‹ Prequel: Devil
Carnage
I'd Die Without You
"Did you meet anyone like me?"
"There is no one like you."
--
Before Danny, there was Ashika, a spritely girl from Westminster. This was the first time she had truly learned the property rule.
It had been nearly obvious with Tony, with the subtle ways he conducted himself around her making it clear that he had some control over her. In their world, that control even extended beyond her. People weren't allowed to touch her without his permission, she rarely went out with anyone before he had already met and vetted them, and occasionally, no one was allowed to talk to her without his say so. In the States, this included police officers, which she had learned the hard way.
The Kid hadn't had the same ideas about ownership, preferring to let her run rather free. With the exception of work, she had control of her own life. Ashika didn't share that same view, and saw their relationship as ownership by proxy. Nebraska realized that she could never fully escape Tony. The two were nearly identical.
She had met Ashika in the Kid's first club. The taller, older girl had strolled straight up to her and asked for her phone number. Shocked, Nebraska had given it to her. It had helped that she was drop-dead gorgeous, though Nebraska didn't understand what she had seen in her. She was naturally quiet, and not exactly on the same level of beauty. She wasn't even that interesting.
They dated and flirted off and on for nearly two months before the relationship became "official".
"Get your hands off my girl," Ashika used to say, jokingly, though the threat was far from it. It seemed harmless and cute until one boy hadn't followed her direction, and moved his hand down Nebraska's shoulder. She could have handled it, but Ashika was quicker. The boy had two broken fingers before he knew what was happening. She liked that exercise of power, even if she tried not to show it. But they only grew in intensity, until Nebraska wasn't sure if she could escape bruises the next time someone touched her. She had shit taste, though the sex was fantastic.
The relationship had ended explosively when Ashika fell out of favour with The Kid. Nebraska sided with him. Ashika burned down her apartment. She hadn't been one of his girls, or even anyone in his operation, but hung around enough that she was considered one. Until she slept with Charlotte. Even Nebraska didn't have the gall to do something like that without expecting consequences, and when Ashika ended up in the hospital, it was par for the course. Except to her. Nebraska had been fairly pissed. She'd loved that apartment.
After that was Joe, an married man from Blackburn who had made her his little secret. She'd fucked both him and his wife before either of them had realised that the reason that their marriage wasn't working was her. When he finally cast her aside, she had made off with nearly £500,000 from his company.
The cruelty didn't suit her, but Nebraska didn't know how else to be. She made a fair amount from The Kid's operation, but had so far only seen that violence and sex got people power, and having had so little power for so long, she yearned for it. When The Kid had sent her to work with Red, she had relished at the opportunity, taking far too much pleasure from beating people senseless. He had taught her how to be ruthless. And how to smoke a cigarette to incite fear. She hadn't even realized that was a skill.
Nebraska wasn't a good person. She was okay with that.
"There is no one like you."
--
Before Danny, there was Ashika, a spritely girl from Westminster. This was the first time she had truly learned the property rule.
It had been nearly obvious with Tony, with the subtle ways he conducted himself around her making it clear that he had some control over her. In their world, that control even extended beyond her. People weren't allowed to touch her without his permission, she rarely went out with anyone before he had already met and vetted them, and occasionally, no one was allowed to talk to her without his say so. In the States, this included police officers, which she had learned the hard way.
The Kid hadn't had the same ideas about ownership, preferring to let her run rather free. With the exception of work, she had control of her own life. Ashika didn't share that same view, and saw their relationship as ownership by proxy. Nebraska realized that she could never fully escape Tony. The two were nearly identical.
She had met Ashika in the Kid's first club. The taller, older girl had strolled straight up to her and asked for her phone number. Shocked, Nebraska had given it to her. It had helped that she was drop-dead gorgeous, though Nebraska didn't understand what she had seen in her. She was naturally quiet, and not exactly on the same level of beauty. She wasn't even that interesting.
They dated and flirted off and on for nearly two months before the relationship became "official".
"Get your hands off my girl," Ashika used to say, jokingly, though the threat was far from it. It seemed harmless and cute until one boy hadn't followed her direction, and moved his hand down Nebraska's shoulder. She could have handled it, but Ashika was quicker. The boy had two broken fingers before he knew what was happening. She liked that exercise of power, even if she tried not to show it. But they only grew in intensity, until Nebraska wasn't sure if she could escape bruises the next time someone touched her. She had shit taste, though the sex was fantastic.
The relationship had ended explosively when Ashika fell out of favour with The Kid. Nebraska sided with him. Ashika burned down her apartment. She hadn't been one of his girls, or even anyone in his operation, but hung around enough that she was considered one. Until she slept with Charlotte. Even Nebraska didn't have the gall to do something like that without expecting consequences, and when Ashika ended up in the hospital, it was par for the course. Except to her. Nebraska had been fairly pissed. She'd loved that apartment.
After that was Joe, an married man from Blackburn who had made her his little secret. She'd fucked both him and his wife before either of them had realised that the reason that their marriage wasn't working was her. When he finally cast her aside, she had made off with nearly £500,000 from his company.
The cruelty didn't suit her, but Nebraska didn't know how else to be. She made a fair amount from The Kid's operation, but had so far only seen that violence and sex got people power, and having had so little power for so long, she yearned for it. When The Kid had sent her to work with Red, she had relished at the opportunity, taking far too much pleasure from beating people senseless. He had taught her how to be ruthless. And how to smoke a cigarette to incite fear. She hadn't even realized that was a skill.
Nebraska wasn't a good person. She was okay with that.