Because the thought that she wouldn’t nearly broke him. He wanted her. He already knew that he wasn’t letting her go. How could he? She made him happy.

This situation was all kinds of fucked up. He swallowed hard, “Stand inside while I get my shit and tell Tanner that I will be back in the morning.” Ratchet asked.

“I don’t want to go in there.” Mia told him stepping back.

“I can’t let you run, Mia. I need to show you why.” He told her his heart aching at what she’d already seen. Her even being near this part of his soul made him furious. He never wanted this part of who he was to touch her. It was unthinkable. She was kind and sweet. She didn’t deserve to be shown what he was about to take her to see. She shouldn’t have to hold that darkness in her soul. He should always protect her from this, the darkest part of their world. The thing they struggled so hard to protect their women and children from.

“I won’t run.” Mia desperately told him.

“I can’t chance it. Just stand by the door, beauty. You can close your eyes if you need to. I just need to get the keys to the bike. Please, Mia trust me.” He begged.

“Okay.” She trembled when she said it.

Ratchet opened the door and pulled her into the room. “Stand here I will be right back.” He told her leaving her standing there he walked to the back of the room. She couldn’t not look at the man strapped into the chair. He looked back at her with cold, dead eyes that scared her for some reason.

“Aren’t you a pretty thing.” The man in the chair said, blood running off his lips dropping into his lap. It was disgusting. She shivered with fear as he continued. “Help me. They are going to kill me if you don’t help me.” The man said and for just a second she thought about doing it, but then she remembered Ratchet begging her to trust him. Telling her there was a reason he’d done this.

“Help me, pretty girl.” The man said again. Ratchet was walking back towards her and heard the dickhead speak to Mia. He punched the guy hard in the back of the head.

“Don’t fucking talk to her you bastard. She’s too good for the likes of you to speak to.” He roared as he moved towards her. Throwing over his shoulder just before he pulled her to him. “I’ll be back to finish tomorrow.” At the man who was laughing with an odd gurgle that made her shiver. Mia was reminded by his words of the way the Hillies treated the Slum dwellers and she was worried that was what this was. That she’d stepped from one hell into another.

Ten minutes later they walked into Doc’s place. Ratchet was shaking he was so scared. He didn’t want her to know about any of this. He wanted to protect her from it, but now that she’d seen what he’d done to Harry he knew that the only way to fix this was to show her the rest. So that he might be able to save what they had.

Doc was standing in the room when they entered talking with Vera, Monica’s mother. They turned when the two of them enters and he saw that Vera was crying. Ratchet walked over hugging the older woman. She smiled a teary smile and hugged him back.

“Thanks, did you take care of him?” She asked looking up at him.

“Not yet. How is she?” He asked. Mia was watching the whole scene with a bit of apprehension. Why were they here? It looked like a hospital and who was Ratchet talking about?

“Out of the woods…bu-but we don’t know if she’ll…” The woman couldn’t continue she was crying too hard.

“She’s still not moving. She seems catatonic. Not sure if that will ever be fixed.” Doc’s anger was evident in the way he clenched his fist and his eyes shown with a fiery hatred.

“Damn. Can we see her? I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important, Vera. Only M-Mia saw what was happening to Harry and this is the only way that she’d understand.”

Vera looked from his face to Mia who stood a few feet away. Doc glared at Ratchet. Mia didn’t understand what was going on here. This wasn’t showing her anything that would explain what was going on in that room a little while ago. She watched the woman shiver in Ratchets arms then she nodded.

“Okay. But if you do I get a favor from you. Five minutes with him. When you’re done.” She said fiercely.

“Vera, I can’t promise that. Bone would have to okay it, you know that.” He told her.

“You let me worry about Bone just promise Ratchet.” Vera clutched his cut in her hands her eyes meeting his. He nodded. Fuck this was a mess. He didn’t want either woman exposed to this violence, but it didn’t look like he was going to get a choice.