“What is your problem?” I yell and turn on her. Another mistake! I should be letting her ass lead so she’d hit the briars first. She at least has a long sleeved shirt on!
“I’ll tell you what my problem is! You were supposed to sleep with him and have some fun! Not just agree to move into his club and become his personal bitch! You have no idea what you’re getting into with a man like him!”
It hits me then what is really wrong with Dani. I should have guessed it earlier but it just didn’t click into place. I take a deep breath.
“Dani, Dragon isn’t Michael.”
“Michael didn’t seem like Michael in the beginning Nic. You even have to admit that. Hell you liked him!”
“I did and you’re right. I know Michael fucked you up in a big way. I get that Dani, but you’re reacting in all the wrong ways here. You have got to quit letting the past control your future. Michael is gone.”
“Some scars don’t heal,” she grumbles and pushes past me.
I sigh. There wasn’t much more I could say. Dani had every right to feel like she did.
“Dani, Dragon protects me. He’d never hurt me.”
“Save it Nic. I saw the look in his eyes. I’m all too familiar with that look and with the excuses women make.”
I let it go. It didn’t matter what I told her about Dragon, she wasn’t going to listen. Besides, I had bigger worries.
“Hold up, I know we’ve passed that damn rock before.” I say turning around to stare at the huge rock that looks like one we would have used like a big slide growing up.
“Fuck!” Dani growls and that about summed it up. “I told you going into the hills was a bad idea! Son of a bitch!”
So I could clearly mark down that Dani didn’t deal well with panic. Good to know, wish I had known that earlier!
“Calm down. We’ll just turn right and start going that way it’s heading towards the road. Surely we can get our bearings then.” I rationalize.
“I thought you said the road was too dangerous!”
“For God sakes, you’re not listening to me about anything else, why listen now?” I huff and push in front of her. I start walking to the right. She could follow or not at this point.
Chapter 21
Dancer
“I told you I don’t want you here.”
It was hateful of me, I knew it. I looked over at my brothers. Dragon and Crusher, the two men who had been my only family since the time I was fifteen. We grew up in hell together. We knew more about each other than any one person should ever know about the other. I’d die for each of the men sitting in front of me. I would eat a mother fucking bullet for them and not blink an eye. Still, I didn’t want them here. I looked around the cold little 12x12 room. It’s barren and devoid of color. That’s how it’s meant to be though. Because from the day that door slammed behind me, there has been no color. Five hundred sixty four days and every day grew darker. Thirteen thousand five hundred thirty six hours…I glance at the clock high up on the wall…six hours, and twenty odd minutes, since my life became this hell.
The silver of the table matches the cold silver clasped around my wrists. Fucking guards keep these on me lately. It’s just another way of poking the bear. Another way to mock and belittle and get to me, I don’t let that shit show, but I know its working. Deep down inside, I feel another layer of respect torn away. I’ve fought hard to get that shit. It took years to make a life I was fucking proud of and I did it. It took one act to destroy it and hell the fucked up truth of it all was I’d do it again. Maybe I was the moron the guards liked to call me.
“You knew we’d be here just like always.” Crusher says looking his normal cocky self. I was like that once wasn’t I? I thought nothing could touch me too. I was wrong, so fucking wrong.
“How ya’ doin’ brother?” Dragon asks.
My eyes move over to him. He wasn’t a pretty mother fucker that was for sure. Big, dark, scarred and hard as nails, that was Dragon. He looked a little different today though. Dragon was a self contained time bomb, wrapped so fucking tight that the brothers and I would take bets on what would happen when he finally blew. The Dragon before me now looked relaxed and at ease.
“Fucking laugh a minute here Drag. Since you fuckers made the trek here, maybe you can tell me why?”
“Been hearing shit and I can’t help but wonder why you haven’t reached out to us Dancer.”
“Not a fucking thing you can do Drag, some things are out of your hands.”
“Not fucking likely Dancer and don’t pull this shit again.” Dragon responds.