Each one of the men had their own reasons for hating me. But Cruz found out about a son, and nothing could top that.
“I’ve already said what I had to say.”
The punches came fast and hard. Each one more pummeling than the next. Hits to the face, torso, chest and back of my neck had me falling to my knees. The knee to the face threw my body backward and into the dirt.
The boot to the chest had me sucking in a breath to breathe. I couldn’t move. Physically couldn’t do anything but close my eyes. Pain was all around me, but most of all in my heart. The guys were right on everything they said. Hell, some shit I didn’t even know they felt.
Cruz must’ve been done because my father filled my blurry vision as he stood over me with his hand out. It was hard. It was painful, but I took his hand as he helped me rise from the ground.
“The past is gone. We will move forward and create our legacy. Ravage for life.”
The men around us made noises of agreement, but I truly couldn’t hear what they were saying. Standing on my feet was taking every bit of energy I had.
“Let’s call Doc and get you fixed up,” my father drawled, and I wondered if this was for real a new start for me and the Ravage MC.
10
Micah
Six days and my body still ached all over. They got me good. Doc said I had a broken nose, dislocated shoulder, that he snapped back in place, and two cracked ribs. Not to mention my face looked like I’d been hit a thousand times. Oh, wait, I had been.
It was so much better than it was the day after Doc fixed me all up, then sent me home to recover. For those past six days, I didn’t do much at all besides allow my body to heal. It had a lot of work to do.
Some of the damage would take a while to heal.
My mother came over on day two and fussed over me, saying my father made her stay away until then. She tried to baby me, but that wasn’t my style. All I needed was pain killers and rest, and I’d be fine.
Here on day six, I felt so much better than day one.
It was why I was at the clubhouse cleaning. Pain shot through me when I tried to bend down to pick up the mop bucket, courtesy of the liver and kidney shots. But I didn’t let it show.
Instead, I followed whatever order I was told to do. There were no complaints; I just did it. That included the disgusting bathrooms. If I had to sit on those toilets to shit, I’d probably catch something. They were all cleaned now, so no worries there.
Cleaning didn’t bother me. On base, we had to keep our shit tight, and we all had jobs. Cleaning made me feel normal and not like a man in the middle of the desert on some secret mission.
Coming out of the bathroom, my eyes caught on something red. I did a double take and swore I saw Cyrus, the woman I’d slept with a few years ago. That night got me through so many more long ones in the dessert. I had never before, nor after, had such an intense connection in a brief encounter. The sex was phenomenal, but this was something I couldn’t explain and still felt to this day.
Was that Cyrus or a figment of my imagination?
I needed to know. I tried to chase, but suddenly, Deke and Nox were there holding me back.
“I need to see her.”
“Don’t give a fuck.”
I watched as the woman with the red hair flew out the door. Fucking hell. What was she doing here?
Dryerson slapped me on the shoulder, grabbing my attention. “The brunette is mine,” he said as he stared out onto the dance floor where several men and women were grinding and sweating. My gaze landed on her instantly.
Hands in the air, smile on her face, curves for days as she danced like that floor was there just for her pleasure. The flip of hair and sway of her ass drew every man on the floor to her. I watched as two men from different angles tried to dance up on her, but she was skilled at maneuvering herself away from them, not giving them an inch.
The woman had moves, that was for damn sure.
My lips tipped as men and women alike attempted to interact with her, but the only person she gave the time of day to was a blonde woman who appeared to be with her. That dismissal of those around her made her a temptation that every single person in this bar wanted to conquer.
Dryerson had game, but this one wasn’t going to happen. For two reasons. One, she’d catch on to him right away and would dismiss him because she wasn’t easy. She liked a challenge too. It was in her eyes. Second, she would be mine tonight. There wasn’t a single doubt in my mind about it. I fucking loved a good challenge, and she was too hot to pass up.
“Go for it,” I said, taking a long pull off my beer as Dryerson smiled and took off to the dance floor, weaving through the people to make it to the women.
“Fuck, they’re hot,” Malcom said, seeing the two women as Dryerson reached them, dancing to his own beat.
The blonde saw him immediately, and a wide smile grew across her face. Dryerson had his eyes locked in on the brunette, though. Unfortunately for him, the blonde stepped between him and the brunette, grinding her body on Dryerson, and in a millisecond, he wasn’t thinking of the brunette, who had maneuvered away from him. His attention was swept away pretty damn quick by the blonde, and he was all in. This was not uncommon. When it came to women, his attention span was that of a gnat.
“Damn!” Malcom and T-Boe said at the same time through laughter, and I joined them. “Fucker got burned.”
“Doesn’t mean he won’t tap it after,” Camden announced, and he spoke the truth, except when it came to this one. I felt it. It was in her presence, aura, whatever in the fuck you wanted to call it, but she didn’t want him. Hell, didn’t appear like anyone had caught her eye even a little bit. Or she didn’t want anyone. That would change.
The blonde turned her back to the brunette, and it didn’t take long before the brunette was dancing by herself. Several men tried to take over where the blonde had left off, but the brunette was having none of that. She looked up to the ceiling, then headed toward the bar, making a path through the throngs of people.
“That’s me,” I called out, getting up from the stool and making my way through the crowd, hearing my brothers behind me. Their teasing about failing like Dryerson made me want to laugh.
They knew better. I’d learned. Failure wasn’t an option.
She glided up to the bar, and the bartender gave her an easy smirk that probably got him a lot of pussy in the day. She flashed him a gorgeous smile.
I watched as something dark crossed her expression, and when the bartender set her drink down, she took it fast and ordered another by tipping the empty glass at the man. He asked her something, and she gave a fake smile. Whatever it was, the bartender went to make her another drink, leaving her alone again.
Another man, this one shorter and having no game at all, tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. When she turned to him, her eyes rolled to the ceiling as I saw the words ‘go away’ mouthed from her beautiful lips.
I moved fast, coming up on the other side of the beautiful woman, saying, “Just ignore him.” She turned to me, her mouth dropping and eyes going sexy round.
It took her a few beats to get her lips to work, but when she did she rocked me. “Now why would I want to do that?”
Damn, she was beautiful. The kind of beautiful where she really didn’t know how striking she was which made her all the more pretty. From her small nose and glowing green eyes, she was a force to be reckoned with.