King of Hearts

Chapter 40 – Two Faced.

Ross's POV, Venus Dockyard, Los Angeles.

Watching the clock as time was nearing it's mark, I stood up from my seat to look back to Claire who I had placed up on another facing me. She was drenched in wet tears, but with the tape around her mouth she was only able to listen to what I have to say.

Glancing back at the clock as the hour I gave Don Verno struck, I said to her.

"Looks like your daddy is struggling to do what I want. Guess we'll just have to give him a push, huh?" I said with a smile as she instantly pulled her head back away from my incoming hand.

Grabbing onto her soft, wet cheeks, I moved her back into my view to urge.

"Make sure you smile honey. I promise I'll make it quick."

I could feel the fear in her skull shaking off onto my hand as I released her; and got out my phone to turn on the recorder.

"Let's see how your dad will like this." I said to myself as I placed the camera down in front of us.

Checking to make sure everything was set, I smiled as Claire sat in the perfect spot between the cameras lenses.

"Perfect baby. Just stay right there while I get this ready."

Watching from her seat as I reached alongside the camera. Claire widened her eyes as I took a hold of my Glock. Making sure it was loaded, I turned to her to assure to her.

"There just duds baby. It's going to hurt though."

Beginning to cry harder as I reached for the camera, I smiled widely as it began to record.

"You had an hour Brock. I warned you not to take advantage of me. And because of that your daughter gets the backlash of it. Maybe after this you'll learn to do what your betters want."

Showing the gun to the camera, I slowly walked towards Claire to aim at her chest.

Grasping the trigger, I looked back at the camera to say.

"Remember this is your fault Brock. Not mine or hers."

Glancing back at the small Echidna, I smiled and pulled the trigger.

"BANG!"

The force the dud round still applied as it left the barrel made sure it hurt her good. I could see blood coming up through her shirt as I lowered the weapon and looked back at the camera.

"Five minutes Brock. Or the next one will be in her head."

Turning back to go for my phone, I ended the recording and tuned in on Claire's cries for help and agony that were trapped under the tape.

"Relax kid. It was just a dud. Take the pain." I urged her as I got my phone back up into my hands to replay the recording to see if I liked my own work before sending it off to Verno.

As the video replayed, I kept my focus on Claire as she only seemed to be looking at the gun.

With the window behind her, the moonlight gave the scene an even better atmosphere. And as I focused on the light outside, I widened my eyes to see something pass the window in a jet of speed.

Quickly rewinding a few seconds, I took small steps through the data till whatever was behind Claire came into view. My heart grew still as I immediately lowered my phone onto the table and went to Claire.

"Get up!" I ordered her as I took hold of her hair.

"Mmmmmmmm!" Her pain was obviously her main concern, but we had to get moving now.

"Move!" I ordered her again as I began to pull her to the door.

Pulling her out into the hall, I forced us to the stairs and turned to hear what sounded like footsteps.

"Down!" I yelled at her as she attempted to take the first step down with her small body.

In anger at her pace, I pulled her up by the hair till she was in my arms.

Quickly speeding my way with her in my grip, I rushed down the stairs to head for the door.

Upon bashing through, I looked about to see my boat resting by the dock not more then a hundred meters away.

As my first step to freedom took it's place, I panicked and turned to hear the sound of feet rushing up behind me.

As my eyes locked with what as behind me, I tossed Claire to the side to get tackled down to the ground.

Twig's POV.

"You motherfucker!"

Sending my rage engulfed fist down, I widened my one good eye as he moved out of the way to send one of his own at me; connecting it into the burnt portion of my face.

Rolling to the side, I kept my eyes on Ross as he crawled for his gun that managed to get to the side from the fall we both took.

Immediately taking a hold of his leg, I pulled him back to me to climb up onto his neck.

Turning back to face me, Ross attempted to send another hook at me. This time however he missed, giving me the chance to send one of my own into his nose.

"Bash!"

The lights nearly went out in him from the force, and in reaction I went for the gun. But as my fingers took hold of the gun's butt, he took a hold of my chest and pulled himself up to begin attacking my chin.

The skin he pulled off caused me to begin to bleed again, and in agony from the burns; I released the weapon and focused back on him to send another hook down at him.

Grabbing into my arm, Ross headbutted me to the ground and sent his foot forward kicking me far enough that I wasn't able to get the gun.

Upon getting it in his hands, Ross turned to aim and pulled the trigger.

"BANG!"

Taking the round to my chest, I panicked as they weren't even real bullets loaded. They were fucking duds.

With wide eyes, Ross panicked and unloaded the clip.

"BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Click!"

My chest felt like a beanbag chair. And unable to react to him, I was forced to withstand another hit as this time his foot went up under my chin.

"BASH!"

Falling to the ground, Ross dropped the empty Glock to reach for me.

"You want something done right, I guess you have to do it yourself!"

Pulling me from my neck up, Ross dragged me onto the dock. As I struggled to fight back, I locked eyes with Claire who was both taped up on her hands and feet, along with one on her mouth. Losing sight as Ross got me down near the water, I panicked as he pulled me to the edge to shout.

"Let's see how you like this!"

Taking a hold of the back of my head, I widened my eye as he pushed me down into the water.

The saltwater was ungodly. My third degree burns mixed with it felt like hell. Slowly but surely I was losing breath as well.

With bubbles leaving my mouth as Ross held me down, I panicked and immediately jumped up from the water as I felt him release my neck for some reason.

Gasping for air, I turned to see Claire who managed to somehow get herself down to where we were.

In force, she slammed herself into Ross who immediately shouted.

"Your not worth the trouble!"

My whole body panicked as he pushed her off the dock.

"Claire!" I shouted as he turned to face me.

Leaping myself forward, I tackled Ross back into the dock. Throwing one good jab down, I looked forward to see Claire gone.

I couldn't stand by and let this happen.

Getting up off of Ross, I jumped the dock and dived down to begin looking for her.

With barely any visibility, I swam to the bottom to find her resting on the sand.

In all my speed and effort, I took hold of her arm and pulled her up onto my side. She was unmoving. And as I began to swim back up, I saw a boat's turbine spinning up.

As soon as we reached the surface, I widened my eye to see Ross getting ready to pull out.

In a rush, I got Claire back onto the dock, to then pull myself up and run for the boat.

Slowly beginning to move as I carried Claire forward, the boat left the dock and I was forced to stop as Ross drove off onto the open sea.

Nothing could explain what I was feeling right now. Seeing him get away was mind breaking. But as he left my sight, I remembered Claire who wasn't breathing in my arms.

Quickly getting her down onto the dock, I pulled off the tape on her mouth to watch as water pushed out of her.

I was scared she was already lost, but I had to try.

Connecting my mouth to hers, I gave her some air to then feel her neck.

She had a weak pulse.

"Come on Claire!" I begged her as I tried again.

As I gave her the last bit I had, I felt my heart spike as she began to cough up the water.

"That's it! Cough it up Claire! Let it out!" I urged her as she turned her head to the side to let the rest out.

With her small body gasping for air, I got the tape off her hands and feet to hear her ask.

"Twig?"

She was lacking for any energy and I could feel her pain.

"That's right Claire. It's Twig. Your safe now baby."

Slowly looking up, her eyes stared at me in confusion.

"Are you okay?" She wondered as I nodded.

"I'll be fine. How about you? Are you okay? Did Ross hurt you?"

In pain she replied.

"My chest hurts Twig."

Focusing down to her chest, I moved her soaked shirt down to see he must have shot her with one of the dud rounds. It looked like a big welt, but for her size that could have killed her.

"Your going to be okay. I'm going to take you home."

Claire slowly passed out.

Making sure her pulse was stable, I got her back up into my arms to head for the car that I had parked outside the dockyard.

Getting her in the backseat, I got in the front to check my face in the mirror. I looked like a fucking freak.

Taking a hold of one of the dry rags I had left over from the bakery. I applied it to the burnt off portion of my face and got it secured by pinning my right hand on it.

I could feel small pieces of blood, goo, and other parts of my body oozing out onto it, but I had no other choice but to live with it now.

As I started up the engine, and refocused back on the road. I slammed my fist down into the steering wheel in the anger that Ross got away from me.

Lucky for him Claire was here, cause if he didn't have her he'd be dead right now.

I had no other option. I have to try and focus on what's ahead. But now I have two targets to find. Remp and now Ross. My list is just getting longer.

Upon getting the car back on the street, I looked in the rear view mirror to see Claire was out-cold. From what happened to her today, I don't blame her. This isn't something a young girl should be brought into. And to be attacked like she was today just makes me want to kill Ross even more for what he has done.

With the drive now set ahead, I did my best to try and relax. I knew what was now ahead for me. I was going to kill Ross and Remp. Just you wait. They will die for what they did to me. And I don't care who gets in my way.

Leave a love and a hug. Let me know how you think Twig is doing. I will have another chapter on soon.

mT Shadow.