My blood is boiling, and all I can think about is the violence I will inflict upon Kevin. I don’t care who is there, don't give a damn if there are twenty of his friends ready to throw down.
I am ready, and so is Ace.
We turn onto his street and I get even more juiced up. I start clenching my hands into tight fists before relaxing them, doing this over and over again. This light sweat starts to cover my body, and I know this will be a fight that will go down in Locke history.
“Dude, you're raring to go, aren't you?” Ace says as he continues driving toward the house. “I don't think I've ever seen you this ready to lay down and draw blood.”
Truth is, I have never been this angry, never wanted violence this much before. But when it comes to Wynter, something in me has changed. I am like this feral, vicious beast, and I won't let anyone live that harms her.
Ace pulls the vehicle up to the curb, just a few feet from the front of the house where Kevin lives. We won’t make this obvious. I won't give them a warning bell that we are here. They'll know that when I bust in the fucking door and beat the living shit out of anyone who stands in the way of me getting my vengeance.
“Ready for this, brother?” Ace glances over at me and the grin he gives me is primed for tonight, dangerous.
“I've been ready.” I’m focusing on the house, envisioning all the things I will do to that motherfucker.
“Then let's get this party started.”
Ace and I climb out of the vehicle and head toward the house. We scope out the front, and when we see no lights on we make our way toward the back. If these fuckers are in the basement again I'm gonna lose my shit.
We stop right before we hit the backyard and I can see a large detached garage. The bay doors are closed but I can see light coming from the inside.
I gesture for Ace to stay put and I make my way toward the garage. Looking in the window, I can see three guys sitting around in a loose circle, a joint being passed between them.
Although I don't know what Kevin looks like, I can see all the guys. None of them have marks on their faces, so that tells me Kevin isn’t one of them.
I turn around and go back to where Ace is standing. He's leaning against the side of the house, a cigarette perched between his lips.
“The fucker in there?” Ace gestures toward the garage.
I shake my head and move toward the basement windows. I crouch down and look in, seeing several guys sitting on the couch. There's a TV on across from them, a makeshift bar set up on the other side of the room, and a few girls giving lap dances.
Of course these dicks are in the same place they were last time.
I scan the room, trying to make out which one of these assholes is Kevin. And then I see him. I know in my gut, in the tightening of my muscles, that the prick who stands in the corner with a half empty bottle of Jack in his hand and a bruise covering his cheek, was the one who hurt my girl.
I feel my heart start to race as I think of all the things I'm going to do to him. They're going to be dirty, violent things. They're going to be acts that a sane person would never think of committing.
But in this instant I'm not sane.
In this very moment all I can think about is making him pay. And I will. I'll make him pay with broken bones and blood covering my hands.
And it’ll feel fucking incredible.
I turn and look at Ace and gesture him over. He grins, this evil smile that I feel to my bones, that makes me know this is gonna be a good fucking night.
I grin in return, not able to help myself because I know what's about to happen.
Ace stops in front of me, smashes the butt of the cigarette out, and flicks it aside. He crouches down low and looks in the window. When he glances back up at me, I see the excitement in his eyes.
“Are you ready, brother?” I ask just as he stands.
“Let's show these motherfuckers what it means to mess with someone who’s associated with the Lockes.”
Together we make our way over to the back door. I'm tempted just to kick it in, but Ace reaches out before I can do that and twists the handle. It opens soundlessly, smoothly.
We make our way inside and step over empty beer bottles and cans. We reach the kitchen and see a door partially open, light spilling up from the stairs that descend. We can hear music and laughter, even a few female groans.
Both of us look at each other at the same time, matching smiles on our faces, violence surrounding us.
Yeah, this is what we've been waiting for, what I've been itching to do ever since Wynter showed up with her beat-to-hell face and the fear in her eyes.
No mercy will be shown tonight.
13
Sterling
The closer we get to the basement, the more prepared my body becomes. My muscles tighten and I’m ready to strike at the first motherfucker who stands in my way in getting to Kevin.
I’m smiling like a fucking madman on the inside at just the idea of hurting him, of placing my hands on him in ways that will scar him for life.
Once we reach the bottom of the stairs, my gaze immediately locks on my target. I clench my jaw in rage as I watch Kevin tilt back his bottle of whiskey, oblivious that we are standing right here.
With the music playing and women dancing, these fuckers haven’t even noticed us yet. It’s obvious Kevin doesn’t believe he has any reason to fear his life even though we passed on a message to blondie the last time we were here.
That’s a mistake on his part.
I turn to Ace and grab his long hammer, holding it my hands. A savage smile pulls at my lips as I walk over to the stereo system and swing out, causing shattered pieces of plastic and metal to fly across the room, getting the attention of everyone in the basement.
“The fuck?” I hear a bunch of assholes say.
“Who the fuck are you pricks?” Kevin sets his bottle down and pushes off the girl who was dancing against him when we first walked in. “And what the hell are you doing in my house? Don’t make me call the cops.”
I nod over to Ace with a lifted brow as he whistles and takes a step toward the middle of the room as if he owns the place. He motions toward the women, who are now reaching for their clothes in a panic. “Go. Now!”
It takes the females less than a minute to reach for whatever they believe is worth it and run up the stairs.
Tilting my head, I place Ace’s hammer across my shoulders and growl out, keeping my gaze locked on Kevin,. “If you don’t want to get bloody, now is your chance to leave. You’ve got ten fucking seconds before things get ugly.” I point the hammer at Kevin when he moves toward the stairs. “Not you. I’ve got a long fucking night planned for you.”
“Fuck you!” he yells, spit flying from his mouth. “Just take whatever the hell you want and get out of my house. Can’t you see we’re just some guys trying to have a good time? I don’t want any beef. Things don’t need to get ugly. I can even call the women back. They’re down to fuck and we’re good to share.”
I toss Ace’s hammer to him and stalk toward Kevin with a fierceness behind each step, stopping once I’m within inches of him. Before he even sees it coming, my hand is squeezing his throat and his body is being slammed against the wall.
“Things already got ugly the second you laid your hands on Wynter.” I squeeze his throat tighter, cutting off his air supply. “Now you’re about to feel what she felt; that crippling fear that kept her in your grip for days as you beat her bloody. You’re going to feel that and so much more. And I don’t share.”
I loosen my hold on his throat, giving him a little space to breathe. I don’t want this ending too soon. Not before I get a chance to fucking play.
There’s some noise behind me so I turn around to see Ace swing out and punch some dude in the face.
“This fucker wasn’t here last time,” Ace says, while slamming him against the wall. “Says his name is Riley. He’s a bit of a fucking smartass. Can I just kill him now?”
�
�Not yet, brother.” My lips tilt up into a twisted smile as I release Kevin’s throat and headbutt him down to the ground. “He’s not going anywhere either. Anyone else still here?”
“Nope.”
“Good. Let’s take these fuckers for a little walk in the woods and see what kind of fun we can get into.”
My words have Kevin scrambling to his feet in fear and rushing toward the stairs again. I quickly catch his leg and pull him toward me before tossing him down onto the ground and stomping on his hand. He cries out in pain. I twist my foot, digging my boot in until I hear the snapping of bones and Kevin screaming even louder in pain.
My rage has me grabbing onto his shirt with one hand and his neck with the other as I drag him up the stairs and out the back door.
He’s too busy crouching over and cradling his broken hand to attempt to run this time.
A few seconds later Ace appears beside me with his hammer across Riley’s throat. “Let’s have some fun, little brother. You know I’ve always loved playing in the woods.”
“You and me both.” I grab the back of Kevin’s shirt and pull him to his feet.
There are woods just on the other side of the street from this fucker’s house, so we head there. I want the privacy, need it for the damage I’m going to do to this asshole.
We stop so Ace can go to the vehicle and grab a bag that has all the “toys” we’ll need for tonight. I don’t know if I’ll kill Kevin tonight, but I do know that he’ll be begging for mercy by the time I’m done.
Once we make it into the woods I push Kevin to the ground. I hear him grunt as the impact knocks the wind out of him, and I can’t help but grin at that.
Ace is busy tying the other fucker to a tree, no doubt saving him for later, and preventing him from being a pussy and running off. Ace then comes over to me.
“Get up, asshole,” I say and reach for a cigarette. I light it, knowing I should quit them, but for what I am about to do I need that nicotine kick.
When Kevin stands I gesture for him to put his back toward the tree. Like a good little asshole he does what I say. I can see he’s scared shitless, and he should be, rightfully so.
I’ll fuck him up.
Kevin cradles his busted-up hand, and I gesture for Ace to secure him to the tree as well. Once Kevin is where I want him, I grin.
He’s all but strung up like a pig about to get its belly cut open.
“Come on, we can work this out.” Kevin tries to barter with me, but I am not all about that. He fucked up, and his pleas for me to be merciful aren’t going to fly.
I grab a dirty rag out of the duffle and walk over to him, shoving the cloth in his mouth.
He struggles against his bonds. He knows he isn’t getting out of this, not unless he’s dead or barely able to move.
I want to get this the fuck over with so I can go be with Wynter.
“So, what’s your plan for the fucker?” Ace asks, coming to stand right beside me.
“I want to make this quick since I got shit to do, but he also needs to suffer.”
I roll up my shirtsleeves to my elbows, my heart racing, the blood pumping through my veins.
This is going to be some back alley dirty and raw bloodshed. Now that I think about it there is no doubt that in the end this motherfucker will be dead. If he’s lucky.
I take one more hit off the cigarette, but instead of putting it out on the ground, I walk up to Kevin and stub the butt out in the center of the prick’s head.
He screams out, and I grin wider.
Ace chuckles behind me. “Here, you want these,” Ace says, not phrasing it like a question.
I turn and grab the brass knuckles, slip them through my fingers, and curl my hand into a fist. It feels incredible to have them on.
I face Kevin again. “Get ready to feel some major pain, fucker,” I say right before I step closer and start beating the fucking shit out of him.
I deliver an undercut to his jaw, and then a punch to his temple so his head cocks to the side. I start to punch his gut over and over again, loving the sounds of pain coming from him.
“Let me have a few goes at him,” Ace says, and I step aside, despite not wanting to stop.
Blood drips from Kevin’s mouth, his lip is busted, and his eyes are swollen. I watch as Ace gives the fucker blow after blow and after a moment steps back, looking at his handiwork.
I don’t waste any time going back to town on the prick’s body, busting up his ribs now. The grunts, cries, and pleas for me to stop fall on deaf ears.
I love every fucking minute of it.
I do have to give the asshole credit; he isn’t begging for his life.
“How’s it feel to be the one getting the beatdown?” I say with a grin. I slam the brass into the side of Kevin’s head again. His skull cracks to the side. Blood is everywhere, even covering my knuckles and shirt.
Kevin grumbles and spits out a mouthful of blood. Rearing my arm back, I slam the metal so hard into the side of the bastard’s jaw I hear bone crunch under the onslaught.
I finally step back and look at my handiwork. Kevin looks like he is a piece of meat that has just gone through the grinder.
I almost laugh at that.
Blood is soaked into his shirt, as well as mine, and pieces of flesh have torn off from Kevin’s face, skin and meat barely attached anymore.
“Not that I give a fuck, but he’s about to check out from blood loss. You better finish it so you get the satisfaction of delivering that final blow,” Ace says from behind me and I can barely hear him from my heavy breathing.
I desperately want to get back to Wynter, to make sure she is okay and let her know that she’s safe now and Kevin has been taken care of.
I grab Kevin’s chin in a brutal hold, and bare my teeth. I need to give that final blow while the fucker is still conscious.
Ace hands me a knife and I take hold of the ten-inch blade.
“She’s mine, and you’ll never put fear in her again.” Without anything else being said, I start to go to work on Kevin’s face, opening it up, giving him a nice Joker-esque smile. Then I take the blade and slowly slash it across his chest, watching as blood drips down his body and onto the dirty ground.
He’ll never be able to look in the mirror without seeing the fucking horror I inflicted on him.
I take a step back and stare at Kevin’s body. We’ll untie him and leave him here, let him crawl his ass back to his place and lick his wounds. “Surely this fucker gets the message now,” I say before turning to face Riley, who is now quivering in fear. “Do I need to send you the same message?”
He quickly shakes his head and begins pulling at the ropes. “No. Please,” he begs. “I have no desire to ever look in her direction again. I promise. It was a mistake to try to have her as mine, but Kevin never showed her the attention she deserved. I never meant any harm, I swear. I fucking swear.”
I glance at Ace, who’s eyeing Riley as if he needs this too. “Have at him, brother.”
Ace grins and starts beating the shit out of Riley, letting him know as well that messing with Wynter, or anyone associated with the Locke brothers, means they get fucked up.
My grin widens as he reaches for his hammer and swings it around before slamming it at Riley, connecting it with his leg.
Riley screams out in pain and begins crying like a little bitch as the bone snaps.
I take Ace’s place and get in Riley’s face, so close that our noses are touching. He’s snotting all over me like a fucking baby. “Don’t make us come look for you. This isn’t even half the shit we’re willing to do to you. We’re some savage motherfuckers.”
Needing to release my anger with one more blow, I swing out and plunge my brass knuckles into the side of his skull.
Satisfaction swarms me as I watch him go limp in the ropes. Hope both these fuckers have a nice little nap.
Now it’s time for me to go back to Wynter, to make her see she’s mine and no one fucks with her.
14
Wynter
I’ve been pacing around the living room for the last hour, my heart racing and my chest and neck covered in sweat as I wait to hear anything about Sterling.
They’ve been gone for hours now and Aston hasn’t gotten any word that they’re okay. Sterling’s phone also keeps going to voicemail.
I can’t handle the idea that something bad could’ve happened to Sterling. I feel sick to my stomach and somewhat wish I would’ve insisted he just stay with me and forget Kevin, but I knew that wasn’t an option.
There would’ve been no stopping Sterling from going.
“The boys are fine.” Kadence steps into the living room with a glass of water. She smiles and hands it to me. “Sterling wouldn’t like you worrying so much about him. He wants you resting and taking care of yourself. The Lockes can handle their shit. Trust me.”
I grab the glass and take a small drink before setting it down on the coffee table. “I can’t rest. I’ve tried. I haven’t been able to sleep since I woke up late last night. I just keep thinking about Sterling and all the bad things that could possibly happen to him. I can’t stand the thought of him getting hurt.”
Aston takes the knife that he’s playing with and tosses it across the room and into the wall with a grin. King jumps to his feet as if he hears something. “Looks like the boys are back.”
I find myself rushing through the door and out to the porch, watching as the SUV comes to a stop at the end of the driveway.
My gaze stays trained on the passenger side door, waiting for it to open. I can’t stop my heart from beating out of my chest the moment the door opens and Sterling steps out, covered in blood.
“Sterling!” A surge of panic shoots through me as I run down the steps and through the grass to meet up with the man that’s had me on edge with worry for the last ten hours. “Are you hurt?”
Locke Brothers Series Page 15
