He tries to cover his face, but I slam his hand away and punch harder. Blood sprays. His breath wheezes from his body, rattling in his chest.
Diesel stands there, fists clenched, his jaw ticking, itching to take over. But this fight is mine. His blood is everything I need to heal. From my kutte, I pull my knife and press the cold steel against Jimmy’s lips. “You wanted to bring this side out in me, Jimmy. Don’t back out on me now,” I say, smirking. “Let’s play.”
Jimmy thrashes. I pin his head with my knee. “Open up,” I order.
He shakes his head violently. “You were so vocal just a second ago,” I spit, struggling with his jaw. “Telling me all the sordid details, like they fucking turned you on,” I hiss, landing another punch, and shoving my fingers into his mouth before he can clamp it closed again. “Did you wank over my ol’ lady getting raped?”
I shove the blade inside. He screams. The sound tears through the room, it’s ugly, desperate.
His tongue writhes against the steel. I slice. Blood floods his mouth, choking him. He tries to scream again but it’s just a gargle. He kicks out, spasming on the ground.
“You’ll never say her name again.” I stand, satisfied as I drop the lump of flesh beside him.
Jimmy rolls away, blood pouring from his mouth, his eyes wild with agony.
I wipe the blade on his shirt. “Get him out of here,” I say, voice flat. “He’s not dying today.”
Diesel stares at me, stunned. “Kade, the plan?”
The plan. I want to laugh. I made it clear we wouldn’t deviate from the plan, and now here I am, deviating. “That was before,” I mutter, “When I assumed he didn’t know. He’s dying slow. I want him to feel every fucking second of it.” And I head out.
By the time I reach the clubhouse, my knuckles have stopped bleeding, but the skin is cracked and swollen. Diesel told me to wrap them, but I needed to feel the ache. I needed to feelsomethingthat wasn’t rage. Our bedroom door is cracked open. I push inside.
Eden’s curled on my side of the bed, hugging my pillow like she’s trying to hold onto me even while asleep. The sight hits so hard I have to stand still just to breathe.
I head straight for the en-suite, closing the door softly behind me. The tap hisses to life. Water hits my hands and blooms red in the sink.
Jimmy’s blood.
I scrub hard. It doesn’t fucking come off.
The door creaks and I freeze. “Why are you up?” I ask, trying to sound normal, staring at the water instead of her reflection behind me.
She doesn’t answer at first. Then her voice cracks. “Kade why is there blood on your shirt?”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “Eden, please. Just go back to bed.”
“No,” she says, and suddenly she’s right beside me, grabbing my wrist before I can hide my hands. Her breath stutters. “This is fresh. This istoday. What did you do?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
“Don’t you dare,” she snaps, stepping in front of me. “Don’t you dare shut me out again.”
“This isn’t about shutting you out—”
“Yes, it is!” she yells, tears already forming. “Two weeks, Kade. Two fucking weeks of you barely looking at me. Barely speaking. Barely breathing in the same room as me. And now you walk in covered in blood and expect me to pretend everything’s fine?”
I grit my teeth, trying to hold it together. “You don’t understand.”
“So explain it!” she cries, hitting her chest with her fist. “I’mright here, begging you to just tell me something, anything, so I don’t feel like I’m losing you!”
“You’re not losing me,” I force out.
“Aren’t I?” she whispers. “You won’t come to bed. You won’t talk. You won’t touch me. You won’t even look at me for longer than two seconds.”
“I’m doing the best I can,” I mutter.
Her laugh breaks mid-sound. “Your best? Is your best staying out all night doing God knows what?”
