Fuckin’ fuck. No!
My heart starts to pound, and my vision tightens, all I can see is the fifteen feet of catwalk between me and the hunched figure, everything else forgotten. With an audible growl, I rush the rest of the way up the stairs and start down the catwalk. Holding my pistol out in front of me, I start taking shots at the shadow, my hurried steps ruining my aim. David snaps his head toward me and falls backward, losing his balance. He snaps his gun up and pops off a shot, buzzing past my ear and burying itself into the wall behind me. I can see the fear cross his face as he attempts to stand back up.
My stride doesn’t falter as I keep storming toward him. David is now frantically scrambling backward on all fours like a pathetic crab. In an attempt to hold some distance between us, he raises his arm again and his muzzle flashes, I don’t flinch. Pain blooms in my left shoulder, fire running down my arm and warmth spreading over my chest as I stumble back a step. David scrambles up in my momentary delay. A growl escapes my throat as I recover my stride, closing the distance.
He glances over his shoulder, seeing the end of line, he turns and braces himself taking careful aim; I’m greeted with the hollow click of an empty magazine. David stares at the gun in betrayal and then fucking cocks his arm back and throws his gun at me, which is so poorly aimed I just watch it sail past me and fall to the floor below. The look of shock and fear on his face brings a cold smile to my lips.
I have you now, you good for nothing shit-stain.
I close the distance in a few bounds, dropping my pistol to the catwalk, as I plant my left foot, pivot my hips, and throw a punch with the full force of my body. My fist lands square in the middle of his dumbass face, nose crumpling, eyes crossing, and bones crunching as his head snaps back.
I press relentlessly forward as he stumbles back a few steps and pound his stomach with another right, blasting the wind from him in a rush. He bends down to catch his breath and I move in, looking to knock him down but he snaps a poorly aimed uppercut that I catch with my left arm, grunting at the fresh burst of pain from the wound in my shoulder. I slam my forehead down on his crushed face and he howls in pain, stumbling backward to catch up against the end of the catwalk railing.
David falls back against the rusted metal railing and pulls himself up straight, somehow defiant in the face of my onslaught. I meet his stare as he spits out through his demolished face, “Why do you care about that whore and her runt? She’s beneath a man like you, she isn’t worth all this. Just leave her to me!” bloody spittle flies from his lips as he speaks. I feel all the rage inside me finally boil over.
I snap a kick out at his knee and with a crunch it flips backward between the bars of the railing. His scream feeds my rage, as I pound a gloved fist into his increasingly distorted face. The rail groans in protest with each hit, rust falling into the steam from below. I grab his shirt and pull his face close to mine.
“She’s worth more than you’ll ever know you God forsaken piece of shit,” I again snap my forehead down into his and he falls backward, the railing the only thing keeping him upright.
“I’ll get her eventually; you can’t stop me,” David, grinds out, finding some level of defiance within his shaking body.
“SHE.
IS.
MINE!”
I scream, pulling my knee up, bracing myself on the railings as my size twelve boot snaps forward toward his chest. My full weight lands with the force of my fury against this lick-spittle’s chest. Metal groans as the railing finally gives way. Time slows, I can see the dust pattern of my boot on his chest as he hangs in the air, railing falling away behind him. A blood choked cry erupts from his throat. The sound is abruptly cut off with a wet slap and a loud splash that echoes across the building.
Leaning over the edge of the broken catwalk, I see David’s body floating in the agitated acid bath below, steam rising from the heated and bubbling vat. I stare in mild amusement as David’s body twitches and thrashes unconsciously, the red splat on the edge of the vat a telltale sign that he cracked his skull on the way down. The harsh scent of the acid begins to permeate the air from the spillage and the splashing. David’s body stills after a few moments, the acid surely having done its job along with him being face down. His body slowly sinks from view as the vat clouds a dull red.
I stand there for a moment, staring at the grisly scene below me when my brain finally catches up with reality.
“Sawyer!”
Axel’s voice shouting my name from below finally breaks through my delirium. I rush back down the length of the catwalk and stairs and I pull up short seeing Axel on his knees, a body cradled in his lap.
Remy…
Remy’s head is resting on Axel’s knees, his eyes blank and unfocused, his breathing ragged and shallow. The sight of the VP curled over Remy holding his head still while calmly telling him it’ll be okay shakes me. Axel looks up and meets my questioning look with a shake of his head before returning his attention to the brother slowly bleeding out at my feet. As I step closer, I can see the ragged hole in Remy’s Cut, just to the side of where his heart is.
For the second time in ten minutes my focus narrows down to a pinpoint as I drop to my knees and grab Remy’s hand. I squeeze it firmly, but there is no response in my brother’s limp fingers. Remy sucks in a gurgling breath and coughs, blood pooling at the corner of his mouth.
“Did… did you just Spartan kick… Spartan…” Remy’s voice breaks and bubbles around the words and he finally cuts off on a choking cough. With a soft laugh, I squeeze his hand again and close my eyes, bracing for what I know is coming. I look to Remy’s face and watch as the last light goes from his unfocused eyes and hear a final rasping exhale bubble from his chest.
As rage starts to boil up within me, the sharp wail of a baby’s cry cuts through the oppressive silence. My head snaps up, my heart in my throat. Panic and adrenaline start to course through me as I search for the source of the sound. not sure if I dare to hope something good came from this clusterfuck.
“Go. I’ve got him,” Axel urges, his voice thick with emotion. I meet his eyes and he just nods, returning his gaze to Remy’s still form as he closes his eyes and pulls his hair straight. I give Remy’s hand one last squeeze before standing and running off toward the racks.
When I get to the final row and see the upended barrels, I sprint toward them, pulling up short when I see Tessa huddled between the barrels. She is clutching a squirming and crying Evan to her chest, trying to muffle the sound with her sweater.
Dropping to my knees, I gather both in my arms, tucking Tessa’s head against my shoulder and holding onto her with everything I have. As my arms close around her I feel a profound peace sink into my bones. I press desperate kisses against her hair and murmur that she is safe, that Evan is safe, that I’ve got them; the asshole can’t hurt them anymore. I’m not sure if it’s more of a reassurance for her or for myself, but either way, it’s finished.
When Tessa calms down and pulls away, I take Evan from her and cradle his little body in my arms. “You gave me a scare little man. I’m so damn happy to have you home little E-Buddy,” I whisper against his soft curls as I lean down to kiss him. His little fingers wrap around my shirt and tug, holding on so tightly. I pull his Lovie from my back pocket and he latches onto it like a life preserver. His little eyes look up to me and I watch a tiny tear leak from the corner of his eye. “We’re all good now.”