Adrenaline Rush

by C. M. Owens

  My breath hisses through my lips, and I kiss him harder, savoring every second in this bubble.

  Tomorrow.

  Vacantly, I stare ahead, hearing the laughter around me. Seeing the many faces. There’s a chorus of screams as Herrin punches Drex four times in the face with brass knuckles.

  My hands bound tightly behind me, all I can do is watch.

  I’m too detached from the scene, because my eyes keep moving back to the puddle of blood in the center of the floor. Hot tears roll down my cheeks, and my lip trembles as I’m forced to look back over at my brother, just as his head slings to the right, blood spraying from his mouth.

  He collapses to the ground, and Eve cries out, begging for mercy from the devil who has none.

  “Oh, sweet little vixen, I’m just getting started. Later, when I’ve humbled his worthless ass, I’ll let him watch me fuck you,” Herrin assures her, that familiar look in his eyes.

  Pop always did get high on the power. Right now, he has it in spades.

  Snake is missing.

  Dash is...why is Dash the one holding Eve back? When did he get out of the hospital?

  “You can’t touch Eve,” Dash drawls. “Part of our agreement was that I’d get to keep her,” he tells Herrin like he’s reminding him of something.

  Pop cuts his eyes to Dash, as Dash glares right back at him. “Screw me over, and it’s going to set a bad precedent. Like you said, you need me. I know the business, but I want the girl.”

  My mind can’t focus on too much, because my eyes keep landing on the puddle of blood.

  “That girl’s pussy is cursed. I’ll just let you fuck her in front of Drex. Better?” Herrin bites out.

  Dash looks bitter as he smiles over at my brother.

  “I’m not an exhibitionist, but I can compromise,” he finally says.

  Maya’s eyes are blank as someone throws her over their shoulder, laughing as they slap her ass. A coldness crosses her gaze, as well as defeat, as they walk her toward the hangar.

  “I’ll be back when I’m finished!” the man carrying her calls. “Someone else can tag in!”

  “You better find where Axle disappeared to first and make sure you really did put that bullet through his head!” someone else shouts.

  “He’s dead!”

  Tears start streaming down her own cheeks, her head falls, and the fight in her is clearly absent.

  I know the feeling.

  “Stop!” Eve shouts as Herrin slams his foot into Drex’s middle.

  Dash smirks as he holds her back, while he stares down at Drex.

  “Why?” Eve shouts up at Dash, more tears streaming with unrelenting force. “He loves you like a brother!”

  “Brother,” Dash sneers. “A true brother wouldn’t lead when he has no business leading, because our lives would be more important than that. We’ll all die if Drex stays in control. We’ll all die in support of our P and his hasty, bad fucking decisions. You included,” he adds, roughly wrapping an arm around her waist to restrain her easily when she struggles with all her feeble might.

  Drex stays on the ground, his own fight gone from his body as he rocks on his hands and knees, swaying as a string of blood dangles from his mouth.

  “Herrin may be a cruel son of a bitch, but at least he keeps the club in line. We didn’t have the mafia shooting the town full of fucking holes under his reign,” Dash goes on, grinding the words out as he spits in Drex’s direction. “While he hid in his room and fucked his girl to escape it all. I never thought I’d see the day.”

  I notice the way he’s careful not to hurt Eve, despite her struggle. He’s so strong by comparison that it’s easy for him to continue restraining her.

  “A brother would have known what he is and isn’t capable of, before getting all his loyalists killed. I’d rather be under a man who loves power, than under a man who only fights for one woman,” Dash concludes.

  “Says the son of a bitch who has betrayed us all for one woman,” Sledge states coolly, eyes lifting with lethal slits. “You’d never have her unless Drex was out of the picture.”

  I’ve never seen him look so bloodthirsty. Usually he’s the calm, collected one.

  Eve sobs as she whispers apologies to Drex over and over, but he narrows his eyes at her like he’s ordering her to stop.

  Right before he takes the next brass-knuckle hit to the face that knocks him back down to the ground.

  “How many times must I tell you? You’ll take a hit every time you look at her, son. You just can’t seem to learn your motherfucking place. That bitch’s cunt stole you from me. Did you really think I’d let that go?” Herrin asks.

  It’s now that I realize how much more control Herrin always exerted over Drex than me, and a piece of my heart breaks for my brother.

  One man has ruined so many lives while promising them the world.

  He turned Rush into a lethal killing machine.

  He turned Drex into a faded reflection for too long.

  He instilled terror in my soul.

  And that’s just the three of us.

  My eyes cut to Dash. “I hope he guts you the way he gutted my mother. Maybe then you’ll see how much better my brother is at running this club,” I tell him coldly. “Eve, bite his fucking dick off the first chance you get.”

  Heads all swing my way, and Herrin’s grin crawls across his face, as Dash glares over at me.

  “She speaks at last,” Herrin says with that grin only growing, as he cracks his neck to the side.

  There’s a cool detachment in place of the fear I had coming in here. I’m numb. Here but absent. Present but gone. Alive but...completely dead inside.

  “I do love what Drex has done with the place, though. Have to give credit where credit is due,” Herrin adds, eyes glimmering with amusement as he looks around. “More security. This place is like Fort Knox. It took a perfect storm of events for even me to get in. I like it.”

  He spins in a circle before skipping toward me, that dark smile still tilting his sadistic lips as his salt-and-pepper beard curls in front of his mouth, obstructing the full view.

  He’s bald now.

  He’s also fitter with more muscle, as though he’s been waiting for the day to take on the son twenty-five years younger than himself.

  “If you wanted to show out, you should have at least made it a fair fight. Only cowards fight the ones who can’t fight back,” I grind out, as my brother spits out more blood.

  A few bouts of laughter rumble throughout the room.

  “It’s that ideology that would leave the human race extinct. We’re vile creations expected to live amiably under corrupt governments, who do all the same twisted shit we do. They just wear preppy suits and the practiced smiles politicians use to put people at ease about turning over their souls,” Herrin assures me, studying his brass knuckles. “These were actually a gift from the senator I met with last week. “He was asking me to get this territory back under control before the feds step in. Let’s face it, Halo is the cherry pot for the many dirty politicians in our great state as well. Towns close to the border never get much mention on mainstream media for a reason. The country is kept unaware of how dirty it gets in these parts.”

  Same old speech. Different variation.

  “Meanwhile, you spew self-righteous bullshit like you have some divine right,” Pop goes on, flexing his hand inside the brass knuckles as he stares down at them. “I don’t pretend I’m something I’m not, darlin’. Your brother used to be just as wise. Eve corrupted Adam. Now she’s corrupted my own son and half of my own club.”

  He’s insane.

  He slams his fist into Drex’s face again, and my brother makes a strangled cry as he flops to his back, choking on his own blood.

  My heart hurts too much to feel any new pain. It’s suffocating me as it is every time I glance over to the puddle of blood on the floor.

  “If you’re going to kill me,” I say quietly, eyes coming up to meet Pop’s as I regain his at
tention, “at least spare me the bullshit and get it over with.”

  “What would be the fun in that?” he drawls. “I’m just getting started, and I’m going to savor every damn moment of this.”

  Dash is a stupid fool if he thinks he’s going to end up with Eve and live happily ever after in this club. Especially when it’s so clear that Pop blames her for my brother’s fall.

  Smiling bitterly, I bite out, “You always were theatrical. Drex certainly has you beat on efficiency.”

  Pop’s lips struggle to restrain his psychotic smile. “Efficient death is nothing more than mercy. Surely you know by now I’m not a man of mercy, Kara. Your turn is coming. Sit tight.”

  He shifts his gaze to Sledge. “You’re next, brother.”

  Sledge keeps his lethal glare trained on Pop. “Ready when you are,” Sledge grinds out.

  Pop wipes Drex’s blood off on his shirt.

  With a cruel tilt to his lips, Pop adds, “This club will see what happens when I’m embarrassed by my own crew. And after today, I’ll never have to worry about it again.”

  “Waxing my vagina strikes more fear into my heart than all this,” I state with zero emotion, trying to provoke him into hurrying this all along.

  I just want it over. At last. I want to be done with it all.

  My eyes drift back to the puddle of blood, glancing toward the bar where they dragged his body.

  The music is playing over the speakers, but I can’t even hear the entire tune.

  Some of the crew are tied up along the wall, holding their silence like they were told to do. Rush is the only one he’s killed.

  Why Rush? Why did it have to be him?

  As I’m tied up, my arms and legs feel like lead, unable to scrap together even an ounce of fight.

  Over.

  I want it over.

  I want to be done with it all.

  Drex takes another hit. He doesn’t get up from the floor, panting hard as he shuts his eyes.

  “Ah, come now, Sledge. Surely you don’t still believe joining my son was the best course of action,” Herrin says in that mocking tone. “Even you once said that he wouldn’t be ready to lead if he didn’t get some brains rattling around.”

  “Turns out, heart works just as well,” Sledge states like the lame, romantic the stupid fuck is.

  Laughter erupts all around, with Herrin’s laughter booming the loudest.

  “Fuck’s sake, Sledge. I forgot what a pathetic softie you really are under that misleading exterior,” Herrin crows, doubling over as he laughs harder.

  I only catch glimpses of the devil himself, since the crowd keeps tightening in, loving the show.

  The bloodthirsty savages always love his show.

  Herrin reaches over and slaps Eve across the face for whatever it is she said that I missed.

  He hits her hard enough to snap her whole head to the side, and a bruise immediately starts forming on her cheek as she sags, trying to drop to the ground.

  Dash holds her up, his own jaw grinding. “She’s fucking mine, Herrin. Don’t forget our deal.”

  The laughter cuts out immediately.

  “Keep a muzzle on your bitch. You’re no more important than my son. If her lips are doing anything other than sucking your dick, our deal is off,” Herrin threatens.

  Drex’s hands curl into tight fists, but he’s not in any position to play a hero. He may as well give up. We’re not going anywhere without being zipped up in a body bag.

  “Still picking on the weak to look strong, Pop?” I muse, gathering all of the sociopathic sperm donor’s attention my way.

  “Some bitches just can’t learn their place,” Mack says, smirking over at me as he licks his lips. “It’d be my honor, Pres, if you’d let me teach your daughter how to behave.”

  Pop’s eyes narrow, and he moves my way.

  “Mack, I’ll let you have my daughter, after the more important members have had a turn,” Herrin decides, a slow smile creeping across his face. “Who wants to be the first to humble her?”

  “The first one is going to be in the most pain,” I idly warn them in my dead tone.

  “I’d wait until at least the fifth one has finished up, unless you’re brave and looking for a challenge,” I add, giving them all a cold smile.

  No one seems hesitant in the least. I’ve lost my fear factor. Oh well.

  I want it over.

  I want it done.

  I want it to end as soon as possible.

  Just put the damn bullet in me so I can finally rest in peace.

  “Rick’s dead in the hangar, and the girl is missing!” someone shouts, interrupting the eeny, meeny, miney, moe selection process Herrin has going on for who gets to rape his daughter first.

  “I told him to make sure that son of a bitch was dead before taking his old lady for a spin,” Herrin states as though he’s put out. “Lock it down. It’s not like the cops are coming, and this place is impossible to break into once the codes are swapped.”

  My startled cry of pain is ripped from my throat, but the pain dulls quickly. The bindings at my feet are cut loose, and I’m dragged to stand upright.

  My eyes come up, catching motion from behind the bar, just as a body lands on top of it, and impossibly cold blue eyes collide with mine. My breath leaves like an expelled fog, disbelief coiling through me, as my mind sinks into delirium.

  He can’t be alive.

  There was too much blood.

  How is Rush alive and seemingly healthy on top of that bar as he pulls out twin guns?

  With a wink, he turns his attention to Herrin, just as Pop follows my wide-eyed, stunned stare toward the ghost of the man I just lost.

  Without even looking, he fires the first shot, and through my peripheral, I see it pop Badger’s head, which has him quickly releasing me, even as we both tumble to the ground.

  Pop’s eyes widen in Rush’s direction, as I struggle to free myself from the dead man pinning me down. Two more shots fire.

  Because that horrible son of a bitch has nine damn lives, Pop manages to duck behind one of his guys at the last second, using him as a human shield.

  How is Rush alive? Am I dreaming this? Have I gone into some state of hysterical delirium at the sight of his dead body?

  Rush crashes to the ground, and booze sprays with glass into the air, as bullets crash all around the bar he’s tucked behind.

  “You stupid son of a bitch! Too soon!” Sledge shouts.

  Too soon?

  Sledge knew Rush was alive? How is Rush alive? Dream or reality?

  Hopefully Drex and the others are smart enough to get out of the line of fire. I can’t seem to pick myself up off the floor, because my eyes are trained in horror at the bar that is taking a beating. Is that real steel? Please be real steel. My brother is obnoxious enough to have a steel bar.

  “Someone kill that son of a bitch for me! Alright? Thanks!” Rush shouts like this is a damn joke, reigniting the bullet-spray as though he’s taunting them.

  If he’s really alive, I’m going to kill him...if he survives this. This day went from embarrassing to numbingly terrifying too abruptly for me to adjust.

  My ears are ringing, so I have no idea what people are shouting now...

  “How much fucking ammo did they bring?” I hear Rush shout, still sounding too freaking casual.

  It’s like my mind snapped back to the scene when his voice cut in.

  The gunfire all ceases at once. I think. Either that or my hearing is gone completely.

  “I really fucking hope I didn’t just get everyone killed,” Rush says just loud enough to be heard.

  “You still alive, you arrogant, stupid, pussy-whipped boy?” Herrin calls out, his tone sounding way too damn smug.

  “Whoever touches her will lose both hands once I get out from behind this bar. Food for thought, for those of you with a brain cell still in your head,” he chirps, spirits far too bright.

  He broods after orgasms. He jokes around when blood
is on the line.

  He’s not the same boy I fell in love with. At all.

  I’m terrified how much more I think it makes me love him, because it’s the only thing keeping me together right now—his arrogant dismissal of Herrin.

  Herrin’s rumble of laughter is the only response he gives. Idly, I notice no one joins him in laughing.

  Rush just came back from the dead. He’s got the upper hand, whether Pop knows it or not.

  A strangled cry of agony bursts forth in surprise from my lips, as a fiery slice of pain lances my scalp. I’m yanked to my feet by an unforgiving, unrelenting grip.

  “People need to start paying more attention to my threats. It’s not like I make them with empty promise,” Rush gripes.

  “I’m going to start by killing Sledge. After that, I’m going to work my way down the list, in order of who you’re closest to. If you’re still not out by the time I get to Kara, I’m going to let my men take turns fucking her in this very room. We’ll see how long you cower behind that bar then,” Herrin threatens, quickly regaining the upper hand.

  I really hate him. He makes me overthink too much shi—

  Music to a familiar song suddenly starts blasting through the warehouse, and my lips curve in a slow grin as a few hushed whispers break out. I never thought I’d smile when hearing this song ever again.

  I bet none of this lot thought they’d ever be freaked out by the melodious sound of Julie Andrews.

  Everyone is looking around, backing up as they ready their firearms, searching for the girl they’ve apparently studied up on, since this song isn’t all that intimidating without the backstory.

  My smile dies in the next instant as my teeth get rattled and pain slices through my jaw as I gag against the metal barrel of the gun being shoved inside.

  Pop. Pop’s the one who’s got me. I went and let myself get captured, while Rush was giving me all the distraction I needed to get hidden like all the others clearly did. I froze. I fucking froze.

  “Did you change the fucking codes?” Herrin snaps.

  “We did,” another answers.

  It’s all just chatter, because I’m no longer among the living. The second this gun went into my mouth, my fate was sealed.