Abel clenched his teeth, his face turning red in anger. You could see he wasn’t used to being talked back to or being questioned. “We marry and have children with the partner who our prophet chooses for us. It is called faith, and you had none. Therefore you will go to hell.” Every word was laced with venom and hatred. “But I am sure you will be quite happy there with your friends. Oh, and Emerald, too. If you see our darling sister, you let her know I am looking for her.”
“You leave her the hell alone,” Skylar hissed. Tears were streaming down her face now as she continued to struggle in my arms.
I can’t say I was faring much better. Listening to what she was saying was like gasoline to a fire. I wanted to take this asshole, tie him to the back of my bike and drive down the fucking highway. I’d heard stories about the things that went on in these places, but at that point, it was all from the news and media.
Abel folded his arms across his chest, looking quite pleased with himself. “I am guessing since you were not surprised to hear that she is no longer with the Colony that she has already found you. Hmm… I know someone who’s very eager to have her back so they can start a family.”
Every word he said made me feel ill, the way he talked about women like they were mindless beings that should sit down, shut up and be given away to the highest bidder.
“You are a disgusting pig! You deserve to be in jail!” Skylar screamed.
A fuse had clearly been lit, and there was no dousing that fire. What surprised me, was the smile that grew on Abel’s face, a smug smirk. It was sick and honestly sent a chill up my spine. Like a smart boy, he didn’t acknowledge that she’d accused him of a felony just moments ago. Instead, deciding to twist the knife a little more and turn things back on her.
“You remember your best friend Jade, don’t you? We got married last year. She just had twins. You should really come by some time and meet yournieces,” Abel threw back with a deviant smile.
I heard the threat in his voice, the way he delighted in telling her that he’d had two little girls, knowing it would break Skylar’s heart.
She clutched at her heart like a poisoned arrow had gone through it before the lioness was suddenly back. “Here’s something you can take back to father,” she said, her voice calm like the eye of a deadly storm. “I’m a whore. How about that for making the family proud.”
I couldn’t stop the growl that formed in my throat as she talked about herself that way. She focused on the boys who were standing behind her brother, their eyes widening with shock as they heard her words.
“Yup,” she continued confidently, stepping out of my arms as I released my grip on her now she had calmed. “Know what I do for the club? I’m their whore. The daughter of your great prophet, turning her back on the Colony and welcoming man after man into my body. Bet that bloodline doesn’t seem so perfect now, does it?”
Abel’s calm exterior broke, his face horrified as his people whispered among themselves. She knew exactly what to say to hurt them.
“You done?” Op asked as he came forward, placing his hand on her shoulder. Skylar turned to him, her body sagging slightly.
She nodded. “Sorry. Yeah, I’m done.”
I could already see her body sagging with exhaustion. This was big, it was huge for her to face these people again. I didn’t know the whole story, about why and how she’d gotten out, but after this, I was going to find out.
“Eagle,” Op said, turning to me. “You want to do the duty?”
My fists were already clenched as tight as they could be, I could feel the veins popping out and the tension in my muscles building. Blackness was surrounding my vision, like a target closing in on this fucking bastard. It only took me two strides to get to him, and by that time I had a lot of fucking force behind my fist. He was too slow to realize what was going on, or just a fucking idiot, thinking that no one was going to call him out on his bullshit let alone, actually punish him for it.
One swing, a right hook to the side of his face.
A look of horror and fear crossed his features as my fist flew through the air and his cockroach friends fled backward to avoid my fury. My breathing was heavy and labored even though I’d done hardly any work. He was dead weight when he hit the ground. Luckily his shoulder caught his fall and not his fucking chin. I didn’t want to watch the rest of his teeth scattered across the concrete.
He rolled over and groaned, and all I could think about was diving on top of him and pounding his face into the dirt. I had every intention of doing just that until Skylar’s voice tore through the haze that was in my head, and I turned as she latched onto my arm, her eyes wide as she pulled me away from her brother.
“Stop,” she said quietly, her eyes pleading up at me. “The police are coming, and I can’t have you getting arrested.”
Things started to become a little clearer, and I could hear sirens in the distance. I wouldn’t run from the fucking police, and if the asshole tried to press charges, there were plenty witnesses who saw him hit Sky and I’m sure the police would be much more interested in that.
Reaching out, I cupped her face gently with my hand. “You’re not a fucking whore.”
She smiled sadly, leaning into my palm, but she didn’t say anything.
She thought differently.
I guess I didn’t see her that way.
Could I see her another way?
I just wasn’t sure.