The Sixth

Chapter

“You’re slowing down Bell, you have to speed up.”

“Fuck you.” I growled.

Thad circled around me. His hulking figure pacing in my peripherals. I was throwing punches with one of his best guys but we weren’t moving fast enough for his liking. Who the fuck cared? I didn’t. This little boy trying to fight me would be taken down in a second if I thought he was a threat.
“See now, if that happened, you’d fall in love, you’d want to get married.” Thad thought aloud at my remark. “And I’d have to let you down, break your heart and possibly get my ass kicked by you and/or by Cherish. Fucking isn’t something we should do.”

I laughed. Thad was like a father to me but we joked about anything and everything. He pulled me out of the dark and saved my life, for that, I’d be forever grateful.

“Now, Bella Baby. If you don’t hurry the fuck up and finish this, every guy here is going to think you’re just some hot girl that wants to play with the big boys but can’t keep up. How do you think The Five will react when they find out their own flesh and blood is a pussy in the ring?” he shouted at me.

Every head that was in the gym turned to look at me. I glared at Thad but he was right. I was being lazy. The kid I was fighting, I think his name is Trent or Steve, whatever, smiled. He wanted to go in for the kill.

“Come on Zach, you got this bitch in the bag.” One of the guys along the edge of the ring cheered. I was way off on the name.

Zach broadened his smile and rolled his shoulders. Arrogance reeked from him and this time I smiled.

“Fuck it.” I murmured to myself.

Hunting is what I did best and he just agreed to be my prey. We circled a few more times, the tension grew thicker in the air as we did. The whole room was quiet except for the clanking of weights that echoed against the walls. Zach noticed my distraction with the noise and jumped in for an attack. I was ready though. I moved out of the way, ducking around each punch and blocking each kick. When he moved a leg up to kick again I held it against my side and landed a punch to the inside of this thigh. I let his leg go to move to the outside of him. Limping, he tried to keep up, he tried to kick with his other leg but the one I hit buckled and he fell. I looked to Thad to see if he approved…he didn’t.

“You know the rules.” Thad warned with a raised brow.

Of course I knew the rules, everyone knew the fucking rules. If they didn’t or they did and they broke them, their next fight would be brutal. It would end before it began. They would be kicked out if they didn’t do well enough, but either way, they’d lose. The punishment for breaking any rule… a fight with Thad. He was the leader, the strength, the only one that could beat me. He trained me but not well enough to beat him and his dirty tricks. People feared him, and he loved it.

“Get up.” I sighed.

Zach did as I said. We circled each other again and I went in first. My first blow was to his nose, blood spewed down his chin and over his chest. The next jab was to his kidney when he lifted his arm to hit me. I ducked down as I laid into the blow and then brought my knee up to meet his diaphragm as he doubled over. He wrapped his arms around my hips to pick me up but I brought my knee up again and laid an elbow against his back. Stepping out of his grasp I moved to stand behind him. My heart pounded in my ears and I smiled. Zach regained his footing and met me face to face. Throwing another punch I took it to the cheek.

I held up my finger. “That’s one.” I said, before I smiled and went in for the kill.

This was my favorite part. The part where every guy realizes how in control I really am. How I am able to take down their best fighter with a simple flick of my wrist. It has nothing to do with the fact that I’m a girl, but it has everything to do with the fact that I’m always fucking furious. I’ve been fucked over, doubted, underestimated and beaten. These are the moments where I prove to myself that I can handle anything and everything.

Zach swung again but I caught his arm. I jerked him towards me and landed my forehead against his already bleeding nose. He stepped back and I landed another blow to his cheek then a swift knee to the outside of his leg. Two more punches to the face, and he was on the ground. Blood covered his face and my knuckles. A couple guys jumped into the ring and picked him up and carried him away.

“There’s my girl.” Thad smiled as he approached me. He was truly huge, full of muscle and tattoos. Everyone was afraid of him, except for Cherish, his wife. She owned him and he owned her. It sounds strange but they have a very beautiful relationship. One filled with trust and love. They’re ridiculously over protective of each other and they both could fight. So they did, whenever a stranger came on to the other, they would fight for their relationship and for each other. “How’d that feel?” he continued.

“Good.” I nodded. “I’m sorry I was being lazy. I didn’t want to hurt him.”

We stepped out of the ring and headed towards the private bathroom. Only family used it which really just meant us two and Cherish.

“What changed your mind? You toyed with him and then beat the shit out of him.” He cocked an eyebrow up to his shiny bald head.

I just shrugged. “He got cocky.”

When we finished showering and got dressed, I waited in the truck for Thad to lock up. The gym was usually open twenty four hours except on Sundays. They closed at eight o’clock on the dot and everyone was to be out by 7:59. The wrath of Thad scared everyone so by that time, there wasn’t a soul in sight. When we pulled up to his two story log home I grabbed my duffel and walked up the steps. This place was the same every time I came here. It was open but the walls were dark, it was always clean and pictures lined the walls. Awards and trophies lined a case on the far wall to the right for all the fights Thad and Cherish won. They were a team in every aspect of their lives.

“Are you sure you want to do this Bell, you know you can stay with us and work at the gym?” Cherish pulled me into a hug before I walked up the stairs to my room. We had eaten dinner and Thad told Cherish about my fight today. They were both proud that I beat up their best fighter. I convinced them that they’re getting too old to see what makes a good fighter.

“I’m sure.” I smiled to her as I took a step, disappointment masked her face. “Don’t worry Cher, I’ll be back to visit and I know Thad won’t be far away. It’s my turn to have a life away from The Five and away from the death.”

A tear spilt down her cheek but she swiftly wiped it away with the back of her hand. Her other hand laid against her swollen belly, she was six months pregnant and looked beautiful. Her blonde hair was pinned up on her head and her bangs were curled into a big poof. Tattoos started from underneath her chin and ears and ran down her whole body. Her white dress showed off the colored skin more, making the dress look whiter and her tattoos more pronounced. She was the perfect tattooed pinup princess.

“I know. I just worry.” She whispered as another tear slid down her face and she wiped it away.

“She’s just being pregnant. Ignore the tears.” Thad wrapped his arms around her in a hug. Cher didn’t cry, at least she didn’t until she got pregnant.

“I’m not being pregnant. I love this girl like a daughter and she’s going off to school. Away from home!” She slapped Thad on the arm as she talked. Her tears quickly turned to annoyance. I smiled and walked back over to them. We stood in a large hug for a few moments before I went back up stairs.

My room was all packed into two suitcases and a large duffel. I never needed much and I knew my dorm would be small. I paid extra to ensure I wouldn’t have a roommate, getting expelled for beating up some girl wasn’t what I wanted to do. Cher and Thad would be disappointed in me and that couldn’t happen. Our lives have been too fucked up for that.

Chapter

“Ok, so this is your room.” a girl with platinum blonde hair and way too much perfume bounced in front of me. She handed me a key and pushed the door open. The whole campus was filled with new students trying to find their temporary home while upperclassmen chose who they were going to bully. The sororities and fraternities set up booths attempting to snatch up new members. The whole thing was fucking annoying. Almost as much as this girls’ voice.

“Now, I know you didn’t want a roommate but unfortunately the dorms are fully booked and we had some overflow. After meeting you the first time, I think I found someone that would be perfect for you to room with.” The smile never left her face and I wondered if it was stuck like that.

“I paid extra to be alone.” I dropped my bags and turned to her. There were two small beds on both sides and a window between them. A bathroom was to the left and a small closet to the right. It was plainly painted and bleak, I liked it.

“You’ll be refunded anything extra you paid.” Her smile faltered but she regained it quickly. I narrowed my eyes, she was cracking, and her face wasn’t entirely Botox afterall.

“What can I do to ensure that I don’t have a roommate? I was very clear that I didn’t want one.” Being out of control fucking sucked, I never handled it well. Having a roommate wouldn’t be the end of the world but I’d prefer to be alone.

“Not all of us can be lucky to have no roommates. Besides, you don’t have a choice. The girl is my sister and her mother donates very heavily to my sorority.” Her tone was venom but her smile remained in place. My hands clenched into fists and I told myself to breathe. I wanted to see if her smile was removable. She cocked her hip and placed her perfectly manicured fingers on them. “So I don’t give a shi--”

“Babe what fuck, are you almost done?” a guy with slicked back, black hair popped his head into the room. He was muscular but the bedazzled t-shirt made him look feminine. The matching jeans didn’t help much either. But with her platinum blonde hair, fake boobs and tiny skirt, they matched perfectly. He looked me up and down and gave me a wink before she turned around.

She let out a small growl and rolled her eyes. “I’m coming.” She snapped. “You’re roommate will be here soon. She already knows what room and she has a key.”

That was all she said before she swung her hair around her shoulder and walked out of the room. Her skirt swished back and forth at the over exaggerated sway of her hips. I watched her boyfriend stare at her ass until they were out of sight.

I stood there a moment debating on what to do first. People walked by the door and some stopped to peer inside. On the third strange look I slammed the door shut and started unpacking. I filled the drawers below the bed and brought my toiletries into the bathroom. I caught myself staring into the mirror when I was ready to leave. My eyes were bleak, and my brown hair hung around my waist. It was hot so I wore a loose fitting tank top that flashed the large tattoo I had wrapping around my arm and splayed over my ribs and back. I hated the thing. As I stared at it I fought my stomach. Whenever I thought about my past it threatened to empty, but it was cut short by a voice sounding in the room.

“I’m here mom, stop worrying so much.” The girl sounded exasperated. I slowly stepped out of the bathroom and watched her pace the small room. “No… I haven’t yet…. Mom, I just told you no…. ok fine…” she continued to talk and to pace until she noticed me. Her body jumped a little and her eyes went wide as her mouth formed a small o. “Yea, she’s here…. I don’t know I haven’t talked to her yet…” Were they talking about me? “Uhm… about my height, long brown hair, green eyes, tan skin…. Yes, there’s a tattoo…” she eyed me up and down.

What the fuck? I gave her a questioning look as she sized me up. We were about the same height but her heeled boots made her taller. She had pale skin that looked tan from the lightness of her hair color and the light blue of her eyes. She wore jeans that looked like a second skin and a loose fitting shirt.

“I don’t think so…she doesn’t look like a murderer mom. What the hell, you knew I’d have a roommate, it’s the point of me living here!” Murder her? I could consider it. “I’ll be fine mom, if someone was going to murder me then they’d murder me… Well something tells me she would have done it by now…” Her hands failed around her as she spoke but she kept watching me. “I don’t know… seriously mom?” she rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll ask.”

“Are you a lesbian?” she moved the phone away from her ear and mouth as she spoke to me. I knew my mouth was wide open but all I could do was raise an eyebrow in response. Not once have I ever met someone who spoke about a stranger like that. Nor have I ever been asked if I was a lesbian. She turned back to her phone. “No mom…she’s not gay….no she isn’t going to rape me…. oh my God!”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I asked. Rape her?

The girl just shook her head, pointing a finger at me as she listened to her mom on the phone. “Ok then…. Sure…. I’ll tell him you said hi…. Yea, we are going out tonight… no it’s not another…uhm… underground thing.” She eyed be cautiously at the last part, I just narrowed my eyes. “Whatever mom. I’ll see you tomorrow, we have the benefit at the house… Of course I will… yes…. Ok… I love you too…. ok…. Yes mom! I love you too, bye.”

With that she hung up the phone and tossed it aside. It took a moment before she turned back to me and smiled. Her mouth opened to speak at the same time the door flew open and a guy stepped inside. He was tall but thin with a slightly crooked nose and shaggy blonde hair. He definitely worked out but not much judging by the small pouch that poked through his shirt. When he noticed me in the room he froze and looked to my roommate.

“Uhhh…” he looked questioningly between us. My nerves were slowly dissipating.

“Sorry Paul, my mom called.” The girl spoke to him. He smiled and walked over to plant a kiss on her cheek.

“What did she want?” he asked.

“Apparently to see if I was going to rape and murder her.” I retorted and flashed a grin.

Her eyes went wide and she shook her head. “I’m so sorry, my mom can be overprotective.” She stepped forward and pushed out a hand. “I’m Maren, but everyone calls me Mare.”

I looked at her hand. I preferred to only touch people when I was hitting them. “Nice to meet you.” I smirked and grabbed my jacket and turned to leave the room. Her voice halted me.

“We’re going to a party tonight, if you want to come. It’s a ‘welcome back to school’ party at one of the upperclassmen houses.” I turned to face her, she still smiled but uneasiness danced in her eyes.

“I’m good, thanks.” Relief flooded her eyes and she nodded.

When I got outside I noticed a lot of the students had cleared out. The booths for the clubs, or cults as I liked to call them, were being cleaned up and moved out of the way. Some kids still walked with their teary eyed parents while others chatted away on their phones. I pulled mine out and saw a text from Thad.

She’s crying again…I blame you for this ;)

I smiled and typed a reply.

Just wait till this is your actual kid. You’ll be the one crying and she’ll be kicking your ass…. Again ;)

You’re a little shit!

I let out a laugh and put my phone away. Thad had given me the job of looking at some of the gyms around here. Opening up another shop was his dream and he wanted me to help run it. So instead of moving forward and starting a new life, I went out and kept my head wrapped up in the past. The only difference is that no one knew who I was here. I was a stranger that had no problems, no horrible past. I took comfort in that.

The town was very much built around the college so I wasn’t surprised to find clubs and bars all over the place. Students walked around, beers in hands, laughing and talking with their friends. There were three gyms in this town, the closest one to the school is where I was headed. From what Thad told me it was the one everyone went to so he wanted to know why. The front of the gym was entirely made of reflective glass so no one could see inside but the occupants could see outside. Stepping inside I was blasted with wet, cold air. Weights clanked and people shouted. I looked around at all the equipment, and mirrors. There were mirrors everywhere and every person was watching themselves in them.

“I don’t get it, what’s funny?” I deep voice sounded next to me.

I shook my head. “What’s with the mirrors?” I didn’t look to him, I kept my eyes trained on the room. I had a list going of everything they had that Thad didn’t.

“You’re looking at a room full of college students who all want to be alphas but never will be.” His answer made me turn my head. I locked onto his deep brown eyes as he stared at me. My breath lodged in my lungs as I stared at him.

“What do you mean?” I asked, only staring at his eyes.

He just shrugged and a smile tugged his lips. “They spend their time making themselves look physically superior but don’t take the time to do it mentally. It’s a waste if you ask me.”

“I hadn’t.” I turned back to the people in the gym. There were two floors and a rock wall on the far end that went from floor to ceiling allowing the two levels to connect.

“What did you find this time Kingston?” another deep voice boomed from beside us. I looked over to see a guy whose arms were the size of my torso. Muscles and veins rippled underneath his dark skin. Not only was he powerful but he was tall. I had to look up to the ceiling to meet his eyes.

“Just a lost puppy, Brock. Nothing I can’t handle.” The kid next to me smiled at me while he talked.

“I’m not lost.” I bit out, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

“Yea, she doesn’t look lost.” Brock answered in agreement with me. “And something tells me you can’t handle her.” He eyed me up and down.

“He can’t.” I smiled.

“Well how about we find out?” Kingston smiled at me and stepped closer, I stepped back.

“I’m not one for making grown men cry.” I shrugged, they laughed.

“Another time then” Kingston spoke first. “So are you looking to join our conceited little gym?”

I shook my head. No way in hell. “No thanks.” I smiled sweetly. “I’d rather shove my head in a blender.”

He only shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

I nodded and turned to leave. The list I started had been completed and I was ready to leave anyway. The stares I was getting from the few girls in the gym was unnerving. Their territory was marked out and I was trespassing.

“Wait.” I stopped at the door and turned to look at the two guys I was talking to. I noticed now that Kingston was almost as tall as his friend but not nearly as large. He had a thick build of muscle and a trim waist. His hair was black and a little shaggy, it suited him. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“I didn’t say it.” I know it was cliché but I said it anyway. He didn’t need to know my name because I probably wasn’t going to see him again.

“Well then, miss no name, there’s a party tonight.” He stepped forward and handed me a notecard with an address on it. “You should come by. Meet the family.”

I glanced at the note card and wondered if my new roomie would be there. Either way, I wasn’t going. I took the card and put in my pocket and turned to leave. Shoving the door open I stepped outside into the brisk air. The sun had set and the streets were clearing except for a few students that were headed to the neighboring clubs. It was cool and slightly humid, perfect time for a run.

Chapter

The room was empty when I got back, no surprise there. I had a feeling I’d be spending most of my time alone since Mare had a boyfriend and was part of our RAs sorority. Her bags were still sitting on her bed and I noticed a few on the floor too. In total there was about seven bags and I held in a groan. Her shit was going to be everywhere.

I dug my sneakers out from underneath my bed and laced them up. They were new shoes that Cherish had given to me as a going away present this morning. I couldn’t wait to run in them. I pulled my hair up into a tight pony tail and gave myself a look over in the mirror. My skin was tanned from all the outdoor training and running and my hair was slightly golden from the sun. I was thin but had noticeable muscles from the fighting and the small amount of weightlifting that I had done. I found myself attractive but not in the sense of arrogance. I grew up being put down and humbled so self-confidence mostly showed in my fighting. Something I can thank Thad for.

When I finally set myself into a decent pace, my mind started wandering. I chose to go without music since I was in a new place and I needed to be alert. If there were parties going on there would be drunk students fumbling around. I didn’t deal well with drunk people. I went the opposite way of the town and decided to head into the neighborhoods that surrounded the area. Some had letters and symbols lining the top floor of the houses recognizing each sorority or fraternity. After about a dozen of those the letters disappeared and regular family homes took over. They were large and beautiful but nothing compared to the home Thad shared with his wife.

A loud scream pierced my ears, freezing me in place. I stood there trying to slow my breathing enough so I could listen. It took a moment for my heart to settle and my ears to start working. It was then I realized that a party was in full swing a couple houses in front of me. Another scream sounded and a splash was heard a second later. My lungs let go of a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and my feet started their pace again. I looked at the house as I passed. It was three stories and filled with drunk students. The house seemed over stuffed so some stragglers were out on the porch and some were on the lawn. The cars filled the drive way, the street and of course the grass lawn surrounding the house.

I passed the house again on my way back and was stopped when I heard someone yelling after me.

“Hey!” it was Mare. “Hey…Roomie!”

I laughed to myself as I realized I never told her my name. I stopped on the sidewalk and looked in the direction of the house. I saw Mare, clearly drunk, stumbling down the drive way on a mission. Her dress clung to her and her hair was in tangles. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her heels barely held her up. The poor girl was a mess.

“What’s up?” I asked as she got closer to me. She reeked of alcohol as she smiled and swayed back and forth.

“Youcametotheparty.” She breathed out in a slur.

“No, I was running and passed by the party.” I corrected.

I watched her face turn from confusion to understanding and then to a pout. She shook her head and held up a thin finger. “Ur kindofa biotch.” She hiccupped.

I laughed. “Is that so?” she just nodded but the weight of her head pulled her forward and we collided. I caught her and raised her up.

“Come one, let’s get you inside.” I mumbled as she clung to me and we slowly approached the house.

I was well aware of the looks I was getting. The girls were glaring and the guys were checking me out. My running shorts consisted of mainly spandex that hugged the tops of my thighs and I wore a sports bra with long sleeves, so the arm part of my tattoo was covered. Every look I got gave me an uneasy feeling but I ignored it. I looked up to the door and met Pauls’ eyes. He looked concerned but drunk as well as I handed him his girlfriend.

“I didn’t think you’d show.” Maybe he wasn’t drunk.

“I didn’t. I was running by and she yelled after me.” I waved to the mess that was my new roommate. “Is she ok?” I asked as she held her stomach and doubled over.

“Fuck.” Paul mumbled as he turned her away and let her down a hallway.

It took me a moment to realize I was standing alone in a house full of people. Everyone near me was staring while everyone beyond that was laughing and dancing. I raised a brow and shrugged at them before turning to leave. Before I could see where I was going I collided with a chest. A very hard chest.

“Sorry.” I mumbled as I turned for the door. Again.

“Hey, you came.” A familiar deep voice rumbled. “We didn’t think you would.”

I looked up to see Brock smiling down at me. I scowled and he immediately stepped back. For a big guy he was kind of a pussy.

“I didn’t. I was runn…” I let out a breath. “Forget it, I’m going home now.”

As I stepped out the door I slammed into someone else and something cold slid down the front of me. I didn’t need to ask to know I was covered in beer. For a first day in a new life, it fucking sucked.

“Shit, I’m sor-… hey, it’s you.” I looked up to find Kingston’s brown eyes gleaming down at me. A smile slapped across his face and fell when he looked at my beer covered front. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

I didn’t have anything to say so I shouldered past him and walked down the steps.

“Hey, where are you going?” he slid up next to me as I walked down the walkway.

“To my dorm.” I answered through clenched teeth. Being alone was something I needed at the moment before I decided to kick this kid’s ass.

“You aren’t walking, are you?” we stopped walking once we reached the sidewalk. “It’s like ten miles.”

I nodded and waved a hand down to my shoes. “It’s called going for a run. Surely you’ve heard of that?” I cocked my head to the side in sarcasm.

“You ran from the dorm, all the way out here and you’re going to run all the way back?” for whatever reason he found that hard to believe. I nodded and crossed my arms.

“Come on, I’ll give you a ride.” He nodded towards the house but then stopped after a couple steps.

“What?” I asked.

“I’m blocked in by…. At least twenty cars.” He smiled apologetically and I shrugged.

“I wasn’t going to get in the car with you anyway.” I smiled sweetly. “I was just going to start running as soon as you started walking away.”

I began running before he could open his mouth with some kind of retort. All I heard as I ran away was what I thought a ‘wha-hey’ would sound like. The night was cool but my sweat mixed with the beer. I did my best not to start heaving in the bushes as I ran. When I finally got back to the dorm room I slid my shoes and clothes off and went straight to the shower. I sat under the ice cold water until my skin went numb before turning it all the way to hot. When the pins and needles that erupted over my skin settled, I put on a comfortable temperature and rested my head against the tiled wall.

Chapter

The week rolled by fast. Classes didn’t start until the following Monday so I busied myself with running and getting my classes and books organized. School was never something I excelled in but I hoped it would give me more avenues for my life. Thad had agreed but quickly took it back when I told him I’d be moving out for school. I’d grown accustomed to them just like they had grown accustomed to me. Neither of us were really ready to let that go but life needed to happen. I needed to move forward and it wasn’t helping that I was on my bike on my way to see Thad.

At least once a month, his group of fighters and some of the local…talent… would meet at The Docks. It was by invite only and you had to be prepared to fight which is why hardly anyone outside the group showed up. If they did, things would go bad and fast. Thad was now in charge of the whole event and made sure no liabilities happened on his watch, but some of the guys were just looking for trouble. The drive was about an hour from the school and at least two from Thad’s’ home. Our pact was to meet at the fights whenever possible.

There was a small boutique about a block from where everything happened. I chose to park there instead of within the group of motorcycles and trucks. Shit got messed with when it was in the group and I wasn’t planning on letting that happen to me. I lifted the seat on my bike and placed my helmet inside before I locked it up and started walking. The walk was quick and muddy. The Docks were by the largest lake in the state so it was in a constant predicament of always being wet. The group always met behind the larger warehouses that emptied around five every night so we wouldn’t be disturbed. Police have tried to break up this get together but have never succeeded so they just placed cops within the group and everyone behaved…for the most part.

“Bella Baby, there you are!” I was swung into the air and turned around. Thad’s arms were like tree trunks as they circled around my middle and squeezed.

I groaned. “I’m fucking choking.” I coughed out.

“Yea, yea, yea, whatever. I’m glad you made it. Tonight is going to be fun.” He rubbed his hands together and smiled.

I put my hands up and stepped back. “I’m not fighting tonight. School starts Monday and I won’t start my new life out with bruises on my face.”

The bruises on my face were the hardest to hide since I didn’t wear a lot of makeup. No one in my new life knew about my fighting, not that I really had anyone in my new life but still. Having bruises would arouse suspicion and I didn’t want that. I was supposed to be normal. Whatever the fuck that meant.

“I know, but your boy Vance is here. He wants to fight.”

“You’re kidding me? Vance never fights.” He didn’t. He was very good, he could even probably, and I mean probably not, beat me.

Thad nodded his bald, tattooed head. “I know, I think something may have happened at home.” Which was code for ‘find out and report back to me’.

Thad was the father of the fighting scene when I was growing up. He saved a lot of us kids who were going downhill and fast. If it wasn’t for him, I would have ended up at the bottom of a lake next to my parents. Vance was looped in the same category as me. His problems didn’t seem to run as deep but he needing saving and Thad was out for saving everyone.

“Come on Bell, let’s get this party fucking kicking.” I shook my head as Thad passed me and headed towards the crowd.

Looking from the outside, all you’d see was what looks like a biker gang. Black vests, ponytails, helmets, motorcycles. The whole fucking shebang. The locals stayed inside on nights like this, they never knew what would happen. Honestly, we never knew either. There would be fights, drinking and a lot of sex. And more fights when people slept with the wrong people. As we neared the crowd the talking got louder. Everyone mingled and shoved and drank. Kegs were off to the side by some pallets that were stacked up. A few adventurous people were sitting on top drinking while they waiting for the fun. The main dock was always empty until the leader, in this case Thad, stepped up and started speaking. Once that happened, people would sit on barrels or stand around the dock until the fight started. Then everyone moved back and watched but not without cheering and heckling of course.

Thad gave me a quick farewell before grabbing a beer and heading towards his inner circle. They controlled the fights and who participated. Without them people would probably die more often out here. I shoved my way past everyone trying to get to the pallets. Vance and his buddies usually stood in that area on these nights. I was surprised when I didn’t see him there, but his friends were.

“Looking for me?” I turned around and smiled at Vance as he held out a cup of beer for me.

“I don’t drink, you know that.” We stared at each other as we exchanged words. The tension between us was thick.

He shrugged one shoulder, never leaving my gaze. “Bad habits are hard to break.”

“Not drinking is a bad habit?”

“For someone who hangs out in places like this, yes. Drinking should be a requirement. It makes the fight more exciting.” His eyes gleamed with anticipation at the fight as he waved a hand towards the crowd.

I didn’t have to already know he was fighting to see how badly he wanted it. How badly he needed it. I was the first to break the stare as I looked him up and down. He was muscular but slim since he ran too much for his own good. His black hair fell just above his ears and he had it jelled back with a slight lift to it. His eyes were dark and brooding that matched the mystery behind his gruff beard.

“Stop checking me out and let’s go sit. Thad is about to start.” He pointed his chin to the dock and I saw Thad take his perch. The show he put on was astounding as he tried to act tougher than his teddy bear personality. The man could fight but he could love too.

“Little Miss Bell. What a surprise?” one of Vance’s friends slunk towards me with open arms. I stepped back but bumped into Vance. When he wrapped his arm around my waist I smiled as the kid took a step back. I hated all of them and the fact that Vance hung out with them pissed me off more. I’d kicked their asses on more than one occasion.

“Is it?” I retorted as we took up residence on a stack of pallets. Vance lifted me up and hopped up next to me.

“No.” he sneered back.

“Trent, shut the fuck up and leave her alone. You remember what happened last time?” Vance talked calmly but the threat was clear.

“I don’t. Can you remind me?” I smiled again as sweetly as possible.

“You’re a fucking bitch, Quaid.” The kid shook his head and turned towards the dock.

Vance leaned into me when his group of followers all turned away and lost interest in us. Thad was beginning his talk.

“What are you doing over here? Usually you’re on the dock next to Thad and his boys.” He raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Thad said you’re fighting tonight?” I murmured.

All I got was a stiff nod in reply as the smirk wiped clean off his face.

“Why?” I asked him. He wouldn’t look at me, he just ignored me. Thing was, I didn’t like being ignored. “If you don’t answer me I’m going to dump this beer on your head.” When he didn’t move I continued. “Fine, have it your way.

“Don’t you fucking dare.” He growled at me and grabbed my wrist. With his other hand he plucked the cup out of my hand and tossed it into the water.

“That was littering.” I commented as the cup bobbed to the surface.

“Why do you care Bell? You left, remember?”

“I’ve been gone a week. That doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten.” We stared at each other for a moment and then realization dawned on me. “You’re fighting because of me, aren’t you?”

I watched the muscles in his jaw work as he looked towards the crowd. Everyone was enraptured in Thad’s talk that no one spoke or even moved. Every now and then people would clap or boo. Sometimes both.

“Vance?” I prompted.

“Yea, because of you.” He combed a hand through his hair and let out a breath. “I worry about you. The whole group does.”

He didn’t mean his friends, he meant the inner circle. The ones who controlled the fights and the ones who watched over our territory and our people. You could say we have our own little community that isn’t exactly legal in the sense of towns and cities. We just band together and watch each other’s backs.

“So what does that have to do with you fighting tonight?” a stressed hand went through his hair again.

“Nothing.” Now I was confused.

“Vance, if you don’t start fucking talking you’re going to end up fighting me out there.” I threatened. It wasn’t much of one because he loved fighting me. Apparently I was adorable when I was angry. I rolled my eyes at the thought.

“I’m not fighting for you tonight. Well I am, I always fight for you because you’re important to me.” he released another breath. “I’m fighting tonight to make a decision. One that can possibly break me if I choose wrong.”

I saw the vulnerability swimming in his eyes. We’ve been best friends since we were kids and this wasn’t a look I was used to. Sure, we confided in each other and shared secrets, but we never truly relied on each other for comfort. At least not in the emotional sense, in the physical sense, now that was another story.

“I know you’re going to tell Thad all of this after the fight.” He looked at me, fear in his eyes. “He might ban me from this if he does.”

“He wouldn’t ban you. He loves you too much to let you be on the outskirts. Besides, you’re family, family is always welcome regardless of what happens.” I grabbed his hand in mine.

He let out a humorless laugh. “I think you and I both know that isn’t true.”

I nodded and let out a breath. He was right. “I know but family doesn’t have to be blood and that means enemies can be blood.”

He laughed with humor this time. “You sound just like Thad but with Cherishs’ voice.”

“How about this, I won’t tell Thad anything until after you make your decision?” I raised a brow. It didn’t matter what I said, he would tell me. He always did.

“I met a girl.” My mouth fell to the floor and I looked at him questioningly.

“In the week I’ve been gone you’ve already found someone?”

He shook his head. “No, we’ve been seeing each other for a while now. I never brought her around because I didn’t want her to get hurt…or worse.” He swallowed painfully as he spoke. “She’s pregnant.”

I couldn’t help but notice the tears in his eyes as he said that last part. My heart stopped beating for a second and my ears stopped listening. I opened my mouth to speak but noticed all eyes were on us. Thad had announced Vance’s name for the fight and he was already fighting his way through the crowd. When I looked up to meet Thad’s eyes they had a question, I just shook my head in answer. Vance was right, Thad would kick him out but only to protect him.

Another guy came from the back of the crowd a moment later and met Vance in the middle. They bumped fists and circled each other in the mud for another moment. If Vance won against him, he’d play another guy and if he won again, there’d be one more fight before he was considered the winner. If he lost either one, the other guy would have to fight again and the rounds would continue until someone won three in a row. There were times where we’d be here until the morning waiting for the fighting to end.

“You going to cry when your boyfriend loses?” Trent heckled me from the pallet below me.

Vance was already half way through the first fight and was holding strong. The guy he was fighting was twice his size but bigger isn’t always better. He was slow and the mud was causing him to slip. He got one hit on Vance but that was by accident.

“Just like you cried when I beat you up?” I smiled again and stared at him. He always got a nervous tick when people stared, he would blink too quickly and stammer if he got nervous enough.

“Whatever.” He mumbled and turned around. The guys around him were watching the conversation but quickly turned their attention back to the fight when the crowd roared.

The guy Vance was fighting was face down in the mud. Vance stood above him shirtless and in black shorts. Mud smeared his chest and stomach but the tattoos that snaked along his torso still showed. There was no smile, no victory in his eyes, only the decision he had to make. Thad walked to the two men and leaned down to speak with the guy on the ground. A second later he stood up and raised Vance’s hand in the air in victory. No one cheered, only silence remained.

“Who’s next?” Thad smiled at the crowd while he held up Vance’s arm.

“Me!” a gruff voice yelled from somewhere in the crowd.

All heads turned to watch a large man barrel through. He had to be about six five and three hundred and fifty pounds. Pure muscle I might add. Tattoos covered his body head to toe but in this group, tattoos were a tradition so no one here was frightened by them. He walked into the group and exchanged words with Thad while he sized up Vance. My list was already pages long as I studied the guy. A long scar ran across his back shoulder blade, some sort of surgery… that’s weakness number one. Number two was the slight limp he had walking through the crowd. Most people would mistake that as his feet slipping in the mud, or having one leg shorter than the other, but for those of us with trained eyes, it was something more along the lines of a healed bone. My thoughts were confirmed when he turned and I saw the scars along his shin. I looked to Vance and met his gaze, he gave me a nod to reassure me he could handle him. Not that I was worried.

“You’ve got him wrapped around your finger, don’t you?” Trent sneered again. This fucker tried way too hard.

“Shut your mouth before I volunteer you for the next fight.” I retorted and he shut up. I may be a girl and sitting on the outskirts of the inner circle but they knew my relationship with Thad was sealed. If I asked, it would be done.

The second round took a little longer than I had anticipated. I’ll admit for one brief, very brief, moment I got worried. There may have been weaknesses to the large man but he was quick. Vance had a few cuts on his face and one along his arm that he got when he rolled on the ground. Someone left a piece of tin on the ground. Vance was tough and shook it off, Thad didn’t approve. As the fighting ensued, I ignored glances and whispers from the guys next to me and watched. The war raging within Vance was showing through his fighting. He was getting sloppy. It didn’t take long to realize he was doing it on purpose, he was hoping the man would make the decision for him. That pissed me off. If Vance had a baby in this world he was going to father it and provide what his family took away from him. If he won this fight he could lose the next one and go without people trying to fight him afterwards. Those who lost the first fight when they volunteered usually left the group because of the ridicule. It wasn’t just mental but physical as well. Everyone wanted to beat you up after that.

“Vance wins the second round. We’re done for the night unless someone thinks they can do better!” Thad yelled to the group.

His voice boomed and echoed off the brick walls. Everyone was too shocked by the big guy laying on the ground clearly unconscious. Whatever Vance had done knocked the man clean out.

“I can!” I spoke up from my perch and all eyes turned to me. Vance’s gaze ripped through me but I kept my focus on Thad. When he gave the nod I jumped down and passed through the crowd. I was wearing shorts and my black lace up boots that ended mid-calf. The tank top I wore was loose and exposed my tattoo and bra. It was no surprise that a few guys groped me as I walked by. There were a few more delicate touches too that made me think some of the women weren’t claimed by men. None of it bothered me though, worse has happened.

“What are you doing?” Vance spoke through clenched teeth as I approached.

I looked around at the faces that surrounded us. Those I didn’t know were smirking at my brazenness while the ones who did know me were deciding where to place their bets.

“I’m helping you decide.”

“I don’t need your help!” he reared at me.

I stepped forward but only enough so Thad wouldn’t hold me back. “Clearly you do. You let him get those hits in and you planned on losing this last fight. But with me you know that this decision will be honest.”

“What decision?” Thad asked. Vance’s eyes pleaded with me and I looked to Thad.

“Is Cherish here tonight?” he looked at me surprised I changed the topic.

“Uhm… no, of course not.” He mumbled.

“And why is that?” I asked Thad but watched Vance.

Thad scratched his head confused at what was playing out. “Because she’s pregnant and she’ll get hurt.” He sounded like it was obvious.

“And you’re here without her because…”

“I enjoy this and I know how to handle the crowd.” He answered matter-of-factly.

“So after Vance won the first two fights, do you think he can handle the crowd?” when Thad looked at me like I was joking I cut off his reply. “Do you think he can handle himself in the crowd?”

“Yes.” That was all I needed.

I shrugged and looked towards Vance again. “He got a girl pregnant.” was all I said before I swung and connected my fist against his jaw. It wasn’t to start the fight but for me. We’d been getting together for quite a few years now and if he’d been with her for a while, then we were together at the same time. I know we weren’t dating or had any emotional relationship, but I should have been told about her sooner.

His head flew back and blood filled his lips. I smiled and Thad stepped back towards the dock.

“Fight!” he clapped and finished his walk to the dock and sat.

I stared and Vance and he stared at me as we walked in small circles. While he was taking in the shock of my blow I slid my shoes off so I could be barefoot. I also didn’t want to completely ruin my shoes. We continued to watch each other and circle until the crowd started growing bored. Some people cussed while others threatened that he’d be their bitch if I won. We both drowned out the shouts and focused on each other. Sizing each other up, finding weaknesses. Trouble was, I already knew his.

I took a few steps forward but ducked myself down as he swung towards me. My side slid across the mud as I twisted and stood myself back up. We were facing each other again and circling but closer this time. His hand reached out but I ducked around it and landed a small jab to his ribs. I listened as his breath left him and threw another blow before he could inhale. More air emptied his lungs and his mouth opened to take more in but I caught his ribs again, cutting off the intake. Vance cocked his hand back and connected it with my ribs. I spun with the hit and landed another blow to his cheek.

“Bell.” He growled.

“Vance.” I mimicked with a smile and a wink.

“This isn’t funny.” It wasn’t supposed to be.

At his words I let out a full attack which he met me blow for blow with. I kicked, he blocked, he swung, I blocked. I let him get two more solid hits in before I took away his breath like before. My jabs were harder and swifter every time he tried to take in air. When I kneed the side of his thigh he fell to both knees. His mouth opened to take air in but I leaned down and jabbed his diaphragm, seizing the breath away from him.

“Who is she?” I whispered in his ear before I connected my knee with his back.

He turned and grabbed my leg so we both slid into the mud. Feeling his muscled body move around me stirred the heat I was already feeling. I hungered for him like I always did but now the stakes were different. Another person was involved and she had another one growing inside her. There were something’s I wouldn’t mess with to get what I wanted. Creating an imbalance in someone else’s love life was one of them.

“Her name is Bethany. I met her outside of town.” His eyes were haunted and I knew why. If he brought her in the group and they learned of the baby, she might be the next target.

I shook my head. We were both standing and circling each other again. “I’m the one they’re after. Not you.”

My words were wind and I circled around him and connected two more blows. One to his left rib and the other to his cheek.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s a game to them. It always will be, you know that.” He chocked in a breath and planted a solid fist to my rib. My breath left me along with a grunt. He took his advantage and got my cheek with one fist and my ribs with his knee. Pain seared through my cheek and I felt the warm blood slide down to my neck. More pain coursed through my rib as another blow connected and I felt the familiar crack separate them.

“Do you love her?” I wheezed as he gave me a second to grasp my bearings again. The crowd was now focused solely on us and our movements. Our fight was coming to an end.

His steps faltered as I asked the question so I stepped in and landed a few more blows. Vance was back on his knees and I was about to lower my elbow above his collar bone when he breathed out his answer.

“Yes.”

Anger coursed through me at that word. He said that I had left him but it was him that left me. He was just afraid to say it. There was more to his decision tonight than just bringing her into the fold, it was leaving me behind. I let my elbow crash down on his collar bone. Pain shot through my arm but I heard the solid snap as his bone broke. He tried to let out a chocked yell but I connected my knee to his stomach instead. His body slumped into the mud and groaned and his hand found his shoulder and he tried to stand.

Thad was on me in an instant. I was plucked off the ground and placed on the dock while the others helped Vance stand. They took in the sight of his broken bone and glared back at me. I wasn’t one for breaking bones, especially of my best friend, but it had to be done. His decision needed to be made for him and now it was sealed. We wouldn’t talk for a while, he’d probably fall off the map and that was ok. He’d be with his girl and they’d be safe. I’d be without him but it was inevitable. We were cut from the same cloth but we weren’t sown together forever. Eventually, we’d come apart at the seams and that day was today.

Chapter

I slid myself off the seat of my bike and placed my helmet on the handlebar and I glanced up to the campus. It was empty but lights were on illuminating dorm rooms. Vance was being carried out towards the cars to be driven to the hospital when I had made my escape. I didn’t want to talk with anyone, especially not Thad so I snuck out and left. My phone had buzzed on the whole way home but I pretended it was the vibrations of my bike as I ripped down the streets. Every turn and stop hurt from my ribs, but the emotional pain of being left behind hurt worse. I yelled at myself to get over it but Vance was my friend and to keep him safe, I’d have to stay away. I hated my life at that moment.

The second I swung the door open a shriek rang out and I jerked back. I let out a small yelp as I jolted my ribs. There was a naked ass in the air and my roommate started throwing blankets over herself and her boyfriend. When she finally settled in her eyes went wide as she took in my state.

“What happened?” she asked, fear in her voice.

My cheek was cut open, along with my eyebrow. Mud covered me head to toe and blood covered my shirt from Vance’s gushing arm. I looked down at myself and shrugged.

“I went to the movies. They got serious about their whole ‘feels like you’re actually in the movie’ stuff.” My voice was raw and it hurt to breathe but I got it out. She stared at me like I was crazy. “Uhh… sorry to interrupt you guys, but I’m not leaving. I need to shower.”

“Ok.” was all she managed as I limped into the bathroom.

I heard murmuring as I shut the door behind me and clothing started to ruffle. There was a kissing sound and the door shut a second later. I figured they had both left but the door swung open a second after I yelled out in pain. I had my shirt almost over my shoulders but my ribs refused the movement. I looked up to see my roommate who stared at me in horror.

“Let me help.” Her voice was soft as she shuffled over to me. “One arm at a time.”

Her hand was warm as she slowly pushed one of my arms above my head. I gritted my teeth and held in a groan as the pain sliced through my body. This wasn’t exactly how I intended to start my new life.

Mare slid my shirt over my head and down my other arm. Her fingers immediately went to my ribs once I was cleared of my shirt and her touch felt around the break. I let out a heated breath as she inspected me. I was amazed to see she wasn’t freaking out or wanting to call an ambulance. All I noticed was an understanding in her eyes but also a sadness.

“You’ve done this before?” I asked her.

She nodded and moved away from me. When she reached the shower she turned it on and hung my muddy shirt over the top of the door.

“Turn around.” She nodded to me and I did what I was told.

I almost jumped out of my skin when her hand went to my bra but my ribs, once again, stopped the movement. I slid my shoes off carefully and my fingers gripped the button to my shorts. Her hands tugged at the bottom of them and brought them to my ankles. When I turned back around I studied her. She wasn’t at all like the girl I had met my first day and it confused the living shit out of me. I’d ask her why but I didn’t know her. I’m pretty sure she didn’t even know my name.

“Paul said I should be thanking you. I’m not sure why though?” she looked at me questioningly.

I smiled when I remembered her drunken state the other night. “I ran by the place where you were partying that first night. You called me over and practically tackled me on the sidewalk and called me a bitch. You were so drunk so I carried you inside and handed you off to Paul. Nothing to thank me for.”

A hand slapped over her face and an embarrassed groan escaped her. “I lost a bet so I had to drink like ten shots of tequila. It was awful. I was sick for two days and couldn’t remember a thing. I’m still thanking you but I think we’re even. I also want to apologize for calling you a bitch.” She grimaced and motioned to my naked, broken body and then to my muddy clothes. “Can I ask what happened?” her voice was cautious.

“I helped a friend make a decision.” I glanced away and headed to the shower.

I was relieved that there wasn’t a ledge I had to step over. Taking off my clothes was one thing but being helped into the shower was too much, I wasn’t weak. I heard the bathroom door open and close as I stood under the warm spray. I could have been in there for hours when I realized how pruned my fingers and toes were. A dull ache started in my head but the pain in my ribs began to numb. I needed to call Thad before he made an appearance and caused a scene. At the thought of that I hurried up with the last bits of mud that clung to my skin and stepped out.

A fresh towel sat on the toilet and a few band aids sat on the counter. I dried off, to the best of my ability, and reached for the doorknob when a loud curse yelled out.

“Who the fuck are you?” I heard Mare shout.

“Where the fuck is Bell?” Thad was here, I was too late.

“Who?” she asked. I laughed when I realized she’d seen me naked but still didn’t know my name. I suddenly stopped when my ribs threatened to kill me. Swinging the door open, I stepped outside to see a half-naked Mare and a red-faced Thad.

“That would be me.” I held my towel around me and they both looked to me.

Mare grinned. “Your name is bell?” she laughed as I nodded. “That doesn’t suit you at all.”

“Yea, I know.” I said with a bored tone. I turned my attention to Thad. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” his face was red and the veins in his neck throbbed. He was really pissed. “You broke his collar bone, Bell. What the fuck were you thinking?”

“He broke my ribs.” I answered lamely. Thad’s response was almost violent but he shook in a breath and clenched his fists.

“Uhm… I should go.” Mare spoke and headed to the door. She had thrown a sweater on while Thad and I talked.

“Don’t go.” I said. “He won’t make a huge scene if you stay.”

“Fucking Christ, Bell. Why do you make this so difficult?” he asked exasperated. Mud still clung to him and blood smeared his arms. He must have been the one to help Vance.

“He was going to let himself go down the third round. Well, he was before I volunteered.” I held in a shiver as I wrapped the towel around me tighter. “If he lost to someone else he would have stayed away from the girl. I couldn’t let that happen. He’d regret it the rest of his life.”

“You know what this means though, right?” Thad prompted me.

I held back the tears that threatened to spill. Vance would have a happier life after tonight. He had to, for the both of us. I nodded when my voice failed me. The next moment large arms surrounded me and a kiss was placed on my forehead.

“I knew I taught you something. I just didn’t think it’d take this long to sink in.” Thad mumbled and I held in a laugh.

“I know. But later is better than never.”

“I actually think the saying is ‘better late than never’.” Mare’s voice sounded from the door. We both chuckled at her as she stood there awkwardly.

“Oh, uh. Mare this is Thad. He’s kind of like my dad.” I gave a small wave to Thad and he strode over to shake her hand. She pressed her body into the door behind her and he shrunk himself down to seem smaller. She shook his hand but snapped hers back quickly.

“I should get going. Cherish has been calling.” He looked to me and love showed through his eyes.

“What about Vance?” I hoped Thad wouldn’t remove him from the circle. His eyes grew dark as he contemplated his answer.

“He’s going to be staying with his girl. I told him that he’s welcome whenever he’s ready to be back.” That wasn’t all of it but it was all I needed to know. “You’ll be ok?”

I nodded and he left. Just like that. We didn’t do goodbyes because in our world, they don’t exist.

Chapter

By the time Monday rolled around Mare and I had become good friends… well, as good of friends as you can get without sharing your life story. She asked about where I was from and I lied like I always did when I didn’t want someone to know something. I like to think it’s what everyone does. I learned that she had a brother that goes to the same school but hangs with a different crowd. She’s known her boyfriend for as long as she can remember and has been in love with him for even longer. When she told me that I tried not to throw up. Then when I had two Monday classes with her and Paul, I almost failed and lost my lunch.

According to Mare, the school was fairly small for a college so everyone knew after the first week that I was the new kid. They also knew that I had gotten beaten somehow and the bruises on my face proved it. Vance kept his punches to one side of my face but a large bruise covered the entire half. The skin above my ribs was now black and the pain was excruciating. It didn’t take long for Mare to beg me to go to the hospital but I refused. I’ve had broken ribs before, they always feel like this for a little while.

“How are you feeling?” Mare grimaced as she asked the words. I met her for lunch just outside the cafeteria every day. Since we only had classes together on Mondays and Wednesdays, this was the only time I saw her on the other days.

“Peachy keen.” I answered sarcastically as we walked through the doors.

“You should go to the hospital.” She sang out as we found a place to sit. Neither of us actually ate lunch from the cafeteria but we kept up appearances for her sorority.

I shook my head and pulled out my textbook. “I’ll be fine. My rib is starting to feel better and the bruises are going down. Besides, you should have seen the other guy.” I smiled.

She rolled her eyes and looked at me expectantly. “What happened?”

“One would think that question would have ended after the first few times it was asked and left unanswered.” Hurt flashed through her eyes and guilt flashed through mine. I blamed it on my ribs so I could ignore it.

“Hey babe.” Paul came up behind her and gave her a kiss on the head. The hurt instantly left her eyes and love replaced it.

“Hey. Are you going to sit?” she looked up at him in question, he shook his head and her head instantly fell. They reminded me of a younger Cherish and Thad which no longer made me sick.

“No, the guys want to head over to the beachside. Kingston said something about a party with Chapel.” He shrugged and I looked up at the name. Part of me figured he didn’t go to the school since I hadn’t seen him all week and the other half wanted me to kill myself for even thinking about him.

“Who’s Kingston?” I questioned innocently enough. I hope.

Mare rolled her eyes and shook her head while Paul smiled but shook his head too. “You don’t want to know.” Mare breathed.

Actually, I do but I didn’t say anything. I watched as they said their goodbyes and Paul left the cafeteria. She sighed as he opened the door and stepped out of sight.

“I know, I know.” She started. “You think we’re disgusting and it makes you want to throw up.” She didn’t look at me, she just stared at the door like she was willing him to walk back through it.

“At first, yea.” She looked to me. I think I saw hope in her eyes.

“But…?” she asked me with narrowed eyes.

“Do you remember Thad, the guy who barreled through our door last Friday?” she nodded, I continued. “You two remind me of him and his wife. They’ve been in love with each other forever and would die in a heartbeat for one another.” I smiled thinking about them. I hadn’t heard a word from Thad or from Cherish since that night. “They’re about to have a baby together.”

I looked up to see tears in her eyes. “Uhhh… are you ok?”

She nodded and wiped away the tear that fell. “Sometimes I think you don’t have any emotions but just now I saw the love in your eyes. It was beautiful.”

That threw me for a loop. I wasn’t emotionless I just had a great poker face. The fact that she saw it threw me off even more, she was perceptive. I slammed my book shut and stood, ignoring her protests as I headed towards the door. A whole week without talking to Thad had thrown me off my daily routine, I needed to call him. Especially after what Mare said. I stared at the screen of my phone and started dialing. I pressed the phone to my ear but it just kept ringing. Cursing, I redialed but this time it went straight to voicemail. Letting out a rough breath I decided to go back to the dorm and go for a run.

My plan for a run ended abruptly when I remembered my ribs. The second I attempted to pull off my shirt they screamed in protest. Instead of running I found myself in the library sifting through my textbooks. None of my classes were overly exciting but all were excruciatingly easy. Thad would be proud that I actually remembered what he taught us. Hurt shot through me when I realized he still hadn’t returned my calls. Even when I called Cherish no one answered. For the next couple hours my mind wandered while my eyes stared into my books. I was reading but I wasn’t paying attention to it. A new life is what I wanted, why couldn’t I make it happen?

It was dark outside when I got back to the empty room. The only thing out of place was the small note Mare left on my bed saying she went with Paul to wherever it was they were going. She wouldn’t be back till Saturday. I felt guilty for leaving her earlier, I thought about texting an apology but realized I didn’t have her phone number. When Saturday came and went and Mare still didn’t show and no one called I laughed at how lonely I seemed. I was beginning to think Vance was right, I was the one that left. It was my choice.

Sunday rolled around quickly. I knew the town would be busy with students since it was the weekend but I didn’t care. I needed a drink and I needed it now. When I found the first, not nearly as filled bar, I found a corner and tucked myself inside it. The glass doors were slid open so the sidewalk became part of the restaurant. A tall wooden bar snaked its way around one wall and I sat at the very back. I was able to see anyone who came in or left.

“You’re people watching.” I glanced over to meet the bartenders’ eyes. His brown hair was gelled back and he stood about my height.

“I am.” I answered, unsure of what he meant in the first place.

“That’s my job.” He retorted with a smirk.

I mimicked his smirk. “Your job is to fill drinks and listen to stories. My job is to be a loner and people watch.”

“Somehow I doubt you’re much of a loaner. You’re too pretty for people to allow you time to yourself.” He smiled and I copied it. It may have been a compliment but it fell on deaf ears. I wasn’t one for cliché lines such as that.

“That’s why I make myself looked bruised so people will think I’m ugly.” I flashed the side of my face and his eyes widened a fraction.

“You fight?” I was surprised at his question and the fact that it was the first thing that he said.

“What makes you say that?”

He just shrugged. “A lot of kids do around here. I think you’d be surprised how often I see broken faces walk in because they wanted their try with the champs.”

“Where do they fight around here?” I leaned a little closer.

“No one knows.” He shrugged and picked up a glass to start drying. He knew more than he was letting on but I let him continue “One kid runs the whole thing and certain people get a text at the last minute with the details. The two who fight don’t even know until that text comes in.”

“How do you know this?” I narrowed my eyes and leaned back in my seat.

His eyes glanced around the bar before he picked up a glass and started mixing something together. “I’m the bartender. I know everything.” He smiled and placed the tall drink in front of me.

“What is it?” I looked pointedly towards the glass. It was filled with ice and a bluish liquid.

His smile remained in place. “Try it.” he nudged the glass towards me and I picked it up and took a sip.

The cool liquid hit my mouth and then slid down my throat. It was easy to drink and tasted nothing like alcohol.

“A lot of the ladies like this. Smooth and sweet.” He winked and smiled as he picked up another glass to start cleaning. A few patrons were staring at us, clearly annoyed that they hadn’t been served yet. The other bartenders were filling orders while he just stood there with me.

“Well, I’m not like a lot of ladies around here. I’m a fan of whiskey.” I gave a small smile and slid the drink back to him. “I like the burn and the heat.” His gaze darkened and so did mine. Sure, I’d flirt, tease. But it wouldn’t go past that. I liked to have my fun but eating the cake was something else.

“Whatever the lady wishes.” He gave a small bow and passed me a glass of whiskey.

I leaned back and sipped while he tended to the other patrons. I snorted when I realized how many girls were carrying around that blue drink. They were all falling over drunk with their hands all over another guy. Their skirts were hiked up and their tits out on display for the world. People hollered and shouted and drank like they were at any college party. I’d say I felt left out but I did this to myself. When the bartender came back and opened his mouth my phone started to buzz. It slid across the bar top as Thad’s name lit up the screen. Snatching it up, I placed a bill on the bar and shoved my way to the door. I hit the answer button before it would go to voicemail but I waited to say anything until I was away from the crowd.

“Where the hell have you been?” I said when I was finally free and clear. I made my way back to campus.

“Sorry Bell. A few things came up that needed to be taken care of.” He sounded tired.

“Are you ok?” concern settled heavily in my gut.

He let out a sigh and I could imagine him sitting on a stool in his kitchen, wiping his hand over his face and his bald head. “Yea, everything is fine. How about you?”

I nodded to myself. He was evading. “What happened, Thad?”

Silence.

“Thad?”

More silence as I listened and waited.

“Nothing you need to worry about Bell. It’s been handled.”

“What’s been handled?” my concern turned to anger and my pace quickened.

“Fuck Bell. Can’t you just take that and leave it?” he raised his voice.

“No. I can’t.” I retorted and just heard another breath on the line.

“The Five caused some trouble in town during the week. Things needed to be dismantled and I dismantled them like I always do.”

My hair rose at the mention of The Five. “What did they want?” I whispered.

“What do you think, Bell? The same thing they’ve always wanted. You.”

Tears filled my eyes but I blinked them back. I was almost back on campus. “What happened?” my voice was low.

“They threatened. I reacted.” He said simply. What he really meant was that someone got hurt and he made it happen. “You’ve got nothing to worry about Bell. Everything is back to normal, for now.”

I snorted a humorless laugh. “Normal my ass.”

He chuckled on the other end. “I miss you, Baby Bell.”

“I miss you too.”

“I should get going. Cherish is pissed at me for missing her doctor’s appointment. I figured I needed to make amends with you before I did with her. Being pregnant has the advantage of not being able to kick my ass.” He mumbled but I heard Cherish shout in the background that she could still level him.

I laughed and opened my mouth to reply but stopped short. The Kingston kid was standing outside the door that led to my dorm building. He was leaned against the railing with his hands in his pockets, staring at the ground. The muscles in his jaw clenched as he stood there, just staring. Strands of hair covered his face, masking his dark eyes.

“Bell?” I heard Thad’s voice ring in my ear.

“Oh, uh. Go take care of your woman. Tell her I love her and I’ll talk with you later.” With that I hung up not caring to hear if he replied.

I tucked my phone in my pocket and looked back up to meet Kingstons’ gaze. It tore through me and glued me to my spot. Some girls walked through the door then, shattering the staring contest we seemed to be having. They all stared openly at him as they walked by. Two of them waved while the other two just watched him stand there, staring at me. When they realized where he was looking, I received nasty glares, which I proudly returned.

“Hey.” He mumbled as I walked towards the door.

“Hey.” I answered but kept going. I went to open the door but stopped. A war waged inside of me, I lost. “Are you ok?” I turned my head to meet his surprised stare.

His mouth opened but closed again to only open one more time. “I guess.”

By now I was committed. My hand fell from the doorknob and I walked over to him. I leaned against the railing next to him and crossed my arms.

“Are you ok?” he asked this time. When I looked to him I realized he was staring at my bruises.

I nodded. “Yea, I’m fine. Just hit my head.”

He raised a brow but let it go and turned his attention back to the ground.

“It isn’t going anywhere you know.”

“What?” he looked to me questioningly.

I pointed to where his stare was stuck to a moment before. “Whatever is on the ground that’s fascinating you so much. You don’t have to stare at it.”

A grin tugged at the corner of his lips but never fully appeared. “How was your run the other night?”

“Long and sticky.”

“I was too drunk to go after you when you started running again. And I liked the view.” He glanced down at my jean clad legs and gave a wink.

“Well lucky for you.” I started and turned towards him holding his gaze. “You get to see it again.” I winked and walked towards the door.

Once I was inside and the door was firmly shut I could still feel his eyes on me. I had cut off whatever he was going to say and it was obvious I annoyed him with it. It made me laugh. I stood outside my dorm room but the door swung open when I reached for the knob. I glanced up at a startled Mare. Her hair was done as was her makeup. She wore a small black dress that ended just above her knee and a pair of black heels. Her face and arms were a light shade of burnt.

“You look nice.” I commented.

“Thanks.” She rolled her eyes and walked past me.

“Mare, I’m sorry about the other day.” I bit out the words. I hated apologizing.

She froze and turned around. A smile lit up her face. “I know. It’s ok though. I struck a nerve, I get it.”

My eyes went wide as I stared at her one eighty. “Where are you going?” I asked.

“Dinner with the parents.” She shrugged. “I’ll be back later on tonight.”

She turned and headed for the exit. Once she was on the other side I entered our room and stripped off my clothes. My ribs were healing so pulling off my shirt was possible but still painful.

Chapter

I didn’t end up seeing Mare until class on Wednesday. She said she spent the time with Paul and his buddies. The next two weeks followed the same way. She would stay in our dorm for a night, then the rest of the time she was with Paul or her sorority sisters. We still had lunches together and our classes but that was it as far as our friendship was concerned. After a while I figured I just wasn’t cut out for making friends. A few girls I had tried to make friends with just laughed and walked away. Some guys tried to hit on me but I steered clear of them and they didn’t try again. The bruises on my face were cleared and my ribs were mostly healed. I could run again and I was itching for a fight.

I hadn’t run into Kingston either which was no surprise. Part of me thought he was waiting for Mare that night but it was a silly thought. She loves Paul and would never leave him, even if it was for someone as sexy as Kingston.

“There’s a party this weekend. You should come.” Mare whispered to me when the teacher started talking, snapping me out of my daydream. We sat all the way in the back of the auditorium-like room so no one could hear us.

“I don’t do parties.” I whispered back and she snorted a laugh.

“Everyone does parties. You’re just being boring.” I glared at her and she shrugged. “You act like you have a choice, you don’t.”

“I do too.” I tried to speak louder but I couldn’t raise my voice above a whisper. She shook her head and I rolled my eyes. “Whose party is it?”

“My brothers. It’s at the same house I was at before.”

Kingston would be there. “Great, so I’m going to have to pick you up drunk again?”

“No, I lost a bet then. I had to drink and Paul got distracted so I slipped away. I’m pretty sneaky when I’m drunk.”

I laughed at her words. I vaguely remember her talking about a bet. “Fine, I’ll go.”

She smiled triumphantly and pulled out her phone to send a quick text. “What was that?” I asked looking towards her phone.

“Just letting them know I’m bringing you. They’ve been wanting to meet you.” They?

“Who has?” I questioned with caution.

Her smile grew wicked, she had something up her sleeve. “My brother and his friends. They have their own, sort of fraternity, I guess. They all know about you and want to meet you.”

“Why do they know about me?” she looked at me like I was an idiot and I felt like one. It was a small school. Of course everyone knew about me. “Right, gossip.” I noted. She nodded.

“It’ll be fun. I promise.” I rolled my eyes.

We hung out together the rest of the day and wound up in the courtyard during lunch. It was sunny and warm so everyone kept outside throughout the day. Halloween was around the corner and the weather was supposed to turn bad after that. Paul sidled up to us a little while later and they began cuddling on the bench we shared.

“So the boys want to do some sort of haunted house for Halloween.” Paul spoke to the both of us when they were finished sucking face. “They want to do a night for the grade school kids and then have a party for the college. Invite only, of course.”

“They did that last year, they need something new.” Mare rolled her eyes and looked at her finger nails.

“Like what?” Paul retorted annoyed.

She just shrugged then they both looked to me. I raised my hands in protest.

“Oh no, I’m not getting involved or taking sides.”

Mare laughed. “We aren’t asking you to take sides. We are asking if you have any ideas for something else they can do.”

“Oh, why didn’t you say so?” I readjusted the books on my lap and looked around the campus. “I don’t know. I think a haunted house would be fine.” I’m not creative.

“See.” Paul smiled and I realized what I had just done. I took a side.

I let out a groan as they both started to bicker again. “Hey!” I shouted to catch their attention. “I’m going back to the room. I’ll catch you guys later.”

Mare pouted but didn’t stop me. “Alright, I’ll see you tonight. We’ll do dinner or something.”

I just nodded in agreement and walked away. She said that last week and I got a text saying she’d be with Paul. It was bound to happen tonight, especially if they were fighting now. The courtyard was on the other side of campus so it took forever to make my way back to the dorm side. Once it was in sight I slowed my pace and walked more casually.

“Hey.” A small blonde girl slid up next to me. She was carrying her books and a bright pink purse.

“Uh, hi.” I mumbled at her but kept walking.

“So uhmm… Lisa said she saw you talking with Zane the other night.” She gave me a nervous glance but I saw some sort of courage in them. It was struggling to break free.

“Who’s Zane… and Lisa?” I asked. I’d met only a few people in the school and Zane didn’t ring a bell. Nor did Lisa.

Her eyes widened a fraction. “Zane Kingston and Lisa Strickland” She sounded like I should have known who he was.

“Oh, I didn’t know Kingston was his last name.” I noted and she just stared at me dumbfounded. “What do you want?” I stopped walking and stared at her when she continued to follow me like a dog.

Instantly, her mouth twitched and her eyes widened. I scared her. Collecting herself, she stood up a little taller and tore her eyes away from my tattoo. Her courage broke free. “Zane has a girlfriend and she doesn’t want you talking to him. Not like you’d have a chance anyway.” Her tone became disgusted as she finished her comment.

Anger pulsed through my veins and I took a step closer to her. “If I don’t have a chance then why the fuck are you bothering right now?”

Her figure shrank and sweat beaded her forehead. I said goodbye to her courage. “I…uhm…I uh…”

Her stammering made me smile. I stepped back and started walking again. It was then that I noticed a small group of girls watching us. They were all glaring now but started to shrink back when I got closer. My smile remained as I walked into the building and into my room. Girls could be very stupid. A small ding sounded out and I pulled my phone out of my bag. I smiled again as Cherish flashed across the screen.

How’s school, Baby Bell? Thad just got in a group of new fighters and is pissed you aren’t here to fuck them up!

I laughed.

It’s good. Making more enemies than friends as usual. I think they’ll be more scared if a pregnant lady went after them.

Thad won’t let me. Trust me, I tried.

I love you Cher.

I love you too, Bell!

My smile turned sad. New fighters was a tradition for the gym. People could only get membership a few times a year so there was always a line of people trying to get in. Thad only handed out a few hundred so people were pretty pissed or just more determined to try again next round.

I cracked open my textbook to read through todays lecture but found myself face down in my pillow. A while later I heard Mare crashing around the room and a loud grunt sounded out. I rolled over to see her and Paul getting ready to tear each other out of their clothes. His hands were around her waist and her hands were in his hair. Their faces and bodies smashed together as he slammed her against the wall.

“What the hell, Mare! I’m right here!” I shouted out in a gruff voice. My mouth and throat were dry as bone.

“Oh my god!” Mare shrieked and Paul instantly put her down. A tent was up but he had no shame. Apparently.

I closed my eyes. “Paul, tuck yourself up or get the fuck out.” I heard a rustle and he let out a groan. I gagged but opened my eyes a second later to find him fully tucked up and red in the face.

“We didn’t see you. The blankets covered you so I figured you were out.” Mare smiled an apology and sat on her bed across from me.

I glared at her when I saw the clock blinking a little after midnight. Sitting myself up, I looked at all of her shit piled everywhere. Clothes, pictures, books, CDs. You name it, it was there. Usually everything was in place but now they were thrown around the room. I thought of Vance then and our wild times. He was great in bed and I had to admit I missed it.

“Don’t worry. I’ll go.” I mumbled and stood. My shoes were still on from earlier and I was bummed to see dirt on my sheets.

“No, we will. I’m sorry we woke you.” Mare stood and tried to get me to sit again but I brushed past her.

“Don’t worry about it. I need a run.”

Grabbing some clothes, I headed to the bathroom and changed quickly. When I grabbed my shoes I felt like I was doing a walk of shame. Paul wouldn’t meet my eyes and Mare was staring at me, still apologizing.

“Have fun you too. And wrap it up.” I said as I left the room.

I was stopped when I walked out of the building. I felt his stare before I saw him. When I did though, annoyance shot through me. He was standing at one of the benches with a girl, she was wrapped around his torso. Brock was standing next to them with another girl on his arm. She looked at Kingston and his girl in disgust. I smiled at her reaction but dropped it when I realized he was still watching me. When I got close to them I gave a small nod and the girl holding him spoke up.

“I thought I told you to back off.” She bit out but immediately regretted it when Kingston stepped away from her and tensed.

“You did what?” he asked, his voice gruff.

Her voice stammered as she fought her brain for a reply.

I spoke up instead. “Actually, you had your friend do it for you.” I now recognized her from the group of girls that was staring at me while their friend threatened me. She must be Lisa. Zane looked between me and the girl in front of him. Her eyes bulged and her voice still stammered.

“Come on, baby.” She tried to smooth her voice but failed miserably. Both guys laughed and so did the girl Brock was with.

“We hooked up once, that doesn’t constitute us as being together. At all.” Zane told her.

“So then what does that constitute as then?” she retorted, hands on hips and everything.

“You being easy.” I said the words before I thought them. Everyone but her laughed.

“She’s right, you try too hard. I would have told you but you’ve been such a bitch to me I figured I’d let you squirm.” The girl under Brocks arms spoke up. She had long black hair that was in a large curl over her shoulder. She wore only jeans and a t-shirt and still looked beautiful. Her skin was just as dark and Brocks and they looked like the perfect couple.

“Wait what?” this time Brock spoke up as he looked at his girl. She just shrugged and he glared back at the girl.

“What are you talking about? I thought we were friends.” The girl took a step away from the small circle the three had formed. She pleaded with the girl.

“Oh yea, friends who threaten each other when their boys aren’t around.”

“She threatened you, Gwen?” when Brock’s girl nodded Zane turned back to the other girl. “Why?” he looked confused.

“She wants you to herself.” I answered. I was getting bored with this.

“She threatened you too?” he asked me.

I shook my head. “For whatever reason she’s threatened by me.”

“I am not threatened by you!” the girl shouted at me and stamped her foot like a seven year old.

All eyes were on this girl. She sweated under the heat of the stares and I just watched. There was some sort of bond between the three and they’ve decided she’s the outcast. It reminded me of lions finding their prey. They’d circle and strike until it was down.

“Well you should be.” Zane said it plainly but the two of us looked at him, stunned. He just lifted his shoulders and gave me a wink.

“Oh, we are so finished Zane!” the girl shrieked, once again stamping her foot.

“Lisa, nothing ever started. You opened your legs and I needed a good time. That’s it.” He glared at her and then smiled.

I let out a laugh and shook my head. He was an asshole at its finest.

“Fuck you Zane!” Lisa shouted and then shouldered past me. I was ready for this and she fell back a few steps when my shoulder slammed hers. “And your whore.” She roared over her shoulder at him. The issue was that she hadn’t passed by me and I don’t like being called names. So when she tried to get past me I grabbed her arm and squeezed.

“Getting on my bad side would be a very big mistake.” I whispered in her ear then let her arm go. She stormed off after a beat of hesitation.

I looked back to the group and noticed all eyes on me. Brock placed a kiss on Gwen’s forehead and she smiled at it. I heard him whisper a ‘come on’ before they started walking away. I watched them walk together until I realized Zane had stepped next to me. When I turned my head, his gaze stopped my breathing. His jaw was perfectly chiseled and his hair swept over his forehead, messy, again. His brown eyes went deeper than most, it caught me off guard.

“I’m sorry about Lisa. She can be a bitch.” His eyes narrowed as he looked me up and down. “Did we interrupt your run again?”

“Yea, sort of.” I mumbled but kept my eyes locked on his.

Keeping my gaze his full lips opened to speak again. “What’s your name?” his voice was soft and deep as it rumbled through his chest.

“Bellatrix.” I answered with my full name and regretted it instantly. A smile tugged his lips. “Don’t laugh.” I narrowed my eyes.

“I’m sorry.” His face broke out in a full smile but he held out his hand. “Zane Kingston.”

I looked at his hand while he held it out. My mind started arguing with my heart as I debated on shaking his hand. His hands were large and muscular and the veins showed clearly.

“Just shake it already. You’re going to embarrass me.” I looked up at him and followed his gaze. Brock and Gwen were watching us with amused expressions. Taking in a breath I grabbed his hand and shook it. He was warm and soft, I was expecting clammy and calloused.

“Zane, what the hell are you doing?” we both turned to see Mare standing in her pajamas and her hair piled on the top of her head in a messy bun. Her hands were cocked on her hips and she stared at our joined hands. I glanced at them and took a step back, retracting my hand in the process. I felt like a kid caught in the cookie jar.

“Meeting Bellatrix, here. What else?” he smiled coolly and pushed a hand through his hair.

“Bellatrix?” Mare looked to me confused. I raised a brow and gave her a ‘seriously?’ look and then it clicked. “Ohh, Bell is short for Bellatrix.”

“Wait, you’re Bell?” Zane turned to me confused and Brock did the same as they walked back over to us.

I put my hands up and took another step back. The whole group now stood in front of me and I began feeling like Lisa probably did a moment ago.

“I’m confused.” I was. This was a very strange moment. I was being stared at my semi-strangers but their faces recognized me… kind of.

Gwen laughed. “Mare has been talking about you for weeks. And these two idiots,” she nodded to Brock and Zane, “have been talking about some new girl they ran into. We had a feeling it was the girl Mare talked about but we weren’t sure. Obviously, you’re the same person.”

“I thought you told me it was a small school, that’s why they knew about me?” I glared at Mare and her face fell.

“I lied.” She shrugged. Her words were more of a question than an answer. I rolled my eyes.

“You’re ridiculous.” I mumbled. “Wait, does that mean Zane… is your brother?” that would make sense why he was outside our dorm building, but not the expression he had on his face. He had been contemplating something, or dreading something.

“The one and only.” He held his arms out and smiled. She smacked him and laughed.

“Bell, we’re done if you wanted to come to the room.” Mare offered but now I really needed the run.

I opened my mouth to speak but my phone sounded from my shorts. Thad’s name flashed over the screen and I hit answer.

“Thad?” I answered.

“Hey Bell.” He sounded gruff. The whole group looked at me expectantly so I turned and walked a few steps away.

“What’s wrong?” I heard a small sob on the other end and my stomach dropped.

“Cherish…” he stopped talking and sobs wracked his voice.

The hairs on the back of my neck pricked up and my heart hammered in my chest.

“What happened to Cherish?” I know I was loud and the group could hear me. I felt Mare come up beside me, concerned and confused. “Thad?” I got angry this time as I yelled his name.

“She started bleeding…” a few sobs escaped him. “We are at the hospital, the doctors won’t let me see her… what the fuck do I do?”

My heart fell as he whispered the words. He was the strong one, not me.

“I’m on my way.”

I ended the call and ran towards the dorm. I threw the door open and raced to our room. I threw on some jeans and a shirt then my leather jacket over top. I stopped when I noticed a crowd had gathered. Brock and Gwen were now gone but the doorway was filled with concerned looks from Mare, Paul and even Zane.

“What?” I asked, annoyed.

“What happened?” Mare’s voice was small as she questioned me.

My phone rang again and this time Vance popped up on the screen.

“What?” I snapped. I didn’t have time for him but I couldn’t ignore him.

“Are you on the way to the hospital?” he snapped back. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Of course I am.”

I heard a sob leave him. This was bad. “Thank god. I’ll see you there.”

He hung up and I stood there, frozen. Something was terribly wrong with Cherish. The woman who has acted like my mother for these past years. I couldn’t lose her. I put myself in action again. Grabbing a small bag and the keys to my bike. I decided to forget the helmet, I’d be going too fast for it to protect me anyway. If I was going down I wouldn’t want to prolong the inevitable.

“I need to leave.” I stood in front of the group the blocked the door.

“Where?” Mare placed her hands on her hips and tried to look fierce.

“Does it matter?” My need to leave was getting stronger and she stood in my way.

Her face fell a little bit. “I’m concerned about you. Clearly something happened.”

“Mare, let her leave if she needs to go.” Zane spoke up from the hallway.

“Zane stay out of it!” she snapped over her shoulder.

I took her turn as my escape as I shouldered past her and into the hallway. I heard her surprised gasp turn into an angry growl as she followed me down the hallway.

“Bell!” she shouted but I was out the door and headed to the parking lot.

It didn’t take long for them to come over to me. My bag wasn’t fitting under my seat no matter which was I shoved it. I pounded my fists against the bag as I stuffed it inside and slammed down the seat. It wouldn’t close so I slammed it over and over again. Cherish ran through my mind and tears welled in my eyes. I froze when a familiar hand grabbed onto mine and kept me from raising the seat again. I didn’t dare look him in the eyes.

“Let me.” his voice was a whisper and painfully soft. I nodded my head.

A second later the seat was closed and locked. I kicked my leg over and started the engine. “Thank you.” I looked to Zane and he nodded before stepping back.

I ripped out of the parking lot and headed home faster than what would be considered safe. The drive would take at least two hours but I had to get there and fast. Cherish and Thad are all I have, I couldn’t lose that. It’s either both of them or neither of them and I couldn’t handle being without them. My own family turned against me and to have the makeshift family I accrued disappear would ruin me completely. Tears streamed into my hair as I cried and the wind struck my face. I’d slam on the gas whenever a light turned yellow to make it through. My luck almost ran out a few times when I passed police cars parked on the median of the highway, lucky for me they were empty decoys.

When I finally got to the hospital I grabbed the keys to my bike and started running towards the doors. I followed the instructions from the lady at the front desk and ran through the hallways faster than appreciated by the nurses. I stopped as I came to a dead end. My breathing was ragged as I sucked in stale air.

“Bell.” A broken voice sounded behind me. I must have passed the waiting area. I turned around to see Thad standing in the hallway. His large frame taking up most of it, his shoulders were hunched and his eyes were red.

“Christ.” I whispered as I took him in. It only took me a few strides before I enveloped him in a hug. Well, with his size, I was the one enveloped. “What’s going on?” I leaned back.

He shook his head and tears welled in his eyes.

“She’ll be fine.” Vance’s voice sounded from behind Thad. We both turned to face him. His face was similar to Thad’s but his arm was in a sling.

“What happened?” I asked. I needed answers and now.

“She almost lost the baby.” Vance started, his voice a whisper. “They say it happens sometimes, she was lucky Thad got to her in time and brought her here.”

“So the baby is fine?” the weight on my heart lifted. They both nodded. “So why are you two still a mess?”

They both went quiet. Thad grabbed my arm and gave me a tug towards the door we were standing near. When I went inside my heart fell again. Cherish was in the bed, needles and tubes all over her. Her face was pale and her belly still swollen. Her cheeks were streaked with dried tears and her hands possessively held her belly. Her blonde hair was splayed across the pillow. No matter where she was her hair was always perfect. Even in a damn fight. But now it looked as much of a wreck as her.

“Fuck.” I whispered, a tear left my eye as I walked over to her. I placed a hand on her cheek, she was cold.

Arms wrapped around me and I turned into them. Vance was always a comfort for me and now I needed it. He kissed my forehead and whispered a few things to me. Nothing he said was reassuring though, Cherish was broken.

Chapter

The doctor came in early the next morning waking us up from our makeshift beds. Thad had his head on Cherishs’ hospital bed while he sat in a wooden chair. I took up residence in a recliner that faced away from the window. Vane was on the floor with his head on my feet. We were all uncomfortable and exhausted but suddenly alert when the doctor walked in.

“You all look cozy.” The doctor smiled and then quickly stopped when Thad growled. He let out a cough and continued. “Sorry…. Uhh… I just wanted to come in and check on her. The nurses said she was stable all night but I wanted to make sure.”

Thad let out a stiff nod and walked over to me. His eyes were red and still filled with tears as we all watched the doctor look at her machines and charts. Every now and then he’d let out a confused groan or an ‘ahh’. Every noise made us tense.

“So?” I asked before the doctor could walk out.

“Oh, she’s doing fine.” He gave a smile. “She needs to be on bed rest for quite some time. At least until the baby is born I’d say. But other than that, the baby seems healthy and so does she.”

“So what caused this?” Vance asked. Despair laced in his voice.

The doctor let out a sigh. “Miscarriages can happen at any time during a pregnancy. Mrs. Carson here seemed to have had one. At least her body tried anyway. You got her here quick enough so we were able to keep it from happening.”

He looked to Thad and smiled. His only response was a hmph before we walked back over to his wife. He brushed the hair back from her forehead and placed a gentle kiss there. Jealousy stung my heart as I watched. None of us heard the doctor leave a moment later. Thad was too involved with Cher and Vance and I were too intent on watching him interact with her.

“You’re going to be a dad.” I whispered. The reality sinking in.

“I am.” He nodded. His voice was choked but happiness glistened in his eyes.

“I’m sorry about the fight.” I offered a smile but he shook his head.

“I wish you had done it sooner. Beth has been on my ass for a while about this. Besides, you were right, I was going to let them win so I could walk away from her.” A ghost of a smile crossed his lips. “I’m very happy I didn’t.”

“Me too.” I nudged my shoulder into his. We both looked on as tears ran down Thad’s cheeks. One had was on Cher’s forehead and the other on her belly. His thumb lightly caressed the hand she still had protectively laid over her swollen tummy.

“I want you to meet her.” I ripped my gaze away from the lovebirds to Vance.

“You what?” I asked. I was the worst person this girl could meet.

He smiled and his shoulder lifted into a shrug. He slicked back his long hair and looked to me. “You’d like her. She knows everything about you and wants to meet you. There is always the issue of The Five but with Thad around and you being the badass you are, I think it will be ok.”

“So she knows then?” I asked. He nodded his head and spoke but all I could hear was my heart hammering in my chest. If someone knew, they didn’t want to meet me on good terms.

Chapter

The next few days were spent in the hospital. Cherish wasn’t allowed to leave until they were sure that she and the baby would be ok outside hospital grounds. There would be no leaving the house, no working out, no long walks, at least not until the baby was born. Needless to say, she was pissed and we had to put up with her. Vance left on the second day, the whole ‘almost miscarriage’ scared him so he went home to his girl. We made amends and promised to speak soon. I dreaded the fact I’d have to meet Bethany. The very idea freaked me the fuck out.

I had texted Mare to let her know I wouldn’t be back the rest of the week so she said she’d get my homework for me. I was grateful and I felt bad that I left her the way I did. She didn’t know my whole story but I still cared for her. I had sent a few apologies as well but she brushed them off with understanding. I hated that she could forgive so easily.

“I want to go home.” Cherish growled at Thad.

He looked almost nervous. I pressed my shoulder against the door frame as I watched the two argue back and forth.

“I know and I want you to come home but you need to stay.” He answered her.

“No I don’t! I don’t have to stay anywhere!” she yelled through clenched teeth.

“Cher baby.” Thad sighed and she yelled in return.

“Do not call me your baby!” he winced at her words. They were just words and she didn’t mean them but they always hurt him.

“Hey.” I spoke up from my spot. They both glanced over surprised. “Be nice Cher. He’s only worried about you and the baby.”

She shook her head and looked away from him. I nodded my head towards the hallway and he reluctantly stood. One more look at Cherish and he left with a deep sigh. He was a big guy and didn’t take no for an answer, but he knew we had him outnumbered. Even if Cher was in the hospital.

“Why are you being such a bitch?” I sat on the edge of her bed and looked at her.

She stared at her clasped hands and big belly. “I hate hospitals. I have since the first time we picked you up from one.”

I grimaced at the memory. I had been in the accident with my parents. My body was broken and battered, but I was alive. My parents; broken, battered and dead.

“I know. Me too.” I placed a hand on hers. “Get over it.” I whispered. She looked at me in surprise, and anger. I would have been afraid of her too if she wasn’t strapped to so many machines. “When Thad called me to tell me something happened to you, do you want to know what he said?” I looked to her and she gently shook her head, her eyes were nervous and filled with tears. “He asked me what he should do. He didn’t know what to do. Thad was broken Cher. He thought you were almost lost to him and the one man who has his shit together all the time… he broke.” My voice broke as I spoke. Thad was our strength. My strength. “I understand what happened was terrifying, trust me, I was fucking terrified too. But he’s hurting and bad. Losing you or the baby would be a blow none of us could come back from. So just do us all a favor and get over your hatred of hospitals and just get fucking better.”

I didn’t want to admit it but I sobbed like a fucking baby after I finished. My hands covered my face and I felt Cherishs’ hands on my arm. A moment later Thad’s arms encircled me in a hug. It didn’t matter how long we stood like that but we all cried and we all relived a moment we never wanted to go back to. There was a point in time where we sat almost exactly like this, except it was me in the bed instead.

“You’re going back to school.” Cherish said. We had finished our cry and were now sitting around the room. “You can’t just quit. Not for me.”

“You need someone to take care of you. I can do that.” I pointed to myself but she just shook her head.

“I have Thad. Not that I don’t want you here but you need to go to school. If you don’t, they will win.” There was meaning in the look she gave me and I understood. School was a new life, I needed it.

“We’ll be fine Baby Bell.” Thad’s voice thundered around us. Both of them had their arms crossed as they stared at me.

“You two are the most annoying couple I’ve ever met.” I waved to them. “I mean, look at you! You’re the exact same people!”

They both smiled and looked at each other. There was a reason they were together and anyone who knew them knew why. Their ideas were the same, their mannerisms were the same, and they loved each other. They were best friends and soul mates. And yes, I was jealous.

“Fine, I’ll go back to school.” I nodded and they smiled proudly. They knew they’d win this one. “But not until Monday.” Their smiled fell and mine broadened.

“Oh no, you’re going back tonight.” It was Friday and the party would be tonight. I already had a few texts from Mare asking if I was still going. I hadn’t replied yet. “We know there’s a party.” Thad continued. “I saw the message and you should go.”

“You know, someone might actually think you’re trying to get rid of me.”

“We are!” they both yelled in my direction. I wasn’t hurt by their words but I pretended I was. They just laughed.

“Alright, alright. I get it.” I mumbled as I stood. I grabbed my bag and gave cherish and awkward hug.

“I love you Baby Bell.” She whispered as I pulled away. Thad pulled me into a bear hug and said the same words.

“I love you guys’ too.” with one final glance I turned out of the room and headed to my bike.

It was good seeing them but I wish it had been under different circumstances. My way back took much longer than it did to get there. Speed limits were followed and I stopped at the yellow lights. I regretted not bringing my helmet, mostly because once Thad found out he flipped. I told him I was safe but he knew it was a lie. Either way, I was alive, neither of us could complain.

When I made it back on campus Mare was waiting for me in the room. She had on some seriously skinny jeans and a low hanging top. She tried to shove clothes at me but I went to my drawers and pulled out my own outfit. A pair of jean shorts and a loose tank top were my favorite. Mostly because they were easy to wear and very easy to fight in.

“You always look perfect.” Mare huffed behind me as I turned from the mirror.

I just rolled my eyes and grabbed my phone off the nightstand. I followed her out to the parking lot and into her car. It was a tiny little blue bug that she adored. There were sorority stickers all over the outside and on the inside.

“You’re odd.” I mumbled as I looked at each sticker. “You hate your sorority, don’t you?” I mumbled sarcastically.

“Ha, Ha!” she glared at me from over the roof of her car. I smiled and ducked inside but was met with the same glare as she got into the car.

“So… how is everything?” she asked as we pulled out of the parking lot.

I smiled. “Fine. Cherish almost lost the baby but Thad got to her in time. She’ll be fine as long as she takes it easy for the rest of the pregnancy.”

“Good. I’m glad.” She smiled. “I was worried about you.” She answered my questioning look.

“You don’t need to be. It wasn’t me who was about to lose a baby.” I watched out the window as we headed to the neighborhood.

“I know… but…” she took in a deep breath. “You looked like you were about to fall apart. I really didn’t know what to do. I know we haven’t known each other for very long, but you’re like a sister to me.”

I turned to her and realized she spoke the truth. “I’m sorry for leaving the way I did. When bad things happen I tend to do that.”

“What bad things?” my heart picked up its pace and my breathing deepened. It wasn’t the right time to come out with my family story.

“Now is a bad time.” I mumbled as we pulled into the drive way of the large house.

Cars were everywhere and so were people. Most had made their way into the house but some still hung out around their cars. I groaned when I noticed Lisa walking into the house, mini skirt and all.

“Don’t worry about her. They’ll kick her out as soon as Zane sees her.” Mare looked in the direction I was scowling in and commented. I felt relieved at that. “Let’s go.”

A bright smile was plastered on her face, she was excited. I was a little less so. When we crossed the doorway into the house the music we heard outside blared into our ears. It was loud, the air was stuffy and smelled like alcohol. The first time I was here I didn’t get a chance to look around. The house was really large and hundreds of kids danced about in the living room. Doorways led to other rooms from this one and we could see drinking games going on.

“You made it!” Brock’s voice sounded beside us. Gwen was tucked under his arm smiling.

“I’m Gwen.” She held her hand out and I shook it. She laughed when I stared at my hand after we let go. “You’re a strange one, huh?”

“I am.” I shrugged and laughed with her.

“I’m going to go find Kingston. We are supposed to have more bets starting tonight.” He gave a wink to Mare and she groaned. He leaned down to give Gwen a kiss and the crowd parted for him as he walked through.

“How long have you two been together?” I asked Gwen.

Her face lit up in a smile. “Only about two years. We’ve known each other our whole lives though.”

I nodded my head. “Sounds familiar.” I glanced at Mare who was searching for Paul.

Gwen laughed. “You’d be surprised. Our whole group is kind of like that. Brock and I, Mare and Paul, Wes and Breann.”

“What about Zane?” I questioned and regretted it instantly. A knowing smile crossed her features. I couldn’t help but notice a slight annoyance there too.

“He’s always been the loner of the group.” Her expression turned guarded.

“Yea, our parents fucked him up pretty good.” Mare commented still searching the crowd.

I opened my mouth to ask how but her hand shot to the air and let out a small wave. I looked to where her eyes were and saw Paul walking in through the backdoor with Zane and Brock. Zane’s hair was just as shaggy as usual while his perfect jaw worked itself. He didn’t notice me watching until they were in the middle of the crowd. His gaze slammed me back a step and I took in a sharp breath.

“Most girls have that reaction.” Gwen laughed in my ear. I furrowed my brow and looked at her and then at the people around us. Girls were openly ogling at Zane with no shame. I hope I didn’t look like that.

“Now I need a drink.”

I parted from the group before the guys could get to us. There were two doors to choose from so I took the one on the right. I passed a group standing around a large table playing beer pong. In the corner was a small group playing some strip card game. Leaving the way I came in, I took the other door and found the kitchen. Two kegs were lined up below the sink and coolers surrounded it. There were only a few people in the kitchen, none of them looked sober. I snagged a cup off the table and went to the faucet.

“Water?” I stopped moving at the voice. Water started spilling over the cup and into the sink. I watched as his hand reached around me and turned off the water. I closed my eyes in embarrassment.

“I don’t drink.” I mumbled. Why was I always mumbling around him?

“Really?” he looked confused. “Wes said he saw you at Thea’s having a drink.”

Gwen mentioned Wes. It pissed me off that all these people I didn’t know knew me. I just nodded. “It was a rough day.” I smiled and took a few gulps of my water. It was metallic from the faucet and had a mineral taste to it. My face must have soured because he laughed and grabbed my cup, dumping the water in the sink.

“Come on.” He walked out of the kitchen and I followed. After a few turns we ended up at a set of stairs that led to the second level. Couples had each other pinned to the banister and others just stood and talked. We tiptoed past all of them, except when one of them called after Zane and decided to have a conversation. When we finally made it to the second level he led me into another kitchen. It was identical to the one downstairs but more people filled this one. “Here.”

I looked down at his hand and saw a bottle of cold water. I grabbed it and drank. His smile was satisfied as he looked at me. “What?”

A shoulder lifted in a shrug. “You’re very interesting.” Oh, thanks. What every girl wants to hear.

“So how do you like our school?” he asked. We both leaned our backs against the counter and watched the groups in front of us.

“I like it…I guess.” The people sucked but I found a few friends of which I was thankful for. “How come I’ve never seen you on campus?”

“You saw me the other night.” He remarked.

I shook my head and took another drink of water. “During class hours I mean”

“This boy is too smart for the rest of us fucking idiots.” A guys slurred in front of us and swayed a little as he spoke.

“You’re drunk, man. Downstairs.” Zane pointed to the door and the kid just left. There was no argument, no rebuttal, he just did as he was told and left.

“That was weird.” I nodded to him.

“This is my house, my rules.” Oh, gotcha.

“Back to my original question.” I turned towards him.

I watched his chest as he took in a deep breath. I fought the urge to place a hand on him and feel his heartbeat. “That kid was right. I’m too smart for my own good so I have all honors classes.” He just shrugged like it was no big deal. “Those classes are away from the main campus.”

“Is Brock the same? I don’t see him either.”

He smiled and nodded. “Yea, he and Gwen both are. We have all of our classes together.”

I thought to myself for a moment. “They are a perfect couple.”

He snorted. “There’s a lot of those around here.”

“Like Mare and Paul?” I smiled, he scowled.

“I love my sister, but Paul? I’m not a fan.” He lifted a shoulder. I thought Paul was perfectly nice.

“Why not?” I questioned.

He pushed himself off the counter and went to the fridge. A beer appeared and he popped the lid off and took a swig. I watched as his large frame leaned back against the counter.

“I don’t know. Something about him just seems odd. I’m afraid if something happened to Mare he’d just run.” His voice was low as he spoke. He’s thought about this before.

“Well now I’m in her life. You won’t have to worry about that.” My tone went serious. I would protect her if it came down to it.

His gaze swung to me in surprise. I just smiled and shrugged. I watched his mouth open to speak but another voice startled us both.

“Bro, it’s time!” Brock shouted to us, holding up his phone.

I looked to Zane and watched him pull out his phone too and read a text. A smile spread across his face and he grabbed my hand. I tried to step back but he wouldn’t let me.

“You want to have some fun?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

He shook his head and laughed. “Come on.” He tugged my hand and led me back down the stairs. I got nasty looks, even from the girls who had a guy attached to their necks. But when I tried to take my hand from Zane’s he just tightened his grip. I saw Mare’s excited form once we stepped outside. “Get these cars moved!” Zane shouted and some kid nodded and ducked back into the house. A moment later, kids piled out and climbed into their cars. Everyone cleared a path to Mare’s car and a few others. I was impressed.

“You ready girl!” Mare came up next to me. She was already drunk.

“Did you lose a bet already?” I asked as she tipped her head and giggled. “Awesome.” I mumbled. “Where are we going?” I whispered to Gwen while the guys removed their cars from the drive way. The three of us stood on the sidewalk by the road.

“Zane and Wes do some underground fighting. Zane is kind of the golden boy so he’s the first one to fight. Tonight he’s fighting some kid from Chapel. Brock says the kid is good and has been trying to fight Zane for some time now.” I was shocked. Zane fighting wasn’t a possibility in my mind. I smiled though. “The fight is in one of the basements below the school.”

Her smile was sly and she stepped off the curb and hopped into Brock’s Jeep. I placed Mare in Paul’s car and got ready to get in the back seat when a whistle sounded out.

“You’re with me.” Zane spoke up from his car. He was behind Paul with his head out the window. I looked to Mare and she just smiled and continued to lock the car doors. I couldn’t get in even if I tried. Rolling my eyes, I made my way to his car and climbed in.

“You have a nice car.” I wasn’t sure what it was but I could tell it would be fast.

“You have a nice motorcycle.” He countered. I smiled.

“I know.” I loved my bike. Thad built it and gave it to me as a present. It was my most cherished possession.

A laughed rumbled through him and we drove to campus. They circled around and parked in a lot I never knew existed. They all took up spaces toward the entrance, I imagine to get a quick getaway, if needed. There was no way this was legal.

“Now, do me a favor and stay with Brock and Gwen. Paul and Mare typically run off and find a quiet room.” he scowled. “If anything happens you meet me back here. If I’m not here and Brock is, leave with them.”

“Believe it or not pretty boy, I can handle myself.” I undid my seat belt and grabbed for the door but he stopped me.

His eyes were pleading with me. “I know you can. But I’d feel better if you stayed with Brock. He’s a big softy, but people stay away from his just from his size.”

I stared between his eyes for a moment before nodding. “Fine.” He looked relieved when I said the word.

“And thank you for calling me pretty.” He winked at me with a smile.

We both got out and his protective persona was gone. His walk was casual and his shoulders were more squared. I laughed but this was what every guy did before a fight. They tried to look badass. Which, I’ll begrudgingly admit, he pulled off very well.

“Come on Bell. You can stand with us.” Gwen smiled at me and linked an arm with mine.

When we got near a building, we entered through a small door and went down a set of dark steps. It took a while to actually get to the basement because of the amount of people surrounding us. When we made it in I realized Zane was no longer with us and people moved away from us when they saw Brock. I laughed.

“You’re a fucking giant Brock.” I smiled to him and he winced nodding.

“I know.” He mumbled. I suddenly felt guilty.

“He hates scaring people. With how big he is, it’s all he does if he talks with someone he doesn’t know.” Gwen spoke in my ear. I couldn’t see her face but I could hear the love in her voice. It made my heart stutter.

The crowd was loud as people shouted and shoved. I noticed a few people that definitely didn’t go to our school. They all glared at us in a way that almost seemed threatening. It was then that a loud voice rang out over everyone. I smiled when I saw the bartender from the other night standing on boxes with a megaphone in his hand.

“Shut the fuck up everyone!” he shouted and the whole room quieted. “Tonight’s fight is between your local celebrity Kingston and your out of town loser, Assclown!” when shouts and boos rang out he continued. “Oh, sorry, Ashcraft!”

Some people laughed while others threatened to kick his ass.

“Bets are being taken now while the boys prepare.” He pointed to a gentleman next to him that had money in his hands. “Make them wisely because you will in fact not be getting your money back if you lose.”

The bartender/announcer jumped off his perch and helped collect the money for the bets. It took about another thirty minutes for everyone to calm down and prepare for the fight. By then the whole place was stuffy and humid from the sweat. The smell wasn’t much better either. I was squished between Gwen and Brock and a few people I didn’t know but were all too friendly to touch me. I tried to shrink myself in but they kept getting closer. Zane was right about Paul and Mare, they were gone. I was a little annoyed but I guess it didn’t really matter. The times I spent at fights was typically alone.

“Alright, alright. Settle the fuck down!” he got back on his perch and began shouting at the crowd that instantly went silent.

Brock leaned into my ear. “Here we go.” I knew he was smiling without having to look at him.

The sound was deafening as Zane was announced. People cheered and hollered while a select few booed. There were a few cheers when the other kid came in but they were drowned out by the hate from our school. The enormity of the whole thing made me smile. The anticipation before a fight was the most exhilarating feeling, regardless if you were fighting or not. There were too many people in front of us for me to see what was going on. I could see the top of Zane’s’ head but nothing more. I tried standing on my tiptoes but a fucking giant kid decided to stand in front of me. I thought about kicking out his knee but thought better of it.

“Here!” I turned to look at Brock. He smiled and pointed to a set of chairs behind him. Gwen was already standing on one. Grabbing Brocks’ offered hand, I lifted myself to the chair and turned to see the fight.

Zane was shirtless and in a pair of small shorts. His hands were wrapped, pussy, and sweat already beaded down his chest. I noticed a tattoo snaking across his ribs and back that circled to his belly button. It was a tree with roots that morphed and twisted across his skin. I couldn’t tear my eyes off him but when I noticed his gaze was on me I stopped breathing. His gaze was intense and exciting. Something I did not understand. He gave me a wink and I nodded in acknowledgement before he turned to Ashcroft and bumped fists with him. There was a silent anticipation amongst the packed room of people. Excitement sparked through the air as everyone watched the two circle each other. My list began the second they started stepping around each other. Zane was confident but not in a cocky way. He was comfortable where he was and he knew exactly where he was going to hit. He was in control. Ashcroft, on the other hand, was too cocky. His smile told me he already knew he would win, he decided it so it would happen. That was his first and only mistake, his loss was set in stone.

The crowd let out a collective gasp as Ashcroft took the chance to step forward and kick his leg out. Zane was facing him instead of facing his body sideways so it was blocked by a solid arm. Zane stepped into him laying two quick jabs; one to his jaw, the other to his stomach. The kid stumbled back a few moments and Zane let him regain his footing. The kid smiled, he thought he had it. The two fighters walked in circles around each other, giving small attacks here and there. The kid got one hit on Zane before he was laid out. When he got up, the attack was started again. Zane landed blow after blow followed by a few kicks here and there.

When he was satisfied the kid was dazed he stepped back and a smile spread across his features. The kid stumbled forward to throw a punch but Zane ended it with one last punch to his face. Blood sprayed out from his nose all over the people standing close enough. The crowd erupted as the bartender/announcer jumped into the middle of the circle and held up his hands. When his fingers counted to ten he plucked a yellow handkerchief out of his pocket and threw it over the kid. He raised Zane’s hand, placing a wad of cash in the other he announced the winner. I was amazed at his skill and how easily he moved across the floor. He reminded me of Vance, the way he calculated each step, took in account their steps and blocked every blow that came instead of avoiding it or just taking it.

I felt a tug on my arm and looked to Brock and Gwen. They were heading towards the door and expected me to follow. Some of the crowd had closed in on Zane while others began to file out before the parking lot got too clustered.

“Whiskey girl!” I heard when I stepped off the chair. I looked over to see the bartender smiling at me.

“So you were speaking from personal experience?” he stood close to me so we could hear each other.

He nodded. “It’s not something I tell people who don’t know but I saw your bruise and figured why not. I’m glad you made it. How did you find out?”

“I’m here with my roommate.” I glanced around but didn’t see Mare and Paul or Gwen and Brock.

He looked around too. “Who’s your roommate?”

“Mare… uh.” I didn’t know her last name but she was related to Zane. “Kingston.”

His brow furrowed, he had no idea who I was talking about. I tried to remember what the teacher called her in class but nothing stuck.

“Never heard of her. Do you need a ride home?” he shouted as some kids ran by yelling. The room was almost clear but about thirty people hung back still exciting from the fight. Some were still helping the fallen kid out the door. His face was covered in blood that dripped down his chest.

“I’m her ride.” We both looked over to see Zane walking our way. His hands were no longer wrapped and a t-shirt stretched over his chest.

The bartender looked between us both before putting pieces together that weren’t supposed to be together. “Oh, sorry man, I didn’t realize she was yours.”

“I’m not.” I retorted with a little more hostility than intended. They both looked to me curiously.

“She’s my sisters’ roommate. You know how she is at these things.” The bartender nodded as he realized who I meant and they bumped fists. “See you later Brad.”

“See you.” He looked to me with a nod but he was no longer smiling.

I felt Zane behind me as we walked up the steps and into the fresh air. It was warm outside but compared to that basement, it was cool and refreshing. I took in a deep breath enjoying every part of it.

“So, what did you think?” Zane smiled beside me. He looked like a kid who just won his first baseball game.

“You’re good. No doubt about that.” I smiled to him and looked over the lot. Cars were still backed up trying to exit. Honks were heard simultaneously with a few shouts in between. It was then that we realized someone was standing at Zane’s car, baseball bat in hand. He took off running before it came down on the windshield, but he was too late.

I ran after him but the kid turned the bat towards Zane and took a swing. He ducked around it and tackled the kid. I tried to look for Brock but their car was gone, so was Paul’s. Fuck. I watched as the two struggled for a moment on the ground. Punches were shared and a few grunts. When they both stood again, they attacked. Zane was a strong fighter but this kid was an almost equal match. Zane’s shirt was ripped open and I saw blood seeping through. The other kid was covered in much more blood but it didn’t matter, I was mad Zane was bleeding. The moment they took a step back from each other I stepped in front of Zane and faced the kid. He was tall with short blonde hair and a muscular build. Scars covered his hands and part of his face. They didn’t take away from his good looks, I think they enhanced it.

“What are you doing?” Zane growled behind me.

“Letting your bitch fight for you Kingston?” the kid growled, wiping blood from his mouth with his sleeve.

The baseball bat still hung in his hand but he underestimated me and let it hang limply in his hand. I felt a hand on my waist but I stepped forward and grabbed the bat. The kid looked up surprised and I smiled.

“This bitch, is about to kick your ass.” I growled.

He tried to pull back on the bat so I helped him. I shoved the small end into his diaphragm then ripped it from his hands and threw it to the ground away from us.

“You know, using a baseball bat on someone is a bitch move.” I growled again as I lifted my foot to meet his face. His head cocked back and I landed a fist to his cheek, slamming his head to the other side. Blood spurted across Zane’s car but I didn’t care. It’s been too long since my last fight and this felt good. Too good. A hand caught my arm as I cocked back for another blow. My body froze. The kid was lying on the ground covering his nose. All we could hear was his groans and my heaving breathing.

I lowered my arm and turned around. Zane looked at me like I was an alien. He pointed his chin towards the car. “Get in.” he mumbled. I did as I was told while he slid the kids’ body away from his car. Part of the windshield was raised so he pried it off and threw it to the ground next to him. He climbed inside the car and gave me a questioning look. I just shook my head.

The drive was silent and tension filled the air. His hands gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles were white. The tendons in his arm jumped and his jaw ticked. I thought he was angry at me but he had no reason to be. When we got back to his place the house was still alive with a party inside. The cars were the same as when we left but with a few new cars added in. We sat in the car for a moment, the air still tense between us.

“Uhm… is this awkward for you?” it was all I had to offer.

His hands fell from the steering wheel and he gazed at me, ready to speak.

“What the fuck happened, man?” Brock was standing on the other side of the broken windshield staring at us. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open so wide he could collect flies.

Zane threw his door open and got out. He stepped up to Brock and gave him a shove. I went to get out of the car but got jerked back by my seat belt. After a few tense moments of hitting the fucking button and it not working, I was finally freed and jumped out of the car.

“Where the fuck were you?! I told you to stay with her!” Brock held his hands up in defense but Zane kept going after him.

“I’m sorry man. I saw her with you and figured she’d be fine. I didn’t expect someone to go ape shit on your car!” Brock stepped forward and shoved him back.

Zane shoved him again and his back hit a large truck. The whole thing swayed from the impact and Brock threw himself off of it and towards Zane. Zane’s arms was already cocked back waiting to land a punch. Brock mimicked the same stance. Either I was going to get hit, twice, hard. Or I was going to end this without anyone getting hurt. Before either one could land a punch I pushed myself into Zane. I kept moving forward until he was stopped by a parked car. My hands pressed against his biceps and our chests rubbed together.

The anger in him lessened but his eyes remained on Brock. I closed my eyes and breathed. Stopping fights wasn’t something I did but they were friends, family, I couldn’t let them fight. Not because of me. Zane’s heart pounded against mine and his arms still tensed beneath my hands.

“What’s going on?” Brock and Zane turned to Gwen’s voice but I kept my eyes closed and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Nothing.” I stepped back and smiled to her. She gave me an unbelieving look and the other two just stared at me. “I’ll be going.” I mumbled and turned, quickly.

“No you don’t.” an arm wrapped around my waist and I was hauled back. I threw and elbow back but it missed its target and a laugh thundered behind me.

“Nice try, Bell.” He laughed as he planted my feet firmly on the ground, facing away from the sidewalk.

“Someone better tell me what happened, and now?” Gwen placed her hands on her hips and pinched her mouth together. “And why is she covered in blood?” she pointed to my hands and shirt. I hadn’t realized there was any on me.

“Strickland came after me. We started fighting and then Bell decided to jump in front of me and take him on.” Zane kept a hand on my waist. It was loose but it was enough to hold me in place. His chest bumped against my back in rhythm with his breathing.

“You what?” Brock and Gwen both stared at me incredulously.

I nodded and held up my hands. “It was self-defense, I swear.”

“Oh no, not again.” We all turned to see Mare. She let out a groan as she looked at me.

“Again?” the three chimed in the same question.

“Fucking hell.” I mumbled and stepped towards Mare. She looked sober but definitely didn’t smell it.

When I got over to her she started lifting my shirt and feeling my ribs. Her fingers dug into where they cracked before and I let out a small yelp.

“Yupp, still hurts Mare. Thanks for reminding me.” I choked out as she quickly retracted her hand and squeaked an apology.

“Oh my God, Zane. What happened to your car?” Mare stared wide eyed at the missing windshield.

“I need a fucking drink.” Zane mumbled and he slid past us to the house.

“Strickland.” Brock mumbled as he and Gwen followed.

Mare gave him an understanding look before she sized me up and decided I was fit to still party. She laced her hand in mine and dragged me into the house. Partying did not seem like fun at the moment.

“I have clothes in Pauls’ room that you can use.” She smiled and pulled me into, what seemed like, the only empty room in the house. We were on the second floor but in the opposite direction from the kitchen. It was past midnight so some kids were passing out on couches and beds. Some on the floor even. We had to step over a majority of them to get to Paul’s room.

She handed me a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. I quickly stripped and changed before going into the bathroom across the hall and washing the blood off my hands. Thad would be proud but annoyed I didn’t finish the kid properly. When I looked up I met Zane’s gaze as he stared at me in the mirror. His shoulder was pressed up against the door frame and he was wearing a fresh change of clothes. Water dripped from his hair, he must have showered. I didn’t turn to meet him, I just rested my weight on my hands that braced the sink.

“Why didn’t you let me finish him?” I asked.

His eyes narrowed and he took in a deep breath. “It wasn’t your fight, it was mine. Why did you jump in?”

I opened my mouth to answer but I realized I didn’t have one. We stared at each other for a few more moments. Tension filled the space between us.

“Why did you jump in?” he asked again, more powerful this time.

It was my turn to narrow my eyes. I really didn’t have an answer so I spoke out my list. “I needed a fight. I don’t respect people who use weapons against someone unarmed. You’re a good fighter but he had you matched. No one would have won until you both fell.”

He didn’t say anything but continued to stare at me. “And you were better?” his disdain spiked anger in me. I lifted my chin and turned towards him. I felt like a victim of Medusa as his gaze pierced me thoroughly when the mirror was no longer in the way.

“I am better.” I cocked an eyebrow as I waited for him to laugh or comeback with something smart. I didn’t want to fight him but I would if I had to.

His head bobbed in a shallow nod and he looked at me from head to toe and back again. Heat blazed in his eyes but he masked it.

“Were you going to go home with Brad tonight?” he asked again. I was surprised by his question.

“Brad?” he raised a brow. “The bartender from Thea’s?”

He nodded slowly.

“Not unless everyone left without me.” it was true. Brock and Gwen disappeared, if Zane hadn’t been there he probably would have thought I got a ride with him and left. “Would it matter?” I cocked my head to the side.

“No.” he clipped out before he turned out the door and walked away.

I stood in the bathroom, still reeling from the intensity of his gaze leaving me. I heard a few cheers when he reached the living room and that’s when I decided to go out there. When I made it to the kitchen I saw Brock and Gwen leaning against the counter, holding on to each other. Mare was sitting on Pauls’ lap at the table. Another kid had a girl in front of him, his hands were laced with hers around her stomach. Zane stood at the sink, drink in hand and anger radiating from him. They all looked at me curiously but didn’t say anything. Whatever conversation they were having was over the second I walked in.

“I’m sorry, man.” Brock broke the silence first. Zane gave a quick nod but didn’t speak.

“We’ll get back at Strickland, no worries bro.” the kid I didn’t know spoke up but once again Zane didn’t reply. A knowing look passed between the kid and Brock.

The girl was leaning against him stood up and walked towards me. She held her hand out and once again I stared at it.

“I’m Breann. You must be Bell?” she smiled and I reluctantly took her hand. I nodded but didn’t say anything. Her smile faltered at my reaction. “This is my boyfriend Wes.” She nodded to the kid. He gave me a nod and I nodded in reply.

“That’s a sick tattoo.” His eyes slid over my arms.

I tensed. My tattoo was so crazy more people decided to ignore it than comment on it. I’d get a few lookers or commenters but never people I knew. When I looked around the room everyone had their eyes on me or my tattoo. Even Zane’s gaze found me.

“What does The Five stand for?” the hair pricked on my neck as he asked the question.

My arm had a large vulture and eagle fighting each other. Their wings wrapped around my arm and their claws ended at the bend in my elbow. The other set of wings spread across my ribs and my back. There were three other animals that completed the tattoo on my body, each one to represent The Five. The words were intricately placed between the birds wings that were on my arm. Not many noticed it but I wasn’t surprised Zane did. Trouble was, I’d never figured out anything to tell people so they stared at me waiting for an answer.

“You don’t need to answer him. We get it if it’s sentimental.” Mare spoke up from Paul’s lap. Her words were relief.

I sat in an empty chair and hardly listened as everyone talked. They spoke about the kid that smashed Zane’s windshield. Supposedly he and Zane have a long history of violence with each other. It also turns out that Lisa is his sister and she sent him after Zane tonight. They plotted their revenge but Zane didn’t speak. I watched him stand there, listening to the exchange but not participating. Darkness brewed in the depths of his eyes. He was still angry, plotting a revenge of his own. After about an hour of sitting and talking Mare let out a yawn and Paul carried her away. Gwen and Brock followed then Wes and Breann did the same. We all said our goodnights and they walked out of the kitchen. I hadn’t thought about where I’d be sleeping. I figured I’d at least be with Mare. When Zane left the room I decided I’d just go back to the dorm.

Chapter

The party had significantly calmed down when I reached the first level. There was still a group playing a small round of strip poke and another group sitting and talking. Most everyone was either gone or passed out on some surface of the house. I stepped over a few kids and opened the door. The cool air hit my skin. I was mad at myself for not wearing sneakers, it would have been a perfect time to run. When I got to the sidewalk I figured I could at least take off my boots and run barefoot. I’d end up with bloody feet but at least I could run.

“What are you doing?” Zane’s voice rang out from behind me. It stopped me from bending down to take off my shoes.

“Going home.” We stared at each other from the few feet that separated us. His breath came quickly from running after me.

“It’s well after midnight and its ten miles.” I nodded, I was exhausted but I wasn’t about to sleep on someone’s floor. “You can stay with us.”

“Where? There’s people everywhere and I don’t plan on sleeping on the floor.” I waved a hand towards the house. I was too tired to argue about this.

“We have a whole third floor that’s off limits. There’s guest rooms up there.” He nodded his head towards the house and turned.

He didn’t wait to see if I followed, we both knew I would. We stepped over the same people as we crossed back over to the stairs. When we got to the second level we rounded a corner and took another set of stairs that were hidden behind a door. Zane pulled out a key and unlocked it. He gave me a smirk before opening the door and walking up the narrow stairwell.

“This is my space.” He said as I was led into a large room. There was a bed in the far corner and a few doors leading to other parts of the area. It looked like a mini apartment, kitchen and all.

“This place is huge.” I commented as I looked around.

There was a tall wall of drawings. They were incredibly drawn and it took me a moment to realize one of them was tattooed on his body.

“You drew your own tattoo?” I turned to ask. He was watching inspect the drawings.

“I did. I drew all of those at one point or another.”

I noticed some drawings that looked like the courtyard on campus. A couple of teachers were sketched in front of a blackboard. Students sitting together on the grass. There were landscapes of oceans, mountains and even a few that depicted a fight. I noticed a couple of Mare, some looked younger and some older.

“I forget that you are Mare are related.” I mumbled to myself.

“We aren’t.” I glanced over to him. “Not really anyway.” He shrugged.

“What do you mean? She said you were her brother.”

He smiled and nodded. “For all intents and purposes we are brother and sister. We grew up that way but we were born from different parents.”

“So you’re adopted?” I raised a brow. That would have been an easier explanation.

He shook his head. “No. Our parents have been together since long before we were born. But they cheated on each other. My dad got a woman pregnant and planned on leaving Mare’s mom when I was born. But when she died giving birth to me they stayed together and I was raised by my fathers’ wife.”

“I’m sorry.”

He simply shrugged. “Mare’s mom got pregnant about a year after I was born. When Shirley gave birth my father was going to leave her, but her boyfriend did it first. So they stayed together and raised us as brother and sister.”

I stared at him. He’s told the story before and seemed bored to have to tell it again. “Complicated.” I remarked.

“What about you? Mare hasn’t said anything about siblings or parents. Just about some guy named Thad and a woman named Cherish.”

I was so going to have to talk with Mare about this. Everyone knows about me because of her and that needs to stop.

“My parents are dead.” I looked back to his drawings as I spoke. “I was raised by my uncle with the brothers I had that weren’t over eighteen at the time. When he died my brothers looked after each other and Thad took me in. He had just married Cherish so I was like an adopted child to them. I had known them my whole life, so it was like a never ending vacation when I was with them.”

My heart had gone numb as I spoke. It’s been years since I’ve actually spoken about The Five being my brothers.

“So why did you leave?” I looked over and found him sitting on his bed, watching me.

I shrugged. “My life had been filled with death and fights. I needed to get away from it.”

He nodded at my admission.

“Mare doesn’t know any of this.” I threw out the words. “I lied to her when she asked me the same questions. I’m glad I did considering she likes to talk about me.”

He breathed out a laugh. “She has a habit of doing that. I won’t tell her anything.”

“Thanks.”

I went back to the drawings and landed on one of a crow perched by a lantern. It was dark but there was something unexplainable about the drawing. There was a secret there, something hidden that I couldn’t see.

“Why did you draw this?” I couldn’t help but ask. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I felt him come closer to me.

When I saw his figure in the edge of my vision I looked over to him. He was staring at the drawing intently. His jaw worked itself as he stared.

“There’s a lot of reasons I guess.” He gave me a bored look and shrugged. I frowned at the change. I took the hint to drop the question.

“I get it.” I nodded and turned away from him and the drawings.

The wall facing the back of the house was lined with large windows. They overlooked the pool and porch down below as well as the forest beyond them. It looked peaceful and quiet. Nothing rustled, nothing moved, it was just silent and calm. That calm left me when he came up beside me. Brushing his shoulder against mine.

“Can I ask you what The Five stands for in your tattoo?” the words hit me like a brick. I continued to stare at the forest below but I wasn’t really seeing it.

I shook my head slowly. “No.”

I heard his breath release and a hand run through his hair. “Fair enough.” I looked over to see a smile on his face. “The guest bedroom is through that door.” He pointed to the far wall.

I gave a nod and turned to walk. We were shoulder to shoulder when he grabbed my arm and pulled me back a few steps. His breath caressed my cheek and his fingers burned my skin. I stared at the vein pulsing in his neck. My mouth was suddenly dry and yet watering at the same time. We stared at each other for a moment. He searched my eyes, for what? I have no clue. After a beat he released my arm and walked into the door he had pointed to.

“You can have my bed.” He mumbled as he closed the door and I heard the lock click in place.

My head swam at the physical touch of his hand and the mental touch of his eyes. He left too quickly for me to comprehend what had just happened. My mind wouldn’t allow me to think about it as exhaustion overtook me. I slid my boots off, my pants and the tank top Mare let me borrow followed after. I climbed under the covers of the bed and rested my head against the pillow. The whole bed smelled of him. Warm and sweet. It wrapped around me like a blanket and before long I was fast asleep, dreaming he was laying behind me.

Chapter

I was still dreaming when shouts grabbed me awake. Voices surrounded me, one angry, the other two annoyed. The light pierced my eyes so I closed them tightly and just listened.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?! She’s my roommate!” I heard Mare scream.

“I don’t care if she’s your roommate or not!” Zane’s voice yelled back.

“Mare, just leave it.” Pauls’ calm voice sounded. The air was thick with tensions.

“Don’t you tell me what to do, Paul Marcus Simmons!” Mare screeched. Zane let out a small chuckle.

“You know what? I’m out of here.” Paul spoke and a door sounded next.

There was silent for a few moments before I felt the end of the bed dip. “Mare, nothing happened.”

I took the moment to open my eyes and sit up. Zane was sitting on the bed in his boxers. His shoulders were hunched accentuating the size of his tattoo and the muscles that rippled across his back. Mare stood in front of him. Arms crossed over her chest with anger slithering in her eyes.

“Mare, what are you doing?” I asked. They both glanced to me surprised.

“Now you wake up?” Zane let out a laugh and shook his head. “Mare thinks I fucked you.”

“Seriously?” I asked her, she looked away but nodded

“Did you?” she asked through clenched teeth, not looking at either of us.

“What would happen if I did?” I liked to know my options before I sold my soul.

Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she looked to me. Her eyes were sad and her arms fell limply to her sides. “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I just stared at her. I was sure Zane did the same.

“You think I’ll hurt her?” Zane spoke up, his voice distant.

Mare’s shoulders lifted as she fought for her words. “Yes.”

I couldn’t help what came next. I laughed. My abs clenched with every tremor and tears sprang into my eyes. They both looked at me as if I was insane. In that moment, I felt it. But I kept laughing and laughing until a couple tears fell from my eyes. Mare came over and sat next to me. She looked concerned but I didn’t care as my body shook with laughter. Her concern quickly turned to anger or annoyance. My eyes were too blurred to tell.

“What the fuck is funny, Bell?” she asked.

It took me another minute but I was finally able to catch my breath and speak. “You’re sweet, you know that?” I placed my hands on her cheeks and kissed her forehead.

“Listen, I’m all good for some girl on girl action, but my sister? I can’t watch that.” Zane stood up with his hands out defensively. This time I got a good view of his abs and chest. He gave a new meaning to the word six pack.

“Shut up Zane.” Mare threatened.

“I’m a big girl Mare. If I thought for a second any of you could hurt me I wouldn’t be here. And no, I didn’t have sex with your brother.” I gave her a sad smile. It was me that would hurt them and possibly him. I shouldn’t be here. I grabbed my phone from the floor and saw a couple messages from Thad. Cherish was home and cranky. “I should go.”

Mare stood and so did I. “Oh my God.” A hand slapped over her eyes and she quickly turned away from me.

I looked at her and then to Zane. He was eying me up and down. When I glanced down at myself I realized I was in my bra and underwear. “Fuck, if I’d known you were sleeping in that I would have come out here.”

I let out a laugh and pulled on the clothes Mare let me borrow.

“How can you laugh? My brother just ogled you!” Mare screeched when I was fully dressed.

“Worse has happened, Mare.” I spoke and stepped a little closer to her. “Besides, you’re brothers hot.” I whispered to her but loud enough for Zane to hear. I gave him a wink and left them alone in the room.

“What are you so happy about?” Gwen asked me. I walked into the kitchen to see the whole group sitting in the same spots they were in the night before.

“She fucked Zane.” Paul mumbled grumpily from his chair.

Everyone looked to him then to me. “I didn’t.” I raised my hands in defense but was answered with raised eyebrows and accusing looks.

“I thought you’d hold out a little longer than that.” Gwen scoffed. “I don’t know why I’m actually surprised this time.”

“I didn’t fuck him, Gwen.” My voice was stern as I spoke.

Gwen strained herself away from Brock. He mumbled something under his breath but stayed where he was. “Every girl gets in his bed sooner or later.” Her voice lined disgusted but reeked of venom. “Typically within minutes of even meeting him. It’s sad to see you fell under the same category as all the other skanks in this school.”

I crossed my arms and glared at her. “When people fuck each other, outside of your relationship, it’s none of your business.”

I seethed at her the moment Zane and Mare stepped through the door.

“Gwen.” Brock warned but she shook her head.

“No, she comes in here acting all badass and… what not, like she’s perfect for Zane.” She waved a hand at me. “She’s just going to do what they all end up doing!”

The air went tense as Zane came up behind me. “Why don’t you give her a chance first?” he asked Gwen.

She stared at him unbelievingly and this time Brock placed a hand around her waist.

“She can’t.” I spoke still staring at her. Her eyes narrowed. “You’ve mistaken your role in my life and who I am. You only get to do that once.”

I turned out of the room and brushed past Zane. I could hear Mare’s footsteps as she followed me down the stairs and out the front door. The kids were all cleared out but the house was still a mess. Cards were all over the floor around the tables, beer cups littered the floor and tables too. Someone would have fun cleaning. I hoped it would be Gwen.

“Bell, where are you going?” Mare asked me when we got to the sidewalk.

“I need to go see Thad.” I looked to her.

She nodded. “I’ll drive you to the dorm.”

Her voice was quiet but I agreed. When we got back she came inside with me. I ignored her pity. I couldn’t tell if it was for herself or for me, either way, I didn’t particularly care. I made quick work of showering and getting dressed so I could leave faster. Whatever it was that lit Gwen up, pissed me off. I wanted to know why but I’d ask later. Right now I needed Thad and Cherish, as well as a punching bag.

I threw a leg over my bike and flipped up the kickstand. My helmet was securely on my head and my hair was in a low braid down my back. The holes in my torn jeans allowed the air to cool me down in the hot sun. I had left without saying another word to Mare. I didn’t have to look at her to know how disappointed she was.

I had planned on driving to the house but instead found myself in front of the gym. Carson’s Gym was plastered over the front door on a lighting board. The familiar sounds rang out when I stepped inside. A few grunts here and there, weights clanking against the ground and of course the pattering of jump ropes. There were no mirrors, just strength as I looked around the room.

“Bell?” I turned to see Thad standing in the doorway. He was shirtless, showing off his tattoos no doubt, and sweating.

“Hi.” I smiled and allowed him to pull me into a wet hug. Anyone else would have been grossed out but he was family.

“What are you doing here?” he asked when he released me.

I just shrugged. “I needed a fight.”

I didn’t have to say anything else. He smiled and led me into the main area where the fighting ring and mats were. The room was tall and wide. White tape divided up the mats and the actual ring took up space in the middle. When we held competitions the mats would be rolled out and chairs would surround the ring.

“I’ve got young blood here today. They’ll get a kick out of you.” He smiled to me and let out a whistle. Within seconds, about twelve guys lined up along one of the white lines. They were at least sixteen. Some covered in tattoos, others pale white and nervous.

“They can fight?” I whispered to Thad.

He laughed. “Barely.” He smiled then looked to the group. “Alright boys, this is Bell. She’s the closest thing I have to a daughter at the moment and she’s going to show you the ropes.” A few of the kids laughed while the others looked more scared. “Don’t mistake her girlish appearance for weakness, because she’s already found yours.”

He let out a wide smile and all the laughing stopped. Thad was right, they all had clear weaknesses that I planned on using. I was a little annoyed he let them in on that. It was my trick, so to speak.

“We’ll start with you.” He pointed to the kid starting the left side of the line. “And work our way down till you.” He pointed to the last kid who gulped and nodded.

“I’ll go change.” I walked into the family locker room and changed into the clothes I brought with me.

My hair was in a tight pony tail on the top of my head. I wore a tight sports bra and a pair of spandex shorts. One good thing about being a girl that’s fights is using my body as a distraction. It didn’t matter with other girls but it worked endlessly on the guys. There were a couple hoots and hollers as I walked into the ring. Each one ignored. My first kill was already in the ring stretching out. He glanced at me nervously. I gave a small smile and did a few small stretches before I walked to the middle.

“Bell, Grey.” Thad introduced us and we shook hands. His hand was clammy and the sweat already beaded down his forehead.

“Don’t be nervous.” I whispered to him before our hands separated and we walked to our respective places. “I’ll go easy on you.”

His smile was gracious but going easy on him wasn’t going to be what he expected. Thad yelled us to fight. We both took the proper stance but his was weak. His arms shook causing him to lose is stability. We circled around each other for a few moments. I threw out a couple jabs here and there but he blocked. After a few more his confidence rose and his stance got stronger. That’s when I decided it was time. I threw in a kick and a few more punches, he missed the block. Stumbling back a few steps I kept moving forward, planting blow after blow to his skin. He tripped over his own feet a second later but I continued my attack. I was about to plant another punch when his hand reached out in a tap.

“Pussy.” I mumbled as I stood

Gwen’s words haunted me like my brothers faces did. I did nothing wrong except exist in their world. That seemed to be my mistake. I was tired of being threatened, tortured, and fucking ridiculed. I’m the strong one, I have to be otherwise I’d be useless. My parent’s faces flashed through my mind. I was useless the moment they died. The moment I watched the blood drain from their bodies and I could do nothing. Their lives were blown out like the flame of a candle. Hope wasn’t something they had, at least a candle could be relit. The look in their eyes told me they knew they were dying, they knew I was going to die too. The sick part? I wasn’t even scared or sad when they died. I was relieved. There was no more expectations, no more hatred at their own flesh and blood. I thought my brothers would be relieved, fuck was I wrong. Whatever I had done, they blamed me. They still do.

“Bell!” arms wrapped around me and my body flew back. I landed with a solid thump as my ass hit the ground. I went with the landing and rolled to my feet.

My whole body, heart included, froze when I saw Thad standing over a kid I didn’t remember meeting. His body was limp on the ground and covered in blood. My eyes went to my hands, I was covered in blood, and it wasn’t mine. A couple of big guys came into the ring and carried the kid to the front. One of them mumbled something about an ambulance but I couldn’t hear much. I was too stunned.

“Bell, what was that?” Thad took my hands in his. He looked at me, worried.

I opened my mouth but couldn’t speak. I slipped out of his grasp and walked to the locker room. My intent was to shower but I collapsed on the ground instead. My lungs burned, refusing to take in any air. I thought my heart would jump out of my chest the way it was hammering away at my ribs.

“Bell?” I looked up to see Thad standing over me. He kneeled down so we were eye to eye. “Come on.” He held a hand out to me and I placed mine in his.

He led me back out to the ring. I stared at him as he circled around me. There was a small group watching us from the entry way, other than that, the gym was completely clear. This wasn’t going to be good. Thad was behind me when a hand planted firmly against my back and shoved me forward. I fell to the ground but rolled and stood back up, quickly. I knew his game. He was going to push me to break. I wouldn’t.

“This is how you want to do this?” I asked. A grim smile spread across his features and he curtly nodded. “Ok.” I breathed and prepared myself.

Thad never put his arms up to block but every hit I planted didn’t affect him. I kicked and jabbed but nothing fazed him. He moved around me quickly, giving me a small shove here and there. When he was behind me I swung around and planted a knee to his side. A grunt escaped him and I went to smile but a fist caught my ribs first. I doubled over as pain exploded through my chest. There was an audible gasp from the small crowd that congregated around us.

“You break my rules. You fight me.” Thad spoke loudly to the crowd as he circled me. I got myself composed so I watched him as I circled him. He turned to me. “You could have killed him. When I call, you stop.”

Thad took two quick steps forward and threw a hook out to my face. I ducked and fell to my knees and laid a sharp jab to the inside of his thigh. Before he could kick I rolled to the side out of his reach. He had a small limp but it wasn’t enough to affect his fighting. This time he didn’t come at me, he stood and waited. Dread filled me, the kind of dread where you know you have to do something you don’t want to but there’s no way to get out of it. Yea, that’s how I fucking felt. I let my arms down and stepped towards him. We were a breath apart but he didn’t move, he was waiting. I shook my head and before I knew it, I was doubled over again, his fist against my stomach. I fought back waves of nausea as I regained my composer again.

Anger trickled into my veins as he smirked at me. I stepped towards him and faked a punch with a knee strike. My second blow was another kick to the outside of his thigh. Before he could react I planted a sharp jab in between his ribs. A breath left him and I planted another before he could take in air again. I guess you could say it was my signature move in a way. It was the best way to break down anyone bigger than myself. I went to plant another punch but he caught my hand and swung me around. My arm curled over my head and my fist planted against my back. He stood behind me, holding my arm and my hair so I couldn’t move.

“What now, Bell?” he breathed into my ear. We stood like this for a few moments. His gripped never released and my options were limited.

Throwing my shoulder back, I allowed it to separate. I bit back a yell as I twisted myself around and hit him in his diaphragm again. He had released my arm and hair so I held it to my side as I circled around him. I threw a punch followed by a few kicks but it didn’t do much. The pain radiating through my shoulder fueled me as I continued to attack. My rounds sped up as he tried to catch up, but it wasn’t happening. He knew I was hurt, he didn’t want to hurt me more.

It was then that the tears fell out of my eyes and I stopped my attack. He didn’t see it coming so his already cocked-back fist met its target and I hit the ground. I felt his body freeze as I laid there, no one could see the tears but he could.

“Everyone out!” when no one moved he roared louder. “Now!”

Once the doors were slammed shut I slid myself up to look at him. My back rested against the ropes that lined the ring and he kneeled in front of me again. His hands went to my arm, assessing my situation. A second later he braced one hand against my ribs, under my armpit and the other hand grabbed my arm. Before I could stop him, he tugged my arm, hard. I yelled out as the pain doubled but it quickly receded when my shoulder went back in place. That didn’t mean it still didn’t fucking hurt though.

“That was stupid.” Thad said.

I nodded. “It was.” I agreed.

“Why did you do it?”

I met his eyes. “Hurt the kid or dislocate my arm?”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Both.”

I shrugged my unhurt shoulder. I couldn’t look in his eyes as I remembered the accident. “I could have helped them. I wasn’t tied up, I could move. But I just watched as they were cut open and bled dry.” I felt his shoulders tense. I never spoke about the accident. I haven’t since it happened which is why they blamed me. No one knew my side except my parents and the people who killed them, but now they were all dead. “I wasn’t scared or even sad. All I could think about was how much I knew they hated me. That if they were dead, then I wouldn’t be there to ruin their lives more.”

“Fucking hell, Bell.” Thad wiped a hand over his eyes. “They didn’t hate you…. They just had a funny way of showing they loved you.”

I laughed but there was no humor. It was empty. “They beat me.” I admitted.

“What?” he looked to me. I never told anyone, not even my brothers.

The need to cry left me. There was no anger, only numbness. “They hit me and cut me… Whenever I didn’t listen. The Five never knew because they said they’d hurt Ben if I told them. If I told anyone, Ben would get hurt.”

He didn’t speak, he only nodded. When his mouth finally opened in reply the door swung open and a head popped in.

“What?” Thad snapped.

“Uhh… they need to speak with the owner.” The voice sounded.

“Who?” Thad snapped again.

“The…umm…”

“Just spit it out already!” Thad stood and walked towards the kid.

“Medics.” was all he said before bolting out the door.

“Go. I’ll get cleaned up.” I pushed myself off the ground and walked towards the locker room before he could stop me or say anything else.

When I came back out, everyone was gone except Thad. He said the kid would be fine but had a slight concussion and a broken nose. He’d be footing his hospital bill but I was fine since he signed a waiver. It was clear that I wasn’t allowed to fight the young blood again. Losing my control wasn’t something that happened often but when it did, my whole world would crash around me.

Chapter

“Bell?” Cherishs’ voice rang out as I stepped into the kitchen.

“You look better.” I smiled to her. Her skin was back to its healthy glow and her hair was perfectly placed around her face. I noticed she looked a little frail but she was strong regardless.

“You don’t look good.” She grasped my face in her hands. Tears slid down my cheeks and I hated each one. “Oh, honey. What happened?”

“We need to talk.” Thad interrupted us. She glared at him but I didn’t want to talk about it again, he knew that.

“I’m going to upstairs to my room, if that’s ok?” I looked between both of them and waited for a nod before going upstairs. Every step hurt as I climbed the stairs. Thad had almost hit where my ribs cracked before but thankfully they didn’t feel cracked or broken now. My shoulder killed me though. It was a stupid move but I had to do something. At least that’s what I told myself.

Pulling back the covers to my old bed, I climbed in and settled down. The room wasn’t the same as before. It used to be a happy place for me. Somewhere I could escape, but today it was dark and constricting. It reminded me of the drawing I saw in Zane’s room. The crow and the darkness closing in on it, but it found the only light. The small flicker from the lantern was its hope. Its freedom.

“Bell?” The door cracked open and Cherish poked her head in.

“Yea?” I answered.

The door was thrown open and she came to the bed as fast as her weak body would allow. She waddled over and gently sat herself down next to me before scooping me into her arms. I could feel her tears on my shoulder as her body was wracked with sobs. Part of me wanted to cry but the other part was done crying. That was the strong part of me.

“I’m so sorry, baby Bell.” She whispered between sobs. “If I had known… I would have gotten you out of there.”

“There’s nothing you could have done. Rightfully, they were my parents. My brothers would have been questioned and they didn’t know. It would look like I was lying… again.” I told her and caressed her back.

Her head shook and more sobs escaped her. “You sound like a lawyer.”

I laughed and so did she. “I’ve had time to think it through. At first I was angry. I hated them but then I hated myself for not caring when they died…”

“It’s ok.” She looked at me and held my gaze. “Life moves on. You’ve taught me that. Which is why you’re growing up and going to college.”

I nodded. “I hate it.” it wasn’t entirely true but the people weren’t that great. If I stayed eventually The Five would find out and would be after me, again.

“Who likes school?” she laughed and I smiled.

“Normal people?” I offered but it wasn’t true. Everyone hated school, I was at least smart enough to understand that.

“Thad said you have friends?” her tears stopped and she held my hands as we sat.

I gave a small shrug. “I don’t know.”

“What are their names?” she prompted me.

“Mare, she’s my roommate. Her boyfriend, Paul, is always with her and lives with her brother. They have a small tightknit group.”

“They sound nice.”

I looked at her but I didn’t say anything. They were nice and clearly had issues. I got off on the wrong foot with Gwen. Actually, we got off on the second foot. I thought we were fine at first. But like Cher said, life moves forward but for that to happen, we have to move forward with it.

“I guess.” I offered after a few small moments. “They fight, like we do.”

Her brows furrowed. “You’re kidding?”

I shook my head. “It’s only Zane, Mare’s brother and their friend Wes. I’ve only seen Zane fight, he’s really good.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You like him.” Her lips spread into a smile.

“I can’t even if I wanted to.” Her smile fell and I put my head down. “They’ll always find me.”

She pulled me into a hug and gave a small squeeze. “We’re working on that. Don’t worry.”

I nodded and hugged her back. I could only use one arm but it rested against her baby so I couldn’t squeeze. Well, I probably could have, but I was afraid to.

“Hey, aren’t you still supposed to be in the hospital?” I leaned back to look at her.

Mischief gleaned in her eye. “I suckered Thad into taking me home. Clearly it worked.” She smiled proudly.

“You’re ridiculous.

“I knew it!” Thad’s voice rang out and we laughed. He shouldered through the door was and stood above us, arms crossed over his chest.

“I’m sorry, Thad.” His arms fell and he kneeled in front of us.

“It’s ok. I’m not gonna lie, it scared the shit out of me. You didn’t even give the kid a chance to put up a block before you took him out. It was like you were on autopilot.”

“I don’t know what happened.” I shrugged my one shoulder. “I don’t even remember shaking hands.”

He laughed. “Because you didn’t. As soon as he stepped in the ring you went after him.”

The image of his limp body flashed through my eyes. My hands had been covered in his blood and I didn’t remember doing it.

“Is he ok?” I whispered. Thad nodded his head and placed a heavy hand on my knee.

“He’ll be fine. The pussy cried the whole way to the hospital.” We all laughed this time but it was for humor, it was a way to make light of the situation. A way to escape the ‘what ifs’ of the situation. I could have killed him, I probably would have if Thad wasn’t there.

We said our goodnights a moment later. They both stood and left reluctantly. Sleep wasn’t something I thought would come easy but the second my head hit the pillow, a dreamless sleep overtook me. When I woke, the sun was shining and I smelled bacon. That was what roused me from the comforts of my old bed. I smiled to myself as I thought about Zane’s bed. His was more comfortable than this.

I let my nose lead me down the stairs and to the kitchen. The smell of eggs and pancakes slapped me in the face as I shoved the door open. I let out a laugh when I saw Thad dancing around the stove. No one would ever see this side of him except me and Cherish. He was wearing the apron we got him for Christmas. It was white with an outline of a lady in a bikini on it. We figured it suited his ‘macho man’ size.

“Good morning.” I shouted and he swung around in surprise.

“I fucking swear you become more like Cherish every fucking day.”

“That’s two for the swear jar.” I nodded to the mug that was sitting in the middle of the dining room table. It was overflowing with dollar bills.

“Fuck you.” He said as he pulled out three dollars and stuffed them into it. “You two are ridiculously sneaky. I don’t fucking get it.”

Cherish let out a cough as she walked into the kitchen. “Swear jar.” She pointed to it and he groaned as he slipped a twenty into the glass, setting up his tab for the day. “Baby, that smells delicious.”

She smiled as Thad planted a kiss to her forehead. “It will be. How do you feel, Bell?”

He looked to me and walked over to the stove to flip his bacon. It was sizzling and popping out of the pan. “My shoulder hurts. My ribs hurt. My head kind of hurts too. You know, I think I’ll stay home from school tomorrow.”

I gave a cheesy smile and they just rolled their eyes. They’d kick me out of the house before allowing me to stay home from school. Even if I was in college and could actually make the decision myself, Thad would probably kick my ass again.

“Why did you go so hard on her?” Cherish admonished as she handed me an ice pack. I slapped it to my shoulder and winced at the coldness.

“I’m sorry. I had to though. You broke a rule, I had to hand out the punishment regardless of who she was. With young blood there, I have to follow through.”

Cherish opened her mouth but I cut her off. “He’s right. Besides, I needed it.”

They both stared at me questioningly but I didn’t answer. Everything they needed to know was spoken about last night. Today was a different day, it was time to move on. We all settled into our chairs as Thad brought over heaping plates of bacon, eggs and pancakes. The honey and syrup were in the middle of the table already warmed. Cherish and I dug in first before Thad could stake his claim. He was a big guy and ate twice as much food. We were amazed at how much he could put away.

“Hey! Eating for two over here!” Cher waved to herself when they both went for the last piece of bacon. Thad narrowed his eyes but let her have it. She smiled triumphantly as she took a bite.

“So, Bell. When are you going back?” Thad asked me as he watched Cher munch her bacon.

“Probably in a couple hours. I owe Mare another apology.”

“What for?” Cherish asked with a full mouth. Even with messy hair, no makeup, and a bacon filled found, she was still perfect.

“I kind of left without any explanation. I’ve done it a lot lately and I can tell it bothers her.” They seemed to understand so I’m glad they didn’t ask for any more explanation. Telling them what Gwen said would have a very bad outcome. Especially if Cher decided to visit me at college.

Chapter

Mare was nowhere to be found when I got back to the campus. I thought about going to the house but figured I’d be trespassing after my argument with Gwen. I spent some time in the library since it was still early when I got back but it didn’t last long. I felt like taking a nap instead so I made my way back to the dorm and crawled into my bed. It was too tiny and not nearly as comfortable as the beds I had spent last night and the night before in. I thought about getting my own apartment and moving my bed from Thad’s house but it would be more of an expense than I wanted.

A loud knocking jumped me out of my bed. The clock read five pm as I stood. I started going for the door when the knocking sounded again, more insistent this time. I froze, curious to who would be on the other side. They couldn’t have found me that fast. I swung the door open and came face to face with a woman that looked like Mare, sort of. The only reason I knew it wasn’t her was because her hair was a lighter blonde and wrinkles marked her face. Her mouth pinched into a firm line as she looked me up and down. Her gaze froze on my tattoo and her lids widened showing the whites of her eyes.

“You must be Bell.” She bit out. I had expected her to try and shake my hand but she just stood there, staring at me. “She said there was a tattoo, but I didn’t expect it to be gang related.”

The tattoo was related to something, but a gang was not one of them. “It isn’t.”

She let out a high-pitched humph and shouldered past me into the room. “Where’s my daughter, Maren?”

“Uhh…” I looked around the room. “Not here.”

“Clearly.” She smirked. “Where is she if she isn’t here?”

“I don’t know.” I answered. Another humph left her and she sat on my bed.

I narrowed my eyes and pointed. “That’s my side.” Her ass jumped into the air the second I said it and she planted it on the other mattress. I should have been offended but I was impressed with how quick the movement was.

“I’ll wait for her here.” She smiled again and held tightly onto her purse. I rolled my eyes and laughed. She could wait all she wanted, something told me Mare probably wouldn’t be back for some time. To make her mom more uncomfortable, I got back under my covers and laid down. She watched me with wide eyes.

“Don’t you have studying to do?” she asked in a slightly strangled voice.

“All done.” I spoke sarcastically and smiled.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I knew she should have changed roommates.”

“You didn’t even know me. In fact, you still don’t.” I sat myself up and stared at her.

She glared at me. “I didn’t and don’t need to. The way she described you was enough. The fact my son seems captivated by you is beyond me.”

She waved a hand to my face. I forgot about the bruise Thad had left me. “What’s funny is I completely understand the disdain they have for you.”

Her mouth pinched tight again and her eyes widened further. Her knuckles turned white as they clenched her purse. “My children love me and respect me. I raised them right. Something you’re parents clearly failed to do.”

My eyes narrowed at her. “You’re right. They didn’t do much parenting.” She gave a smile and lifted her chin in victory. “Especially after they died.” I was numb from the previous day’s events so the words didn’t break my barrier. They came out numb and bored.

Her eyes went wide again and the smile fell from her face. I watched as her mouth opened and closed a few times but snap shut.

“It’s ok. No need to apologize. I know you won’t mean it.” I smiled to her and she looked away. I made her uncomfortable.

“I’ll wait for my daughter in the car.” She stood and froze when I stood with her.

“You can stay. I’ll go for a run.” I grabbed my clothes and changed in the bathroom. She was sitting in her spot on Mare’s bed again. Her hands had softened on her purse but her mouth remained pinched and her eyes wide.

I went to say something else but the words were lost in my throat as the door swung open. Mare stepped in a second later and stared at her mother. She looked to me and took a second before she registered what was going on.

“Uhmm… Mom?”

“Maren, there you are honey. I’ve been waiting for you.” Her mother stood and looked to me, telling me to leave without saying the words.

“What did you do?” she looked to her mom whose mouth opened wide.

“What are you talking about? I came to my daughter’s dorm expecting to find her but found this… instead.” She waved a disgusted hand at me.

“Seriously mom?” Zane’s voice thundered around the room from the door. I swung my head to see his angry glare on their mom. It immediately softened when it went to me. Her words about him being captivated by me suddenly hit home. I needed that run.

I tried to walk around Mare so she wouldn’t stop me but my shoulder ended up hitting the door instead. Blinding pain sparked through my shoulder. I clenched my teeth trying to hold back the yell that threatened to come out. I picked up my pace to get out of there but a hand settled on my stomach, stopping my exit. My eyes had closed when I hit the door and when I opened them I saw Zane staring down at me. His eyes ran over my shoulder and then to the bruise on my face.

My back was facing the two other women in the room so they couldn’t see our exchange. They also couldn’t see when he lifted my shirt to take a look at my ribs. A few small bruises marred them but nothing serious. His thumb ran along my stomach, above my belly button and across the lines of my abs. My breath hitched in my lungs and I just stared at him. I mouthed the words ‘I’m ok’ but he just shook his head and released me. I grabbed the wall to keep myself from falling at the loss of contact. I was no longer grounded without him touching me.

“What do you think, Zane?” Their mother spoke up, breaking us apart.

“I think you two should go get dinner together. I’ll meet up with you after.” I felt his hand wrap around my wrist before I could walk away. My shoulder leaned against his back so I was completely hidden from view. His muscled jumped at the contact of my body against his.

“Your father is in the car.” Her voice was laced with a sarcastic victory. His grip tightened around my wrist but quickly released. There were a few curses that left his mouth before he let me go.

“Then I’ll meet you down there, Shirley” He forced a smile as he spoke.

I heard a little humph before their mother walked past me to the main exit. She eyed me curiously before continuing her walk. Zane’s back was still to me and his hand still grasped my wrist. Mare followed after and gave me a small smile as she walked by.

“We’re staying at the house tonight. You should come.” She whispered and walked away before I could answer.

When they were both finally out the door I stepped away from Zane. He didn’t turn around so I walked into the room to face him. His brow was furrowed as he looked at me.

“What?” I asked. I was growing uncomfortable under his intense stare.

“What happened?” his hand went to my cheek, brushing my bruise. I held my breath until he moved his hand.

“I fought.” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Clearly. What I meant was that you said you were better, if you’re better, you’d only have one bruise and not a recently dislocated shoulder.”

My jaw clenched and I looked away. Saying this once way hard enough, I didn’t feel like doing it again. I hadn’t planned on saying anything until his hand touched my chin, forcing me to raise my face to his.

“You can tell me.” he prompted. I was surprised he wasn’t gloating, saying I wasn’t better.

“I almost killed a kid in Thad’s gym. He had called me off but I didn’t hear him. That’s two rules of his I almost broke.”

He looked confused. “So what does that have to do with this?” He brushed a thumb over my bruise.

“If you break the rules you have to fight Thad. He’s good and very big. I had given up when he clipped my face. My shoulder was my fault.”

“You dislocated your own shoulder?” he stared at me in disbelief. I just nodded. “You’re fucking insane.” A smile tugged his lips. It instantly stopped when his phone started vibrating in his pocket.

“What?” he clipped out. He stared at me while he talked. “I’m on my way.”

He put his phone back in his pocket and pulled out a ring of keys. He grabbed a small silver one and slid it off the ring. “Meet me at the house. No one his home right now except for Paul. This is a key to the third level.”

Before I could reply he just turned and left. The first half of my reply escaped my lips but he was already down the hall. I cursed at him when I heard his laughter down the hallway. I hated being cut off too. The small key was cold in my hand as I turned it over. If they were going to dinner I had a few hours to decide if I wanted to deal with that or not. Right now, I wanted to run.

Chapter

My run wasn’t long but it was enough for me to get soaked. The sky opened up about three miles from the dorms but I kept going. I would have been soaked if I had turned around then anyway so I figured another six miles wouldn’t hurt. It did. The weight of my water soaked clothes pressed on my shoulder. I could barely breathe through the pain when I got back. When I managed to get the door open I fell to the ground and laid there for what felt like an eternity. I was about to get up when the door opened and Zane walked in. He froze when he saw me lying on the ground.

“Why are you wet?” he asked, holding back a laugh.

“I went running. It poured.” I looked down to my clothes. The carpet was wet around me and my hair was still dripping. I gave a small laugh at how ridiculous I probably looked but stopped when he kneeled in front of me. “What time is it?”

“Nine. I was expecting you to be at the house but Paul said you never showed.” His jaw clenched and I glanced at the key that was still on my bed.

“I hadn’t decided if I wanted to yet or not.” I glanced back at him.

“Well, now you don’t have a choice. Mare yelled me out of the house to come get you.” He sounded annoyed as he mentioned his sister. I laughed.

“I don’t want to be on Mare’s bad side. I just need to change.” I tried to stand but my body refused. When I fell back to the ground he placed a hand on my back and pulled me up.

“How’s your shoulder?”

I gave it a roll but stopped when the pain threatened me. “It hurts.”

“You shouldn’t have run.”

“Thanks dad.” I mumbled before stepping out of his grasp and walking into the bathroom. I towel dried my hair and peeled my wet clothes off. My socks were slipping against the tile with every step.

When I reemerged, I found Zane sitting on my bed. I self-consciously wrapped my towel tighter around me as I turned the corner and his gaze found me. His mouth opened slightly and I could hear the sharp intake of breath.

“My clothes are under my bed.” I pointed to his legs and he stood. I had expected him to sit on Mare’s bed but he stood closer to me instead. A shiver ran up my spine but I held it at bay. His gaze bore into my back as I leaned down and ruffled through my drawers.

His hand reached out to my stomach again when I tried to pass. I froze with my clothes in hand and looked at him. The heat in his eyes made my mouth go dry. I was well aware of his gaze down my body and the too loud hammering of my heart in my chest. He moved himself in front of me and moved a hand to mine. When he pulled my hand away from my towel it dropped to the floor, along with my clothes. His hand brushed over the faded bruises and then moved to my tattoo. When his fingers ran over the lines, I froze. He splayed his palm across the ink that covered my ribs. He slowly lifted my arm with his other hand and continued his inspection. My eyes threatened to fill as I stared at the ground. His steps were silent as he reached to my back.

“Why did you get this?” he asked. His breath assaulting my ear. I shivered from the warmth.

“I didn’t ask for it.” I didn’t want to explain it but I didn’t want to lie.

“Who doesn’t ask for a tattoo?” his hands braced themselves on my sides. It was the only part of me that was warm.

I turned my head to the side to see him better but it was a failed attempt. “It’s complicated.”

My body tensed as he stepped closer to my backside. His jeans scraped against my cheeks and his chest pressed into me. I could feel his lips on my neck as he breathed.

“Will you tell me?”

I opened my mouth to reply but nothing came out. When I couldn’t find my voice, I shook my head and a dejected sigh left him.

“You should get dressed. Mare is going to ask questions.” He released his hands and took a step back.

I didn’t look at him for fear I’d just step into his arms and peel off his clothing. I reached down for my clothes and could feel his eyes on me the entire time. I pulled my shirt over and held his gaze until I was fully dressed.

“I’ll drive.” He said the moment we reached the parking lot. My bag was over his shoulder.

“I’ll take my bike. I have class in the morning.”

For a moment I thought he’d fight me but he just nodded and walked to his car. I threw my leg over my bike and backed out of my spot. He drove out first and I followed. The rain had lightened up to a small drizzle, at least it did until we pulled into his driveway. The sky opened and we darted into the house.

Mare and Paul immediately stopped arguing the moment we burst through the door. They sat on the couch and stared at us curiously. I took a glance around the house and realized without all the drunk kids it actually looked like a home. It was large and a few overstuffed couches filled the room. There was a large, dark coffee table and a large TV across the wall.

“What took you two so long?” Mare spoke up from her spot on the couch.

Zane brushed by me and headed up the stairs without another word. I furrowed my brow and looked to Mare but she shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“Uhhh… I went for a run. He was waiting for me when I got back.” I lied. I debated on going up stairs with Zane or if that would cause more attention than I wanted. Choosing the latter of the two, I took a seat by the happy couple.

“How was dinner with your parents?” I asked when we ended up in silence.

She scoffed. “Eventful. She gave us an earful about you. Whatever you said to her freaked her out.” A smile lit up her face but it flickered to a frown.

“Did something happen with Zane? He seems pissed.”

Mare took in a deep breath and stared at the stairs Zane had exited a moment before. “Yea, my mom went off on him about his fighting being a bad influence on me. She said a few things about his mom that struck home too.” her voice went quiet towards the end.

“Your mother is a bitch.” I noted. A knot forming in my stomach.

She nodded in agreement. “I know.”

Without saying another word I got off the couch and headed for the stairs. When I got to the second level I tried to remember where Zane had led me but ended up in the kitchen again. I turned myself around to head back into the hallway but ran into Wes. I bit back a yelp as my shoulder jerked.

“Shit, I’m sorry.” He grabbed my arms to steady me. I did my best not to jerk away but he released me when he noticed my hesitation. “Are you ok? I didn’t see you there.”

“I’m fine. Thanks.”

“You’re looking for Zane?” he asked and I nodded. I really didn’t care if they thought I was sleeping with him. There were other things I had to worry about. “Come on.”

Wes led me out of the kitchen and down a hallway I must have passed. He knocked on the door a couple of times and walked away with a small smile. It swung open a second later. Zane glared at me but warmth found his glare and it softened. He moved aside so I could climb the stairs in front of him.

“Are you alright?” I asked when I got up to his room. I could feel his body tense.

“I’m fine.” His voice was gruff.

“Mare told me she brought up your mom?” he just nodded and sat down on the bed. His head went to his hands and a deep sigh left him.

“I almost killed that fucking bitch.” His tone was angry and when he looked at me his eyes were red. His anger radiated off of him and I fought the urge to walk away. Instead, I found myself sitting next to him. “I only put up with her because of Mare. I don’t get how my dad does it.”

“I almost killed her too.” he looked at me surprised so I just smiled. “I played the dead parent card.”

He breathed a humorless laugh. “She loves playing that card with me. I’m the spawn of Satan, apparently.”

My jaw clenched. She raised him as her own for his whole life and she hates him. She wasn’t a saint either, having a child with another man.

“She’s a bitch.” I noted again.

“Yea.” He answered. He was hurting.

I stood up and grabbed his hands. “Come on.” I tugged him towards the door.

He pulled back hesitantly. “What are we doing?”

“Letting off some steam.” I smiled and tugged his hands again. When he finally rose I headed back down the stairs and found my way to the first level. Mare and Paul glanced up at us and watched us walk out of the back door.

Behind the house was a small porch that led to stone covered ground that surrounded a deep pool. Just beyond that were a few lawn chairs and tables that stood in the grass. I scooted them as far as I could so we had room.

“Bell, what are you doing?” Mare asked. I glanced up to see her and Paul standing on the porch.

“We’re letting off some steam.” I smiled. She looked at me curiously but I continued smiling.

A moment later Gwen and Brock filed out. Her face turned into a scowl but I ignored it. I tried to lift the table next but Zane grabbed it for me and moved it aside. I mumbled my thanks as Wes came outside, followed by Breann. Looks like we were going to have an audience.

“What’s going on?” I heard someone ask and the answer, “I have no clue.”

I smiled again. When I looked up to Zane he gave me a curious look. Taking a moment, I grabbed my arm to stretch my shoulder. A small groan left me as the pain spread through my body. I continued the pull until I thought I’d dislocate it again, then I pulled my arms behind my back and stretched it again. Rolling it a few times, I decided it would be lose enough.

“What are we doing, Bell?” Zane asked as he watched me stretch. I only smiled and stepped up to him.

He stared at me as we stood about a foot apart. Either he was going to hate me for this or appreciate my efforts. I was hoping the latter of the two. I gave him a wink and swung. My fist connected with his chin before he could react.

“Oh my God!” Mare screeched from the porch. I hoped she didn’t come after me.

I let Zane get his bearings before I swung again. My smile held and widened when I saw the smile he had on his face. Excitement laced his eyes and my stomach did a flip. He loved fighting as much as I did.

I stepped forward again and swung the opposite arm. It connected with his rib but it wasn’t strong. I planted a knee and he blocked it. The first few minutes were just me striking and him blocking. When he wouldn’t throw a punch I gave him a sharp shove to the chest.

“Come on!” I yelled at him as I landed a kick to his thigh.

Anger danced through his eyes as he quickly, stepped towards me and threw a hand out. He caught me in the rib and another caught me in the cheek.

“There you go.” I smiled and spit the blood out of my mouth.

Chapter Fifteen

We continued to strike and take each blow the other dealt. My shoulder made my arm weak so I used it sparingly, not that it did much help. Our breathing was ragged as we continued our dance. I slipped out of his grasp a few times but he regained control a moment later. I played the game of giving him control and slowly taking it away from him. The frustration in his eyes was apparent but he didn’t relent. His strikes would follow stronger each time. I pushed my luck too far when he circled an arm around me while the other grabbed my throat. My back landed on the ground and his shin rested against the middle of my ribs.

I gave him a smile and a nod. Sweat dripped off his nose and onto my face. He slowly stood and wiped the sweat off my cheek. I smiled again but struck a jab out to his ribs and connected my knee to his thigh making him drop to his knees.

“I didn’t tap.” I smiled down at him. An arm reached around me and I prepared for his strike but he smacked my ass instead.

“I did.” He smiled and stood.

A low whistle came out and we turned to the group that congregated on the porch.

“That was fucking sick.” Wes called out. “I wasn’t expecting you to be that badass.”

I laughed and a chuckle escaped Zane. Gwen no longer had her scowl but just an undecided look. I cocked an eyebrow to her but she put her chin up and walked inside. Brock followed after her. Rolling his eyes as he went.

“I need a shower.” We were both covered in sweat. It was still raining but not nearly what it was before.

“Come on.” He grabbed my hand and led us through the house again.

Mare and Paul smiled at us as we walked by. Wes just nodded in appreciation while Breann laughed. His hand remained on mine until we made it to his room.

“Thank you.” I turned to meet his eyes.

“For?” I cocked an eyebrow.

His lips tugged into a smile. “For the fight. I needed it.”

“I know.” I whispered. The tension between us was strong. No one moved as we stared at each other. The silence was deafening as we stood there. I opened my mouth to break it but nothing came out. I went to close it but he was on me before I could. His mouth crushed against mine and his hands wound around my waist. When the surprise registered in my mind I placed my hands on his arms and opened my mouth, deepening the kiss. His lips were cold but his tongue was warm and sweet. I tasted the bitterness from the salt in our sweat and the metallic of the blood that still remained in my mouth. My hands slid up into his damp hair and I gave it a small tug. A small groan escaped his throat and he tugged my body closer against his.

I felt a hand slide up my back and into my hair. His fingers wrapped around the base of my head as he tipped my head back. The other hand braced under my bottom and pulled me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and we started moving. Our tongues continued to dance in unison as we walked into another room. I ground my hips against him and received another moan in reply. He pulled back when my ass was placed on something cold. A disappointed groan left me and I opened my eyes to look at him. His eyes were deep and a storm was brewing. The lids of his eyes were heavy and he stared at me in need.

I grabbed for his shirt but he stepped back and towards the shower. A small smile graced his features and he turned on the water. I watched his muscles ripple as his shirt was pulled over his head and his shorts fell to the ground. My mouth instantly watered with the need to touch him. Another smile tugged his lips as he came over and pulled my shirt over my head. He was careful of my shoulder as he moved. A small kiss was placed on it after my shirt was clear. His fingers made quick work of releasing my bra. My breasts fell out and he palmed one of them while he sucked another one into his mouth. A sharp gasp escaped me at the sensation. The bud was warm in his mouth and the other hardened against his fingers.

Zane placed small kisses over my collar bone and neck. He continued his way to my cheek and to my mouth as his hands went to the button of my shorts. When the button was free he pulled me off the counter and slid them down my legs. My panties followed next and his fingers slid into my folds. Another groan left me as I felt the strength of his fingers rub against my clit. I gave his shoulder a small nip and brought his mouth to mine with another small tug of his hair.

When his mouth met mine a finger slid inside me. A deep groan rumbled through his chest and I gasped into his mouth.

“You’re fucking tight.” He growled against my lips.

He slowly pulled the finger out and pushed in again. He repeated the movement a few times before adding a second finger. They separated me and filled me with every push and twist. Another growl left his lips and I was hauled into the shower. The water was warm as it cascaded down the both of us, but who was paying attention to that? My mind was still on the fingers that curled inside me and continued to pump me higher. A tightening in my stomach began and I wanted more. My fingers ran through his hair and I tugged again. His jaw clenched as his lips slammed against mine again. His free hand went under my bottom and he slid me up against the wall. Two finger still pumped inside me as he braced himself between my legs.

I was on the edge of an orgasm when he pulled his fingers out and slammed himself inside of me. I let out a loud yell as pain quickly shot through me and turned into pleasure instantly. He was long and thick and filled me to the brim.

“Fuck.” I gasped as he drove himself inside of me again.

His hips moved faster when I began meeting him thrust for thrust. My mouth continued to assault his and we both rode each other. The tightening in my stomach grew until I found the edge and fell over it. His mouth swallowed my cries and he thrust into me harder, more insistent this time. When I regained myself he placed me back on the ground. His lips remained on mine until he turned me around. His hands wrapped around my hips and he picked me up. My hands quickly found the small pole that held his soap.

Another shout escaped me as he slammed his hardness into me again and thrust harder this time. One of his hands remained on my hip and the other slid along my spine and to my hair. He fisted my hair and pulled my head up, arching my back more. I smiled when another groan came from him and I felt him swell inside me. A few more hard thrusts and he emptied himself into me with a low growl.

“Fucking hell.” My feet hit the floor and his head landed against my shoulder. He kept himself inside me for a moment longer as we stood there recovering. When the waves left his body he pulled away from me. My body disappointed with the loss.

His eyes were still hooded as he stared down at me. I lifted a hand to his stomach and felt my way up his chest. Each muscle was perfectly defined, he looked more like a sculpture than an actual person. My heart was still pounding against my ribs as we stood under the hot spray of the shower. Neither of us moved except for the breaths that raised our chests.

“How’s your shoulder?” his voice was low.

I gave it a small roll. “Sore, it’ll be fine.”

I whispered as he bent forward and placed a small kiss to it. Large hands wrapped around my waist and splaying across my back as he pulled me against him. My naked body slid across his while I wrapped my hands around his neck and pressed my forehead into his shoulder. Our hearts beat against each other in a wild rhythm. Each battling to escape our chests.

Chapter Sixteen

The next morning I woke up next to Zane. His back was to me and the sheet barely covered his ass. I took in the sight of his muscular back, the long winding tattoo that covered most of it. The shadows of the tattoo dipped and twisted along his ribs and spine then fanning out with leafy branches towards his shoulder blades. Before I caught myself waking him for another round I rolled out of bed to find my clothes. I pulled out a pair of jeans and a loose tank from my bag and headed to the bathroom. My hair was a wreck and my lips were swollen from the night before. A smile lit up my face as I remembered the two times we had sex after the shower. Vance couldn’t even do that, I’d admit I was impressed.

I hoped to find Mare so we could go to class but ended up in the kitchen with Gwen. She sat at the table with a bowl of cereal in front of her. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at me but refocused on her bowl without a word.

“Have you seen Mare?” I asked her, snapping her gaze back up to mine.

Her eyebrow cocked but she nodded. “She went to Paul’s room a few minutes ago. I’d say she’d be back soon but they’re probably fucking right now.”

“Awesome.” I breathed and turned to leave. My spite took over and I smiled as I turned around to Gwen. Her eyes narrowed again as she watched me. “This time we did fuck.”

I gave a small wink holding up three fingers and walked out of the kitchen. Her face had paled slightly and her mouth fell open. The door closed on anything she was going to say, the smile of my face grew and fell when Zane came around the corner.

“Where are you going?” he asked scratching his bare chest. I licked my lips to keep the drool from escaping.

“Class.” I breathed.

He nodded and sized me up. “I’ll drive you.”

I shook my head. “I’ve got my bike, remember?”

“I don’t care. Remember?” he retorted and walked back up the stairs.

I took his absence as an escape and headed to the front door. When I got to the living room on the first floor I stopped to meet Mare and Paul sitting on the couch. Fucking Gwen.

“Hey.” Mare smiled from Paul’s lap.

“Hey, are you coming to class?”

Her face twisted in a grimace and slowly shook her head. I glanced back to the stairs and just nodded. “I’ll grab your homework.”

“Thank you!” she stood up and threw her arms around me. A chuckle escaped the person who just entered the room. It didn’t take much to realize it was Zane. “Where are you going?” Mare asked Zane when she released me.

“I’m taking her to campus.” He smiled and winked at me before walking by me.

A scowl lit up Mare’s face but she didn’t say anything when I followed Zane out the door.

“I have my bike. I don’t need you to take me.” I folded my arms and glared at him.

A smirk lit up his face and I fought the urge to wipe it off for him. He leaned his back against his car and mimicked my stance.

“Why are you running?” his eyes narrowed.

“I’m not.” I retorted.

He cocked an eyebrow. “You are.”

A breeze blew through my tangled hair as we stood there glaring at each other. My patients were wearing thin and my heart was beating too fast. I didn’t need this.

“Fine, I’ll walk.” I smiled and started walking towards the street.

He was on me in an instant, his arms wrapped around my waist and my feet left the ground.

“Put me down!” I yelled at him as he carried me over to his car.

“Would you just stop being such a baby and let me take you to school?” his body pressed against mine as he sat me down by his car. My chest pressed into the passenger’s side door, I was trapped. A hand rubbed gently against my shoulder, I shrugged him off so he knew it wasn’t hurting.

“I don’t want you to take me to school.” I growled.

A smile graced his lips and he breathed into my ear. A shiver ran through my spine as the warmth of his breath hit my cheek.

“Please?” his hips ground into my ass and I felt his hardness.

“How about we go to my dorm instead?” I asked and he smiled as I ground myself into him.

His head shook slightly before he pressed a kiss to my neck. “School first.”

I let out a groan and shoved myself away from the car, pushing him back. “Then I’m taking my bike.”

Without letting him speak, I shoved my books under the seat of my bike and threw my leg over. His arms were crossed as he stood in front of my bike. The key turned and my bike came to life. I backed it up a few steps before turning it around and heading out into the street.

Chapter

Mare decided not to show up to any of our classes that day. So when I found myself sitting at the lunch table alone I decided a run would be in order. Collecting my books I went to stand as a hand pushed me back into my seat and a couple girls sat at the table around me. I hid the laugh that tried to escape me. I felt like I was the victim of the mob right now.

“Can I help you?” I asked the girl that sat across from me. It was the same perky blonde that approached me to warn me away from Zane.

Her arms crossed and her eyebrow raised. “I warned you.”

I leaned forward with a smile. “Clearly I didn’t listen.”

Her eyes narrowed but she didn’t falter this time. “There are consequences. After all, you go to our school.”

My laugh came out like a bark. They all jumped and watched me. “Consequences?” I leaned closer to her. “Shall we go outside then?”

Fear rippled through her eyes and her breathing hitched. She was afraid and that made me smile. The victory coursed through my veins but I pushed it down. There would be more issues with them, I’d just have to wait and see what happens.

“You won’t expect what comes next.” She smiled and stood. Her little minions followed her lead.

“Where’s Lisa?” I asked before they could walk away. “Or are you doing her dirty work for her?”

Her mouth opened and closed before she took in a deep breath. “Lisa is like a sister to me. I’m protecting her from you.”

“You’ll find that protecting her is going to get you hurt. Badly. Sad thing is… she knows it too.” I smiled and stood with them. I shouldered my bag and walked away before they could get the last word.

There wasn’t much they could do to me that was worse than what my brothers or my parents ever did. I’m not scared off easily, especially when it deals with something that’s not their business. When I got outside, a loud clap of thunder sounded out before drops of rain began falling. I’d be running in the rain again.

This time I decided to head into the town and take a look at the other gyms. I wouldn’t go inside but at least peek in from the outside. When I passed the first one I went to before, Zane was standing outside with Brock. They were in a heated argument about something so my presence went unnoticed. I felt Zane’s eyes on me the second I passed, I kept running and he didn’t call out. A slight pang of disappointment flared through me but I held it down. He wasn’t worth my time.

I sent a text to Thad letting him know the other gyms were nothing special. They were both dirty and in very bad neighborhoods. No one seemed to be using them either, except for maybe a few guys. None of them looked like the people we’d want to attract to our gyms. Just people we’d want to fight at the docks.

My run lasted a few hours and when I got back I stopped in front of my door. It was open just a crack. I listened for any noise but nothing could be heard, except for silence. A shiver of fear gripped me when I remembered the last time I was in this situation. I ended up on the ground with my uncles’ fist on my head. Walking in on things as a kid in my childhood was more than just emotionally scarring. I placed a hand on the outside of the door and pushed it hard enough for the whole door to swing open. I stepped back, waiting for a bomb to go off but all that happened was a bucket of red pain falling from the top of the door. It fell to the ground and splashed into the room as I watched. Only one drop landed on my shoes, nothing that couldn’t be cleaned.

When I finally stepped into the room I noticed that it wasn’t in its usual state of fucked up with Mare’s shit scattered everywhere. It was worse. Our mattresses were flipped over and writing covered the walls. Words were written on the walls calling us names that we knew weren’t true. In fact, I was impressed at their colorful vocabulary. My clothing was thrown about the room and some even looked ripped up. I gave a laugh, they were good, but they didn’t know me.

“What the fuck!” I heard Mare scream from behind me. I turned around to her and she glared when she noticed my smile. “Why are you fucking smiling?!”

I wiped the smile off my face but it came back when I saw her so furious. “I’m sorry.” I laughed.

“What did you do?” she asked before stepping in the paint.

“Nothing. I just go there.” I waved to my running clothes and she took in the room.

“Then what happened?”

“I’m assuming Lisa’s friends. They cornered me at lunch and told me there would be consequences.” I rolled my eyes and looked around the room again.

“Why aren’t you freaking out, or angry? I would think you’d be angry.” She eyed be cautiously.

I just shrugged. “I learned a long time ago that to keep the things you hold closest to your heart safe, you don’t keep them anywhere you live. There’s nothing here I care about.”

Her eyes looked ready to bulge out of her head as she stared at me. “Well good for you but my stuff got ruined too. Stuff that I care about.”

Leaning over, she picked up a couple shirts that were ripped. A stifled scream left her throat as she took in the damage. I cursed myself for not handling the girl in the cafeteria like I should have. I’ll have to fix that. Mare pulled her phone out and dialed a number. I assumed it was Paul’s when I heard his voice rang out on the line.

“Babe, someone broke into our dorm.” She huffed. “I’m fine….yea… we need to stay with you guys….everything is ruined.” Her voice went down to a whisper and tears jumped into her eyes. I watched her but not without anger growing in my blood. They hurt my friend trying to hurt me. I’m thankful it was them and not The Five, this would have been much worse if had been.

“Thanks.” She mumbled and hung up the phone and looked to me. “We’re going to the house. Zane said it’s ok that we stay there.”

“Uhhh… if I don’t want to stay?” I asked but she shook her head.

“You’re staying and telling me what the hell happened.” The anger left her and she looked defeated.

“Fine.” I looped my arm through hers and we left the room with a few necessities.

Paul and Zane were waiting for us in the living room when we got to the house. I put my helmet on the table by the door and Paul swept Mare into a hug.

“What happened?” Zane asked as he watched the couple with a slight disdain.

“The girls that Lisa sent after me threatened me again. This time they acted.” I kept my eyes on Mares’ back.

“Are you ok?” he looked to me and touched my arm. I stepped back.

“I’m fine. Mare doesn’t seem like it though.” I looked back to her, ignoring his curious glance.

“I’ll be fine.” She turned to look at us.

“What are you guys doing here?” Gwen walked into the room and eyed me. She still didn’t like me but I could tell she was tolerating me more. And no, I didn’t care.

“Someone trashed our dorm room.” Mare turned to her.

Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. “Seriously?”

Gwen just nodded and anger danced in her eyes. “So what are we going to do then?”

“What do you mean?” I asked. The others walked into the room and stood around. I looked between all of them but they gave me a knowing look.

“To get back at them, what are we going to do?” she prompted this time and looked to Brock.

“None of you are doing anything.” I looked to all of them and landed on Zane. “I’ll handle it.”

“I don’t think you know who you’re messing with. The Strickland family aren’t kind people, they will try and break you.” Breann spoke up this time. She and Gwen could be twins if it wasn’t for the different skin color.

“You can’t break what’s already broken.” I held her gaze as her brows furrowed. “They came after me, Mare was collateral. This is my fight.”

I looked to Zane again, hoping he’d understand this time. He didn’t. I clenched my jaw and looked at the ground, I needed to leave. Maybe even run again. I turned towards the door and opened it. Mare said something but it wasn’t directed at me so I ignored it and took a step outside. Suddenly, I felt exhausted. The years of torment and this was supposed to be my escape. But here I am, getting tormented by school girls. I laughed.

“What’s funny?” Zane spoke in my ear. I almost jumped at how close he was.

“I’ve spent my life being hunted. And here I am, being hunted by little sorority bitches.” I stopped laughing and clenched my jaw.

His arm went to my waist, this time I stepped into him. His smell wrapped around me and cradled me to his chest. Another arm snaked around my waist and pulled me to him tighter.

“I want to hurt them.” I mumbled into his chest so only he could hear me.

His lips brushed against my ear as he spoke to me. “They’ll get theirs.”

I nodded and he released me. I grabbed the door to hold myself up as he walked back into the house. Closing it behind me, I shouldered past Gwen and followed Zane.

“Bell.” Gwen spoke. I stopped but didn’t turn to look at her. “I’m sorry for what I said.”

I looked to her this time and saw the uncertainty in her eyes.

“Mare and Zane both clearly care for you. That makes you part of this family.” Her voice was strained but she stepped closer to me. “Just don’t fuck it up.”

There wasn’t anything to say. I just looked to the group who seemed to agree with her. Mare watched me with tears in her eyes. Her words about me being like a sister finally hit me. They were a family even if they weren’t related. I suddenly missed Thad and Cher more than anything at the moment.

“I won’t.” I wish I could promise and swear on it, but I can’t because one day, I will fuck this up. I always do.

I turned to the stairs to see Zane standing in the shadow. There was a shine in his eyes that I couldn’t read but I couldn’t look away. Without another word I walked to him, holding his gaze. His hand went to my cheek, I could feel his breath against my forehead as he pressed a warm kiss to my head. I closed my eyes as I relished the fell of his lips on my skin and his hands on my waist.

“Go upstairs and get showered. I’ll get your stuff from the car.” I nodded and walked past him up the steps. My hand clenched the railing as I watched him walk away. He had a pull on me that I didn’t understand. It scared me more than my brothers did. Leaving him wasn’t something that would be easy if it came to it. It was going to fucking hurt.

Chapter

“What are you doing up?”

I turned around at the grumbled voice. It was well past midnight and the room was pitch black other than the filtering of moonlight through the windows. Blue glinted off of his bare chest but his face was covered by shadow. I already knew in my mind his hair was a mess and the lines from my fingers running through it allowed it to stand on end.

“I couldn’t sleep.” I whispered back.

The sheets ruffled and the bed gave a small squeak as he stood. His naked body turning a shade of blue from the moon light.

“So you’re looking at my drawings in the dark?” his hands wrapped around my waist, singeing my skin as they moved.

I leaned my back against his chest and my head on his shoulder. Sleep didn’t come easy sometimes. Tonight was one of those nights. Instead, I found myself drawn to the picture of the crow and the lantern, it was eerie but hopeful.

“I want to get one of them tattooed, if that’s ok with you?” I turned in his arms and wrapped mine around his waist. My cheek felt cool against the warmth of his chest while I listened to the thumping of his heart. It was strong and loud against my ear.

His hand brushed back my hair and tucked it behind my ear. “The crow?” he whispered down to me and I nodded. “Why?”

Lifting my head, I took one more look at it. My brothers were signified with animals and so was I. I was the black crow, the outsider, the loner, even the grim reaper. I was the one that would always be in the dark, as long as they lived. As long as I lived.

“It’s beautiful. The crow is surrounded by the dark but still finds the light. Even if there is no hope.” I whispered more to me than him.

His arms circled around me tighter and his lips pressed against my head. A sigh left his chest. “My best friend died, shortly after we graduated high school. Growing up, we were inseparable. We fought together, surfed together, we practically lived together. I hoped that he and Mare would end up together, he was the only one I ever trusted with her. I know he loved her but she was young.” He took in a hesitant breath. “Part of me died with him. I still feel him sometimes, like I know he’s watching and waiting.”

“You’re the crow and he’s the light?” I whispered. His heart beat was rising with every word. I placed a hand on his chest, hoping to slow it but it only sped up.

I felt him nod his head. “Since he died, I’ve been stuck in the dark. Gauge was the only good thing besides Mare. Shirley resents me, my father doesn’t know what to make of me. He and Mare were my family. I was never close to the others in the house, at least not until a year or so after he died. I was a wreck, Mare tried to fix me which is the only reason why I’m here.”

“How did he die?”

I shouldn’t have asked the question but I did. His entire body tensed and he stopped breathing. I only knew he was still alive because I could hear his heart hammering in his chest.

“In a fight.” His voice was tight. “The kid was angry he lost so when Gauge turned around he took a cheap shot to the back of his head. His brain was bleeding and we didn’t even know it, not until he didn’t wake up the next morning and the autopsy came back.”

His arms were almost painful around me as he remembered that night. The hammering of his heart picked up its pace, there was no slowing it down. The pain radiating from him stung me. I couldn’t say anything to make it better, from experience I know that no ones’ words will help.

“What happened to the kid?”

He let out a hollow laugh. “I went after him. Brock was with me and pulled me off of him before I could kill him. We had a few fights after that, I beat him to an inch of his life every time. I will again if I ever see him.”

It wasn’t a threat, it was a promise. One I hope he wouldn’t keep. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

A soft kiss was placed to my forehead. “The guy who did my tattoo is really good. We can go this weekend if you’d like.”

I smiled, even though the pain was still in his strained voice. “I’d like that.” I leaned my head back to see his face. “What do you need?”

He looked at me curiously. “What do you mean?”

“Right now, what do you need? A fight, sex?”

His eyes searched mine for a moment. His full lips were pressed into a firm line while his jaw worked itself. I only stood there, my naked body touching his, waiting for an answer. His chest lifted with a deep breath, I could feel its heat as he released it.

“Just you.” He gave a small shake of his head and led me back to the bed.

I had been expecting sex but he laid me down and curled his body around mine. My back against his chest. Every breath pushed him closer to me and with every exhale his body slowly left mine. His body shifted as he placed a gentle kiss to my neck.

“I can only sleep when you’re here.” He mumbled against my neck. “What keeps you awake?”

I stared at the wall and thought about his question. After a few moments I thought I could pretend to just be asleep but I’d feel guilty. Rolling myself over, I rested my forehead against his chest and wrapped my fingers around his sides.

“Everything.” I closed my eyes and could see small lights dancing back and forth. “I see their faces when I sleep. My parents dying, my Uncles blood on my hands. The threats and promises…The Five.”

“Who are they?” his thumb rubbed circles on my bare tummy. He warded off the chill but I could still feel it in my bones.

“My brothers.” I pulled in a shaky breath.

I could hear the gears working in his mind. “They scare you?” it was just as much a question as it was an observation. I only nodded. “Why? I’ve seen you fight, I didn’t think anything could scare you.”

I let out a small laugh. There was no humor behind it. “They blame me for everything bad in this world. Individually I can handle them, but together… they’re vicious and unforgiving. They work as a single unit destroying everything and anything. Thad is the only one who can dish it right back, just to keep the peace.”

His arms tightened around me in a small squeeze. I felt his fingers brush under my chin and lift my head. His eyes shone in the light, I could see the anger there, the helplessness. His lips pressed against mine.

“I won’t let anything happen to you, Bell.” He pressed another kiss against my mouth. “Gwen was right, you’re part of this family now too. We protect our own.”

His words spoke volumes to me. In many ways I wasn’t sure how to comprehend them. I knew my voice would be choked so I only nodded my head and snuggled into his chest. I hated people, I hate their touch, their words, but in this moment I craved his. I realized I always did because it was always so soft and kind. We had the ability to kill, to hurt, but in this moment we choose neither. Instead, we chose each other.

Chapter Nineteen

The next couple days went by in peace. I hadn’t run into the girls again but mainly because someone was constantly at my side. Right now it was Wes and Breann. They were a sweet couple, not as mushy as Mare and Paul and not nearly as tough as Brock and Gwen. The two of them respected each other and knew what the other was thinking without saying it. It was creepy but also admirable. They’ve been together the longest out of the group for about five years. I was curious what happened in their pasts. How they all came to be friends and lovers for this long. Tragedy brings people together and usually keeps them together. But with them being so happy, tragedy didn’t seem to be the answer.

“So what do you think?” Breann’s voice woke me from my day dream. We were sitting in the courtyard on a bench underneath a tree. I had no clue what we’d been talking about.

“About what?” I asked and her brown eyes rolled.

“The haunted house?”

“Oh, yea. I think it’s a good idea.” I couldn’t give a rat’s ass. If I’m being honest about it.

She rolled her eyes again but smiled. “I wish I could figure out what goes on in that head of yours. I’m used to everyone sharing, but you, you’re a mystery.”

She winked but I stared at her. I don’t share for a reason, I’m not about to start. I just shrugged in response.

“Are you going to stay for the party this weekend?” Wes asked me from over Breann’s head.

“I kind of live at the house now, I don’t think I have a choice.” Mare hadn’t stopped talking about how much fun it will be and how much fun I’ll have. Somehow I doubted it but I’d go to make her happy.

Breann laughed. “Not with Mare around. She’s a wild child when it comes to parties.”

“So I’ve heard.” I smiled.

“Can I ask you a question?” Breann looked concerned.

“Sure.” I said hesitantly. Questions were never good.

She looked nervously to Wes but then turned back to me. He was watching a couple kids playing football but it was obvious he was listening.

“Are you and Zane together?”

My heart slammed in my chest at his name. We’d spent the last few nights together, I don’t think I could get enough of him at this point. There was no definite answer to if we were together or not but I figured we’d shared enough secrets. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other inside the bedroom but outside, I think we did a good job of staying away. Even if it was physically painful to not touch him.

“I don’t know.” I answered honestly. She seemed almost relieved which only pissed me off.

“Do you want to be with him?” her eyebrows raised into her perfectly curled bangs.

“I don’t know.” I whispered. The thought scared me but I wanted him. I knew that. I’m sure they did too.

She just nodded with a small smile on her face. She knew I did, but she didn’t press me to say it. Brock and Gwen came into sight a moment later and took up spots next to us. Gwen sat on his lap and his large arms circled around her waist. I laughed whenever I saw them walk down the hall together, people split to the sides to let them through without touching them. The fear was apparent whenever they walked by people. Gwen seemed to like it but Brock hated every second of it.

“What’s going on?” Gwen chirped. She’d been cordial to me after our little ‘chat’. The hostility was gone and we actually got along.

“We were talking about the haunted house and then about the beach party this weekend.” Breann spoke up. I was thankful she didn’t mention Zane.

“Oh, I was thinking we should do like a vampire lab thing in the basement for the kids.” Gwen smiled as he thought the idea aloud. “We can pretend to operate on someone but have all the doctors carrying long straws so when they open him they drink the blood.”

“They’re kids, Gwen, we can’t terrorize them.” Wes leaned forward.

“I know that. The straws would be the humor part. We could even have the person they are operating on have a straw and drink from himself.”

“I’m with Gwen.” I pointed my thumb to her as I looked to Breann and Wes. “It would be funny. Besides, aren’t you supposed to scare them anyway?”

Breann nodded and thought to herself for a moment. “I’ll start on the costumes. We’ll have to glue some straws together and make edible blood. It has to look real.”

“What are you going to be?” Gwen looked to me. They all had their costumes planned out. I had never dressed up for Halloween before, I didn’t plan on starting now.

“I probably won’t. The haunted house is your thing, I don’t want to intrude.”

I was lying to myself if I thought that would work. “You’re one of us now. You will be there and you will dress up.” Breann smiled. “I have my costume from last year, you can wear that.”

Brock let out a low groan. “Zane isn’t going to like that. If you dress her up you deal with him.”

Breann narrowed her eyes. “He’ll be fine. Besides, the man needs to be jealous.”

“Why’s that?” Gwen asked looking between us.

I did not want to be here for this. “I have to go to class.” I went to stand but an arm jerked me back down.

My glare met Breann’s pinched lips. “He needs to realize how much he wants Bell. And you’re last class was two hours ago.” She gave a smile and I rolled my eyes.

“He doesn’t want me and he doesn’t need to be jealous. Brock is right, you can deal with him.” I lied through my teeth.

She crossed her arms and smiled. “You’re lying and I will.” She winked. “Don’t worry.”

This time it was my turn to groan.

“Please don’t meddle.” Wes mumbled to her. She just patted his arm and whispered something inaudible to him. He rolled his eyes and sighed but placed a hand around her shoulders and planted a kiss to her head.

“What were you for Halloween last year?” I asked Breann.

She smiled wickedly. “A playboy bunny.”

My mouth fell open and she laughed. That’s not happening. “I’m not wearing that. I’ll figure out a different costume.”

She shook her head. “Too late.”

She hopped up and grabbed Wes’s hand to follow. We watched them walk away and I looked to Gwen and Brock.

“I’m not going to be a playboy bunny.” I shook my head.

Gwen smiled and nodded. “You’ve met Mare. Breann is worse.”

I groaned again. “Fuck.” I stood and grabbed my bag. “I’m going back to the house. Maybe drown myself in the pool.”

They laughed and waved a goodbye as I walked to the parking lot. My bag fell off my shoulder as I stuffed it into the compartment under the seat on my bike. The two books I carried settled on top, allowing me to slam the seat down shut.

“Hey.”

My heart jumped but I remained collected as I met Zane’s’ eyes from over my bike. He was casually leaning against his car with his hands in his jeans.

“Hey.” I answered as we stared at each other. Our gazes were intense, so were the feelings.

A moment later, he pushed himself off his car and came up beside me. A finger skimmed my leg, just under my shorts.

“Do you always wear shorts?”

I nodded. “They’re comfortable and easy to move in.”

A finger turned into a hand as he grabbed my leg. His other hand went to my waist and my side was pulled into his chest. My hands went to his arm. His skin was smooth and warm. The muscles underneath flexed against my palm.

“Get a room!” a kid yelled in the parking lot. We both looked up to see a small group walking through the cars, laughing.

Zane opened his mouth but closed it. A low growl escaped his throat instead.

“We are all heading to the beach for the rest of the afternoon.”

“They didn’t say anything before. I was just with them.” his hands were still on me and I panted in his arms. I hated losing control but losing it to him was worth it.

“I wanted you to ride with me so I told them not to say anything.”

I laughed. “I would have ridden with you no matter what.”

“I didn’t want an argument.” His eyebrow raised as he looked down at me. Black hair covered one of his eyes and his forehead. Brown eyes smiled and me while his lips taunted me.

“You wouldn’t have gotten one.” I smiled and planted a kiss to his chest. I could feel his heard hammering against my lips.

“Let’s go.” He gave me a swift kiss on the lips and headed to his car. “I’ll drive.”

“I’ll take my bike to the house.” I smiled in answer to his narrowed eyes.

He grabbed the bottom of my shorts and pulled me towards him. “I thought you weren’t going to give me a fight?”

I smiled and stepped into him. “I’ll ride with you to the beach. I’ll drive my bike to the house. If I leave it here those girls might do something to it.”

His face grimaced but he nodded. I knew he blamed himself for what happened to our dorm. Where I didn’t care, Mare did. She gave him hell for it, telling him he needed to stop ‘slutting around.’

“I know. How about you drive my bike and I’ll drive your car.” I gave him a wink and a wide smile. When it came to speed, I was a junkie. Something told me he knew that and something else told me his car was ridiculously fast.

A laugh escaped him. “I’ll meet you at the house.” He planted a swift kiss to my lips and stepped to his car. I placed a hand on my bike to keep myself standing.

I put my helmet over my head and threw my leg over. He peeled out of the parking lot and I followed after him. It only took a few moments to get to the house but when we did everyone was in the driveway loading up the cars. Brock’s jeep was filled with coolers and Pauls’ car had umbrellas and chairs being shoved into the trunk. I parked my bike off to the side and pulled my bag and books out. Zane stopped to talk with the guys and I headed into the house. The girls were in the kitchen making sandwiches and mixing drinks.

“Classic.” I laughed as I walked in.

“What?” Mare asked. All eyes were on me.

“The guys outside doing the heavy lifting while the ladies of the house are making sandwiches.” Gwen coughed a laugh and Mare glared. Breann just hummed while she smothered mayonnaise over pieces of bread.

“Go get changed into your bikini.” Mare swatted my ass and shooed me out the door.

Zane was standing in his room when I got up there. He was shirtless and rifling through drawers. I stood in the doorway and watched him move around. A smile danced across his lips but never broke into a full smile. His muscles jumped and pulled with every movement. For a guy, he was fucking beautiful.

“You never smile.” I spoke up, he froze and he looked to me. He had a pair of black swim trunks in his hand.

“I do too.” he stood up straighter.

I shook my head. “The only smiles you don’t fake are the small ones. Like the one you just had before I started talking.”

Hurt flashed through his eyes but quickly changed. His jaw clenched and he took in a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” I whispered. The air had gone cold around him and his hand fisted the shorts he was holding.

He dropped the shorts to the floor and stalked over to me. An arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me to him. “You didn’t. You just surprise me, that’s all.”

A sad smile crossed his face. I placed my arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. My lips planted a kiss against his neck. I could feel the blood coursing through the large vein that pulsed there.

“Hurry up!” Mare yelled up the stairs, breaking us apart.

He breathed a laugh, pulling a hand through his hair. “Come on.”

I walked over to the suitcase I had brought over and pulled out my bikini. Quickly undressing, I slid on the bottoms and then tied on the top. I walked into the bathroom and pulled my hair into a pony tail. The thickness kept it from staying on top of my head and made it sag a little. I decided a braid would be easier so I undid the tie and quickly crossed the strands into a long French braid. When I was done, I took in my appearance. My tattoo fully showed through my bikini top. I ran my eyes over it but shrugged away the dread that tried to consume me. The animals twisted together and haunted me, laughing.

“You look sexy as fuck.” I met Zane’s eyes in the mirror. My bikini was black with red thorny roses twisting over it. The halter band was thick so my boobs were held up higher, giving me more cleavage than I needed. The bottoms were a little smaller than I remembered so they hugged my ass cheeks and showed the muscle I had in my legs. My abs were more distinguished and the V of my hips was noticeable since the bikini bottoms hung so low. Zane ran a hand down my stomach and stopped at my hips.

“I’m going to end up hurting someone today.” He mumbled as he looked at my body.

I caught his gaze and held it in the mirror. My hands went to his and I gave them a small squeeze. “I’ll be with you the whole time. No one needs to get hurt.”

He gave a smile, not a real one, and nodded. “We’ll see.” He planted a kiss to my shoulder and smacked my ass before walking out of the bathroom. I laughed at the change in his behavior as I followed him out. I threw on my shorts and a lose tank top.

“We usually clean up and go to dinner out there so bring something nicer to wear.” He smiled at me before grabbing his bag and walking down the steps.

Mare and I had gone shopping the day before to replace the clothing we lost. She picked out most of my clothes, like Cher always did, so I picked through everything to find something appropriate. I grabbed a pair of skinny jeans and grey ankle boots. She got me a loose tank top that was black and had a glittered collar, it supposedly was ‘high class’ and would make me look ‘sophisticated and wealthy.’ I rolled my eyes when Mare’s voice echoed in my head. Zane appeared a second later and grabkbed the bag from my hand. His other hand went to my waist and pulled me into him again so he could plant another kiss to my forehead.

“We could stay you know.” I mumbled against his chest. His scent intoxicating me.

He laughed and shook his head. “Not with Mare on our heels.”

I laughed too as we both jumped into motion. “Fuck. Let’s go.”

When we finally made it down the steps, everyone was in the living room in bikinis and board shorts. They all looked relieved when they saw us and headed towards the door. Breann and Wes climbed into Brocks jeep with Gwen while Mare and Paul took their own car. A couple surf boards were strapped to the roofs of all the cars. I climbed into Zane’s car and pulled on my seatbelt.

“You guys surf?” I asked as he threw my bag in the back and got in.

“Yea. We all grew up on the shoreline.” He flashed a white smile and gave me a wink before bringing the car to life. “I’ll teach you.”

“I know how to surf.” He looked at me surprised but shook his head.

“Of course you do.” He mumbled to himself.

My smile fell and I furrowed my brow. “What do you mean?”

A hand reached out and touched my cheek. “You’re kind of fucking perfect.”

There was uncertainty in his eyes and his voice was a whisper. My mouth opened to speak but a loud honk pulled us apart. We looked to see Brock waving a hand in annoyance. Zane put the car in reverse and we backed out into the street and drove towards the highway. It was still early afternoon so we had plenty of day light to spend at the beach. Neither of us spoke as we drove. The others played car tag as they danced around each other in the lanes. People honked and flipped us off but Zane laughed and sped off. We got to the beach about an hour later and drove straight onto the sand. There were tons of people and bars lined the shore. Music filtered through the air from each bar. People danced on the bar porches and some on the sand.

“This is our favorite place to come. We grew up around here so we know just about everyone.” Zane looked at all the people as we drove down the beach.

I stared out the window at the people until the car turned into an open area. We were between to large homes that were surrounded by the beach bars. The other two groups pulled up on either side of us and everyone hopped out. I unbuckled my belt and went to get out, Zane’s hand on mine stopped me.

“Today you’re mine. OK?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” I asked in reply as I settled back into my seat.

His jaw clenched and he looked at the houses we parked by. “I know you can handle yourself, but the guys here will try and get with you. Especially if they know you’re here with me but not actually with me.”

“I don’t want any trouble.” I laced my fingers through his. I didn’t want to be defiant or strong, I was tired of it. “I don’t think being yours would be a bad thing anyway.”

Surprise crossed his face but a smile followed next. It was a proud smile, one that showed victory. He leaned across the seat and planted a kiss on my lips. I ran my hands through his hair and deepened the kiss. I was about to climb over to his lap when a knock sounded on his window. I looked up to see and expectant Mare. A string of curses left Zane’s mouth before he unbuckled himself and got out. I followed after him.

Brock and Gwen were talking to a few new comers while they set up the coolers. A few more trucks pulled in and parked around our cars. Breann was talking to some girl who eyed me curiously as I stood out of Zane’s car. I didn’t give her much of glance before moving on. Wes helped Paul pull the boards off his car then off of Brock’s. They jumped into their wetsuits, which I would have taped if given the chance. They jumped around like teenage girls trying to fit into their skinny jeans, everyone got a good laugh. When they got to the water, I watched them glide over the waves with an ease that surprised me. Paul was rather clumsy and a little gawky but he was a very good surfer.

“Beer?” I turned to see Zane holding out a bottle to me. It was dripping from the melted ice of the cooler.

“Sure.” I grabbed the beer and let him pop the top off before I took a pull from the bottle. It was bitter and cool.

The beer in my mouth almost hit the sand when I felt Zane’s hand snake around my waist. No matter how often he touched me it still burned. A few people walked by, giving us surprised glances, some were even disappointed. I smiled inwardly at the thought of people being jealous.

“I don’t bite…hard.” He positioned himself behind me and smiled at my tension. I rested my head against his chest as I watched Paul and Wes sit on their boards in the water, waiting for the next wave.

“I do.” I gave a small wink, grinding my hips against him. I heard him choke on his beer and his hand tighten on my waist. “Sorry.”

I mumbled to him but he shook his head. “I like it.”

A kiss was planted to my cheek and I looked over to see the girl Breann was talking to staring at us. She looked stunned and almost to tears.

“Who is that?” I turned to Zane who looked in her direction and shook his head.

“That’s Daniella. She’s Breann’s sister.”

I gave a small nod and turned back to the girl. She was petite in her neon blue bikini. From a distance I couldn’t tell the resemblance between the sisters.

“You don’t need to worry about her.” He mumbled in my ear when he noticed I was still staring at her.

I laughed. “Trust me, I’m not.”

I leaned back into him and we watched the people around us. Every now and then people would come over to talk with Zane and meet me. I decided after the sixth girl to pull away and find Mare. They had been trying to flirt with him, even when his arm was around me, I wasn’t jealous but it was pathetic. The next girl that tried I’d probably say something stupid and it wouldn’t end well. I wanted to have fun, to drink, party, and enjoy the fact that I’m only twenty for the little time I have left.

Chapter

“So what do you think?” Mare looped her arm through mine as we walked towards the water. The sun was finally beginning to hang low in the sky casting out a rainbow of warm colors across the ocean. We both spent too much time in the sun so the cooler air and water was a nice break.

“It’s nice.” I smiled to her as the water surrounded our feet. The waves gently lapped at our toes and our ankles while the sand tried to suck us in. “I didn’t realize it would be such a big thing.”

I looked back to the cars. There was a small crowd of about fifteen people. They were all talking and drinking. A few guys were carrying blocks of wood while some others started to dig a large hole into the sand. We had ventured down the beach a little ways but still in seeing distance of our group. I noticed there weren’t many kids but just couples. All of which seemed fairly young. We both laughed as we watched Brock sneak up behind Gwen and throw her in the air. She screamed out but immediately started yelling at him when he caught her. Her hands smacked against his large chest a few times before she smiled and he drew her in for a kiss.

“We do a bonfire when the sun goes down, after we have dinner.” Mare shrugged. “It’s a beach tradition.”

I turned to speak to Mare when a large arm circled around my shoulder and the other circled Mare’s. I ducked down and stepped out of reach. My gut twisted at the touch and I was instantly on alert.

“Baby Maren, aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?” the kid talked to Mare but watched me. There were a few other kids standing behind him, all smiling down at me. Some of them eyed my tattoo, others let their eyes linger elsewhere.

“Fat chance, Nathan.” Mare stepped next to me and crossed her arms. Her boobs pushed up, taking the attention off me and on to her. “She’s here with my brother.”

He raised an eyebrow as he looked at me. He was muscular but still very slim and ridiculously tan. It was obvious he spent more time at the beach than anywhere else.

“Really?” A smile played on his lips as he looked over to the crowd. “It doesn’t look like that to me. What about you boys?”

They all nodded their head in agreement. I looked to the crowd and saw Zane shaking off Daniella. I wasn’t annoyed or jealous, honestly I didn’t care, at all. Mare on the other hand, looked about ready to ruin someone.

“So what’s your name?” I turned to Nathan and smiled.

“Bell.”

“Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” He smiled and stepped closer to us.

Mare’s eyes bugged out and her mouth fell open. Her arms went to her sides as she stared between the two of us. Probably pissed I didn’t back away.

His hand reached out and brushed against my tattoo. “That’s some awesome ink. Where’d you get it done?”

“Nowhere you’ve heard about.” I smiled sweetly. He played into it and stepped forward.

“Why don’t we go somewhere and you can tell me about it?” he leaned into me. The guys around him stared as us and Mare looked like she was about to cry.

I opened my mouth but closed it. There was no way he was actually serious.

“Do you need to ask mommy and daddy first?” he asked, nodding his head to Mare.

Mare scoffed and tried to say something but one of the guys pushed her aside before she could talk. I heard her tell him to get off of her but he just laughed. I narrowed my eyes and stepped closer to Nathan. Anger tingled in my belly as I clenched my fists. I kept my face calm. Thad always told me to hide my anger from those that want to hurt me or my loved ones. If they know I’m angry, they know they’ve won.

“Mommy and Daddy are dead.” I faked a small pout. I could see Mare in my peripherals, a guy had his hand around her arm and she looked angry.

A cocky smile spread across his face as he registered my words. “So then you don’t need to ask anyone. Let’s go.”

He grabbed my arm and I landed a blow to his diaphragm with my free arm. A small pain shot through my shoulder but I held it back. His body hunched in front of me and he gulped for air.

“Where I hit you, causes your diaphragm to spasm, keeping your lungs from taking in any air.” I struck him again in the same spot. A wheeze left him as he tried to suck in more air. “There’s no need to try and breathe, it won’t come. You have to wait it out calmly.” I smiled as his tan face turned a deep shade of red. I jabbed again and leaned into his ear. “The more you struggle the worse it gets.”

A couple of the guys stepped towards me and I looked to Mare. Relief spread across her face but there was still fear lingering in her gaze. We weren’t far from the main group be we were far away enough that we couldn’t be heard or possibly noticed. It was three against one, not the best odds but I’ll give it a shot.

“Let her go.” I said to the kid holding her arm. He scowled and let her go with a shove. A scream escaped her as she fell into the water. “You had to do that, didn’t you?”

He stalked over to me with a smile. Nathan regained his composure, it was now four against one. Even worse odds than before. I smiled at Nathan and faked a jab, his body flinched and his hand reacted. Before he could strike me his body flew back and the others stepped away from me. Paul was helping Mare out of the water and Zane was going after Nathan. Nathans’ head flew back as Zane landed a strong punch to his cheek. When one of the others went after Zane, I turned on him before he could more than two steps. My hand jabbed the side of his neck and my knee struck the inside of his thigh. He fell to the ground coughing. I heard Mare shout and I turned around to see Zane being held back by the two other guys while Nathan struck a blow to his gut.

That was all it took. I walked over to Nathan as he planted another blow. I grabbed his fist before he could throw it. He froze and stared at me, a smile spread across his face. Zane was hunched over but his strained eyes watched me as the other guys held him back. He nodded to me and I looked back to Nathan. He was ready to land a punch on me when I ducked down and lunged forward. My knee connected just above his and my fist landed on his diaphragm again. Switching my stance, I landed another knee to the inside of his thigh and an elbow to his cheek. I’d feel my fucking shoulder in the morning.

I looked back to the other two guys while Nathan sunk to the ground. “Who’s next?” I gave them a smile and they released Zane and stepped back. A growl came from Zane as he kicked one kid and punched the other. They tried to step away but he grabbed their necks and slammed their heads together.

“This is my territory Nathan. I’ve given you too many warnings.” Zane spoke through clenched teeth. “If I see you here again, or if you touch my girl again, I’ll kill you.”

Mare stood with her hand over her mouth and horror in her eyes while Paul rubbed her arms. I had almost forgotten they were even there. And with one look at Paul’s scared face, I now understood why Zane didn’t like him. I shouldn’t have been the one fighting, he should have been. If I wasn’t here, Zane would be beaten bloody in the sand. I could feel the rage building in me again but stronger this time. Paul couldn’t protect her, he wouldn’t.

I opened my mouth to say something to him, I don’t know what but it wouldn’t have been nice. My mouth clamped shut when I felt an arm snake around my waist. There was no feeling of disgust this time, no alarms going off in my mind. Just a sense of belonging and warmth. I knew it was Zane without having to look.

“Are you ok?” I turned in his arms and ran my hands over him. There were some red spots that would bruise but nothing looked broken.

“I’m fine.” He smiled and kissed my forehead. When his hand went to my shoulder I just shook my head, it was nothing to worry about. “Let’s get back.”

The four of us walked back into the small crowd. Brock looked at us with wide eyes but Zane shook him off. Paul and Mare sat on the bed of someone’s truck, each with a beer in their hands. I watched as Mare finished it in one gulp.

“I get why you don’t like Paul with her.” I mumbled to Zane. We were on the opposite side of the crowd from anyone in our group. We both watched Mare lean into Paul with a look of indifference.

“They wouldn’t be together if we hadn’t known him our whole lives. He’s like a brother but I don’t trust him to protect her.” His body was tense but his voice sounded numb. I knew Gauge was on his mind at that moment.

I turned myself in his arms and glanced up at him. I ran a finger along his jaw which was now covered in day-old stubble. It was dark and made him look fierce, almost scary.

I nodded. “Why was she all over you?” I pointed a look towards Daniella who was now talking with Gwen. A sad look crossed her features as Gwen pulled her into a hug.

A small smile turned up his lips. “She used to be part of our group, everyone thought we’d end up together like the others.” His shoulders lifted in a shrug. “It didn’t work out that way.”

“Are you jealous?” he asked after a moment of silence.

I shook my head. “No. Just curious I guess.”

He smiled unbelievingly but I didn’t care. If he thought I was jealous it didn’t matter, I knew he was still there with me regardless of what the girl wanted.

“I’m sorry about Nathan.” His voice was low and deep in my ear. That alone did things inside me that I wasn’t proud of.

“What was his deal?” I kept my voice quiet like his.

His jaw clenched, I could feel the muscles working against the top of my head. “He’s Gauges’ little brother.” His voice was pained. “He blames me for what happened. Ever since then he’s been going after Mare. And now you.”

“Hey.” I spoke a little louder. He was seeing red and judging by the fists he had clenched, he was letting it affect him. “We handled him.”

His head shook. “He’ll be a problem again. Nathan isn’t one to just let it go.”

We stood in silence for a moment. There was a significant pile of wood nestled into the pit and people were bringing out chairs and coolers. Music sounded around us and people danced and laughed, but for me? Zane and I were the only two on the beach.

“Do you remember the other night when you told me I was family, and that family protects their own?” I turned my head to see him.

His nod was more of a jerking motion but I took it as a yes.

“You’re my family too. I protect my family, to the death if I have to. If he’s a problem, I’ll make sure that stops.” His mouth opened to object but I cut him off. “I get that he’s your best friends little brother, but he hurt you and he was going to hurt me and Mare. There’s a point where that needs to end, if you can’t get to that point, I will.”

His eyes met mine and the storm clouds settled within his. There was a choice there but if it was a decision between Nathan and Mare, he’d chose his sister every time. We can’t always make the hardest choices ourselves but others can make it for us. Even if we don’t agree, sometimes shit just needs to be done. Zane planted a rough kiss to my forehead and rested his chin on my head.

Chapter

When the sun went down we all headed into one of the houses. Most of the party left but a few stuck around, namely Daniella. She eyed me with anger but never said a word. Breann noticed the tension so she kept her away from me. The guys we fought on the beach didn’t show up again which was a relief. Watching Zane being held back while someone hit him made me want blood. I held back because Mare was watching in horror the whole time. But if it came to it, I’d end the kid.

The house we were in was large and the perfect beach house. The walls were a coral pink and pictures of sailboats and birds lined the walls. Seashells decorated small corners where pictures wouldn’t fit. Zane and I were in a room on the second level, I was staring at a picture of him and his family. He had to be a teenager and Mare was even younger. He had her in a head lock while their parents laughed in the background. Zane and his dad could almost be twins while Mare looked almost nothing like her mom back then. It make me curious what her dad really looked like.

“I was fourteen when they took that. It was the last day of our first summer here.” Zane stared at the picture over my head. I turned around to look at him. “Supposedly, having a house on the beach only a few miles from our actual home was a vacation.”

“You look happy.” My hand went to his shirt. He was wearing a black t-shirt that stretched across his chest and a pair of low slung jeans. My mouth watered.

“We were.” He nodded and looked down at me. “You look beautiful.”

“Mare didn’t approve of what I brought so she gave me this.” I waved down at myself. When I walked out in my jeans and tank top she shoved me back in the room and threw a small black dress at me. It was sleeveless so my tattoo showed. The waist was cinched and the skirt flared out over my legs. It ended about mid-thigh so there was no surprise when Zane stroked his hand on my leg.

“I like it.” he breathed and planted a kiss to my lips. This one wasn’t swift, or hard but slow and soft. It built the need inside of me until I was begging for more. His tongue met mine and he pulled me closer to him.

“You two need to come up for air at some point.” We turned to see Mare staring at us with her arms crossed. Her sunburned face staring at us disapprovingly. “I have heels for you.”

“I have sandals.” I wined but she ignored me and threw a pair of black stiletto pumps at me and walked away.

I looked to Zane for help but a smile was stretched across his face as he stared at the heels. I growled this time and slid them on. We were now eye to eye, well more like my eyes to his nose but that was a huge step up from forehead to chin. He stepped back and looked me up and down appreciatively, he went to speak when a whistle sounded out.

“You better keep your girl close tonight, Kingston.” One of the kids that hung around, stood in the doorway.

“Neko.” Zane warned.

The kid threw his hands up defensively. “I’m just saying man. I know she’s yours, but they won’t.”

Neko turned and walked out and we followed. It took me a few steps to realize how high these heels really were. Zane let out a small laugh and grabbed my hand to keep me steady. When we got out to the group Mare gasped.

“I’m so proud of myself right now.” she squealed and pressed a hand to her mouth. She wore a loose pink dress that hugged all the right places. Her bright pink wedges matched the dress and her sun burnt face perfectly.

“You should be.” Breann breathed in agreement as she eyed me. We were all in dresses and heels while the boys sported t-shirts and jeans. I couldn’t help but be jealous of them.

I heard a small snort and turned to Daniella. The anger left her when she noticed me watching her. Everyone in the room stopped speaking and the air froze around us.

“I’m Bell.” I nodded to her and she lifted her chin.

“Daniella.” She bit out. Her hair was cut the same as Breann’s, long with very short bangs. The only difference between them was that Daniella was much tanner and a little shorter. Other than that, they looked like sisters.

“Let’s go.” Neko announced from the door and we all walked out the front.

The guys had pulled their cars around front so we all piled in our respective cars and followed in a long line down the road. The beach could be seen between the bars and homes that lined the street. Music was playing from each of them but when we turned the corner, louder music blared through the windows. There was a large building with an even larger porch that stood over the beach. People were outside dancing and laughing while girls in bikinis served drinks and food to the diners.

“This looks like fun.” I smiled to Zane who squeezed my hand.

“It is.” He gave me a wink and ran over to my door to open it for me. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me out and into his chest. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.” I smiled to him and accepted the kiss he offered. My gut fell when I turned and saw Daniella watching us. She looked broken but picked herself up and turned into the bar when my gaze met hers.

People crowded around us as we made our way through the restaurant section of the bar. A large countertop circled the center of the room, half inside and half on the porch. Inside the circle were about five bartenders filling drink and food orders faster than they could move. All the tables were filled and the porch was filled railing to railing with people mingling and dancing. A live band had their own section off to one side so they had room to move around and dance themselves. A small group lingered inside their circle, I assumed it was either their groupies or just friends of the band. A hand guided me through the crowd and to a large table that overlooked the entire restaurant. Everyone had been seated and two were left for me and Zane.

“I think we’re overdressed.” I whispered in his ear but he shook his head.

“Just wait.” He whispered back and squeezed my knee.

When the waitress came by we all ordered our drinks. The guys got two large pitchers of beer and Mare ordered us a pitcher of sangrias, which I refused but not without a few annoyed glares from Mare. I watched everyone talk and laugh while we drank and waited for food. After about an hour, we finally had our food and the room was starting to clear.

“It’s time for the Night Tide. If you haven’t reserved your spot, get out!” a girl shouted from the bar. She was in a bikini and standing on the counter in front of a few hollering guys. The bartender behind her growled and grabbed her waist to help her down and away from the hungry stares.

The restaurant and porch cleared but a few people hung back. I noticed they were all dressed up instead of wearing their beach clothes. A few moments later a few large groups came in a seated themselves at the empty tables. A few greetings were shared between our group and the others but no one came over to our table. The band cleared up and another one took its spot on the porch. Moonlight filtered down on the porch turning it blue and the water beyond it black.

A few guitars were pulled out with some smaller instruments and a couple violins. They tested their instruments before they started playing a few small songs. The melody drifted through the bar relaxing the energy that buzzed through it. Zane’s hand went to my neck causing goose bumps to rise across my skin. I turned to him and smiled.

“Come.” He stood up and reached for my hand.

I looked to Mare and she just nodded so I grabbed his hand as he helped me stand. He led me out onto the porch where the music was a little louder and a few couples swayed to it. It had a Spanish edge to it that made it more sensual. His hand swung me around him and then brought me to his chest. His other hand went to my waist and pulled me tighter to him. We stared into each other’s eyes as we moved with the melody. I wasn’t one for dancing but I fell into his steps as he guided me with his hips.

My chest began to tighten and an emotion I didn’t recognize took over. It caused my heart to speed up and my breathing to shallow. Sweat beaded against my neck and I could feel it slicking my palms. The sound of the music faded away and all I could hear was the sound of Zane breathing. The feel of his heart beat beneath my chest. His gaze seared into me, taking away any wall I thought I had built up from him. I knew he could see me, all of me and I knew he accepted it. There was nothing but fondness and caring in his eyes, it hurt to see it.

He smiled proudly as he pushed me away from him and spun me under his arm before pulling me back to his chest. Our feet moved together with the rhythm of the music. Our eyes remained locked as we spun around the porch. His hand still gripping my back and his hips moving against mine. The only skin we had touching was our hands but I felt that need building in me. I wanted to pull his shirt off and take him to the beach. A smile spread across his features as if reading my mind. Breaking our stare, he leaned in a placed a kiss to my cheek.

“The music ended.” He whispered. I looked around and noticed we were alone on the porch. The band members were getting drinks from the bar and our table was watching us. Mares’ eyes were wide and Daniella looked like she was about to scream.

“I’m sorry.” I mumbled but he smiled and placed another kiss to my cheek.

We went and sat down. I gulped down my iced water and watched it get filled instantly by a waitress. They no longer wore bikinis but ripped jeans and T-shirts that said Jack’s Bar in ripped lettering.

“I didn’t know you could dance.” Mare asked from across the table. Everyone was either mumbling amongst themselves or watching me.

“I can’t.” I smiled and took another drink of my water. Her smile faltered but she put it back in place and started talking to Gwen about the haunted house.

Everyone talked around me but I ignored them. The only things I could pay attention to was Zane’s hand on my knee and Daniella’s stare ripping through me. Whenever I glanced at her she looked away but it was painfully obvious. After the third time she glanced away I stood up. Her face paled but I ignored her and stepped away from my chair.

“I’m going to go to the bathroom.” I whispered to Zane when he eyed me questioningly.

He nodded and pointed to the back of the room. I headed in that direction and found the bathroom right away. I was surprised to see the marble tiling the floor and covering the counter. It was pristine and didn’t compare to the actual restaurant which was all wooden floorboards covered in sand.

I did my business and walked over to the sink to wash my hands. My skin looked dry and slightly red from the sun but my tan skin kept me from looking burned. My hair fell over my shoulders with a slight wave to it from the braid it was in earlier. I turned on the hand dryer and watched the beads of water disappear on my skin. I turned to leave but stopped short when I came face to face with Daniella. She stood a few feet from me but she was watching me intently.

“Is everything ok?” I asked her cautiously.

Her lips parted as she shook her head. “I just don’t get it.”

“Get what?” I asked her. I was hesitant to start a conversation with her. I already had to deal with Lisa’s groupies, I didn’t want to deal with Breann’s sister.

“Why he likes you.” Her eyes remained on me as she spoke. Her voice was soft and kind but the words weren’t mean to be nice. “I mean you’re gorgeous, and from what I heard you can fight too. I’m sure he loves that.” She let out a hollow laugh.

“Why does it matter?” I asked her. Her eyes were running down my legs when I spoke, snapping them back up to mine.

“Because he was mine once.” She whispered. “We were supposed to go to school together and get married and have kids.”

Her eyes narrowed to gauge my reaction so I didn’t give her one. I just stood there and took in her words. It was his past, I had nothing to do with that so I didn’t understand what she was getting at. She could try and make me jealous, angry even, but it wouldn’t work.

“What happened?” I asked.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I was hoping you could tell me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Her mouth pinched into a line and she stepped forward, her heel clicking against the tile. “So you two are together and he hasn’t told you anything about me?”

I nodded. “He hasn’t said a word about you.” That wasn’t entirely true but I felt spiteful in that moment.

Anger flared in her eyes. “I was the love of his life. We were supposed to end up like the others and one day he just looked at me and told me it was over. There was nothing in his eyes, just this fucking blank stare that was so cold. He was like that every time we talked afterwards, even when we fucked after that, he was just cold. Until tonight, I don’t even think he looked at me the way he looks at you.”

She was standing directly in front of me now. I could feel her breath on my face as she spoke. Her teeth were clenched and tears welled into her eyes. Her frustration grew as I stood there staring at her.

“He’s going to do it to you too. He’ll dump you and leave you behind like nothing. You can’t change him.” her hands balled into fists at her sides.

“I’m not trying to change him.” I narrowed my eyes as I looked at her. “If he leaves then he leaves, there’s nothing I’ll be able to do to stop it.”

A slice of pain cut through my chest at the thought but I didn’t let her see it. I held her gaze and kept a poker face until she cracked. A tear fell down her cheek and she stumbled back a few steps.

“I’m sorry for what he did to you, but I had nothing to do with it.” I stared at her for a moment longer before I stepped around her and headed for the door.

“I wanted to hate you.” I stopped with my hand on the door and turned to her. Her voice was strained as she chocked on the words. “I just want him to be happy and he is with you. I’m sorry for being so rude tonight.”

I stepped towards her and shook my head. “You haven’t done anything. I don’t blame you for wanting to hate me.”

Her shoulders sagged and she leaned her forehead to my shoulder. My body tensed but I placed my arms around her while she cried. I don’t know how long we stood there but when Mare walked in she froze and her eyes went wide.

“What’s going on?” she asked as she looked between the two of us.

Daniella lifter her head and wiped her tears. I grabbed a napkin so she could blow her nose. She mumbled her thanks and let out a breath through her nose. We could hear the snot clump into the tissue and I took a step back as she tossed the napkin and washed her hands.

“We had a heart to heart.” I tried not to sound uncomfortable but I know I looked it.

“And?” Mare prompted as she looked between us.

Daniella sighed. “She’s perfect.” Her words were still choked but she walked past Mare and out into the bar. Music filtered through the door but stopped when it closed.

Mare looked at me questioningly. “I don’t know what you want me to say so just tell me.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re so receptive.” She joked. “What did she say to you?’

I shrugged. “She didn’t get why Zane is with me. Then she told me about when they split up.”

A cloud covered Mare’s eyes and she looked away. There was a story there, not one I could ask about. Something told me it had to deal with Gauge.

“Mare?” she pulled her gaze to mine. “You don’t need to say anything. Whatever happened can’t be changed, I don’t need to know anything.”

She smiled and hugged me. I was getting really tired of the touching. “You really are perfect. It’s like you just understand everything.”

It’s not that I understand, it’s that I don’t care. I returned her hug and kept my mouth shut. The door flew open and Zane looked at me curiously. His brow furrowed when I smiled and he saw Mare holding me tightly.

“I’ll leave you two be.” Mare released me and tiptoed from the room. The door shut the door firmly behind her.

I heaved a sigh. “Can we skip the ‘are you Okays’ and go back out there?”

He smiled. “Yes.” I stepped forward but he wrapped a hand around my waist, halting me. “Are you ok, though?”

I narrowed my eyes but gave up the attempt. “Daniella worked herself up, I just listened.”

His eyes glared at me for a moment. When he was satisfied I was telling the truth, he kissed my cheek and led me out to the bar. Our table was now empty and I noticed everyone out on the porch dancing to the music. It was a faster tempo and I laughed as I saw Mare and Paul stumbling around with two left feet. Or four for that matter.

“They need some help.” I said to Zane as we stood just under the overhang and watched them stumble.

“They need more than that.” He said to me over the music. He turned away for a moment and turned back with two cups in his hand.

I grabbed the one he offered to me and peered inside.

“It’s sweet tea, no alcohol.” He smiled and I took a sip. It was cold and very sweet. It tasted lightly of peaches with a little bitterness from the brewed tea.

“It’s delicious.” He gave a knowing nod and took a sip of his own drink. I could smell the whiskey in the glass and almost asked him for a drink. With the events of the day I could use one but decided I didn’t need it.

“Having fun?” Wes shouted as he came up beside us. I looked around for Breann but he nodded to the dancing crowd and I saw her with her sister. They were both twirling and smiling. Their hands were laced together and their hips moved with the beat.

I only nodded to Wes before he cursed and walked out to Breann. A guy had taken notice of the sisters and decided to make himself the center of the sandwich. Wes shoved the guy out of the way and stood behind Breann like a body guard while she danced with her sister. He kept a hand on her waist but didn’t move while he sipped his drink with the other hand. I laughed when a couple of guys gave him threatening looks but quickly turned away when he scowled and flexed his large arms.

“Let’s head back. The bonfire should be getting started soon.” Zane leaned in to speak with me. I was about to agree when his drink went flying from his hand and Nathan stood in front of him. A scowl on his face.

I stepped in front of Zane and faced Nathan. His hands went to my waist and I could feel him tense. His fingers dug painfully into my sides but as long as he didn’t move me I didn’t care. I could feel the growl Zane let out, the music and laughing was too loud to hear anything. Nathan sneered at both of us, his posse standing behind him. A large bruise marked his face where I struck him earlier.

“Not in your territory anymore, Kingston.” Nathan smiled.

“You’re in mine.” A voice shouted and our heads turned toward a tall man. He was in a t-shirt and shorts with shaggy blonde hair. His build was similar to Zane’s. He looked confident and controlled.

“Jack.” Zane nodded and held his hand out. I breathed out in relief as his fingers released my waist. Zane laughed and looked down to me. “This is Bell. Jack is the owner of the bar.”

I shook Jack’s hand and prayed he didn’t recognize me like I recognized him. Instead I looked back to Nathan with narrowed eyes. A snarl marred his face as he stared at us.

“I kicked you out Nathan. That wasn’t temporary, you need to leave.” Jacks voice was loud as he spoke. We received another glare from Nathan before he and his buddies turned and walked away. “Sorry about them, they still haven’t dropped their balls yet.”

I watched them leave, Nathan threw another glance our way before exiting the door. Zane laughed with Jack while they talked for a few more moments and while I stared at the door. I felt the attention turn to me but my eyes were still trained on the door

“What’s wrong?”

I looked up to Zane. I still had my back to him so I had to turn to meet his eyes. I had hoped today would go smoothly after earlier but it wouldn’t, I could hope now it would stay that way, but I knew deep down it wouldn’t. I heard Jack say something to Zane before I spoke.

“Your car.” He didn’t understand.

“What about it?”

I nodded my head towards the door. “I’ll bet you they’re doing something to it.”

Just then a girl ran in the door and barreled through the crowd towards us. She practically tackled Jack as she stopped in front of us, out of breath. Her perfectly manicured finger pointed towards the door while she tried to catch her breath. I heard Zane bite out a few curses before turning towards the door. I followed in my heels while Jack thundered behind me.

I stopped outside the door when we got out there, long scratches ran up and down his car. The tires were flat and a kid was about to take a swing with a bat at the windshield. I don’t know what the deal was with his car and bats but they had a seriously abusive relationship. Zane shot forward and tackled Nathan to the ground. Jack followed after him and grabbed the kid with the bat before he could swing on the car. He took the small end and popped him in the face with it. The girl from before stood beside me as we watched the commotion. I thought about going out there and helping but they had it under control.

“What’s going on?” I turned to see Brock walking out the door. I pointed to Zane and the others and he bit out a curse and went in. The guys that they were fighting froze when they saw Brock. Zane and Nathan rolled on the ground sharing punches while Brock took out the other two and Jack continued to go after the kid with the bat. When Nathan rolled over Zane and cocked a hand back to land a punch I stepped forward and grabbed his arm.

“I wouldn’t do that.” I warned him but he turned to me and smiled. Blood dripped from his nose into his teeth. When he shook my hands off his arm to punch I grabbed his nose. I could feel the bones crunch under my hand, Zane had broken it. Nathan yelled out and I pulled his nose, his whole body followed. He stayed on his knees but climbed off of Zane. Shouts and curses kept coming from his mouth while I walked with him towards the street. My fingers were slick with his blood but I kept my hold. When he tried to grab my legs I squeezed and pushed my hand in, the bones ground together and he let out a loud yell.

He fell to his hands when I released him. His hands went to his nose and his eyes slammed shut. “You’re a fucking cunt.” He growled.

Picking up my leg, I kicked him in the face with the toe of my pump. His whole body flew back so he was flat on the ground. I placed a foot on his chest when he tried to stand, the stiletto pushed into his diaphragm.

“I don’t care what you call me. I do care when you attack me or my friends.” I leaned down and put pressure on my heel. “Don’t mistake me for someone with patience because I will end you if you fuck with me again. I’m not Zane, I don’t give warnings.”

I pushed myself off of him and walked over to Zane. He was pulling Jack off of the kid with the bat and Brock was standing next to him, bat in hand. When the kid was finally free, he took off running with the others. A small gasp sounded and we all turned to see the rest of the group standing on the steps that led to the front door.

“I’ll call a tow truck.” Jack shrugged off Zane and grabbed his cell.

“It’s too late, they’re closed.” Zane mumbled while he took in the sight of his battered car.

“The owner is Nathan’s new step dad. He now owes me more than just a few favors.” Jack put the phone to his ear and strode away from us.

I walked over to Zane and placed a hand over his. “Are you alright?”

“Fine.” He clipped out and shrugged me off. I would have been angry but he had a reason to want to be alone. I watched his back as he pushed past everyone and headed back inside the bar. Brock followed after him.

Mare was on me in an instant. “If you ruined my dress, I’ll murder you.” She looked me up and down and grabbed my bloodied hand.

“It’s Nathan’s. His nose was bleeding.”

Mare laughed. “You pulled him by his nose?”

I nodded and laughed with her.

“You looked like a dominatrix, it was kind of hot.” Gwen spoke up and laughed. She opened the bottle of water in her hand and poured it over mine. The blood dripped to the ground in a small puddle before the sand absorbed it into a red clump.

“He’ll be here in a few minutes for his car. Craig said he’d cover all costs for the tires and paint.” Jack spoke to me.

“Thank you, Jack.” I nodded and watched him as he disappeared inside. The girl followed behind him. It was then I noticed the wedding band on her finger. The way she reacted to them fighting made me realize she was used to it. I just didn’t remember her and I sure as hell never thought Jack would marry.

“So, bonfire?” I looked to the group and they all nodded.

“First we have to get Zane back.” Mare said sarcastically but on cue Zane and Brock barreled through the door. Zane was leaning against Brock.

“I didn’t think he got hurt?” I asked as I walked over to them and put a hand on Zane’s chest.

“Just a few shots to the ribs. Other than that, he drank half a bottle of whiskey when the bartender wasn’t looking.” Brock rolled his eyes and guided Zane over to the jeep. He landed with a small thud and Brock slammed the door shut.

“I’ll wait for the tow.” I turned to Mare when Brock drove off with Zane, Breanne and Daniella. The others hopped into another car and followed after.

I wrapped my arms around my middle while I waited for the flashing yellow light to pull into the parking lot. A large man jumped out of the truck and grumbled to himself while he looked at the car.

“Who are you?” he asked me when he reached the car.

“Bellatrix.” he shook my hand and nodded.

“Craig. They leave you here alone?” he huffed. A hand went to his beer belly and the other held tightly to his clipboard.

“No.” Jack walked down the steps and walked over. “I’ll have your son arrested next time he steps foot in my place.”

Craig nodded his chubby head as he grumbled to himself again and walked to the rear of the car. He wrote down the license plate before asking me for the keys. I handed them to him and he backed it out of the parking spot slowly to not ruin the wheels. We stood and watched as he attached the car to the truck.

“I’ll drive you to the house.” Jack said when we watched the tow truck drive off with Zane’s car.

I gave him a nod and followed him to an alleyway beside the bar. A large truck sat in the shadow of the alley. The lights blinked at us as he unlocked the doors with the key fob. I was thankful he knew the way to the house because I didn’t remember. I’d probably just walk the beach until I ran into it.

“Bellatrix Annabelle Quaid.” Jack mumbled my name when he stopped outside the house. I turned to him, dread filled me. “Your brothers wouldn’t approve of your friends.”

His gaze fell on my tattoo but I kept mine on his eyes.

“I like Zane and his friends. Don’t get them hurt.” I gave a quick nod and stepped out of the truck. My heart was numb as my mind reeled. The last time I saw Jack I was about fifteen. Things had changed so much I forget that I still look the same.

My toes were burning from the heels squeezing too tightly around them. I slipped them off the second I got back inside and headed out the back door. A fire was lit and a semi-large group stood around it. Some were standing in small groups while other’s sat in chairs or on the truck beds.

“Bell!” Mare shouted my name and motioned to an empty chair next to her.

I dropped my heels to the ground and walked over, throwing myself into the chair exhausted.

“You ok?” she asked concerned.

I nodded. “Where’s Zane?”

Her eyes left me and went to the house then to the fire. “He’s plastered. Brock brought him upstairs.”

I gave a nod and fought with myself. I should go up there and check on him but my legs refused to move. When I saw Brock angrily talking with Gwen I decided to go upstairs anyway. The house was completely empty as I grabbed my heels and walked up the steps. I opened the door and saw Zane’s naked back. Daniella was beneath him, her legs wrapped around his waist and crossed at her ankles. He was drunk but she was stone cold sober as she smiled at me in triumph.

“Bell.” His voice was gruff and slurred as he looked to me. My eyebrows raised and I watched him release Daniella and stumble forward. His body fell to the bed and he reached for Daniella’s hand. She watched me as she walked into him and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Sorry, I guess you weren’t the one.” She smiled and leaned a kiss down to him.

My hands clenched to fight but I was done, my body was defeated. I could let this affect me but it wasn’t there. Jack’s accusing glare was instead. I turned out of the room and shut the door. I thought about going back outside but pulled my phone out of my bag and dialed Thad. It only took a few rings before he answered.

“Bella baby.” I could hear his smile through the phone.

“Hey, Thad.” I sunk myself down to the couch.

“What’s going on?”

I looked around me, I could hear laughter and music outside; it was muffled through the thick glass.

“I’m on Veran beach, by Jack’s Bar.”

“What the fuck are you doing there?” his voice shouted, I pulled the phone away while he yelled. There were a few other sentences and curses strung together that I couldn’t understand.

“I’m with my new found friends.” I said sarcastically. “Could you come get me?”

“On my way.” The line ended.

I sat there for a moment before slipping my heels back on. There was no way I was going to interrupt Zane and Daniella, I also didn’t want to tell Mare. She’d freak out, another fight would ensue and more drama. I’d prefer to endure the heels for the night. Opening the front door, I stepped outside and painfully started walking. My uncle’s old house wasn’t too far from here. The house was granted to my brother when he died but he gifted it to me so I could live with the guilt.

Even in a house I hadn’t seen before, I knew exactly where to go, what turns to take. It took me about thirty minutes to find myself standing in front of the large, dark house. I punched my old code into the gate and watched as they creaked open. I almost expected the brick pillars to crumble under the strain but they held up, at least this time. I stepped inside the gate and stared at the house. It was entirely made of brick and not a single light lit it up. Weeds and vines grew over the home encasing it in a dark, leafy wall. I made my way to the steps before bending over to a potted plant. The plant was long dead and dried up. Shoveling away some soil, I found the key I hid there years ago.

The door opened with a large creak the echoed off the walls. It was pitch black as I stepped inside. Memories threatened to taunt me but I ignored them. I just had to wait for Thad, then I’d never come back here again. I felt my way along the peeling walls to the kitchen that rested in the far back of the home. I finally found some matches after going through about six drawers. One of them came out of the cabinet and crashed to the ground in pieces. In the next drawer I found a couple candles and lit them. The kitchen came to life with light as I looked around. The dark blue wallpaper was peeling and the white tile was now a brownish color and was cracked with intricate designs.

I walked back to the front of the house and went to the stairs. The banister was still holding strong but the steps creaked and threatened to crumble under my steps. I stopped at each picture that lined the stairs. Most of them were of my brothers but there were a few of me and Ben or my uncle and Ben. Those one’s made my stomach turn. The last picture at the top of the steps was of me, Ben and Hunt. It was mine and Ben’s twelfth birthday party and we stood with cake all over our faces and broad smiles. It was unmistakable that we were twins, it ripped my heart out to know he betrayed his own twin.

Turning away from the picture I walked down the narrow hallway and into my old room that I used to share with Ben. One of the mattresses was in a heap on the floor from the frame giving out. Our desks were still standing but were covered in dust and cracks from age. Some drawings still sat tacked to the walls. I fought the urge to put the candle to them and watch them burn. My hand ran over the head board on Ben’s bed. There were marks from the ropes that tied him when we were kids.

“Bell!” Thad’s voice rang throughout the house. I stomped on the flame that almost ignited the whole room when I dropped one of the candles. “Jesus Bell, what are you doing up here?”

I stared at him as he looked at me, flashlight in hand. I glanced around our room and shrugged my shoulders before blowing out the second candle. I brushed past Thad and headed down the steps. A creepy chill started and the base of my spine and worked its way up until I was running down the stairs and out the door. I almost tripped on my heels but caught myself before I hit the ground.

“Christ Bell.” Thad pulled me into a tight hug and led me to the car.

Once I was inside I watched his figure close the door and lock it. He put the key in the soil and covered it back up. Silently, he got back in the car and we peeled out of the driveway. We drove in silence for about an hour. He was thinking and the tension was suffocating.

“What were you doing in there? I knew you’d be there but I didn’t think you’d go inside.”

“I don’t know.” I mumbled and looked out the window. “There was something there once. Something happy.”

“And what? You thought you could find it?” Thad’s voice was sharp and demanding.

I flinched at it. “I did find it.”

The air froze and he turned to me. “What?”

“There was a picture on the stairs. It was taken on our birthday. The next day is when I saw our door cracked and Uncle had him tied to the posts.”

Thad bit out a few curses and slammed his hand against the steering wheel. “How can you talk so calmly about it?” he asked a moment later.

“They acted as if it never happened. Why should I be sad or angry over it if they aren’t?”

I watched Thad contemplate my answer. He gave me a couple glances but never fully looked my way. The knuckles of his hands were stark white as he wrung the wheel. A moment later we pulled into the driveway and looked up at the large log house. I smiled at the feeling of home that wrapped around me.

“I’m sorry Bell.” I turned to Thad. A tear glimmered down his cheek. “I’m so sorry.” He sobbed into his hands while I watched him cry. I know he felt guilty of what we went through, he thought if he interfered I wouldn’t be hunted by my brothers but he was wrong. No matter what happened they’d still be after me. No one could stop it except for them, and that wasn’t going to happen.

A few more sobs escaped Thad. My shoulders sagged and I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out. He was still in the truck when I got to the door. Before I could reach for the doorknob, Cher opened it and glanced at me. Her eyes went wide when they saw me and then looked at the truck. The lights were on and the engine was running.

“Bell?” she questioned me but I walked into the house passed her and walked up the stairs. I found my bed and collapsed on it. I heard them talking downstairs a few moments later but darkness overtook me.

Chapter

I woke up before I knew it. I felt like an hour went by but really it had been ten. My heels were placed on the floor and blankets covered me. I vaguely remember Cherish coming in the room but I was too exhausted. I stood up and realized the house was pure silence. Walking down the steps, I realized I had sent them into mourning again. Thad was hunched over the table in the kitchen, Cher draped her arms around him in comfort. I plopped myself down across the table from them. I kept my eyes on the center of the table while they both stared at me.

“I’m sorry, Thad.”

No one moved, no one spoke. “You aren’t though, are you?”

I looked up to see Thad glaring at me. My head slowly shook in answer and he leaned back in his chair. Cherish moved and sat next to him.

“I wish I could be, but I can’t.” I kept my eyes on Thad’s.

“Why can’t you?” He asked, his voice low and gravelly.

I glanced back at the table. “I love you both. You’ve been like parents to me and I’ll do anything to protect that. But what happened…. I can’t get past that. It will always be with me.”

They both stared at me while I spoke. I looked between both of their pained expressions. “One day they will come for me and you can’t stop them. No one can except for me.”

“Bell, they’ll kill you.” Cherish whispered, I nodded.

“I know. That’s the only way it will end.”

Thad shook his head and slammed his fist down on the table. I stared at him and Cher looked down at her belly. “It will not end that way.”

We stared at each other for a beat. “Someone is going to die. It will either be me or them. Trouble is Thad, there’s more of them than me. I’m outnumbered.” I felt the tears well in my eyes, I would not let them fall.

“You have us!” Cherish yelled this time, surprising us both. The normally soft-spoken woman was screaming. “We are your family now and we will protect that just like you. Don’t you ever fucking doubt that!”

“I don’t. But you’ll get hurt. You have a family of your own to start. I’m not part of that, I can’t be.” I looked between the both of them.

I felt a blow to the gut when I saw the understanding in their eyes. It ripped me in pieces to have the truth confirmed.

“You’re still family, Bell. We will be here when the time comes.” Thad spoke softly and patted a hand on Cher’s. “Whether you like it or not, you’re one of us and you always will be. In life and in death.”

I nodded and cursed the tear that streaked down my cheek. One o’clock shone on the clock above the stove, I already missed my classes for the day. Standing up, the chair let out a screech.

“I need to get back to school.” I didn’t meet their eyes, I just walked up the steps and grabbed my heels.

“You should sell the house.” Thad spoke when we got into the truck.

“I can’t.” I looked out the window to avoid his glare.

“Why not?” he asked more persistent this time.

I sighed. “I can’t give someone else a house that’s haunted. It’s my skeleton to live with.” He shook his head and opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off. “There are still bloodstains on the floor, Thad. I can’t live with someone else walking and living on that.”

His mouth snapped shut and the veins danced in his neck as he wrung his hands around the wheel. The next hour to campus was spent in silence. I asked Thad to take me to the house instead since all of my clothes were there. My bike was too. We said a quick goodbye but he lingered in the driveway as I walked up the steps to the house. All the cars were back, except for Zane’s, I wondered if he made it back or if it was still in the shop. My thoughts were answered when I stepped inside and all eyes were on me. Including Zane’s. I turned back and gave a wave to Thad who turned on the engine and drove away.

Ignoring the looks I was getting I headed for the stairs. My heels clicked painfully against the ground. I was actually surprised they were still holding up from all the use in the past twenty four hours. They landed with a thud the second I got to the room and tossed them off my feet. I threw the dress over my head and pulled on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt. It wasn’t my usual wardrobe but I wasn’t feeling friendly today. I packed a small bag and slid on some sneakers before heading back downstairs.

“Don’t.” Zane’s strained voice froze me in the doorway. He was standing a few steps below me, his eyes were red and sad. I backed up while he climbed the rest of the way up and looked down at me. “Don’t go.”

He reached a hand out to me but I stepped away. I really didn’t care about Daniella and him, I did but I didn’t. There were other things I needed to worry about. The memories the house brought up was one. I shook my head and shouldered past him, careful not to touch him as I went. All eyes were on me again when I walked back into the living room.

“Bell?” Mare stood up and blocked my exit.

I clenched my jaw and took in a deep breath. “Now isn’t the time Mare.”

She was about to say something before she nodded and stepped out of the way. I threw the door open and walked out to my bike. My bag was in the compartment and my helmet was on when I realized my keys were still on Zane’s desk. I let out a small curse and headed back to the house, helmet in hand. I stormed back through the stares and ran up the steps. Zane was on his bed, head in his hands. He looked up hopeful when he saw me but it was gone when I grabbed my keys and turned out of the room.

I was back on campus in minutes. I hopped in the shower and turned the temperature ice cold before jumping it to boiling hot. My skin turned red and once the pins and needles were gone I lowered the temperature. My body breathed a sigh of relief and I sagged to the floor as sobs wracked my body. By the time I was done crying, the water was freezing cold and my hands and feet were pruned. My hair stuck to my neck and my eyes swelled from the tears. When I got cleaned up and dressed I locked the door and slid a desk in front of it. I wanted nothing to do with the minions right now, I might actually kill someone.

My body relaxed under my blankets and just like before, the darkness overtook me in seconds. There were no dreams, no pain, no happiness, just dark. It was pure, it was silent and lasted for as long as I needed it to. It enveloped me in a warm hug that sheltered me from anything and everything. I could feel no anger or joy, just numbness taking over my body and I welcomed it. There wasn’t a single feeling other than this that I wanted at the moment. No thoughts of Zane or Mare, Ben, Uncle or even Thad. My mind was just as blank as my heart.

Chapter

I woke the next morning with a start. My mind had gone blank between throwing the covers to the ground and standing on my feet. I found myself crouched in fighting position, waiting for a hit to come. My heart raced in my chest, the sweat poured down my back. But I was alone. The dream I was having escaped my mind but it was barely there, like I should remember but I had nothing to remind me of it.

It was then that the doorknob jiggled. My body stood and relaxed as I saw it unlock and the door smacked the desk I had shoved against it. Thoughts ran through my head, Thad walking through, then Parker, maybe even Zane. Then I heard Mare let out an oomph as she shoved her body against the door.

“Bell?” another oomph and the door smacked the desk again. “What’s against the door? Helloooo…. Are you in there?”

Letting out a shaky breath, my weak legs took me to the desk and my weak arms slid it back. A second later the door flew open and Mare went to the ground with a small screech. Her eyes were bloody murder when she looked up to me and scowled.

“What’s with the blockade? Planning a war?” she said sarcastically and stood.

I wanted to reply but I had no words. The darkness hadn’t kept me long enough, I needed some more. It only took a few steps for my legs to hit the edge of the bed. I sank myself down, keeping my eyes glued on Mare.

Her face softened. “Are you ok?”

I nodded.

“Where did you go?”

This time I shook my head. She was a friend but she didn’t need to know that part of my life, not yet. Not until it mattered. A loud sigh escaped her chest and she plopped down on her bed.

“Zane doesn’t remember anything.” My eyebrow raised at her comment. “Well, he didn’t until I reminded him.”

“Why did you do that?” my voice made her jump. It was groggy and scratched as it choked its way out of my throat.

Her shoulders raised in a shrug. “Because he messed up, Bell. He deserved to know how badly.”

My head hung but I nodded. The questions in my head were whether I should make her believe I cared or to tell her I just don’t give a shit.

“I don’t get one thing though.” I glanced up to meet her gaze. “You didn’t react like most people do…most girls do…when they see something like that. Do you even care about my brother?”

My mouth fell open and a few sounds came out. I wasn’t sure what they were but they escaped nonetheless. My heart hammered again, my head hurt, my stomach turned. I shouldn’t care, not even a little bit. My brothers told me that the day they promised to come after me. To never find another family because I’d lose them all the same. One by one.

“Yes.” The word was out before I could catch it. But I felt better when I said it. It felt right. I did care, I shouldn’t but I fucking did and it hurt like hell.

Mare seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She came over next to me and pulled me into a hug which I returned. My mind and body were still exhausted so the second she let go I climbed back under my covers.

“Where did you go?” she asked again as she laid down across from me on her bed.

“To Thad’s.”

She nodded her head but her brows furrowed. “How did you get there?”

I thought about lying. I thought about making up some story about them being there for vacation. But for whatever damn reason, I didn’t.

“My uncle had a house in that area. Our family still owns it so I went there and Thad picked me up.”

“You should talk to Zane.”

“Tomorrow.” I whispered and she nodded. A moment later the darkness surrounded me.

Chapter

Once again I found myself in the middle of the room, covered in sweat, blankets on the ground, my heart thumping painfully in my chest. There was no dream this time, so I had no clue as to what woke me up. My legs kept me crouched, my arms stayed in the defense, until I heard a small chuckle.

“What are you doing?” I looked over to Mare. She was sitting up with one eye open and a lopsided grin on her face.

“I don’t know.”

Relaxing my body again I stood and walked to the bathroom. Small pieces of hair were stuck to my damp skin, it clung to my neck. It was suffocating. I stripped my clothes quickly and jumped in the shower. Turning the nozzle I kept it on cold. Ice. Fucking. Cold. My head rested against the wall when I heard his voice. It was quiet and concerned, deep and low but the water drowned out anything audible. The water pounded on my back, I focused on that. I didn’t want to hear his voice, I didn’t want to see his face. I’d swing if I did. It wasn’t until I felt his presence in the shower with me that I moved.

“Fuck, that’s cold.” He bit out as he stepped in.

My hair was pushed against the sides of my face and over my shoulders as I turned to him. His hair was soaking into his face and the water soaked his shirt and jeans. He even had his shoes on. The cold didn’t seem to faze him any longer, considering he just stared at me like I was crazy instead.

“Go away.” I mumbled. He didn’t.

“I step inside a cold shower fully clothed, and a second later you tell me to go away?”

“It wasn’t my stupidity, it was yours.” I nodded.

We stood there for a moment. Staring at each other, gauging the others reaction. Small bruises lined his face from where Nate got in a few punches. Before I knew it my fist cocked back and met his cheek. The water caused it to slide a little on impact but it was satisfying. Seeing Nate’s bruises made me want to make one of my own. For the way he held her, grabbed her, kissed her and fucked her. I wanted to bruise him for it.

Throwing the door open I stepped out and grabbed a towel. It didn’t take long for me to quickly dry and throw on some clothes. I was almost out the door when my arm was grabbed and I was pulled back. I threw my knee out and caught Zane in the gut. He doubled over but kept his hand on my arm in a tight squeeze.

“If you do that again, I’ll hit you back.” He threatened and I smiled. When he saw me go for another swing he pressed his body into mine, shoving my back against the door.

His hips held mine in place and his hands wrapped around my wrists, pulling them above my head. His nose bumped against my forehead and I could feel his breath on my cheek. The wetness of his clothes filled mine with cold water. We stood there, wet and cold, breathing against each other.

“You do know I can take you out, even like this?” I looked up and smiled again.

Pushing off me he turned his back to me and let out a few curses. A hand went to his hair and tugged it slightly. I realized Mare was still in the room then, on her bed, mouth open and wide-eyed.

“I’m sorry.” He huffed and sat on the edge of my bed, defeated. It didn’t take much.

“For what?” I prodded.

He shook his head. “You know what.”

“I want to hear it.” My voice was cold and sick. I talked to my brothers this way but now I talked to him this way. The way that told people how angry I was, the calm before the storm as Thad would say. I’d taunt, tease, and then set in for the kill.

“I’m sorry for fucking Daniella.” He bit the words out in disgust. His head fell to his hands and his shoulders hunched.

“Was it any good?” his head popped up at my words. “Was it worth it? Fucking her?”

“Why are you doing this?” Mare spoke up this time. I froze at the look on her face. She looked at me like I was a stranger. I felt like it.

“Because she’s angry.” Zane bit out to her.

I shook my head. “She’s right.”

This time they both snapped their gazes to me. I offered a small smile to them. They just kept on staring at me.

“I don’t care about her. You have your demons, I respect that.” Hope filled his eyes like it had when I had gone back in for my keys the day before. Not a muscle in his body moved as I talked. “I don’t have the right to tell you who you can’t fuck. But in this moment, asking for my forgiveness, you only fuck me. Only me. I will kick her ass. You were drunk, she took advantage of that. If you don’t want this to go any further than me being your sisters’ friend, then get the fuck out.”

I opened the door giving him the out. It was his chance to run but he only saw it as leaving me because of Daniella. I wonder if he knew the truth if they’d both walk out the door. I knew they would but I held onto the hope that he wasn’t standing. I pretended that he did know and stayed.

“I’m not fucking anyone else and I’m not going anywhere.” He stood in front of me and slowly shut the door behind me.

Once again our chests bumped with our breathing. He leaned in for a kiss but I leaned away.

“I need to punch something.” I mumbled.

“That’s it?” Mare breathed. We turned to look at her. “You catch him sleeping with his ex and you two are fine with everything after to fucking seconds?”

“I punched him in the face.” I pointed to the red mark on his cheek. Guilt flooded me so I put my hand against it and rubbed my thumb along his jawline. He pressed his cheek into my hand, wrapping his hands around my waist and pulling me to his wet body.

“Ok then.” We turned back to Mare. “I’m going to find my boyfriend and thank God that we are nothing like you two. You two aren’t normal.”

Shaking her head, she stood and changed in the bathroom. Zane and I stood together until she walked around us, scoffed and walked out the door. A chuckle rose from his chest when we heard her cursing down the hallway.

“She’s right, you know. Most girls would nag and fight until I was on my knees begging.” He smiled against my cheek, still gripping my hips.

“There’s no point in being angry over something I’m going to get over anyway. I also know you were drunk off your ass, it’s not an excuse but it’s scientifically proven to affect your judgment.” I gave him an arrogant smile and a small wink.

“Smartass.” He kissed my lips and pulled me against him. “You still want to hit something?”

I nodded against him.

“Then we will find something for you to hit. Grab some gym clothes.” He smiled and walked out the door.

I changed into some spandex shorts and a loose tank top and black sports bra. Lacing up my sneakers, we walked to his car and drove to the house. I waited in the car while he went in and put on some dry clothes. My mouth watered when he walked back out. The loose shorts wrapped around his leg muscles with every stride. The t-shirt stretched across his shoulders, chest, and abs. I wanted to jump on him the second he got in the car but my seatbelt kept me restrained.

“Where are we going?” I asked him to avoid the heated stare I was getting.

“My gym.” He smiled and we pulled out of the driveway.

When we got to the gym it was packed, supposedly it always was. I recognized some of the faces from when I first got there, same clothes, same workout and same spot. It was like they had never left. A few people greeting him but he only waved in reply and dragged me through the gym. We entered a small room that had a few sparring weapons and a punching bag that was tied against the wall. Pulling the chain from around it, the bag swung out into the middle of the room. I stopped it with a fist.

“Uhm, Mr. Kingston?” I turned around to see a nervous-looking, balding man standing in the doorway. Files were stacked under his arm and a clipboard was in the other hand.

“Yes?” Zane spoke up.

“Uh… sir, I need a few signatures from you. A couple memberships bounced.” Sweat was pouring down the poor man’s face.

I looked to Zane who rolled his eyes and sighed. He walked over to me and placed a kiss on my forehead.

“Go ahead and start. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“You work here?” I was even more confused when a smile graced his face and he kissed me again.

“I own this place.” An arrogant smile crossed his face and I watched his back as he turned and left.

This wasn’t going to be good. If Thad wanted a gym out here then it would happen and compete with Zane’s. That conversation was not one I wanted to have with either of them. With that little tidbit, the anger I had early began coursing through my veins. I let loose a few punches to warm up. A knee here and there. Once I was fully warmed I threw out a full attack. My body moved in a rhythm that would speed up and slow down. The bag heaved and creaked with every blow. Sweat began pouring down my body so I pulled my tank top off and began another attack.

I wasn’t sure how long I was there for. How long I punched and kicked the bag but by the time Zane came back, I was ready to go. A scowl crossed his features but his gaze softened and heated when he saw me standing beside the bag.

“I’m sorry I was gone for so long.” He smiled wickedly as he stepped closer to me. “Have fun?”

He put a finger between my abs and slowly lifted it to the edge of my bra. The sweat beaded down around his finger. He pushed the finger under my bra and between my breasts. My heart thumped painfully in my chest and his breath caressed my cheek.

“You didn’t tell me you owned the gym?” I asked, my eyes watched his mouth pull into a small smirk.

“You never asked.” he breathed the words into my ear.

He took a step towards me and I took a step back. We continued moving until he had me pinned against the wall. Strong hands ran up and down my arms before going to my bare stomach again. Our breathing increased as we pushed against each other. Touching with our bodies but not our lips. He ran his nose down mine, connecting our foreheads while we held onto each other.

“Stay at the house tonight.” Zane whispered against my lips.

I breathed in, taking in his warm scent. “Fine. But right now, I’m going for a run.”

I reached up and kissed his lips before pushing past him. A short grunt left him as I hurried out the door. The second I made it to the entrance, I broke out into a sprint. Zane was behind me in an instant, a small smile lighting up his face.

“You run too much.” He breathed.

“Only from the things that go bump in the night.” I smiled and took off at a full sprint.

My feet thudded against the pavement while my arms pumped in the air. Every breath dragged into my lungs and exhaled quickly as I went. I could hear Zane behind me, keeping up with my set pace. With him behind me, I continued to run. My cadence never slowed. My heart continued to race in my chest. Every breath soon became painful as my lungs pulled in the air and forced it out.

When I finally let myself slow down to a walk, I had no clue where I had run to. Zane thundered to a stop behind me, leaning on his knees to catch his breath. I watched his body rise with every breath. At some point he had removed his shirt. His tattoo stretched across his body and moved with every breath. The roots of the tree came alive and he shifted himself to look at me.

“You know…I would have…” he spoke between breaths. “Passed you…but…the view… was too… fucking nice…”

I laughed while he continued to catch the breath that was evading his body.

“Should we call for a ride?” he nodded instantly to my question. A smile spread across my face as relief lit his.

Zane typed out a quick text and then turned to me. His eyes scanned my face and he brushed a stray strand of sweaty hair out of my face.

“I shouldn’t have left you at the bar the way I did the other night.” He mumbled to me. “The second we got back I realized I had left you and was about to go back when Daniella confronted me. She handed me a shot and I took it just to get it over with but it was strong and I was too drunk.”

“Zane.” I started but he cut me off.

“I told you that you were mine and then I just left you because some punk trashed my car. I’ve felt like biggest ass ever since.”

I smiled as Brock’s jeep pulled up to the curb. “It’s ok, Zane. Just make up for it next time.”

He flashed his best smile and kissed my cheek before we jumped into Brock’s jeep. He gave us a disgusted look and passed us two towels to sit on.

Chapter Twenty-Five

The music blared, deafening my ears. Zane’s hands were wrapped around my waist, my back pressed against his chest. He was talking with Brock and a couple other guys but I wasn’t listening. There was an intense, drunken, football game going on in the backyard beyond the porch that was catching my attention. A few girls tried to jump in but when the boys got drunk enough, they started tackling. A couple of them ended up with bloody noses while others just walked away pissed. Right now though, the game was getting intense. I was debating on which guy would win in a fight, I was about to find out when Breann came running up the steps.

“Lisa is going after Mare!” she shouted to us before running past us into the house.

Zane let go of me but I followed right behind him as he barreled through the house. He started shouting when it took too long for kids to move aside. Once everyone realized how pissed he was, they all backed off instantly. When we finally reached the front porch, my hair stood on end. Mare’s head was hitting the ground by a few cars, tears streaked her cheeks as she fell. Lisa stood above her, a little blood dripping down her chin but a smile on her face. I watched as Zane went to Mare and picked her up in his arms. Me? I went after Lisa.

The smile wiped from her face when she saw me coming. I didn’t hesitate a beat before slamming my fist into her face. I laid another fist on her when she pulled her head back up. The girls that had been threatening me were standing around, all with snarls on their tanned faces. I ignored them as Lisa straightened herself and tried to back away. Taking a few quick steps, I grabbed her hair and slammed her face against the nearest car. A fist met my cheek and then another hit my back, neither of them stopped me. I slammed her face down again before cocking an elbow into the girl nearest me. Her fist was ready to plant again when I blindsided her. Blood sprayed down my arm and over her face. She hit the ground and covered her fake nose with a scream.

My other hand still had Lisa’s hair firmly grasped in it. I was about to slam it down again when arms wrapped around me and pulled me away. I kept my hold on her hair as I was pulled back. Lisa fell forward and was dragged a few feet, my hold stayed strong. One of her friends took the moment to plant a blow on my face. Pulling back my elbow, I connected it with the ribs of who was holding me back. They released me and I released Lisa to go after the girl. The fear in her eyes made me smile so I took a moment to assess her. A loyal bitch was all I saw. One that happened to trash my dorm room. Her body hit the ground after one punch. I was expecting Lisa to come back again but cars screeched to a halt at the end of the driveway and everyone froze.

I turned to see Wes behind me, holding his ribs. Brock stood not too far behind him but Zane was nowhere to be found. Mare was gone and so were the girls. When I looked back at the cars, we all watched Strickland and a few others walk towards us. He rushed over to his sister. Lisa’s face was covered in blood. And I was covered in hers.

“You’ll pay for this.” His voice was dead quiet but the anger was apparent. I wasn’t scared though.

“I’m waiting.” I smiled to him and held out my hands.

A growl escaped him and he met me face to face. His toes clipped the end of mine as we stared at each other. I’ll admit, he looked fairly intimidating, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. I stood there and smiled at him.

“Back off.”

The hairs on my neck stood on end and goose bumps rippled across my skin. I’ve seen Zane angry before but I’ve never heard him this angry. His voice was cold and quiet. It almost reminded me of my brothers when they caught their prey. I could feel his presence not far behind me. No one moved for a moment. The air was thick, tension zapping between all of us. Strickland’s friends picked up Lisa and her friend and carried them to one of the cars. The other girls followed suit.

“Keep your bitch reigned in.” Strickland growled to Zane but kept his eyes on me.

I cocked my head to the side and broadened my smile. My fist caught his gut again. I grabbed his hair when he doubled over and smashed his face into my knee.

“Keep yours reigned in and we won’t have any problems.” I said to him before turning around and walking to the house.

When I got to the porch I turned around and half expected to see him and Zane fighting, but they seemed to be at a standoff. They all stood toe to toe and no one moved. A few words were murmured but in the end Strickland and his guys headed back to their cars. I headed back into the house to be met by loud music and curious glances. A crowd had gathered around the cars but it seemed like a lot of people hadn’t realized what happened. I finally made it to the stairs and climbed up to the kitchen.

Mare was sitting on the counter, tears still streaming down her face while Gwen pressed a wet cloth to her face. Blood was still leaking out of her eyebrow but the blood on her nose was dried. Breann was wringing out a red cloth in the sink when she saw me and dropped it. My hands were covered in blood, so was my shirt. We all stared at each other for a moment before Zane stormed in followed by Brock and Wes.

“What the hell happened, Mare!” he yelled to her. She flinched under the intensity but he didn’t seem to care. His hands were balled into fists and he slammed one down beside her.

“Leave her alone, Zane.” Gwen growled but Zane growled back, louder.

“For fucking once, Gwen, this doesn’t concern you! Stay out of it!” he shouted to her and Gwen opened her mouth to retort but Brock pulled her back.

Fresh tears poured down Mare’s face and Zane stared at her. His face was red and the veins in his necked jumped in anger.

“Answer me!” he shouted again.

This time I intervened. I wrapped my hands around his flexing arm. His body tensed but he didn’t shrug me off or jump away. Instead he flung his arm out to swing at me. He was expecting me to duck so I didn’t, his fist met my cheek and my head snapped to the side. Pain exploded in my jaw and the familiar metallic taste filled my mouth. Without giving him a moment to realize his mistake, I snapped a fist to his face. Mare screamed at some point and slid off the counter away from us.

Zane’s head flew back and then his whole body followed when I landed a kick to his stomach. My next punch was caught by a hand as his knee connected with my thigh. I let out a small yelp but used my freehand to jab his diaphragm. The air left his lungs in a rush so I planted another hit, then another. I was going to punch again when he turned his body and slammed me into the counter. I was preparing for his fist to meet my cheek but it never came. My breathing was labored and my eyes were closed. When I opened them I saw Zane pushing against Brock who had him restrained. Wes stood between us but didn’t touch either of us. He just looked worried as he glanced around.

“Let him go.” I mumbled through clenched teeth. Part of me was afraid to open my mouth for fear it would snap from the strain.

“He’s trying to kill you, and you want me to let him go?” Brock asked incredulously.

I only nodded. “He needs this, let him have it.”

Brock shook his head but let him go. Wes took a step back but Zane didn’t move. Instead he leaned his back against the wall and slid to the floor. His hands went to his hair as a rough sigh left him. Mare was huddled under Gwen’s arm while Breann rubbed her back.

“What happened Mare?” I asked this time.

“Lisa… showed up…I told her to leave…” her voice was choked as she spoke. “They were planning something…. They were going to hurt you, I tried to stop them.”

She looked to Zane who only stared at her with a blank face. Her sobs shook her whole body causing Gwent to hold her tighter. I ran a hand through my hair, well I was going to but I noticed I was covered in blood still. I walked over to the sink and started washing my hands and then my arms. The blood clouded the water as it swirled down the drain.

“I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt.” Mare whispered quietly after I turned the water off.

“No one got hurt because of you, Mare.” I answered back.

Her mouth opened to speak but the kitchen door swung open. A drunk Paul stepped through with a girl wrapped around his middle giggling. A few gasps sounded out but the room went quiet. Mare’s shoulders went rigid but I stepped over to Zane. He was already standing, waiting for another fight. I put my hands to his chest and pushed him back against the wall.

“What are you doing?” Mare asked Paul.

He looked at her curiously before rushing to her.

“What happened to your face?” he slurred. Her hand reached out and went across his face. Pauls’ head flew back and his hands fisted against his sides.

“Who the fuck is she?” Mare choked out.

“You told me to get fucked…” He smiled to the girl he walked in with. “So I did. I don’t get why you have your panties in a fucking twist.”

“I didn’t mean literally!” she yelled.

Paul wiped his face with a hand. “Then what the fuck did you mean, Mare? You always nag and shit, then we fight and you dump me like a sack of fucking potatoes. I’m just acting on it now, you’re such a fucking cunt.”

Her hand cocked back again but he grabbed her wrist and shoved her back. She crouched back in fear. I stepped away from Zane, releasing him to save his sister. Paul had his hands wrapped tightly around her arms, her face slightly paled and a small squeak left her throat. Wes and Zane pulled Paul back, throwing him across the room. When he landed at my feet, I placed a foot on his shoulder to keep him from getting up. When he glared at me I shook my head.

“It’ll be better for you if you stay down.” I offered a smile but he shoved me off and stood. I simply shrugged and nodded to Zane. He gave me a nod in reply before switching his gaze to Paul. Anger radiated off of him in waves.

“What the fuck guys?! You should be proud of me, all you ever do is laugh at me for being whipped.”

“You’re an idiot.” Gwen bit out.

“Paul baby, let’s just get out of here.” The girl whined to him from the door.

Paul took a couple steps towards the girl. The guys watched his every move as he wrapped himself around her and started kissing her. Mare let out a loud sob. Breann and Gwen were instantly at her side, pulling her into a hug. I didn’t really care, it was better that this happened, I didn’t trust Paul with her. I’d have less to worry about now that they wouldn’t be together, but I still needed to do something. She deserved some sort of satisfaction. I stepped forward and tapped him on the shoulder. They pulled apart and he looked at me with hostility.

“I’ve fought two people tonight….” I stared at him for a moment. His face scrunched in drunk confusion. “Adding a third really isn’t a big deal.”

I shrugged my shoulders and planted a solid fist to his cheek. The girl screamed and pushed me so I pushed back. She tripped and hit the ground on her ass, hard. Paul was ready to throw a punch in my direction but the guys were already on him. Brock shoved him against the wall, his sheer size could terrify anyone; right now, it terrified Paul. The whites of his eyes grew as he threw his hands up defensively.

“I want you out of the house. We’ll leave your shit on the sidewalk tomorrow.” Zane spoke before turning his back on Paul.

“But… man… I live here too… you can’t just… kick me out.” Paul stammered as he eyed Brock. He offered a glance to Zane every now and again. Another glance pleaded with Mare but she was busy crying into Gwen’s shoulder.

“This is my house which means my rules. You hurt my sister, you’re fucking done.” Zane growled before wrapping his arms around me; using me to hold himself back.

His touch burned my skin but I wanted more. I leaned myself into him as we both stared at Paul who looked ready to piss his pants. The girl scrambled to her feet and fled the kitchen without a second glance.

“I…I’m sorry… Mare, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to… I swear it.” Paul pleaded with her but it wouldn’t help, none of it mattered at that moment.

Brock took another step forward making Paul crouch down the wall farther. Mare turned her red eyes to him in anger. The tears dripped off of her face.

“Get out.” She mumbled before stalking out of the room.

Paul tried to catch her arm but Brock shoved him back against the wall. Gwen stood beside him now, her eyes narrowed and her body ready to strike.

“You heard her Paul. Get the fuck out or Brock here, will see you out.” Gwen cocked her hip and placed her hands on them. She reminded me of a mob boss telling her minions who to take care of. All she needed was a fat class ring and a cigar to pull off the look.

When Paul didn’t move, Brock shifted towards him. He took that second to bolt out the door and down the hall. Both Gwen and Brock followed after, I’m sure to see that he made it out of the house and not after Mare. Breann gave Wes a small kiss before leaving the kitchen.

“I should go check on her too.” I mumbled to Zane.

His hands were wrapped tightly around my body as I spoke. I shifted myself around to look at him, anger was in his eyes but so was concern.

“I’m sorry for hitting you.” He whispered and a hand stroked my cheek.

I flinched slightly from the pain, but his touch felt too good to turn away. Instead, I pushed my cheek into his palm and gave his wrist a small kiss.

“I was mad at you for getting involved with Strickland. I was worried he’d hurt you, but I ended up doing that…again.” he whispered but I shook my head.

“You needed to release what you were about to hand to Mare. I can handle it, she can’t.” he didn’t seem reassured but it was all I had to offer.

Chapter Twenty-Six

“How is she?” Zane asked from his chair.

His hands were furiously moving with a black pencil between his fingers. So far he’d drawn a field, all in black and grey. There were rolling hills that never seemed to end and, what looked like, the start of a tree in the distance.

“They kicked me out. I snagged her phone though, Paul kept calling.” I tossed her phone on the desk and planted my ass in his lap. She cried for two hours, I was emotionally exhausted for her. “I guess they got into a fight and she walked outside when Lisa approached her. Paul was off doing who knows what with that girl. Gwen moved her to a guest room so she wouldn’t be reminded of him.”

I didn’t understand any of it. Yes, I liked Zane, but if he cheated on me or broke up with me, I don’t know that I could be that broken up. Hell, I wasn’t even mad about Daniella, but the thought alone killed me. I couldn’t imagine feeling like Mare, let alone looking like she did. She was devastated. Distraught. Like her whole world was shattered because one person hurt her. My parents hurt me, my brothers, and my uncle, almost everyone I’ve ever known. Being hurt was a constant for me. It was almost a comfort at this point.

Zane gave a small laugh and tightened his arms around my waist. “Why did they kick you out?” He smiled up to me.

I looked away from his eyes. They were curious and sexy as hell. “I don’t understand it, I guess. People come and go in my life, crying over it isn’t something I would do. It’s never something I’ve done.”

“Everyone handles things differently. Something tells me you’d fight someone.”

I laughed at his response, he was probably right. “Thad taught me how to fight to deal with my emotions. It taught me control. But with everything that happened, I think I lost some of the emotion that fueled me.” I looked back down at him, he was watching me curiously. “We need to talk about something.”

I stood out of his grasp and paced the room for a moment. Zane turned his chair towards me. His gaze watching my every move.

“Bell.” He prompted when I didn’t answer. “You’re going to wear a hole through the floor.”

I let out a small, humorless laugh before situating myself on the bed. The Five wasn’t a discussion we should be having but after Jack, it needed to.

“I don’t really know where to start.” I gave him a small smile. He seemed more concerned now. “When I left you guys at the beach the other night, I went to my Uncles house. I wasn’t mad about you and Daniella…I mean I was, but at the same time, I know you, I trust you.”

My words ended and I glanced to the ground. The chair let out a small creak as he stood and sat next to me. The bed dipped, causing our shoulders to bump.

“Then why did you leave?”

My lungs filled with air, and then let it go before taking in another big gulp. “I used to live at Veran beach, I actually already knew Jack when you introduced him. It was foolish of me to hope he didn’t recognize me.”

“What do you mean?”

I met his gaze. He looked confused as shit. It made me smile. “After my parents died, we were sent to our Uncles’. He raised us for a while. He and Jack were actually close friends. That restaurant never would have started if they weren’t. Jack knows my brothers, knows what they’re capable of. He knows they’ll come after me which means they’ll come after you. Jack is going to tell them I was there. If things get ugly….” My sentence dropped. There were hundreds of possibilities playing out in my head, all ended in death. My death.

A large, strong hand wrapped around mine. He tugged me to his chest and I burrowed myself there.

“Nothing will happen. You’ve got me and the others.” He whispered into my hair.

“They’re vicious, Zane. It doesn’t matter how many of us there are, they’ll always win. Don’t think they’ll just fuck with us like Strickland and his sister, they’ve killed people before. So have I.”

His body tensed but he didn’t release me. “Who?”

“My Uncle.” I whispered.

“Why?”

This time I moved. Releasing myself from his hold. In this moment, he’d either leave me or stay with me. Either way, they’d come after him. If Jack told them, they wouldn’t care if we were together or not.

“Ben and I had just turned twelve when he started raping him. I remember walking in the first time and ending up in the hospital from him beating me so badly. Uncle made sure we stayed quiet, he threatened me with Ben who was too afraid to say anything anyway. We were sixteen when he was threatening us, gloating to us about taking our younger brother. Ben accepted it but I was angry. So I grabbed the letter opener on his desk and stabbed him. Ever since then they’ve been after me. Hurting anyone I could ever love.”

“You protected your brothers. Why would they come after you?” his brow furrowed as he stared at me.

“Ben was too embarrassed to tell them what happened.” I shrugged a shoulder. “He told them I snapped and killed him, no one ever knew what he did to Ben except for me. Parker was already mad about our parents being killed and me living, so it was easy for them to blame me.”

“You were a kid when they died, you have nothing to do with that.”

I shook my head. “I watched them get killed Zane. I could have stopped it but I knew my parents hated me. There weren’t supposed to be any girls in our family, not with what my parents did for a living. So when they died I felt relieved, I could have stopped it, I could have gotten myself killed, but I didn’t. I stayed out of it and let them bleed.”

Neither of us moved for a moment. I don’t even think we breathed. After a beat I felt his arms wrap around me. He picked me up and shifted me into his lap. He held me tightly, I thought about crying, but I was happy in that moment that I didn’t. He gave me strength.

“None of that was your fault. If your brothers think that it was then they’ll have to learn the hard way. I’m not letting you go because of them, when the time comes I’ll be here with you. We can take care of them together.”

I couldn’t reply, his mouth was crushed to mine in the next second. I returned his kiss, opening my mouth to let his tongue meet mine. A small growl escaped him before he picked me up so I could straddle him. Our bodies ground together in unison. His hands running up and down my legs, to my arms, and down my back to repeat the process. Every movement brought me closer to him. I pushed hard against him until we fell back on the bed. I quickly ripped his shirt off and began my inspection. Kissing and licking my way down his abs, to the waistband of his jeans. A small groan left his mouth in a breath. I took that moment to smile up at him, enjoying the affect I had on him.

Our earlier conversation was now forgotten. A mere thought dwindling in the darkening room. We both forgot about Mare, Paul, Strickland and his sister. Instead, we focused on each other. Our pleasure, our bodies. Every touch was soft and smooth, some were rough and urgent. I needed him like he needed me. My insides tightened when I heard my name on his lips. He’d bite out a groan, gasp my name and tug my hair. It didn’t take long for me to climax around him, but he never stopped. The pleasuring assault continued, over and over. I never wanted it to end. I never wanted to face reality. I could stay in this bed, wrapped up in him forever.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“You’re texting him, aren’t you?” I glanced up to Mare from my book.

She had been furiously staring at her phone and pressing buttons. I was certain she’d break a finger from how hard she hit the screen. Her whole body jumped when I talked, for the past week it’s been like I wasn’t even there. Her phone would take her attention, placing us in a void in her mind.

“He wants to talk. I think we should talk.” She smiled apologetically but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t sorry, she would do what she wanted. I couldn’t stop that.

“So when are you two meeting then?” I cocked and eyebrow and closed my book. We had found a small corner of the library that wasn’t filled with students. Instead of being in the cafeteria with Lisa and her groupies, we decided to come here. I studied, she texted.

Her shoulders lifted in a shrug as she bit her lip. “I don’t know, he said something about Thea’s downtown.”

I contemplated Thea’s and the bartender. “I could go with you. You know, stay in the background in case you need an escape.”

I watched as her eyes glanced from me to her phone. She was contemplating my offer but what she would say didn’t matter. I’d be at that bar, making sure she would be safe. Zane wouldn’t allow her out of his sight anyway.

“Fine. I know Zane won’t leave me alone. At least I can say we are going to the bar together.” I nodded with a small smile. I was going to tell him the truth about why we’re going but she didn’t need to know that.

“Hey ladies.” Breann walked up to us and took a leather chair next Mare.

Mare and I greeted her simultaneously. Ever since the fight with Lisa and our dorm room being wrecked, she’s been hanging out with us between classes. She was the girliest of the group, besides Mare of course. We all got along fairly well, I was actually amazed by it. I had thought Gwen would hate me and the others would follow suit, but they all had their own minds. Even if they were a family, they found judgment themselves, not through others.

“So, Halloween party?” Breann’s grin spread across her tan face. Her dark hair was high in a tight pony tail. Small pieces stuck straight out from her bangs being pulled back.

“Does Zane know what you’re going to be?” Mare asked.

I shook my head and bit my lip. “I’ve been afraid to mention it honestly. I don’t think he’ll care but I’d prefer to not start any fights.”

“He’s going to freak out. I can’t wait!” Breann squealed in her seat.

“You’re playing with fire, you know?” Mare looked to her questioningly but Breann shook it off.

“Then I’ll have the water ready.” Breann smiled proudly and stood a little taller in her seat before shrinking down again.

“What?” I asked and she looked at me. There was an apology there, I wasn’t going to like this.

“Daniella is coming. She’s bringing some guys from the beach.”

“Not Nate right?” Mare asked quickly.

Breann shook her head. “I may be playing with fire but I don’t have a death wish.” She stopped and looked to me, nervously. “She always comes up for the holiday parties. I thought she wouldn’t come since you guys are together again…but uhm… she wants to try with Zane again. I know that she shouldn’t but she’s my sister, I can’t hate her.”

Her voice rambled through her words but I wasn’t hearing them. Daniella could come if she wanted, as long as she didn’t stand too close to me.

“Its fine, Breann. I’m not worried about her.” I tried to reassure her but it wasn’t going to happen.

“Your sister is a slut.” Mare mumbled, flipping through her fashion magazine nonchalantly.

“Mare!” Breann gasped. “I know.” I laughed as her face fell. “I’m sorry she did that to you and Zane.”

I shrugged a shoulder. “Like I said, its fine. If she wants play hard ball, then we’ll play hardball. I’m really not worried about it.”

“Yea, after you pummeled Lisa I have a feeling everyone will stay away from you.” Mare spoke up with a smile on her face. The bruises she had were covered in a thick layer of makeup. She had a black eye and swelling around her cheekbone, but nothing too bad. For me? I let the bruise Zane gave me show. He apologized every day for it, kissed it every time we saw each other, but I didn’t care; I just hated wearing makeup.

“I didn’t pummel her.” I shrugged a shoulder. “I just did my best to make sure she didn’t want to come back.”

“Well it didn’t work. I heard they were planning something with your dorm room again.” we both looked to Breann. “A couple girls in front of me in class were talking about it. You should make sure there’s nothing else you guys have in your room.”

“Bitch.” Mare mumbled under her breath.

I shook my head. “I have all of my things. Maybe we should just go check though?”

I glanced nervously at Mare. I knew she had stuff still in there, I hadn’t expected them to try anything again. Neither of us did, so she left half of her things, in case she decided to stay on campus. With Paul out of the house, she had no reason to go there anymore. Especially since I wasn’t staying there either. My nights were filled with Zane, anyway I could get him.

“Come on.” Mare stood and grabbed her bags which consisted of a pink, designer purse and a long satchel that hung against her side. She only carried one book and a pen, the satchel didn’t make sense.

I gathered my few textbooks and the three of us stood. The walk to the dorm from the library was long but nothing we couldn’t handle. If it wasn’t for the cloudy skies and wind blowing us across campus, the walk would have been perfect. We were half way across campus when the hairs on my neck stood on end and a shiver ran down my spine. I stopped walking and glanced around. The girls stopped a few feet in front of me, throwing questioning glances my way. Someone was watching us, I just couldn’t see who. There were students everywhere, all keeping to themselves.

“Bell? Are you ok?” I glanced over to Mare who had gotten closer to me. She looked worried.

I nodded my head but continued to glance around. They had to be here somewhere. It took longer than it should have, I was good at hunting. Whoever was watching us, knew that. My heart hammered in my chest as my insides began to clench. It was then I saw a tattooed arm leaning against a brick pillar that held up an awning. Thad was watching us, his eyes narrowed in contemplation.

“I’ll catch up with you guys later.” I mumbled to Mare without meeting her eyes.

Before she could reply I walked over to Thad. He didn’t move, just watched Mare and Breann as I walked in his direction. They’d be watching me, trying to figure out what was going on. Thad stood with his jeans low on his hips, his usual black t-shirt stretched tightly across his large chest. The sleeves constricted his arms. If he flexed his arms, the shirt would surely rip in two.

“Thad.” I nodded.

“Bell.” He nodded in reply. “Let’s talk.”

He shouldered past me and I followed. His pace was fast and I almost had to jog to keep up with him. There were two sides to Thad: one that was a loving, caring father, the other was the hard, tough fighter that we all fear. Right now, he was the fighter. Sometimes it was for show, sometimes it wasn’t. It didn’t matter though, you could never find out until he told you. We were in the parking lot, approaching my bike. When he finally reached it he turned, his eyes glancing around to make sure no one was listening.

“Docks tonight. I need you there.” His voice was low as a spoke. He never looked at me, just crossed his arms and watched kids walk by.

“Why?” I asked. I’d be there regardless but he didn’t usually need me there.

His chest rose in a deep breath that released in a sigh. “I need you to fight.”

I’ve only ever done one round at The Docks. Never a full three or more. It was a dangerous game, especially for a girl.

“What happened, Thad?” I rose my voice so he would look at me.

His gaze finally met mine, anger was in them. This part of him wasn’t a show, a storm was brewing.

“You were right. They caught wind of you at Veran. Jack told them you let a kid walk away with a warning.” His eyebrow rose to his bald head. I glanced away from the accusing glare. Letting people walk off with warnings was a weakness.

“It wasn’t my fight.” I mumbled.

“It doesn’t matter.” Thad picked up his tone. My eyes rose to meet his, they were angry. “They think you’re weak now. You need to fuck some people up tonight and I mean hard.”

He leaned closer to me so I would understand him loud and clear. Also to make sure no one else heard it.

“Who am I fighting?” I asked. I could beat anyone but there were a few I’d have to prepare for if I wanted to win all three rounds.

Thad shook his head and looked around again. “The big guy that Vance took down wants a shot at you. He’ll be first. After that, it’s volunteer only.”

The big guy was good. He had a few weaknesses that would favor me. Vance was an almost equal match to me but I knew I was better. The first fight would be easy, as long as I stayed smart about it.

“Ten o’clock. Be there early.” Thad nodded to me and strolled away.

His truck wasn’t too far away from my bike. He took one last glance around before meeting my gaze and giving me a meaningful look. Destroying is what my family did, tonight, I’d destroy three people. Looking away, Thad climbed in his truck and sped out of the lot. I placed my books under the seat of my bike before throwing my leg over and heading to the house. Everyone should be at school, I needed some alone time.

Chapter

I had been wrong about being home alone. Gwen and Brock were there, cuddling on the couch. I avoided them when I walked in and headed straight upstairs. When I got to Zane’s room, he was on his bed. An arm was over his eyes while the other rested on his chest. It rose and fell with every deep breath. I fought the urge to run my hands over his body to wake him. I wanted to start kissing my way up his body until I met his lips. He would kiss me back, flip me over and do wonderful things to my body. We’d move in unison like we always did, never separating, never speaking, only feeling our way around each other.

I gave myself a moment longer to appreciate the man as he lay in bed. When my moment was up, I moved to my bags and pulled out some clothes for the fight and the drive over to The Docks. It was still early in the night but I figured I could head down to the bar everyone goes to beforehand, check out my competition. Once I had a small bag packed, I grabbed my keys and headed for the stairs. Taking one last glance at Zane before I walked away. He was still lying in the same position, his hand rising on his chest as he breathed.

“Are you going to stand there staring at me or come lay down with me?” he spoke without removing his arm from his eyes. His voice was deep and rough with sleepiness. It made my insides tighten. When I didn’t answer he moved his arm and sat up. His eyes narrowed as he eyed my bag. “Where are you going?”

I opened my mouth and closed it. I needed a lie. “I’m going to visit Thad. They asked for me to come over.”

“Is everything ok?” he stood up and sauntered over to me. His jeans slid down his hips lower, exposing the deep V of his muscles and the fact he wasn’t wearing any underwear.

“Yea, just a quick visit.” I smiled to him hoping he’d buy it.

“I have a fight tonight, will you be back in time?” his hands wrapped around my waist as he spoke. I was pulled closer to him. His scent folding around me, hugging me tightly.

“I’ll be gone until morning.”

He gently tugged my body to his. His head going to my hair, taking in a deep breath as I pressed my hands against his chest. The bag slipped off my shoulder landing at my elbow. He took that moment to slowly pull my shirt off my shoulder and plant a light kiss on my tattoo.

“Do you have to leave right now?” he whispered to me.

I slowly nodded my head. My tongue was feeling heavy, all I wanted to do was feel him on me.

“It’s a long drive. The longer I wait the more chance it’ll rain.” I whispered the words back lazily. One of his hands rubbed against my hips while the other stroked my collar bone. “Besides, if we start this, I’ll never leave.”

He breathed a laugh against my neck. I could feel his smile as he pressed a kiss to my neck. “Is that a bad thing? I could keep you all to myself, in my bed. Watching you writhe around under my touch.”

My mouth fell open and a gasp left me as he cupped a hand between my legs. He lifted me slightly to my toes so I could feel the pressure of his hand against me. A finger slipped under my shorts and went to my opening. I was back on my toes while he pressed the finger inside me.

“Please stay.” He murmured against my neck.

God, I wanted to stay. Wanted him to touch me. But I needed to go. I needed to handle The Five before they came after me.

“I’m sorry.” I gasped and slightly pushed my hands against his chest. “I have to go.”

Disappointment lined his chiseled face but he removed his finger. His other hand went to my hair and gently tugged it at the nape. He pressed a few more kisses to my neck then moved along my jawline. Moving my head so he could get the best access. When he reached my mouth I dropped my bag and pressed myself into him. His other hand wrapped around my waist and pulled me tightly against him. A second later, I offered one more kiss before stepping out of his grasp and picking up my bag.

“I have to go.” I turned to walk down the steps. “Please be careful tonight.”

“I won’t have you there so no promises.” He smiled at me as I opened the door and stepped through.

My heart was pounding in my chest as I pressed my fingers to my lips. I could still feel his lips on mine, his hands on me. My legs kept moving me towards my bike but my mind was stuck in that room. It was trying to separate me in two, one that would stay with him, watch him fight; while the other went and fought. I needed to be one though. My mind and body needed to be present at this fight. I’d fucking need it.

Chapter

The first fight wasn’t nearly as challenging as I had anticipated. Everyone seemed almost disappointed at how quickly I dismantled the big man, whose name was Red from what I was told. It seemed that his injuries were bothering him more tonight than they were Vance fought him. He crumpled like a leaf under a boot. I allowed him to get a few hits in, but nothing to do any damage. I needed to be one hundred percent together for the next fight. I made sure he had to be carried from my feet. It took at least four people to drag his large frame far enough to I could start the second fight.

When the second round started, I was face to face with a short muscular man. He had a bald head, thick black beard and tattoos from head to toe. He flashed a toothy smile that was speckled with white and gold. Something fighters did to show their numbers and strength. The gold were for how many teeth he lost in fights he won. There was one tooth missing on the bottom row, soon there’d be two. We circled around each other, getting a few hits here and there. Once again, nothing too damaging. He caught my cheek a few times which I could feel bruising. My ribs took a few kicks but nothing that hit home. They were still whole inside my body. After a few taunting moments, I took him to the ground, slamming an elbow into his face, knocking him out cold along with one of the white teeth. The crowd erupted in cheers, mostly angry. But I got the approval from Thad, which was all I needed.

“Tonight we’re going to mix things up.” Thad began. The entire crowd quieted down and everyone watching him in anticipation. I was curious as to what he meant by ‘mix things up’. “Most nights we do three rounds, three different opponents. Tonight, we’re doing three rounds with five different opponents.”

The crowd erupted again in cheers and hollers. I clenched my jaw to keep it from dropping to the ground. I knew he wanted me to show The Five I was strong, but three fighters against one in a no rules fight, that was plain idiocy. Thad waved his hand to the side, pointing to a few people standing off behind me. I turned to watch Vance’s group of friends walk in the ring. Trent sneered at me while the other two looked at me in hostility. This wasn’t something I wanted to do but I smiled anyway. I wasn’t afraid to fight anyone but I knew this group was good. At least the other two. Fighting wasn’t something Trent was great at, but with the three of them together, things might be different.

“Ready to suck my dick?” Trent laughed at me as they circled me.

“That would imply me finding it first and something tells me you aren’t packing heat.” I smiled again, keeping my eyes on him.

He didn’t have a lot of weaknesses. He was young, strong, but too cocky. Arrogant. They always were, it made me laugh at how easy they made it. The other two were the same way, but the one to my left seemed a little surer of himself. He wasn’t arrogant, but confident, comfortable. He would be my last target.

“You’re about to find out baby girl.” Trent smiled and lunged.

I stepped back and to the side so he flew past me. A fist shot out to me but I caught it and jabbed a hand to the inside of the kids arm. There was a large tattoo of an eye where I hit. Part of me wanted to take a closer look but the other part knew that it wasn’t the time. A sharp jab caught me in the back, I grunted before cocking back an elbow and catching the kid in the nose. Before either one of them could react, I turned on Trent. He was coming back for more and I needed to put him down first. I shoved my palm in his face, breaking his nose. The bones crunched under my hand and blood poured down my wrist and onto his chest. My other hand lashed out to his ribs. I put my weight into the punch, satisfied with the crack that brought him to his knees. Grabbing his hair, I planted a knee to his already broken nose. I took a couple steps back before swinging my leg around, catching him in the head. His body fell to the ground with a mushy thump. Mud covered him and began mixing with his blood before a couple guys pulled him out of the ring.

I turned around to see the other two watching. Their hands up in guard while we watching each other. They both attacked at the same time which gave me little room to move. I ducked one blow but took the other to my ribs. I jabbed a thigh and a face here and there with my hands. The three of us continued to block and hit. We danced around the mud in anger. One of them caught my hair, jerking my head back painfully. The other took the moment to jab my ribs with a combination that left me breathless. Kicking a leg out, I caught him in the groin and shifted myself to face the other kid. He had the end of my hair so it easily twisted around his hand as I turned to him and jabbed a fist into his face.

His head flew back and blood spurted from his cheek. My hair was released and I kneed him in the side of the thigh. He fell to the ground from the impact but I didn’t have time to take him out, the other kid was already back and ready to strike. We kicked a few legs out but each one was blocked. He spun to kick out again so I dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way. His leg connected with the other kids head. I watched as he collapsed to the ground in a groaning heap. Before anyone could react I pounced on him, jabbing him in the face to make sure he stayed down. When I was satisfied he would I turned my focus onto the last kid.

Each foot rotated around the other as we carefully circled each other. He was the most trained out of the bunch, there was still no arrogance, just confidence. Being in the fight made him happy. He threw a few punches and a knee. I blocked his hands but missed the kick, it buckled my knee so I rolled with it and placed myself at his side. Jabbing quickly, I caught his ribs and then his back. He let out a grunt but I didn’t hurt him, he swung a hook at me and I ducked, connecting a fist to his gut. The air left him and I planted another punch. His body doubled over and I took the chance to look at Thad. Pride danced in his eyes but he didn’t smile or congratulate me. He only narrowed his eyes and gave me a curt nod. This had to be brutal. My brothers needed to know I wasn’t weak. I wanted them to think I was waiting for them, that maybe I was going to go after them instead.

Something shiny flashed in my vision, before I could catch what it was, his hand came crashing down on my ribs. A solid crack sounded out and the breath left my lungs. When he pulled his hand back I realized he had a metal grip around his knuckles. I half expected Thad to call it but there were no rules. Not at The Docks. The kid stepped a few paces back but kept his eyes trained on me. The narrowed slightly before he lunged for another attack. I blocked the punches, especially the ones with the brass knuckles. I’ll admit he was quick, he caught me in the cheek, it opened up and I could feel the blood pouring down my neck. In anger, I grabbed his wrist and twisted it. The pain in his arm brought him to his knees while I grabbed two of his fingers and pushed them back. Both of them snapped in a sickening crack. He held back a yelp but my knee to his gut forced it out. I kept my hold on his wrist while my other hand broke the other two fingers. The same sickening crack sounded out and the bones crunched beneath my fingers.

“You bring weapons to fight a girl?” I spoke through clenched teeth. I had his broken fingers in my hand, slightly squeezing them.

His breathing was labored as he spoke. “We all know how good you are. Don’t fucking pretend that we all underestimate you. You aren’t just a hot piece of ass.”

He smiled loosely but there was pain behind it. I released his fingers and glanced to Thad. He gave a slight shake to his head and I nodded in response.

“I have to end this.” I looked to the kid. He was collecting himself, dropping the brass grip as he stood. His fingers curled slowly to his palm and he grimaced at the movement. Once they were firmly tucked in, he raised his fists in guard.

“I know. So end it and don’t be a pussy about this.” He bit out.

We both circled a few times. I let him get in a few solid hits. Unfortunately, one happened to be where he cracked my ribs. Now I was sure they were broken fully. The pain exploded through my side but I ignored it. Every step hurt but I still ignored it. I even ignored my breathing and aching lungs. I kicked out a few times, caught him in the ribs with my fists. The last hit before he fell was to his chin. If I caught him in the right spot I could knock him out instantly, or I could hurt him. I jabbed out and he crumpled. His arms tried to push him back up but I stepped on his broken hand. My elbow came down to his back, breaking the rib it landed on. He let out a loud yell but my fist met his cheek, leaving him unconscious.

The crowd erupted, once again. The blood and adrenaline were pounding in my ears, drowning them out. I straightened myself up but stumbled back a few steps from the pain that shot up my spine. I wasn’t sure how many ribs were broken but they fucking hurt. Breathing was becoming too painful, my vision was starting to go black. When I felt Thad grab my hand and thrust it in the air I let out a small yelp as he jolted my already hurting ribs. He announced me as the winner while the others cleared the last kid from the ring. I hoped they were taking him to the hospital, he was going to need it.

Chapter

“You did what?!” Cher’s voice rang out through the entire house.

I was sitting at the table with a bag of peas on my face and another on my ribs. Thad loaded my bike into his truck and brought me to the house. Cher had all the insurance cards for the hospital. From what I could tell, I needed stitches on my face and my arm from a cut I didn’t realize I had. My ribs would possibly need to be reset too. I wasn’t looking forward to that shit. Thad was explaining to Cherish what happened in another room. She had yet to see me. When she rushed into the kitchen her face paled and her hands left her belly to cover her mouth.

“What the fuck did he do to you?” she whispered before raising her voice. “Why the fuck did you let him do this to you?”

Thad burst through the door, his face red in anger. “She did what she needed to. They’ll see how unforgiving she is and back off a little. They thought they were winning, now they’re not.”

“That’s doesn’t make a difference. We could have figured out a better solution. Instead you get her ass kicked and…” she waved a hand to me, “broken. We need to take her to the hospital because one kid pulled brass knuckles on her Thad! What if they pulled a knife?”

“I would have stopped it.”

“You can’t!” she threw her hands in the air. “There are no rules at The Dock. It’s why she doesn’t fight like she did tonight. But three on one, Thad?! What the fuck!”

Her breathing became labored and took a few slow steps back. Thad grabbed her arm and helped her sit down. She fanned herself with a hand while she stared at me.

“Let’s get her to the hospital.”

Cher threw her chair back and brushed past Thad. Well…she waddled past Thad. He let out a loud sigh but I ignored it as I followed Cher out the door and to the truck. I climbed in the back seat while Cher took up the passenger’s side. Tension filled the air when Thad got it and started the engine. No one talked but the silence was deafening. When we finally got to the hospital, Cher threw her door open and headed inside without waiting for us. Thad offered me a hand and pulled me from the truck slowly. Before I knew it I was in a room with a doctor stitching up my face and arm. They said my ribs would heal properly, but only if I didn’t move much if at all for a couple weeks. Explaining this to Zane was not going to be easy. My pain doubled when I thought of him. I was supposed to be visiting Thad, not getting my ass kicked. I silently cursed myself for lying, things were going to get worse between us.

“You can borrow my car for school until you’re able to ride your bike again.” Cherish spoke at the table. We weren’t at the doctors very long but she wanted to talk when we got back. “I at least want you to stay tonight. I think if you’re here I won’t kill Thad. Not yet, anyway.”

She mumbled to herself but I could see her frustration. “He was trying to protect me, Cher. There’s only so much we can do. I think he made the right call, even though it hurt like hell.”

Her mouth pinched and her eyes narrowed into a glare. “He’s an idiot and you can bet your ass he’ll pay for it. Once I give birth to this damn baby I’ll be back to kicking his ass.”

I laughed but stopped suddenly when my ribs threatened to kill me. “You’ll be too busy loving the baby to remember this. Just remember to call me when the little shit decides to grace us with its presence.”

She let out a small laugh and patted her belly. “He’s a fighter.”

“He?”

Cher bobbed her head in a nod. “I don’t know for sure but something tells me that’s what it is. That I’ll be having a baby Thad.”

Tears glistened in her eyes but never fell. They weren’t sad, instead they were happy. She would love this baby as much as she loved Thad. Their family would be invincible.

“He’s going to be a handful.” I smiled and she nodded again. The movement forced some tears from her eyes. I wanted to hug her but I couldn’t move, my body was too slow from the drugs.

“I know and I can’t fucking wait. He’s going to be the cutest little shit ever.” She wiped her tears and laughed some more. “We want you to be the godmother.”

My mouth fell open but shut quickly at the pain that sliced through it. I was told not to rip my stitches, opening my mouth would possibly rip them open. Instead I clenched my jaw and stared at her. It was as much of a statement as it was a question but I didn’t know what to say. I’ve never even babysat a child before, there’s no way in hell I could handle it. Having kids was never a thought. Being a parent or getting married was never a thought.

“Cher… I can’t.” I whispered to her.

She shook her head. “Yes you can. We know you can do it.”

This time I shook my head and grabbed her hand in mine. “I really can’t. I never wanted to have kids. My life is too fucked up that I haven’t even thought about getting married or having a family of my own. I guess I assumed I’d be dead before it ever happened.”

“Don’t say that.” Her voice was raised but she didn’t shout. “You’ll have a family and a wonderful one at that. You’ll make a great mother. I know it.”

Zane was the first thing that popped into my head. He didn’t seem like one for having kids either. I brushed away the thought, there’s no way he’d want a family with me. But when I thought about my future, he was there. He only made me stronger, more powerful. I was happy when he was around. My brothers would be distant memories that only nagged the edges of my mind instead of consuming them. He kept the darkness out. In our relationship, I was the crow and he was the lantern.

“So?” Thad prompted. I turned my head to see him standing in the doorway. His large frame leaning against the panel with arms crossed.

I looked between both of them. There were tears in my eyes but mostly from the pain constricting my chest. They both pleaded with me, asking me the question I could only say yes to.

“I’d be honored.” I choked out as the tears streaked down my cheeks.

Thad gently wrapped his arms around my shoulders and Cher grasped my hand in hers. They both had tears in their eyes but Cher and I were the only two that cried.

“Thank you baby Bell.” Thad mumbled into my hair.

I only nodded before I decided it was time for bed. I was mentally and physically exhausted. We said a quick goodnight and headed to bed. Trouble was, this was the first night in too long that I haven’t spent with Zane. My bed was empty and dark, there was no longer any light. I tossed and turned as much as my body would allow. When the pain became unbearable I took another pain pill. That settled me enough to where I found myself in a deep sleep. Zane was all I dreamt about. His arms wrapped around my waist, his lips on my cheek. I could feel his hair brushing against my forehead as I snuggled in closer to him. He was there but I knew he wasn’t.

I woke with a start and grimaced as my ribs shot pain through my body. I slowly stood and changed into some more comfortable clothing I brought with me. The sun was barely rising when I made it downstairs. The home was peaceful and cold. I was surprised to see both Cher and Thad in the kitchen, sharing a pot of coffee. They both smiled to me before Cher handed me her keys and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“Be safe on the way back. Text us when you get there.” I nodded to them. “We want to meet that boy by the way.”

I froze in the doorway at Cher’s words. “Who?”

They both gave me unbelieving looks. “The one with the shaggy hair that you seemed so smitten with at the beach.” Thad crossed his arms and cocked a smile.

“You talked to Jack.” I nodded at the realization.

They both smiled. “We had to make sure he didn’t say anything to Parker. He’d come after your friends if he had.”

“Thank you.” I glanced between them. Zane was still a secret from The Five. It needed to stay that way and I’d make that happen.

“Go, baby Bell. We’ll talk later.” Thad placed a kiss on my forehead and I headed out to the car.

Chapter

The house was quiet when I got back. It was still early morning so I figured everyone would be asleep. I was surprised to hear hushed voices in the kitchen when I got to the second level. I could make out Gwen and Brock whispering to each other and laughing. I didn’t want to interrupt so I went straight to Zane’s room. I crept up the stairs, leaning my weight against the banister. My body was still exhausted but the anticipation of seeing Zane excited me.

The air left my lungs when I made it up the steps and saw him lying in bed. The sheets were at the end of the bed and his hands were resting on his chest. Deep breaths lifted his hands and lowered them again with every exhale. There were a few small bruises along his ribs and cheek. Anger shot through me but I knew he won the fight. Something told me he didn’t lose. I didn’t either.

I gently left my bag on the floor and slipped out of my shoes. I couldn’t climb onto the bed so I sat on the little space between the edge and Zane. I brushed my fingers along his ribs and then to his face. Without opening his eyes, his hand swung up and caught my wrist. One eye popped open to look at me. His eyebrows furrowed and both eyes opened, wide. He sat up and grabbed my face in his hands, brushing a finger over the stitches that covered my cheek.

“What the fuck happened?” he didn’t release my face as he stared at me.

“I got into a fight.” I whispered. He assessed my face before moving to my arms. He brushed a hand over the stitches on my arm and then over the bruises that lined them. Reaching down, he lifted my shirt but I stood up and away from him. He followed after and grasped my shirt in his hands again. I heard the air leave his body as he took in my broken ribs. They were completely black and a small slice left a white line in the middle of the bruise.

“I thought you were going to visit Thad?” he dropped my shirt and glared at me with narrowed eyes.

I offered a small smile. “I did go visit Thad. I just happened to fight while I was there.”

“I thought he had rules. Don’t any of his rules keep this from happening?” he waved to my entire body and I shook my head.

“They do, but I wasn’t in the gym.”

He looked confused and angry with me. “Then where the fuck were you, Bell?”

“The Docks.” His eyes went wide at my answer and his mouth opened.

I reached a hand up to close it but he grabbed my hand and laced his fingers through mine. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going there? That place is dangerous, Bell. You could have gotten yourself killed.”

I let out a small laugh. “It’s only dangerous if you’re not welcome. Thad is the leader of the whole thing. I have the invite.”

“Then please tell me why the fuck you’re stitched up with broken ribs and bruises covering your body?” his jaw clenched tight and his hand squeezed mine. It was almost painful but my ribs were my sole focus in that department.

“Jack was going to tell my brothers that I let Nate walk with a warning. I had to fight the rounds so they knew I wasn’t weak.”

“You’re a good fighter, Bell. A fight doesn’t explain the condition you’re in.”

“Why are you so worried?” I was exasperated. None of this really mattered. I was here with him, that’s all I wanted.

“I’m worried because I fucking care about you. You tell me you’re visiting a man that’s a father to you and you come back looking like you did ten rounds in the ring.”

I scoffed. “It was only three.”

His eyes narrowed into an angry glare. “Three people did this to you?”

I took a breath. “Five. The last round there was three of them. One of them had a set of brass knuckles.”

His jaw clenched tighter, I was worried he’d break his jaw. “Please tell me the kid isn’t walking?’

I smiled. “I broke his fingers two at a time and then I broke his ribs. He should still be in the hospital recovering.”

He didn’t smile but he breathed a sigh of relief. I was pulled into his arms and my body was pressed against his. I wrapped my arms around him and sagged into him.

“I missed you.” I mumbled against his smooth skin.

His hand ran up and down my back. Lips pressed against my head. “I missed you too. I had just fallen asleep. It’s impossible when you’re not here.”

“Then let’s get some sleep.” I mumbled to him.

He helped me pull off my clothes and we climbed under the covers. Zane gently placed them around me and pulled me into his arms. It didn’t take long for either of us to fall asleep. I no longer felt the darkness, just a small wave of coldness. Once I was swallowed up my Zane’s arms it disappeared and I slept peacefully. My body relaxed into his. I no longer craved his touch. I just never wanted it to leave.

“How was your fight?” I asked as I stepped out of the shower that afternoon.

My ribs limited my movement so Zane helped dry me off. I watched as he toweled each leg, then my torso, then my arms. His touch was ice and then fire. It burned whenever he placed small kisses over my skin.

His eyes darkened at my question. “It ended abruptly.” He said through clenched teeth.

Standing up, we were now eye to eye as he wrapped the towel around me. “What happened?”

His eyes rolled in his skull before he turned around, rubbing a hand over his face. “The cops showed up just after it started.”

Zane braced his hands on the sink. His body hunched over, each muscle rippling as he stood there. My hands met his back and then his torso as he turned to me. I looked up to meet his brown eyes staring back at me.

“I was fighting Strickland and the cops showed. They think we set them up.”

“What do you think?”

“That they’re planning something. This was just an excuse to get some of the other fighters on their side.” His hands brushed up and down my arms, goose bumps erupted over my skin as he did.

My towel dropped to the ground and I stepped into him. Our chests bumping together as we breathed. We had spent most of the day sleeping and talking. Maybe a little bit of touching but with my ribs, he wouldn’t push too far. It pissed me off.

“You’re a fighter, not someone who plans to get people arrested. If they side with Strickland, they’re idiots.”

He heaved a sigh and pressed a kiss to my forehead. His hands danced across my stomach and arms, careful not to push against any bruising. “Well then they’re idiots. From what Brock said afterwards, they all think I had Mare call the cops on us.”

“So they’ll be after her too.” he nodded to me.

“And you.” His eyes darkened again as he said the words. His arms wrapped around my naked body and pulled me tighter to him, careful not to put pressure on my ribs.

“I can handle myself.” I looked up at him defiantly.

Hair fell into his face as he shook his head. “Not in the condition your in.” he ran a thumb over the bruise on my ribs. “You need to be careful on campus when you’re alone. I can’t always be there but I’ll talk with Brock. We can get some of the others to stay with you.”

I shook my head and stepped back from him. If my brothers knew I was at Uncles house, they wouldn’t be far. If someone tried to hurt me, they’d kill them without a second thought. I was their play thing to torture, not someone else’s and certainly not Strickland’s.

“I can handle myself.” I repeated before walking into the bedroom.

The sun was setting behind the trees putting the world to sleep. The house, on the other hand, was just coming alive with the sounds of a party. It was our Halloween party, one that I would not be dressing up for, regardless of what the girls said. My body was bruised and battered, I didn’t want curious glances and stares.

“Bell, don’t be difficult.” Zane leaned his body against the door frame of the bathroom. His abs clenched at the effort and my tummy tightened with need. Ignoring the sensation, I slowly lifted my feet into each pant leg before pulling them up. My ribs protested at the movement but once I was standing again, they ceased to exist. When the shirt cleared my head Zane was in front of me, watching with arousal in his eyes.

“I’m not being difficult.” I whispered, my voice thick with need. My cheek pressed into his palm when he brought it to my face.

“You are.” His lips pressed against mine and all argument was lost. If it was even an argument to begin with.

Our bodies tangled together as we kissed. Our lips crushing against each other before our tongues met in the middle. We danced around each other, his hands in my hair, mine placed on his arms. I could feel the muscle jumping beneath them. He was strong.

“Hey! We have a party starting, are you joining or what?” Mare’s voice yelled out from the stairwell.

We both jumped and I instantly went to the ground from the pain. It fucking killed. Zane’s arms wrapped around me before my whole body hit the ground. A small yelp left my throat as my hands found him, keeping myself up.

“Seriously, Mare?” Zane growled.

She was on me in an instant. Her hands on my body, lifting the shirt I had put on. “Why does this always happen to you?” Her voice was laced with concern as she eyed my stitches and the bruises.

“When did this happen before?” Zane looked down at me in question. I rolled my eyes and leaned away from the two of them.

“I fought at The Docks once before. It was a small fight, nothing like this.” I breathed and slowly stood. Zane helped me, keeping his hands on my hips.

“The Docks?” Mare squeaked. “You were at The Docks?”

I slowly nodded. Her face paled slightly and her mouth dropped open. I would have tried to close it but my body hurt.

“That’s why you were covered in mud the first time. I can’t believe you go there.” Her voice was quiet and astounded. She almost seemed intrigued by it.

“The first time?” Zane’s eyebrow rose. Irritation flitting across his expression.

“I’m going downstairs before I get backed into anymore corners.” I mumbled and stepped away from Zane.

“Oh no you don’t.” Zane wrapped his hands around my arms forcing me to take a step back.

I turned on him. “Yes I do. I fight, you fight, and we get fucking hurt. It’s not a big deal.”

His eyes softened and Mare let out a small sigh.

“Bell…” Mare began but I was already to the door. I needed a drink.

Chapter

I found my way to the first floor. There were tons of kids around, all drinking and laughing. Some had cleared a spot in the living room to start dancing which really looked like an awkward orgy. People kept bumping into me, a few guys tried to dance with me, and all of the girls gave me dirty looks. It was no secret that Zane and I were together, but they didn’t have to like it. I wasn’t even sure I liked it. Everyone was dressed in odd costumes, mostly slutty that gave easy access. Some actually gave an attempt and I’d applaud them on how true to form they looked but they were drunk. No one gave two shits what they were wearing at this point.

It took longer than expected, but I finally made it to the kitchen. The first level had the largest one with two stoves, an individual fridge and freezer with a long island in the middle. Girls were sitting on the island with their boobs out, a few guys were placing shot glasses in their cleavage. They were all giggles and shimmying as they waited for them to press their faces against them. I rolled my eyes when one of the guys waggled their brows at me. My middle finger went up and I walked over to the counter, snagging a bottle with dark liquid inside of it.

I had planned on taking one drink but with people pressing into me, the girls giggling and guys trying to eat me, I went outside. I shoved my way through the door, attempting not to put any stress on my ribs. When the door finally opened a wave of cool damp air hit my face. I breathed it in, deep enough to not hurt my lungs further but enough to satisfy me. My fingers twisted the cap on the bottle and I tossed it to the ground before bringing the bottle to my lips. It was cold to the touch until the liquid hit my throat. It burned as it went down, I couldn’t stop. The bottle was only half full when I got it so I downed the rest in one fowl swoop. I should have fucking grabbed two.

“That was impressive.” Someone whistled and gave a small applaud. “That’s also how you get alcohol poisoning.”

I turned to see Strickland standing on the porch with me. His dark jeans rode low on his hips and his black t-shirt clung tightly to his shoulders and chest. Blonde hair was gelled on his head, making it glisten against the light. I noticed he had a black eye and a few small bruises on his jaw line. I smiled when I realized Zane had put them there.

“Being here isn’t impressive. And it’s also how you get really fucking hurt.” I smiled sweetly to him. We were alone out here, minus a few stragglers and kissing couples. “What are you doing here?’

I followed him as he turned towards the banister. He leaned his hands against the rail and took in the yard. I kept a few feet in between us, just in case he tried anything. I also pretended that I couldn’t feel my ribs separating with every breath.

“Your boy crossed the line at the fight last night. It needs to be dealt with.” He smirked at me. “And you beat up my sister.”

I gave a small smile and nodded. “The sound her head made when it bounced off the car was music to my ears.” I looked to him to see his reaction, he only had a blank stare with a smidge of admiration showing through. It surprised me. “How do you plan on dealing with the fight?”

Strickland’s’ shoulders raised in a small shrug. “I was actually hoping you could give him a message for me.”

I clenched my jaw and looked out to the street. “Whatever is between the two of you, it’s exactly that. Between the two of you.”

He laughed and turned towards me. I held his gaze and he brushed his fingers against my cheek. His eyes glanced at my stitches but didn’t stare long. “It’s a shame that he found you first. I think you’d be surprised how much alike we really are.”

I held my ground as he stepped towards me. His scent was warm but not inviting, nothing like Zane. His eyes were a bright blue, but cold as ice. The scars lining his face told a story, one that matched the ice in his eyes. I would have asked, but I also knew he was an enemy. Even if it wasn’t mine, he was trying to hurt people I cared about.

“Maybe.” I shrugged a shoulder and leaned into him. Our faces only inches apart. “But you’ll never know what I taste like. What I feel like. You’ll only know the pain of my fist in your face.”

His eyes narrowed but he broke into a smile a moment later. Deep laughter shook his shoulders. “God, you’re fucking sexy when you’re threatening. No wonder Zane keeps you on such a tight leash.”

I took in another breath. I was in no condition to fight. “I’m not on a leash. I just really enjoy the sex.” I smirked as his eyes darkened.

“If that helps you sleep at night.” He smiled to me. “Spend one night with me and you’ll never think about him again.”

I laughed, ignoring the pain in my ribs and my lungs. “If I can easily kick a guy’s ass, then I know he can’t handle me in bed. You, dear sir, fall under that category.”

His smile left his face and turned to a scowl. “I can kick your ass, but I don’t go after women.”

“That’s what makes you weak.” I bit back.

His knuckles turned white as he gripped the banister. He was keeping his anger in check, I was waiting for a blow. I was playing with fire at this point, considering my condition, but I didn’t care. Part of me hoped Breann was serious about that water she was going to keep on hand. I knew my place wouldn’t be with Zane or with Strickland in the future. My place would be in the ground, locked up in a box six feet below.

“You’ll find that weak isn’t something I am.” He bit out through clenched teeth. “I have a message for your boy.”

The air went cold around him, tension strangled itself between us. His eyes darkened as he turned towards me. I knew what was coming next but I held my ground. If he was going to start this, then I’d be involved, my brothers would be involved, and he’d be hunted by more than just Zane and the others.

“If you think I’m afraid of you, you are sadly mistaken.” I smiled to him. “Do what you will, but I promise you’ll regret it when you realize who I am.”

I smiled again and I saw his hesitation. I wasn’t being sweet, I was actually sad about it. I hate who I am, I hate what they’ll do to him, but I won’t walk away.

“Who are you then?” he dipped his head closer to mine and took another step forward.

“The bitch that beat your face in.” I bit out the words harshly and slammed the empty bottle into his face.

His head snapped to the side. A moment later he spit blood to the ground before raising a fist to my face. I took the blow, and the next one. I ducked the third and landed a strong blow to his gut. My ribs protested with every motion, I could barely breathe behind the pain. The stitches on my cheek ripped open causing blood to drip down my face. He backhanded me and planted a blow to my stomach. That one took me to the ground. I couldn’t yell let alone groan. My ribs pushed any air in my lungs out. Dots danced across my vision from the pain. I caught myself on my hands and tried to push myself up.

Strickland tsked his tongue at me and placed a heavy boot on my hand. “I wasn’t finished with my message sweetheart.”

His other boot connected with my stomach. My broken bones shifted under the kick and my whole body hit the ground with a thud. Another fist landed on my cheek before I no longer felt him standing over me. My vision was clogged with the blood from my cheek, it was running into my mouth. My lungs ached for air but the pain was too much. I couldn’t get anything in.

Chapter

I wasn’t sure how long I laid there for. Time seemed to disappear as the pain took over my mind. I did what Thad taught me and tried to push it out but it was too much. Once I was able to breathe again, I slowly pushed myself up. I bit back a groan as my body protested again. I got myself to a sitting position and felt along my face with a shaky hand. I felt the whiskers of the stitches and gave them a small tug. Three of them pulled free so I dropped them to the ground before forcing myself to stand. When I was finally on two feet, I leaned heavily against the wall of the house and inched my way inside.

It took about ten minutes before I made it to the door. It creaked open and I stumbled into the crowd. A few people looked at me with horror on their faces while others commented on my ‘costume’. I laughed at the fact I could have been dying and they’d all think it was a fucking costume. The irony was not lost on me, I was sure at some point I had seen that in a scary movie. The girl walks around with a knife in her back, she’s crying for help and everyone just thinks it’s a fucking costume. The fact that it was happening now made me laugh. I got a few weird looks as the noise erupted from my throat. I was gurgling on my own blood.

“Oh my god.” A gasp rang out when I walked into the kitchen on the second level. The stairs were no easy feat, my whole body tried to buckle me to the ground with every step. When I finally made it, I was happy that not many people were up here.

“What the fuck happened?” I heard Gwen’s voice. I blinked away the spots that still crossed my vision. Her face was contorted in concern as she stood in front of me, holding out her arms so I could brace myself against her. I tried to speak but I couldn’t take in enough air. “All of you out!” she shouted.

I was led to a chair and forced to sit down. Not that I was complaining, I felt like I had run fifty miles non-stop. Gwen stepped away from me and came back with a wet cloth. She pressed it to my face, my eyes and my neck. I wanted to laugh at how ridiculous I probably looked.

“Bell.” Her hands cupped my face and she forced me to look at her. “What happened?”

My mouth opened to speak but nothing came out. I could feel darkness swimming in my head. It slowly clouded my vision and I knew it would be only a matter of seconds before I passed out. She noticed it too.

“Bell! Bell, stay with me.” her hands tapped my cheeks but I felt my body falling forward. “Fuck.”

Her hands pushed me back into the chair. I felt my legs get jerked forward so I was completely leaned back, unable to fall forward.

“I’ll be right back.” She mumbled before darting out of the kitchen.

I grasped the table next to me and tried to stand. I could hang on long enough to make it upstairs to Zane. At least I hoped. The second I stood up I fell back down. My legs buckled under me and the darkness funneled my vision.

“Bell, no.” hands wrapped around me and I saw Gwen’s face again.

“What the fucking hell happened?” I heard Zane shout from behind her. His face flashed across my vision before I was swept up into his arms. My head thudded against his chest and my arms fell limply into my lap. “Gwen?”

“I don’t know.” Gwen stared at me in his arms. My eyelids were heavy, I tried to keep them open. I had to. “She just walked into the kitchen like this. She needs to go to the hospital Zane.”

I felt his chest rise in a sigh. “Can you drive?”

There wasn’t an answer, at least I don’t think. My eyelids won the battle and they closed. I briefly felt a hand tap my cheek but it was too late. My mind surrendered to the dark, my body surrendered to the pain.

Chapter

My ribs fucking hurt. I tried to move, I tried to get comfortable, to do anything to make the pain stop but I couldn’t. No matter what I did, they ached. The pain ripped through me as I laid there. Beeping pressed into my mind. Strong lights filtered past my eyelids. It was cold. I needed a blanket, but I needed this pain to stop first. Thad had me trained to handle pain but I didn’t want to, right now, I just wanted it to go away.

“I think she’s in pain.”

“Is she crying?”

Voices whispered around me.

“Hit the button.”

My eyelids were still heavy but I forced them open. Bright lights made them close again so I blinked slowly until I was able to squint.

“Bell.” Zane was next to me, his eyes worrying over my face. “Are you in pain?”

“Yes.” I croaked out. I saw his hand move to a small red button. Heat spread through me and the pain slowly numbed. It was still there, but it was distant. “Thank you.”

Zane’s eyes were large as he took me in. The other’s stood around the room, watching me in silence.

“What happened?” I looked to Zane because I could no longer stand the fear in Mare’s eyes. I loved the girl but she needed to grow a pair sometimes.

“We were hoping you could tell us.” Gwen spoke up. “You walked into the kitchen covered in blood and half conscious.”

Images of her pressing a cloth to my head flashed through my mind. I slowly nodded as I remembered it. Then I remembered Strickland. His boot on my hand which was now wrapped in white cloth.

“What happened, Bell?” There was anger in Zane’s eyes.

“Strickland was outside the house.” I began and gave a small shrug. “I went out to get some air and we had a chat.”

Zane turned away from me. His hands scrubbed over his face and into his hair. They all watched him carefully but no one made a move.

“You act like this is a fucking joke, Bell.” He bit out when he turned to me again.

We stared at each other a moment. He looked exhausted. “I’m sorry.” I whispered to him. The others disappeared in the room around us. That moment, it was only us. His confusion and worry over me. My adoration for him.

“What did he say to you?” he whispered to me when he leaned against the bed.

“He said you had crossed the line and he wanted me to give you a message.”

“What message?” Mare stepped forward.

I cocked an eyebrow and waved a hand to my face.

“I believe I’m the message.” I gave a small smirk but let it fall when my cheek went up in flames. My hand raised to it and I could feel fresh stitches on my face. Mare’s face fell at my words, instantly regretting asking.

“Why didn’t you fight back?” she asked in a small voice.

I shrugged. “My ribs were broken yesterday, I don’t have a good fight in me. Either way he made this choice. Now he has to deal with me too.”

I gave Zane a knowing look and his eyes only narrowed in response. We’d have to talk about this later when we were alone. My brothers will hear of this and want to have Strickland’s head on a spike. The others kept their silence. Zane kept his eyes and hands on me, careful not to touch bruised places.

Chapter

“Stop, Bell. Let me help you.” Zane pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it to the ground.

Ever since we got home he’d been a little irritated with me. He stayed by my side during my week in the hospital, making sure Thad and everyone else didn’t worry about me. Zane couldn’t help but be a little angry with me though. I shouldn’t have let Strickland come after me, I should have walked back inside where he couldn’t reach me. Zane’s life of fighting and women was a lot different than mine. We had something to prove and running from any fight was not the answer. Our guards were always up and nothing got in our way, even if we got our asses kicked like I just had mine kicked.

“Zane, you need to stop babying me.” I smiled to him sweetly but we both knew how annoyed we were with each other. What I couldn’t figure out, why wasn’t I at my dorm? “I’m going to head back to my dorm tonight.”

He stopped whatever he had started doing at his desk and turned to me. I was standing there shirtless and in a pair of shorts in the middle of his room.

“Why?” his back straightened a little as he turned to face me fully.

“I don’t want to do this with you. I got beat up, I’ve been beat up before but you’re acting like I’m humpty dumpty and someone shoved me off the wall. I just want to be left alone.” I turned away from him and grabbed a different shirt. The ones they gave me at the hospital were still covered in my blood, I wasn’t a fan of being covered in anyone’s blood, especially mine.

“I’m sorry.” He rubbed a hand over his face and sunk down to his chair. His mouth opened and closed a few times but no words came out. He just shook his head and slammed his fist down on the desk. “I’m sorry.” He repeated.

“For what?” I bit out. Almost nervous of his answer.

I watched his chest rise in a deep breath. “Gauge’s anniversary is tomorrow.” He choked out. “I get a little stressed…and then… this happens.” He waves a hand to me. “You don’t understand what you mean to me, Bell. If he hit you hard enough, I could be burying you right now.”

A single tear rolled down his cheek and my heart slammed against my chest. I walked over to him and slowly kneeled down in front of him. My hands resting on his knees.

“I’m sorry.” His eyes rose to mine. “I didn’t know. I’m just not used to being with someone like this. I’m not used to people caring if I get beat up.”

He breathed a laugh. “You’re going to tell me Thad and Cherish never care when you get hurt in a fight?”

I smiled. “They care, but they care more about what I’m going to do to get back up, to get back at whoever beat me; it’s how I’ve survived my brothers for as long as I have.”

His eyes narrowed and he cupped my face in his hands. They were warm and soft, I’m always surprised at the response I have to his touch. By now I was addicted to it. I didn’t think it’d ever be enough. “Why do you have to survive them?”

“Another time, Zane.” I mumbled and closed my eyes. His hands pressed against my cheeks and I leaned into them. The need to go to my dorm disappeared. I wanted to be in his bed with him next to me.

“We’re going to have to wait on getting your tattoo done, again.” He smiled down at me and I opened my eyes. “You’re too bruised and broken at the moment.”

I laughed as deep as my ribs would allow. “I’ll have to agree.”

“Can we lay down?” I said after a moment of silence. He smiled and nodded before helping me to my feet. I shimmied out of my shorts, with his help of course, and crawled under the covers beside him. It didn’t take long before we were both passed out in each other’s arms.

“Bell! Bell, wake up!” a voice shouted at me, jumping me awake.

I was cold. Freezing fucking cold and sweating. I could feel the liquid running down my face and stinging my cut. I wiped at it and realized it wasn’t sweat, I was crying. My hands were shaking and goose bumps covered my skin. Zane was staring down at me, fear in his eyes as he took my face in. His body was crouched over me, both of his hands on my shoulders.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him, I was out of breath. The words were choked as pain spread throughout my body.

“You were screaming.” He whispered, horrified.

I took in a deep breath and tried to remember. I hadn’t been dreaming, I don’t think I was dreaming. Slowly, I pushed myself up and let my legs dangle off the edge of the bed. My arms shook with cold. My teeth chattered with it too.

“I need to shower.” I mumbled to him over my shoulder.

I stood up and walked to the bathroom. My mind working through its kinks. There wasn’t a dream, I can’t remember a dream. My skin erupted in more goose bumps when I stepped under the cold water. They were painful as they stretched across my skin. When I felt fully numb I turned the nozzle to the other end and let the hot water burn my skin. Pins and needles took over my body until I was once again numb. I turned the nozzle one more time and let a medium temperature fill the water falling over me.

“They killed you.” I whispered.

“What?” Zane looked down at me. The curtain was pulled back in his hand as he watched me slide to the bottom of the tub.

“They found me, us… they killed you and made me watch.” I whispered as their faces flashed in my head. The dream I hadn’t remembered slammed into me. Causing my breath to hitch in my lungs.

I’d woken up cold and alone in the middle of the night. I had made my way downstairs to look for Zane. When I found him, they were standing around him. Hitting him. Cutting him. Killing him. I could feel the tears running down my face as I remembered screaming at them to stop. My arms and legs were like weights, holding me in place, trapping me from moving. I was paralyzed as I watched him slowly die. They had only laughed as they watched me. Zane fell limply to the ground with a sickening thud. His eyes open, staring at me with nothing in them. They were void of any life. But right now they were in the shower with me, staring at me with concern. He is alive, in front of me and alive.

“I’m right here, Bell. I’m not going anywhere. They didn’t find us.” He was still clothed as he kneeled in front of me. Water soaking into his shorts. His hands cupping my face, forcing me to look at him. I couldn’t stop the tears, they fell, mixing with the water dripping from my hair.

“But they will.” I whispered. “They always will…” I shook my head out of his grasp. “I can’t have you, I don’t deserve you. They’ll take you away from me.”

“No.” he said sharply and gruffly. “They can’t take me from you and they won’t take you from me. I won’t fucking let it happen. I won’t. And don’t start that ‘I don’t deserve you’ bullshit! You’re perfect for me and you know it!”

I didn’t say anything, I just closed my eyes and wished I could stay. Wished I could let this happen but I knew I couldn’t. Going to school was a dream that I knew wouldn’t come true. It was laughable how stupid I am. How I was able to give myself hope for a life, for a family to love me. From the day I was born I was damned. My brothers will make sure I’m damned and everyone close to me.

“Bell, please look at me?” Zane’s voice cracked as he forced my face to his. “Whatever you’re trying to do, whatever you’re telling yourself, stop it. I can protect you, we are stronger together.”

I shook my head again and shakily stood. My body protested the movement but the emotional pain in my chest overtook any physical pain I had. My heart didn’t just beat, it throbbed. Zane held onto my elbows and lifted me out of the shower. He turned the water off and made quick work of drying me off before wrapping me in his bed again. His body pressed against mine and his lips pressed against my forehead.

“Whatever it is, we’ll handle it together. We have to.” He breathed. “If they were going to come after us it doesn’t matter what happens, they’ll still get to me. I know you care about me, Bell. They’ll know too so why not just deal with this together?”

He was right. I’m positive they already knew about us. There’s no way they were too far from me. But if I left him, if I let them know I didn’t care, maybe they’d leave him alone. Everyone in the house would be safe. Zane would be safer without me.

Chapter

I had left the next day. Zane was getting out of the shower when I told him Mare was taking me on campus. There was concern in his voice but he felt better that I was going with Mare. I really was too, but what she didn’t know was that I was skipping class and packing my stuff up to go back to Thad’s house. I only took a few small things so I wouldn’t carry much. My ribs were in bad condition so I was thankful I still had Cherish’s car.

My classes were all dropped and I left my textbooks in the library. I only got a few curious glances to my bruised face but no one said a word. I just kept my gaze to the ground until I got to the car and forced myself into it. It took every ounce of power I had to just get myself into the car. The actual drive almost killed me. Every bump went straight to my ribs. Every vibration shook them. By the time I actually made it to the house, I could barely walk. I was thankful that Cher’s car was loud enough for Thad to hear. He took one look at me and picked me up out of the car like a doll.

“How long are you staying?” Cherish asked me. I explained to them what happened with Strickland and how I needed to recover before going back. Zane had already talked to them but I retold them again. I had lied and said my teachers excused me and Mare was getting my work. As soon as my body was healed, I’d be leaving here too.

“Just until I can get fully healed. My body took too many beatings this time around.” I offered a small smile before sipping my cup of coffee.

Cher gave Thad a pointed look who only looked guilty in return. No matter how angry or sad they were, they always had love in their eyes. I was jealous and it stung tears into my eyes. I blinked them away and slowly stood up.

“I need some sleep.” I choked out around the pain. I didn’t need any sleep, I was wide awake but my body was exhausted. I could probably sit still for the next few hours and feel refreshed.

“I’ll help you up the stairs.” Cherish lifted herself from her chair and waddled over to me.

“Are you going to make room for me in there?” I pointed to her belly. “Something tells me you can’t carry me.”

I offered a smile and she just patted her belly. Her baby was due in the next month or so, I wouldn’t be here. She heaved a sigh and nodded before looking to Thad.

“I’ve got it.” he stood and walked with me.

My entire body pressed into his as we climbed the steps. Every step took more and more out of me. By the time we got to my room I was ready to close my eyes. I was no longer wide fucking awake. My head hit the pillow and I was fast asleep in an instant. It’s amazing how being in pain takes so much out of you so easily. It made me feel numb. My emotions were turned off. There was no heart for Zane. For Mare. For Thad. For Cherish. Just hatred for The Five. My brothers. The ones that have damned me. Made me the pariah of our world.

Chapter

I was well past midnight when I found myself standing next to my bike, staring at the house. It stared back at me, taunting me, laughing at me. Telling me how they’d won, how they always will. I had stayed with Cher and Thad for a little over a month, enough time for my body to heal enough. I hadn’t planned on coming here but it was all I had. I told myself to leave but ended up digging for the key in the pot. When I found it I forced my way in.

I stopped halfway to the kitchen when I remembered I left the candles up stairs. Feeling my way along the wall, I slowly climbed them, careful not to trip and end up at the bottom. When I finally made it to the second level I gently pushed against the door. It creaked open under the weight. I was on my hands and knees when my fingers finally brushed against the candle. Some moonlight filtered through the window but it was still pitch black.

My shaking fingers lit a match and ignited the wick on the candle. I’d have to find another one soon, this one was almost gone. A scream left me when I turned and came face to face with my own eyes. Another hand wrapped around my mouth from behind me and a solid chest pressed against my back. Ben smiled down at me, he had gotten taller since the last time I saw him. His hair was cut short and tattoos lined his neck and arms.

“Let her go, no one can hear her.” He nodded to whoever was holding me.

I took a few steps away and saw Hunt. He was only a year older than me and Ben. He was just as tall as Ben but had slightly longer hair, his earlobes were spread wide with large gauges. More skin showed than tattoos, but the piercings were noticeable. They both looked aged with small wrinkles lining their eyes and around their mouths.

“It’s good to see you, baby sister.” Hunt smiled, two small balls showed below his lips and rested against his teeth. I wondered what else was pierced. That thought was fleeting as I figured the darker places he’s probably pierced.

“Hunt. Ben.” I nodded to them both. “What do you want?”

I glanced around quickly but it seemed we were alone. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Jack said he saw you not too long ago. We checked the codes on the gate, we were surprised to find out you’d come here.” Ben stepped towards me. I held my ground. “Thought we’d come check the place out, see if you’d show up.”

I swallowed and nodded. “Well… here I am.” My voice was strong, I may have had some fear, but it never lasted long.

A smile lit up his face. “Here you are.”

We both turned to Hunt when a phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket, the light glinting off his features. He never looked more evil in that moment, especially when the smile spread across his face.

“Time for a family reunion.” He glared at me.

The gate creaked open and I heard car tires squeal in. Car doors slammed shut then the front door opened and footsteps echoed across the tile. There were hoots and hollers, a couple crashes and then light flooded up the stairwell.

“Fuck.” I dropped the candle to the ground, plunging us into darkness. Ben’s hand wrapped around mine, the flame got too low, burning my hand. I backed away from him but I was pressed against a wall.

“You can’t run, Baby Bell.” He smiled and gripped my hair.

I was dragged down the stairs and into the room across the foyer. There were large couches and an equally large table. The fire place danced with flames and a construction light stood in the corner, illuminating everyone in the room.

“Ben! Whose bike is tha…” A smile spread across Quill’s face. “Baby sister!”

His arms opened wide and Ben threw me into him. He caught me and spun me around. I forced myself away from him but he caught me before I ended up in the flames.

He clucked his tongue at me. “Careful baby sister, don’t want you to get hurt.”

Quill was a little shorter than Ben but his hair was cut just as short. He was the slimmest of the group but I also knew he was the fastest. Parker sat on a chair behind him, his eyes narrowed as he studied me. He was the eldest, he was our leader, or their leader I should say. Always calculating and reacting with the most decisive attacks. The eagle on my arm represented him.

A whistle caught my attention from Parker and onto Gabe. He had grown up the most. A long scar ran down his face but his black shaggy hair covered most of it. He was the observer and typically the brains instead of the fighter.

“Our sister grew up boys.”

“So did you, baby brother.” I smiled sarcastically and he lunged a few steps.

“Stop!” Parker’s voice echoed through the house, freezing Gabe in place.

I took in my brothers. The Five, they call themselves. There were a few others around the room, none looked friendly, but my focus wasn’t on them. My focus was on those related to me in the room, the ones who hated me for things I never did. Crimes I never committed. They were why I never really had friends, why I tried to not have a family. Why I learned to fight, to kill.

The air went cold as Parker stood. The boys watched him and so did I. The only difference was I didn’t care what they did or didn’t do. Pain would be involved and it would be mine. I could hope death would follow but they want me to suffer.

“Still the God they worship?” I remarked to Parker sarcastically.

His eyes narrowed but he didn’t react, he just stepped closer to me. He lifted a hand to my cheek and pressed gently against my face. I was surprised by his tenderness but I knew it wouldn’t last long.

“You look just like mom.” He whispered.

I breathed a laugh and gave a small smile. “You look like dad.”

We shared a moment between each other. A mutual respect was given but it wouldn’t last long. There was a fight to be had and it would happen. We may be flesh and blood but they were capable of killing each other if necessary. Killing me, hurting me, would be like swatting down a fly. I was nothing but a sore spot to them, one they’ll always push until it goes away only to be drawn back into their clutches and the process repeated.

“Parker, you’re wasting our time.” Quill crossed his arms and sat on the arms rest of the couch.

“I know.” Parker sighed and sat back in his seat.

I remained standing as all eyes stuck to me. Gabe found a seat but stared at me angrily while the only compassion I found was from Ben. I had saved his life but he let mine be destroyed. I scowled at him and enjoyed the hurt and guilt that spread through his features.

“How’s it feel to be back, Ben?” I asked. He kept his eyes on me but only because it would show weakness if he looked away. “Being in the room where he tied you like a pig and f-”

A hand hit my cheek and my whole body fell back with the impact. I looked up to see Ben staring down at me, his eyes red with fury.

“Shut the fuck up.” He growled at me.

A hand slid over his shoulder and he moved a couple steps back. I laughed.

“You still haven’t told them?” I knew the cards wouldn’t have been laid out. Why not now though? Give them something to fight for.

I laughed again, enjoying the looks I was getting.

“You’re a fucking pussy, Ben.” Another hand came to meet my face. I took the blow and let his slam me against the wall.

Ben was on me now so I shot out my leg, catching him where it counts. My fists met his chest and ribs. He was slow and out of practice. When he doubled over I connected a knee with his chest, pushing the air out of his lungs. He tried to breathe in but I jabbed again, forcing the air back out. I connected a few punches to his face and another to his chest. Anger was coursing through me, I wouldn’t stop until someone stopped me. I kept my attack strong and swift, Ben was lying on the ground, choking on his blood when Parker threw me off of him. My back slammed against another wall and I stayed put. I slid myself to the ground and watched as they all stared at Ben.

“Thad taught you well.” Parker commented and the others nodded.

I shook my head. “Thad didn’t teach me that.” They all looked to me confused. “You taught me that.” I smiled at them.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Gabe asked disgusted.

Anger boiled in me once again, but beating my younger brother too wouldn’t get me anywhere, after all, he was the baby of the bunch.

“I don’t know Gabe. Why don’t we ask Parker the Wise? He knows everything yet reveals nothing.” My smile remained intact as they all stared at me.

A few confused glances went to Parker but his eyes stayed on me. If this was going to happen, if I was going to be beaten again, I wanted everyone to know why. Fuck, even I wanted to know why. I understood what happened with Uncle but not with our parents.

“What happened, Parker?” my voice was a whisper. “I remember the men and moms screams and the blood. But I don’t remember why it happened.”

I thought sympathy was in his eyes but I was wrong, it was anger. Disgust. He hated me for their deaths. Not because I could have saved them. Not because I should have called for help. But because I didn’t die with them.

“They wanted this you know.” I whispered again. My eyes were glued to Ben. He had gone limp but we could hear his breathing rasp with each intake.

“Wanted what?” Quill spoke up instead of Parker.

“Wanted you to hate me. To blame me for them dying and me living. I was kept alive so I could tell you how they killed them” I remembered the man’s words and smiled to my brothers. My eyes were glued to Parkers’. “You know why they died, but I never told you how they died.”

Epilogue

Quill and I glared at each other. The light blinded our eyes but we kept them locked on each other. His hand was tightly wrapped around my wrist as he pulled it to the light. I didn’t struggle, I didn’t try and pull away. I just let him take me where he wanted me to be. When my palm hit the light, my flesh seared. Small streams of smoke rose from the light but I held back the pain that threatened a scream in my throat. My eyes stayed on Quills’, he eyed me suspiciously. Almost surprised at my reaction, or really the fact I didn’t have one. The burnt flesh met our noses and he gagged. I smiled. He growled.

Releasing my hand, I pulled it away from the large light. From the base of my palm to the tips of my fingers was melted. It was red and swelling but I kept smiling, even as his fist came to meet my face. I ducked the last second and covered my head as glass shattered around me and Quill yelled out. A small flame exploded from the light before snuffing out into a cloud of smoke. The room was now set into darkness that danced against the fires flames. I could see the flames reflecting off the shards of glass that stuck out of his hand. Skin was melted around the pieces, holding them to his knuckles and fingers.

I was shoved aside as Parker came into the room and grabbed Quills’ hand to inspect the damage. A hand crossed my cheek as Ben turned on me. I only smiled, taking them individually was the easy part. It fueled their fire. Eventually, I’d snuff them out.

“Stay.” Zane whispered against my ear when I tried to climb out of bed. Dark hairs lined his jaw thickly from days of not shaving. His hair was a ruffled mess that made him look more innocent than the fighter he really was. Brown eyes looked down at me. They smiled but there was something else. A longing? A regret? I don’t know. It made me ache, it made my heart want to jump from my chest, slice itself open so he could climb inside and never leave. He had me. But I couldn’t stay.

I shook my head and smiled. “I have to go.”

“Why?”

I opened my mouth but didn’t say anything. I had no reason to leave, there was nothing I needed to do. But the need to leave was strong. I had to get out of there. When I tried to stand his hand grabbed mine and gave me a slight tug.

“Please don’t leave me, Bell. I need you here. The light to my darkness.” He whispered the words.

Ignoring the dread in my stomach I laid back down. I jumped back up when my head landed with a solid thud to the pillow. They weren’t supposed to be hard but this one was. I didn’t remember it being hard before. I opened my eyes and came face to face with Ben. Bright lights surrounded him and a woman was yelling in the back ground.

“What happened to her?” the woman’s voice was frantic.

Ben looked down at me with guilt in his eyes. Well, I hoped it was guilt but he was probably happy at the moment. I realized then the pain I was in was so strong my stomach threatened to empty but the thought of convulsing stopped me. My legs felt raw, my face was bleeding and I could taste the blood. Smell the blood. I was seeing through one eye when I met the face of another concerned woman. She was in bright pink scrubs that were decorated with cats. She looked to me then up to my twin with frantic, wide eyes.

“Sir, I need you to stay here.” The woman spoke again, more forceful.

I felt my entire body as it rested against a hard, cold surface. The coldness seeped into my wounds with searing pain. The warmth of Ben’s hands left me and his figure left my cloudy vision.

“Sir, I need you to stop, Sir!”

The women called down the hallway but I knew he wouldn’t stop. I tried to turn my head to watch but pain shot down my back and a scream left my mouth. They kept calling after him but when I screamed everything stopped. The pain intensified, my head ready to explode. A second later I was surrounded by people, they were moving me and touching me. Asking questions I couldn’t answer, saying I’d be ok when I knew I really wouldn’t. I saw a woman’s concerned face as something was shoved into my arm. I let out a small scream as the needle pierced my bruised skin but a second later, the dark found me.

It was black, cold and warm, even neutral. I was in a void of no feelings, emotional or physical. Just darkness surrounding me like it did when I slept. This was different, it was impenetrable. I wouldn’t be waking so easily from this. I couldn’t help but welcome it with open arms.