Of Warlords and Children (Trafalgar Law Book 2)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

This was such a bad idea. Why the hell did I agree to be bait for the monster? 

The meeting had pretty much come to a close after that and I was sent to do whatever I wanted until it got dark. Not that I was really alone or anything. Beezus had been hot on my heels as soon as we were out of the room while Vein and Killer seemed to stay behind to try and talk some sense into that captain. 

"Rayne!" Beezus caught my wrist in hand pulling me to a stop while simultaneously pulling me around to look at him. "Hold up for a minute will you?"

"What do you want Beezus?" I sighed. In all actuality I just want to be alone for a few minutes. I can't believe that I actually agreed to do this. I have no idea what's going to come at me and because of that I'm not sure how I'm going to prepare for this fight. In all reality I could lose my life and that scared the shit out of me. 

The fishman cupped my face in his hands making me stare him in the eyes. He turned my head this way and that. "Tell me." He then began to shake my head left and right, "Are you crazy?!" He yelled. 

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow! Beezus that fucking hurts!" 

"Good! Maybe it will knock some sense into you! Why would you just agree to something like that?" 

He was beginning to hurt my neck with all of this. In fact I'm pretty sure if he doesn't stop that he's going to break my neck. I grabbed his hands and bent back his fingers just enough to get free. As he stood there sulking while rubbing sensation back into his appendages I took a few paces back. 

"What else was I to say? We both know that if I refused Kid would have sent me as bait anyways."

"We could figure something else out."

"Bee, I'll be fine, really. As long as you guys do your part then I can do mine." I said sounding more confident than I felt. In truth I was already quaking in my shoes as reality continued to crash down on me, what I was really doing, what could happen tonight. I needed to be alone to collect my thoughts and get into the right mindset for tonight. 

His mouth quirked, "That's the first time you've called me by a nickname." He said. 

"Oh? Sorry."

"Bee," He repeated, "Hm, I like it."

"Well as long as you don't have a problem with it. Alright, I'm gonna go now."

"I'll go with you." 

I shook my head, "Don't worry about it, I'm just going to my room to rest." I did my best to give him a bright smile.  

Beezus reached out and pulled me into a warm hug, "You idiot, don't put on a brave face around me. I know you're scared."

"H-how?"

He rested his chin on top of my head while just continuing to hold me, "Call it fishman's intuition."

It was funny how much Kid's crew reminded me of Law's when you really got to know them. Beezus seemed so much like Bepo, always there with a comforting hug when I needed it. Heat and Wire were very much like Penguin and Shachi, bumbling idiots that  you couldn't help but like because despite everything their hearts are in the right place. 

Dammit, this was exactly what I didn't want to happen. No matter how hard I tried, these men wormed their way into my heart. I can't imagine my life without them now. But I know eventually I'll have to. I can't stay.

Beezus actually spent a good time with me just hanging around in the galley. We had a large bottle of gin between the two of us, each of us taking a swig from it once in a while. Sometime after the flow of alcohol became more than either of us probably should've had, Beezus began to talk about his life as a fishman.