Knights lady, p.14
Knights Lady, page 14
Oh, boy.
I think I love him.
No, I don’t think I love him.
I do love him.
That terrifies me.
“You scare me, Nicolai,” I say, truthfully.
“Believe me, you scare me, too.”
I shiver and he pulls me into his arms, pressing my body against his, “You’re freezing. Go and get your things, I’m taking you home with me. You’re going to show me exactly what you came to the club to show me, and you’re going to give me the fuckin’ best birthday I’ve ever had. You’re also going to take his fuckin’ shirt off, because it’s making me wild.”
I flush. “He just let me wear it, I had nothing else.”
“Don’t fuckin’ care. Remove it. The only shirt you wear is mine.”
I nod, biting my bottom lip. He flicks it with his finger, and then leans down and murmurs, “Move, baby. I’m not a patient man.”
I do as he asks.
I move.
I MOVE MY HIPS SLOWLY, swirling and swaying, half naked, coat on the ground. Nicolai is on the bed, wearing only a pair of boxer briefs, watching me with an expression I’ll never forget for as long as I live. His lashes are low, dropping over his eyes in a hooded expression, his mouth is relaxed but his jaw is tight as he watches me move. His arms are crossed over his big chest, and his cock is hard.
Oh, so hard.
It’s pushing his briefs up in a perfect tent, a tent I can’t wait to find my way into later.
I drop the last of my clothes, swaying and turning, bending and sliding back up as slowly as I can. I’m nervous, as all hell, but his expression reassures me that he really likes what he sees, and I’m good with that. More than good with it. I dance, slowly, as requested, and slowly make my way toward the bed, my pussy aching.
I want him.
He knows I want him.
I don’t know how long he can expect me to dance while he’s sitting there, looking like that. All I want to do is climb onto his lap and have my way with him.
I sway closer, hair rolling down around my shoulders, nipples hard. When I reach the end of the bed, I fall forward onto my hands and crawl up onto it until I’m over top of him. He growls, low and deep, as I take off his briefs and finally let his cock spring free.
Wrapping two hands around it, I lower my mouth and I suck. I suck and twist, swirl and lick. His groans encourage me on, and I whimper when his fingers tangle into my hair and tug me down harder, until I’m taking the most of him I possibly can, mouth stretched around him, throat burning, loving every second of it.
I need him inside of me.
Like, yesterday.
I climb up on top of him after releasing him from my mouth, and put my knees either side of his hips. His hands come up immediately and cup my breasts, squeezing and rotating until I’m whimpering and slipping down onto him. He fills me, even wet—it’s a stretching, burning pain that tingles through my body.
I close my eyes for a moment, drop my head back, and let that feeling of him sliding into me take over me for just a moment. Such an exquisite feeling. So incredible it makes me want to scream with ecstasy. I love it. I love everything about it. My body craves this feeling, like a damned drug. I moan when he’s inside me fully, and his hands slide from my breasts, slowly down my body, until he finds my hips.
Then he starts rocking me.
My eyes open and I look into his, and god, I get so damned turned on when he starts lifting me up and down on his cock, his huge biceps flexing and bulging as he takes my weight. It’s so damned hot, I want to melt and scream all at the same time. He uses me to fuck himself, and god, it’s a turn on. I help a little, taking some of the weight with my knees, but I let him keep the pace he’s happy with, and keep it, he does. He jerks me up and down, up and down, until I’m whimpering with pleasure, arching backward, nipples hard as two little pebbles on my chest.
I scream his name when I cum, and he follows not long after, pulsing inside of me, growling my name in a whispered hiss. When he stops moving me, I fall forward onto his chest, cheek against it, listening to his heart pounding. It’s no doubt going as rapidly as mine is right now. Every now and then, my body still trembles from the incredible orgasm.
One of his arms snakes around my back, and he holds me close to him.
And in this moment, I know exactly how exceptionally comforting it is to have someone you love holding you, knowing they’re there for you, that they’ve got your back. Now I know why girls run to their partners when they’re sad, or hurt, or need someone to make them feel okay again.
It’s for this moment.
The moment where being held by a strong man makes you feel like you’ll be able to make it through anything.
That’s how Nicolai is making me feel right now.
I hope it lasts forever.
Because I’m starting to wonder what my life will be like without him.
I don’t even want to imagine.
I don’t think I can deal with it.
15
NOW – LUCY
“OH MY GOSH,” SHANIA says, eyes wide, staring at me. “That’s terrible. Are you okay?”
I nod. “I’m fine, we sorted it out.”
“Did he have a good reason as to why Yana was there?” Erin asks, sipping her cocktail and leaning back in her chair, looking angry at the story I just told them.
I had to tell them, because Damon let it slip what happened the other night, and I had to clarify a few things so they didn’t run with their own version of the story. Turns out they had mostly run with their version, so I’m glad I got to set them straight, though they don’t seem overly impressed by it.
“Yes, she is one of his employees,” I tell Erin. “He approves their dances, it’s just what he does. Got to learn to live with it, I suppose.”
“You’re okay with that?” Ellie asks, pushing her lips out in concern. “I don’t know if I would be.”
“I’m not thrilled about it,” I tell her, “but it’s not something new, you know? He’s been running those clubs for a long time. If he suddenly popped up and started it, sure I’d be worried, but it’s nothing new or exciting to him.”
“But she was half naked, dancing in front of him!” Erin cries, throwing her hands up, “How are you not losing your shit?”
I swallow and take a deep breath. I knew this wasn’t going to be something that went down overly well. That I’d have to explain it to them, so they understood it how I did, even though I know there is a chance they still won’t agree with it.
“I did lose my shit,” I tell her, “Totally and completely, but in the end, he explained it, and like he said, I have a choice, I can either accept it, or I can’t. He’s right, so I chose to accept it.”
“What if he’s lying, honey?” Shania asks.
“You know,” I say, keeping my voice calm. “You all tell me that a lot, and I guess in the end, I have to take that risk, don’t I? He’s what I want. You don’t have to like him, none of you do, but I trust him, I honestly do. I don’t think he’s in it to hurt me. He wants me, he’s made that clear.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Shania says. “I mean, when I was chasing after him, he made it clear he wasn’t interested in anything but sex. It didn’t matter how hard I pushed. He didn’t commit in any way, so you’re right, him making it clear that he wants you is a really good thing.”
I appreciate her saying that, even though I know deep down she doesn’t fully believe it yet. She’s still unsure of him and how he’s going to treat me, how this is going to end up, but she’s making an effort for me, and that’s a really big deal.
“Thank you, I appreciate you saying that,” I tell her.
“I still don’t like it,” Erin says, giving me a smile to say she’s sorry for speaking the truth, but it is what it is. I don’t blame her, I’m the first to give others my opinion. Who am I to judge her? “But, I think you’re a smart girl, and you’re going to roll him into line if he does wrong by you. Just remember what you told me: you’re strong, you’re sassy, and you don’t ever need to chase a man.”
I grin at her, “You’re right about that.”
We chat and laugh for a few more hours, and then I have to head home. I have to work early tomorrow, so I don’t want to be hungover, even though I could happily stay here all night.
I say my goodbyes and leave.
The drive home is slow, and I yawn far more than I’d like to admit. When I reach my driveway, there is a woman standing in it. She’s looking up at my apartment. I don’t know who she is, hell, I can’t really see her face to be honest, but she’s tall, lean, and blond. She turns when I drive in, and I quickly get out and say, “Can I help you?”
“Oh,” she says, smiling and letting out a little half giggle. “Sorry, I’m new around here. I moved in just over the street. I was just introducing myself to my neighbors. Hi! I’m Suzie.”
Suzie, huh?
Well, Suzie, it’s a little suspicious that you’re staring at my apartment at seven o’clock at night, but who am I to judge the times you go and introduce yourself to people?
It feels a little weird, though.
I’m not entirely sure what about it feels weird, maybe it’s just the fact that it’s night time, and if you were going to introduce yourself to someone, you think you’d do it during daylight hours, or maybe it’s the fact that she was just staring up at my house, which makes me a little uncomfortable.
Still, I’ll give her a shot.
“Hi, Suzie. I’m Lucy. Kind of late to be going around introducing yourself don’t you think?”
Trust me to throw it out there how it is.
She laughs, throwing her pretty head back. “You’re right, gosh, I’m such a dill! I work during the day and I’ve not managed to get around and say hello. I spent a while talking to Josh, over the road, and it kind of put me behind. I planned on saying my hellos before the sun went down.”
Well, that kind of makes sense.
“Josh is chatty,” I tell her.
“He certainly is. Anyway, it’s lovely to meet you, Lucy. I’m new to town, so if you have any good recommendations of places to go, or things to see, I’d love to hear them.”
Dammit.
She actually seems like a really nice lady.
I’m probably coming across as rude.
I smile and say, “Well, I know a few good places. Maybe we can go and see them together?”
She beams. “Really? Oh, that’s so kind of you. I don’t really have any friends yet. It’s a little daunting moving to a new city.”
I can imagine. It’s okay when you’re ten and you can go to school and make new friends, but when you’re a grown ass adult and you’re moving to a new city, shit gets real. I mean, honestly, how the hell do you make friends? If you’re a gym junkie, you can probably meet them that way, or if you really like sports or other such activities you might get a few, but if you’re not into those things, it can be super hard to meet anyone. I feel for her; I couldn’t imagine moving right now, hell, I don’t think I could even if I wanted to.
I’m far too chicken for that.
“I’m sure you’ll fit right in,” I tell her. “Here’s my number. Give me a text with yours. I’m free a few days this week, we can go and check things out.”
She smiles and pulls her phone out as I give her my number then thanks me profusely for being so kind and disappears. I walk inside, laughing.
Well, see, it’s not every day you just make a random friend.
Things feel really good right now.
Really good.
“DAMON, WHAT THE HELL happened?” I cry, staring at my beaten and bloodied friend at the door.
He has a swollen eye, blood on his lip and blood dripping from his hands. Like he’s been in a fight. What the hell would my quiet friend be doing getting in a fight?
It’s a little past midday, and I’m meeting Suzie later for a drink at a local hangout. Nicolai is working tonight, so I don’t get to see him until tomorrow. I was planning on visiting Damon, but I didn’t expect to see him at my door all beaten and bloodied.
“Can I come in?” he rasps.
I shove the door open wider and he steps in. I rush to the kitchen after closing and locking the door and grab a first-aid kit. Damon sits on the floor, not wanting to bloody my sofa no doubt. I get some warm wash cloths, an ice pack, and then meet him on the floor, handing him the ice pack for his eye. He lifts it and presses it against it with a hiss, and his split knuckles bleed even more.
“What’s going on?” I ask him, grabbing his free hand and wrapping it in the warm wash cloth.
“Fuckin’ Finn and his fuckin’ crap with Brody is what’s going on!”
Damon’s angry.
I don’t think there has been a time I’ve seen Damon angry, if I’m honest. He’s always together, always calm and collected, but right now he’s acting like he honestly wants to rip someone’s head off. Finn’s, by the sounds of it.
“Start from the beginning.”
Damon exhales, and I get to work on cleaning his hands up.
“Brody wants to do a death match, as you know. Finn is gettin’ way too involved. Erin came to me last night, concerned because Finn wasn’t home, and she couldn’t find him. She was worried he was getting in too deep with Brody and this fuckin’ revenge mission he’s on.”
Oh no.
Poor Erin.
I make a note to call her ASAP.
“So I went on a hunt for Finn. Tracked him down, he was at another death match with Brody. Didn’t go, because I’m not into that fuckin’ shit. But I managed to get him when he got back to Lincoln’s fighting ring. He and Brody were there alone, practicing fighting, like a bunch of fuckin’ savages. I lost my shit at him, told him he’s going to get himself killed helping someone he hardly knows seek his revenge. He got into me, told me to mind my own fuckin’ business.”
Oh no.
This isn’t a good thing. Those brothers are so close.
“Shit got out of hand, I threw a punch, he threw one back and we got into it, big time. Fuckin’ busted each other up. I disappeared before it could get any worse because fuck, I wanted to rip his damned head off. He has a lady now, a woman by his side, he’s fuckin’ playing with the wrong thing. He shouldn’t be getting involved in that shit, he shouldn’t be going to those fights, and he shouldn’t be fighting with Brody to get him ready. He’ll end up killed.”
Poor Damon.
I’d lose my shit if someone in my family was doing that, too. It’s not a good thing, it’s incredibly unsafe and dangerous.
“Do you know why he’s so invested in helping Brody?”
Damon shakes his head. “No, he just thinks if he helps him, he might not get killed. Almost like Finn is taking it on his shoulders. If something happens to Brody, it’s because he didn’t help him enough. It’s fucked. That man has got serious issues, and he’s getting himself into a dangerous situation.”
“I’m sorry you and Finn fought,” I say, wiping his knuckles. They’re pretty busted up. It must have been a decent fight. “How is Erin?”
“No idea, but when Finn goes home lookin’ the way I look right now, I don’t think she’ll be happy.”
“No, she definitely won’t. Is there any way we can help him? Have you spoken to Lincoln or Slater? Maybe they can talk some sense into him.”
“No,” Damon growls, “because they’re on fuckin’ board with it. Helpin’ Brody track this fucker down, helpin’ him get ready for the fight, watching, learning, making sure he will win. But they can’t guarantee he’ll win, and I think Finn is realizing that now, and doubling his efforts.”
That makes sense. Finn doesn’t want anything to happen to Brody, because then he might feel like he’s not done enough to teach him how to fight properly. No matter what happens, Finn is going to take this one on. I can see why Damon is concerned.
“I understand why you’re worried,” I tell him. “Finn is in too deep and no matter the outcome, he’s going to be affected by this.”
Damon nods. “He just got happy, finally. He just got that empty look out of his eyes. He doesn’t need this shit to bring him back down. Erin doesn’t need this shit. They deserve to be happy.”
Erin.
I’m going to call her as soon as Damon leaves.
She’s going to need someone to talk to, I know she will.
It’s all happening a little too intensely for my liking.
For now, I’ll worry about Damon and how to get him fixed up.
“Does Penny know you’re all busted up?” I ask him, swapping the ice pack into his other hand once I’m done with the first one.
“No, I don’t know her well enough yet. Don’t want to scare her. I know she’s not a big fan of violence.”
Understandably, she may just read it wrong and back off before she even gets to know Damon. Because anyone that knows Damon knows that he isn’t the violent type—he stays away from all the dark crap, and likes to enjoy his life drama free. Hopefully this won’t scare her too much if she sees him. It sounds like they’d be good for each other.
“I’m sure if you explain what happened to her, she’ll understand.”
“Which part?” Damon mutters. “The getting into a fist fight with my brother, or the death matches?”
Mmm, when he puts it like that, it might not be so easy to explain.
“You don’t have to tell her about the death matches,” I tell him. “You can simply tell her that you and your brother got into a fight over a silly choice he is making. I’m sure details are irrelevant at this point.”
“Maybe I’m diggin’ in too deep anyway. Maybe Penny and I just shouldn’t happen. If you can’t be honest about who you are from the start, it’s really not worth it. Hate Nicolai, but at least he’s honest about what he does. Can’t fault him for that. If I don’t tell Penny who my brothers are, what they get into, and how sometimes things in their world are dark, then I’m not showing my true self to her.”
“Why is she so scarred about this stuff?” I ask him.
“When she was with Boston, her ex-husband was killed, it freaked her out, it all got messy and dark, and she found that life too overwhelming. She found Boston too overwhelming. They’re good friends now, but she had to go away after it and come back, she needed time. She says she’s not cut out for that high intensity, dark life. Can’t say I blame her.”
I think I love him.
No, I don’t think I love him.
I do love him.
That terrifies me.
“You scare me, Nicolai,” I say, truthfully.
“Believe me, you scare me, too.”
I shiver and he pulls me into his arms, pressing my body against his, “You’re freezing. Go and get your things, I’m taking you home with me. You’re going to show me exactly what you came to the club to show me, and you’re going to give me the fuckin’ best birthday I’ve ever had. You’re also going to take his fuckin’ shirt off, because it’s making me wild.”
I flush. “He just let me wear it, I had nothing else.”
“Don’t fuckin’ care. Remove it. The only shirt you wear is mine.”
I nod, biting my bottom lip. He flicks it with his finger, and then leans down and murmurs, “Move, baby. I’m not a patient man.”
I do as he asks.
I move.
I MOVE MY HIPS SLOWLY, swirling and swaying, half naked, coat on the ground. Nicolai is on the bed, wearing only a pair of boxer briefs, watching me with an expression I’ll never forget for as long as I live. His lashes are low, dropping over his eyes in a hooded expression, his mouth is relaxed but his jaw is tight as he watches me move. His arms are crossed over his big chest, and his cock is hard.
Oh, so hard.
It’s pushing his briefs up in a perfect tent, a tent I can’t wait to find my way into later.
I drop the last of my clothes, swaying and turning, bending and sliding back up as slowly as I can. I’m nervous, as all hell, but his expression reassures me that he really likes what he sees, and I’m good with that. More than good with it. I dance, slowly, as requested, and slowly make my way toward the bed, my pussy aching.
I want him.
He knows I want him.
I don’t know how long he can expect me to dance while he’s sitting there, looking like that. All I want to do is climb onto his lap and have my way with him.
I sway closer, hair rolling down around my shoulders, nipples hard. When I reach the end of the bed, I fall forward onto my hands and crawl up onto it until I’m over top of him. He growls, low and deep, as I take off his briefs and finally let his cock spring free.
Wrapping two hands around it, I lower my mouth and I suck. I suck and twist, swirl and lick. His groans encourage me on, and I whimper when his fingers tangle into my hair and tug me down harder, until I’m taking the most of him I possibly can, mouth stretched around him, throat burning, loving every second of it.
I need him inside of me.
Like, yesterday.
I climb up on top of him after releasing him from my mouth, and put my knees either side of his hips. His hands come up immediately and cup my breasts, squeezing and rotating until I’m whimpering and slipping down onto him. He fills me, even wet—it’s a stretching, burning pain that tingles through my body.
I close my eyes for a moment, drop my head back, and let that feeling of him sliding into me take over me for just a moment. Such an exquisite feeling. So incredible it makes me want to scream with ecstasy. I love it. I love everything about it. My body craves this feeling, like a damned drug. I moan when he’s inside me fully, and his hands slide from my breasts, slowly down my body, until he finds my hips.
Then he starts rocking me.
My eyes open and I look into his, and god, I get so damned turned on when he starts lifting me up and down on his cock, his huge biceps flexing and bulging as he takes my weight. It’s so damned hot, I want to melt and scream all at the same time. He uses me to fuck himself, and god, it’s a turn on. I help a little, taking some of the weight with my knees, but I let him keep the pace he’s happy with, and keep it, he does. He jerks me up and down, up and down, until I’m whimpering with pleasure, arching backward, nipples hard as two little pebbles on my chest.
I scream his name when I cum, and he follows not long after, pulsing inside of me, growling my name in a whispered hiss. When he stops moving me, I fall forward onto his chest, cheek against it, listening to his heart pounding. It’s no doubt going as rapidly as mine is right now. Every now and then, my body still trembles from the incredible orgasm.
One of his arms snakes around my back, and he holds me close to him.
And in this moment, I know exactly how exceptionally comforting it is to have someone you love holding you, knowing they’re there for you, that they’ve got your back. Now I know why girls run to their partners when they’re sad, or hurt, or need someone to make them feel okay again.
It’s for this moment.
The moment where being held by a strong man makes you feel like you’ll be able to make it through anything.
That’s how Nicolai is making me feel right now.
I hope it lasts forever.
Because I’m starting to wonder what my life will be like without him.
I don’t even want to imagine.
I don’t think I can deal with it.
15
NOW – LUCY
“OH MY GOSH,” SHANIA says, eyes wide, staring at me. “That’s terrible. Are you okay?”
I nod. “I’m fine, we sorted it out.”
“Did he have a good reason as to why Yana was there?” Erin asks, sipping her cocktail and leaning back in her chair, looking angry at the story I just told them.
I had to tell them, because Damon let it slip what happened the other night, and I had to clarify a few things so they didn’t run with their own version of the story. Turns out they had mostly run with their version, so I’m glad I got to set them straight, though they don’t seem overly impressed by it.
“Yes, she is one of his employees,” I tell Erin. “He approves their dances, it’s just what he does. Got to learn to live with it, I suppose.”
“You’re okay with that?” Ellie asks, pushing her lips out in concern. “I don’t know if I would be.”
“I’m not thrilled about it,” I tell her, “but it’s not something new, you know? He’s been running those clubs for a long time. If he suddenly popped up and started it, sure I’d be worried, but it’s nothing new or exciting to him.”
“But she was half naked, dancing in front of him!” Erin cries, throwing her hands up, “How are you not losing your shit?”
I swallow and take a deep breath. I knew this wasn’t going to be something that went down overly well. That I’d have to explain it to them, so they understood it how I did, even though I know there is a chance they still won’t agree with it.
“I did lose my shit,” I tell her, “Totally and completely, but in the end, he explained it, and like he said, I have a choice, I can either accept it, or I can’t. He’s right, so I chose to accept it.”
“What if he’s lying, honey?” Shania asks.
“You know,” I say, keeping my voice calm. “You all tell me that a lot, and I guess in the end, I have to take that risk, don’t I? He’s what I want. You don’t have to like him, none of you do, but I trust him, I honestly do. I don’t think he’s in it to hurt me. He wants me, he’s made that clear.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Shania says. “I mean, when I was chasing after him, he made it clear he wasn’t interested in anything but sex. It didn’t matter how hard I pushed. He didn’t commit in any way, so you’re right, him making it clear that he wants you is a really good thing.”
I appreciate her saying that, even though I know deep down she doesn’t fully believe it yet. She’s still unsure of him and how he’s going to treat me, how this is going to end up, but she’s making an effort for me, and that’s a really big deal.
“Thank you, I appreciate you saying that,” I tell her.
“I still don’t like it,” Erin says, giving me a smile to say she’s sorry for speaking the truth, but it is what it is. I don’t blame her, I’m the first to give others my opinion. Who am I to judge her? “But, I think you’re a smart girl, and you’re going to roll him into line if he does wrong by you. Just remember what you told me: you’re strong, you’re sassy, and you don’t ever need to chase a man.”
I grin at her, “You’re right about that.”
We chat and laugh for a few more hours, and then I have to head home. I have to work early tomorrow, so I don’t want to be hungover, even though I could happily stay here all night.
I say my goodbyes and leave.
The drive home is slow, and I yawn far more than I’d like to admit. When I reach my driveway, there is a woman standing in it. She’s looking up at my apartment. I don’t know who she is, hell, I can’t really see her face to be honest, but she’s tall, lean, and blond. She turns when I drive in, and I quickly get out and say, “Can I help you?”
“Oh,” she says, smiling and letting out a little half giggle. “Sorry, I’m new around here. I moved in just over the street. I was just introducing myself to my neighbors. Hi! I’m Suzie.”
Suzie, huh?
Well, Suzie, it’s a little suspicious that you’re staring at my apartment at seven o’clock at night, but who am I to judge the times you go and introduce yourself to people?
It feels a little weird, though.
I’m not entirely sure what about it feels weird, maybe it’s just the fact that it’s night time, and if you were going to introduce yourself to someone, you think you’d do it during daylight hours, or maybe it’s the fact that she was just staring up at my house, which makes me a little uncomfortable.
Still, I’ll give her a shot.
“Hi, Suzie. I’m Lucy. Kind of late to be going around introducing yourself don’t you think?”
Trust me to throw it out there how it is.
She laughs, throwing her pretty head back. “You’re right, gosh, I’m such a dill! I work during the day and I’ve not managed to get around and say hello. I spent a while talking to Josh, over the road, and it kind of put me behind. I planned on saying my hellos before the sun went down.”
Well, that kind of makes sense.
“Josh is chatty,” I tell her.
“He certainly is. Anyway, it’s lovely to meet you, Lucy. I’m new to town, so if you have any good recommendations of places to go, or things to see, I’d love to hear them.”
Dammit.
She actually seems like a really nice lady.
I’m probably coming across as rude.
I smile and say, “Well, I know a few good places. Maybe we can go and see them together?”
She beams. “Really? Oh, that’s so kind of you. I don’t really have any friends yet. It’s a little daunting moving to a new city.”
I can imagine. It’s okay when you’re ten and you can go to school and make new friends, but when you’re a grown ass adult and you’re moving to a new city, shit gets real. I mean, honestly, how the hell do you make friends? If you’re a gym junkie, you can probably meet them that way, or if you really like sports or other such activities you might get a few, but if you’re not into those things, it can be super hard to meet anyone. I feel for her; I couldn’t imagine moving right now, hell, I don’t think I could even if I wanted to.
I’m far too chicken for that.
“I’m sure you’ll fit right in,” I tell her. “Here’s my number. Give me a text with yours. I’m free a few days this week, we can go and check things out.”
She smiles and pulls her phone out as I give her my number then thanks me profusely for being so kind and disappears. I walk inside, laughing.
Well, see, it’s not every day you just make a random friend.
Things feel really good right now.
Really good.
“DAMON, WHAT THE HELL happened?” I cry, staring at my beaten and bloodied friend at the door.
He has a swollen eye, blood on his lip and blood dripping from his hands. Like he’s been in a fight. What the hell would my quiet friend be doing getting in a fight?
It’s a little past midday, and I’m meeting Suzie later for a drink at a local hangout. Nicolai is working tonight, so I don’t get to see him until tomorrow. I was planning on visiting Damon, but I didn’t expect to see him at my door all beaten and bloodied.
“Can I come in?” he rasps.
I shove the door open wider and he steps in. I rush to the kitchen after closing and locking the door and grab a first-aid kit. Damon sits on the floor, not wanting to bloody my sofa no doubt. I get some warm wash cloths, an ice pack, and then meet him on the floor, handing him the ice pack for his eye. He lifts it and presses it against it with a hiss, and his split knuckles bleed even more.
“What’s going on?” I ask him, grabbing his free hand and wrapping it in the warm wash cloth.
“Fuckin’ Finn and his fuckin’ crap with Brody is what’s going on!”
Damon’s angry.
I don’t think there has been a time I’ve seen Damon angry, if I’m honest. He’s always together, always calm and collected, but right now he’s acting like he honestly wants to rip someone’s head off. Finn’s, by the sounds of it.
“Start from the beginning.”
Damon exhales, and I get to work on cleaning his hands up.
“Brody wants to do a death match, as you know. Finn is gettin’ way too involved. Erin came to me last night, concerned because Finn wasn’t home, and she couldn’t find him. She was worried he was getting in too deep with Brody and this fuckin’ revenge mission he’s on.”
Oh no.
Poor Erin.
I make a note to call her ASAP.
“So I went on a hunt for Finn. Tracked him down, he was at another death match with Brody. Didn’t go, because I’m not into that fuckin’ shit. But I managed to get him when he got back to Lincoln’s fighting ring. He and Brody were there alone, practicing fighting, like a bunch of fuckin’ savages. I lost my shit at him, told him he’s going to get himself killed helping someone he hardly knows seek his revenge. He got into me, told me to mind my own fuckin’ business.”
Oh no.
This isn’t a good thing. Those brothers are so close.
“Shit got out of hand, I threw a punch, he threw one back and we got into it, big time. Fuckin’ busted each other up. I disappeared before it could get any worse because fuck, I wanted to rip his damned head off. He has a lady now, a woman by his side, he’s fuckin’ playing with the wrong thing. He shouldn’t be getting involved in that shit, he shouldn’t be going to those fights, and he shouldn’t be fighting with Brody to get him ready. He’ll end up killed.”
Poor Damon.
I’d lose my shit if someone in my family was doing that, too. It’s not a good thing, it’s incredibly unsafe and dangerous.
“Do you know why he’s so invested in helping Brody?”
Damon shakes his head. “No, he just thinks if he helps him, he might not get killed. Almost like Finn is taking it on his shoulders. If something happens to Brody, it’s because he didn’t help him enough. It’s fucked. That man has got serious issues, and he’s getting himself into a dangerous situation.”
“I’m sorry you and Finn fought,” I say, wiping his knuckles. They’re pretty busted up. It must have been a decent fight. “How is Erin?”
“No idea, but when Finn goes home lookin’ the way I look right now, I don’t think she’ll be happy.”
“No, she definitely won’t. Is there any way we can help him? Have you spoken to Lincoln or Slater? Maybe they can talk some sense into him.”
“No,” Damon growls, “because they’re on fuckin’ board with it. Helpin’ Brody track this fucker down, helpin’ him get ready for the fight, watching, learning, making sure he will win. But they can’t guarantee he’ll win, and I think Finn is realizing that now, and doubling his efforts.”
That makes sense. Finn doesn’t want anything to happen to Brody, because then he might feel like he’s not done enough to teach him how to fight properly. No matter what happens, Finn is going to take this one on. I can see why Damon is concerned.
“I understand why you’re worried,” I tell him. “Finn is in too deep and no matter the outcome, he’s going to be affected by this.”
Damon nods. “He just got happy, finally. He just got that empty look out of his eyes. He doesn’t need this shit to bring him back down. Erin doesn’t need this shit. They deserve to be happy.”
Erin.
I’m going to call her as soon as Damon leaves.
She’s going to need someone to talk to, I know she will.
It’s all happening a little too intensely for my liking.
For now, I’ll worry about Damon and how to get him fixed up.
“Does Penny know you’re all busted up?” I ask him, swapping the ice pack into his other hand once I’m done with the first one.
“No, I don’t know her well enough yet. Don’t want to scare her. I know she’s not a big fan of violence.”
Understandably, she may just read it wrong and back off before she even gets to know Damon. Because anyone that knows Damon knows that he isn’t the violent type—he stays away from all the dark crap, and likes to enjoy his life drama free. Hopefully this won’t scare her too much if she sees him. It sounds like they’d be good for each other.
“I’m sure if you explain what happened to her, she’ll understand.”
“Which part?” Damon mutters. “The getting into a fist fight with my brother, or the death matches?”
Mmm, when he puts it like that, it might not be so easy to explain.
“You don’t have to tell her about the death matches,” I tell him. “You can simply tell her that you and your brother got into a fight over a silly choice he is making. I’m sure details are irrelevant at this point.”
“Maybe I’m diggin’ in too deep anyway. Maybe Penny and I just shouldn’t happen. If you can’t be honest about who you are from the start, it’s really not worth it. Hate Nicolai, but at least he’s honest about what he does. Can’t fault him for that. If I don’t tell Penny who my brothers are, what they get into, and how sometimes things in their world are dark, then I’m not showing my true self to her.”
“Why is she so scarred about this stuff?” I ask him.
“When she was with Boston, her ex-husband was killed, it freaked her out, it all got messy and dark, and she found that life too overwhelming. She found Boston too overwhelming. They’re good friends now, but she had to go away after it and come back, she needed time. She says she’s not cut out for that high intensity, dark life. Can’t say I blame her.”
