Chapter 15 #2
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said as he rolled his eyes, pulling his phone out to check it.
“You want to come hang at the Shed? I’ve got some shit to do, but you can hang out with that little friend of yours.
Some of the girls showed up half an hour ago to train.
You obviously can’t join in with that hand, but—”
“You’d let me hang out?”
“You say that like you don’t normally show up when I say no anyway,” he sighed, sliding his phone back into his pocket. “Bring your gun, but make no mistake. If you wave that thing at anyone, you’re dead.”
“The only person I usually want to shoot is you, bossman,” I teased, and he gave me the side-eye.
“Hurry up and get ready.”
His patience had obviously run out, so I grabbed my phone and keys, giving him a dirty look.
“I’m bringing my own car.”
“Saves me from having to bring your ass back,” he shrugged, following me outside and waiting for me to make sure the house was locked, then he climbed into the Mustang while I got into the Corvette.
He motioned for me to lead, so I gave him a wave that I understood before heading off.
I lit a cigarette and rolled down the window, enjoying the breeze as I drove, and it didn’t take long to get to the Shed.
I parked where I could get back out, waiting for Slash to park too before heading inside with him.
Some of the Psychos did a double-take when we walked in together, and Slash grabbed my elbow gently when I went to walk off.
“Hey. I mean it. That gun only comes out if someone comes in and shoots at us. Don’t make me regret giving it to you. If you need me, I’ll be in the office. This room has cameras I can see, so if anyone gives you trouble, I’ll know about it.”
“I know. Thanks for this.”
He gave me a nod before releasing me and walking towards the office, and I noticed Diesel frowning at me from behind the bar. We hadn’t spoken a lot, other than a few texts to check in, so I headed his way first.
“Hey. You look like shit,” I observed, the gash on his temple still healing, the area around it bruised.
A scoff left him, and he pulled back when I reached out to touch it.
“Thanks, Donovan. I love it when you compliment me like that.”
“I’m never going to let you live it down that I took on a whole crew and saved you,” I joked, and his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes as he chuckled.
“I bet. What are you doing here with Slash?”
“He stopped by and offered to let me come hang out with the girls.”
“Rory,” he sighed, raking a hand over his hair. “You shouldn’t trust him.”
“Don’t you start too. I have everyone at me all the time, and I’d really like it if I had someone on my side about this,” I said quietly, and he winced.
“There’s a reason no one likes the idea of you two hanging out.”
I was risking it, but I couldn’t help myself.
“We hang out a lot. Do you know how much fun I had on Wednesday? Having someone treat me like I’m capable of handling my own shit?”
“D,” Slash called from the office, giving me a firm look as he pointed at the cage. “You, you’re here to paint your nails and make witch potions with the girls. Diesel, leave her alone.”
“That’s fucking rich,” Diesel muttered under his breath, but he took my shoulder gently and gave it a squeeze. “Just be careful.”
“I will. Hey, you want to catch up for a coffee or something soon?” I offered, and he smiled.
“Sounds good. Text me.”
He headed towards Slash, and I flipped Slash off before joining the girls, Mule giving me a smirk.
“Girl, you’re trouble.”
We bumped knuckles, and I showed her my bandaged hand.
“I’m just here to socialize today. You’re all getting off the hook of me embarrassing you.”
Zeena scoffed, eyeing me as she wrapped her knuckles. “It’s cute that you don’t think I’ll still swing at you. Don’t run your mouth and hide behind an injury, Donovan.”
“If you’re going to flirt with me, at least take me to dinner first,” I teased, making her laugh.
“You’re not my type. Besides, I think you have enough on your plate, don’t you?”
“You’re not wrong,” I sighed, glancing at Mule. “How have you been?”
“I got fired, so I’ve been better,” she replied with a wince. “The boss' daughter wanted them to hire her friend. I got the boot.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“Yep. Electricity got disconnected yesterday, so I’m scrambling to win a few fights this week to pay the bill.”
“Damn, I’m sorry,” I mumbled, knowing how much it sucked to sit in a cold, dark house when the bills were over your head. “I know you can handle it, but if you want a hot shower or some company—”
“I appreciate it, but I’m okay,” she cut in quickly. “Been breaking into the Heights pool to use their showers. I stole loads of batteries last time it happened, so I have flashlights.”
I didn’t push it, knowing she wouldn’t take a handout.
The girls started sparring, and we talked between rounds. Being able to watch them meant I could give them both pointers, and it also helped me assess them better for the next time I was faced with them in the cage.
I hated being on the outside of this thing, watching through the wire as they went hit for hit, and my chest ached at knowing I wouldn’t be able to fight in here again. Not properly.
Surely there was somewhere I could fight that wouldn’t piss off a bunch of people.
Zeena decided to spar with one of the other girls after a while, so Mule left the cage and followed me to the bar for a beer, Diesel handing two over without argument.
“You’re improving with your left hooks,” Diesel said randomly to Mule, and it took her a second to realize he was talking to her.
“Oh, yeah. Been practicing,” she answered carefully, glancing at me with a what the fuck expression.
He nodded like that made perfect sense, then he walked to the other end of the bar to start wiping it.
“He never talks to me,” she whisper-yelled, making me frown.
“No?”
“You’re the only person he really makes time for that isn’t a Psycho. I heard you saved him from the Devils. You’re a bad bitch, Donovan,” she teased, nudging my shoulder.
“What can I say? Hunter’s a dick and needs to be knocked down a peg or two,” I grumbled, sipping my beer and glancing at the office door.
Slash hadn’t come back out since he’d called Diesel in there earlier, and I wondered what he was doing in there. How much paperwork did a criminal organization have?
“Your truce with the boss has made things nicer here. He’s not stomping around so much now,” she stated, giving me a knowing look.
“He finally decided I’m not the devil. It’s been refreshing.”
“You going to tell me the story behind his sudden change of heart?”
“Nothing to tell. We got talking and decided it was ridiculous. That’s it,” I lied, picking at the label on the bottle. “Do you fight anywhere else?”
She frowned, shaking her head a little. “Nope. Unless you’re a bigger name that could rake in loads of money, the Psychos don’t really like having people here who are tied in with other organizations. Why?”
“They still won’t let me come back to fight, which means I need to find somewhere. Anything I do find is either dodgy as fuck, or tied to another crew.”
“Skeet really won’t let you back?”
“He’s retired me multiple times. Makes him look stupid if he keeps letting me back,” I huffed.
“Unless you take the professional route, I dare say you’re stuck,” she replied.
“I don’t have the money or connections for that.”
“I’ll have a dig around for you,” she offered, making me smile.
“Thanks.”
We went back to the cage to watch the other girls as they took turns sparring, and when Mule and Zeena had to leave, I headed towards the office to see what Slash was up to.
I sauntered in without knocking, finding him at his desk with a joint between his lips.
“You can’t possibly still be doing paperwork,” I said as I perched my ass on the edge of the desk and crossed my arms.
“You have no idea how much shit goes into running a crew,” he grunted, running his gaze over me for a second before returning it to his computer, offering the joint to me. “I’m just finishing going over the accounts for the bar.”
I took it, having a puff and lying back to get comfortable, sitting my gun on the desk beside me.
“How can you keep such detailed accounts when half of what you do is illegal?”
“We hide the shit that’s just for our eyes. It’s not that hard.”
“How do you hide it though? What if you get raided by the cops and they take your computers?”
He sighed, meeting my gaze as I took another drag of the joint before offering it back to him.
“Hidden files with fancy coding and shit. I’m good with computers. We’ve never had a problem before.”
“You’re a mystery to me, Slash Russo,” I chuckled, staring up at the ceiling.
“You know plenty.”
“Not real stuff though.”
“What do you want to know then?” His attention went back to the computer as he smoked, seeming bored with the conversation.
“Do you have a family?”
Tension lined his features, his voice tight. “I had one, yes.”
“What happened to them?”
“Those that aren’t dead in the ground are simply dead to me,” he answered, not looking at me as he gave the joint back. “You going to let me pry into your personal shit?”
“Depends what it is,” I mumbled, tilting my head to watch him as he worked.
“What do you think your life would be like if you hadn’t been exposed to childhood trauma?” he asked curiously, and it was something I could answer easily.
“I would’ve been one of the elite at the academy instead of the outcast. The Donovan name used to mean something, you know?
I’d probably be married to Lukas already.
He was my first crush, the typical boy next door storyline.
I’d have a place waiting for me at all the big colleges, a career path lined up for after, and I wouldn’t understand the problems of the world because I’d never gone hungry or cold before.
” I paused for a moment, deep in thought.
“I like this version of me more than that one.”
“If you could go back—”