Chapter 9 Smoke
nine
Smoke
"Idon't know how in the hell you two do it every day." Next to me, Trouble frowns at all the flashing slot machines. "I've been here for only a couple of hours, and this place has already given me a headache."
Maybe if he didn't spend most of his time surrounded by Hex's dark environment, then a few lights wouldn't be all it took to take him out.
"We don't normally spend our time in this section. It's a little quieter at the tables." Drifting my gaze across all the people salivating at screens, I find myself searching for Bunny without trying to.
She spends a lot of her time here. Maybe I'll catch someone looking at her the wrong way, or something simple, giving me another excuse to step in. Then again, nothing about that woman is simple.
"Then I'm going to find Ace." He lifts away from the wall, willing to abandon me just like that.
Damn it. It's easier to keep myself still if I have company.
The thought of what could play out tonight is all I've got left. Though I can't think too deeply into it. Not without worrying about my cock acting out and my restraint turning into dust.
Sighing softly, I leave the wall to start moving. Maybe I can see her in passing. As long as I don't stop her from doing her work, she shouldn't take back her promise.
Fuck, I want her in my bed. Not because I want to press her against it, but I want to wake up with her curled up to my chest. Want to make her breakfast in the morning. Embarrassingly soft stuff like that.
I've got to keep my hands to myself. Got to stay focused.
I can do this.
"Smoke!"
Hearing my name cried out, I turn and notice one of the younger cocktail waitresses rushing toward me. Don't think I even know her name, to be honest.
She's clutching a rag in her hand so tight, her knuckles look white. Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes are glossy, like she's on the brink of tears.
I don't really do well with crying women, especially ones that I don't know.
"Uh—"
"It's Bunny!" Nearly crashing into me, she's barely catching herself. "She's in trouble."
All at once, ice hits my veins. Having become so aware of my heart over this last week, I can feel the moment it stops. "Where?"
I barely register her saying the back, and I'm already on the move, ignoring anything else she has to say. I don't have time to waste.
Barrelling forward, I shoulder two gamblers. Their insults go through one ear and out the other. I'm too busy trying to reach my destination.
Crashing through the door, I hear her voice the moment I step in. The cry of my name on her lips.
The next few seconds feel like an out-of-body experience. I'm moving, but I can't feel my legs. Can't feel the air in my lungs. All I can feel is the heat—the roaring, blinding heat that fills my chest when I see him.
A man. Between her legs. She's on the sink with his hand clamped over her mouth.
The world goes red, and a shrieking ringing fills my ears.
I've blacked out before. The last time Ace was badly injured, I came to with blood on my hands and a corpse beneath me, beaten and battered. Didn't remember what I'd done. Still don't. That terror lives in my bones.
This time, I don't black out. I know exactly what I’m doing.
My hand catches the back of his collar before I can register that I’ve reached him. I don't think about discovering who he is. Don't think about dragging him off for Andy to handle. Don't think about consequences, questions, or the mess I'm about to make.
I throw him away from her, growling out as the demand to get him as far away from her runs hot. I don’t want him touching her any more than he already has.
He hits the floor hard, and he slides a good few feet. Before he can react to the pain, barely even choking back his shock, I’m suddenly on him.
I want to kill this man. That’s the only thought ringing through my mind. I need to kill him. Need to make Bunny feel safe again.
My fist connects with his face. Once. Twice. I feel something give beneath my knuckles before more red fills my vision. Not of anger, but of blood. The warm liquid seeps through my fingers, but it doesn’t stop me.
I can’t stop.
He tries to fight back. I barely feel it. His fist grazes my ribs. Another catches my jaw, but it does nothing to push past this murderous wave that’s consumed me.
"Smoke!" Her voice cuts through the static, hitting me harder than his fists.
One more punch and I feel his nose crunch beneath my fist—a wet, sickening sound that should satisfy me but doesn't—and I pull back, my jaw tight from how hard my teeth have been grinding.
My knuckles ache and throb from being split. My lungs burn like I've been holding my breath for hours. When I finally inhale, the rush of adrenaline hits me so hard my vision swims.
Then I realize Bunny's watching.
Her hand is pressed to her mouth. Her fingers are trembling, but she's not looking at me. She's looking at him.
The man crumpled on the ground. His face bloodied, his chest still rising—barely, but rising. He’s still alive.
"Bunny—" The word comes out ragged. The heat in my chest curdles into something cold.
I’ve just scared her and showed her a side of me she shouldn’t have seen.
And now she’s got tears welling in her eyes, barely held back. Am I the reason she's about to cry?
I'm on my feet before I know it. Forgetting about finishing him off, I move toward her without thinking—without considering that I might scare her even more than he did.
I shouldn't touch her. Not with these hands. His blood is on my knuckles, and I don't want to get any on her.
But I want to wipe those tears away. I want to promise her she's safe. That, despite what she just witnessed, despite what I just did in front of her—she's safe.
I stop an arm's length away. My hands hang at my sides, and I don’t know what to do with myself.
Bunny moves as the dilemma hits me hard. She throws her arms around my neck and pulls me into her. Crushes herself against my chest. I feel her quivering breath against my throat, promising me that she’s okay.
She's not. Against the mirror's reflection, I spot the red spot on her back, turning a bruising hue. It stops me from wrapping my arms around her.
"Is he... dead?" Her voice is so small. So soft. Like she's afraid of the answer.
"I don't know." Giving her the honest truth, I don’t look to see whether he’s fallen from his injuries. My hands near her, but I hesitate, still unsure where it is safe to touch her. Fuck, I want to hug her. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."
She shakes her head against my shoulder. Her hair tickles my nose. She hugs me tighter, and I feel every tremor running through her body. "You came. That's what matters. Thank you."
Her words make my heart go wild, and my knees feel like they want to buckle. Unable to stop myself, I wrap my arms around her body and crush her to my chest. She groans softly, but doesn't complain. Rather, she melts against me, relief dripping from her limbs.
I want to apologize again for failing her. For not paying better attention, but then I hear the sound of footsteps behind us and a low whistle ringing out.
I jerk around, one arm still locked around Bunny, ready to defend her before I see Trouble and Ace. They’ve missed the action, barely.
Trouble's gripping his phone, screen still lit. Hex must've gotten to him. Ace takes one look at the scene, at the body, the blood flecks staining the ground, and Bunny in my arms, before lifting his brows.
"Damn. It was Reuben?" He lets out a small sigh as he sinks down to get a closer look. "Talk about a letdown. I had my money on a pissed-off gambler."
Bunny flinches, and Ace sees it. He must register what’s happened. The amusement drains out of his face so fast it's like someone flipped a switch. He curses under his breath, looks at the man on the floor, and frowns.
"We'll play cleanup." He nudges Reuben's leg with the toe of his boot, then nods at the slight rise and fall of his chest. "We're gonna need a ride to the docks. Still gotta talk to this guy about my bike."
Good. Ace will make sure he's handled.
Trouble sighs and starts tapping at his phone. "Just my luck, I'd get stuck here. I'll see what we can get."
While they work, I focus on Bunny. Stroking her back and her hair, I angle my body so she can't pay attention to the quiet planning happening behind me.
"I don't want to be here anymore, Roland." She whispers my name. My real name. It sounds different when she says it. Like it’s not a part of a bad memory.
I press my mouth to her temple, her cheek, and finally, the corner of her lips. "Let's get you changed first. Then we'll leave."
I pick her up. She doesn't protest—just curls into my chest as if she belongs there. I shoot Ace a look over my shoulder. For once, he doesn't crack a joke and just nods.
"Message me if you need anything. Don't let anyone in here until everything's cleaned up and—"
"I know the protocol. Go, man. Get her out of here." He shoos me toward the door. I don't stay another minute.
At Bunny's murmur, I grab her discarded corset off the counter and take her straight to her locker. She doesn't blush when she changes. I try not to stare but fail.
Not because I want to. Because I need to see every inch of her. Checking for more bruises, cuts or marks. On the outside, she’s okay. But the inside… Fuck.
Once she's in a t-shirt and jeans, she swipes at her face once—quick, like she's embarrassed by the tears—and leads the way out. I don't miss the way she clings to my jacket on her shoulders. Like it makes her safer.
The woman who’d found me, apparently named Rue, is waiting by the door, looking startled. She looks at Bunny, then at me, then back at Bunny.
Bunny hugs her and thanks her.
If it weren't for this woman, more could've happened. So I thank her, too. She nods like she's not sure what to do with that.
We push through the casino floor. Staff glance at us, then quickly look away. They know better than to ask questions. They'll be smart enough not to say anything to Bunny when I'm not at her side.
"I think you should take a couple of days off." I keep my voice soft, a complete one-eighty of what I was only minutes ago. "The casino can pay you for sick leave."
Bunny nods. She'd agree to anything right now. I could tell her the sky was green and she'd bob her chin.
I should've made sure that bastard was dead.
The thought hits me as we reach the door. If he were dead, he couldn't come back. Couldn't try again. Couldn't look at her ever again.
But killing a man in front of her—would that change us? Change her?
I don't know, and I can't risk finding out.
Letting Ace and Trouble handle it has to be the right call.
I wrap my arm around her and pull her close. She leans into me. Even after what she saw, she trusts me.
Havoc finished detailing my bike yesterday, so I’m relieved not to have to rely on getting another ride.
Swinging a leg over and helping Bunny on behind me, her arms lock around my waist. Her cheek presses against my shoulder blades, and I feel her sigh.
I'm taking her home. My home.
No matter what, I'm going to show her she's safe with me. While I'm at it, I'll spend the next few days trying to make up for my failure to protect her.
The engine roars to life, and I feel her squeeze tighter. Kicking off, we’re off.