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Knox
Running I shred the ground between the main compound and the main house. My heart is pumping in my ears, blood is boiling over, anger flying around me, zapping sparks off me that could cause a bushfire. I need to get to her, I need to know that she is safe. Rounding the gate leading to the backyard which backs onto the river, Lilly slams into me full force, looking over her shoulder tears streaking her cheeks. Grabbing her in my arms before she falls brings back a sense of déjà vu. My breath hitches in my throat, she is panting, her heart is pounding like a jackrabbit, her fear is consuming her. Scooping her up in my arms I carry her up over the deck and place her down on the couch, the boys not far behind me. Bray pushes me out of the way.
“Lilly, Lilly are you ok, baby girl, look at me.” shaking she brings her eyes up to meet mine.
“Knox, I’m so sorry. I told her to run but she wouldn’t, he took her. There were two of them the other hit her over the head with something,” The words were rushing out of her mouth with such speed and she was panting for breath. Bray barks for some water for her. My hearing buzzes and my mind fazes out as the pounding of my pulse sounds out around me, sending fear back though my body as a sense of deja’vu hits me, sending me spinning into a spiral of overwhelming fear. The fear compromises my reality as the anger of losing another hits me full force knocking the air from my lungs. I can’t handle it, I feel it take me and ripple out. I need to fix this I won’t let another die.
“Fuck this,” I jump the rail, over the deck, running out to the fields. I need to find her, find something.
Searching every inch of the field down to the river, I find only some blood spots and tracks through the long grass, all leading out the back to the edge of the property. Judging by the hole cut in the mesh fence and the tire marks on the side of the dirt road I would guess this is where they had been getting in. “Bastards! FUUUUUUUCK!” I scream at the top of my lungs as I fall to my knees smashing my fists into the dirty dust sending clouds up all around me. I failed. I fell straight into his fucken trap and gave him a wide ass opening. He won’t get away with this. Dragging my feet back towards the house I stop by where he took her. Picking up the beer bottles and catching a glimpse of my disheveled self in the water I shudder at the image. I see the hate burning strong in my eyes. She had fought hard to dim the demons, to keep them at bay with hers but, now, she is gone and they are coming out to play. Something shiny catches my gaze and I look to see her bracelet, it must have fallen when he grabbed her. It’s the one her brother gave her before he died with a boxing glove charm and a Lilly flower. I pick it up and, placing it to my lips, I vow to rain down the fires of Hell onto this fuck-bag’s soul.
Walking back to my place, I look at a terrified Lilly who is still shaking in Bray’s arms, Not only did he take Blue he has fucken scarred Lilly to death and added fuel to the fire that burnt in her not to love. Showing her that all she loves will eventually get ripped away from her. This will hunt her and me as I watch her beautiful features turn to horror and pain as Bray tries to calm her down. Placing a brown paper bag from the kitchen into his hands for him to palace over her mouth, she is hyperventilating and will pass out if we don’t get her breathing and heart rate under control. This asshole will not win and get away with this. He wants a fight then I’ll give him one. He has woken up the beast in me. The Beast that I had spent so many times in the dark trying to keep at bay. He has crossed a line taking her from right under me. I won’t rest till I have her back in my arms, and his blood on my hands.
“Bray, let’s go. We have shit to set up.” I order. Even though he is the leader of the Reapers, he has given me the go ahead to take charge on this.
“Got it, brother.”
He picks up Lilly, carrying her in his arms. Her tiny frame is wrapped around him. I head straight to the clubhouse’s bar and grab a bottle of Jack. I need the burn of the liquor to numb the rage enough to focus on what needs to be done.
“Need a glass?” Miss Ginny asks concern lacing her voice.
“Not tonight.” Stalking into church, I crack open the bottle before taking a long pull. My eyes water as the amber liquid slides down the back of my throat leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Pulling out the photos, I go over them, again and again, watching the video, again and again,none of what I see. As I look at them do I see what Blue had told me of earlier. I know he wouldn’t have her out of the country yet so I need to act fast and try to find out where she is before he has a chance to move her. . Scrubbing my hands over my face I slam back more Jack, he’s doing nothing to quell the anxiousness swimming in my soul right now. Cracking out my knuckles I wait for the ding of the phone, but it is radio silence. I sit there turning it over in my hands waiting, hoping that I can get to Blue in time before the bastards steal what is left of her soul.
Closing my eyes, I rest my head down onto my hands, Angel, if you can hear me, please keep her safe till I get there. Please Angel, I’ll always love you till my last breath, but I love her more right now. I couldn’t save you from the hurt my hands had laid, but please, don’t let me fail her. Not this one, not this time.
As I throw back more Jack, I sense the brothers enter the room, Jamie falls beside me.
“What the fuck happened? Bro, we were just there,” his emotional voice hits home.
“No fucking shit! I failed again.” Slamming my fist into the table, I look around. “I fucked up. I let her down. I knew I shouldn’t have left, I know I should have made her come up here with me, but I didn’t and now look, so fucking much for being safe.” Pushing my heated body up from the table, and slam back the last of my Jack. I need out! Heading to the door, I kick it open with such force that it smashes into tiny little pieces as it hits the wall.
Gasps from the other members and club girls sound out around me, and I feel all their eyes on me. I don’t fucking care! The only thing I care about is finding Viper and ripping his heart out through his chest. Storming out to the night’s sky and falling to my knees I place my head back, and like a lone wolf who’d just lost his mate, I scream up to the full moon.
Blue
I feel myself swimming to the top of the darkness. Running my fingers through my hair I try to feel where this intense throbbing, burning pain is coming from. Like what the actual fuck this hurts. Then reality sets in. Viper has me! I’ve been taken, fuck! I so wasn’t ready for it! DAMN, I knew he was coming, but shit, not this quick. So here I am tranquilized in this state of trepidation as anxiety falls from my body. How can I pull in from my beast, he had shattered last time? How will I pull from the terror to take him at his own game once again? He has me locked inside my own head as apprehension and fear wash out over me. Taking a deep breath in and holding it till I feel the dizzy rush swirl inside my head, I finally let it out. Now I can think.
Right, Blue pull on your big girl pants, I berate myself as I start making a plan, a plan to fucken prepare for war. Feeling into the mess of my bun, my fingers glide over the steel of my blade. Thank fuck that’s still in there. Opening my eyes, I try to look around past the dots of little lights behind my eyelids but I’m greeted to more darkness. Where am I? Pulling myself up I smack my head on something right above me. SHIT! Rubbing the top of my head with one hand and placing the other above me, I am greeted with cool steel licking my skin. Oh, great. I’m in a fucken boot of a car, awesome. Laying back down I allow my eyes to adjust to the dark and feel around for anything that I could use in a surprise attack. Now I feel the movements of driving, now I can feel the bumps and turns stopping and starting.
Where the fuck is he taking me? I must remember to keep my cool once we stop. Bite your tongue, Blue. What comes when you be a smart ass really isn’t worth the ten seconds of satisfaction you get from fulling his fire. The pain unleashed from his hands lasts a lot longer.
The car stops, after what only feels like a short distant, nowhere near as long as it would take to get to the airport from the other side of Brooklyn. I can hear hushed words and feet crunching on stones, my senses are on hyper alert. I feel the fear rising in me, I know what’s coming, a beating and a dose of Junkie love. It’s how he likes me, bleeding and drugged up to my eyeballs, dancing for their entertainment. But maybe this time he will be that mad at the way I cut and run in Dublin that he will make it quick and just hotshot me.
Just then the boot pops open and a hand reaches in pulling me up by my hair. The pain of my hair ripping out at the roots by this mug’s grasp, gets my blood boiling. Forgetting any notion of keeping my cool, I kick out. I fight with everything I have, trying to reach for his throat, all the while, screaming.
“Let me fucken go, you dickless prick! I’m going to rip your fucking throat out!”
He looks me deep into my eyes as he just stands there, laughing at me. “Try it sweetheart, and see what happens.”
Hate is coming off him in waves. Jeez, he either has something stuck firmly up his ass, or he needs a good lay. I have no idea who this guy is he looks like a monster, his features set in stone, his towering height and massive body engulfs my small frame. He has a chill about him that puts the shits up me as his pricing black eyes, peppered with red flecks, burn into me, I had never personally hurt him, so why was he so full of hate towards me? I expected that from Viper. Pushing myself out from his grip, I stumble on jelly-like legs. I have pins and needles in my feet from being cramped in a damn boot. Pain starts to shoot through my legs at the sudden rush of blood.
“Walk.” His voice is menacing as he viciously kicks the backs of my knees. I fall onto my bare hands and the sharp edges of gravel pierces my palms and kneecaps. Sucking in air, I blow it out long and slow. I need to control my breathing, as that in turn will help to clam my anger, I have been through worse pain than this. I need to remember that I am strong. I need to remain strong until Knox can get to me.
“I’d fucking watch yourself, muppet,” I snap over my shoulder.
“Say what? Little lady you speaking to me?” he questions his eyebrow raised mocking me.
“Yes.” I sneer looking him dead in his eyes. “I fucken am! Didn’t your mama teach you not to pick on girls? You big strong man you. With my lip curled and my eyebrow raised, I taunt him.
“She taught me a lot of things, but when it comes to bitches like you, it’s a different story.” Kicking me in the ribs, he takes the last of my breath out of my lungs. Gasping for air, I wrap a hand around my waist, trying to stop the pain.
“Oh, baby boy, I feel so honored that I was the one to make you forget your mama's words of wisdom and you? You're lucky I can take a kick.” Snapping up I spin round and ankleswipe the punk. Jumping down on his back as he falls to the dirt, a smile ripples over my lips as I grab his head in an across face armbar. Leaning down into his ear I hiss. “Kick me again, you son of a bitch, or even lay a finger on me and I’ll snap your fucking neck.”
Tightening my grip, I see his eyes bulge out while his lips are spitting for air. I feel what’s left of his air squeeze out of his windpipe under my forearm, I relish in the fact that I showed this punk. I feel him going out under my grip, but before I can gain satisfaction in his passing out, I’m hit from behind. Stars form, the world twists and spins around me in a whirl of darkness.
A shaft of light pierces through the window hitting me fair in the eyes. Squeezing them shut tighter and pulling my head to the side, I try to raise my hands over the intense pain that is sitting at the base of my skull. What the hell! My hands don’t move and I realize they are tied firmly behind my back. Snapping my eyes open I scan the area I’m in. Looking down I can see that I’m tied to a chair; my ankles are also tied. The sun is filtering in streams through this cold, empty room spraying the smallest glimmer of light for me to see where I am. As I bring my head to the left, that’s when I see him; my heart jumps into my throat.
“Well, well look who’s awake! Hello, junkie love.”
His voice instantly makes the bile rise in my stomach. Not wanting to let him see me waver in my ‘I got big balls’ act. I seductively whisper right into his evil eyes, “Fuck you, Cock breath.” I attempt to flick my hair over my shoulder in a sassy as hell movement but failed, the pain in my head intensifying.
“Always a pleasure to see you too, sweetheart,” he spits into my face.
“I ain’t your fucken sweetheart. I didn’t even realize you batted for my team there, baby boy! Word is you like the boys.” I say with a smirk towards him as he grabs my face tight in his hands, squeezing in my cheeks.
“You don’t get to be the feisty ungrateful bitch any more, junkie love. I’ve got you. So it's checkmate. Your little boys will be on a wild goose chase looking for your ass, so sit tight buttercup and let the games begin.”
Leaning down into me, his nose touching mine, he brings his lips to mine, forcing my head back in disgust. Slamming my lips hard shut I try not to let his slippery snake’s tongue anywhere near mine. His grip moves to tighten around the back of my neck, pulling my head back further. His tongue breaks through the barrier. And repluseive bile rises up from the depths of my stomach, chills break out over my body as my body gags at the horried taste of stale smoke and beer. Doing the only thing I know would break his grip and invasion, I bite down hard onto his tongue, feeling a slice of horrified satisfaction as the flesh pops under my grip, and the warm crimson liquid with the deep metallic taste hits the back of my teeth. He pulls back fast rising his hand to his mouth, his eyes are on fire. Sitting back in the chair, feeling his blood in my mouth, I wish I could wipe my hand across my mouth right now, all boss like.
“You fucken little bitch.” He screeches. Spitting out blood, he backhands me right across the cheek. The sting of it bringing a bigger smile to my face, I smile and spit his blood back at him.
“Nice to fucking see you too, buttercup, let the games begin.” I spit his own words back at him. He wiped his finger over the blood soaking his lips with a shocked look on his face. “I’m stronger now, asshole, so bring it.” I continue. There was no way I was going to let this fucker realize how much he haunted me. I would go down the same way I always went down, fighting.
My tone is laced with a fake bravery as he leans into me. I can smell the blood mixed with smoke and beer, it sends a new wave of nausea over me as he grits outs through clenched teeth
“Oooh, junkie love, I intended to.”
Turning on his heel, he leaves through the heavy steel door. A smirk comes over my lips as I listen for the tell-tale key in a lock.
CLICK!
“Mint, there it is! Locking me in, sweet baby, not like I can go anywhere. I’m tied to a goddamn chair mother fucker!” I yell out after him as I allow my head to roll back against the back of the chair, shimmying down a little so I can lay my head against the back. Shutting my eyes, I go over what to do next. I start thinking about how irate Knox will be right now and I try to figure out how long I have been gone. It could have been hours or even days, shit, I don’t even know.
Knox
Sitting on a bench in the back of the clubhouse, watching the phone, waiting for it to make just the smallest sound, to flash any light, is fucken torture. Grabbing my hair, ripping small strands out of the elastic band that holds it in a tight bun at the top off my head, I try to quell the images running through my mind. Images of what that maniac was doing to my Blue.
“FUCK,” I scream “FUCK!.”
Over and over again I scream it, till my throat is rasped raw. Spinning around at the sound of footsteps on the dew-crusted grass, I still.
“Just me, brother.” Jamie says, letting out the breath I was holding and looking up at him, I show him what is in my soul.
“Brother, I can’t lose her, not this one, not this time.” Seeing the worry form in my best friend’s eyes, I know how close I am to losing it. He sits down next to me pulling two beers from his jacket. He places one in my hands then places his other hand on my shoulder.
“Brother, we will find her, we will get her back and all will be good in the world. We will blow some shit up, knock some teeth down their punk ass mouths, grab your lady and head back.”
Smiling at my friend for the first time in what feels like days, I take a mouthful of my beer. “Yeah, I hope you are right brother, your optimism is on point,” I chuckle then instantly feel guilty for it.
“You fucken know it! I’ve always been the smarter one you know.” He answers, slapping me on my back, I choke on my beer as I try not to let out a laugh.
“Let’s head back in; Bray has some chapters arriving soon from here in town and surrounding districts. They are prepared to help with finding this firecracker of yours.”
I feel a bit better knowing that Bray is just as proactive. I didn’t think how hard it would be to him also, and Lilly, shit Lilly.
“Bro, how’s Lilll? Where is she, do you know?” I ask searching his eyes, they never lie.
“She’s ok brother, Bray got a doctor in, and he gave her something to sleep. Kash is here and watching her door like a hawk. But he doesn’t like her or anything.”
Smiling at the image of my brother playing mother hen, I agree. “Yeah he so doesn’t, that boy is so captain obvious.”
Walking into the clubhouse we are called into church, but just as I hit the door, the phone tings in my palm. I stop instantly heat prickling down my back and my hairs standing on edge. I walk over and brace my hands on the back of a chair, looking from Bray to Jamie. I slide my now sweaty finger across the screen to unlock it; an MMS awaits to be opened. I wasn’t at all in the right frame of mind to receive the pictures that came through, a tied Blue is sitting in a chair in a dark, dirty concrete room with chains on the back wall. She looks like she is unconscious, the way her body is slack, and her head lolled back!
The message underneath reads,
Knoxy boy Knoxy boy come out and play,
Can you guess where your love lays?
I can feel the telltale red, and purple of pure anger rise up my body, hitting my cheeks. Taking in a breath and sliding the phone over to Bray, I clench my knuckles hard shut around the back of the chair, closing my eyes and hissing out words of pure hatred for this worthless human.
“I vow to you right as we stand here, brothers, that I shall rip him to shreds and set his fucking life as he knows it on fire.” Opening my eyes, I grab the phone from Bray texting back this sick mother fucker,
“Pray to your god that he finds your soul before I reach you and fed it to my demons.”
Slamming the phone shut I look up to the eyes of my brothers The Reapers fucking Reign. “What the fuck do we know?” I command, seething, I’m fucking seething.
“We need to get onto this faster, you saw what he just sent, what’s next eh?”
Pacing the room, Jamie comes up behind me placing a hand on my shoulder and a bottle of Jack over the other. “Sit brother, we got a guy on it, we’ve had a couple of tip offs from the new guys that came in,” he states
“SIT! You want me to fucken sit and what drink and laugh and go hang out with the new brothers and watch ya all get ya fucken dicks sucked! While she sits there in a fucken cold cell tied to a fucken chair with the psychotic Viper doing fuck knows what to her mind, body, and soul, making a fucking game out of it.” Flipping a chair over I grab the bottle of Jack and the phone and walk to the door. I look back at them all, anger is swirling from my body, pure fucken dark anger. “Well fuck that shit I’m out” I hear Bray call for Jamie and tell him to leave me. Good I think as I stalk away from them. I may just rip someone’s fucken face off if they come near me.
I sit in the house, this big empty house with nothing but the dark sound of my thoughts and the cool chill of the night around my bones. My mind is my enemy tonight. Spinning the lid off the bottle of Jack and pulling long and hard around the neck, I feel the hot burn as it slides down my throat. Stomping up the stairs to the room overlooking the river and walking to the window, I pull up the chair and look out over the warter, drinking. I have this pain in my chest just to the left where my heart once beat and felt, and the fucken shit thing is it's hurting. It’s a strange, unfamiliar feeling. One that I thought I’d lost the day the heavens took my lady and turned her into an Angel.
“If you can hear me, sweet girl, please, please keep her mind strong, let her know that I am coming. I’ll get there I’ll get her.” Pushing the window open so that the night air can come in, I walk over to the big bed, Jack in hand and I fall onto the covers. Her smell immediately strikes me in the face like a southpaw to the jaw. Falling into a restless night’s sleep with Jack swimming in my blood and her smell traveling into my soul, her eyes haunting mine in my dreams, I wander the dark paths of my mind trying to keep the demon at bay. He’s clawing at the ebbs of my soul wanting to rain the fire of hell upon these boys who think they can walk among men.
Waking to the pounding of my Jack-filled head, I think back over the events that have caused me to drown myself this way. Pulling up the covers, I pull myself down darker into her smell that haunts the bed sheets. I can see her. The last time I had her here in my arms wrapped around me, her body folding into mine like it was made for me, the smell of her hair, the beat of her heart against my arms, the way her warmth seeped into my ice-cold soul thawing me slowly. Thinking back, I feel strange. I feel love in this dark, angry body. Who would have thought that a woman like Blue could tame a beast as violent and dark as me. Fuck this. I need to shower, maybe it will wash away the bitter taste that hate has left in my mouth.
Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, my feet hit a wet floor. I see the bottle of Jack laying on its side. Picking it up I bring it up to my lips, fuck it, at least it numbs the ache and fills the demon with flames of hate. Sculling back the last of the warm liquid, I head to the kitchen bar, grabbing another bottle of Jack, I then head back to the shower turning the hot tap on and allowing just a small trickle to flow through from the cold. I stand under the stream of scalding water, sending shards of heat through a soul that is dark and empty. Sliding down to the floor, I pull in the bottle and, twisting the cap off, I slowly drink myself into a Jack-filled haze, watching every shitty fucking thing that has ever happened and everything that I have ever touched and cursed roll through my mind like a nasty movie stuck on repeat, with a hellish laugh and a sinker from the devil.
The mixture of heat and liquor in my body has me spinning out. Sculling back more in a bid to get this room to stop moving in a goddamn spiral of memories and hate, I felt it, smell it. Her! My Angel, she’s here. Pulling my liquor laced eyes open as much as I can, I see her staring down at me, towel in hand.
“Get the hell up, and out of there. She needs you and look at the state of you! I’ll keep her mind strong and present, if you keep sober long enough to save her and burn them to the ground.”
Swaying, I try to pull myself up to a standing point, so I can look her in the eyes. She’s all sassy like. Slurring my words that seem to sound fine in my brain, I snap, “Hi to you too.”
I rip the towel from her hands and wrap it around my waist before stumbling into the room to fal into the bed. I pull her smell that is wrapped in the bed sheets up around me nice and tight.
“I don’t wanna do this right now Angel. Blue, baby” I whisper into the sheets. “Your body is gone, but yet your smell lingers disturbing the rhythm of my heart. Slipping through the drunken alleys of my brain, I feel the anger of him taunting me with your soul. Dangling you in front of my senses like a ghost haunting me, inviting me to fight a war that will end in bloodshed. The vibration of the phone reminds me of your essence and that I have once again failed to keep a soul safe.” Fuck, I’m a drunken mess, I’m talking to the damn bed sheets.
“I hear you, you know you need to stop destroying what’s left of your heart by constantly thinking about the things that have broken you. I broke you, I know that they broke you, but you came out, and you’re here. I’m here. Just not in the form you need me. She’s what you need and she needs you now! I know you think you’re to blame for this in the same way but you’re not. He was coming for her regardless, whether you were with her or not, but you’re here! You need to save her this time. It’s up to you, Knox, so get the fuck up and fight! You were destined to be together. You’re unstoppable when your anger is in full force... when you let the demon surface. I don’t like it or who you turn into when you’re that way but they have underestimated you and your force, so go show them just what they have got themselves into. Show them the Assassin, rain hell on them and I shall send them to the afterlife with the scars of the devil lacing their bodies.”
A cold wind wipes at my naked body as she pulls the blankets off me. Pulling myself from my stomach to my back, I look into the eyes of the lady I love still, the eyes that are just like hers, looking into them, I see her, as well as Angel.
“Fine, you're right.” I concede. Clapping her hands like a child that has got her way she walks from the room with the sheet trailing in her grasp. How? I’m still unsure. I’d much rather just lay here in my pity filled space hating myself for not being able to keep Blue safe. Shit I didn’t even have enough time to wrap my head around the fact that I was letting her in and now she’s gone and I’m left with that feeling of failure again. I needed her to stay, but he had to come and rip her away.
Walking to the closet I pull down jeans and a grey Reapers Tee, getting dressed I head downstairs to the smell of coffee and laughter. I see my brother Jamie and Tammy smiling as I see Angel sitting on the bench, her long legs dangling, her toes peeking out from her lace dress. She is truly beautiful with the light that falls around her giving her the softest glow, it’s like old times, us together in love. But watching this from the corner of the room I feel off. It doesn’t seen right anymore, like this puxxel doesn’t fit, something is missing and that something is the puzzle piece of Blue. A strange feling washes over me as I relize that Blue is what I need and I need Blue to stay with me. Not Angel, she needs to shift from the earth to her own space in the clouds. I have to let her go to be able to truly hold Blue in my arms.
“I see you’re still here,” I push out like I wouldn’t want her to be anywhere else. Who am I kidding? I know she has to go and I’m selfish wanting her here, but then needing her to leave it’s easy to say it and think it but doing it shit we know that part I suck at doing.
“Of course I am, baby. Who else can kick your ass into gear? Jamie? I don’t think so.”
Laughing, I pour myself a hot cup of coffee.God my body needs it. My mind, well that needs a lot more than coffee, that needs the taste of blood and vengeance. Blowing a kiss to Angel then looking at Jamie, I say, “Let’s go brother and see what today brings.”
Grabbing my cut, I flick the heavy leather over my shoulders pushing my arms through the cool leather sleeves. I pick up the phone and a charger from the counter as I shoot one look back to the eyes of my Angel, watching me with worry ebbed into the depths of her pure blue irises, it makes me break into a shiver. “Go, Angel, go be the strength and light my five foot of fury needs.”
Walking into the club feeling a little worse for wear, I head up to Bray's office. I see that Kash is here, still bunked outside Lilly’s door. I wonder why Bray didn’t take her back to their place. Fuck knows maybe he stayed here too. Pushing the door open the smell hits me, fuck, is this what I smelt like this morning too? Whacking him in the guts as he lays asleep on the couch hand thrown over his face, I wake him up. “Hard night brother?”
“Mmmm you could say that” his deadpan tone meets my ears as he rolls over onto his side pulling himself under his cut.
“Well you and me both. And this morning as I lay in a drunken mess in my shower, an Angel came down and ripped the fire of hell over me, so I’m here to do the same shit to you. “Flicking his legs off the couch, so he has no choice but move, I continue. “It fucken reeks in here, you’re more of a mess than I was. Get up and shower. We have shit to do.” Pulling at the blinds, I open them wide and push out the window to let some air into this stifling room.
“Fuck off Knox! Shut the damn blinds! You’re not the only one with shit going on.” Bray seethes at me.
Turning on my heel I look over at my brother, like really look at him. For the first time since I have met him I see the pain etched deep in his eyes, the dark rings around them, the hollow appearance of liquor spills out of him in fumes. I push myself back against the back of his desk, “Well brother tell me then, what’s got you looking so dark and finding solace in the bottom of a bottle?” Picking up one of the many empty bottles of the floor, I turn to him. “Southern Comfort of all things, Brother? Jesus.”
Pulling himself up to sitting postion with his head in his hands he speaks. “I’ve also lost something, Knox, all I have now is this dark.”
Standing I head for him but he pushes me off.
“Forget it, brother, I’ll check Lilll, take a shower and gather the boys. Meet in church in forty.”
Walking downstairs the phone dings in my pocket, pulling it out and, sliding it open, I read the cryptic message,
Where there is heat, there is anger,
Where there is fuel, there will be fire,
Will she dance or will she falter?
Let’s see how much she has missed this.
Can you figure out where I have her Knox?
Can you save your lady, before it’s too late!
Who will stop me from filling her with the drug she loves?
And my men, well, they have a special treat for the Lady in Red.
It’s time to see what you boys are made of.
You think we have left town, oh how wrong are you.
I shall take all of what’s yours and make it mine.
Tick Tock goes the clock.
Slamming my fist into the wall on the other side of the bar I hear Miss Ginny curse out in fright rather than anger. My minds races to all the things that can go wrong with the amount of drugs he is slamming into her tiny body. The memories of my mother come rushing back assaulting my mind and body sending out the most unbearable sense of pain along with a sense of helplessness. I couldn’t save her from drugs and in turn my brother and I lost our mother and our father, now I was going to lose Blue the same way too. Cracking my neck, I try to dispel some of the anger and tension before I snap and totally lose my shit. It’s cutting close, my demon is clawing his way out, deadly close to the surface and I’m losing the fight to keep him at bay.
“Fuck, boy, I’ll tan your hide if you punch my walls again.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” is all that flows from my mouth.
“Well ‘sorry’ works just fine for me,” she spits at me. I glare at her my look saying it all, I’m not in the mood to be fucked with so she flicks me a bottle of beer and a wink she has been here for so long I’m sure she’s seen her fair share of shit and understands. Picking up the beer I offer her a small smile in thanks as I walk out of the club shielding my eyes as the mid mornings sun blares down assaulting them. I gather up the boys for Church.
Sitting in church I play with the phone while waiting for Bray and waiting for Viper. It seems all I do is wait. I want action, shit, I want blood. The demon is knocking and wanting to be fed. How long before I snap shit? I don’t know, but when I do, it won’t be pretty.
Bray enters as the phone tings again. Everyone stills, all eyes locking with either mine or Bray’s. I suck in a deep breath as I look up at Bray. “This will be message number two for today, brother, so let’s see what this fuck bag has to say now.”
Opening the phone, I see the MMS. My fist goes white from the pressure and my jaw is clenching to the point of shattering. She is on the floor; wet, shaking, her body is curled up into a tight ball and the words under her read:
Phase one complete. Filled to the eyeballs with junkie love...
Blowing out harshly through clenched teeth I glare up at Bray then Jamie. “What the actual fuck.” I push to my feet and stalk the room. Shaking, I pace and pace like a caged tiger ready, waiting and fucking wanting to be released. To rip the jugular clean out of their throats. Pushing my forehead to the cold glass walls, I look out over the club sending out a very angry heated whisper. “Hold on baby, use your blade baby, I’m coming.”
“What did you just say, Knox?” Bray asks with a sound of hope lacing his voice.
The full force of my anger is boiling out from my core. I hate waiting, I bang my head against the wall, before I spit out, “Why hasn’t she used her blade on them?” before dropping my head low against the window. I sigh. Nothing I have nothing. I hear his voice bouncing behind me.
“She has her switchblade brother?” Bray snaps out with a sound of hope in his voice.
“Yeah, she started wearing it in her hair wrapped up in the bun, she said she needed to go in ready this time,” I state looking at him on edge.
“Did you see it by any chance? Was it silver with a black handle with an iris on it?” I can’t miss the sound of elation in his voice. Running my hands over my face, my five o’clock shadow rubbing against my palm, I think back to the day I saw it.
“Fuck, hold on. Yeah I think it was, why is that?” I question him with a sense of just maybe we may have some light at the end of this fucking dark tunnel.
Running his hands through his hair, he watches me and looks around before saying, “Fuck this, this is good brother. Wait just a minute.” He’s shaking looking around as he stalks over to the door wrenching it open yelling out to the prospects that are scattered around the clubhouse, “One of you punks bring me my laptop and get Ghost here now! And Ortiz! Hurry the fuck up too! We ain’t waiting for goddamn Santa to come and suck your dicks.”
Nodding to Cage and 81 he sits back down elbows on the table, mouth resting on his hands, his eyes never leaving the back wall. Stepping into his line of vision anger is flaming over me, I want to know what the fuck is going on.
“Who the fuck is Ortiz?” I snap, I’m off the cryptic shit.
“He is our in-club IT guy, he’s loyal and legit as fuck. I’ll need him. Hey, sit down” I glare at him too impatient to sit, needing to know what the fuck he was on about.
“I don’t wanna fucken sit Bray, I want to get rolling on these punk bitch asses.” Slamming my hands down flat on the table, a crack echoes out around us sending the other boy’s bodies jumping.
“Yeah that’s right, on edge ain’t fucken fun now boys, is it?” Seething I look them all square in the face, wanting nothing more than to feel bones cracking under my fists.
“I hear you brother, but, if this switchblade is the same one, it’s the one my mom gave her and Lilly, it also has a tracking device in it. When they were younger Mom always worried so Ortiz’s dad put them in the handles so we could always see where they were at all times and keep a guy on them for their safety.” Bray says, his voice is cool and clam while I’m amped up and sparking like live wire
Turning to Bray, shock quivering out over me, I absorb what he’s just spilled looking him in the eyes. “So, if it’s the one you guys gave her and she has it with her then, we will find her right? Cos ‘im losing my shit Bray, like for real. I can’t handle this pain and torment much longer. I don’t think you understand what it’s like to be this helpless yet again!” My eyes meet his and an eerie feeling of ‘yes he does know the pain I’m feeling’ zaps from him to me like an invisible string pulling my thoughts to his. His eyes flash through a movie like clip of a hunted pain like mine and a sense of failure fills him, just as it fills me. I can’t let that dispel from the fact that elation is in my bones, we may just be getting somewhere. Braking our trance like stare by slapping my hands down hard on the table I let the feeling of relief wash over me. “Fuck yes! Finally, we are getting somewhere! Let’s load up!” Grabbing the phone, I start heading for the door only stopping when I feel no one behind me. I turn, feeling confused and frustrated.
“Hold on brother, we need to see if, after all these years, it’s going to work. Ortiz will sort it, then we will make a plan and set it.” Bray says to me as he puts his hand on my shoulder.
“Fuucckkkk, more fucken waiting.” I lash out as I forcefully push his hand from my shoulder. Stalking from the room, I need air. Walking to the bar grabbing a bottle of beer, I head out back, settling down on the bench lining the river. Something to the right of me catches my eye, and, turning slightly, I see two of the new guys who just rode in. One is on his hands and knees, the other on the first’s back with his little punk face up against the window of church. Mother fucken little narks.
Stalking up to them quietly, I say calmly. “Boys, boys, boys, what do we have here?”
Their heads snap around so fast the top one falls, both trying as fast as their bodies will allow them to scramble back up against the wall. Full burning anger, I hit the first one over the head with my full beer bottle, shattering it into pieces, while bringing my boot all the way back and slamming it hard into the other punk’s ribs. The tell-tale pop hits the top of my foot as a rush of adrenaline pumps through my veins, hitting all the right places. Jumping down on top of this punk, I shatter his nose in one punch; the blood spilling out all over his face, my fist and splattering up over my cut. Looking down at his helpless body, I turn round to the other punk, setting his crawling body in my sights. I stand on top of his fingers, crunching them under my boot.
“You trying to escape boy? Don’t you wanna stay and listen a little while longer to the sound of me feeding your brother’s soul to my demon, then setting my brother onto you for being a nosy prick?”
Twisting my boots over his fingers, he lets out a pitiful gargled sound of pain. The sun is glinting over the blood trickling down his face from the damage left by the beer bottle. This fuels my need for more blood. Bending down on one knee in front of him, I grab him around his throat, bringing him up and over my knee and arching his back. I hold my forearm over his throat as I slam my fist into his ribcage again and again all the pent up rage spewing out of me and into him The invigorating sound of snap crackle and pop dimly reminds me of the ad for Rice bubblesand a sick smile crosses my face as I rearrange a few of his features, including his nose. Satisfied that my job is done when he is unconscious, I slump his limp body to the ground before storming over andn grabbing his friend by his boot. I drag him to where his friend lays before picking up his own boot. I continue on my way, dragging them both back into the club. They have a story I would love to fucken hear once they wake up from their pain-filled coma.
“Bray!” I holler out as I notice two other members, “81, Cage. “Looky what I have here.”I walk in with my cargo and Bray’s eyes go wide.
“What the fuck have you done, Knox?” He spits at me. Ghost is his on his feet stalking over to me, he looks down, whistling. “Shit brother, they alive?” he questions me with a sick smile on his lips.
“Shit yes, they just sleeping for a bit. Caught them listening in on church from the outside window.” I proclaim as I drop their limp bodies to the floor on either side of me.
“Cage, 81, West and Tigg, pick them up and take them to the shed. Secure them. Ghos, grab your shit! You're up brother, Knox come with me, Jamie too.” Bray orders snapping his fingers. “Cleo, grab the Jack and Jim. Take them to the shed with the black box from my office.” He snaps out at the club girl. Shit, this is the most action I’ve seen since this shit storm started. Ghost is rubbing his hands together. Happily, everyone jumps to attention heading off to do the jobs Bray ordered done. I see Slash watching from upstairs with Lilly slumped in his arms and Kash behind them. She is still up to her eye balls in the sedative the Doctor gave her. John must be taking her to the big house. Fuck this is a mess.
Heading into the back I’m walking down through a long dark hallway where brothers from other chapters are holed up with club girls all over their cocks. Bray stops at the end door and enters a pin, letting us into a room lit up by computer screens. Monitors are flickering away, humming like a well-built machine. I see it all. The club, the houses, the roads and something inside me flinches as I notice my Nan and Pa’s hardware store. What the fuck? Flicking from one to the other is a bloke watching, peering, trawling. Another guy is in the corner of the room, leaning over a locked suitcase looking at what looks like a virtual map.
“This, here, is our control room and this is V. He’s our surveillance guy and lives off V the energy drink hence the name... and the shake.” I note the green can sitting on his desk, and nod, overwhelmed into silence at the set up. “This man over here...” Bray went over and placed a hand on the guy’s shoulder,”... is Ortiz. He’s the man, his father was best friends with my father, and they, together, were unstoppable in the IT world. They could hack into anything and everything, you want it found, they will find it. He’s going to find our Blue baby, and we will bring her home.”
“Hey,” I say distractedly, still looking around at all the shit that has my mind spinning.
“Sup,” They both say in unison, wired.
Bray cuts through my thoughts with “have you found anything yet?”
Ortiz speaks first, “I have brother, I have a signal on her, a nice strong one too. I have followed it and mapped it out, then it goes weak and fades out but then it's strong again I’m not sure what to make of it but it’s there, we have her. I just have to figure out where in this web she is. Dad did well installing what he had at the time, but tech has changed so much since then it’s a bit harder to piece together.”
“I don’t care how hard it is you fucken find my girl and fast you hear” I say barking at him, it echoes out around us louder than it had in my head. Bray pushes me back.
“Oi keep your shit together.”
Ortiz stands up. I have to say, I’m impressed by his size. “Don’t sweat it brother, we’re sweet, I’m doing what I can given what I know. I do wanna look over that phone you got though, they might be tracking you, also.” He says to me and a sick feeling pools in my stomach as my mind races to all kinds of thoughts that this fucker is watching my every movement. He has his eyes on me and his dirty ass hands all over my women!
Grabbing it in my pocket I pull it out I hesatite holding the only link that I have with my baby in my plam. Bray’s voice slices though my thoughts as I contemplate all the shit that can go wrong. I don’t know this punk what if he fucks it up or they know that we have tampered with the phone. “ Konx.” Bray’s voice rings out in my ears again. Looking from the phone, the only lifeline to Blue, then up to him, “ Knox Ortiz is the best you can trust him.” He says his tone full of truth. “ I wouldn’t have him if he wasn’t, I want her back as much as you do.” Noding at him I hand the phone over to Ortiz cranking out my neck before I drop it into his open plam. “ You fuck this up and I’ll kill you.” I say to him, vemon falling into the small dark room. The only light is coming from the computer screens and the desk lamps, Otriz just nods as I watch his adams apple bobble in his throat standing at the back of his chair I watch him like a hawk Bray leans in, asking him in a hushed voice if he has any info on Mission Raven. Who and what the fuck is Mission Raven? I pulled up a chair. I try to hear what is being said but can’t make out much. I notice that he looks pained, tired. Ortiz shakes his head, clearing his throat looking over at me he states,“You're being tracked too, brother see? He’s holding up a small black chip with a pair of tweezers. I scoot closer, heart hammering with rage.
“Right now, what?” I ask at their blank stares. I’m an MMA fighter this technology shit’s so not up my alley.
“Now we let the games begin,” he says.
Raising one eyebrow at him, I lay back in the chair placing my hands behind my head. “Now you’re talking.” My eyes are laced in an evil smirk. Playing games is what I do best.