CHAPTER TWELVE
Kolan
Tension coils through me the moment I walk into the Barnyard and feel the heat of bodies surrounding me. I fucking hate crowds. Even when I spent my nights at Annihilation, I always kept to my private room. If not for Lia being here, I wouldn’t have come. As much as I support the Center, I already donate a lot of time and money to it. Tonight, I’m here for one person only. Well maybe two, since my sister really wanted me to come.
As I make my way through the throng of people, I ignore the bitches who purposely rub against me to get my attention and find all the guys sitting at a table in the section that’s blocked off for the event.
“Quick, someone take a picture,” Sarge bellows. “The Dark Warrior has left his cave to have some fun.”
I ignore his smart-ass comment and take the empty chair at the end next to Nick. Everyone greets me with a handshake while Nick’s hard eyes remain on the dance floor, looking like he’s about to kill someone.
“What’s your problem, RoboCop?”
“I don’t like your sister out there,” he grumbles. “Something could happen to her.”
I scan the crowded dance floor and have to agree, Kate shouldn’t be out there. I can’t spot her or any of the other girls in the sea of bodies.
“Get used to it, man, because it doesn’t get any easier,” Jaxson tells him, sending a collection of agreements around the table. “One time, I even tried getting Julia to wear this padded thing around her stomach when she went out in case anyone knocked into her.”
“Did it work?” Nick asks, seeming interested at the prospect.
Jaxson shrugs. “Don’t know. She threw it in the garbage.”
Everyone laughs but you can see the wheels spinning in Nick’s head.
Good luck, no way my sister will wear that shit either.
“How did things with Benny go?” Cooper asks.
“Good. He’s home again with his mom and will be back in the gym on Monday, running his mouth like usual I’m sure,” I say, but can’t deny I miss having the kid around. I bought him a cell phone so he can call me any time he needs. Of course, he’s made good use of it and enjoys sending me smart-ass text messages as often as he can. I also took care of their rent for the year, figuring it would at least help Benny’s mom catch up and maybe even get ahead financially. Something she tried refusing at first but eventually accepted since I didn’t give her much of a choice. She knows it’s best for her and the kid, and I’m glad I was able to help.
“It’s about fucking time,” Nicks murmurs, pulling me from my thoughts.
I follow his gaze to see the girls heading toward us. My eyes immediately lock on the one I’m here for, and all the blood I possess rushes south to my cock.
Holy fuck!
Small jean shorts and a tight white tank top hug every slender curve of her lithe body. The brown cowgirl boots she wears make her long legs go on for miles. I envision what they would feel like digging into my back while I drive into her. When my eyes make it to her face, my fucking heart stops beating altogether. Her body might look like it’s made for sin but she has the face of an angel.
She’s every guy’s wet dream, and I don’t know if I want to hug my sister or kill her for picking this outfit.
“Ah, you came!” Kate squeals, throwing her arms around my neck. I hug her back but my eyes never stray from the warm, innocent ones that hold me captive. After giving me a loud smacking kiss on the cheek, she moves to sit on Nick.
Lia comes to stand in front of me, a shy smile touching her lips. “Hi,” she greets me, but I can barely hear her soft voice over the music.
“Hey.” I look around for a chair but there’s none left, which is obviously why all the chicks are sitting on the guys.
Knowing I shouldn’t but not caring, I reach out and slip my finger in the waistband of her snug shorts and drag her to me. I hear her swift inhale as I bring her down on my lap and have to bite back a groan at the feel of her leg brushing against my throbbing cock.
She gazes at me, her face level with mine as she licks those sexy fucking lips of hers. “I didn’t think you were coming tonight.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Why?”
“Because you changed yours.”
A smile plays at the edge of her lips as she wraps her arms around my neck, dropping her forehead on my temple. “Thank you for telling your sister about the scarf. You’ll never know what that meant to me.”
I know exactly what it meant. I knew she would be stressing over it, and for once I wanted her to have fun and not worry about anything.
Before I have a chance to tell her that, I’m interrupted. “Excuse me.”
I look up at the whiny high-pitched voice and see two blondes looking down at me expectantly. “Yeah?”
“We were wondering if the Dark Warrior would mind signing these for us.” They both lift their shirts, showing me the side of their bras.
“Unbelievable,” my sister scoffs with distaste.
Lia’s entire body stiffens. She begins to slide from my lap but I dig my fingers into her soft flesh, not letting her escape.
This kind of shit doesn’t faze me. I’m used to it, but it pisses me off that they interrupted me and made Lia uncomfortable.
“Come back with a pen and paper then I will,” I tell them, not bothering to hide my annoyance.
They don’t look the least bit offended as they drop their shirts and shrug. “Forget it, we’ll get one from the other guy. We just thought we’d let you get first dibs,” one says with a wink before they walk away, leaving me clueless about the ‘other guy.’
“Classy,” Kayla comments sarcastically.
“Ah, come on now. They seem like such nice girls,” Sarge chuckles.
I glance at Lia but she avoids eye contact with me, her body stiff. “Hey.” I squeeze her hips, bringing her attention back to me, and hate the pain I see in her gaze. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t let it bother you.”
“You could have signed them,” she mumbles.
“I could have, but I didn’t want to.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m with friends and my sister is right next to me. It’s rude and uncomfortable for everyone,” I tell her honestly.
“Fair enough.” She gives me a weak smile then turns to look away, but I don’t allow it.
Hooking a hand behind her neck, I pull her in close, my mouth next to her ear. “For the record, Lia, the past few weeks my dick only gets hard for one girl, and even though I can’t do a goddamn thing about it, no one else will do.”
I feel her quick breaths on my face; fingers curling into my shirt with the same need rushing through my blood.
“Shit, Slade.” My eyes snap to Cade, his tone putting me on alert. When he nods at something behind me, I turn to see none other than Neil Cortez standing with a group of guys I recognize from the EFC gym, watching me. The two blondes that were just here stand on either side of him.
Every muscle in my body tightens, fury igniting in my gut. No way is this a coincidence. It was only hours ago that I told his manager to fuck off.
His eyes stray to Lia before he gives me a cocky smirk and starts toward us. I stand in a flash, lifting Lia in my haste and placing her behind me. I move for him before he can come any closer. “What the fuck are you doing here, Cortez? This is a charity event not the time or the place for your shit.”
He raises his arms in surrender. “Hey, man, take it easy. I’m just out to get a drink with my buddies. I had no idea you would be here.”
“Bullshit. We both know why you’re here.”
He doesn’t bother to deny it, his calculating smirk extending. “You know, I didn’t think this was your kind of club.” He moves to look behind me. “And I gotta say, brother, she doesn’t look like the type who likes to be roughed up, maybe you better leave her to me.”
Just as I reach for him, Nick and Jaxson intercept me. “Easy,” Nick warns. “You know what he’s trying to do. Let it go.”
Taking a step back, I find my restraint then point at him over Nick’s shoulder. “I’m warning you, motherfucker, stay away from me. You can only push me so far before I push back.” I turn away as Cooper gives him a warning of his own, worried I won’t be able to contain myself from knocking his teeth through the back of his fucking skull.
Lia eyes me nervously as I return to the table. “Everything okay?”
“It’s fine,” I snap, my voice harsher than I intend for it to be. Taking my seat again, I pull her back down on my lap, the warmth of her body easing some of the rage coiling inside of me. “I’m sorry,” I murmur against her shoulder.
“It’s okay.”
“Jesus, that guy is relentless,” Sarge spits. “Bad enough you’re getting calls at the gym all the time, but now he’s following you? Maybe you oughta get back in the ring and shut him up.”
“You’re being harassed?” Katelyn asks in concern. “You haven’t told me this. What’s going on?”
I shoot a pointed look at Sarge for opening his big trap before bringing my attention to my sister. “Nothing is going on. Ward just wants me back in the ring and Cortez wants to be the one to bring me there.”
“But you’re not going to, right?”
“No.”
Unless the bastard pushes me too far, then he won’t need a ring to be at the end of my fists.
“I don’t want you to go back. Not after what they did to you,” she says, fear prominent in her voice.
“I promise, Kate. Everything is fine. You don’t need to worry, okay?”
She nods but doesn’t seem convinced.
I do my best not to think about Cortez and enjoy the rest of the night. When the waitress comes by to grab more drinks, I order a beer then pay for Lia’s refill. Sawyer orders a round of shots for everyone, minus one for Katelyn.
“Actually, minus two,” Anna speaks up.
“You don’t want one?” Sawyer asks.
“I can’t.” She pauses, and I notice the girls share a look while Logan drops a reassuring kiss to her back. It doesn’t take long for me to clue in to what’s going on. “I’m pregnant.”
All the guys stare at her in shock before Sawyer jumps up with his arms in the air, almost knocking the table over in his excitement. “Holy shit, our girl is having a baby!”
Anna laughs as he moves around the table and picks her up to give her a hug. Sarge follows next then Cooper. Cade, Nick, and I throw in congratulations to both her and Logan while Jaxson stares at her, seeming lost for words.
She walks around to stand at his side, looking down at him expectantly. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
A heavy breath leaves him as he sits back in his chair. “I don’t know if I want to hug you or kick his ass,” he says, pointing to Logan, but no one misses the way his throat bobs.
She gives him a watery smile. “Choose me.”
He stands, gathering her in his arms. Her shoulders shake as he murmurs shit in her ear no one can hear. I look away, feeling like I’m invading on their private moment, and connect with a pair of hazel eyes. My fingers dig into her hips as I get the urge to pull her tempting lips to mine.
“You having fun?” I ask.
She nods, her smile reaching her eyes again.
“She’s been showing us how it’s done on the dance floor,” Kate interjects, leaning over from where she sits on Nick to bump shoulders with her.
“I’m sure she has.”
Her cheeks turn pink, making me want to peel her shirt off to see just how far that blush spreads.
Thankfully, the waitress comes back at that moment with our drinks. Conversation flows easily for the next half hour. However, I find it hard to focus on what people are saying when Lia’s every curve is resting against me. Every time she shifts, my teeth grind as I try to control myself from hauling her out of here and fucking her like I’ve been dying to.
When a new song explodes from the speakers, Lia gasps, her eyes lighting up like the fourth of July. “Oh my god!” She turns to face the girls, bumping my dick in the process. “Do you guys know the fake ID line dance from Footloose?”
They all shake their heads.
Kayla gives her a smile. “How about you teach it to us?”
Lia’s on her feet before she even finishes the suggestion, hauling ass to the dance floor. All the girls follow suit, including my sister until Nick grabs her wrist to halt her. “Stay in the front where I can see you.”
She rolls her eyes at him. “Nick, I’m pregnant not an invalid.”
“Will you just stay where I can see you?”
“Fine,” she grumbles. Before she can leave, he pulls her in for a kiss.
A really fucking long one.
When she walks away with a dreamy smile on her face, I twist in my seat and punch him in the arm.
“Ow, what the fuck was that for?”
“For always kissing my sister. Can’t you ever control yourself? I don’t need to see that shit all the time.”
He glares at me. “No, I can’t! She’s fucking mine to kiss whenever the hell I want. So get used to it.”
I shove his shoulder. “Fuck you!”
“Fuck you, too!” He shoves back.
“And fuck you both,” Sarge bellows. “Now shut up so we can enjoy the show.”
With a grunt, I look to the dance floor and see the girls lined up in the front row as Lia shows them the steps. My cock strains against my jeans as I watch her hips move to the beat, my palm twitching while her perky ass shakes in those sexy fucking shorts. It isn’t long before a huge crowd gathers around her, learning the moves, too.
“Wow, she’s really good,” Cooper comments.
Sawyer glances at him with a smirk. “Maybe she was a stripper before she came to work for you?”
I whip a straw at his head. “She wasn’t a stripper, you asshole, she’s been dancing for a long time.”
He chuckles, finding himself hilarious.
My attention moves back to Lia where she leads the entire dance floor. Her head is thrown back, skin glowing with a light sheen of sweat, as the most radiant smile takes over her face. She looks nothing like the girl I first met and everything like the girl she deserves to be.
Feeling the back of my neck beginning to tingle, I look over and tense when I see Cortez, his beady little eyes watching her every move.
“What?” Nick asks, noticing my reaction.
Cortez’s eyes meet mine, a smug smirk curling his lips before he moves for her.
I’m on my feet in an instant.
“Slade, goddamn it, wait up!”
Ignoring Nick, I push my way through the crowd, but I’m not quick enough. When the bastard sneaks up behind her and grabs her hips, she freezes, her face paling in fear. I knock into a waitress as urgency propels my every step.
Lia spins around, stumbling in her haste to get away from him. Cortez grabs her before she can fall but it only makes her struggle harder. My sister moves to help her as I close in on the dance floor. The second he sees me barreling toward them, he releases his grasp, sending her and Katelyn to trip over each other.
Panic seizes my chest as I watch them try to regain their footing, but I know it’s not going to happen. I lunge in their direction, grabbing them both around the waist before they can hit the ground and land on my back to brace their fall.
“Shit. Katelyn!” Nick drops down next to us, grabbing her off my chest. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
I glance down at Lia who’s still draped across me, her eyes wide with shock.
“You all right?”
She nods, not looking fine at all.
Once she crawls off me, I get to my feet and see Cortez standing in the same spot.
“Hey, man. I didn’t mean for that to happen. The bitch tripped, I swear.”
Blood rages in my ears, pounding to the rhythm of my furious heartbeat as I think about what could have happened, especially to my sister and the baby. All I see is red—dark and rich. My mind checks out, instinct dominating my every move. He braces himself, ready for the attack, and I don’t hold back.
With a snarl, I take him to the ground, screams filling the air as people jump out of the way. My fists are fast as I pummel him, feeling the tiny bones in his face shatter.
Unfortunately, I don’t get many shots in before I’m pulled away, hands grabbing me from every angle. It gives him an opportunity to get one cheap shot in. Pain explodes through my jaw but it only fuels my rage.
“Enough! Let it go,” Jaxson orders, getting in front of me. “Finish him in the ring. Not here.”
Every breath I take is furious, as I struggle to find my control. I point at Cortez as he stands and wipes the blood from his mouth. “You want a fight, motherfucker, you just got yourself one. And when I get you in that ring, I’m going to fucking destroy you!”
He cracks a smirk, his teeth stained red. “I’m ready.”
He’ll never be ready for what I’m going to do to him.
I shove away from the arms that restrain me then turn around to see everyone staring at me. Cooper speaks to the bouncers, trying to stop them from kicking me out, while my sister watches me with tears in her eyes. It makes me feel like complete shit, knowing the night has been ruined. I can’t bring myself to look at Lia, not wanting to see the fear in her eyes like so many of the other girls who are staring at me right now.
“Come on, man.” Sawyer claps me on the back. “Let’s go to the table and finish our drinks.”
I shrug his hand off. “Nah, I’m out for the night.”
I walk away, ignoring my sister as she tries calling me back. This is exactly why I’m better off alone.