More new reviewers YAY! Morgane Lurkerstriker and StormPhoenix. Cookies for you! Glad everyone is loving the plot because I was nervous about it when I first started writing it. This chapter's gonna be a bit long so enjoy.
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Chapter 9
She turned her attention ahead of them where the unknown driver stared at the both of them. It was a face unfamiliar to her. He was a tattooed middle-aged man wearing a black leather jacket. She expected to see him look threatening but it seemed that once the driver had a glance of Razer, the expression he wore showed pure terror. The driver was horrified. His mouth hung in fear as Razer quickly jumped out of the car, pulling out a red and silver switchblade from the glove compartment and walked toward the driver. He grabbed the driver by his collar and put the knife to his throat. Keira saw a thin line of blood beneath the blade of the driver's neck.
"What the f-ck do you think you're doing?"
The driver raised his hands in defeat and with a trembling voice he cried out, "I-I'm sorry I didn't realize! I didn't recognize you without the jacket and I saw her in the car. I know Mizo ordered for all of Jak's group to be killed so when I saw her- I just- I-"
Razer violently yanked his collar to bring him closer to him, the man's head jerked back roughly as he pulled him. "Mizo's dead! Where have you been?" The man stared at him baffled, still trembling in fear. "There's a new crime lord now and she's taken Jak's group off the black list. So if there's anymore of you fools rampaging around you had better go and warn them because if you dare shoot at me again or shoot at her when I'm not around I swear I'll come and cut your throat!" Razer spat at him.
The man nodded at him in understanding. Razer threw him against the seat before punching him in his jaw. The man covered his face in shame as Razer walked back towards the car with Keira still clenching on the inside of the door. He jumped back in the car and opened the glove compartment. He pulled out a black handkerchief and wiped the thin line of crimson along the silver blade. He placed everything back in the compartment and closed it, keeping his murderous glare on the driver as he drove away.
They both sat in silence for a while, staring off to where the driver had left off. Keira released her hands from the door and opened and closed her fingers to wear off the pins and needles in them. Without looking at him she spoke, "I think I should get back home now. The night is a bit strange now don't you think?"
He nodded without looking at her either. He was still angry and gripped his steering wheel harshly. With an almost cold tone he replied, "As you wish…" and he started the engine. Keira turned to him to realize that his coldness wasn't toward her but because he was angry at the fact that their night was already ruined. She didn't exactly consider herself close to the man but she couldn't help but feel guilty about everything. She didn't want him to feel so disappointed. As they drove off he continued to speak, "I apologize if my display frightened you" and he glanced at her fingers indicating that he had saw her clenching onto his vehicle through the whole event.
"No no, it wasn't your fault…besides I'm kind of used to that already, I was just caught off guard" He could see that she didn't like to be seen as a fragile woman that needed to be protected. He admired her pride in herself. He nodded to her as they drove. She stared up at his face to study him; his expression had slowly relaxed as the wind blew through his shiny black hair. She still felt guilt for the way the night turned out. She placed her hand on his shoulder and he turned to her in reaction, "I'm a bit tired…do you mind?"
A relieved grin spread on his sharp face, "Do as you please…"
With his permission she gently laid her head on his firm shoulder and closed her eyes. She inhaled the spicy masculine scent surrounding him as she felt his warmth against her cheek. It felt a bit awkward since she had already grown accustom to Jak but even though she'd never admit it, after what had just happened, she actually started to trust Razer and even felt safe with him. That was a feeling she had only granted Jak and here she was, feeling this way with someone else. Goosebumps grew along her pale skin as the wind blew against it and at the next red light he leaned forward without a word so that he can grab his coat from behind the seat. He draped it around the shivering girl's shoulders and she nodded to him gratefully. She leaned back upon his shoulder as they drove on, back towards Haven City.
"I wonder where she went at this hour?" Jak asked his furry companion sitting on his shoulder. He was driving from Keira's garage and once he realized that she wasn't there he decided to head over to the Naughty Ottsel with Daxter. Daxter didn't really know what to say to Jak about Keira's whereabouts, he didn't have an answer for him. He hadn't the slightest idea where she'd be at this hour either. Daxter turned to study Jak's expression, full of worry as his green brows furrowed in deep thought. He seemed to hesitate for what he was going to say next but he allowed himself to say it, "I know…I don't really have the right but it just worries me that she's not there and I don't know where she could be. She's always there…" Daxter still stood in silence as Jak continued to open up to him, "Ever since we left Kras City she's been strange. I've been wanting to talk to her about a lot of things but I…I just didn't know where to start" He tried to give Daxter a knowing grin, "I'm not exactly good at talking about…things with a woman"
Daxter gave Jak a friendly slap on the head and smiled, "Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine. Just tell her how you feel. It's Keira"
"Yeah…you're right. I should talk to her…" Just as he finished his sentence, he slowed down at a yellow light turning red. As he dazed off about nothing in particular a red and black Havoc V12 turned the corner, around his vehicle to drive past him in the opposite direction. That was when he caught a quick glance at the most shocking thing he had ever seen. His jaw dropped along with Daxter's who was also witnessing what he was seeing. Keira was in the car with Razer, fast asleep with Razer's coat draped over her shoulders as she leaned on Razer's shoulder. She was leaning on another man in another man's car. He was a man who once was their enemy and was now driving around with Jak's mechanic beside him. Keira? With Razer? What the…
Daxter read his thoughts aloud, "Jak…did I just see what I think I just saw? Keira with-with Raz-" it was hard not to cringe while he tried to finish the sentence. He was stunned and Jak turned his head back to look down the street. His eyes weren't playing tricks, it was definitely Razer's car behind them heading toward Keira's garage. By the time Daxter had turned to look at Jak he saw the anger forming on his face and his teethe clenching. His hands trembled while squeezing onto the steering wheel. Razer's vehicle was also stopped at a red light going the opposite direction in the lane beside him.
"I'm gonna go check it out" Daxter quickly volunteered and before Jak could protest Daxter had already hopped off his shoulder and scurried toward Razer's vehicle. He crawled onto the back of the car unnoticed by the time the light changed green, leaving Jak mumbling curses in his own car. As Razer's car drove off Jak stood with his head turned toward it, watching helplessly as the emotions were losing control inside of him. He banged on the steering wheel with his fist and let out a frustrated groan. He didn't know how to describe what he was feeling after seeing what he just saw and he didn't know what to do with himself. All he knew was that what he was feeling felt horrible, it was the worst feeling he had ever felt next to losing his father. He also knew that tonight he wasn't heading to the Naughty Ottsel anymore, he was going to pay Razer a visit.
By the time Razer had slowed up in front of Keira's garage, her eyes had already opened sluggishly. She let out a yawn as he stopped the car and put it into parking. She lifted her heavy head off of his shoulder and felt the wrinkles on her cheek from leaning on him so long. She blushed but brought her hands to her face so that she could run them up through her turquoise hair. She peeled his coat off of her shoulders and turned to look up at him. He was already facing her, giving her a devious smile.
She smiled back a little, "Thanks…for what you did back there"
He nodded, "Threatening people is what I do. I would've sliced his throat if you weren't there. No one shoots at my vehicle and gets away with it alive" She cringed at his response and he laughed, "But I did it for you my lady, the last thing I would want is for such a good woman like you to be harmed…" He placed his hand underneath her chin so that he could wink at her before releasing her. She stepped out of the car and Razer followed, not realizing that Daxter was following as well. She opened the door to her garage and as it went up, she stepped into it to flick on the lights.
She turned to see Razer placing a cigarette behind his ear and taking out the lighter to hold in his hand as he spoke, "Do you have any plans for tomorrow night?"
"Just the usual"
"Good, good, I'd like to make up for tonight. I want to present you with an offer as well"
She raised an eyebrow at him in curiosity, "An offer? What kind of offer?"
He stepped closer to her, closing the gap between them while looking down at her. "Don't worry, it's an offer you can't refuse" and before she could utter another question he leaned down and firmly pressed his thin lips upon hers. Her body stiffened and her hands stood hanging in the air, she was caught off guard and didn't know what to do. She had never been kissed by anyone but Jak so this was a new feeling. She closed her eyes and tried to adjust to this new awkward feeling. She felt her cheeks growing hot and his hands firmly gripped her arms as he kissed her. Surprisingly he didn't taste at all like nicotine. Another mystery of his that she'd never know the answer to. It wasn't a long kiss but it felt long to her. He backed away, flashing her another one of his cocky grins. He took the cigarette from his ear and placed it in his mouth. She watched the tip glow orange as he lit it and he inhaled the smoke while she just stood there, still stunned by his actions.
"I'll be here tomorrow at the same time" He flashed her a grin before he walked away towards his car. She kept her stunned gaze at him as he jumped in his vehicle and drove away. She raised her hand to touch her lips, still unsure of what had just taken place. She brought her hand down to her side and stared down at the ground. She whispered to herself Jak's name for some unknown reason. She didn't know why she felt the need to say his name after a moment like that. It was as if everything was a dream and she wasn't sure of anything anymore. Razer's kiss was nice but it didn't feel the same. It was somewhat empty. She reassured herself that it was probably because she was so used to Jak and it would take some time to get used to.
Daxter was hiding behind her garage table when he had watched the whole thing. He was now witnessing the look of sorrow on Keira's face when she whispered Jak's name. He frowned at the sight of the helpless girl, caught between two men, wondering where she belonged. He knew Jak felt strongly about her but he had always taken her for granted, always lost in his missions and saving the world. Now here she was slipping away unwillingly. His ears perked up once he heard the familiar sound of screeching tires. He immediately ran out from his hiding place not caring if Keira saw him and ran towards Jak's car. Jak got out of the car, slamming the door behind him with a furious expression on his face. Daxter scurried up to him and blocked his way, "Jaaak, calm down. Remember what we talked about earlier. You said you were going to talk to her. Let's be a good hero and not turn all demon-like ok?"
Jak didn't look down at the orange ottsel begging at his feet, clenching his fists and gazing at Keira standing in the garage, he walked past Daxter. He ignored his pleadings and walked towards Keira. She was standing there with a confused, blank expression on her face, wondering what he was doing here and why he had such an angry look on his face. She was also wondering how long Daxter was spying on her. Fear suddenly shook her body and she felt the need to just disappear. Of course that was something that reality would not allow her. She somehow managed to stutter, "Jak! Wha-what are you doing here?" She tried to keep a steady look as he walked up to her and stopped. She had never seen him look so angry, not with her anyway. It was terrifying.
He coldly ignored her question, "Did you just spend the night with Razer?" He pointed outside the garage as if Razer was still there and kept his eyes focused on hers, daring her for an answer.
Disgusted by the way Jak was acting; Keira retaliated with the same attitude, "So what if I did? That is none of your concern!"
Jak's eyes widened at her answer and stood silent. They stood burning into each other's eyes with their anger. Jak suddenly turned his back to her. He spoke low but she could hear the anger he was hiding in his tone, "Your right…it isn't my concern" He was about to walk away when Keira suddenly felt the urge to call out for him. She didn't want things between them to be this way. Things were bad enough between them but she couldn't bear the thought of Jak leaving, not her garage but her life. He was all she had ever known.
"Jak!" She went to walk towards him but stopped in her tracks when he raised a hand to indicate that she stop.
In a defeated tone he spoke his last words to her. It seemed that his anger had calmed down. "Keira…I just want you to do what's right for you. You're free to date whoever you want. I can't hold you down forever…"
She tried to protest, "But Jak, how could you say that? Why wou-"
He cut her off, "I don't-", he tried not to raise his voice, "I don't care, Keira…just do what's right for you…even if it doesn't involve me" He practically spat out the last words of his sentence and quickly walked off before she could say anything. Daxter ran after him while he was already starting his engine.
Now Daxter was frustrated with the whole situation. "Jak! That was cold! You better go back there right now and take that back before I-" Daxter was putting up his orange fists as if they looked intimidating. Jak didn't respond to him and coldly asked, "I'm heading to Kras City. You coming or not?" He looked down to glare at the angry animal and already guessing his answer he drove off, leaving Daxter behind. Daxter was stunned at Jak's behavior. He had never seen him act this way, towards Keira or towards him. He hadn't acted this cold since he escaped from the grasp of the Baron after being injected with so much Dark Eco. He had learned to maintain his coldness toward people over the years but tonight it seemed as if he had lost that control.
Daxter's ears dropped in disappointment as he turned to their childhood friend. She was sitting on a chair next to the latest vehicle she was repairing for someone. She stood staring at the empty space where Jak was parked moments ago, staring in disbelief. Daxter scurried over to the garage, climbing up toward the wall so that he could close the garage door. By the time he had crawled back to Keira, she was still in a daze as if she could see through the garage door at the same spot she was staring at before. Daxter was afraid to speak. He put his paw on her ankle as he stood next to her and whispered, "Keira…he didn't mean that" He instantly regretted saying anything at all because he seemed to awaken her from her daze so that she could be smacked with the harsh reality of what was happening.
Keira's lips quivered uncontrollably as she buried her sobbing face into her hands. She didn't care that Daxter was watching her or if anyone would hear her sounding as pitiful as she did. She needed to let it out. She was tired of all the drama, all the confusion, and she was tired of this thing she had with Jak. She didn't know what to call it but she knew she was tired of it. Daxter had gently crawled up to her shoulder so that he could lean on her and comfort her. She cried harder when she felt his paw rubbing at her hair. Between her jumping breaths and sobs she said to no one in particular, "I can't believe I love that bastard! I thought…I thought he-" and the rest of her sentence was muffled in her sobs again. Daxter wanted to tell her that Jak loved her, that Jak had always loved her and that was why he thought it was best to let her go. Yet after Jak's display tonight, a part of him wanted Keira to forget about him and move on even though Jak was his best friend. He didn't want Keira to suffer anymore and if Jak wasn't going to live up to being the man about it than someone else should.
Suddenly Keira got up and Daxter jumped off her shoulder. She rubbed her eyes and forced a smile on her red swollen face. Daxter had never seen her look this bad. "I think…I'm gonna go upstairs and sleep" She bent down to quickly pat Daxter on the head before turning toward the stairs. Daxter heard her walk up the stairs and close the door. He knew she wasn't going upstairs to sleep but to cry some more. It was painful for him to watch. He crawled up towards the garage window and slipped his way out. With his ears still drooping in defeat, he decided to walk to the Naughty Ottsel. After everything that he had just witnessed, the one thing he wanted to do most was go home and be with his girl, to be with Tess. Unlike Jak, Daxter never found it hard to show his feelings toward Tess even though at times it sickened people. That was because Daxter knew one thing that Jak hadn't realized yet, once you find the woman that's going to love you and accept you for who and what you are, you don't want to let her go…there's no replacing her once you let her go.
The wind blew Jak's blond hair in his face as he sped on the road towards Kras City. He wasn't too far now and he knew exactly where he was headed. He was going to find Razer at the Bloody Hook and have a talk with him. Even if Keira did decide to be with him, he had better let him know the consequence if he ever hurt her. He was going to let him know that tonight.
His head throbbed, full of all the thoughts and memories running through his head. His eyes burned and stung and his chest hurt like it never hurt before. He replayed the night's events in his head over and over, what he said to her, the look on her face, how he felt, how she must be feeling. He thought of the kiss they shared back at the Bloody Hook less than two weeks ago and the night before when he had slept beside her. He remembered the warmth and tickling feeling of her fingers, tracing along the edges of his face that night. His eyes burned more with every memory, especially when he remembered what he had heard her whisper that night. That night when she was fast asleep, lying beside him on his chest, he had woke up from his slumber for a moment and it was then that he heard it. She whispered in her sleep, "Please Jak…don't go" It pained him when he heard those small words. Even though it was through her sleep and she hadn't realized she said them, they held so much meaning. It was as if she was having a nightmare and it was about him always leaving her behind, except that was what he did to her in real life. He was overwhelmed with pain and guilt when he heard it that night. He wished he was there for her as much as she wanted him to be there, so that whenever she'd sleep, nothing but sweet words would slip from her lips instead of painful ones. It was then that he decided that he wasn't the right one for her. As much as he loved her, he was preparing to eventually let her go. After he heard her say that, after a long gaze at her angelic form in the darkness, he slipped out of bed and returned to his own room.
Once Jak had arrived at the Bloody Hook, he parked his car and barged through the doors. His angry expression had returned on his face as he searched the bar. Just like he had predicted, Razer was sitting at the bar with a shot glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Razer turned to Jak once he barged in and calmly put out his cigarette in the ashtray beside him, knowing Jak was probably heading towards his direction. He turned slightly to face Jak as Jak walked up to him. He got up close to Razer to the point that their faces were inches apart and snarled at him, "You had better not hurt her! I swear if you do I'll hunt you down and kill you!"
Razer shook his head and sighed. Jak's threat didn't seem to have any affect on him. He spoke calmly to him, "No need to do that. I think you've already done that enough"
This angered Jak more and he grabbed the collar of Razer's coat, "It's hard to believe that a murderer like you would even have a heart"
Razer retaliated, "Murderer? I'm sorry. I never realized that you've never killed anyone before. What makes you better than me?"
"You're a heartless criminal Razer!"
Razer let out an arrogant laugh at the whole situation, "Jak, do you really believe that you're any different from me. You have killed just like I have and you're just as much of a criminal as me. After all you were Krew's muscle were you not?"
"That's over now! Now I work for myself"
He paused before his next comeback, "It's amazing how you're threatening me not to hurt her yet the only one that has been doing so is you. I'm sure it is something that you have been doing for a long time without realizing"
Razer's comeback had stunned him and he was lost for words. He was right, he hated to admit it but he was completely right. He released Razer's collar as Razer straightened it out while he stood up to face him. He smiled slyly at his verbal victory against Jak. He decided to push it some more. "Word of advice Jak. Keira is what I like to refer to as a diamond in the rough. Some men may not appreciate her talents and may even forget how rare she really is but through all the dirt that gets on her in the garage, she's a rare beauty just waiting to be polished. You've failed to realize her worth and here I am, making sure that she has a place to shine. See you at the tracks next year" and he walked away from Jak, leaving him glued in his tracks. Jak had come all the way to Kras City, meaning to threaten Razer and save the last of his pride and instead the last of it was shattered by Razer's words. He sat on the stool of the bar in defeat. The bartender had pretended not to notice the commotion but he was sure that the bartender was already used to this kind of thing. Without question, the round, elderly man propped down a large mug, brimming over with the bubbling yellow liquid. He knew by the look on Jak's face, what he intended to do with the rest of the night was drink it all away and drown in his sorrows.
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Pretty long chapter ey? Hope you liked. Lots of drama and emotions. Everyone's feeling crappy so it's a bit depressing. Don't worry, the future chapters will make things better. Don't forget to review. :-P
