Chapter Five
Baxter
I make my way through the dense undergrowth behind Knox Academy to finish a job. Kalen called me and pulled rank when I was supposed to meet with Amelie. I know she’s pissed, and her attitude amuses me.
He came to me with a plan over his own brothers. When he ran it past me I knew why he chose me. I'm the one more likely to jump in and get shit done, no questions asked. He wants revenge on Laura for all the things she did to Amelie over the years. He wants her to suffer in the same way.
Personally, I think Amelie should have the right to inflict that pain, but I'm more than happy to dig for more information. Especially now we know that Debbie is alive. There has to be more pieces to this puzzle.
Hence why we have a guy tied to a chair.
I spent all afternoon getting his chunky ass all the way out here because Kalen was a no show.
Laura really needs to cover her tracks better; hiring someone to follow Amelie is so amateur.
Jasper was the first to notice and gave me a heads up.
He may work for The Order, but once again Amelie is making friends all over the place.
I'm sure it helps that he keeps sticking his dick in her other best friend.
Why the fuck does that make my gut churn, her having another best friend?
Fucking friends. I’ve avoided this for so long and yet she’s weaselled her way in and I can't get rid of her.
I even humoured Kalen with his superiority crap to meet up with him since Amelie asked me to try to be nice to them, especially since the others always leave him out.
Sounds like Kalen is being a little bitch to me.
I find the small shack where I left it in the woods.
Clearly, no one has found my guest inside since there are no cops hanging around.
I take the three steps up to the door in one go, not risking getting my legs cut up by thorns.
The last thing I need is to have to get a damn tetanus shot because of this guy.
“We meet again,” I say to the fucker as I enter the small musty room that has seen better days. Without Kalen, I couldn't bring my tools with me the first time so I had to go back for them. “I found my friends on the way back.”
I hold up my bag of special tools. He moans something under the duct tape over his mouth. The chair rocks with him thrashing around which sends dust particles flying around the room like little killer fireflies. Doom dust.
Fuck. Now I know I’ve spent too much time with Kalen; his stupidity is rubbing off on me.
A twig snapping has me reaching for the small knife strapped to my ankle. The idiot in the chair must have heard it too. He thrashes around like it’s an audition for the exorcist.
The door swings open and I throw my knife. It flies through the open space before Kalen pops his head around to look in.
“Good thing I know you’re a crazy mother fucker, or I would have lost an eye! What would I have done then? I would make a sexy pirate, but boats are not for me.”
I’ve learned it’s best to just wait out his stupid. If you say anything, it only encourages him more.
“What took you so long?”
“I had to look after my girl. Onyx nearly killed Jasper, and I had to send him home.”
I don't ask why, because frankly, I don't care.
“Apparently Elsie…” Just her name causes that twisting feeling in my gut. “Not only likes vag but she’s also into dick. Jasper had a case of the green eyed monster when he found out Elsie also diddled with Marcia.”
“What did he do to Amelie?”
“He scared her when he got grumpy. Onyx overreacted, but she’s our queen now and he has to follow the rules like the rest of us.”
I grind my teeth. Jasper has some explaining to do. He isn't paid to lose his cool over some pussy. He wants to scare her? I’ll show him scared when I slip through his window tonight. Hide and seek in the dark is a great way to end a night.
“How about you focus on what we have to do? Because not only is Amelie out for my blood over not showing up, I had to make up more excuses to track down this guy.”
“You didn't have to tie him up and bring him here. You could have just had him watched.”
“I'm not into prolonging the inevitable. Laura has been meeting with him, and it turns out he’s been following Amelie. I don’t like that at all.”
That snaps Kalen into gear. He reaches into the bag and pulls out a rusty knife. Smiling and stalking towards the sad sack slumped in the chair, Kalen cackles when the guy’s eyes go wide and more muffled moans of protest escape under the tape. Kalen rips the gag from his mouth.
“Help!” he screams.
“It won't do you any good, and even if someone did stumble across us, do you have any idea who I am? My brothers may think I’m soft, not cut out for this part of the job, and they’re probably right…
I do lack focus and I hate getting my hands dirty, but you messed up when you involved her.
If you haven't figured it out, she’s pretty fucking special.
Special enough that even the big bad Baxter Branson is willing to work with me to see that she’s protected from every threat.
No matter how small or seemingly insignificant. ”
The guy’s mouth opens and closes as recognition of my name dawns on him.
“I...didn't know you knew her! Cordelia is a good client of mine, a friend even.”
He had to bring up that cunt. I swear to every god on this planet that’s reason enough to kill him. I loathe that woman almost as much as I despise having our names intrinsically linked. It makes me feel murderous…even more so than before. Before it was just a job, now it’s personal.
“I’ll be sure to send your head to her as an early Christmas gift.”
“You know, it really stinks in here,” Kalen complains. “Oh! That reminds me! What gets covered in dirt but always stays clean?”
“A body inside a coffin,” I reply.
He falls silent and stares at me a beat too long.
“You really are one twisted motherfucker.” He shakes his head like I’ve somehow disappointed him. “It’s soap. The answer is always soap. Which you could do with in here.”
I shrug.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he whines.
I ignore him, and Kalen drops his attention from me and back to our victim for the night. He grins and runs the knife down the side of his face, the rusty blade cutting into his skin and making him scream out in pain. I take out my waterproof portable speaker and connect it to my playlist.
“Do we have to listen to that?” Kalen whines again. Fuck, I forgot how whingey he is. “It’s weird and creepy listening to classical music while trying to kill a man."
“You wanted my help, we do this my way. Besides, we’re not trying to kill him. We are killing him. Just listen, feel the music…it makes the transition with the weapons so much nicer.”
He closes his eyes and waves the knife through the air to the sound of ‘Divenire’ by Ludovico Einaudi.
“You're right. It makes me feel like a nineteenth century villain.”
He turns back to the guy, moving like a fucking weirdo.
“What did Laura want you to do?”
“She just wanted me to watch her. That’s it, I swear!”
Kalen rubs his chin like he’s thinking it over.
“I think he’s lying,” he eventually announces, turning back to face me. No shit, Sherlock.
“I agree. Laura could have had Monty do this under the false guise of concern. Anyone who works for Cuntdelia would be someone smart enough to know not to talk.”
“Fuck you!” he seethes, knowing the jig is up. I know his game. “I won't tell you shit. You're going to kill me either way.”
“True…but how painfully you die is up to you. A bullet to the head is a nice, fast way to go.”
I bend down and grab the blowtorch from my bag. Fire is always a sure way to get people to talk.
“Let me do it!” Kalen crows, way too cheery for killing someone.
I hand over the blowtorch and wonder if it was a smart idea when he almost drops it then spins to say something and the flame gets way too close to my face.
I can smell my nose hairs are singed. He’s a fucking liability.
Has he been drinking or is he always this… ugh. I don’t even have words for him.
“Whoops!” he snickers before cackling like a madman. I say nothing as he turns back to finish what he started.
I stand back and watch, wondering what the fuck I even did to deserve this kind of torture. Kalen seems to be having fun and the guy passes out after he burns his socks.
Fucking friendship. I never wanted it, but somehow the pint-sized girl with curves in all the right places friend zoned me and here I am.
..humouring her by bringing one of her fuck boys along with me.
I never ask for much, a creature of comfort.
I like my own company, hiding in the shadows, and my damn torture chamber, given this one isn’t mine, but same shit.
I’ve teamed up with a Knox before, just a less annoying one.
Why Kalen? Not even the sweet sound of classical music can ease the tension today.
“Should we play a game while we wait for him to wake up again,” Kalen whines. “This is so boring.”
“No,” I state flatly, pulling out the smelling salts to wake this asshole up so I no longer have to listen to Kalen whine and bitch.
“But…”
I swing to face him. He’s sitting on a stool playing with a pair of pliers, putting his damn fingerprints and DNA over everything. Why his brothers kept him away from all this is painfully obvious, but also stupid. He has no damn clue.
“But nothing, you ran to your girlfriend and complained because you’re always left out, now here I am because she played the damn friendship card.
Friends, Kalen…and this is the shit we apparently do.
So how about you take those pliers and start cutting off fingers so this moron starts talking.
” I pause for a beat and then add for clarity, “His, not yours by the way.”