Into the Specter

Chapter 19

(a/n) Over 10k words 🤪✌️ Thank you for being patient with me <3

"Belgrade, stop," you shout, stepping forward as he charges towards you and Flip.

Dallas races down the steps after him. Belgrade shoves off Dallas's grip on his arm and raises his hand to point furiously at Flip while scowling at you. No words come. Just an incoherent yell of frustration as he steps into the rain. It's like your anticipating the anger and already attacking yourself so when Belgrade charges, you assume the worst. The rage in his eyes is clear as he gets closer. Belgrade's anger surprises you and your body tenses, making you take an involuntary step backward.

Flip, meanwhile, has his gaze locked onto the man currently stomping towards you. When he spots you take the tiniest step backward, his scowl deepens.

Before Belgrade can get closer, Flip is stepping up to the side of you and quickly raising his arm to cross over your chest. A gesture that surprises everyone. Including Flip.

You glance down at Flip's hovering arm. His palm is facing towards you, only a couple of inches away from actually touching you. Your eyes follow the line of his muscled arm up to his livid face. His hair is soaked, dark tendrils sticking to the sides of his face while water runs down his neck.

It seems like the moment Flip raises his arm, he's lowering it. He swallows hard and clenches his fist, not sparing you a glance. Belgrade has stopped walking.

With a look of disdain on his face, Belgrade turns his head towards you again. "You bring him here?" he says, jerking his head towards Flip. "The motherfucker that almost ruined the escape? Him?" Belgrade's voice is rising in volume. If you didn't know him well, you wouldn't be able to detect the hurt bleeding through the anger in his voice. The crackling at the edges, like there's more he's not saying.

London and Dallas are behind Belgrade, ready to pull him back. You can sense the conflict in their body language. Shifting feet. No eye contact. Worried faces. Just as angry as Belgrade, you assume, but more controlled in their reactions when they saw you walk up with the cop that arrested you.

You're not sure what to do. A shiver runs through you, the cold prickling of the raindrops finally getting to you. The gravel is shifting under everyone's feet. The only sound audible over the pouring rain.

"And to think this whole thing was for nothi-" Belgrade starts to say. Followed by protests from both Dallas and London, drowning out the ending of his sentence.

Flip suddenly steps forward, making Belgrade whip his head to the left. You can feel the fury radiating off Flip when he comes into your vision. It doesn't make you want to take a step back. You blink hard and wipe a hand over your eyes soaked with rain, trying to make the urge to touch him go away.

"Oh, the motherfucker thinks he's tough," Belgrade snaps, mocking in his tone. He nods his head, daring Flip to keep approaching.

"Call me motherfucker one more time, I'll kick your teeth in and shove that overused word down your throat," Flip snarls, head tilting to the side as he looks down at Belgrade. The two men are now within just a few feet of each other. Even though Flip's voice is seething with anger, his body is calm, actions controlled, seemingly trying to hold himself back.

"You motherfucker-"

Belgrade launches himself at Flip.

Before he can get close enough to throw a punch, or even raise a fist, London and Dallas are grabbing each of his arms and dragging him back. His legs kick at the gravel as he's dragged, sending the little rocks flying.