FIFTY-EIGHT

Detonate - G2, Jeris Johnson, YONAKA

I stare at Callum. He’s fucking tall and handsome and is managing to make a hoodie look hot. But as I stare at him, my drunk brain slowly realizes two things: one, Callum’s eyes are glassy, and he’s weaving back and forth, and two, he just made fun of Buffalo.

Callum hiccups and waves. “Hey guys.” His words are slurred. “Which one of you is shooting me?”

‘He’s so hot. Let’s add him to our harem.’

The hugs are gone. Completely evaporated with rage.

This man tried to kill my man. He tried to touch my man .

“Fuck you, Buffalo!” The words come out angry. I’m hot. Everything is hot. How could Buffalo suggest that? Callum tried to kill our man. And he’s a fucking pedo protector.

‘Fuck you ! He tripped the man.’

“He’s one of them.” I look around, but there’s no weapon close. Logan took my gun. He took my fucking gun. I stride up to Buff, snatching him off my bag and turning back around. The alcohol is rushing through my body, making my rage burn with an intensity that washes my whole body in heat.

“Ronan,” Dakota finally speaks up, and he sounds hesitant.

“And fuck you too, Dakota.”

No one wants to stand up to these people? No one ever wants to stand up to them ? Fine. I will. The fucking dirty sponge at your service.

And then I rush past Logan, straight at Callum.

I race towards him as fast as I can, intending to use my body as a battering ram. “Fuck you, you fucking pedo lover!”

Callum’s face changes in an instant before I crash into him. He lowers his body, collecting the impact of my hit and keeping on his feet.

“What the fuck did you just call me!?” I feel the growl of his words as I realize that Callum isn’t going to fall. So I raise my fist to punch him in the face. The fist that’s still holding Buffalo. I notice that a split second before I rain down hit after hit on Callum’s head.

“Pedo lover, you fuck! You disgust me !”

I can feel the hatred everywhere. It’s right under my skin, boiling up with nowhere to go.

Every time. Pedophiles are protected every time. There is no justice. There will never be justice. There will only be me.

‘Ronan!’ Buffalo is screaming at me, but I ignore him. The time for talking is over.

“Pedo lover!? I fucking kill pedos, you dumbass.” Callum’s words are slurred. I see his fist coming from the side and duck down into his waist, using his distraction to tackle us both to the ground. As soon as we hit the forest floor, I’m back to swinging, hitting Callum in his pretty face over and over again.

‘Ronan!’ Buffalo’s a blur as I use him to batter the man underneath me.

“Don’t lie. You work for Apex.” I hit Callum over and over while he tries to get away. “We know you’ve been trying to protect all these fucking pedophiles! You’re Damian Ryker’s goon! He’s, like, the pedo king!”

I know this is true. Logan briefed me on it before we even started this trip. Because you cut the head off one snake, and three more appear in its place.

Callum goes still for a second, his whole body freezing. I want to make him my third kill. See if his eyes explode out of his skull like crushed jello packets.

Then, Callum’s moving. And he’s not just moving; he’s grabbing Buffalo.

White hot rage rips through me, and I yank back. How dare he. How fucking dare he! Suddenly, Callum rolls me so I’m under him. Still, I rip with all the violence I can muster, and then there’s a horrifying tear, and the tension is gone. My arm flies back, gripping the bottom half of Buffalo, leaving Buffalo’s head in the hands of Callum Walker.