Poison’s fist connected with his jaw, and fucking hell,that hurt. He’d been learning to fight with Cage and Angel, and working out with Jigsaw, Poker, Starbucks, and whichever otherof his brothers was free during that time. He’d taken a hit or two, or five, over the years, butdamn.Then again, this was Poison. To have expected her to pull her punch at the last second would have been an insult.
Keys’ head snapped sideways as he stumbled, and for a moment, his vision did something interesting, but he managed to stay on his feet. Barely. He straightened and righted himself, but never did he consider raising his own fists against her. Beyond that she was a club president that he’d wronged, she was also a woman. Sparring with Angel and Tally was one thing, but to actuallytryto punch a woman? Keys didn’t care how sexist it was, there was no fucking way he was doingthat.
“Poison, stop!” he heard Rose scream.
Keys caught Jigsaw’s eye across the room. “Get them out of here!” he shouted. In his defense, while he knew this was coming, he truly thought Poison would wait untilaftershe spoke to Rose to do it. Otherwise, he would have never told the Riley brothers to stay away or allowed Oscar to remain in the clubhouse for theNon Cras’arrival.
Unfortunately, Keys did not get a chance to see if Jigsaw listened before Poison struck again. In the solar plexus this time, because Poison had a mean streak. Keys gasped and stumbled, nearly throwing up as he fought for breath. She did not wait for him to stand up this time. Her fists connected with his jaw, his floating ribs, his liver and kidneys, and his nose. Theonlytime he moved to defend himself was when she went after his balls.
“You son of a bitch!” she spoke between her hits. “You had her! You had her this whole time and you saidnothing! While I was tearing this country apart! Searching for her! Not knowing what to believe or who to trust! Thinking she was in danger—and she wasright herethis whole fucking time!”
The gut again. His lip split on the next one, and he heard Rose make a sound. Cursing Jigsaw for not listening to him, Keys tried to find her through his blurred vision.
“Poison.” That was Ghost’s authoritative voice. “That’s enough.”
Keys saw Poison’s fist coming at him again, but suddenly another hand was there. Breathing heavily, pain radiating through every inch of his body, Keys clung to his ribs as he stared up through his one good eye at Ghost.
As grateful as he was for Ghost’s interference, he was a bit surprised by it. He’d expected to have to take worse. Poison had needed somewhere to put two weeks of grief and betrayal, and Keys had been the right target.
He would never be sorry for choosing Rose. But he was sorry for the pain he’d caused others as a byproduct of that choice.
His president gently lowered Poison’s bloody fist as he stepped forward. “That’s enough,” he repeated sternly. “There’s a child in this room.”
Poison froze, the fury melting off her like ice. Almost frantically she turned, searching for Rose and Oscar. Ghost, for good measure, stepped between Poison and Keys, but Keys couldn’t have cared less at that point. Where were Rose and Oscar?
Across the room, he finally spotted Rose. She no longer held Oscar, and Jigsaw had an arm blocking her advance. Keys wasn’t happy she’d stayed to witness his punishment, but he was grateful it seemed Oscar hadn’t. As the ringing in his ears lessened, he heard the echoes of Oscar’s cries from outside. Keys wasn’t sure who had him, but at least he was safe.
“Rose.” Poison spoke her sister’s name like a reverent plea. Her hands were covered in blood, both her own and Keys’. She looked like she hadn’t showered in more than a day, and she had a coating of road dust all over her.
But Rose didn’t even look at her. She tried to move forward several times, but each time Jigsaw blocked her. When Keys felt steady enough on his feet, he made his unsteady way towards her. Seeing this, Jigsaw moved out of Rose’s way. She came flying at him, hard enough where they would have landed on the floor ifGhost hadn’t steadied Keys. Rose clung to him for barely a second before her hands were everywhere on him, none too gently checking him for injuries.
Keys groaned. “Baby, baby, stop, I’m okay…”
But she just kept frantically searching. “Why did you do that? Why did you let her do that? Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?”
“I’m…” Keys winced. “Well, I’m clearly not fine—your sister packs a wallop—but I will be. Where’s Oscar?”
“Outside,” Rose said shortly. Without taking her hands off Keys, she rounded on Poison. “How could you do that to him?”
“He lied to me!” Poison shot back at her. “He knew you were alive, and he lied to me!”
“Because I asked him to!” Rose shot back at her. “You’re taking your anger out on the wrong person, Ivy!Iam the one who faked my death six years ago.Iam the one who kept my identity from you for five years!Iam the one who had a son and never told you.Iam the one who chose not to tell you now!” Rose shook her head, her grip on Keys’ shirt tightening. “He only did as I asked. If you should be hitting anyone, it should beme! Hitme! Yell atme!”
Poison stared at her, and Keys hated that he was too unsteady on his feet to be able to protect her if Poison followed through on Rose’s proposition. He did try, but his body felt like he was moving through molasses. But in the end, it wasn’t necessary. Poison didn’t hit or yell at Rose as she’d suggested.
Instead, theNon Craspresident rushed to her little sister and gathered her up in a bone-crushing hug.
Keys leaned heavily on Ghost’s arm. “I think I need to lay down now.”
* * *
Rose couldn’t rememberthe last time she’d ever hugged her sister. It wasn’t like their parents had been overly affectionatepeople, either. By the time Rose was a teen, she could hardly stand to be in the same room with her parents, let alone touch them. And Poison? She’d been worse. Another adult looking down on Rose, rather than an ally.
Honestly, Rose wasn’t even sure the last time she’d seen Poison. Was it the day of their parents’ funeral? Maybe the day after? Unable to process the grief and guilt of their parents’ death, Rose had run. Just like she always did. Even now, as it felt like her sister was trying to squeeze her to death, there was still a part of her that wanted to run.
Poison squeezed her tighter.
She wasn’t sure why this surprised her. All afternoon, she’d been picturing their reunion, but a hug had never even crossed her mind. Was she so rigid and disconnected from the people outside her computer screen that she honestly had not considered her sister might want ahug? After all, to Poison, Rose had just risen from the dead after six years. A hug was probably the least she owed her sister.
