Page 103 of Love Lies Bleeding

I bristle and step forward, ready to make good on my violent thoughts but he steps back.

“Not like that. Cherry is like a sister to me and that fucker almost killed her.”

“This seems like a dark path for a country music star.”

He shrugs, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking as relaxed as a pig at a vegetarian conference.

“I wasn’t always a rock star, just like you weren’t always a billionaire lawyer. People change, but for this, I’m happy to crack some skulls.” He rocks his neck and crunches his knuckles and I can see that I’ve wildly misjudged this man.

“You have my back and you get one punch, so make it a good one. Then he’s mine.”

“Fair enough.”

I lead the way toward the side fire exit door and enter the room. It smells like piss and rotting meat and my stomach rebels. Stepping over the used needles, and fast-food wrappers, I head into the center of the room, past the conveyor belt and toward the sounds of rattling.

In the middle, is a line of meat hooks for hanging the meat to age, and hanging from his shoulders on two rusty hooks, is Nicholas Kendrick. His shirt is missing and his feet are bloody and bare but other than the blood dripping from the two wounds in his shoulders, he’s unharmed.

Glass crunches under my shoe and Kendrick looks up, fear and pain in his eyes, the glassy look of infection already setting in through his body.

“Jake.” His voice holds misguided hope and I shake my head as I walk closer. “You need to help me, they’re gonna kill me.”

I stop in front of him as sweat and the stench of his piss hits my nose. “Help you! I’m the one here to kill you, Nick.”

Snot bubbles from his nose as he begins to cry, his expression that of a man who has no idea of the repercussions of his actions. Too many years of having his family’s money bail him out have left him with an entitlement that has made him weak.

“No, we’re friends.”

I snort, and kick out at his legs, making him swing on the bloody hooks. A scream of pain spills from his lips, but nobody can hear but me and Eddie, and neither of us are gonna save him.

“Friends don’t blackmail each other. Friends don’t try and ruin each other’s lives and hurt the person they love.”

“Jake, it was just a bit of fun. A prank that went too far.”

Rage rushes through my veins, hatred for this person almost clouding my vision. I clench my fists and spin on my heel, moving two steps back to remove my jacket, casting a glance at Eddie who, in this setting, looks like a different man, a lethal killer who grins wide at the thought of hurting the man swinging from two hooks.

“Take your shot because I’m done listening to his bullshit.”

Eddie walks slowly over to Kendrick, his smile holding nothing but malice. “You know who I am?”

Kendrick nods, snot dripping off his chin and I curl my lip in disgust. “You’re the singer, Eddie Crowe.”

Eddie rubs his chin and looks away with a laugh. “Yeah, but you know what else I am?”

I’m intrigued as Eddie works this man’s fear like a fucking pro. I’m no hardened killer but I’ve done things I needed to, to protect the company but this man, he’s a maestro.

“No.”

“Your worst nightmare. You see I’m friends with Cherry Baker. She’s like a sister to me and I’m gonna watch while her man dishes out the vengeance she deserves, and then clean up the mess, but first….”

Eddie hauls back and punches Kendrick in the balls so hard that his howl of animalistic pain makes even me inwardly wince. A punch to the balls is brutal and Kendrick pukes all over himself as piss darkens the area around his groin.

Eddie steps back and holds out his hand for me to go forward. I step closer and Kendrick is openly weeping.

“Please, Jake. It was a joke.”

“A joke? You made her lose her place at Harvard. You lost me the love of my life, and made me believe I’d killed her father.”

“I’m sorry. I have money. I can pay you.”

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