The Axelridge Series Book 4 Griff's Red Card

GRIFFIN

“RUN!!”

The demons scream out their battle cries and all 17 of us make a super mad dash for the trees. We knew this was coming. Jax bound into the tree line first.

“OVER HERE!” He hollers out from the spot we set up with all our gear at the ready for just this moment.

“IVY! HIDE!”

She nods and runs off into the trees.

Within seconds, we step into our jet boots and they clamp shut around our feet like bear traps as we run. We snatch our packs, swords and grab our titanium balls on the sprint through the brush.

Turning back to the tree line, we jump out, our jets activate and we’re shot up into the air, leaving dirt clouds billowing up behind us. We arch the sky like it was a half pipe in two lines and split off as we come back down toward the demons running at us.

Jax sails in with his mace low at his side. He goes to swing and a demon uses magic to toss him away. He screams through the air and bounces off the ground.

“JAX!” I shout on my way by.

He punches the dirt. “FUCKER!” He growls and scrambles to his feet, picking up his mace on the way up.

“MARCUS! TAKE ‘EM OUT!” Finn yells as he hits the ground to make first contact. A demon rushes him and he swings his sword. He cuts the creatures arm off. The demon stumbles back, looks at his bleeding stump, but then charges again. Finn hooks his ribs with end of his metal goalie stick and throws him over his head. “MARC!!”

“I’M LOOKING!” Marcus yells back from the ground as he searches his pack. “All I got is stunners!”

“What? Why?!” Jax yells as he throws punches to demons heads.

“I FORGOT! I GOT BABY BRAIN!” He growls.

Jax turns around and tosses his arms out to the side. “YOU'RE NOT THE CHICK!”

Marcus stands and prepares a ball. “IT’S SYMPATHY! FUCK OFF!” He throws the balls out and they explode.

We cover our eyes as bright white light fills the area. The demons squeal in pain as they recoil from them.

“LADS! LET'S GIVE OUR BEST!”

I call to my boys and all 11 of us line up. We hold our titanium net balls out in front and in perfect sync, run and drop kick them into the air. The line of soccer balls arch up over the fight. At the peak, they burst into the nets and fall on the demons, electrifying them. They crumple to the ground, screeching to heaven.

“YEAH!” My lads jump and high five each other.

“Avery! That kick was a little weak. More practice, yeah?”

“Eh! Shut yer pie, Griff!” He laughs and I kick sand at him.

The demons crawl from under the nets as Marcus throws more balls. We recall the nets and the balls fly back to us. As soon as we have them, we kick them again.

Jax swings up right, tearing the neck of one then swings up left, tearing the stomach of another.

Noah throws his basketball, sending out a boomerang of spinning blades. The knives catch the demons in the head and backs as the ball flies around the group and comes back to Noah.

Finn throws more over his head with his sword and Marcus drives Eddie’s throwing knives into their brains as they land on their backs.

Seconds after, the ear splitting sounds of demon cries rise from the dirt. The area fills with giant black clouds as demons start to leave the bodies of the men we kill. The black, snakes surround the fight and try to blind us. We're in complete, smoky black.

“I CAN'T SEE A DAMN THING!” Jax yells from somewhere as he swings.

“WOLF VISION!” Finn orders out from another spot I can't see.

“BLACKER THAN BLEEDING NIGHT IN HERE!!” I growl loud as faces come at me in the dark fog and I swing punches at them, sending them back.

“GRIFFIN!” I whip my head and Ivy comes from the fog and grabs my arm.

“I told you to hide!” I say as I grab her shoulders.

“I couldn’t let you fight alone.” She looks into my eyes.

I give a bit of a smile and kiss her lips. I grab her hand and keep her close as I look around the black. “Stick with me, love.” I grit.

A demon rushes out of the smoke and I swing a punch then give him a kick to the head.

Another tries to break through and I bounce my ball off his face.

“GRIFF!”

I spin and a demon had Ivy’s shirt, trying to drag her away.

I rip his hand off and shove her out of the way. I grab his shirt and land three blows to his face. He squeals and disappears.

We circle our spot in the black, watching every inch closely.

A demon jumps out of the demon smoke and grabs her hair. She screams as she tries to fight him off.

“LET GO, YA WRETCH!” I grab Ivy and land a boot to his chest.

Two demons come at us and one jumps me. I land on my back with him on top and his canines are out. He snaps and growls at me like a wild dog as I hold his face back. “FUCK OF ME, YA FOUL, SMELLY…”

Just then a boot comes out of nowhere and lands on the side of his head. He rolls into the fog, holding his face.

“Nice kick, love.” Ivy helps me up.

“Thanks.” She smiles.

More demons show their faces. Ivy swings at one then pushes him back with her foot. Another throws a punch at her and she ducks, elbows him in the chest then pops him with an uppercut. She shoves him back into the cloud. I grab one in a headlock and land two to his nose then break his neck. I throw him away.

“GRIFFIN!!”

I turn to see Ivy’s hand disappear into the dark.

“NO!”

I run after her and see nothing but statically charged black. “IVY!!” I turn around then run and spin again. I can hear fights, but lost her screams.

“IIIVVVYYY!!” I holler out.

I turn a final time and come eye to eye with Eddie. His eyes glow with fire and a sick smirk lands on his lips.. “Hey, Griff.” He ticks his head, lands a punch to my face and I stumble back.

“Fuck!” I grind as I hold my nose.

He bounces around in the dirt, shaking his hand like it hurt. “Woo! Damn, that felt really good! I don’t know why Eddie hasn’t done that sooner.” He leans on his knees and tries to see my eyes. “You know wants to, right? Yep. He pretty much hates your guts.”

I glance at him and wipe the blood from my nose. “Yer lying.” I say in a nasally tone as I slowly stand straight and lift my chin to him.

“Why would I lie, Griff. Seeing you react to the truth is so much sweeter. The torture on your face. Eddie hates you, man. You’re always talking down to him. Making him feel like shit. He really wants to murder you. Just like he did dear old dad. He just never acted on it because…well…” He makes a pot smoking motion. “But I feel it’s in your best interest if I told you. What are friends for?”

I spit blood on the dirt then roll my infuriated eyes to him. “You killed his father, ya sick twisted fuck.”

Alistair stops. “True, but Eddie willed it. Can't blame him. He just wanted the pain to end. I gave him the strength to do it.” He smirks with Eddie’s lips.

“Ya ruined his life and now, ya trying again. I won’t let that happen.” I stand tall and puff my chest out. “Ed. I won’t. I’m saving ya, Ed, if it’s the last damn thing I do.”

He steps closer. “Oh, I know the last thing you’re doing is saving poor, psycho, Edward. The little boy who lost it on everyone. He’s still in here, ya know. Just as hurt. Just as sad.” He leans to me with a sick grin. “Just as insane. And he’s feeding it all to me.” He bounces his brows and holds out his hands with a beaming smile.

I can’t hold back.

With a loud growl, I rush him, slam my body into his and we fall. Straddling his chest, I swing punches. I bust his nose and lip and he roars. He grabs my shoulders and rolls us over. He grabs my hair and pulls my head up.

“You Irish piece of shit!” He lands a punch to my cheek. I fall back down.

He grabs my hair again. “Self righteous! Self indulgent! Pompous! Arrogant! Conceited!” Every word comes with another blow to my head.

Through every punch, I get flashes of Eddie’s twisted, angry face. Though one, in a glimpse, I see his face soften. He’s there. Watching. He needs to hear me.

I’m huffing breaths and absorbing the pain as he knocks my brain. When a pause comes, I take my chance. Swollen and bloody, I lock with his eyes. “Ed…” I groan. “Ed…help…”

He pulls my blood covered face to his. “He’s not saving you. He’s not saving any of you.” Alistair snarls.

My one good eye watches him shove me back and raise his fist. His lip curls and a growl builds. As I prepare for the final blow, I hear a gun cock.

I look up and Jax has a gun to Eddie’s head. They lock eyes and Jax ticks his head. “Hey, Ed. Bye, Ed.”

The gun goes off and I flinch as my face fills with shock.

His wide eyes flicker with orange light as I feel the grip on my hair loosen.

His body falls to the side and I flop to the ground, feeling the throbbing in my face.

It’s not long before loud squealing surrounds Eddie’s body.

“Griff!” Jax pulls me back and covers me with his body then covers his head.

Eddie’s body shakes as Alistair is forced out of his body. We cover our ears as Alistair lets out a hellish scream. His static, black snake fires lightning across all the clouds causing them all to wail and start up whirlwind.

His snake turns into a twister that sucks all the other demons in with him and they rise into the air.

I sit up and watch the climb higher and higher. Our hair is whipped about as the sky starts to clear. The lake water starts to thrash as the tornado rises higher and higher.

With one last booming screech, the demon snakes split off in all directions and rocket off in seconds. Off to find more hosts.

Once gone, relief fills me and I fall back onto Jaxs legs, hanging my head over his arm.

“Jax! Griff!” Finn yells as he and the others run to us.

Jax looks to Eddie. “We need him on a table fast.”

Finn nods. “On it.”

I sit up quicker then I should of because the pain in my head explodes and I have to steady myself on Jax. “Ivy….They took…Ivy…”

“GRIFFIN!”

I whip my head to the trees and can barely make out her body.

I feel her fall to her knees in front of me. My arms reach out in a panic as my lips try to smile and my heart pounds with fear and relief. “Ivy?!”

“Yes!”

I grab her cheeks and pull her to me. “Ya got away. That’s my girl. My brave Ivy.” I babble like an idiot into her shoulder as I hold her tight.

“No, Griff. I didn’t.” She pushes me back. “They took me.”

I look at her with confusion. “What are you on about?” I slide my hand from her cheek to her shoulder and my hand lands on her hair. It’s dripping. I raise my eye to her. “Ya jumped in the lake?”

“Yeah. I did.” She sniffs with a chuckle. “They took my clone.”

I smile as best I can. “That’s bleeding brilliant, love! C'mere!” I slam her to my chest and kiss her hair.

“Fuck, that was smart.” Jax says.

“There’s something else.” She pushes me back. “I hid in the trees and watched them take her to a car. One demon instructed the one who was driving to take her to Regina’s.”

“Your grams.” I answer.

She nods. “She's an hour away.”

“Well, let’s go!” I try to stand, but fall back to my arse.

“Griff you’re in no shape to go anywhere.” Jax says.

“Well, the wee miss ain’t going anywhere without me so, patch me on the way.” I try to stand again.

“You have time.”

We look up at Adam. He’s blood covered, but alright.

“What do you mean?” Finn crosses his arms.

“The last heart needs to be taken on the monthly full moon.” He informs.

“That’s in a week.” Marcus supplies.

“They won’t kill her?” I ask.

Adam shakes his head. “No. Lucifer HAS qto be risen on a full moon. They can’t harm her if they want to do it right. Alistair also needs to find Brock.”

I look to Jax. “How long do ya think I got?”

Jax looks me over. “Two, maybe three days and that’s just to see straight.”

I reach my arm up. “Help me up.” They lift me to my feet and I lean on Jax. “Ok. You take Ed and work on him. I’ll heal up and when I’m good, we go and stop your grams before the moon.”

“Griff, I’m sorry if I upset you.” She stands close and lays a hand on my cheek.

“Alight, love. Alright. I’m just glad yer safe.” I smile. She kisses me and I wince. “WIRRA!!” I growl and hold my lip.

“Sorry!” She giggles with me and I drape an arm around her neck.

We call for help and clean up around the lake. Finn ordered the bodies to the morgue and the lake to be temporarily surrounded by electric fencing. As we leave, he calls Phoenix for the dome. Now, that the stone is fixed, protecting it will be first priority.

Once my face heals, we'll go stop Ivy's brother and grandmother. They’re working together and we'll shut them down. Ivy will never have to fear for her life again.