Page 43 of Claymore
Claymore caressed my cheek, wiping away the single tear that fell from my eyes. He lifted my chin, kissing me softly, and the feeling of his warm lips on mine helped ease my anxiety. He pressed his forehead to mine and I relished in how he felt, how he smelled, how much I’d begun to love him.
“I promised that I’d keep you safe no matter what, Ella. I’m not breaking that promise. I will find your brother. I will see this through to the end,” he declared.
I breathed deeply, resting my fingertips on the prickly stubble of his beard, kissing him again. It comforted me in a way I couldn’t put into words. It gave me the strength I never knew I had.
“Ready to take a look around?” he asked.
“Let’s do it.”
I wandered off to the large wooden bar, taking in the half-eaten plates of food, and the pie that had collapsed on itself after being out for ages. I imagined the fear in everyone’s eyes, the worry coursing through them as they thought about everyone they loved. It was no miracle that they all survived. I felt it in my gut that this was just another one of Ray’s games, that he wanted me to know that no matter how far I go, he’ll always be there to take something away from me.
I sighed, glancing down at blood-splattered menus, when I noticed something glinting. I took it between my fingers, feeling the coarse ridges, and the silver enclosure around the diamond seemed familiar.
“What do you got there?” asked Claymore.
I held it up for him to see.
“If I’m not mistaken, this is the dial from Ray’s watch. It’s the only one I’ve ever seen that had a diamond encased in it. Was she here? That woman, Fang? Or was he?”
“Could be one, could be them both.”
I pressed my lips together, studying it closely, but that’s when I heard a loudpop.It jolted me hard and I staggered back, dropping the dial.
“Ella, get behind the counter. Stay down. Whatever you do, do not get up.”
There were echoes of shots in the air, blasts from the barrels of guns that nearly burst both of my eardrums. I covered them, my heart beating fast as Claymore hid behind the booth wall, popping up to shoot directly out the window. Glass shattered everywhere and it rained shards over the countertops, falling onto me.
“Claymore!” I screamed.
“Keep your head down, Ella! Don’t move until I tell you!”
I nodded, my teeth chattering, and I heard the cowls coming from the front lot. Engines revved, roared, and spat. The sound of the gunfire was clamorous and I knew it’d be minutes before someone nearby called the cops. It was clear to me that these guys didn’t care.Come back to finish the job, huh?
“Ella, come here!” Claymore called out.
I crawled to him, hearing the whirring of shots that passed a little too close to my ear. My hands caught on the glass shards, but I kept going. I curled up behind the wall with him, riddled with fear. I peeked out around the corner, the vines from the fake plants catching in my hair. There were at least three bikers on the ground that I could see, some laying in a pool of their own blood, others trying to cling to what little life they had left.
It was more horrific than I would've imagined. I’d never seen so much blood. My entire body shook violently, but the adrenaline coursing through my veins allowed me to move.
“Most of them are down. We need to go. Now!”
“How are we going to get to your bike? There’s still more of them out there!”
“You’re just gonna have to trust me, Ella. You think you can do that?”
He held my gaze, his eyebrows raised, and I nodded. I took a deep breath, feeling his hand wrap around my arm, dragging me out of there. His gun was firm between his fingers as he shot at the remaining bikers. Their burly bodies went down, their grunts and groans escaped from their lips right before the life left their eyes. It was then I saw the sigils plastered on the side of the bikes. The lion I recognized, but it wasn’t until I spotted the small clip of the crown that I realized who else had joined the party.The Freeway Kings.
“Ella! Come on!” Claymore yelled, pulling me toward his bike while he cleared a path for us.
He tossed me my helmet, and I slipped it on, wrapping my arms around him. I spotted a biker hopping right back onto his ride, taking off down the street. Claymore started up his engine, tearing through the empty roadways right after him. I held on for dear life, my heart springing up in my throat at every turn. Claymore gripped his bike handles tightly, keeping his gun close, speeding up as fast as he could. I shut my eyes, resting my head on his strong back, trusting him with everything I had. That’s all he asked of me and right now, that’s all I could do.
We whizzed past the large stone sign leading into a suburb. The brick walls and lush greenery melted into the distance, enveloped by the dark evening sky. Claymore tailed the biker up the long driveway of someone’s house. The gate was left open and he drove all the way around toward the back patio. Claymore kept his bike steady, aiming the barrel of his gun low, and with one shot, the biker collapsed onto the freshly trimmed lawn. The bike came to a halting stop, and I felt like I could finally catch my breath. Claymore hopped off, pointing his gun at the biker’s head while he begged for mercy.
I climbed up the back patio stairs, peering into the dark windows trying to see if there were any lights on in the house.If anyone’s home, they have to have heard all of this commotion.I stood there waiting, but no one ever came out.
Claymore dragged the bloodied biker across the lawn over to the pool which looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in ages. There were leaves sitting on the surface of the water along with some dirt and a few dead bugs. Two of the pool lights had gone out, but from what I could see, it was like the owners hadn’t been around for a while.
The biker with his scrawny body and dark brown curls cried out in pain. His blood stained the grass and flower garden filled with white camellias. I was surprised they were still alive with how hot it had been lately. Claymore grabbed onto the collar of his jacket, exposing the lion patch stitched into his sleeve.
