Tortured Souls (Rebels of Sandland Book 2)

by Nikki J Summers

  “To see you? Always. I thought you’d have learnt your lesson by now, Lockwood. I’ve beaten you once before and I’ll do it again.” I kept moving forward, getting into his space to piss him off.

  “You got lucky. But let’s face it, I’ve beaten your ugly ass more times than you can count. I bet you still wet the bed thinking about all the fucked-up shit we did to you in school. Is that why Harper’s dating you now? Does she feel guilty about what her brother did to fuck up your head? She always was a soft touch for a sob story. She’s gonna love it even more after tonight when she’s nursing your wounds.” He turned to laugh at his friends like what he’d said was fucking funny. He’d be laughing through his wired jaw after I was finished with him. He spun back round to face me, keeping the sly smirk on his face. “If you think the right-hook I gave her was good, you should see what I’ve got planned for you.”

  I snapped, lurching forward, feeling like my whole body would implode if I didn’t hit him right that second. I never wanted him to say her name, and the memory of him putting his hands on her made me vicious, totally unhinged with the intensity of my thirst for revenge. Whoever said it was gonna be a blood bath was right, I was gonna rip his fucking head off.

  Ryan jumped in front of me like he was taking a bullet to save my life.

  “Save it for the ring, mate,” he growled into my ear as he kept himself in between me and the grinning cunt who was begging to have his whole face rearranged. “Use the anger. Channel it. Own it. Don’t let it own you. If he gets under your skin, he’ll win. You can’t let that happen. He needs to go down.”

  I listened to what Ryan said. I didn’t want to rein it in, but I knew I had to. For now. There was a better way to get my revenge, and Ryan was right. He always made sense. I had to own this anger, use it. Focus on the end goal and show everyone in that room that no one messes with Brandon Mathers or his woman. Years of deep-seated hatred, anger, and fury would be the fuel I needed to bring this to an end once and for all. After tonight, I never wanted to see another Lockwood in my face ever again.

  Jensen backed away and headed back to his side of the corridor with his mates. Zak, Finn, and Ryan formed a wall around me and kept giving me their pep-talk, bigging me up, but I couldn’t hear them. I’d started to faze them out. I was pumped, ready, and heading into that fucking zone.

  Just as the announcer started speaking to the crowd over the sound system, I heard the vibrations from the guys’ phones chiming in unison, pulling me out of my headspace.

  “Fuck, I forgot to turn mine off,” Zak said as he pulled his mobile out of his pocket. The other two swiped their screens, and when they read their messages, I saw the change in their expressions.

  “What does it say?” I asked, knowing they were about to hit me with bad news.

  “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Zak was a little too quick replying. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and looked anywhere but at me. This was fucking bad.

  “Ryan? What did it say?” I glared daggers at him, watching my best friend battle inside himself over whether to tell me or not. He didn’t want me to know what it was, but he would never keep a secret. He was always honest. But it was Finn who eventually broke the stand-off.

  “It says, tell him to throw the fight. If he doesn’t, we’ll hurt the girl.”

  Harper.

  They were threatening Harper.

  “And you still think this is Don Lockwood?” I pointed down at Ryan’s phone as I spoke.

  “That’s what the records say.” Zak was a whizz at these things. If he said it was linked to Lockwood, then it was. I trusted him one hundred percent.

  “It’s an empty threat. He’d never hurt Harper. We wouldn’t let him anywhere near her.” Ryan sounded so sure, but I knew better than anyone, if someone wanted to hurt you, they would. It didn’t matter how well protected you were. There was always a way.

  “This ends tonight.” I smacked my fists together, more than ready to take him on. No one threatened us and got away with it. First, I was gonna take out Jensen, and then I was going after Daddy Lockwood. The days of me cowering because of anyone from that family were well and truly over.

  “Are you still gonna fight?” Zak asked me, and I frowned. I couldn’t believe he needed to ask me that.

  “Of course I’m fighting. I’ll fucking kill him. And after I do, I’m going after the rest of his family.”

  I heard the bass from the music in the venue reverberating through the corridors and I closed my eyes, letting the atmosphere wash over me, trying to centre myself and clear my head of all the crap it’d taken on in the last few minutes. I needed to be focused to get the job done and do it well. There couldn’t be any room for error. Not with so much at stake.

  They called out Jensen’s name and I heard the crowd roar as he went out to a hail of boos and jeers. Looked like I wasn’t the only one that couldn’t wait to see him get his ass handed to him.

  The lads each patted me on the shoulder and told me to fucking smash it. I nodded, but I didn’t speak. When they called my name, I walked in and jabbed my arms as I headed for the ring. People clapped me on the back as I went past, and I heard the shouts and cheers, but I couldn’t settle, not until I’d seen where she was. There were hundreds of people in here, but all I cared about was her.

  I climbed up into the ring and put my mouth guard in. Then I scanned the room for a red top and blonde hair. As soon as I saw her standing with Emily, I felt a calmness wash over me. She tried to smile, but I could see how nervous she was. This was the worst thing she could ever watch, but she loved me enough to go through it. She was putting herself through hell to be there for me.

  Why the fuck was I doing this again?

  Why was I putting her through this?

  The ref came over and called me forward to toe the line. Jensen stood in the middle, smirking at me. The cocky bastard.

  I sauntered over and glared back at him. I was gonna enjoy every minute of this.

  “Right, lads,” the ref shouted to us over the noise of the hecklers. “Let’s have a clean fight. No biting, no holding, no butting. No hitting with an open hand and no gouging of the eyes. Yes?” We both nodded in agreement. “Good. Let’s get it on then, gentlemen.”

  Just as the ref stepped back, Jensen eyed my chest and stared down at my lion tattoo, and then he laughed. The sound of him cackling over the chants in the gym made my demons rise up like a phantom army. Ghosts of my past ready to right the wrongs in the most vicious way they could. Most times I could control them, but tonight I had no desire to. I wanted them to run free.

  “Best day of my life that was, cutting you up. Nice touch getting the lion tattoo over the top of it though. Very apt. Me and Yates always were the kings. But you? You’re a fucking mess. Just like your fucked-up mother. God knows what a girl like Harper sees in you. It won’t be long before she dumps your ass and finds herself -”

  He didn’t get to finish what he’d started to say. A red mist settled over me, just like it had when I’d been hiding down that alleyway listening to the way he talked to her. Hearing the way he disrespected her. I charged forward and pulled my head back, then smacked him hard on the face with an almighty head butt. The cracking sound of his nose breaking and the blood that splattered all over his face sent a surge of pride through my veins. The ref shouted and the crowd booed and jeered, but I didn’t care. I lifted my fist up and smacked him hard in the head, sending him spiralling to the floor.

  Who was the fucking mess now?

  “Jesus Christ! That’s a foul, son. You’re disqualified. No butting. That’s the rules. Are you a fucking moron?”

  I don’t know who this ref thought he was, but he was close to following Lockwood on the floor of the ring if he carried on talking to me like that.

  I saw a few of Lockwood’s guys jump the ropes and two ran over to tend to him whilst the others charged for me. I was ready for them, but when I raised my fists to fight back, I was jostled out of the
way by Ryan and a few other faces I recognised from Sandland. It looked like my foul play had turned this event into a free-for-all, and the ring was filling up with people ready to have a go. The Lockwood crew versus the Renaissance men. The unjust against the righteous. In life, they always held the upper hand with their money and status, but here we had the power. Our numbers were greater than theirs and our fury burned stronger.

  Lockwood wasn’t moving, he lay there spark out. His fucked-up team tended to him as best they could as anarchy reined all around them. I spun round and smacked my fist into one of theirs that was hurtling across the ring towards me, under the illusion that he could take me on. As soon as my fist connected with his face, he fell to the floor clutching his nose and howling like a fool. Ryan was kicking the shit out of a guy and I spotted Zak wrestling another to the ground. But in all the madness my first thought was for her. If anyone had laid a finger on her I’d burn this whole fucking gym to the ground. The lads could look after themselves, they all knew how to fight, even Finn to an extent, but not her. She was my responsibility. Mine to protect. I had to find her.

  I glanced over to where she’d been standing before, but she wasn’t there, and panic gripped my heart in an instant, thinking she might be hurt. I tried to get to the edge of the ring, pushing brawlers out of my way as they lurched and staggered around swinging punches anywhere and everywhere. I ducked my head dodging a sharp right-hook, and that’s when I spotted her. Groups of people were streaming out of the gym to try to escape, but not my girl. She was pushing against the throngs, trying to make her way to the ring like she was swimming against the tide, with Emily not far behind her. She was trying to get to me, but I’d save her first.

  In that moment, I couldn’t give a shit that I’d probably just pissed all over my boxing career or that my friends were fighting in this ring because of me. All I cared about was getting to her and making sure she was okay. I was done with being the puppet for everyone; Pat, my Mum, the Lockwoods.

  Tonight had played out just how I’d wanted.

  I’d never wanted a clean fight.

  Why would I?

  Nothing he’d ever done to me had been clean or fair. I’d gone against the rules, and I wouldn’t be asked to fight in a place like this again, but I’d stayed true to myself. I’d given him a dose of the Mathers comeback, and that was all that mattered.

  I jumped out of the ring with the sole purpose of getting to her and dragging her out of here, but Pat stepped in my way, blocking my path and my clear vision to where she was. He was fuming, but his anger was no match for mine.

  “You’re fucking finished, Mathers. You’ve cost me a lot of money tonight, son, not to mention my reputation, you stubborn little shit. I won’t work with you again. If I have my way, you’ll never box for anyone, ever.”

  His words meant nothing to me. I couldn’t care less. So, he’d lost money. But I hadn’t lost face. I’d done what I set out to do all along. I’d shown this town and everyone in it that I wouldn’t be messed with, and neither would Harper.

  “You don’t have to threaten me, Pat. I’m done. It’s all bullshit.” I breathed a little easier as Harper came up beside me, and when she heard what I’d said, her eyes widened.

  “Don’t say a fucking word to him you piece of shit.” She barged in front of me, shouting over the crowds to Pat.

  She was un-fucking-believable. My warrior princess, ready to throw down with anyone who pissed her off or got in her way. I bloody loved her.

  “You’d do well to remember your manners, girl. Speak to me like that again and I’ll-”

  “You’ll what, Pat? Show her who’s boss?” I wrapped my arm around Harper’s waist and pulled her into me. Then I leant over her shoulder, sneering into his face. “You even so much as breathe near her and I’ll rip your fucking head off.”

  Harper chuckled in my grasp and put her hand over mine.

  “And if you go near him again, I’ll rip your fucking balls off.”

  Fuck me.

  Hearing her threaten him was the biggest turn-on.

  I watched him snarl at us, then back off, sliding out of the room and away from the chaos like the vermin he was. Good riddance. For a second, I gave in to my desire and buried my face in her neck, inhaling her. Then, I snapped back to reality and the war around us. There wasn’t time to waste. I needed to get her out of here. I didn’t want her in this room surrounded by so much hate. I was finally done with this shit show.

  We pushed through the crowds and headed back to the changing room to get my stuff. With each step, I felt my shoulders lightened, and I started to walk taller. I’d done the right thing. I knew that. I’d taken Lockwood down and put Pat in his place too. There was a twinge of guilt at leaving the lads behind to finish the fight without me, but that soon evaporated when I spotted Ryan, Zak, and Finn hurtling down the corridor towards us.

  “That was mental.” Ryan slapped me on the back, laughing in his adrenaline high.

  “Where’s Em?” I glanced around him, but she wasn’t there.

  “I made her leave with Kian. He’s parked out front. He’ll get her home safe. She doesn’t need to see this next part.”

  Harper narrowed her eyes at me. “What next part?”

  I’d kept her in the dark enough lately, so I spent the next few minutes filling her in on what’d happened with the text messages and the link to Don Lockwood. I also told her I needed to end this, once and for all. I was going to face Don Lockwood and find out exactly what his game was. Harper insisted on coming too. As if I could ever deny my little warrior what she wanted. If she was determined to stand by my side, I’d let her. He’d threatened her in that text message. He needed to see we were indestructible. No one came between Harper and me. No one ever would.

  I sat with Harper in her little car as she drove us over to the Lockwoods. We didn’t even attempt to make small talk; we didn’t need to. I was too wound up, and she understood that I needed the space and time to think. She always got me.

  I didn’t know why the fuck Lockwood was sending us texts. He’d distanced himself so far away from the scandal we’d uncovered months ago that he may as well have been on fucking Mars. He also knew we were like a dog with a fricking bone when it came to shit like this. So, why was he suddenly being so sloppy? Did he think we wouldn’t find him? Or that we’d shy away from calling him out on his bullshit?

  Everyone knew what we were like. We didn’t stay quiet, ever. Maybe he was losing touch in his old age. Or he simply thought he was untouchable. Too bad we were on our way to show him how wrong he was.

  Ryan, Zak, and Finn were following us in Zak’s car and when we turned into the road, the house was lit up like a bloody Christmas tree, as if he was bragging about his self-importance to us before we’d even got out of the car.

  “Are you sure about this?” Harper turned to ask me as I reached for the door handle.

  I squeezed her knee to reassure her and she smiled in unspoken agreement. I’d never been surer of anything in my life. The Lockwoods needed taking down a peg or two, and none so more than Daddy dearest.

  “I need this to be fucking over. No one threatens you like that.” She tensed at my aggressive retort, so I reached out to take her hand in mine and brushed my thumb over her knuckles. “Don’t worry, little warrior. I’m on a winning streak tonight. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “It’s not me I’m worried about, Brandon. It’s you. You’ve just gone through all that with Jensen. You don’t need this. Not tonight.”

  “It has to happen tonight, babe. I’m not going another minute with these Lockwood fuckers thinking they can get one over on us. It isn’t happening anymore.”

  “I know. I get it.”

  We both got out of the car. I could see she was reluctant. Like a heavy weight was draped over her shoulders and she was trying to fight it off, but I was locked and loaded. The fire of adrenaline pumping through my body helped with that. No one was going to stand in my way.<
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  The lads parked up behind us and they got out, coming to stand by my side as whole conversations and confirmations of our brotherhood passed between us in the silence. They were here to support me, stand by me, and have my fucking back. Hurt one and you hurt all, it’d always been this way, ever since the days when they’d picked me up after a shitty day at school. They were my soldiers, we were an army, and woe betide anyone who stood in our way.

  We walked as a unit towards the house and then up to the imposing double front doors that were flanked by the ridiculously pompous topiary and extravagant wall lights that illuminated the front of the house. The Lockwoods had always been about the façade. All show and no substance to back it up. They liked to project an ideal to the rest of the world, one they thought they fooled everyone with, but they didn’t. Not us, anyway. They might look like the real deal, but they were shady fuckers with zero morals.

  We faced the doors in an unbreakable, impenetrable line as I rang the doorbell. Harper to my left, Ryan to my right. Finn and Zak were on either side of us. We were the dog’s bollocks, and when he opened the door, he’d get a load of exactly how fucking formidable we were.

  Harper threaded her arm through mine as we waited for them to open up. I looked down at her and winked. I wanted her to know I was in control, or at least for her to think I was. To be honest, it could go either way. I still felt unhinged after the fight, and my adrenaline was through the roof. I was more than ready for another throw down.

  When the door swung open, we saw Karen Lockwood standing there, gawping at us like we’d come down on the last spaceship. Her make-up was plastered thickly on her face and her eyebrows were so far up into her fringe that she looked permanently startled. Add in the fact that her blonde hair was pulled back into a harsh ponytail and she fitted the plastic trophy wife to a tee. Guessing her age would be like playing a carnival game; impossible to get right. She batted her spider-like eyelashes at us and smiled. But we weren’t here to play nice, so I cut right to the chase.