Page 75 of Obey

Pyre is standing behind Boar, still half drunk. He keeps looking between me and Boar.

“Stringing you up was too good for you,” Boar growls. “I’m going to saw off your limbs and make you watch while I feed them to the gators. Then I’ll toss your torso to the gators too.”

I sneer at him. He’s not going to have the chance. I’m fueled by anger and adrenaline—and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of fear, too.

He’s too fucking close, and there’s not much I can do.

“Pyre,” I say, trying to appeal to him again. “You know all of this is fucked up, right? Your girl wouldn’t like this.”

Pyre glances at me. “What? You don’t… you don’t know her.”

I keep my gun aimed at Boar, but I meet Pyre’s eyes. “I do. I know Nevaeh, and she doesn’t want you doing any of this.”

Pyre makes a high pitched sound. “How… how do you know her name?”

Boar makes an impatient sound. “Fucking Christ, Pyre, you don’t shut up about her. He probably overheard your whining.” He raises his gun and aims it at me. “And you, you little pansy. You think you can shoot faster than all four of us?”

Movement behind him catches my attention. I inhale, but I don’t give away what I saw. “I only need to shoot faster than you. And while you’re focused on me, your precious motorcycles are still going up in flames. Your babies will never be the same again.”

I’ve struck a nerve, because all of the guys except Boar swivel their heads to look at the burning bikes.

“Fuck!” Pyre shouts, and finally, Boar looks away from me.

One of those bikes, still engulfed in flame, rolls in our direction. I don’t know how Knives managed to get it to move, and I honestly don’t give a fuck.

I shoot. I hoped to get Boar, but he moved so that one of his other guys was in front of him. I get that man instead. I don’t have time to think, and I just re-aim to grab the third man. He goes down just as the blazing bike rushes past him.

I have to dodge out of the way. The grass catches fire, but I don’t have time to worry about it. I have one bullet left, one I really need to reserve for Boar.

I’m just hoping I don’t have to use it on Pyre. Knives had been quick to promise Nevaeh that we wouldn’t hurt him, but I hadn’t been so sure for just this reason. If he decides to attack, what am I supposed to do? Let him kill me?

“Looks like you’re outnumbered now,” Knives says, stepping out with his shotgun held high. “No more men to hide behind or use as cannon fodder. Nobody to take a bullet for you. Nobody to do any of the heavy lifting.”

Boar looks between me and Knives, then reaches out for Pyre. In his drunken stupor, Pyre can’t fight back fast enough. Boar hooks his arm around Pyre’s throat and forces him close, like a human shield.

“I still got one,” Boar says as he starts walking backwards. “And I think you two are out of bullets.”

“Boar?” Pyre asks, voice high. “What’re you doing?”

Fuck.

“Can’t even face us like a man?” I ask him, trying to rile him up. “Gotta put someone between us like a pussy?” I scoff at him.

“I know how to get out on top,” Boar counters. “You two, you’re somebody else’s dogs. Not me. I’m in charge, and I know exactly how?—”

He suddenly cries out. Pyre elbowed him hard. I take aim, ready for the shot as soon as Pyre gets out of the way.

Only Pyre turns around to face Boar. “I fucking trusted you!” he sobs. “After Slim, I thought… I thought… but Nevaeh was right about you!” He’s still half-drunk, and he tries to punch Boar.

Boar is significantly larger, but Knives is on them too. He kicks Boar away from Pyre.

Boar stumbles and gets up.

I shoot.

Boar screams and collapses.

A stomach wound would be a bitch to die from, but we don’t have time to let nature take its course. I stride closer, knife still drawn, and stab him in the fucking throat.

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