“But surely if we set a trap, this will be over sooner rather than later?” I argued.
“Bunny, Pyro ain’t going to be able to handle those stairs to your apartment for a week. Got two options. Lock you in Hellfire, which will get back to Tanner. That puts the other old ladies at risk of being snatched. Or we keep you hidden in plain sight at Magic’s bar. Now, for me, it’s easier to leave you there. You’re surrounded by bikers sixteen hours a day, and we’ve already organised a rota for brothers to stay at the bar. Rage will provide a couple of theirs to watch the outside. Bunny sticking to our current plan is best,” Chance said with a command in his voice.
“Fine!” I sulked. But this couldn’t go on forever!
???
Phoe hadn’t lied. Some little birdie informed the media how Mrs Carter had handled herself, and let’s say she wasn’t represented in a positive light. Her selfishness was spread from pillar to post, as was Eli’s crimes and the lack of parental support for the search parties. It would be a while before Mrs Carter would show her face in polite society!
Chapter Nine.
Justice
Justice knew he was being watched as he moved. That was fine, as long as the asshole didn’t intrude on his tasks. Fire surged in Justice’s belly, and the piece of filth in front of him was paying the price. So far, he’d admitted to many murders and countless beatings of innocent men. Linus Spoke was now spilling his guts on the criminal enterprise he worked for. Justice sat quietly. Line hadn’t broken easily. He’d lost all fingers and toes, including a foot, before he cracked. And Line only talked because Justice had burned one of his balls off. Yeah, that fucker was in pain.
Linus wound down after admitting what he’d done to Janet Revers and stopped the live feed rolling, and turned everything off. The signal bounced around the globe, so Justice knew the feds wouldn’t be able to track him, and he had plenty of time. Justice felt those sharp eyes burrowing into his back again and ignored them.
Justice approached Linus and began his work. An hour later, the man was dead and hanging in a pyre built just for him. It was a warning to Tanner Derrick, and if Tanner didn’t understand it, that wasn’t Justice’s fault. As he tidied his gear away, he sensed the watcher moving. A tall, wide shadow filled the doorway of the warehouse.
“We have minutes before the smoke escapes this building, and it’s called in. You want to talk here or somewhere else?” Justice demanded. The figure paused. “Oh, I knew you were there, asshole. You ain’t as stealthy as you think.”
“The shack,” the spy said. Justice nodded.
“Meet you there,” Justice promised. He had no worries about the intruder. Why would Justice fear him? They were brothers. And that trumped everything apart from your woman. Justice sprayed the gasoline around and flicked the match. Justice stepped back calmly as the flames ate up any DNA evidence he may have left and then raced towards the body. Tanner Derrick just got sent a message. Whether he listened was down to Tanner. Justice had a job to do.
Justice stopped his bike outside the hut and awkwardly climbed off. He limped into the shack and leaned against the wall, taking the weight off his injured leg. His brother stood in the centre of the cabin that Hellfire did their wet work in. Justice watched calmly as Chance Michaelson turned to him.
“Told you, you could tell me anything,” Chance opened.
“Yup, chose not to mention this,” Justice retorted. His arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the wall.
“Dammit, Pyro, this is the shit I have to know!” Chance exploded.
“You didn’t need to interfere in this shit, Chance. This is mine,” Justice snapped back. “This has nothing to do with Pyro.” Chance paused, confused, as he studied the man in front of him.
“What do you mean, Pyro?” he asked.
“Name is Justice.”
“You’re Pyro,” Chance said hesitantly as his mind worked overtime.
“No, I’m Justice; Pyro is a Hellfire brother,” Justice responded calmly.
“Shit, you split your darkness, didn’t you?” Chance erupted as the pieces fell into place. Justice watched Chance with all the intent of a hunter spotting his prey.
“And if I did?” Justice replied.
“Fuck!” Chance swore. “Tell me if I’m wrong!” Chance pointed the finger at his brother.
“Go ahead, big shot.” Justice smiled coldly.
“When Dakota was burned, all those negative feelings threatened to drown him. So, he buried them deep inside. And when Dakota took the name Pyro and became a man, those passions were overspilled. You couldn’t handle them, so you created Justice, someone who would and could act on those emotions. And seek vengeance for those who the system had failed. This shit is about what happened to you as a kid, Pyro. The fact your dad didn’t get caught for years until you joined Hellfire, and that was the trigger.” Chance spewed the words as Justice watched.
“Grab a gold star, Chance,” Justice answered.
“So, Pyro, who is terrified of fire, recedes, and you take over. And because Dakota was burned and Pyro is scared of flames, you use that as your medium for truth? You’ve got like a spilt personality?” Chance asked.
“Not so much a split identity. It’s like Ace; he goes after someone guilty to let his monster feed every so often. Justice is Pyro’s beast, Pyro’s darkness,Pyro’s scream. Pyro hates people walking away without repercussions, so he makes sure that the balance is kept one way or another. But Pyro can’t handle the fire, and I can because it doesn’t bother me because I’m so dark. Any guilt Pyro may feel I swallow, any pain I consume, any doubt I destroy. Pyro lives in Hellfire’s world while I walk the shadows.”