Chapter 30
CLUTCH - BURN IT DOWN
“I will fucking make you wish you were dead.” Four ground out, taking a step forward. Before Razor tsked at him and held a gun up to Cal’s head.
There was a commotion behind me, near the bar. But I didn't take my eyes off Razor, off the gun pointed at Four’s eight-year-old son.
Razor smiled, “That was the reaction I was looking for. Now…”
But he was cut off by Mara, “Razor enough. Let them all go, and I will leave with you. I will…”
Razor laughed, cutting her off. “If you think you hold any value to me, I obviously didn't get that point across well enough, sure I could keep you alive until you gave me my kid… but even that is optional.”
A gun was raised in my periphery, and Razor shook his head, “Now, Angel, you don’t want to be responsible for more deaths and loss, do you?”
The gun shook and then slowly lowered out of my view.
Razor turned his attention back on Four, “Now for this first round, Four… let’s find out who is more important to you. Who are you most loyal… protective over… Your son from your first marriage or…” His eyes scanned the room until he found what he was looking for, “Or the woman who wears your cut?”
Four stood silent, almost frozen. My mind was trying to work out how to punch my way out of this... But there were too many unknowns… too many variables. A risk I couldn’t take yet… I needed…
“It isn’t a choice he needs to make.” Dani’s voice was so sure, so strong.
Four made a sound I had never heard before and then I saw Dani moving forward, up next to me.
Four grabbed her, spinning her so he could see her face. I shifted to the left so my body was blocking hers in case Razor got any crazy ideas. Crazier then whatever this shit was.
No words were spoken, but I heard Four suck in a breath and then Dani’s small hand was on my forearm indicating she was beside me. I wanted to stop her, stop this. But how… How could someone make that choice?
Dani walked, back straight, shoulders back, straight to Razor, and stopped right in front of him looking up at his face, “You may think you know everything Razor, but you have underestimated some of us.”
Razor looked down at her, a grin on his face, “Nah, I didn’t underestimate you Dani. I knew you’d sacrifice yourself,” he leaned into her, but his eyes shot up looking directly at Four, “Just like I know it will destroy him to watch me take you with me when I leave.”
Razor’s hand snapped out and he grabbed the back of Dani’s neck, twisting her hair in his grip and then signalled to the man holding Cal.
He shoved the boy forward, whose face was tear streaked and dirty.
Cal took a couple of wobbly steps forward but he didn’t cover much distance, so I moved slowly holding my gun out beside me to show I wouldn't use it and grabbed Cal, pulling him behind me and backing us up so that Four could get to his son from behind me.
A few moments passed, and there was movement behind us. Assuming Four was handing off Cal and getting him somewhere safe, safer than here.
Razor spun Dani so her back was to his front and pulled her against himself.
“Well that was kind of anticlimactic, I kind of hoped for a bigger build up or maybe some tears…” He brought his nose down to Dani’s hair, inhaling deeply. A growl came from behind me and Dani’s eyes locked on Four. Like she was silently trying to calm him, reassure him…
Razor stood straight shoving Dani at the man who had just been holding Cal, “But I guess the fun will come after I get you out of here, won’t it Dani.”
She didn’t react, her eyes still locked on Four.
Razor moved to the next man holding a hostage, his eyes scanning the room around us. “Now this one I am curious about how it will play out. So many different ways people could react to this one… especially if everything comes out in the open…”
Razor ripped off the bag and a petite woman I had never seen before, but looked very familiar, was uncovered.
A gasp and then commotion came from behind the bar.
It sounded like someone was being retrained, I took a step forward hoping no one would notice with everything going on and then I heard Marisol, “Get your fucking hands off of me, it’s your fault that psychopath has my sister. ”
Fuck… fuck fuck fuck.
The tension in the room continued to grow, every minute this continued was like scraping more flint into the pile, waiting for it to catch.
“No trade Razor, I don’t care what you say. And I am so sorry Carmen…”
I heard a choked sound and a cry, then it was muffled.
“…I am so fucking sorry. But I won’t give her up.” Axel’s voice held so much pain.
I heard more commotion behind me, but I didn’t want to take my eyes off of the men in front of me, I needed to find my moment to act.
“Ow fuck, Marisol did you just bite me?” Axel ground out.
What the hell was going on?
Razor had a massive grin on his face, like he was watching his favourite show, Dani still hadn’t taken her eyes off of Four, and Marisol’s sister Carmen had her eyes squeezed closed, tears streaming down her face.
If we made it out of this, we fuck… we need to do… be so much better. This couldn’t be who we were, how things happened. We needed to change everything about how this club operated, how we saw the world and the people we claimed to care about the most.
Stay hidden baby, stay away until I can fix this and then I will look for you.
I had never felt so thankful that she had run, that she had decided it wasn't safe here anymore and she needed to get away from me, from the club.
More commotion from behind me and I could just see Marisol in my peripheral, fuck…
Was this his plan… to collect all the Ol’ Ladies… take everything from the Club?
Marisol was suddenly yanked back and she yelped. More struggling then she screamed in anger. “No… You don’t get to make this choice. She is my sister Axel… my sister… And trust me I know that you only care about what happens to me now because of the baby…”
Shock spread through the room and Razor didn’t look surprised. He looked pleased at the chaos.
Marisol didn’t stop, “You made that perfectly clear when you assumed the worse of me… when you screamed at me like I was nothing and no one. When you thought I would help that lunatic. But I do not belong to you, and you do not get to make this choice for me.”
The room was silent for a moment until Razor cackled.
“I cannot wait to see how this plays out… ohhhh the choices. And I didn’t even have to ask the question. Our women really are soooo loyal, protective and fierce… aren’t they?”
I heard a grunt from Axel and then Marisol came into view again, her eyes raking over her sister.
Carmen’s eyes were still closed, but she must have sensed her sister approaching because she opened them and looked right at her.
She shook her head, a choked sob coming out of her.
Marisol put a protective hand over her still flat stomach and took a deep breath before looking up at Razor.
“Release her and I will go with you…”
Marisol was cut off when Axel pushed in front of her, placing his gun in the back of his waistband.
“No…” Axel ground out. “Enough of this Razor, you want to punish the club, then be a man and punish the ones who actually deserve it.”
Razor shook his head, “Where would the fun be in that?”
Axel looked back over his shoulder, down at Marisol, and whispered, “I really do love you. I fucked up, I know it. But I love you. You… with or without the baby.”
Then he turned his attention back on Razor, “Take me. In place of Carmen.”
Razor titled his head like he was considering the offer, then turned to Carmen, he rubbed his gun up her jawline, pushing her hair back from her face.
“I don’t know… choices the choices… Did you know sweet Carmen is a Virgin?”
Shouts were coming from behind me and I could see Marisol shaking behind Axel.
“She could earn me a lot of money… or I could keep her as a pet…”
“You fucking maniac,” Marisol was fighting to get around Axel, but he was holding her back.
“You know Marisol… I didn't think I was into the whole breeding kink thing… But you do have this glow about you…” He paused looking down at Carmen and then back at the bar area. He smiled and then looked at Marisol.
“How about Mara and Marisol for Carmen?”
Angel growled and Axel was fighting to keep himself still, keep Marisol behind him.
“Not a fucking chance,” Angel ground out.
Marisol cried out, as Razor pulled Carmen in front of him.
He pulled the back of her hair, so her neck was exposed.
He put his gun in his waistband and pulled out one of his knives.
I thought maybe I could take this moment, but just as I slowly went to lift my gun I heard a tsk and the click of a safety and I looked at the man holding Dani who now had a gun to her head.
He shook his head no, but Dani… her eyes were still on Four.
Like she was ready for whatever happened. Like she had accepted any possibility.
I blew out a breath, knowing that there wasn’t any good decision to be made at this moment and that was exactly what Razor had set up.
Exactly what he wanted. Knowing that no matter what choices were made today…
. Really since he started messing with the club, would change us all irrevocably.
That no person, no relationship would be the same.
Razor lazily drew the blade against Carmen’s throat, while Marisol fought against Axel crying.
“Fuck… Razor, stop. Take me. Work out whatever aggression, whatever hate you have for this club on me. Just please…” Axel’s voice broke a bit, "Please, just don’t do this…”
Razor stopped for a moment seemingly trying to make up his mind, his eyes scanned the bar area again and then he pulled the knife away, a tiny cut on Carmen's throat bringing a drop of blood to the surface.
“Hmmm… I think maybe we pause here, so I can decide what a fair trade is for Carmen. I can see some twitchy fingers and I want to make sure we reveal all the players.”
He shoved Carmen to the ground at the feet of the man who was holding her before, he kicked her telling her not to move, while Axel moved him and Marisol back a few steps.
Then he walked over to the final hostage and his grin was feral.
“Now I kind of think she over played her hand to me… But either way this should be fun.”
He looked around the room, tension crackling everywhere, “Should we get to our third player?”
The wording stuck out to me… players… player? Not a victim or hostage. The way he said it made it sound like…
Razor was staring at me, “Ohhh Clutch might have figured something out… or his hamster is finally back up on that wheel… Care to share with the class Clutch?”
I had no clue how it all fit together… I mean maybe Carmen was working with Razor, but no way was a sweet eight year old boy… maybe… No, I couldn't start spewing bullshit without knowing for sure. I had learned the hard way with Bex…
I shook my head no, still trying to work out what was going on.
“You are such a wet fucking blanket since Rebecca left you, well I guess you figured out who she really is now haven’t you.
You had Cypher dig up her past, thank you for that by the way.
I have a direction to go, after we are done here.
I have a few people who would love to be reunited with their little Molly. ”
Confused murmurs echoed behind me, I clenched my jaw knowing no matter what.
No matter if I had to take everyone down with him, he would not leave this place alive and I would go hunting for her parents, for anyone who hurt her.
I would burn it all down so it would be safe for her to come out of hiding.