Page 80 of Raze

Everyone in the room seems to hold onto their breaths as he rips off the shirt he’s wearing, slams it at the floor then heads out the door toward the empty swimming pool.

Wrath knows me better than anyone else here, he doesn’t need to wait for an answer, and he knows I never back down from a challenge.

I look toward Ruckus whose eyes are wide and shocked and when I start moving towards the door, everyone whispers with excitement as they follow me out.

“I’m gonna give you one last chance to back out of this,” I warn Wrath, who's already in the pit, and once he’s finished tying his long hair up on top of his head he proves there ain’t no backing out when he starts bouncing on his feet.

“You're makin’ a mistake,” I remove my cut and hand it to Dev, then pull my tee up over my head and take off my watch.

“I’ve made enough of ‘em, and I usually learn somethin’ valuable outta it, so do your worst,” he tells me cockily as I use the ladder to climb down and join him.

“Now’s your chance, Raze, you can do what you really wanted to do when I came to you all those years ago and told ya what I did,” he taunts me. “But beatin’ my ass ain’t enough is it, you know I can take a hit, you taught me how to. I guess what ya did here had a better effect, because askin’ me to come here and be at your side to make this place better, really fuckin’ meant somethin’ to me. It was everythin’ I fuckin’ needed. I was losin’ it, Raze, and you gave me some fuckin hope. I guess you really know how to destroy.”

“Wrath, that’s not?—“

“I’m sorry for what happened with Eden, there ain’t no one in the world that regrets it more than I do, and I know you hate me, but we have to draw a line under it.”

“Hate you?” I charge forward and grip his shoulders slamming his body into the tiles behind him.

“Hate you? Wrath, you don’t have the first fuckin’ clue.” I hiss through my teeth.

“Then why? Why ask me back here to be your second and then treat me like a fuckin’ prospect?”

“I don’t hate you, Wrath.”

“How can you not after what I did.” He’s really trying to get me to throw the first punch, but instead, I slam my fist into the tiles beside his head.

“I told you that day that I forgave you and I meant it.”

“But you didn’t mean it.” He shakes his head.

“I meant every fuckin’ word, and that’s the reason you’re still here livin’ and fuckin’ breathin’ in front of me.” I take a deep breath and try not to lose control.

“What the fuck ya talkin’ about?” He shakes his head and frowns in confusion.

“I’m talkin’ about the fact that when my old man found out what you’d done he told me to bring him your fuckin’ head. He wanted you dead, and when I refused to do it, he told me he never wanted to see me again.” My voice echoes around the walls surrounding us and stuns him. “I never asked you to come back here to punish you, Wrath, I wanted you back here because you are the closest thing to a family that I got left.” I don’t care that all my members are gathered around the edge of the pool and can hear me. Maybe it’s about time I opened myself up to the men I call brothers. “I chose you over him. So don’t you ever fuckin tell me I ain’t forgiven ya.” I pull up my guard and wait for him to make the first strike because that's the only way this fight’s getting started.

He stares back at me like he’s in shock, his chest rising and falling like he’s still geared up for a fight, yet his body remains static.

“Emmm, Prez.” I look up when I hear Tawk’s voice and when I see an older-looking man who I don’t recognize standing next to him I shake my head.

“Not fuckin’ now.” I turn back to Wrath and wait for him to make his move.

“I believe you’ve been lookin’ for me.” It’s the old man who talks this time.

“I said not now.” I keep my eyes focused forward.

“I’m Billy Skillet.” Hearing what he just said has me dropping my guard and climbing the ladder.

“You must have some kinda death wish.” I storm toward him, pulling my fist back.

“You don't wanna do that?” A man I recognize from a real long time ago stands as a barrier between us.

“Kenny Longmire.” It’s been years, and I remember the last time I saw him he was shootin’ at Rex. I wouldn’t usually blame a man for that, but I will when he’s a fuckin’ Reaper.

“I believe you’ve been takin’ care of my little girl.” He stares me up and down, almost looking like he’s grateful.

“Hang on, you tellin’ me that Peyton is your daughter?”

---