by Kara Hart
“I’m letting you live,” I tell him. “Come on, Gabe. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Be careful,” the old man says. I flip him off and kick open the door.
“There’s a back exit,” Gabe says, pointing. “There!”
“Hey!” I hear a voice yell.
“Come on!” I scream. I expect to hear gunshots, but there’s nothing. The only sound I can hear is the thumping of the bass, and some footsteps.
I force open the back exit and we climb out to an empty back parking lot. Gabe pulls me off to the side and says, “Hide, dammit.”
“I ain’t hiding,” I reply.
We both stand next to the door, waiting for it to open. When it does, Gabe instantly throws a jab, and I take a swing myself. The man who was following us falls to the floor. We drag his body off to the side and grab his wallet. No one else comes outside.
“Here,” Gabe says, clutching at a card. “This is probably where they’re situated.”
“The apartment building.” I whisper.
“Yeah. It’s in the general area the old man said it would be in. We have to try, right?” he asks me.
“What about Emma?” I ask. The man on the ground starts to move, so I kick him in the jaw. He stops moving, once again.
“It’ll be an extra two hours, tops,” he says. “Shorter than that if we’re quick.”
“What’s the plan?” I wonder.
“Let’s go old school with this one,” he smiles. “Let’s burn the place to the fucking ground.”
Michael. This is your revenge. This is for you, buddy.
“Okay.” I smile back. “I’m in. Let’s do it.”
Emma
I feel his hands slide gently around my waist. His fingers move toward my navel. He likes to feel around every curve and slope. I feel his lips against my back, warm and comforting. My body becomes submissive to his touch. My legs spread apart and he knows exactly what to do.
He slides below my body and gives me his tongue. He holds me steady as I ride against his mouth. I hold his hair tightly in my fist and when I cum, he tells me I’m his one and only.
When I cum, he takes me to another place. The world is dark right now and I can’t bear to open my eyes. He turns me around so that I’m on my stomach now. I’m flat against the bed, just waiting for him, and I know he’s just looking down at me, wondering what might be the best way to fuck me. Whatever gives the most pleasure, obviously.
I feel his body against mine. His cock is hard. No, it’s throbbing for me. He slides his legs under mine and holds me there against him. He takes my wrists gently in his and pushes them behind my back. There’s no escaping him now.
“You’re my prisoner,” he says. “Got it?”
He fucks me like it’s his destiny to do it, like he’s been waiting millennia just to do it. Every inch of flesh is devoured, all pleasure is consumed and regurgitated into happiness and excitement. The hairs against my skin rise and fall, as he hits every zone of satisfaction on my body.
“I love you,” he whispers, as he cums inside me.
And then he disappears. In a flash, he’s gone. It’s just a dream, my subconscious tells me. None of this is real.
I only really start to wake up when I hear a cup knock over in my kitchen. “What the fuck?” I whisper, opening my eyes.
I run to my door and lock it, trying to hold my breath. After there are no more abrupt sounds, I call out, “Hello?” Maybe it’s Soren. Shit, maybe that’s why I was dreaming about him. Maybe he’s come home to me. Of course, this is just some fantasy I’ve created. If it was Soren, he’d be here in my room with me. He would call out to me and tell me everything was safe.
I creak open my door and look out into the hallway. There’s no one there. I take another deep breath and push forward, slowly. “You can do this,” I whisper to myself. “You’re okay. You’re safe.”
I get into the kitchen and look around. There’s no one there, but the door is wide open. I run out onto the porch to see if anyone is there. In the distance, there’s a man dressed in black. He’s running the trail and he’s quite far at this point.
I run back inside and swing the door shut behind me. I lock it shut and press my back against the wood. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” I scream. No Soren in sight and I’m alone in the forest. This is some horror movie shit.
I glance up at the kitchen and turn on the lights. There’s a chipped cup on the ground and a note. “Tell Soren to stop running,” it says. That’s it.
This has gone far enough. I can’t be alone anymore, but I can’t make it with Soren. My life is now actually in danger.
Soren
The whole place went up in flames. One Molotov cocktail is all it takes, but three does the job quicker. “They’ll be scrambling, for sure,” Gabe says with a giant smile. We get back to safety, but it’s not over for me just yet.
“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” I say. “Let’s go to my auto shop. Let’s burn that down too.”
“You cheeky bastard,” he smiles.
Here we are, a pair of brothers, bonding over the burning of buildings. All it takes is a few Molotov cocktails to do it. Cop sirens ring out behind us. 10th street. It’ll take them longer to show up. The cops know not to investigate too hard over here.
“It’s just around this block,” I say. “It’s right over—”
I stop speaking when I’m in front of the store. Memories flood back to me, both good and bad. This was mine. It was all mine. And now what do I have to my name? About five-hundred bucks? Less? Shit, I’ve got nothing, but I do have Emma, and she’s priceless to me.
Gabe puts his arms around my shoulder and sighs. “This is it, brother,” he says. “You ready?”
Cop sirens are getting closer. I have to be ready. I nod my head solemnly. “This was mine,” I say. “It’s only right to destroy it myself.”
“Set it on fire,” he smiles.
I grab the bottle and light the towel stuck in the end of it. I throw the bottle and it’s like everything is moving in slow motion. We are the champions of the world… Right before the whole place bursts into flames, a big smile forms on my face. “Michael, buddy. I’m sorry for everything,” I whisper. “Rest in peace.”
I turn my back and the whole place explodes. I mean, it really explodes. The bottles of gasoline, cars, rubber, blow up like a fucking a-bomb. We jump and duck behind a bus stop, luckily getting out of the way before we’re incinerated.
“Holy shit!” Gabe screams. We both start laughing wildly. “You did it, man.”
“We did it,” I laugh. “Come on. Let’s get the hell out of here. I don’t want to make the news headlines.”
“Right,” he says, following me toward the hotel. Just a mile away and we’ll be safe. We’ll pay for the room, get the fuck out of Buffalo, and I’ll be back home.
Just another ten miles and we’re home. Another ten miles and I’m back in Emma’s arms. Another ten miles and… fuck, this isn’t over. I’m still going to be on my guard because who the hell knows where the Good Boys are lurking. Hell, I don’t even remember what they look like. White, shaved heads, tattooed, and tough. They look like, well, me.
“We have to be careful,” I tell Gabe. “They’re here. The old man told us enough.”
“And they know who I am. Am I a target now?” he asks.
I nod. “What do you think? You just helped burn down some of their highest earning establishments,” I laugh.
“What? They don’t have insurance?” he says, with a smile.
When we pull over near my place, it’s quiet, but I know that we’re both thinking the same thing. We need to come up with some sort of plan. Anything to stay safe. “What’re we going to do?” he asks. “We should stick together.”
“Wait here,” I tell him. “Let me talk to Emma.
“Will do,” he says.
“Turn something on the radio. This could be a while,” I say, tapping the car as I step out.
I run over to
Emma’s place. This isn’t going to be good, of course. I’m about to get the screaming of my life and I deserve it too. I’m willing to get yelled at if it means I get to end up with her in the end. I’m willing to do anything for her.
When I knock on her door, I take a deep breath and brace for the harsh words that are sure to come my way. “Here you go, you bastard!” I hear her yell behind the door. The door swings open and a glass connects directly against my head. Before I can even think, I’m on the floor, dizzy as hell and in a ton of pain. Blood drops down my face. I collapse against the porch.
“Fuck,” I groan.
“Oh my god! Soren!” Emma screams. “I thought you were—I… oh, fuck.”
After a few seconds, I manage to look up at her in disbelief. “What the fuck, Emma?” I ask. “Is this how you greet me now?”
“Get inside, quick,” she says, running to the kitchen. She grabs an icepack and a warm washcloth and tends to my wounds, as I stumble inside.
“What’s the problem here?” I ask her. “I know you’re pissed at me for going to Buffalo, but you’re really going to hit me with a bottle?”
“I didn’t think it would be you,” she sighs. “Fuck, I’m so sorry.”
“I’m sorry too,” I groan. “I should have told you straight up that I was going back home with Gabe. I just didn’t want to frighten you any more than I did.”
“You just wanted to avoid the argument,” she says. “But you’re going to have to face me now.”
“I think I just did,” I feel my head. It’s wet with blood and the flesh has risen a bit. Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t take care of, but it does hurt.
“What the fuck did you do over there, Soren? Tell me. Tell me everything,” she says, still pretty fucking pissed at me.
“Gabe and I got a tip from an old shop keep, who lost his wife to those bastards down in Buffalo. He said we needed to meet with him to get some information,” I tell her. “He was a plant. It was a trap. We ran and, luckily, we got away. But we got some mild revenge in the process of running.”
I want to smile, but I know this isn’t the place for that. She’s concerned. She’s scared. She’s angry with me for leaving her all alone. It’s all justified, of course. I’m a piece of shit, but it’s only because I need to get them off my back for good.
“What did you do, Soren? Tell me,” she says. She can barely even look at me. She’s shaking with that womanly rage. It’s much scarier than a man’s rage. You never know what the hell is going to happen to you, but you’ll come out of it emotionally scarred.
“We burned their main apartment building down. Then, we burned my old shop down. We left right after that,” I tell her. It’s the honest truth, at least. Can’t beat honesty, right?
“You what?” she screams the question. “You burned down an apartment building? What the fuck, Soren!”
Well, I guess you can beat honesty. I guess I should have kept the whole truth in and dealt with it later. No, this was the right decision. I’m used to dealing with the fallout. That’s pretty much been my life since day one.
“No one got hurt,” I assure her. “They need to pay for what they’ve done.”
She’s exhausted by her anger, which is a good sign for me. When she takes another deep breath, I realize I’m almost in the clear for now. “Look, last night I heard something,” she says. “A glass fell over in the kitchen. When I came out, the front door was wide open. At first, I thought maybe it was the wind or something, but then, I went outside to check and I saw a man dressed in black, running away. I’m scared, Soren. This is not good.”
I reach out to grab her hand. I need to protect her. She’s my only source of happiness now. She’s the only thing keeping me going. “Then they’re here already,” I say. “I had a feeling. I should have never left.”
“That’s right, you asshole,” she says. “It was a terrible idea to ever get involved with a man like you.”
There it is. She’s dropped a bomb on me. I’m a terrible idea. “I promise you,” I tell her, “that when this all over, I’ll make it up to you. I love you, Emma. I’ve never loved anyone in my life.”
“Bullshit,” she whispers. “It’s all bullshit, isn’t it? Everything you say? You loved Julia once in your life. You’ll love again.”
“What’re you saying?” I ask.
“I’m saying, I’m not sure this is such a good idea,” she says, looking away.
“I was with Julia when I was a child. It meant nothing. You’re the only love I’ll ever have. I can’t lose you,” I tell her. “What do you want from me? Do you want me to get on my knees and beg? Because I’ll do that if I have to. I’ll do anything.” I drop to my knees. Me, the man of muscle and dark strength. She immediately motions for me to get up.
“Get up. We’ll talk about this love business later,” she says. “I have a ton of reading to get done.”
“We need to go,” I tell her. “I’m here because Gabe is outside. We’re going to his place. We need to be somewhere that’s safer than here.”
“Fuck me,” she sighs to herself. “Fine. I’ll grab my things. Let’s go.”
It’s not exactly the warm welcome home that I was expecting, although I guess I’ve pretty much ruined our little honeymoon.
“Wait,” I say. She stops dead in her tracks.
“I’m sorry for everything, Emma. I’ve been counting the minutes until I could get back to you. I’ve ruined everything.”
“Soren…” she trails off.
I grab her and pull her close to me. “I know you love me too. I can see it in your eyes,” I tell her. “Never again will something like this happen. This is the finality of all this bullshit. I promise you that, from the bottom of my heart.”
She closes her eyes. Everything slows down, like it did back in Buffalo. Time is a funny thing. In a split second, you can remember everything that’s happened. I think about everything that we’ve been through, just to keep this surviving. We want this to work. We love each other, dammit.
Our lips meet and a burst of light forms over us. At least, that’s how it feels. Our lips pursue each other, as if we’ve been waiting for this for years. I know I’ve been dreaming about it. Feeling her near me nearly brings tears to my eyes, dammit. She pulls back and looks at me. Her eyes are glossy, pure, and beautiful. They reflect against the sunlight pouring through the windows.
“I love you,” she says. “I just don’t want to hurt anymore. I don’t want to be scared. Promise me that this is almost over.”
She rests her head against my chest. God, I love it when she does that. “I promise you,” I say. “I’m going to do everything I can to make this work. I only want you, Emma.”
“I only want you too, Soren,” she whispers.
Outside, the car honks loudly. “We should go,” she says, patting my chest. I smile. Things are at their lowest, but they’re also, strangely enough, at their highest. I just hope I can keep my promise to her. If I fail, my life is over.
Emma
Gabe turns to me, holding the steering wheel. “We’ll be safe at my place,” he says. “Don’t you worry about that.”
“I hope so,” I say. “I don’t even know how to feel right now. What am I going to tell Harry about the work I’m not getting done?”
“I’ll talk to him,” Gabe says.
“We’ll both talk to him,” Soren smiles.
“Don’t even joke,” I say. “Seriously, I need this job. It’s a perfect opportunity. Whatever you three haven’t dealt with is between you guys. Leave me out of it.”
“I’m only joking,” Soren says. “None of this is your fault. It’ll all get worked out.”
I don’t even want to wonder what that means. Worked out? With his fists, probably. Oh god. What am I doing here? Why am I not in California right now, with my mom? I could be living a decent life. I could work my way up the corporate ladder and in ten years, have the job I have here. It would be harder in some respects, but not as hard
as hiding from men with guns.
We pull over near his house and run over to the house. My heart drops to the floor when I see what’s happened. His whole house has bullet holes in the front glass. The door is swung wide open and inside, everything is destroyed.
“No!” Gabe shouts, running into the house. “Julia! We need to find Julia!”
We all run in behind him. He’s screaming for Julia, but no one is answering. We search every room. “She’s nowhere to be found,” Gabe says. Exhaustion circles his eyes. Pain. Confusion.
“We have to head into town,” Soren says. “We need to figure this out.”
Gabe frantically checks his phone. “We shouldn’t have waited so goddamn long!” he screams to himself. He throws his phone onto the gravel when he sees that there’s no response from her.
“We need to hurry, dammit,” Soren says. “Now!”
We run back to the car and Soren takes the wheel. “Don’t worry, brother,” he says. “We’ll find her. I promise.”
There are a lot of promises being thrown around at this point. So far, I’ve yet to see many come to fruition.
Soren pulls into town, near the diner. “There’s got to be some kind of clue,” he says to himself.
I look near the diner, a few doors down, and see Mary, the waitress standing close to an alley entrance. To my surprise, she’s looking at us and waving me over. “Over there!” I point at her.
“Mary?” Soren asks.
We quickly walk over to her and she lights up a cigarette. “There you are,” she says. “I’ve got Julia at my place and she’s throwing a shit storm right now. I knew this family reunion was too good to be true. What the hell have you boys done now?”
“It’s a long story,” Soren says.
Gabe is still anxious about everything. So am I. “Take me to her,” he says. “I need to see her.”