by Jade Kuzma
Roman pulled up right next to me but my attention was focused on the big man beside him. The guy was built like a fucking redwood. Even when he was sitting on his bike, he was taller than most men standing up. If he stayed on his ride any longer, the seat would’ve broke and the tires would’ve popped.
“Got him,” Roman said.
“Got him. Where’s the rest of them?” I said.
“That’s them.”
“Hold on a second,” I said as I turned my attention to the big man. “I paid a million for the Black Reapers. Not one of them. All of them.”
The gigantic motherfucker got up off of his bike then moved toward me. I was never intimidated by another man but damn if this big bastard didn’t have me questioning myself for a bit.
“I’m representing the Black Reapers,” he said. “I’m all you need for this.”
I looked over at Roman and he shrugged.
“Brawn here looks like he knows how to handle himself,” Roman said.
“Brawn, huh? Yeah… Yeah, he does.”
“I’m sure he’s worth about a dozen of Emerson’s men.”
Brawn gave me a wink. I’d never seen someone who looked so out of place before. I sighed knowing that I’d take whatever I could get.
“Fine,” I said. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Yo, Venom.”
Hunter rolled up next to me on his bike and held his phone up.
“Just got the message from Alvarez,” he said. “Meeting is underway.”
“Make the call,” I said.
Hunter put his phone up to his ear. A few seconds later, I heard someone on the other line pick up.
“Do it,” Hunter said.
He hung his phone up and everybody turned their attention back to the warehouse in the distance. I clenched my jaw, a sudden nervousness beginning to twist my stomach.
Come on…
I waited. And waited. And waited.
Everybody else was watching. Not a single man was blinking.
“Where is this motherfucker—”
Before I could finish, the squeal of tires filled the air. Unmarked cars pulled up on the warehouse. A chorus of gunshots rang through the sky like fireworks. There was nothing quite like bullets burning through steel.
The gunfire was short but devastating. The patrol cars came to a stop. The armed guards laid on the floor, their bodies lifeless and growing colder with every passing second.
“Let’s go!” I shouted.
I got to my bike and rode toward the warehouse. The Devils. The Rebels. And a Black Reaper. We headed toward our destination to meet with the men who’d opened the path for us.
We pulled up to one of the SUVs and a man stepped out. A Japanese man in a white suit that didn’t have a single wrinkle on it. He wasn’t that big in stature but he carried himself with the kind of confidence you needed to have to pull some shit off like that. He wasn’t a Yakuza leader for nothing. Hunter knew all the right people.
“Jacobson,” the man said. “I suppose this should suffice.”
“Yeah,” Hunter said as he looked around at the destruction. “I think this’ll do just fine, Takahashi.”
“We’re not done yet,” I said. “You’ll get your cash when this is finished.”
“I’m not interested in the cash,” Takahashi responded. “You know what I want.”
“When this is all over, you’ll get it.”
Takahashi straightened out his suit then nodded to me. I turned to everybody else to address them.
“That was just the patrol,” I said. “Emerson’s got a welcoming party waiting inside for us. This is serious. Anybody who wants to back out, leave now.”
“Cut the bullshit,” Ellis said. “Let’s get this shit done with.”
“I’m already tired of waiting,” Brawn added.
I looked toward the rest of my MC. Aden. Hunter. Roman. Ezra. They were all in agreement. We didn’t have to talk about it. We already knew what we had to do.
“Let’s go,” I said.
I got off my bike and moved toward the entrance. Everybody had their pieces out, armed and ready. I kicked the door open, waiting to see some motherfucker pointing some shit at me. But nobody was inside.
“Careful now,” Roman said to me as I slowly inched my way into the warehouse.
The place was mostly empty outside of all the storage units and shipping containers. It was dark, too. I kept moving forward toward the light in the distance. A few bulbs hanging from the ceiling that shined down on one small spot in the warehouse.
I moved behind a couple of shipping containers and hid behind them.
“Cain!”
A voice echoed through the warehouse. An unmistakable voice I could hear in my dreams.
“Cain, is that you? Don’t be shy now. You can come out. I promise I won’t hurt you.”
Roman stood by my side. I stared at him, looking for one last bit of assurance I didn’t need. But he nodded and gave it to me anyway.
I slowly moved around the corner and saw Emerson standing there a few meters away. Even in a warehouse like this, his suit still managed to look as impeccable as always.
“There you are,” he said. “Come on now. Bring your friends, too.”
Emerson stood next to a few more armed guards. Five of them to be exact. One of them though… Shaved head. Some psychotic, focused look in his eye. Something was off about him. Not that it mattered. Emerson was about to get what was coming to him.
“It’s over,” I said. “You’re finished, Emerson.”
“I’m afraid not,” he responded. “Blackwell…”
He snapped his fingers and the bald bodyguard moved back into the darkness. He appeared a few seconds later with a body. He tossed it down on the ground and it didn’t take me more than a moment to realize who it was. I stared at Alvarez’s body to see if he was still alive but he wasn’t moving.
“You think I’m not watching all of the people I do business with?” he said. “That’s the problem with being on top. Everybody wants to take you down. Even those people you do business with. No big loss though. Mr. Alvarez has always been a dead weight. A glutton just looking to indulge himself constantly.”
“And what are you?” I said. “A man who came to Ivory so he could indulge himself. You’re no different from Alvarez.”
“But I am. Alvarez was only looking for his next meal. He wasn’t looking at the big picture.”
Emerson stepped forward and held his arms out like he was painting a picture.
“I’m doing something incredible,” he said. “Something Ivory has never seen before. I’m on the threshold of creating an empire the likes that haven’t been seen since Caesar’s day!”
“Man, this guy is nuts,” Hunter said under his breath.
“I would never expect any of you to understand that. Common, petty thugs. Bikers. You ride around and pretend like you’re better than everybody else. You don’t belong here. It’s only right that I purge you from this town.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. We’re just ordinary citizens in Ivory trying to do our part. It’s you that doesn’t belong here.”
Emerson’s confidence was unwavering. He stuck his chest out, his hands behind his back as he stared back at me.
The men at my sides raised their weapons up. Emerson’s men did the same.
“It’s over,” I said. “There’s nowhere left for you to go. You should’ve hired more men.”
“More men…” he started. “I don’t need more men. Not to deal with you. You might have a gun pointed at me but you will die, too, Cain.”
“I’m ready to meet my maker. I’ve been ready since I was born.”
I raised my gun up and cocked the hammer back.
“The question is, are you ready to go, Emerson? Nah… I don’t think you’re ready. I can see the fear in your eyes.”
He glared at me, eyebrows furrowed and jaw clenched. I knew I had him right where I wanted him.
“I’ll offer any man standing there triple whatever Cain is paying you to put a bullet in his head—”
“Don’t listen to him,” I said. “You listen to him and the rest of the Devils will ice you as soon as you try.”
I widened my eyes at Ellis. There was still an annoying inkling of doubt inside of me. Maybe he would take the money.
He stared at me like he was seriously considering it before smirking at me.
“I’ve got enough money,” he said.
“Brawn?” I asked.
“Same here.”
“There you have it,” I said, turning back to Emerson. “You can’t buy your way out of this one.”
“Don’t think that just because I can’t pay—”
“You,” I cut him off, yelling at the personal security standing by his side. “All of you. Emerson is paying you. He’s paying you to protect him. He’s paying you to take a bullet for him. But how much money is your life worth? Because that’s the cost. Look outside. Look at the men who defended Emerson. If you stay by his side, the Yakuza are waiting for you. And your end won’t be as pleasant as the ones before you.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Emerson muttered, frustration growing on his face. “He’s trying to trick you—”
“Walk away,” I said. “Walk away and not only will you be compensated but you’ll be alive. The Yakuza outside will leave you unharmed. That’s greater than any reward Emerson can offer you.”
The security guards weren’t budging. They kept their weapons pointed at us.
But one of them suddenly turned toward the other. Then another looked around for approval. In a matter of seconds, they lowered their weapons down and tossed them to the floor.
“What are you doing?” Emerson shouted. “Do what I paid you to do!”
The security guards all started walking by us and leaving toward the exits without saying a word.
“Hey! Come back here!”
I’d never seen Emerson look so flustered before. His hair had fallen out of place and the wrinkles on his brow became more apparent. He was sweating, his cheeks reddened like he was about to explode. He was alone except for the one man standing next to him. A personal bodyguard who was loyal to the end.
“Blackwell,” Emerson said. “Kill this man.”
“Blackwell, is it? I don’t have much more money to offer you. I don’t know why you’re so loyal to this man. But you know there’s no escaping. You don’t have to leave. But you’ll get a chance. One chance.”
I raised my hand up and the men by my side lowered their weapons down. I walked forward until Emerson stood right before me.
“You and me,” I said to Emerson. “Let’s settle this between us. We can put an end to it.”
“What do I look like taking the word of a petty thief like you?”
“You beat me, you can walk away. You’re on the verge of an empire. I’m the last hurdle you need to get over to get to the top.”
Emerson smirked at me, confidence filling his face once again. He tugged at his tie then tossed it to the ground in a fit.
“I’ve trained with the best money can buy,” he said as he took his jacket off. “World champions. Special forces officers. Agents from all over the world. You couldn’t take me in a fight.”
He took off his shirt and I had to admit, Emerson looked like he could handle himself. But all the training in the world wasn’t gonna save him from the shit I was gonna do to him.
I pulled my kutte off and tossed it to Roman.
“There you go with the money again,” I said as I clenched my fists. “It won’t save you now.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Emerson and I started circling one another. I looked him right in the eyes. I’d never been more focused in my life.
This motherfucker… Everything he did to Kristen. What he did to Murphy. Put an end to him.
“Let’s go, Venom!” Aden shouted.
“Kill this motherfucker!” Roman shouted.
Emerson suddenly charged at me. I readied myself but he stopped on a dime and sent a kick so fast I didn’t see it coming. His fancy loafer connected with my jaw and sent me stumbling back. My vision blurred as I struggled to stay standing.
“Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy…”
I blinked my eyes and shook away the ringing in my head.
“…Just like I suspected,” Emerson continued. “Sloppy thief. Sloppy fighter.”
I charged at him and swung a right hand as hard as I could. But he was ready. He ducked out of the way and caught me right in the stomach, keeling me over like I was about to lose my lunch.
He didn’t keep going though. He just paced back and forth, strutting with the confidence he always had.
“You fight like a thug would fight,” he said. “All of those barroom brawls don’t prepare you for when it really matters!”
He swung at me and I wasn’t fast enough to respond. He caught me right on the temple. I felt a cut open up on my eyebrow and the blood immediately started leaking out.
“Venom!” Hunter shouted. “Stop fucking around!”
All eyes were on the warehouse as I fell to my knees.
Goddammit…
“Is this it?” Emerson said. “This is all you have to offer me? You don’t even know how to fight!”
All of the pain coursing through my body didn’t amount to the annoyance I had from hearing him talk.
“It’s pathetic—”
Before he could finish, I rose up and threw an uppercut at him. Knowing he’d move out of the way, I pulled back then rushed forward. I wrapped my arms around his waist and tackled him to the ground. The back of his head cracked against the floor.
Now!
I postured up and hammered his face with rights and lefts. His eyes rolled back as the blood and bruises started to appear on his cheeks.
For Murph. For Kristen. For every man who wore a patch.
I swung with all of my strength. No matter how fast my heart raced or how bad my lungs burned, I used everything I had left inside of me to bloody Emerson’s face.
“Get off me!”
I was so focused on beating him that I wasn’t ready when he poked me in the eye.
“Fuck!”
I stumbled back and he pushed me off of him.
Shit…
I blinked to try and get my vision back. But Emerson was back on me, hammering me with a right hand then sent me crashing back to the floor.
Emerson straightened up, his mouth open as he gasped for air.
“Almost, Cain,” he said, laughing as he breathed hard. “You almost had me. But a man like you could never compete with a man like me. Men like you live ordinary lives in shit towns like Ivory. Men like me… We create empires and rule the world…”
Come on! Get up!
“What are you doing?” Hunter shouted.
“You still got this!” Ezra yelled.
They were so loud but their voices seemed distant.
I closed my eyes to try and regain my focus but all I could hear was Emerson.
“It’s over, Cain. All of your hopes. All of your dreams. That white picket fence and a dog and children. Riding around Ivory and serving justice. Being the baddest man in town. You’ll never have that. All of it is going down the drain. All because you couldn’t mind your own business.”
Get up! Get up!
Stupid voice in my head was yelling at me but my body wasn’t responding.
“How does it feel? How does it feel knowing that you could’ve been happy but you just had to go and do something so stupid? I would’ve let you live if you’d just given me the money back. I really would have. But no… All that false bravado. All over a piece of fabric on your leather vest. It’s… It’s childish. It’s… It’s pathetic… I don’t know what anybody sees in you.”
Kristen…
“Get up, Cain!”
“What the fuck are you doing?”
I squeezed my eyes tight and focused. Through the dark
ness of my vision, I could see her. I could see her standing there. Smiling that gorgeous smile at me. Everything about her… She was all that was right in this world. I’d do anything for her…
Anything…
I opened my eyes and looked up at Emerson. He’d turned toward the rest of the crowd, his arms wide open in victory.
“You heard him,” he said. “He said it himself. All I had to do was beat the shit out of him and I could walk out of here. It’s done. I am the man who runs this town. Ivory is mine.”
“No,” I said.
Emerson slowly turned back toward me.
“No?” he said, an eyebrow raised.
“It’s not yours.”
I straightened back up and spit the blood out of my mouth.
“Ivory will never be yours,” I said.
“Again with this bravado,” he said. “Stay down, Cain. Stay down and maybe I won’t have Blackwell kill you.”
“Not tonight.”
“I don’t think you have a choice.”
Emerson moved toward me, sauntering with confidence that he himself could no longer control.
Wait for it…
He got close to me and raised his hands up.
Now!
I reached into my pocket and pulled the switchblade out. In one swift movement, I jammed it into his stomach as hard as I could. I gritted my teeth and dug it into him so deep that nobody could pull it out. His blood poured down my fingers like a faucet.
Emerson stared back at me, eyes wide and mouth agape. I looked right into his eyes and watched his surprise grow.
“I’m just a petty thug,” I said. “I fight like a petty criminal. Funny thing about barroom brawls… Sometimes they can get real violent.”
Emerson collapsed to the floor but I stayed on top of him. His eyes started to water as he grimaced in pain.
“You know why they call me Venom? Because a gunshot is too quick. It’s too easy. When I kill someone, they deserve it. And they get it slow… Painful… The most agonizing way possible… You’re scum, Emerson… You’re not moving any more weight in my town.”
“I… I was so close…”
Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes before he finally slipped away. I stayed on top of him, my hand tight around my knife.
“Hey…”
I jerked when I suddenly felt Roman’s hand on my shoulder.
