I lock my gaze on Steel’s shoes, using them as a way to focus and bury all our happy memories away. Pretending we never met is the only way for Steel to survive this. But pretending comes with another trap, my fear forces me to consider all this was a set-up, and that is heart-breaking. I hope the way Steel’s acting and talking isn’t real. I hope I didn’t fall for the biggest lie in the world when I believed him back at the lake house.
I risk a look at him, and that hurts. Because right now, he looks and feels like a complete stranger.
“Rex?” Steel asks again.
Rex chuckles, avoiding Steel’s question, “She’s a dirty cunt, who is also now my puppet.”
“How’d you get her? Must cost a pretty penny,” Steel says, his foot kicking the bottom of my chair.
Rex laughs again before he stops but when he answers Steel it’s clear he’s still smiling by the way he speaks. “Some club sluts jumped on an opportunity.”
“How so? Like from the Riders?”
“Nah,” Rex says slowly, driving control of the conversation. And his voice, the way he speaks and stands keeps confirming what I already know, he’s a prick. Rex rests his boot on the top of my thigh, pushing down hard enough to hurt, as he leans his arms on it like he’s leaning on a bar top. “Apparently this one’s been thinking she’s got some sort of magic pussy.”
My eyes fly up to his, and he’s already waiting with a sneer on his face, watching my reaction. It’s what he wants, to see me suffer and I don’t give him the chance, dropping my eyes as quickly as they flashed on him.
Rex might be the same height as Steel but in one look I can see how different they are too. As I expected though, he is as ugly and evil as his voice and presence suggest. If anything, he looks more like the twisted face of the Death Riders’ demon than he does a man.
But he wants to see my emotions as they happen, and he bends over, getting in my face and making it impossible for me to hide. I lock as much of myself as I can away from him as I hold his stare.
I’ve heard stories of Rex for so many years, hanging with King it was inevitable, but the only thing he and King share is the title of president. The similarities stop there. I could list thedifferences but the most obvious is their designation. Rex is a pale, bad imitation of King. A dangerous one.
Rex raises a hand like he’s going to touch me or something, and Steel takes a step nearer. Drawing his attention back to him and off me. “Rex, what are we doing here?”
Rex drops his eyes off my face, I can feel it without looking at him. And then I can feel his attention crawl over my nakedness, stopping between my legs. I grit my teeth so hard not to whimper.
“I think we need to test her little cunt out, don’t we? See if it really is magic,” Rex suggests straightening himself up. He starts pacing and Steel takes the chance to put himself between me and Rex, but in doing so he also becomes a target, or maybe he was always going to be. Rex stops pacing when he’s right in front of Steel, and then he makes it obvious and gets up in his face. “I guess now’s the time we need to clear some of the air. Between me and you I mean which is why I asked the boys to give us some time alone.”
The way Rex smiles at Steel makes my stomach drop. Nothing good is going to come out of Rex’s next move, you can see it in his eyes.
“See, Steel, it’s been on my mind for a while now. Damn near broke my fucking heart it did. To hear my kid wanted out. I know you’re not fucking stupid which is why I was so”—Rex juggles his hands as he pretends to look for the right word—“torn in conflict? Anyway, I knew you just needed the right motivation to remember once a Rider, always a Rider. Even after you got worms eating your rotten flesh you pledged your soul to Death.”
“I know that, Rex. Where’s this coming from? I’m a little lost considering you never wanted me to patch. Never let me even.”
“Well, let’s just say this solves both our problems, it’s our way forward. Your way of apologising to me for being involved inhelping the girls disappear. My girls, Steel. Sallyanne and Harley are mine.”
Steel visibly startles. It might be small, but I don’t miss it and I’m sure Rex doesn’t either. He tries to cover it, and Rex laughs and makes a noise like he’s disappointed.
“Ima let your involvement slide for a bit because by getting rid of Sallyanne you made my eyes open to better horizons, full of more opportunity and something tighter to fuck. But I am not happy about Harley, Steel. I’m feeling her loss big time because I had plans.” Rex flicks his head towards me. “But this magical big pussy might bring me just as much fucking happiness. Might even solve some of our problems too.”
Steel twists around and follows Rex’s line of sight. And right now Steel’s usual grey eyes resemble his namesake… cold, impenetrable. I can’t even get the slightest hint of his scent, every part of him is locked up so tight. And I hate it. I hate seeing him like this and I hate the way Rex is playing games and messing with Steel’s head.
Rex claps him on the shoulder, pretending they’re friends. But they’re not. Everything Rex is doing is winding Steel up, leading him along until he’s ready to make him pay, or use him.
“Get your cock out, Steel. I don’t give a shit if you can’t get it up, but you’re shoving it in her fucking hole and you’re gonna keep fucking until your come leaks out her cunt. And I’m going to film you busting a nut and packing her.”
“What?” Steel swings back around to face Rex, taking a step away from him and the waves of threat and malice rolling off him.
“Let’s call it her insurance and incentive all rolled into one.”
“What?”
“You haven’t figured it out yet, Son?” Rex exaggerates the word son and takes a step closer to Steel.
Steel holds his hands out, shaking his head. “Nah, Rex, I really haven’t. Are you sure the gear you got from El Demonio was clean? Remember they cut it before and it was bad.”
“Don’t bullshit me now. This ain’t about drugs. But I’ll do you a solid and pass on your concerns to El Demonio, that good?”
