Beyond The Fury

Chapter Thirty-Six

(Song- Feel Something by Jaymes Young)
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Ivory's POV

Blood. So much blood. A lung quenching gasp emits past my lips and I bring my hand to my chest. The man -the corpse- falls from its seat and lays face down, flat on the table.

Horror blows my eyes open wide and I begin to breathe erratically. His throat is slit from ear to ear and I can swear I could see his windpipe sticking out from the gruesome wound. Someone was murdered- here.

Again.

It feels like just yesterday I witnessed Hardin put a bullet in the head of that poor man. That night was the night our lives got entangled... a night I surprisingly had easily forgotten.

Was this a sign? A warning of some sort?

I feel my throat beginning to close and I let my eyes dart around the bar, searching for Bruce. What if Liam saw this? Was that why he was so frantic and desperate to leave?

I want to let out a scream, something, anything to stop myself from crying but I can't. I remain silent- numb.

I glance over both of my shoulders and then I begin my search for Bruce. He has to clear this place out immediately before a customer sees the mess...

I cringe at my internal thoughts. If this were a year ago I would be screaming and crying and causing a scene. I would have felt a sort of sympathy for the man left to bleed out on the table... but right now I feel almost nothing. There are no unanswered questions tumbling through my mind, I haven't even stopped to consider how we are going to get rid of the body-

I've turned cold... but Bruce is my family now, and I'll help him with anything, even if it means grabbing a fucking shovel.

"Bruce!" I finally choke out his name, my throat is dry and my stomach is gurgling. I feel physically sick. I feel my eyes burn as they begin to gloss over with water and Bruce takes his place in front of me. Two deep creases wrinkle his forehead.

"What is it?" He is calm, and for a moment I nearly black out. How am I supposed to explain this?

Instead of saying anything I grab the cuff of his shirt, careful to not alarm him or anyone else I begin to move him slowly towards the table... A part of me can sense that he somehow knows what I am about to reveal to him.

He stands at the foot of the table, his arms crosses against his meaty chest and his fingers scratch at his chin, "When did this happen?" His voice is low and I gulp down the vomit in my throat.

"I don't know... I just found him here." Bruce nods in response, his eyes shift around the massive room and I do the same, but a lot more frantically.

"Clear the place out and lock the doors. Everyone leaves until we can figure this shit out... tell the staff they are getting a paid holiday or some shit." He waves his hand at me and I bite my tongue at the nonchalant gesture.

"Yes, sir." I reply stiffly before being on my way to clear out the entire bar. With the help of the staff it doesn't take long and soon the whole club is quiet... one the soft tune playing on the radio remains.

There is an eerie tension in the air, something too strong to ignore. Fear. There is fear lingering everywhere.

"Do you know him?" I come back to stand by Bruce's side and he sighs with a gentle nod.

"Yep.. that's Liam Hogg, one of the most loyal men I know-" He pauses, "That I knew." There is a sombreness  to Bruce's voice and I contemplate the decision of if I should comfort him in some sort of way, but I stop myself.

He must see this type of shit all of the time, if anyone should be getting comforted it should be me.

Bruce handles the corpse, he pushes the body up right against the back of the booth and then he pulls his cell from his pocket.

"Who are you calling?" I ask, my eyes feel as though they are about to burst out of my head.

"Clean up team." He grumbles back and I take that as my queue to stay quiet. Bruce wanders off into a open space far from me and I allow my eyes to land back on the dead body in front of me.

There is something so off putting about his appearance, something I feel as though I have seen before but I just can't put my finger on it.

Dark hair, lean frame, black dress shirt...

My heart stammers in my chest and I feel my cheeks drain of blood. He resembles Hardin in a lot of ways- minus Hardin's tattoo's.

What if...

I turn to Bruce and wait patiently for him to hang up the phone, which he does promptly, he doesn't spare any details to the caller on the other line, I'm guessing he wants to discuss business in person... it's probably safer that way.

Everything nowadays can be traced, bugged, copied, hacked... the only thing that is truly reliable is face to face communication.

"Bruce..." I speak his name quietly with a hint of caution. If I am right about this... it could change everything.

"Hm?" He hums back and I fold my arms across my stomach, stepping towards him closely I glance back at the man a couple of times.

"Liam... he looks a lot like..." I abruptly stop as something dashing across the room catches my eye. A shadow... in the corner.

Bruce notices my wandering glance and looks to where my vision lies. His thick eyebrows furrow and his shoulders stiffen.

"Oi!" He shouts into the darkness and the figure jolts for the door, swinging it open they disappear outside and sprint into the night. Bruce attempts to chase after them but they are quick. The frame of the silhouette was too small to be a man...

A woman.

I look to the open bar door and then back over my shoulder at the cold body at the table...

Could a woman have done this?