sp; We get out of my car and make our way over the brush and up the steps. Emo’s been quiet since I picked him up, which is no surprise really. He’s always quiet. My eyes flicker to his closed fist. By the time we leave here, his hand will be dripping blood from the key he’s clutching. The same key he’s never without and the same one he uses to mark his body.
Since the lodge has no electricity, it’s dark inside, except for the three gas lamps that are lit. JW’s sitting on the counter and Trouble’s propped up against a wall beside an old TV stand. Both have their eyes pinned on the man sitting in an old chair. I don’t see how the chair is holding his weight with all the shaking he’s doing. He hasn’t pissed his pants yet, so points for him. Emo’s ominous presence only adds to the guy’s fear. Emo wouldn’t hurt a fly if it didn’t deserve it, but his looks and demeanor suggest otherwise.
“J-Judge, please. I didn’t mean to hurt her,” he begins when I stand in front of him. “I-It was an accident. I swear.”
“Lying will only make it worse, Caleb,” I tell him calmly. “Not to mention, only piss us off even more.”
“I’m not lying.” His voice rises in desperation.
I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him. “Tell me. How in the fuck do you accidentally hit a girl?”
His eyes flit around the room to the others before looking back at me. He grips the arm of the chair so hard, his knuckles turn white.
“I-I saw her kissing Austin, and I just sort of lost it. I regretted it as soon as I did it.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll make sure you’ll regret it even more,” Emo growls from behind me.
Caleb’s eyes dart to Emo and he begins to shake even more. Sweat slides down his temples.
“Doesn’t sound like an accident to me, Caleb. In fact, it sounds like you hit her very deliberately out of anger. Tell me, is there ever a reason to hit a woman?”
“N-no,” he stammers.
“You fucking knew what would happen, but you let your anger and jealousy get the best of you when you should have just broken up with her.”
I hate cheating just as much as the next person, but it still doesn’t justify hitting a person because of it. There are no excuses for such behavior.
“P-please,” he begs, tears leaking down his cheeks. “It won’t happen again.”
“Damn right it won’t. And we’re here to make sure it doesn’t.”
I’ll give the guy credit. He’s not tied down to the chair he’s in because he’s smart enough to know there’s no way he could escape if he were to try. However, as soon as those words leave my mouth, he springs up from his chair, eyes wide, and attempts to sprint to the door. He doubles over when my fist jams into his stomach.
“You brought this on yourself, Caleb. Now you have to pay the consequences,” I tell him and land another hit to his midsection. He falls to his knees and lets out several wet coughs.
I step back just as JW comes forward. He grips Caleb’s hair and forces his head back so he’s looking at him with pain-filled eyes.
“Preying on someone you feel is weaker than you is a bastard move,” he growls in Caleb’s face.
Blood flies out of Caleb’s mouth after JW rapidly hits him twice in the jaw. He lets go of his hair and Caleb drops to his side on the floor. Trouble comes forward next. He glares down at the whimpering man.
“People like you make me sick.”
Pulling his foot back, he lets it fly forward and kicks the shit out of his ribs. More blood spurts from his mouth. He groans and huddles into a fetal position, clutching his sore ribs.
I take a step closer to him when Emo walks up. His black hair hangs in his face, but I see his eyes well enough to note the perilous look. Just as I suspected, blood drips from his tight fist. I tense, ready to pull him back if he gets out of hand.
Emo drops to his knees beside Caleb and grabs him by his shirt, yanking him up. He stares at him a moment, Caleb’s already swelling eyes looking back at him in panic.
Baring his teeth, Emo headbutts Caleb so hard that blood immediately starts gushing from his broken nose. Emo releases him and his head thumps back to the floor with a groan. Before I can anticipate his next move, Emo’s sitting on Caleb’s chest pounding his fists into his face over and over again, deep growls rumbling from him.
Trouble and JW both walk over slowly, giving Emo time to get in a few shots before they wrestle him away. Caleb moans, his face a bloody mess. Emo struggles in our grasp, fighting to get away and back to the beating he was giving Caleb.
“He’s had enough, Emo,” Trouble says calmly.
After a moment, he stops struggling. They release him and he stalks to the door, yanks it open, and walks out.
I squat down beside Caleb and shove him to his back. “You going to put your hands on another woman again?” I ask.