Revenge
She’s worked up and it pisses me off. I put my hand around her waist and lead her toward the bar and order drinks for us. High up on her chair, Addie seems so smalls and she twirls around on it in a way that makes me want to kill anyone who’s ever said a bad word to her.
I toy with her hair, stroke my hand down her back and when it doesn’t seem to calm her, I use my leg to pull her chair so close to mine our thighs brush. She throws me a grateful smile and sips on her drink while I do the same.
“Okay,” she breathes after a while, as if ready to get up. “We’re done now.”
“Addie, sit back down,” I say in a husky voice and her eyes flare but she does as I ask.
“Revenge,” she whispers, “I doan know about this.”
I do. And it would be a fucking insult to let Addie leave because she feels like an animal in a cage. Because of that fucking crew, she thinks she’s not allowed to move. They’ve inhibited her ability to walk around freely, meaning they control her.
But not anymore. There’s a new master in town.
Me.
“Just relax,” I tell her softly. She nods as if she trusts me and she stops twirling around on the chair, her gaze going to the TV up in the corner. A music video’s playing, showing off scantily clad women dancing around a man with bleached hair and a bandana. Addie gawks at the video and she has turned red, looking uncomfortable and I grit at the bartender.
“Switch channels.”
He raises his brows, then turns his back, giving me his answer and I fume. Addie shakes her head, murmuring for me to leave it but I don’t just let it go if she’s uncomfortable and I grab one of the bottles and flick it against the screen.
The screen smashes, going black and both the bartender and Addie jerk.
“What the...,” the bartender says with a curse, turning around and he bores his gaze into mine, “D’you do that?”
“He aint!” Addie yaps and I fill with warmth. She’s trying to protect me, a little defenseless thing like her and it’s the equivalent of a lamb trying to protect a wolf. Unusual. Valuable. My brothers would love having a girl like her around at the compound. She possesses all the traits we value. Loyalty and loyalty and more loyalty.
“Then who did?” the bartender grinds and Addie shrugs, flicking her hair back.
“Dunno. Maybe your TV’s bad quality and broke on its own.”
She doesn’t even flinch when defending me and the corners of my mouth lift.
The bartender doesn’t look convinced and he snarls, “Get out of my...,” he trails off when he notices the look in my eyes. Flinching, he then proceeds with picking up the glass from the floor. Addie turns to me and worry colors her face.
“Rev, we’re drawing attention and I aint a fan.”
She’s perfect mob wife material then and she doesn’t even know it. But I want her to be able to breathe. Enjoy herself. I converse with her and eventually she relaxes, her shoulders easing and her hands unclench and we’re starting to have a pretty nice time. It’s good to hear her snigger and the worry in her face disappears, before returning when the door to the bar slams open. Her eyes flare and she lowers her voice.
“Doan look now but we better get outta here.”
“Why?” I say, putting my hand on her thigh and she straightens.
“Those three men that just walked in, they tryna join the Crew but they aint members yet and...”
“That’s fine,” I murmur and Addie scowls at me.
“Fine? Fine! Rev, they could hurt us.”
“They won’t.” I take another sip of my drink, asking for more ice and Addie starts twirling again.
“Oh what are you doing? I thought you aint a daredevil.”
Daredevil. Finally a more fitting description of me.
“Why you push it, Rev?” she pleads. “Why you challenging fate?” Addie jerks. “Doan look, they coming over.” With a hiss, she adds, “I told you we should’ve brought the shoehorn!”