Page 84 of Wrath

“Nothin’ right now is more important than this.” He shakes his head.

“C’mon, I’m good, just check it ain’t Peyton or Eden,” I tell him, opening up my kit bag and taking out my sweats.

It’s fuckin’ Errol.” Raze stares at his screen looking confused.

“Errol from Kinks?” I frown back at him, as I hang up my cut and strip outta my shirt.

Errol was a good friend of Davy’s before he died, he owns a whorehouse a few miles away from the club and is one of the rare ones who treats his girls right. He’s been having some trouble lately, and Raze said the club would help out if he needed it.

“He probably needs some help shiftin’ out some drunk asshole.” Raze is debating if he should take the call or not.

“We got anyone to spare?” I check, knowing that most of our members are heading here to support me.

“Let’s see, I got Rocco, Vike and Saul at the club watchin’ the girls. We need Ruckus and Dev here, in case things go south and the fight makes it out the ring. I could send Sasquatch, Saint or Tawk but they ain’t gonna be happy about missin’ out on this.” He strokes his hand through his stubble while he contemplates.

“You're a man of your word, Raze, and ya promised him you’d help if he needed it,” I point out; Errol’s getting old, he needs all the help he can get.

“Fine.” Raze looks defeated as he presses the phone to his ear and answers.

I continue getting ready, slipping outta my jeans and replacing them with my sweats, and when I turn around and see the look on Raze’s face I gotta question what Errol’s asking of him.

“You gotta be kiddin’?” Raze shakes his head and when his eyes look up at me, they look stunned.. “Yeah, I fuckin’ hear ya, and we’ll be right there,” he promises before hanging up.

“What was that about?” I slide my hair back and tie it up.

“You ain’t gonna fuckin’ believe this.” Raze still hasn't come to terms with whatever he’s just heard.

“Hit me.”

“Put ya cut back on we’re leavin’.” He reaches for the hook and takes it off for me.

“What d’ya mean, we’re leavin’?” I laugh because this has to be some kinda joke.

“Your dad just walked to Kinks, asked for a room and a girl, and that's where he is right now. Alone. We’ve fuckin’ got him, Wrath.”

I feel the smile drop from my face, instantly.

“Come on, whatcha waitin’ for? This is fuckin’ it, Wrath. We got him.” Raze is actin’ like he don’t quite believe it himself.

I go to slide my cut back over my shoulders, as my heart pumps all that adrenaline I’ve been building, around my body. This really is it, the moment I've been waiting for ever since I left. Cliff is here in town, without anyone to protect him, and it’s time for him to meet his maker.

Raze starts heading toward the curtain and just as I go to follow after him, my mind goes to Eden and my feet stop moving.

“What's holdin’ ya up? Let’s go.” Raze is holding back the curtain, waiting for me.

“I can’t.” I shake my head. If I leave here, I’m letting Eden down all over again.

“Wrath…” Raze drops the curtain and comes back at me. “This is it. We know where he is, it’s time for you to make him pay. Jesus…This is what you’ve been fuckin’ livin’ for.” He grabs my shoulders and tries to shake some sense into me.

“But it ain’t what I’m livin’ for, anymore.” I look up at him and see his eyes stretch open in shock. “Raze, I got a chance to give Eden the life she deserves, if I don’t enter this tournament and win that money, she has to give up on somethin’ she worked real fuckin’ hard for,” I remind him how important all this is. He should know, he’s her fuckin’ brother.

“I get that, but Wrath, I don’t know when we’re gonna get an opportunity like this again.” Raze shakes his head, looking at me as if I’m crazy. “I can’t let it pass, we got too much ridin’ on this, too many people we need to protect. If you don’t take this opportunity, I’m gonna have to take it myself. Cliff needs to be ended.”

I say nothing, just nod my head back at him because everything he’s saying makes perfect sense. Cliff has to be stopped, he has to be killed, but I will not put a single thing before Eden’s future happiness.

“Go.” I flick my eyes toward the curtain. “Send Ruck back here, take the rest of the brothers with ya, and give him fuckin’ hell from both of us.” I hold out my hand, and when Raze slaps his into my palm, I pull him in close. “Just find out where Willow is.” I grit the words through my teeth.

“I’ll make him pay,” Raze promises before he pulls away and rushes off. I back myself up and take a seat on the bench again. Resting my elbows on my knees and psyching myself up for the fight. I can’t let Cliff get inside my head, right now. I can’t think about how I’ll miss out on making him suffer. My head has to be here, my eyes have to remain on the prize because losing ain’t a fuckin’ option. Especially not now.

---