I saw him take a step towards me as I woke up from my state of stunned disbelief. I ran to the other side of the shop, but unfortunately, I’d already locked all the exits save for one which he was blocking. The staircase to the office and my apartment was also in the same direction. I ran behind the cover of a van while grabbing a wrench along the way.

I tried to fish the phone out of my pocket before realising with a jolt that I’d left my phone in the office since I was doing manual labour.

“Come on out goldilocks, no point in hiding”, I heard his voice drawing closer as my heart began to beat faster in my ribcage.

I had to get to the office. If I could get to the office and shut the door behind me, the guy would have to break down 3 doors before he could get to me. I could probably call and have the guys come over long before he’d be able to accomplish that feat.

I slowly crept forwards, trying to move as noiselessly as possible. I had to get to the office while that guy was still blundering around looking for me. I could hear him moving toward my position. I used a van as cover to slowly slip past him. I thought I had successfully managed to slip past him. Therefore it came as a complete shock when a sharp kick landed on my right side, which sent me sprawling on the floor. I saw the wrench slipping out of my grasp and sliding under a car.

I looked up to see a bald guy in a goatee staring down at me in apparent delight.

‘Oh shit.. Scruffy beard had brought back up’.

I saw Scruffy beard come up from behind a car. “Great job Steve”, he said to the bald man.

I was still on the floor as he knelt beside me. “So, Is this the pussy who called the cops on us the other day?” Steve asked.

“Yeah, it’s him, scrawny little faggot, couldn’t mind his own business” he sneered.

Scruffy beard grabbed me by the collar and hoisted me up before slamming me against the wall of the garage.

“Please…I..” I didn’t get to say any more before the bald guy’s fist painfully slammed into my stomach. I doubled over wheezing. When I was finally able to look up, I saw that scruffy beard had a big serrated knife in his hands. I started struggling and hyperventilating at the sight of that. But the bald guy had me pinned to the wall in an iron grip.

“Don’t worry Goldilocks, in death, you’ll accomplish much more dead than alive. You’ll become a symbol. A symbol of what’ll happens when you fuck with us”.

Scruffy beard extended his hand and flexed his knife, drawing my attention to the way the dim light reflected on the surface of the razor sharp knife. It was at this moment that a gloved hand shot out of the dark from behind scruffy beard to grab him by the forearm. I saw him looking up at stunned disbelief at Luke’s massive form as he emerged from the shadows. Scruffy beard was yanked off his foot and slammed bodily into the side of a van before collapsing senseless on the floor.

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The bald guy didn’t exactly have time to react or protest before Rob and Sam peeled him off me and laid into him. I collapsed on the floor from pain and relief in equal measure as my assailants were subdued. I was dimly aware of Jay leaning beside me asking if I was okay. Tears were streaming down my face as I hunched over, still processing what had happened.

After what seemed like only a moment, Jay was shaking me. I looked up at him.

“Come on Pete, Luke wants to see you.”

I was led to one of the back rooms of the auto shop. The first thing that caught my eye was the massive form of Luke looming over everyone in the room, still clad in his leather jacket and gloves. Both of my attackers were subdued, bound and gagged. The bald guy was sitting in a corner of the room with Rob standing close by. Scruffy beard was standing on his toes with his arms tied up and secured to a chain block. Low whimpers were escaping from his throat through his gagged mouth as he looked at me.

“I’ve got a problem Pete, Wanna know what that is?” Luke said. I nodded as I maintained eye contact with him, occasionally glancing at both of my attackers.

“I made a deal with their organisation, I told them you were part of my group and you were to be left alone in return for some favours. And yet, here I find out that these guys have decided to defy me and come after you…in here…IN MY PLACE OF BUSINESS.”

That was the first time I’d ever heard Luke yell and the effect was chilling. There was cold rage burning in his eyes.

“My word means something in this town and they’re gonna find out that there are consequences for breaking a deal with me” there was cold certainty in Luke’s eyes as he said this.

“Come here”, Luke pulled me closer as he thrust something into my hands. I stared down at my hands and found myself holding the very same knife scruffy beard was threatening me with.

I must have looked like an idiot with my eyes darting between the knife in my hand and Luke’s face.

“Cut him,” Luke said.

I looked up at Luke, my face probably showing how horrified I felt. But like most things Luke said, this wasn’t a mere suggestion.

“I told you Pete, When you’re with us, you’re with us all the way and you do what I say” Luke’s tone was low and dangerous. His presence was bearing down upon me. There was no doubt in his eyes, no room for interpretation.

I gulped as I took a small step toward scruffy beard who was standing on his toes and struggling against his bonds. I tried to remind myself that this man wanted me dead and he deserved what was coming. I raised the knife in my hand when his terrified squeak drew my attention. I looked into his eyes, they were wide with fear, silently pleading with me not to hurt him.

I felt the strength go out of my arms as I gazed into his face. No, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I lowered the weapon in my hand by a fraction when I felt Luke’s arm clasp over my hand that was holding on to the handle of the knife.

The knife suddenly plunged forwards, penetrating the terrified man’s abdomen. I felt a sharp sting on my index finger as it slipped slightly past the knife’s guard and touched the blade. I felt Luke’s hand drag mine as he pulled the serrated edge of the knife across Scruffy’s abdomen. When Luke pulled my hand out, I could see his intestine spill out of the large gash the knife had made in his abdomen.

The last thing I remembered was puking my guts out at the corner of the room, before the darkness of the floor came up to meet me.