Badlands next generation.., p.53
Badlands: Next Generation Collection, page 53
“You know my style.”
“Yeah…,” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, “you are pretty set in your ways now old man.”
“Whatever you say lobster boy,” I shot back with a grin.
Rome laughed under his breath, but remained focused on whatever the thing was he’d had brought in.
Some may have found it shocking we could be around one another as we’d always been. I’d be a liar if I said there wasn’t any under lying tension between us. How could there not be?
Cobra’s son had a hand in betraying us and my son took away his daughter. Then there was Rome, as quiet and fucking unpredictable as ever with a protégé one or two steps behind him.
We were all doing are best to keep level heads and figure this situation out without speaking on what we all already knew.
The Savages were always stronger because of the unity and trust. I had faith no matter the outcome we’d remain as we always had—together.
“Who do I start with?” Rome asked, finally stepping away from the contraption.
The top was obviously meant to inflict the most damage. All in all, this thing looked like a three-legged stool, but the seat was a heavy weighted pyramid instead of flat.
Hearing his question, the guy with the gag tried to speak, a flurry of unintelligible sounds came behind the cloth.
“Since he’s already so eager to speak, start with the woman.”
“She needs stripped down.” Without further debate Rome grabbed her by the left arm and hauled her to her feet, letting her whimpered protest fall on deaf ears.
I looked between her and the pyramid and got a sudden idea of what it was.
“Where did you find that?”
“Actually,” he started, passing the woman to Cobra, “this was your sister’s doing.”
He sounded rather proud. He always did when talking about Calista.
“Good taste, as always,” Cobra commented, tearing through the woman’s top with a switchblade.
“What do you need me to do?”
“I’m going to lift her up. One of you hold her legs and the other can tie them together with the rope.”
With that small bit of information, I was sure my hunch was right. I moved to stand by the man now wriggling around like an earth worm, on the off chance he managed to rise to his feet in a stupid display of bravery.
I had never been one for a messy death, but I occasionally enjoyed seeing the suffering that came of it.
After spending so many nights killing off different people for information, I was beginning to like it a little more.
If it would help right the wrongs, I could do this all day.
Arlen
Blue tinged the furthest corners of the sky. In another two hours it would be gold. Grimm would be here before then. He always came back around the same time every morning.
When this first started up I had gone with him, but after a few nights I preferred to remain here and wait for my mans’ return.
I knew they was lookin for leads and whatnot about a few things. It was a bit suspicious when I considered Romero’s head held most of the answers to everything.
He wouldn’t go around torturing people for no reason though.
Those three were certainly emotionless killers, but they didn’t behave like wild dogs.
Even when Cobra dragged someone off for his recreational activities, they weren’t some random lag snatched from the Badlands. To be frank, I couldn’t care less what any of em did. We all had the same common interest and time wasn’t pausing so everyone could their shit together.
When I went back to wakin in Grimm’s arms, that would be when everything was alright again. I had faith it would be soon, but I was not a naïve fool. Things were gonna get a lot rougher before they got better.
I didn’t know what my role was in all this. Despite the elephant everybody was dancing around, I would for sure be doing all I could to help. No matter what happened though, I had to see Samael one last time.
I wasn’t plannin to drag him home or demand an explanation for why he ran away,
I just needed to see him again. He could give us a real goodbye, right? He had to know how much his family missed him, and that Nyx was still crazily protective when it came to her little brother.
Hearing the familiar heavy-thudded footsteps on the front porch, I sat up a bit straighter and adjusted the fleece throw on my shoulders. It may have been blazin outside, but the AC kept it chilled in here.
Grimm walked into the living room looking much to vibrant for a man who barely slept. It just wasn’t fair for someone to look as good as he did.
The wisps of silver beginning to appear in his beard and atop his full head of hair were the only noticeable signs of him aging.
Lookin at him right then, you wouldn’t know he’d been holed up in a torture chamber.
His shirt was somewhat wrinkled but that could be from being on the floor most of the night.
“Good morning.” He fluffed the top of my head and plopped down beside me, causing the sofa to dip.
He readjusted after a mere minute, kicking his legs over the sofa’s arm, and positioning his head in my lap. The man was a giant dog.
I smoothed the hair he’d just disturbed and attempted to glare at him. As soon as I looked into those dark brown eyes it was a lost cause.
“You been waiting long?”
“Who said I was waitin?”
He smiled up at me, shifting his weight to get comfortable.
“You always wait for me. That’s why I always come back.”
I placed my hand on my chest with a smile. “You gotta warn me before you come for my heart.”
“Shut up.”
He closed his eyes and exhaled, relaxing into his sleeping position. He couldn’t the trace of a smile, though. I ran a light touch over his face, settling into my seat so I could be comfortable.
He’d only sleep for a bit. When he woke, he’d talk to me while we went about the day. Grimm wasn’t a big talker to begin with, but he always had words for me. Course I’d listen. It’d be then I found out what he’d done all night.
This is how things were.
Relevant or not I loved to listen. And I always waited.
I couldn’t wait for the day that he would be able to talk to me without being so weighed down. When that time came, I’d be here just as I was now.
BONUS #2
Cobra + Blue
Cobra
I took the scenic route back to my place. At this hour, the first wave of acolytes and the like were getting ready for the hustle and bustle of the day.
There wasn’t anything grand to see on the compound, but the fresh air and heat always helped me decompress.
I liked to have my thoughts somewhat in order before I saw Blue. It hadn’t taken long for the man brought here to crack. Watching a piece of iron split open his girl’s ass had a very satisfactory effect.
The person Romero had really been after would be found now. It was a smart move when I thought about it. Whoever it was behind the persona he was after knew too much about what went on in different areas of Badlands to be coincidental.
Whatever else Rome had planned, hopefully it got us a result soon. Though I honestly couldn’t fucking say what that result should be. I didn’t know where to start in terms of making any of this right, I only knew what needed to be done now.
The pain that came from losing Braxton had never dulled.
His betrayal was one thing. I could have protected him if he’d been remorseful.
I’d have done everything in my power to save him, but he wasn’t apologetic at all in the end and what he’d done to our family was unforgiveable. His reasoning for it would forever be one of my biggest disappointments.
He gave up everything for a trickle of power. It happened all the time here in the Badlands. Shit like that never happened here, though. We didn’t hurt the people that had our backs. Cam had been his greatest defender until the day he turned on him.
I knew what it was like to have demons dwelling inside your head. When I looked at Cam sometimes that’s all I saw reflected in his eyes.
Brax had fucked him up.
He’d fucked up a lot of people because of that shitty, fickle bullshit called trust.
It was so easy to break it into pieces, and a grueling task to build.
I couldn’t fully blame Brax though. It my job to protect him, to guide him. I’d failed to do so. It was something I would have to live with until I took my last breath.
Before that day came, I had a fuck ton to do. I needed to find out what happened to Lilith. The girl claiming to be my long-lost daughter had to be dealt with. There was a list of people I felt I owed and at the top was the most important one of them all.
Blue
I saw him coming from the window, and nearly fell in my haste to beat him to the door.
As the screen swung open, I gripped either side of the doorframe and blocked his entrance.
“What…the fuck?” Brows furrowed, Cobra stared down at me, his grey eyes full of confusion.
“You know better than to come in here wearing those filthy clothes.”
I refrained from cupping a hand over my nose and mouth as I got my first whiff of whatever was on his shirt. It wasn’t simply blood. I wouldn’t make a big deal over that. Unknown bodily fluids were a different matter. He always looked like he stood directly in front of open, gushing wounds.
“You want me to take my clothes off outside?”
“Isn’t that why we have a burn box?” I motioned to the far end of the porch.
This was a concept I came up with after I got tired of picking up questionably saturated clothing.
His expression changed and a smile lit up his face.
“My pants too?”
I crossed my arms and smiled back. “You mean half the compound hasn’t seen your ass yet?”
“Mavi,” he brought his face closer to mine, “Are you questioning my purity?”
I laughed and brought my arms down. “I’m well aware of how ‘pure’ you are.”
He moved back and pulled his shirt over his head, exposing the body that hadn’t changed much at all. I couldn’t say the same for myself. The twins and Lilith gave me more of a bottom than I knew what to do with and the girls weren’t as perky, but I would never complain about that.
Bonus was that Cobra loved everything about these changes.
“Can I come in now?” he asked, tossing the shirt to the side.
“Just take your boots off.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
I shook my head and moved aside. A second later he was walking through the door and closing it behind him.
“I need a shower.”
“Yes,” I agreed, eyeing a different shade of red mixing in with his natural hair color. I was used to seeing him like this. I never batted an eye anymore. If it helped him, I would never object. And if this led to my baby being found and bringing Cam some closure, I would cheer him on.
Nothing was more important to me than this. It helped me stay clear minded. There were some days I no longer wanted to get up and get out of bed.
I lost track of how many times I wanted everything to just stop so the pain in my chest would go away, but then I thought of my family and our friends. I thought of the amazing man in front of me and knew I had to keep going. If not for myself then for him and our kids.
That’s what I focused on.
I didn’t allow myself to think too hard about what Braxton had done or the fact Cobra may have another daughter.
I would go insane.
Instead, I tried to be positive. My little girl was still missing after all this time but there had never been a body found or rumor of a sighting. In my mind that meant she was still alive. Knowing what I did about Samael, he would have made sure of that.
Cam had a long way to go but being surrounded by the ones he still considered family were doing wonders for him.
And there was that pretty girl he was with every now and then.
I wasn’t sure if anything would come of that or not, but I slept well knowing she wouldn’t live to see another day if he was hurt because of her. He was cherished in that way. He always had been.
I wish he’d known how much he was loved before tragedy struck.
“Blue,” Cobra called softly.
Blinking at the gentle touch beneath my chin, I gave him a small smile and grasped his hand. He opened his mouth again; I was quick to bring my other hand up to stop him from speaking.
“Your shower,” I affirmed, springing into action, moving in the direction of our bedroom.
“Since you’re leading me there, does this mean you’ll be joining?”
I glanced back at him grinned. “Who dare pass up on such an opportunity?”
Whatever it was he wanted to say, he could do it afterward. Nothing was going to change in the next three hours. He had developed a bad habit of spilling word vomit when it came to me. It was his way of making me feel better.
While I was eager to hear anything and everything he knew, I had to make sure it was on his terms to tell me. I’d never trample over how he was mentally to make myself okay. I needed him to be okay too.
That was the only way we’d get through whatever was coming next.
BONUS # 3
Romero
Romero
It was a good thing I’d already gotten well acquainted with hell, because there was nowhere else for me to go. At this point the ground would likely spit me back out if someone tried to place beneath it.
I wasn’t the least bit disgusted with myself or the thing’s I’d done to get to where I was right now. My only regret was not handling Braxton. To be fair I never expected the little motherfucker to be so stupid. The power he was so desperate for was never his to have. He wasn’t strong enough to carry it.
I had a clear-cut vision of what the future would be for the next generation, and I was going to make sure it came to fruition. It was his fault for not making it to the bigger picture. That went for anyone and everyone else doing reckless shit as well. The factions vying for mine included.
These people were a mouse to a lion. Much sooner than later they would be reminded how this all worked. They would regret the day they grew balls big enough to test me.
I stared at the lifeless bodies before me, feeling absolutely nothing. The thrill of the kill had faded as soon as the light dimmed from their eyes. Grimm and Cobra had already left, leaving me the last one here aside from the acolytes still standing on either side of the room. They were waiting to clean up the mess we’d made.
Good luck to them.
The top of the Judas Cradle was covered in shit, blood, and ass tissue. The floor where the naked brunette was sprawled had a decent puddle of murky colored vomit and more blood. She’d died more pitifully than was necessary by doing stupid shit at the last second.
Grimm had been tying the rope that bound her ankles together when she got the bright idea to kick. Her ass hadn’t been the intended entry point. I was going to grant her the benefit of destroying her pussy until she tried to kick him.
The process thereafter was quick. The cradle worked by inserting the triangular-shaped end into one hole or the other. Binding her feet together made it impossible for her to readjust herself without doing more damage.
Have you ever heard the sound of a rectum being split open from the inside out? It’s truly something. I don’t know if it was throwing up or shitting that made her weak partner crack. Regardless, I got what I wanted and they’d both been laid to rest.
Now I needed to retrieve my prize.
Turning on my heel, I wordlessly headed for the exit.
The acolytes knew this routine well enough to start cleaning once I was gone.
I slid open the door and came face to face with Cali. Or more her face was in my chest until she looked up at me.
“What are you doing here?”
I grabbed her left hand and guided her in the opposite direction.
“Looking for you. Why else would I come all this way?”
“What happened?”
“Nothing. Why can’t I come find my husband?” She tilted her head back so she could see my face. The sun was shining high in the sky now, making the blue of her eyes seem even brighter.
“Because your husband told you to stay put.”
She scoffed and looked away. “Does he think I’m a dog?”
“Nah, just a major pain in his ass.”
“You love this pain in the ass, though.”
She laughed when I didn’t reply, snuggling herself closer to me. I wasn’t exactly clean or dirty, but that had never mattered to her. Cali didn’t care if I was fresh out the shower or covered in grime or blood.
That’s what made her question too fucking rhetorical. Didn’t the earth revolve around the sun? That’s what she was to me. In a completely non-cheesy way. Even now, as we walked through the compound back to our home, with various acolytes now active and going about their day, they might as well have been invisible.
Pixie was my center. She gave me a reason to live for someone other than myself. She kept me wrapped around her finger and I had her in the palm of my hand.
I pitied those who would never experience this. No matter how high the Savages climbed, there was one thing that would never change.
The Badlands was a monster. It would swallow your ass whole, leaving nothing but a few remnants of bone behind. Having someone to go through this hell with you was a blessing.
It was probably one I didn’t deserve but I was far too fucking selfish to ever have let her go. That ship had crashed, burned, and sunk years ago. Good thing too. Without Cali I wouldn’t have Luce, Bella, and Adelaide.
She toyed with a long strand of hair, easily keeping pace beside me.
“Did you get what you needed?”
“In a few hours I will. You’ll be with me when I do.”
“Then you better get to explaining what that cryptic ass statement means on the way to wherever this thing that you need is.”
