Chapter 16 Bane
Bane
Finally coaxing Slade out of her room, I walk with her toward the gym. She’s been different today. Not that she was open with any of us, but she’s pulled away from everyone, including me, and I don’t like it.
Maybe she’s already heard about the Council vote? Glancing sideways at her non-expressive profile, I’m not convinced that’s it, though.
“Stop staring; it’s creepy,” she says.
I haven’t been staring, just stealing quick, sidelong glances at her. She’s very observant, though. And I’m struck once again with the thought that even though she’s spent years away from the MC, she still seems to have been ‘in the life’ in some way.
And we’re headed to the gym so I can test that theory.
We turn the corner to go down the hallway that leads to the gym, which isn’t wide enough for us to walk side-by-side, and she slows to walk behind me.
“Never behind me, little one.” I motion for her to go ahead of me, but she shakes her head. “Why?”
“I don’t like people behind me.”
People I don’t trust—she doesn’t say it, but I know it’s true.
And her words hit like a knife to my chest. Because whatever happened to her has caused her to feel like that, and because she doesn’t trust me.
Before I can convince Slade to walk in front of me, a door down the hallway pops open, and Sunshine and another woman tumble out, giggling, followed by Toxic.
Sunshine squeals and runs to me, but I put up my hand with a glare to stop her from jumping and latching onto me like a monkey. Her smile falters as she stops, but then she beams again. “The new Bunny is a squirter, Bane. Jewel just gushed all over the closet floor.”
Slade pushes past me. “Then get the mop and clean up your mess.”
Sunshine’s smile vanishes as she stares at Slade’s emotionless face. The new Bunny, Jewel, looks uncertainly between Slade and Sunshine.
“Shit,” Toxic grumbles and pulls Sunshine to the side so Slade can pass.
Sunshine ignores her, turning to me. “Come with us, big guy.” I’m thankful she didn’t use ‘daddy’ in front of Slade. “We were just getting started, and four is more fun than three.”
My jaw ticks with anger. I know for a fact that word has spread that I’m not indulging; Sunshine just said that to taunt Slade.
“No.” The single word is a growl of warning.
“Come on, ladies,” Toxic says, wrapping his arms around their waists. “Let’s clean up our mess in the closet before we go.”
My eyes are riveted on Slade as she approaches the gym door. I push past them to follow her and hear Sunshine quietly say, “Fucking prude bitch.”
On perfect cue, Slade lifts her hand and gives us the finger before entering the gym.
I whirl to Sunshine with fury, and she jumps back with a squeak. “Disrespect Slade again, and you’re out. Spread the fucking word to all the Club Pussy,” I bark, then storm away.
Yanking the door open, I storm into the gym, ready to apologize to Slade for the shitshow she had to witness. Although I’m not sure why I feel the need to apologize, because Slade has seen and heard worse growing up around the clubhouse.
A bundle of lean muscle packed into a five-foot-three, roughly a hundred-and-thirty-pound frame barrels into me, and a punch-jab combo lands on my jaw, making it explode with pain. I’m able to block the right hook to my kidney at the last second.
“I don’t need you to fight my battles.” Her voice and face may be emotionless, but I can sense the anger trying to push forth.
“I know.” I give her a light shove to provoke her, trying to get her emotions—even if it’s anger—to rise up.
And my purpose tonight is to see what she’s physically capable of.
Army is observing us over the cameras. With his military training, he was exposed to many combat styles, and I’m hoping he might recognize something in how Slade handles herself.
It’s a long-shot, but I’ll take any lead we can get regarding her past.
I have at least a foot on her, plus well over a hundred pounds of solid muscle, but she hadn’t stumbled back when I gave her a light push. She resisted, almost on instinct, and remained steady and in place. She’s in a split stance with soft knees, ready for combat.
“Just go with your harem of women, Bane, and leave me alone.”
“Jealous, baby?” I say the two things that I know will get her to react.
Her beautiful, delicate features scrunch as the anger flares, almost out of nowhere. “Fuck you.”
Her voice has fire in it. A spark of life and light flickers in her gorgeous green eyes.
I quickly assess her, looking to see if she’s ‘leaving’ or spiraling inside that tormented mind of hers, but her gaze is steady and hard.
“I’d like to fuck you,” I admit, low enough that she hears it, but not loud enough that the cameras can pick it up since Army is watching.
With my words, that spark of life and light doesn’t just flicker; it flames. Her skin flushes and lust flashes over her face.
This is the longest I’ve been able to get her to respond without her smothering everything to return to that haunted, numbed state.
“But I won’t,” I murmur, reassuring her of my promise that I’d never try to make her cheat.
“Keep your diseased dick far from me,” she snarls, and I fight the smile that wants to crack wide over my face.
“Don’t worry, I always wrap it up.”
Her face flushes with anger. And she’s still with me, reacting with emotion, steady and strong. It’s unfortunate that the emotional reaction I’ve been able to elicit out of her is anger, mixed with a bit of lust, but it’s a start, and I’ll take it.
“And I get tested regularly.” I hike my brow in a suggestive manner, trying to rile her further. “You?”
She reacts as I hoped, with more anger and another punch that I don’t try to block.
The blow lands with a solid thud in my gut. She’s small, but that punch is packed with force. I studied her as she delivered it—perfect twisting of her torso and hips, pivoting on her toes, and a full follow-through. She may be small, but she knows how to use her body correctly.
“You want to wrap up your hands so you don’t hurt yourself?” This question isn’t asked in an attempt to rile her up; I just don’t want her to hurt herself. “Or put on the boxing gloves?”
She snorts; it’s not a scoff, but more like a wild animal being pissed the fuck off.
Then I’m on the mat, face down, lying in shock while my mind catches up and laughter rumbles in my chest.
Slade had grabbed my wrist, stepped to the side while extending my arm and applying pressure above my elbow, and then twisted my wrist downward to use my weight and size against me to take me down to the mat.
Normally, I have lethal and rapid reflexes, but with Slade, I never saw her coming.
I grin as she pulls my arm up higher on my back. “I take that as you don’t want to wrap your hands or wear the gloves. Got it.”
The second I feel her grip loosen, I twist my wrist to break her hold, then roll over, knocking her to the side. I jump to my feet at the same time she does. Her face is a mask of anger—damn near bordering on rage—but she’s still present; she’s not spiraling inside her mind.
I don’t draw attention to that because I know the second I do, she’ll shut down feeling anything.
She comes at me, but I’m ready to block her blows this time. But what I’m not ready for is her reaching inside my cut and yanking out the Sig Sauer P365.
She handles the weapon like it’s second nature. She ensures the safety is on, then ejects the magazine of ammo and pulls the slide back all the way to ensure there isn’t a bullet in the chamber. Then she tosses the gun and magazine to the floor.
My other weapons are in the expected places to those who are familiar with the MC—in the holster under my cut and knives in my boots. I’m unsure how she knew where I kept my additional hidden weapon, but she did, and she knew exactly how to handle it.
She faces me, fisting her hands.
I have many questions, but I will ask none of them right now because I can see she’s becoming aware that she’s feeling right now, and whatever happens within her mind is starting to torment her.
Instead of the life and light shining from her gorgeous green eyes, it’s dimming with that haunted look as the numbness rises.
I don’t think; I just act.
I launch toward her in attack.