by Wendy Cole
Boe seemed to be avoiding me, and the fact bothered me far more than it should have. He walked with Amber who kept to the back for most of the trip.
When Zeke stole Bard’s attention for a moment, however, she caught up to my side. “I feel like I always need to apologize to you. I’m sorry. I realized after you took off how that must have sounded.”
“It’s fine.” It wasn’t. I was over trusting her. Even now, she sounded nothing but genuine, but I wasn’t stupid. She had an agenda. She was sneaky as fuck and far too good at lying. Despite this, I couldn’t do anything about her, not until she pushed it too far. As it stood, she’d simply told a story, a story I’d taken out of context. She hadn’t flat-out said what she’d implied, and I knew that unless she came right out with her true intentions, I’d be the one who looked unreasonable.
She was good. I’d give her that. She played the game well, but she wouldn’t get the better of me again.
Bard slowed his pace until I caught up to his side and draped an arm over my shoulder.
Zeke peeked around him. “So, I was thinking, how do you feel about testing those fighting skills you’ve acquired?”
“Against you?” I eyed the mountain of tattoos that was Zeke. I’d just barely begun to be able to get the best of Bard, and even that was a rare occurrence. The memory of Zeke fighting in the yard came rushing forward. I wouldn’t stand a chance.
Zeke nudged Bard’s side and grinned. “Unless you’re scared.”
Bard squeezed my shoulder. “She’s got you. As soon as we make it back.”
Zeke winked then rushed ahead to catch up to Charlene.
I glared at Bard. “You can’t be fucking serious. He’s gonna kill me.”
His lip twitched. “You’ll be fine.”
We trudged the final distance down the path and broke into the backyard. Zeke reached the patch of ground where Bard and I trained, and I swallowed hard at his amused expression.
“Just remember,” Bard leaned down to look at me. “Zeke always leaves his left side open after a right punch–bad habit of his.”
I chewed my lip and cut another look over at the massive man; one who I knew for a fact was a fucking MMA fighter.
Fuck it.
“Fine.”
“That’s my girl.” Bard patted my back then gave it a slight push.
Zeke’s eyes danced as I took my place in front of him.
“Wagers,” he started. “If I win, you’ve got to kiss my nephew.”
I laughed. The memory of the last wager felt like another life ago, and I couldn’t believe how much had changed since then.
“If you win, I’ve got a sketchbook and some art supplies in the truck for you.”
I almost hugged him but refrained. “Oh, it’s on now!”
I got into stance.
Zeke swept his arm up, and my attention moved to it. But the arm did nothing while his left leg swung out and knocked me down.
“If you let me do that three times, I win.”
I hopped back to my feet and determination settled through me. I needed to beat him to prove a point to him, to the crowd of onlookers, and to myself.
And Bard. I wanted Bard to be proud.
Zeke lunged, and I dodged, then again. We danced. One of us would lash out, and the other would weave away.
Zeke let out a stream of steady laughter when neither of us could seem to get the upper hand. “You’ve learned quite a bit out here.”
I didn’t answer, just paid attention and watched his every move. The sound of Bard’s words echoed across my memory, and sure enough, an opening appeared. The opportunity would come each time he threw a right punch.
Adrenaline surged through me, but I continued the dance, clung to all the patience I had, and waited for the perfect moment.
Then, it came. His right arm jabbed at me, and I took my opportunity, swung my body, and roundhouse-kicked him in the side.
Zeke hit the ground and laughed, big and loud and throaty. He looked up with the proudest expression anyone had ever given me, and the smile that tilted my lips made my cheeks hurt.
He stood back up. “We’re tied up now. You still got to do that two more times.”
“Sounds good.” I quickly bent down, swung my leg across his ankles, and threw him back to the ground.
He leaned his head back into the dirt and guffawed. “That’s playing a little dirty. Don’t you think?”
“Never let your guard down.” I smirked. It was the same damn thing Bard had drilled into me a thousand times.
Zeke lifted an eyebrow and looked towards his nephew. “You’ve been working hard with her.”
Bard’s eyes stayed glued to me. They were lit up like stars in the darkening evening.
I basked in their light, in his prideful stare. It warmed me, filled me up with emotions so strong, I thought for sure my heart would explode.
“Alright. Stop making goo goo eyes at my nephew and pay attention.”
My cheeks heated, and I turned back to Zeke. “I’m ahead of you now. You should pay attention.”
He grinned at me, and in a move I couldn’t even begin to describe, he sent me spiraling backwards onto my ass.
“Now we’re tied.”
I jumped back to my feet, and the dance resumed.
Zeke stopped leaving his left side open.
We hit, punched, and kicked over and over. Each time one of us moved, the other would block.
My limbs grew tired. My muscles ached. Sweat perspired from every pore, and I was wearing down too fast.
Zeke didn’t seem affected at all, but his grin grew wider with each move, and excitement danced within his eyes.
In a last attempt to best him before my body completely gave out, I moved forward and did the move I’d used on Bard. I wrapped my leg behind his then pushed against his chest with all the momentum I could manage.
He fell.
Uproar resounded from everyone. There was laughter, cheers, and taunts from Scarlet that Zeke had been beaten by a girl a third his size.
Zeke didn’t seem bothered. His smile was wide, and his laughter infectious.
Bard stepped forward and pulled me up into a tight hug. “That has got to be the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen,” he murmured in my ear, his voice deep and hoarse.
My stomach flipped then tightened. My heart called out to him, and inner Jessie swooned.
I held him tight with my arms locked around his neck and chin rested against his shoulder.
It gave me a perfect view.
The old man was sitting on the back steps, smiling at the scene before him. He seemed so content, and my heart swelled even more that he was.
Then Amber stepped over to him and leaned down.
My brow furrowed, and my hold on Bard loosened.
She whispered into his ear, and the moment she did, his head whipped to her. His eyes widened, and his mouth moved around a barrage of words as he broke into a rant. Whatever she’d said set him off. His arms flailed up into the air, and the moment they did…
Amber threw herself to the ground beside him and yelled out as if he’d attacked her.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
Bard deposited me on my feet and spun. The moment he saw Amber on the ground, and the old man still flailing his arms, he broke into a sprint.
I did the same, just making it to the old man in time.
Bard looked furious as he helped pull Amber to her feet. Her face was streaked with tears, but she squared her jaw as if she was trying to be strong.
I placed a hand on Mr. Frankfire’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s alright.”
“They took it! They took it, and the world is blind!” he grumbled, his chest heaving.
I forced my eyes to his. “We’ll get it back.”
I had no idea what it was, but it didn’t matter. I just really needed him to calm down so I could deal with what had set him off. Amber.
He met my gaze, took several deep breaths then looked around the others wild
ly before meeting my gaze again. His lips pursed, and I knew, in that moment, he was back with me. But his ranting was almost better than the shame that took its place.
“This is not your fault,” I said. I searched the group until I found Charlene, and I didn’t even need to ask before she closed the gap between us.
She replaced my soothing hand with hers. “Let’s go sit. Will you sit with me?”
The old man nodded and hung his head as she led him away.
My hands fisted, and my teeth clenched. I turned back to find Amber with her arms around Bard’s waist, crying against his chest.
“What the hell happened?” Bard asked her.
“He freaked out and hit me.”
I could handle her obvious attempts at Bard. I could play nice when she made underhanded and manipulative comments to me. Hell, I could have overlooked pretty much any verbal assault she had.
But I couldn’t handle her fucking with the old man. That was crossing the line.
“I saw the whole thing.”
Bard met my gaze and nodded. He didn’t have a clue. Here he was, comforting that bitch, when all along it was the old man who needed consoling.
I looked her dead in the eye. “You said something to set him off, and he didn’t lay a fucking hand on you.”
She gasped and shook her head. “What? Why would I…”
“Jessie,” Bard’s brow furrowed, “I don’t think she’d lie about this.”
“I just told you.” My tone was even, words slow. “I saw it.”
I looked around the rest of the group, hoping someone else had seen it too, but they all seemed at a loss. Every set of eyes darted from Amber to me like puppies torn between owners.
Zeke’s expression seemed thoughtful. He studied Amber. His eyes were like Bard’s, probing, trying to figure out what happened.
“Tequila, I know you’re close with him, but he obviously has some issues,” Bard said, trying to sound diplomatic. All he managed to do was piss me off even more.
“I saw the whole thing,” I said again between clenched teeth. What he’d just said sounded an awful lot like calling me a liar. I needed him to stop. He needed to believe me. If he couldn’t, if he chose her word over mine… My chest hurt.
Bard’s jaw clenched. “Did anyone else see what happened?”
He looked around but received a series of negative responses.
“I saw it, Bard.” My voice held an obvious challenge, and no matter how hard I fought to contain the emotions, I sounded defensive and more than a little on edge. It was probably because I was standing on an edge, a precipice. This was it. This was the moment. It didn’t matter how I felt. It didn’t matter if he did really love me.
Bard would never be able to trust me.
I was an ex-con. A foster kid.
An Onyx Eagle.
He continued to hold her as his eyes locked with mine. Sharp. Reading. He could see what this meant. He knew what I wanted him to do.
“I saw it,” Boe called. He stepped out of the trees and walked towards us.
I watched him approach. He’d been so busy avoiding me, I’d forgotten all about him.
Bard finally broke away from Amber. His jaw clenched, and his muscles tightened. He took a menacing step forward with narrowed eyes.
Zeke intercepted and held his hands out between the two. “Boy,” he directed at Bard, his tone a warning. “Let’s talk about this. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for everything.”
“There is,” I said. “She’s a manipulative cunt.”
Zeke turned to me. “You said you saw the whole thing? He didn’t hit her?”
“I was looking over Bard’s shoulder.” I sucked in a breath and blew it out slow. “I’ve been with that old man for a while. He does this only when triggered. I don’t know how that bitch knew it would happen, but she said something to set him off then threw herself to the ground. She’s been trying to tear me and Bard apart this whole fucking time, and it didn’t work. So now she’s using the old man.”
“You saw this too?” Zeke turned to Boe.
“I did. What Jessie says is true.”
“He wants to sleep with her,” Bard said. He met Zeke’s gaze, a clear message in his eyes. “Let’s not pretend we don’t already know about Boe and what motivates him. He had a different woman popping up every other day before Jessie arrived, and the only reason he doesn’t now is because he’s set his sights on her.” He turned his hard eyes to the man in question. “You think saying this will help?”
“Why am I saying it, Bard?”
His jaw twitched, but he wouldn’t meet my gaze. He kept his glare on Boe as if he were the cause of all of this.
“I think you’re covering for the old man.” His tone softened just a hair. “I don’t fault you for that.”
He might as well have slapped me.
I snorted. “So, I can lie, but not her?”
Her. Her. Her. I wanted to scream. I wanted to fight. A rage I hadn’t felt in a long while stole my sense and threatened to undo me. My life was going good. Shit was getting better for once. One fucking time, things decided to go my way. Karma decided to throw me a bone, and it was all going to shit because of her.
I looked over at the distraught Mr. Frankfire and balled my hands into fists. She crossed a fucking line.
“I wouldn’t…” Amber started.
“No.” It was just a word, but the way I spoke it made it sound like something darker. “No more lying. No more games.” My teeth clenched. “The old man is harmless, and he’s been through enough hell. Tell the fucking truth.”
Amber stared at me, her eyes locked with mine. “I am.”
Something snapped inside of me. I lunged for her, fully prepared to do whatever needed to be done, but I barely made it an inch before Zeke wrapped his arms around my waist and swung me to a stop.
Bard stepped into my path. “Calm down.”
I straightened back up and pulled away from Zeke.
“Fuck you, Bard.” I looked around him and pointed at Amber. “Better get some fucking ice on that! Wouldn’t want an imaginary shiner!”
“Tequila…”
“How untrustworthy am I, Bard?” I snorted. “The bitch doesn’t even have a mark on her face.”
Bard’s eyes cut to Amber, and his brow furrowed.
“Do you see it?” I asked, tone more bitter than the chill creeping into my bones.
“Amber,” Zeke spoke as if he had it all figured out, “did that man hit you?” He stared at her. “Don’t you fucking lie to me.”
Amber slipped and hesitated. The doubt was there.
Bard saw it.
He took a step back and shook his head. “You’re lying.”
Her expression didn’t show a hint of guilt. “I’m not. Why would I?”
But it was too late. They saw. They all saw, and as the seconds ticked by, and it became clearer that she’d been discovered, Amber slipped more. She panicked. “She’s just trying to turn you against me!”
Bard seemed taken aback by the outburst. He swallowed hard. His jaw twitched. “Jessie, I’m…”
“Don’t.”
His eyes found mine, full of guilt. He fucked up, and he knew it. He fucked it all up.
He ruined everything.
No. She did.
My eyes landed onto the girl whose tears had miraculously dried. She met my gaze with a stoic expression, and I could practically see the gears turning inside her insane mind. She’d plot again because that’s what bitches like her did.
I didn’t even need to plan it. Something inside me flared, but not in a way that made me lose control. No. I focused. Everything cleared. With little effort, I dropped down, cut a leg across Zeke’s ankles, and the moment he hit the ground, I jumped up and landed a foot to the back of Bard’s knee.
He collapsed forward, landed on his shins, and I lunged for her. My fingers curled into her hair and my fisted hand landed dead-center of her face over and over as if it was a r
ace, and it was. At any moment, the men would recover and pull me away, and I needed to make sure that bitch had enough damage to remind her for a good while that she’d fucked up.
She scrambled to get back at me. She pulled at my hair, scratched at my face, my neck, but she didn’t understand.
Pain was no stranger to me.
I didn’t flinch when she shoved her thumb into my eye. I didn’t pause when her nails dug into my neck. She gripped my hair and pulled hard, but I just let it tear away like it had so many times before, so much worse than this. This was nothing. She was nothing. I had one goal: my fist and her face as hard and as many times as I could.
Bard grabbed me from behind and pulled me back, and Zeke did the same to Amber.
When I finally had the time to look at her, my breath exited in a whoosh. Blood soaked her face; coated it in thick, sticky red until she looked more like an extra from a horror film. Her teeth were bared, hands curled, and her nails were like claws. She spit on the ground and hissed at me like some feral cat in the wrong yard.
I stared at her. “Don’t be mad,” I said, my words broken up by labored breaths. “I just gave you something real to cry about.”
Bard gave me a gentle tug. “That’s enough. You made your point.”
The fight fell out of me at the sound of his voice.
“Let go.”
He paused, and for a split second, his grip tightened. “I didn’t mean…”
“Don’t.” I shoved him back and briskly moved towards the cabin.
“You should stay, boy. Let me go,” Zeke said.
I’d just rounded the side when he caught up to me.
“I’m fine.” I took a deep breath and fixed my eyes on the tree line. I could hear Bard’s angry voice in the distance, but I couldn’t register the words. The world was a blur. My heart, body and mind were at war, unwilling to accept this change, this defeat.
It had all been a pipe dream, nothing more than wishful thinking.
I was an idiot to believe anyone normal could love me.
I was too damaged. I should have stayed strong. I should have kept my wall. I should have let myself be alone.
