Page 40 of Haunting Phantom
Blake’s the one laughing now. “You know, it was never this easy with her. I can’t remember the last time she and I laughed together like this—”
“I can. It was—” But the thought fizzles out, almost like it never existed in the first place. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time we laughed together, either.Fuck. Why is it getting harder to remember things?
She stops just outside a strange building. “I’m gonna go inside and pick out a few things, but I need you to stay out here, please.”
“Why?”
She grins a little too widely. “Because there are a lot of things she can pick up and throw in there.”
The way his eyes light up when he laughs, throwing his head back so carefree and happy, it hurts. Hurts more than I thought it would.
She disappears inside, leaving Phantom and me alone together.Finally.
I don’t know if he can sense me, or just assumes I’m always listening, but he takes out a cigarette and lights it, then rests his head against the side of the building.
“This would be so much easier if you weren’t still hanging around, Eve.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
He keeps going. “I know you love and care about me, but I honestly don’t know what to do anymore. I like her, Eve. A lot, and I don’t want you fucking ruining this for me.”
An older couple walks by him, notices him talking to himself like some crazy weirdo, and quickly rushes up the path.
“Ugh, I just want this to be over with.”
“Stop saying that!”I scream at him.“Stop trying to get rid of what we have.”
He’s seconds away from getting another earful when he suddenly straightens and carefully ducks into the space between buildings.
“Fuck!” he grumbles, using the shadows to conceal him just as three guys in Misfits cuts appear across the street.
You can hear them talking from here, and it’s not good.
“Yeah, after the shit they pulled at the pool hall, we gotta hit them where it hurts. If we take out their leader, we can get them back for taking out Joker the way they did.”
Another one steps out of the building with a girl who looks rather familiar on his arm. “We know where their next shipment is, so we need to make sure they have no idea we’re coming.” He’s ungodly tall, with a large mustache, arms as big as boulders, and a strange evilness in his eye. The girl, she’s seen better days. There’s a fresh shiner on her eye, one that’s already bulging and bruising. She’s wearing an oversized hoodie and looks way too thin. Whoever they are, they’re important.
He grips the girl by the arm and throws her toward his bike. “Get on the fucking bike, Poppy.”
She flinches, then reluctantly obeys before he’s hopping on in front of her. “We need to make sure we do this right. I want Drac’s head. We already got his father; now it’s time to erase the bloodline.”
One of the guys snickers. “We could kidnap his kid and wife too; that could be fun.”
The man shakes his head. “Nah, leave them alone.”
“Really? But Warden always had us kidnapping bitches to teach our enemies a lesson.”
“Well, Warden and his little bitch went into hiding, and I’m the fucking one in charge now. So, do me a favor, Razor, and fucking learn your place. Warden left me in charge, so what I sayfucking goes. I’m acting Prez, and if I say leave his wife and kids alone, I fucking mean it.”
“Okay. Okay.” He holds up his hands like he’s afraid.
It’s then I realize the big guy has got out his gun and is pointing it at the lower member.
“Now, I need eyes back on the warehouse on 45thStreet. We need all available men there to intercept Moseley’s latest shipment.”
“It feels wrong to be going up against Moseley like this. He’s always been good to us.”
The big guy snaps. “Moseley is a fucking weasel who thinks he has power in this town. Yeah, I saw him bringing in some of his better contacts, but the man’s got nothing. If we’re going to survive out here, then we need to make sure that Moseley and the Elm Street Riders know exactly who’s in charge around here.” He turns so they can see his cut. “And that’s the goddamn Fernley Raging Misfits. I didn’t take over this club for you all to become a bunch of lemmings who follow some pompous prick around. The Misfits will do what the Misfits do best… cause chaos and anarchy. Now fucking get to the warehouse. We strike tonight!”
