BUFF (32 page)

Colt's sets his glare over Kulich's shoulder, forcing himself to rein his temper in.” Like I said—not your concern."

“So, Colt. Does this virgin-slut know you dig her that fucking much? You plan on having her in
this
life, raising ten shitty kids? What? What future can someone like
you
really give her?!” Kulich's voice rips through the night air. “You know this business will fucking kill her in the end. Is that what you want? Colt, there’s no life with a woman by your side and you letting her think there’s one is just as fucked-up as what you're doing to me!"

“I'm done discussing things. Let her go,” he demands, his voice guttural, threatening.

Kulich isn’t impressed. “Gimme Spencer."

“Not until I see Becky’s okay.”

Colt is breathing heavy. He has to stop, gain some fucking control before he snaps and loses it. Next thing he knows, he’s going to have his hands wrapped around Kulich's neck and that will be the end of it.

Kulich grins, the corners of his mouth pinch together. “Fine."

Only using his one hand, Kulich yanks Becky from the arm, forcing her out of the limo. Colt takes the small second to eye the surroundings. The building opposite him is high.

Kulich isn’t alone.

Kulich jerks at Becky’s arm, bringing her against him. “Tell him you're fine."

Colt freezes, tries to screen his reaction to seeing her but he knows it doesn’t work. She looks so tiny in that big sweater. Fragile and young, not someone who should be mixed-up in this fucking disaster. Her beautiful soft hair is falling around her face and he can barely read her expression. In that moment, he wants so badly for her to look at him.

He sees her chin wobble right as her glassy vacant eyes climb up to meet his. His gut squeezes in pain when he hears her weak reply, “I-I'm… fine."

“Did he hurt you?"

Her head shakes, but she seems to be somewhere else entirely. “No."

“Can we cut this prissy-shit and negotiate now?” Kulich says, as he watches the exchange volley between them, unabashedly.

Fuck. He needs to end this. She looks so weak, about to collapse.

“The exchange has changed, Vladimir.” His eyes dart back to Kulich only for a second before landing back on her. “Give me Becky or you lose the business. All of it."

Kulich's shoulder's stiffen just as his eyes suck all the air out of the alley, black holes of endless contempt. “Excuse me?"

A tendril of fear cascades in slow inches down Colt’s spine. But the unfamiliar feeling isn’t for himself. His eyes do a quick shift to the woman next to him then back to Kulich.

“Abruzzi's not happy with you. From the beginning he’s been reluctant to link names with you but you offered more money. I spoke with him and he's willing to back me since I made it clear to him I was thinking of branching off with my own territory."

“That's bullshit. Everyone knows you fucking work for me. You're my glorified hit man, Colt. Don't you assume you hold more fucking weight around here than you do. I made you, asshole. I can just as easily destroy you."

“That's what I’ve led you to believe,” he hoarsely lets out. "You don't think your partners haven't offered me more power, more money to join them? I didn’t because I felt I owed you after what you—”

“Yeah, after what I did for you, you piece-of-shit!” Kulich’s chest rises higher and higher and Colt can taste the rage filtering out from the man in front of him. “I killed the president of the Royal Reapers—your fucking father!—after he tied you up and made you watch him rape and beat your mother to death right in fucking front of you! For you! I did that for
you
because I loved your mother. Had done since the day she and her family moved in next to mine when we were just kids. Told her not to marry your cunt of a father ‘cos she meant something to me so
you
meant something to me, Colt! And this—this is how you fucking repay me, you son-of-a-bitch!”

Becky gasps; Colt feels it in his very bones.

“Thought you were a man with conscience, who had some kind of soul."

“Like you?” Kulich says, shaky in his rage. “She’s gonna see someday you’re just as evil as your fucking dad so stop the fucking act!"

“I'm not the one acting! You're a desperate man, Vladimir. A man who can't handle the pressure of this business. You've become paranoid, a liability. Thought it was temporary but it's not. You and I both know it. The other partners see it. You're done."

“This is my payment for what I've done for you? Given you?!” Kulich's tone treads past the formality of his trademark control. “This is what I get back? After all the years I’ve given you—to allow you to be by my side!"

“You can have your precious empire back. Just give me Becky.” Colt is back to his dull whisper.

“How’d you know I won’t just kill her right now… before I even give her back to you, asshole."

Colt cocks one corner of his mouth up. "Because you'd be dead before you even moved to go for your gun. Don't forget, Vladimir—I'm a faster draw than you."

“What if I offered you more money than Abruzzi? More power?"

“Keep talking."

Colt ignores Becky as her eyes widen and fall on him. Kulich doesn’t catch it.

“I'll give you anything you want, more titles, you can have your own fucking territory, make decisions on contracts, whatever."

“And?"

Kulich pauses. “I get Spencer."

“Just Spencer,” Colt says, his eyes twinkling, his brow peaking in interest.

“Colt...” Becky can’t cover the disbelief in her voice. But Colt keeps his eyes firmly on Kulich knowing if they fall on Becky’s, his defences will crack.

“How will I know you won't retaliate on Becky and the rest of her family?"

“Send them the fuck away.” Kulich shrugs off the details, his stare back on the SUV to Colt's left. "Just like you were going to. I'll never know."

Scratching his jaw, Colt contemplates the deal they’ve just put together. “Okay."

Becky's voice tears through his body. “Colt, no!"

Kulich doesn’t waste anymore time. “Bring him out."

Colt's stare swings to the car before falling to the ground. “Spencer. Out. Now." Spencer Appleton doesn’t hesitate. His feet hit the pavement, the door lunging out. Colt plants a firm look his way. “Don't take another step." His eyes come back around to Kulich's. He still hasn’t looked at Becky. He can’t. Not yet. “Give me her."

Kulich doesn’t wait. He smirks shoving Becky at Colt. Stepping closer to Spencer, his eyes flitter up at the rooftop parallel to him.

Colt was right.

They’re not alone.

Colt grabs Becky, cupping her head with one hand and pushes her hair out of her face with the other to get a better look and see for himself that she’s okay. She watches her father willingly step toward Kulich.

“No, Dad! Colt, do something… No!” she cries out, desperately, as her body wriggles for freedom Colt won’t allow.

Kulich nods and his arm comes around to Spencer's shoulder as if reacquainting himself with an old, lost friend. “Mr. Appleton,” he greets with a wide smile. “It's about fucking time."

Kulich leads him to the limo and Spencer goes without resistance; his eyes never leaving his daughter’s. There’s only fatherly concern as he whispers, “I'm so sorry, Rebecca… for everything…"

Becky struggles, one arm whips out only to be suppressed at her side by Colt's iron clasp. “Please…” Her head falls forward. “Colt, stop them. Mr. Kulich… Please… whatever you want I can get it for you. Please, there are other ways!" Kulich turns as Becky's small quivering body shakes.

“Now we all have what we want,” Kulich says, his eyes taking a quick look above them both. “Good doing business with you, Colt. But if I were you, I’d fuck that little cunt in every way possible while you still can. I promised not to hunt them down. But I never said anything about you. You and me—this ain’t over. I’m gonna enjoy killing you and it’s gonna be slow and painful just the way you like it, huh, Colt?"

Colt remains the silent statue. He doesn’t answer. He knows Kulich isn’t looking for one because the man turns and sits inside the limo, closing the door. The engine grumbles to life before steering forward at an unhurried pace.

Colt and Becky watch, both still for entirely different reasons. Colt's eyes close tight; the time for thinking twice is done. Now he has to act and act without reservation. After all, he’s vowed to keep her safe.

Kulich has done exactly what Colt thought he would do.

He's taken the bait.

“Colt…” she cries. Her forehead comes down to lean on his chest. The trembles of her body seep into his, but Colt forces himself still like he's tied down with invisible rope. Her head comes up again, strands of hair covering her face—

The ricochet of a bullet hits the brick wall opposite them. There's only a mere second for Colt to react properly.

Grabbing her by the wrist he pulls her. Whoever the shooter is, he’s a bad shot and luckily they aren’t far from the small awning of one of the back entrances of the shop in front. Colt doesn’t mean to be rough with her but he has no choice. He throws her with his arms around hers into the wall, securing them both under the small shield of the paper-thin blockade.

Another shot rings out, hitting the corner behind Colt's right. Becky freezes.

He presses himself into her, allowing a little more space between the shots and them. “Listen to me,” he orders. “I gotta get you out of here."

He lets go of her, knowing he has to and slides next to her, leaning his back against the wall, shoulder-to-shoulder with her. He peeks his head out to take a few undirected shots—let the guy know he's there and armed. With his other hand he retrieves his phone from his front pocket, finds the right buttons and dials blindly. The shooter, who is unidentifiable in black, moves over a bit, his shots closer to where they’re sheltered.

He pushes Becky with his shoulder and she moves along willingly, numb and pale by his side. He darts a look out, sees a glimpse of black and shoots a couple of more times before going back under the awning, putting the phone to his ear. Jenson picks up on the second ring. “Where're you?” Colt barks.

“I'm here. Right around the corner like you said to be."

Colt whispers calmly despite the danger looming over them, “Need you now. Take her and run."

“Got it."

The phone clicks and Colt breathes out, readying himself, gulping down what feels like gallons of much needed air. His lungs burn from the pressuring build up. He’s used to these moments, they're a part of him like anything else.  But never once has he had a woman by his side.

A woman he would die for.

“Look at me." She complies immediately. “I need you to run when I say so." She nods her head. Colt takes that as a good sign. “The cars right there. It's unlocked. I'm gonna cover you. When I say go—you go."

Tint tremors quake the flesh of her lower lip. “O-Okay."

“Okay. You ready?"

“Yeah...” She swallows, slides her body in front of him. His hand comes around, molding her shoulder. He squeezes the skin tight, kisses the soft crown on her head.

“Go!” he whispers, fiercely.

She runs off like a jackrabbit and he follows, pointing his gun up and firing as he runs behind her. He hears the car door slam and the pinch of worry in his gut subsides an inch.

She's safe.

His hand curves around the car latch, his eyes shoot up. He fires randomly, hoping he hits something, but he's sure whoever is up there is probably waiting for him to get in the car to follow him. He throws the door open, turning the keys that are already in the ignition. Slicing the gear into drive, his foot is on the gas screeching forward as they race out of the alley.

The gun shots are more distant this time but feel only a scant breath away from them. Colt whips the large car around the corner, grateful it's in the middle of the night and not any other time. He looks to his side. Becky sits frozen and stiff next to him. They're in the car for what has to be ten seconds before he pulls behind another set of buildings. This time there is a truck waiting for them. The car stops. Colt kills the ignition and pushes the door open.

“Colt," says Jenson.

“Jenson.” Her voice sounds shattered like she’s been crying for hours. “What’re you doing here?” She hugs him and Colt tenses, feeling Jenson's awkwardness burgeon along with a flick of fire that courses through Colt's veins. He doesn’t waste time feigning the fact that he hates what he just saw, but he’s helpless and has to stay on track. He goes around the car, glances at Jenson, shifts his gaze to Becky, then back.

“Take her to her family."

“Kulich got a good head-start."

Colt nods. “Know where he's headed. I’ll be fine."

Not sparing them a second glance, Colt makes his way back to the SUV. Jenson nudges Becky forward but she remains stuck in place.

“Where… Where is he going?" she asks. When Jenson doesn’t answer immediately, Becky's stare whips around to his. “Jenson, tell me. Where is he going?"

Jenson shuffles a bit before answering, “To save your father."