CHAPTER TWO
BLAZE
I absently tapped a finger on the steering wheel in time with the beat of the music pounding through my car. Cash’s gangster rap playlist made the seats vibrate. Staring straight ahead, I drove through the city streets, my mind wandering.
We’d recently learned about a man who’d been released from jail after beating his pregnant girlfriend almost to death. Knowing that his type was likely to reoffend, we’d quickly dug up some info on where to find him. He wouldn’t be laying a hand on her again.
Rumor had it that we were vigilantes. I supposed that was as good a term as any. We saw a system that failed the victim almost every time. Someone had to do something about it. Might as well be us.
“I had to make her turn away while I fucked her though. I couldn’t stand to look her in the eyes after that.” Cash let out a bark of laughter. His story had gone in one ear and out the other. I wasn’t paying attention.
“You’re a better man than me,” Daire replied. “I’d have kicked her ass out.”
The two of them raised their voices over the music, talking shit about girls they’d screwed. I remained silent, having nothing to add to the conversation. Running on autopilot, I steered my Camaro along, hitting the brakes as the light ahead turned red.
“Why are you so quiet tonight?” Daire jabbed me in the ribs with an elbow.
“Ouch, dick. Don’t fucking do that.” Huffing at the red light, I ran a hand through my hair, shoving it off my forehead. “I’m not quiet. Just don’t have anything to say about fucking chicks that gross me out. I’d rather not.”
Daire spread both hands wide. “Hey, sometimes you just need a warm, wet hole. I’ll bet that colorful little thing you’ve been eyeing knows how to satisfy. She’s certainly hot enough.”
My fingers tightened on the steering wheel. The light turned green and I gunned it, making the engine roar. “Yeah, she’s pretty hot.”
I didn’t want to talk about Clover. I didn’t want to admit to anyone, not even myself, that I’d been thinking about her a lot since the party a few nights ago. Watching that piece of shit shove her to the ground had ignited something within me. A deep, aching need to kill. I’d have ended him right there if Clover hadn’t begged me to stop.
Listening to her pleas had done something to me. It had reached inside me and stoked the fires of my desire. I’d thought she was hot enough to flirt with but that night had made me want more. I wanted her. Knowing that abusive fuck Zane had her made me a little crazy.
“I still can’t believe you didn’t kill Zane for putting his hands on her,” Cash said, leaning forward in the backseat so he could be part of the discussion. “He deserves to have his hands broken.”
I nodded absently, driving along without really seeing my surroundings. “I didn’t want to do it in front of her. I’m not sure she could handle seeing that kind of thing. He’ll get what’s coming to him though.”
“Dude, where are you going? You missed the turn off.” Daire shot me an inquisitive glance. “You’re really into that chick, huh? You’ve been distracted as hell since you last saw her.”
“Fuck.” I slammed a hand on the wheel. “I’m just spaced out. It has nothing to do with her.”
Lies. Daire and Cash were my best friends. My brothers in so many ways. That didn’t mean I wanted them to know my every thought and feeling. They tended to be harder than me. Less likely to get attached to anyone or anything. I had a soft side they often ridiculed. I preferred to keep it to myself.
Of course, I wasn’t some sweet and sappy fuck either. My interests veered toward some messed up shit, according to chicks I’d fucked in the past. I couldn’t help it. I liked what I liked.
“You suck at lying, Blaze. Why bother?” Daire pulled a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket. He lit one up, blowing the smoke in my direction.
Waving the smoke out of my face, I opened the window and shot Daire a scowl. “I told you not to smoke in my car, dick.”
Refusing to acknowledge his remark about lying, I turned at the next corner, preparing to circle back to the street I’d missed. When he didn’t put out the cigarette, I snatched it from his hand and tossed it out my window. I didn’t pay through the nose for this car so he could stink it up.
“Fucker,” Daire muttered. He stubbornly pulled out another cigarette but didn’t light it.
Cash slapped the back of my headrest. “I think it’s up there on the next block.”
I nodded and headed for the building at the end of the next street. This part of downtown was filled with ramshackle structures that should have been torn down long ago. No self- respecting business would operate here. It was all seedy strip clubs and dive bars.
I parked on the street in front of the bar, making sure to arm the security system on my car. The streets were empty but I didn’t trust anyone who may come along not to fuck with my ride. Daire snorted a laugh at my concern before leading the way inside.
With his cocky swagger and the small lightning bolt inked beneath one eye, Daire had a punchable face. He was lucky that I wasn’t in the mood. Shoving my keys into my pocket, I followed him inside.
We’d been told that the guy we were looking for spent a lot of time in this dump. We paused in the entryway, taking a look around. The floors were scuffed and stained. The scent of cheap beer and piss hung on the air. Old boxy television sets hung in the corners playing a women’s basketball game. There were more people inside than I’d anticipated. They were all exactly the type one would expect to be in a place like this.
“I guess we should buy a drink and try to blend in.” Daire surveyed the scene, his nose wrinkling in disgust.
“Get something in a bottle,” Cash advised. “I doubt the glassware here is safe to drink from.”
“Good call.” Daire sauntered up to the bar and placed an order for three beers.
While we waited for our drinks, we scanned the bar for our guy. If he wasn’t here, we had one other place to scope out. Pulling out my phone, I studied the photo we had of him before returning my gaze to the patrons.
Too bad Zane wasn’t here. I’d have loved the opportunity to drag him out behind the building and pound him until he was unrecognizable. I put my phone away and cracked my knuckles, excited at the thought of making a mess of that dumb fuck.
A guy in the back corner near the pool table caught my eye. It was hard to tell from where we stood but I thought I spotted a familiar arm tattoo. Accepting my beer from Daire, I pointed across the bar. “Is that him?”
Both Cash and Daire turned to look. Cash nodded. “Yep, pretty sure it is. Let’s make sure he’s alone first.”
Leaning against the bar, I took a drink of the ice cold beer. It went down with ease. I could hardly wait to get my hands on the guy across the bar. I needed to unleash the pent up aggression burning a hole inside me.
Anger issues? Not really. My mother would argue that I couldn’t contain my temper. I disagreed. I contained it just fine. Although I certainly enjoyed handing out some pain to those who deserved it.
The door to the building opened and three familiar people entered. The fucking Gods were here. We often crossed paths with them in seedy holes like this. They were mobsters always up to no good. Criminals that always seemed to avoid getting caught. It was only a matter of time until they did something to land on our radar. I both longed for that day and hoped it would never come.
“Look who’s here.” Cash inclined his head toward the door. His split dyed half red and half black mohawk made him stand out, drawing the Gods’ attention right to us.
Daire shoved away from the bar, ready for an altercation. The Gods ambled over to the bar. Havoc shouldered Daire aside hard enough to knock him into me. There would always be bad blood between our group and theirs.
Maybe it was our fault. We’d stolen an assload of cash from the Gods which led to their girl, Raina, seducing Daire only to tie him up and threaten him in order to get it back. It had been Daire’s idea to get his hands on Raina and make her sorry she’d pulled such a stunt. The Gods’ most fucked up member, Gage Corwin, had nearly killed him for it. Now here we all were in the same shithole bar with our own agendas bringing us together.
“Watch it, asshole,” Daire snarled.
“Oh, sorry about that,” Havoc said, clearly not at all sorry. “Didn’t see you there, scumbag.”
Havoc turned his back on us and ordered a drink. His friends kept a close eye on us, like they didn’t trust us not to try something. Gage clenched a fist, ready to finish what he’d started on Daire several weeks ago.
I wasn’t interested in a repeat of that night. We hadn’t come out on top. All things considered, we probably deserved the beating we’d received. We’d fucked with their girl. It made me think about Zane and the pounding he deserved. That kind of thing couldn’t be forgiven.
“What brings the mafia brats to a place like this?” Daire asked, unable to keep his mouth shut. “Big drug deal going down in the parking lot? Maybe a fat cash exchange for illicit services?”
Gage sidled closer, getting up in Daire’s face. “If we told you that, we’d have to kill you. How bad do you want to know, Keller?”
Undeterred, Daire said, “You know that eventually you’ll do something we can’t ignore. Then we’ll come after you and finally settle this shit.”
Gage merely grinned. It was Knight who shoved the two of them apart. He seemed as annoyed with this crap as I was starting to feel.
That’s when our guy headed for the door. I smacked Daire’s arm to get his attention. “He’s on the move. Let’s go.”
I was grateful for the distraction. I hadn’t come here to have a pissing contest with the Gods. All I wanted was to make someone hurt. Someone who deserved to feel nothing but pain. Although I’d have preferred it to be Zane, this guy would do for now.
Leaving my beer on the bar, I set off after the guy. If he got into a car, we would lose him. Cash and Daire were right behind me as I burst outside. A quick glance down the street revealed our target staggering down the block. Too bad he was drunk. Sober would hurt a lot more. Either way, he’d feel it when we were done with him.
I easily caught up to him, grabbing him by the shoulder. Spinning him around, I said, “This is going to be fun.”
His bloodshot eyes widened as his mouth opened on a question he never got to ask. My fist plowed into his face, knocking him onto his ass. Cash stepped forward, grabbing the guy by the front of his shirt. He dragged him to his feet, shaking him violently.
“Do you know who we are, Jimmy?” Cash hissed, dragging the guy around the building to the alley where we were unlikely to be seen. “We’re your worst fucking nightmares. You’ll remember us next time you think about beating a woman.”
Daire and I followed along, keeping an eye out for any cops or witnesses. Once we were in the alley, we were free to do whatever we wanted to this sorry bastard. The rush of what we were about to do gripped me. It was almost as good as sex. Almost.
Cash threw the next shot at Jimmy. A solid punch that brought a flood of blood from his nose. Jimmy swung his arms in an effort to hit back. He slurred something incoherent. Cash stood there, allowing him to land one. It did nothing.
“I’m not busting my knuckles on this waste of skin. Screw that.” Pulling a switchblade from his pocket, Daire flicked it open, a devilish grin lighting up his face.
He darted forward, slashing at Jimmy. The blade grazed his side before cutting deep into his arm. He yelped and turned to run. I grabbed the back of his shirt, holding him in place. Cash pounded him with a flurry of punches. He loved using his fists and getting hands on with the violence.
Wrapping my arm around Jimmy’s neck from behind, I choked him until he began to go limp. Once I let him breathe again, he was back to trying in vain to run. He landed an elbow in my gut, loosening my hold. He didn’t make it far before Cash tackled him to the ground.
Grabbing a tight handful of Jimmy’s hair, Cash slammed his face into the pavement. Blood began to spray. Jimmy began to blubber in a pitiful attempt to beg for mercy.
“Did your girlfriend beg too?” Daire taunted, twirling the knife between his fingers. “Did she beg you to stop while you beat her?”
Crouching down beside Jimmy, Daire lightly dragged the blade over his face. Then he jabbed the tip deep into Jimmy’s cheek. His scream was muffled by the heavy hand Cash clamped over his mouth.
I took advantage of having him on the ground by kicking him hard in the ribs. The resulting crack was music to my ears. A few more solid kicks had him curling up in a futile effort to protect himself.
Daire kept going with the knife, carving deep gashes into Jimmy’s face and arms. Each slice seemed to amp Daire up more. The three of us beat the hell out of the guy until he laid there motionless. He barely even screamed when Daire jammed the knife into his abdomen.
Blood pooled around the wound. Daire jerked the knife free and used Jimmy’s shirt to wipe down the blade. “I think we’re finished here. Think hard next time you’re tempted to hurt a pregnant woman. If we come for you again, we won’t stop until you’re dead.”
Although we preferred to make a point without leaving bodies in our wake, it had happened. The cleanup was hell. I rubbed my bruised knuckles, satisfied with the ache. Not satisfied enough though.
It didn’t keep Zane from entering my thoughts once again. Was that shove I’d witnessed the first time he laid hands on Clover? Had he done that before?
I needed to know. I needed to make sure that he could never hurt her again. If anyone was going to make that little beauty tremble and quake, it was going to be me.