Bed of Roses by Harley McRide

passed out from shock, Tonto stepped up, grabbed him by his hair, and scalped him with the tomahawk, tossing the bloody patch of hair and skin at one of the other Diablos' feet. The man puked. He twisted and tugged, desperate to get free, but Rugger’s grip didn’t waver. Instead, he pulled the trigger and splattered brains and bone particles outward, dropping him on top of the scalp.
    “Now that I have your attention," Tonto turned, glaring each of them in the eye, "I’m going to ask again. Where is your headquarters?”
    “ Chingate , muthafucka! Diablos ride and die together! You ain’t gettin' shit!” an exceptionally tall dude said. Tonto shrugged his shoulders and sighed.
    “I think you mean fuck them," nodding his head in the direction of the other gang members. "If you insist. Clean up the oil slick, boys.” He turned and walked out, the immediate sound of gunfire following him.
    Yo Neg couldn’t believe how stupid the Diablos were. He didn’t fuck around, giving the command to kill all but one. The lone man left, singled out for the weakest, due to his wide-eyes and the huge wet spot on the front of his pants. “I’m only going to ask one last time. Tell me where your leader is.” He withdrew a whip out of a metal toolbox he carried and unwound the leather straps. Down each strap were small metal teeth, curved slightly to stick into the skin and rip with each swing. The man’s eyes went wider, and he stepped backwards against the wall.
    “I don’t know, man… They don’t tell us nothin'. Our jefe is everywhere… See’s everything. He’s the Diablos… You’re all gonna die. No one takes from the Diablos. He’ll rape your daughters and torture your women.”
    Bull, a patched member who had been named because the club rats swore he was hung like a bull, busted out in laughter. “Hear that, boys? The Diablos will get us.” He turned to the banger and grinned. “I wanna watch you bleed, boy. And just as you have one foot in the gates of hell, we’re going to leave and let you pass on a message to your jefe . Tell him we are coming for him…and when we find him, he is going to eat all of the laced drugs he has been selling on our streets. We’re going to send you all back across the border where you came from and make sure you never step foot in our territory again. This is the beginning of the end for the Diablos, bro. We are going to exterminate you for the cockroaches you are. Armageddon starts here.” He reared back and punched the guy, grinning when his jaw cracked.
    “Fuck you, cabron !” he mumbled over a broken jaw.
    “Naw, fuck you, curcaracha .” Bull laughed, calling the scum a cockroach in the little bastard's own language, then stepping out of the way to turn him over to Yo Neg. “He’s all yours, Yo. Show him what happens when you fuck with the Savages.”
    “My pleasure.” He turned to the Mexican and grinned. “This may hurt a little.” He pulled his arm back, flicking the whip down against the man’s chest, shredding his clothing and tearing out chunks of meat. Over and over he laid the whip against him, leaving no skin unharmed. When he finally dropped his hand, the man lay in a puddle of his own blood, with the skin hanging off in shreds. He was skinned, appearing more like a cheap log of hamburger from the grocery store rather than human. In some places flesh hung off in two-inch strips, flopping against the concrete floor as the man thrashed in agonizing pain. His face had been attacked so badly one eyeball dangled out of socket, resting against a separated portion of the man’s nose that was now split down the center. His nasal cavity was visible with blood bubbles popping with each desperate breath. Yo Neg dropped a note on top of the now unconscious body and the group left.
     

Chapter Five
     
    Rose fought with Lacey and Alice, determined not to allow them out of the house. Ariel had informed her of a party going down they were planning to attend despite