Megan

This is a spin-off of the blood slaves series. It's something I've had in the works for a long time now and yes, it will connect into the main series. These are all new characters but some of them are related to certain characters, from Blood Slaves. As such, this story involves violence, some very slight gore, bondage and certain things that may be different from what I've written in the past. If you're not into those things, feel free to walk away now. I'll take no offense.

Please do not waste my time letting me know how this isn't "your type of story." I'm not trying to be rude but, it gets old. If it's not your kinda story, just don't read it. Like I said, I'll take no offense.

As for those who HAVE enjoyed the Blood Slaves series so far, I'm sure you're going to enjoy this too and I look forward to hearing your opinions. Have fun!

Whiskey-

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The loud crack of thunder jolted me from my sleep, and I sat straight up in my sleeping bag panting and gasping for breath. Looking around, it took me a few moments to remember where exactly I even was...under a bridge, somewhere in Chicago.

The distant roar of the El could be heard over heavy rainfall and I sighed, sitting up further now and burying my face in my palms. No matter how much time went by, I never got used to life on the streets. Then again, I guess nobody does.

Even after four years of this lifestyle, I still hadn't adjusted.

It's not easy for anybody, but especially a nineteen-year-old girl like myself, who's been through hell throughout the years. How does someone like me, so young and with their whole lives ahead of them, end up in such a predicament?

Long story.

Mom was a bitch, Dad was a drunk, blah, blah, blah.

I took to the streets at a young age and my family didn't even give enough of a shit, to try and find me...or even file a missing person report, for that matter. Eventually, I got involved with a local gang that took me under their wing and taught me how to survive.

Their leader especially became like an older brother to me...Joey...taught me everything I knew. Taught me how to defend myself, with a knife and he taught me how to fire a gun for the first time.

And, he taught me how to steal.

That's what we had to do, to survive. The first time I broke into a car and hotwired it, Joey was with me and walked me through the steps. Soon though, it escalated from stealing cars to robbing convenience stores and breaking into homes when people were at work.

We'd steal anything we could get our hands on, as long as it got us money. And that was life, up until a year ago when everything fell apart...and it was my damn fault.

Sitting up still, I wiped the sweat from my brow and ran my fingers through my short blonde hair as I tried to calm my racing heart. I reached for my bag, pulling a small silver flask of whiskey from it and taking a swig. I felt the alcohol burning my throat and I sighed, relaxing some as it settled my nerves, and then I reached for my leather jacket.

Standing up, I slipped into my jacket and grabbed my cigarettes and zippo lighter from the pocket. The bridge above me would provide just enough cover from the rain, that I could light up and take a few drags if I wanted.

Just as I was about to flick the zippo though, I heard what sounded like glass shattering in the distance. My body tensed up and I began looking around, nervously to see if anyone was coming.

I hated this part of being homeless, the most.

The paranoia?

Constantly having to look over my shoulder, worrying that any second might be my last?

I was a wanted girl.

By the police, and by Joey too. See, what drove me and Joey apart a year ago was some serious shit, at least in the eyes of a gang like that anyway. You don't get away with fucking the leader of the gang's girlfriend, you know.

Stacey had been worth it, though...at least, at the time.

She was beautiful, sexy, funny, gorgeous and as much as I loved Joey like an older brother, Stacey deserved so much better than him.

When Joey walked in on us one night though, I found out how willing she was to throw me under the bus for her own sake. She lied to Joey, told him I had got her drunk and seduced her and that it was all my doing. Tried to act like she was innocent and that I had taken advantage of her when she was clearly sober.

Joey knew it, too. He knew that Stacey wasn't intoxicated and that she was just as much to blame as I was, but he didn't want to be angry with Stacey.

So, he forgave her and tried to kill me.

I was lucky to have even gotten away, but that didn't mean I got away. Joey had been hunting me ever since, getting closer and closer to finding me every day.

Then, I had the cops on my ass too.

I got caught, just a few weeks after I ran away from Joey and the rest of the gang, trying to shoplift some food for the road...the cops make the connection between me and Joey's gang and were prepared to put me away, only after questioning me on information regarding the gang.

Of course, there was no way I would be a rat.

I was already in deep enough with Joey, if I ratted on him and the others then he'd find a way to kill my ass ten times over, even behind bars.

So, I escaped. And I had been running, ever since. From Joey, from the cops, from my past. From everything. And that's where the paranoia came from. No matter where I went, I couldn't sit still for more than a few days. I had only been passing through Chicago and had just been here for almost a week. I knew it was almost time to go, but I still wasn't sure where I wanted to go next.

Another crashing sound made me jump, and I decided then that I should probably figure out my next destination fast...Chicago was getting old, really fucking fast.

That cigarette was gonna have to wait.

I was positive, somebody was coming. Who it was though, I had no clue. I reached for my bag again, retrieving a small handgun...the same handgun that Joey gave to me as a birthday present one year. I checked to make sure it was loaded, then tucked it inside my leather jacket and started towards a nearby alleyway. I didn't want to shoot anyone, I didn't want to get into a confrontation...so before I jumped to a conclusion, I decided to look for a place to hide.

Hopefully, it wasn't the cops OR Joey and if that were the case, whoever it was might just pass on by without giving me any trouble if I stayed hidden. I knew, I wasn't the only homeless person or drifted that hung out in this area...there were plenty of others, so it really could have been anybody.

I slipped into the dark alleyway, hands stuffed into the pockets of my leather jacket, making my way as far back as I could while occasionally glancing back over my shoulder. As I was walking though, I could hear another pair of footsteps besides my own coming from the entrance of the alleyway. I looked back and there was nobody there yet, but I could tell they were getting close.

So I picked up the pace.

Started walking faster, until I turned a corner quickly and ducked behind a dumpster. There was a big brick wall that kept me from running out into the streets, it was just too high for me to hop over, so hiding behind the dumpster was the only option for now.

The footsteps were still approaching, getting closer by the second. I peeked out from behind the dumpster and I knew, that once they turned that corner towards the dead end, I would have to defend myself...hopefully, I was wrong.

But I had to brace myself, in case I was right.

Who was it, I kept thinking?

I cocked my gun, preparing for the confrontation. My heart was pounding in my chest, my mind racing with a thousand questions. I made a choice right then...if it were the cops, I would surrender. Truth be told, I was sick of this lifestyle and sick of having to run all the time...if I let them put me in cuffs, at least I wouldn't have to worry about Joey in prison.

And, I sure as hell wasn't about to shoot a cop anyway.

But if it was Joey or any one of his goons, then I knew I was going to have to pull that trigger for my own sake. I could only hope that it wasn't the full gang, or I would be outnumbered.

I took a deep, shaky breath as the footsteps reached the corner and braced myself, ready to jump out and pull the trigger if needed. The footsteps turned the corner and I squeezed my eyes shut when they came to a stop. I hesitated, hearing nothing but silence for a few seconds, and then...

"Megan?"

By instinct, I jumped and stepped out from behind the dumpster with my gun aimed directly at the person who had spoken my name...and when I saw who it was, I sighed with relief and quickly lowered the weapon. "Fred," I laughed.

"Jeeze, Megan...what the fuck," he laughed nervously.

"I just wanted to bum a smoke off you, no need for a gun!"

"Fred, fuck I...I'm sorry," I said, slipping my gun back into my jacket after turning the safety on. "I just...I thought you were someone else."

"Yeah," Fred asked. "I'd hate to be that fuckin guy."

We both chuckled and I relaxed, stepping under a nearby awning as the rain started to get heavier and Fred Joined me.

In the week that I had been here in Chicago, I had seen Fred a few times and gotten to know him well enough. He was a pretty decent guy and had been homeless a long longer than I had. Probably in his mid-forties or so, with a scraggly dirty beard and long dark hair, with traces of grey in it. His only problem was constantly bumming cigarettes off of everyone, but I didn't mind since he was always a nice conversation.

Fred wouldn't hurt a fly.

"So, what's got you so tense tonight kid, huh?"

I rolled my eyes, as I held up my zippo for Fred to light the cigarette I had just given him.

"Long story," I said, taking a drag of my smoke.

"Let's just say, I'm under some heat. And I think, it's catching up with me...or I'm just being paranoid."

"Well, we've all got our past," Fred shrugged.

"Whatever you're running from though, you'll have to face it sooner or later...you know that, right?"

I sighed, looking down at the ground and nodding slowly. Fred was right...one day, I knew the past would catch up and that I wouldn't be able to run forever.

"Yeah I know," I said.

"That's what scares me most."

"Don't look so glum," Fred nudged me. "I got five bucks from some guy earlier...you wanna get a cup of coffee at that diner up the way? My treat."

I smiled. "Sure, sounds good."

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A few blocks up the street was a diner, that Fred liked to hang out at frequently. It's actually where I met the guy when I had been bumming change my first day in Chicago.

Fred took me under his wing that day, and I'm not sure why it felt so easy for me to put my trust in him when I was well known for being extremely closed off and not very trusting of anyone...can you blame me, considering my past with Joey?

But Fred was nothing like Joey or the other guys in the group for that matter...somehow, I could just tell.

As promised, Fred paid for my cup of coffee and we both took a seat in the back of the diner and sat and talked for a few hours. Nothing about my past, nothing about the "heat" that I was under. Fred didn't press me to open up about anything that I was too afraid to talk about.

And, the time just flew as we talked. Before I knew it, it was past midnight and the rain had slowed to a near halt when we both finally stepped back outside into the streets.

I had left my stuff back under that bridge and was eager to get back to it before anyone tried to steal anything important. Fred was ready to call it a night too, but as we came outside he bumped into another friend of his and got to talking with him...and talking...and talking...and talking.

Almost ten minutes into their conversation, I decided to just head back to the bridge on my own. I smiled, thanked Fred for the cup of coffee, and then I was on my way.

I walked slowly and calmly at first.

My anxiety and fears had worn off, thanks to the last few hours spent with Fred and I felt a lot more comfortable than I had when I first woke up during that brewing thunderstorm. As I made my way slowly down the street though, I looked up and noticed a rather large crowd standing outside of a bar just up ahead...and my heart began to race.

The thing about me and big crowds is, we just don't mix. More than three or four people and I'm looking for the best way to avoid them, too afraid to pass through because you never know who you're walking by and who might or might not recognize you. Then there was the idea of being surrounded and if you DID run into any sort of trouble, how easy would it be to get away and make an escape?

Unfortunately, though, there was no avoiding this crowd.

The corner that led to that bridge where all my stuff was, was just past the crowd and I would look stupid if I crossed the street, walked less than a block up, and then crossed back over just to avoid all those people.

The only way was through then, I decided reluctantly.

Ignoring my racing heartbeat, I started carefully pushing through the crowd of rowdy people. They were all laughing and slurring their words, and I didn't think there was a single one of them that might have been sober. The bar was on its last call and getting ready to close, hence why there were so many people piling out through the double doors.

I was just halfway through the crowd when I looked up and saw two young women coming toward me...normally, I would have panicked even further, as soon as I realized they were walking straight in my direction. There was something about them though...something that made me feel oddly calm.

"Hey!"

I jumped and froze, looking up at the one who spoke first.

She was shorter than the other, with pink dyed hair and bright blue eyes and she was wearing a blue dress with glitter on her cheeks. Her smile could have lit the darkest room, and it made my heart flutter as I smiled back without realizing it.

"Uh...h-hey," I said nervously.

"We're thirsty," said the other one and I looked over at her in confusion, my smile fading.

"W-What?"

"She's really drunk," the other girl giggled. "We're just looking for a place where we can get some coffee...we've been up partying alllll night long, and just looking to sober up before we go home to our Mom."

I looked back at the other girl, who had spoken so bluntly...she smiled but it felt a bit awkward like she didn't want to smile she was just doing it cause she felt like she had to. She had long red hair and the same bright blue eyes as the girl with pink hair, and she was wearing a black dress with black high heels and black painted nails.

"R-Right," I said, with a nervous chuckle.

"Um, there's...a diner, just down the block," I pointed back towards where I had just been hanging out with Fred.

"They're pretty cheap and the coffee's fresh."

"Awesome!" The pink-haired girl cheered excitedly. I couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm, and how much more friendly she seemed compared to her friend. Or her sister, I assumed by the way she referred to the other girl.

"Hey, do you wanna come with us," the pink-haired girl asked. "We'd LOVE some company for a few hours!"

"Oh, uh t-thanks...but I actually just came from there, and...I-I need to be getting home," I lied.

"Awww, well that blows!"

I laughed again and the redhead rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"A raincheck then," the redhead said, brushing past me in the direction I had pointed towards the diner. The pink-haired girl followed, still smiling wide, and bumped up against me as she moved to catch up with her sister.

"See ya later, and thanks again!"

Well, that was fucking random...and weird.

I chuckled, watching the two make their way up the street then shook my head and shoved my hands back into my pockets, as I continued my way back towards the bridge. I chalked it up to just a random encounter, with two people who probably had quite a bit to drink that night.

Nothing more, nothing less.

To get to the bridge where I had been crashing, I had to pass through a small parking lot that belonged to an old abandoned warehouse. I had just reached the foot of the parking lot and was still reflecting on those two girls, wondering why I couldn't shake them from my mind.

Why I had felt so comfortable, despite feeling a little awkward around the two girls. Normally, I would have been panicking and would have completely shut myself down.

I probably would have been rude, just to make them leave me alone or possibly even straight up ignored them and just kept walking.

Walking through the parking lot, my thoughts were interrupted when I heard the sound of a car engine from just a few feet away. I could hear the dirt crunching under the heavy tires and I turned to look back, seeing a black Chevrolet pulling into the parking lot. I thought nothing of it at first and just kept making my way toward the bridge.

When the car sped up though and moved past me, that's when I started to get a bad feeling. Something wasn't right about this car...the hair on the back of my neck was standing straight, and I swore it looked familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it just yet.

And then, it clicked.

I definitely knew that car... belonged to Joey!

Was it him though, or one of his goons?

I couldn't be sure, but it didn't matter because whether it was Joey himself or not, I knew I was in serious trouble now. The car stopped a few feet ahead of me, blocking the path to the bridge, and the front door popped open. I quickly reached into my jacket for my gun, removing the safety just as the driver whipped out his weapon and opened fire.

I ducked behind a trash can, the sound of gunfire echoing through the parking lot as I took cover and tried to shoot back any chance that I could get. I waited for the right opportunity, then bolted out from behind the trash can, heading right for that same alleyway where I had bumped into Fred earlier. I needed a better place to take cover, but what I didn't stop thinking and realize was that I was just backing myself into a fucking corner.

Just as I reached the entrance to the alleyway, I felt a sharp pain in my left leg. It felt like my leg was on fire and suddenly, I was tripping over myself and falling forward. I landed face down on the concrete with a grunt, gasping in pain as the world around me began to spin and I turned over onto my back, just as two men walked up to me.

One of them was wearing a suit, with a tie, and looked almost like a business-type guy...I recognized him as Joey's cousin. He was one of the big boss guys in the gang, and Joey's enforcer, so it made sense that he was here.

The other guy, I didn't recognize but he was the driver and the same guy who had opened fire first.

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Joey's cousin, Rick, smiled down at me while holding a large and very sharp knife in one hand. "Hey Megan," he said, with a start then motioned towards his partner to pull me to my feet.

"Long time no see, right?"

The other man picked me up, slamming me against a brick wall and making me grunt. He held me against the wall as Rick stepped forward, shaking his head at me.

"R-Rick," I said slowly, my voice shaking as my leg burned.

"Please, I..."

"Save it, Megan," he said, sounding rather annoyed.

"You know full well now, that I can't spare your life...there's no point in begging."

"You can't k-kill me," I shook my head, pleading with him.

"Oh, you think I'M gonna kill you?"

Rick laughed, looking over at his partner who chuckled, and then back at me and shook his head as he smirked. "Nah, don't worry. That's not why I'm here, Megan. See, that's Joey's job since it WAS his girl you stole."