Page 36 of Gang of Roses: Rebel

“I know I am,” I chuckled.

“Rain,” Crow warned, stepping between us.

Crow was always a gentleman. He hated seeing women fight, and if he could avoid it, he would.

“You know what? You got it,” I said, calmly.

I turned to leave with Crow, deciding they weren’t worth the headache. That’s when I heard it.

“Hawk... ptoo.”

Something wet splattered onto the pavement just inches from my Timbs. I stopped walking. Slowly, I looked down at the spit lying beside my boots. The smile disappeared from my face and Crow’s entire body tensed. Then he turned to face his baby mama.

“Shameka,” he said quietly. “Get your friend... now.”

Nobody moved as I rolled my shoulders once before turning around. Crow got in front of me, seeing the murderous look in my eye. Everybody standing near the entrance stopped walking. A crowd began to form as people sensed something was about to happen. I was itching to get it poppin’ like the Fourth of July.

Chapter 9

Cario “Crow” Domingo

Amug shot was exactly what Rebel was aiming for. There were too many damn eyes on us, all waiting to witness the mayhem and destruction that was about to unfold outside the arena. The second Rebel looked down at the spit beside her Timbs, I knew the night had just taken a turn for the worse. Shit, I’d seen that look before. Rebel wasn’t the type to yell or throw a tantrum when she got mad. She simply got quiet, and that silence was always the warning. As crazy as it sounded, if she caught a mug shot tonight, it’d probably be the prettiest damn mug shot I’d ever seen. That woman somehow managed to look fine even when she was seconds away from catching a charge. I stepped in front of her and gently rested a hand on her shoulder, hoping to bring her back to reality, but one look at the scowl on her face told me I was already too late. She was gone, lost in that dangerous headspace where consequences didn’t matter. If I didn’t stop her, somebody was about to get hurt.

“Rain...”

She didn’t even look at me. “Move, Crow.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

Her jaw flexed, but her eyes never left the woman standing behind Shameka. “I’m only gonna ask you one more time.”

The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

“Rain... don’t.”

Rebel finally looked at me. For just a second, it was like she was deciding whether I was worth listening to. Then she sighed and shook her head.

“Crow... I love you, but move.”

I could pick her stubborn ass up and carry her to the truck. Or I could get the hell out of her way. Knowing Rebel, the first option would probably get me punched before anybody else. I reached for her wrist anyway.

“Rain.”

Her eyes dropped to my hand before slowly lifting back to mine. “Crow...”

That was it. She didn’t raise her voice or pull away. I knew that tone. Another second, and she’d snatch her hand away herself. I let out a long sigh and released her wrist. There wasn’t no point in getting on bad terms with her over a chick I didn’t even know, so I decided to let her do her thing.

“Don’t make me regret this.”

Without another word, I stepped aside. The crowd collectively held its breath. Everybody knew something was about to happen. The second I moved, I already knew how this was gonna end. True to her name, Rebel rebelled. She closed the distance between them in two long strides and drove her fist straight into the woman’s jaw. The punch landed clean as the woman stumbled backward, before crashing onto the concrete.

Somebody yelled, “Ohhh, she knocked her ass out!”

Shameka rushed toward Rebel, pleading. “Rebel! Stop!”

Rebel wasn’t hearing shit and pushed my scary-ass baby mama back. I watched her snatch the woman up by the front of her jersey.

“You wanna spit?” she growled. “Spit now.”