Rivals 🌈 ✔

65 - Rotten

I'm sorry, writing this chapter was difficult and I feel like it's total crap and way too short, but I don't want to leave you guys hanging even longer. I'll probably rewrite it in a later stage but okay, hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless. 

. . .

A layer of beer covered the floor. In an attempt to free himself, Juice had thrown crates of beer against the door. Of course, it had been of no use at all, but screaming had done nothing either, and in his desperation, he had started throwing everything within reach against the door. He still couldn't believe that they had locked him in the basement.

The family feeling he had always experienced since he was welcomed by the club, had turned out to be nothing but a mirage. Nothing but hot air.  They cut him off from the rest of the world as they tortured Raine.

Tears of helplessness sprang to his eyes. With a scream, he hurled another crate against the door. Shards tapped on the floor. Then he slumped against the opposite wall and pulled his knees up. The wasted beer even came up here.

How long had he been in this cursed room? What were they going to do with Raine?

Surely they weren't going as far as to kill him, right? He hadn't done anything wrong!

Juice flexed his fingers, his nails pressing into his palms. He had already had two panic attacks, and once again the fear circled around him, pulling the oxygen away, tempting all reasonableness to go with it.

Before the panic could get a hold of his thoughts again, the door opened.

"Come on out, lad."

Chibs had always been the club member he had grown most fond of, but now Juice hated him more than anyone. He had trusted him. And yet, he had done nothing when the others locked him in here while they were torturing his friend.

With a few steps, Juice was at the door. Shards of glass shattered under his heavy boots.

"Where is he?" he asked. It took him an awful lot of effort not to punch the guy in the face.

"That's the wrong question," echoed Jax's disapproving voice. "The right question should be whether we got our stolen goods back."

Juice threw the VP a scathing look. "I know you haven't because Raine didn't know about it. Where is he..."

"Juice..." Chibs put a hand on his shoulder. "It's over."

Juice pulled his shoulder away. It was definitely over with this fucking club. Once he set foot outside the door, he'd never come back. They were a bunch of assholes.

"Where is he?"He reached for his gun behind his belt, but they had taken it from him earlier today.

Clay stepped toward them as well. "I offered him protection in exchange for the location of the stolen goods. He didn't want to give it. He'd rather let you lose the love of your life than betray his club."

"Because he doesn't know anything!!!" yelled Juice. He cursed. "What a bunch of idiots you are! I told you he didn't know anything! Well, take me to him. I have to -"

"He's dead, Juice."

It was as if he was driving into a wall at full speed. Juice staggered backward. "W-what?"

No, they would never do that. They wouldn't go that far.

"He - no..." Wildly he shook his head. No, they couldn't. Raine and he were going to get married. They were going to buy a house far away from gang violence. They were going to... they were going to... "No..." he stammered again. "No, you guys would never do that. That - I don't believe that."

"I'm sorry, lad." Chibs put his hand on Juice's shoulder again and gave a squeeze. "I'm really sorry."

"No!" Juice yelled. "He didn't do anything! I didn't say anything! Take me to him, damn it!"

Maybe it wasn't too late, maybe he was still fighting for his life. There were people who survived a bullet through the head. It had to be... It just had to be. Sasha and Sammy couldn't take another loss. And he... he couldn't live without Raine, he wouldn't live without Raine.

Because if I hadn't loved him, this never would have happened.

"Where's the body?" he heard Chibs ask.

The body. 

No, it couldn't be. Raine couldn't be dead.

His legs trembled, the world spinning around him. Black chaos swallowed him, for a moment he was back on the chair in the Mayan clubhouse as baseball bat after baseball bat slammed against his body. He had thought he would die then.

And now...

Was Raine really dead?

No, he couldn't be. Juice refused to believe it. He tried to get up and shake off the clammy darkness. I have to go to him. I have to go to him. Once I find him, everything will be all right.

The dark haze pulled away slightly, revealing Chibs' concerned face.

"We'll go get him, lad. Then you can say goodbye before we hide the body."

Hiding the body... as if Raines' life had no meaning at all. He wanted to scream those words at the man, but he had no energy for it.

"He's not dead," he whispered. "He's not dead. You're not that rotten."

Chibs was silent.

. . .

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