12. In Plain Sight #2
The athlete violently shoved him back against the locker, smashing his head into the door.
His green eyes dilated as their laughter vibrated his eardrums. “He’s so fucking weak when his psycho brother’s not around,” the athlete snickered, getting in his face.
“All bark no bite, huh, Caleb, you little bitch?”
The athlete looked at him strangely as Jamie’s lips turned up into a disturbing smile. He suddenly screamed as Jamie’s teeth clamped down on his bottom lip before completely tearing it off. The athlete stumbled over the bench, blood gushing from his mouth.
The boys in the locker room screamed hysterically, trying to escape the madness as Jamie leaped over the bench like an animal and tackled the athlete to the ground. Jamie’s teeth violently sank into his cheek, ripping flesh from his face.
Gagging on his own blood as it seeped into his mouth and down his chin from his missing lip, the athlete stared up in terror at the blood-stained face and manic eyes of Jamie Byrnes.
“Look at you…” Jamie grinned, blood spilling from his lips.
“...screaming… like a little bitch...” The athlete gagged as Jamie grabbed the mutilated flesh from his face and stuffed it into the athlete’s mouth.
“Mmm… delicious. Just like mama used to make, hmm? Be a good boy and clean your fucking plate.”
Jamie violently stuffed the flesh into the back of the athlete’s throat, and the athlete started to vomit as blood and puke spilled from the sides of his mouth. The door finally swung open as the athletes ran out of the locker room.
“...are you fucking kidding me…”
Jamie glanced at the door and saw Caleb standing there in shock. “Ay! Seall ort!?* My jacket looks good on you!” Jamie grinned.
“Jamie, what the fuck are you doing?!” Caleb rushed towards them, pushing his brother off the injured athlete.
“Giving him the best meal of his life. Obviously,” Jamie grinned, watching Caleb frantically search for a towel before pushing it against the athlete’s bleeding face.
Jamie raised a brow at the exam sticking out of Caleb’s bookbag and plucked it out.
“I got an A! My genius fucking brother! You should have gotten a few wrong, so I could get like… a C+. That would have been more believable,” Jamie chuckled, holding up the exam booklet with his bloodstained fingers.
“He needs to go to the hospital,” Caleb said, pulling out his phone.
“He needs to learn to shut the fuck up, or I’ll rip off the remaining lip,” Jamie grinned, snatching Caleb’s phone.
“Jamie,” Caleb snapped.
“Why do you give a fuck about people who don’t give a fuck about you?” Jamie said, annoyed.
“You almost killed him!”
“Don’t say that too loud. I don’t want people to know I failed to deliver. Roselyn forbid.”
“Jamie!” Caleb snapped before sharply exhaling. “You can’t… You can’t keep doing this.” Caleb swallowed hard as he approached his brother. “You’re already in trouble with the Board.”
Jamie laughed. “I don’t give a flying fuck about the Board.” Jamie hit Caleb hard in the chest. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”
Caleb sighed. “Jamie-”
“Are you choosing that piece of shit over me?” Jamie snapped.
“No! Shut the fuck up! You know I would never,” Caleb said, offended.
Jamie grinned as his bloodstained fingers wrapped around the back of Caleb’s neck, pulling his forehead against his. The blood of the athlete was still dripping from his lips. “We’re brothers. We have the same heartbeat. You and me. In the name of Roselyn, fuck the world.”
Caleb slowly exhaled as he looked at Jamie. “In the name of Roselyn… fuck the world…”
Caleb snapped his head up at the sound of the door swinging open before he saw Keith walk through the door. Keith quickly dodged as a blade nearly sliced across his face, embedding in the door behind him. “Whoa! Hey now, Farmer boy, I come in peace,” Keith said with his hands up in surrender.
“I swear if you don’t get the fuck out of here, I’ll slice your goddamn head off, you lying piece of shit!” Caleb growled.
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” Keith laughed. “Caleb, easy! Goddamn! You think Big Brother Jax told me anything about Jamie?! Me?! The family fuck up?! Motherfucker, I don’t know shit!”
Caleb’s jaw tensed as he stormed up to Keith, glaring him in the eyes before he yanked his blade out of the door and turned around to sit back on the ledge and look out over the street.
Keith slowly exhaled as he watched Caleb mindlessly flip the blade between his fingers as he stared out at the city below.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, Keith strolled up to his cousin and sat down next to him. Looking down into the street below, he slowly exhaled. “Look… I don’t know half the shit that goes on in Jax’s big-ass, egotistical, smug as fuck, annoying head. But I do know one thing…”
Caleb sucked his teeth. “Dia eil, Keith. Dùn do chab.?* Don’t fucking preach to me.”
“No, you, dùin suas agus èist!?* I’m about to give you the whole damn sermon!” Keith snorted, grabbing Caleb’s blade. “And just for that, I’m gonna make it sound cheesy and cliche as fuck.”
“God, I hate you. Give me back my knife.”
“No. Shut up and listen before I stab you with it,” Keith threatened.
“I’d rather be stabbed-”
“He cares about you, Caleb,” Keith said, cutting him off.
Caleb looked at Keith irritably. “So fucking much, you have… no idea. He’s never stopped.
He’s never… fucking… stopped.” Caleb’s jaw tensed as he averted his gaze.
“...and if he did lie to you,” Keith continued. “I’m sure it was for a reason.”
Caleb scoffed, though he did not argue and played with his fingers as he contemplated Keith’s words.
Keith playfully punched his cousin in the shoulder.
“You know how Jax is. He’s a brick wall.
Hardheaded as fuck. A book locked shut with no fucking key.
Couldn’t pry shit out of him with a blade to his neck and fire to his feet. ”
Caleb snorted, unable to hold back his smirk. This described Jax to a T. Keith leaned into Caleb, getting close to his ear. “We’re not kids anymore, Caleb. Demand answers. He owes you that much.”
With his hands clasped behind his back, Ian quietly stepped into the bedroom where he found Deja still wrapped in a bedsheet, tending to Jax’s bleeding hand. Leaning against the doorframe, Ian tilted his head fondly, admiring how tenderly she cared for his brother.
Jax had never been known to be soft or gentle… until Deja. He had a glare that struck fear into the hearts of the most dangerous men. Yet when he looked upon Deja, there was a light in his eyes and a flush to his cheeks that Ian never knew existed.