Seizing the opportunity, Rage unleashes a barrage of strikes, punches, elbows, and knees. The Russian staggers, his massive frame swaying under the relentless assault. With a final uppercut, Rage sends the Russian crashing to the ground.
The warehouse explodes with noise as Rage stands victorious, his chest heaving and his fists raised high. The Russian lies motionless while Rage turns to the crowd, a triumphant smirk on his bruised and bloodied face.
I stand in shock. My hands shake. I can’t be here among the violence, so I run, and this time Viper isn’t there to hold me back.
I push through the crowd. I can’t breathe, my chest aches, my mind torments me with flashes of Rage in pain. I’m suffocating. Once I get outside, I dash out and run until I’m bent over, heaving. The violence triggers me. Memories of being hit bymy first ex replay in my head. Tears fall. How can Rage enjoy violence like that?
I hear footsteps. Someone is behind me, giggling. I look up and see a well-dressed, petite woman in a fitted dress and high boots, with intense, piercing eyes. I’ve never seen her before. She steps forward. I briefly see her hand before my face burns with a sharp pain as my head is flung to the side and a slap echoes around us.
“I know you’re Rage’s lover,” she says in a strong Russian accent. “They showed me who you were. That was for hurting my Ivan.”
I hold my burning cheek.
“And there’s a lot more where that came from.” She raises her hand again as I take a step back, but Sophie is there and wrenches her arm back painfully. The woman shrieks.
Viper rushes over. “Sophie, let her go.”
Sophie’s expression hardened. “No! The bitch hurt my friend.”
“She deserves another slap for the money we lost tonight.” The Russian woman spits malice. She might be small, but she has a larger-than-life personality.
Sophie pulls her arm back further; the woman screams in pain. I cringe. More men start filing out of the warehouse and returning to their cars. Sophie eventually lets the woman’s arm go, but I hear her swearing under her breath. Sophie gives the woman a death stare as she walks back toward the warehouse entrance.
“There will be a rematch,” the Russian woman yells out confidently, before she swiftly turns her head and goes back inside.
God, I hope not.
Rage
I stand behind Reaper,fake a smile, and shake people’s hands. My head is pounding and my face is tender. I can already feel the swelling, but I deserved the hit. I was distracted. As much as I tried, I couldn’t get the sad and disappointed look on Rose’s face out of my mind as I left her at the clubhouse, but the hit was a wake-up call about the threat Ivan posed to Rose. The anger built in my fists until I unleashed that other side of me.
I usually feel better after fights, but not this time. Am I glad I beat him? Hell yeah. But there’s no feeling of relief and the usual uplifting feeling of pride in helping the club make money and making the men proud of me. They were there, but their presence was dull. Everything was overridden by Rose.
Cash walks over to me. “I need you.” He looks serious, and it makes me feel uneasy.
“Yeah, sure,” I answer, and follow him through the scattered crowd and outside.
My stomach drops when I see Viper, Sophie, and Rose standing off to the side. Sophie and Viper are bickering. Rose peers out at the parking lot, holding her face and looking like she might cry, so I rush over to her.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, my voice sharp with surprise.
She takes a step away from me and frowns.
My heart pounds. “What happened?” I ask, concerned.
Her lips press together.
I look at Viper and Sophie. “What’s Rose doing here? It’s not safe!”
They both wince.
“My wife here,” Viper says, his eyes directed at Sophie, “thought it was a great idea to bring Rose along to support you.”
My jaw clenches. I briefly close my eyes, trying to calm down. I realize Sophie means no harm, but she’s naive sometimes. Just because her family is like the town mafia doesn’t mean she’s safe everywhere she goes, and I hate the fact that she brought Rose with her.
I open my eyes to see Rose still holding her cheek. I reach out and cup her chin. “What happened to your face?” My voice is soft, though I know I’m not going to like her answer.
She rushes toward me and wraps her arms tightly around me. The moment her touch meets my skin, the tension in my shoulders melts away. My body softens, and without hesitation, I pull her closer, holding her just as tightly.
