Page 2 of Burn Bag

A collective gasp hummed through the room, but no one moved.

“Are you challenging me to a duel?” IKE asked, flashing that cocky grin.

I didn’t bother responding. I shoved the chair out of my way as I stalked to the door. He’d either follow or he’d prove what a pussy he was. I was nearly to the elevator when Eli and Red caught up with me, both of them watching my six.

“You sure you want to do this?”

“Yes,” I said, not a hint of uncertainty in my voice.

“Kavanaugh, he’s on the team now,” Eli argued. “You need to face that.”

“This has nothing to do with the team.”

It had everything to do with the team. They fucking chose to go rescue him. I told myself it was all temporary, but then he stuck around. He started going out on missions. He fucking slept with Isla every night.

And now she was pregnant.

It gutted me to find out. That was supposed to be my kid. She should be with me. She should be worshipping my cock at night. Sheshould be snuggled in my arms on her front porch. Not this fucking three-piece suit.

The elevator doors opened and I stepped into the fake office building, heading out toward the doom and gloom that was fall in Kansas. Torrential rain hit us hard yesterday and it hadn’t let up yet. But I wasn’t worried about that. Unlike IKE, I had no fucking problem getting a little dirty.

I shoved the door open and stepped out into the rain that hit like sleet on a cold day. IKE was right behind me, already tossing his jacket to the side as he rolled up his pretentious blue sleeves.

“You really want to do this?” he asked.

“Afraid?”

“Only for you,” he grinned.

“Don’t be. There’s a reason I don’t wear a fucking suit.”

“And there’s a reason I do,” he countered.

“Ooh, the trash-talking has begun,” FNG said sarcastically. “Seriously, I haven’t heard a good Momma joke in a while. Can we get to that?”

“Shut the fuck up, FNG. Don’t you have some umbrellas to play with?”

“Turning on your friends. That’s a good one,” he laughed.

I motioned IKE forward, ready to get this shit over with. We would settle once and for all who would win the honor of Isla’s hand.

Not that she was going to choose me just because I kicked this prick’s ass.

“Let’s do this,” IKE said with a sigh.

He was already too fucking bored to be here. That just pissed me off even more. I circled him as the rain pelted me from all angles. I didn’t dare wipe the water from my face. Losing concentration would only make me lose this battle.

He came at me hard out of nowhere, but I was ready, side-stepping his hit. I sniggered just as his other fist rammed into my side. I internally flinched, but countered with my own hard left. I caught the wince as my hit landed exactly where I intended, but he didn’t give in.

Not that I expected him to. He wasn’t going to be that easy to break. The bastard circled me again, flashing those pearly white teethat me. I wanted to smash them into his fucking face and see what Isla thought of him then.

Despite the mud and the rain, he danced around me on those fucking twinkle toes, showing off just how little this bothered him, which only pissed me off further. I struck hard, slamming my fist into his face with so much force that his nose crunched beneath my knuckles. I didn’t take the win and walk away. I followed it up with a hard left to his side, relishing in the feel of his rib cracking. And then I ended the assault with an upper cut that sent his head snapping back.

A grin spread across my lips as I danced away from him, shaking out my arms in the cool fall air. He staggered on his feet and a flash of victory raced through me, only to be instantly washed away when he stood tall and spit blood into a puddle that quickly turned into a small river of red.

Raising his hands, he motioned me forward, urging me to attack again. And that’s when I knew this battle was long from over.

“Oh shit,” Eli muttered, seeing the same thing I was.

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