42 TOBIAS
T he second I hear Rhea’s scream, it’s like the world slows down.
Her voice cuts through the chaos like a knife, and my head whips toward the ring. Julian’s already on the ground, blood blooming across his chest as the sleazy bastard standing over him pulls the knife out with a sickening grin.
Adrenaline hits me like a freight train.
I vault over the ropes, my boots slamming into the mat, but Rhea’s already there.
She’s a fucking blur, her hair flying wild as she launches herself towards the guy with the knife who’s trying to make a run for it.”
I catch her mid air. “Let me go!” she snarls.
“Julian.” I yell at her. “Help Julian, I’ve got this.”
The sound of a gunshot pierces the air, and Corey’s frantic yell canvases the room despite the chaos.
“Taken care of. Help her Tobias.” I look in his direction and he’s flanked by Titus and some others, and theres a body laying in the floor in a pool of blood.
My mind is all over the place. I’m stuck, frozen.
“Don’t just stand there, Tobias! Help me!” she barks, not even looking up. Her voice is steady, but I can see the panic in her eyes.
I’m beside her in an instant, ripping my shirt off to press it against Julian’s chest. He’s breathing, but it’s shallow, his face pale as hell.
“Julian, stay with me, man,” I growl, my voice low and rough.
“You’re not dying on my watch.”
“Tobias,” Julian gasps, his hand gripping mine weakly. “I’m good. Just... get that piece of shit out of here.”
“Already handled, Corey painted the floor with him.” Rhea’s still focused on Julian, her hands steady even though I can see the blood staining her fingers. “We need to get him to a hospital,” she says, her voice tight.
“Not happening,” Julian rasps, trying to sit up. “No hospitals.
You know that.”
“You’re not exactly in a position to argue,” Rhea snaps, pushing him back down with surprising strength. “You’ve got a knife wound in your chest, you’re fucking bleeding out.”
“Rhea’s right,” I say, catching her eye. “Your not dying because your too stubborn to get proper medical care.” She nods, and for the first time, I see the cracks in her composure.
Her hands are shaking, and she’s covered in Julian’s blood, but she’s holding it together. Barely.
“Corey,” I call over my shoulder. “We’re moving him.” Corey doesn’t argue, just nods while dragging the assholes dead body towards the back.
Julian’s hand tightens on mine again, and I look down at him.
“You’re not dying,” I repeat, my voice hard. “Not today.”
“Damn right,” Rhea mutters, her eyes blazing as she keeps pressure on the wound.
The chaos around us is still raging, but all I can focus on is Julian’s jagged breathing and the way Rhea’s hands are steady despite everything. She’s a fucking force of nature, and for the first time, I’m glad she’s here.
The weight of Julian’s blood-soaked shirt in my hands feels like a damn anchor. Rhea’s voice cuts through the chaos, sharp and commanding, even as her hands are steady on Julian’s chest.
“Tobias,” she says, her green eyes locking onto mine. Her face is smeared with blood, her wild hair sticking to her cheeks, but she doesn’t flinch. “I’ve got Julian. You need to handle the two men upstairs locked in Corey’s office. They’re behind this.”
“Two men upstairs? What are you talking about?”
“Ask questions later. Just go!” I glance at Julian, his breathing shallow but steady under Rhea’s hands. “You sure you’ve got this?” I ask, my voice low.
She doesn’t hesitate. “Go. He’s not dying on my watch.” I nod, giving Julian’s shoulder one last squeeze before I’m on my feet.. My boots pound against the floor as I head for the stairs, the adrenaline surging through me like a damn wildfire.
The second floor is eerily quiet compared to the chaos below. I unlock the door to the office. The room is dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of cigar smoke and something darker—desperation.
Two men are inside, bruised and battered. One of them looks up, his face pale as he sees me in the doorway.
The taller one, a wiry guy with a scar across his cheek, raises his hands slowly. “This doesn’t have to get messy,” he says, his voice shaking.
“Too late for that,” I mutter, stepping forward. My fists clench at my sides, ready to end this before it even starts.
“Who sent you?” I demand, his voice cutting through the room like a blade. He’s calm, but I can see the fire in his eyes. This is personal now.
The scarred guy swallows hard, his eyes flicking to his partner, who’s still crouched by the desk.
“We’re just hired muscle,” he stammers. “We didn’t know it would go this far.”
I step closer, my presence filling the room.
“You’re going to tell us everything,” he says, his voice low and dangerous.
“Or this is going to get a lot worse for you.”
The shorter guy moves suddenly,trying to make an escape.
I don’t think—I just react. I’m across the room in two strides, slamming him against the wall with enough force to rattle the window.
“Wrong move,” I growl, my voice low and rough.
Footsteps enter the room and I turn to see a blood stained Corey, eyes wide, gun drawn.
He’s already on the scarred guy, pinning him against the desk.
“Start talking,” he says, his voice calm but deadly. “Now.” The guy’s eyes are wide with fear, his breath coming in short gasps. “It was... Vasquez,” he stammers. “They wanted to take you out. Shut you down.” I tighten my grip on the guy I’ve got pinned, my jaw clenching.
“Why?” He shakes his head frantically. “They didn’t tell us. Just said you were in their way.” Corey glances at me, his expression hard. “We need to end this.
Now.” I nod, my eyes narrowing as I look down at the guy in my hands.
“Oh, it’s ending,” I say, my voice low. “But first, you’re going to tell us everything you know.” I pin the guy harder against the wall, his face turning red. "You heard him. Everything."
"The Cherry Pit—they've been losing business," he chokes out.
"Said you were taking their high rollers."
"And?" Corey twists the other guy's arm further. The crack of bone breaking echoes through the room.
"They wanted to send a message. Take out your fighter, destroy your reputation." His eyes dart to the door. "Please, we're just?—"
"Dead." I tighten my grip on his throat. "You’re just going to be dead."
Corey meets my eyes, a silent understanding passing between us.
We can't let them walk away from this. Not after what they did to Julian.
"You made three mistakes," Corey says, his voice eerily calm.
"You came after my club." He pulls out his gun, screwing on the silencer. "You hurt my people." The scarred guy starts to whimper.
"And you threatened someone I care about."
I slam my guy's head against the wall, once, hard. He goes limp.
The sound of Corey's silenced shot is barely louder than a cough.
My hands don't shake as I snap the other guy's neck. Quick, clean. The way we learned in the Marines.
"We need to move fast," Corey says, already pulling out his phone. "Get these bodies out before anyone comes looking."
I nod, my jaw tight. "What about The Cherry Pit?"
"Oh, they're next." Corey's eyes are cold as he dials. "But first, we need to make sure Julian's okay."
The thought of Julian bleeding out downstairs with Rhea makes my stomach turn. We've got more work to do, but right now, our family needs us.