Page 64 of Pulse
Chapter 20
Ash
“Are you ready?”
I stood outside of Beat hand in hand with Ren as she smiled up at me. The weather was warming up, the approach to summer in full swing, and the sun made her hair look like it had flecks of red. I smiled back.
It was strange being outside again. After a year stuck in my own house, interacting with society had my head in a spin. I felt fucking dizzy. People, things, movement, buzz…they were all around and threatening to overwhelm me.
Everything had all happened so fast. The cops and my lawyer had come to the house, gone through all the rules and regulations regarding my release, I signed some papers and some dude had taken the alarm from around my ankle and that was it.CongratulationsMr.Fuller, the lawyer had said.You are now a free man. And just like that, my house arrest was over.
First order of business according to Ren was to get me out and into familiar territory. Meaning Beat, but it was far from friendly familiar territory, not after the way I’d left things.
Taking a deep breath, I gathered my balls and my courage and told myself that this was for her. I had a feeling that everything I’d do from now on would be for my Spitfire. That was love, I guess. We were a team. One hundred percent.
Ren tugged on my hand.
“I’m ready,” I said.
She led me through the front door and the familiar smell hit me instantly. Sweat and leather. This place would hold all kinds of memories for me, but none was sweeter than that night I’d almost been hit in the head by a cricket bat. A bat that Spitfire was on the other end of.
The Twins stopped what they were doing and glanced up. Dean smiled as he saw Ren, but when his gaze fixed on mine he came alive. I swear the guy’s eyes turned red the moment he realized who’d walked through the door. He turned and strode across the mats, Lincoln hot on his heels.
Dean shoved me hard, dislodging my hand from Ren’s and I stumbled back a step. “You’re not welcome Fuller,” he spat. “Get the fuck out before I rearrange your face.”
“Dean,” Ren almost shrieked at him.
“Let him get it out,” I murmured.
“No!”
“What are you doing here Fuller? Didn’t you get the message the last time?”
I snorted at his empty bravado. “What message was that? I remember beating your ass and being welcomed by everyone else with open arms.”
“Ren, seriously?” Dean asked my Spitfire, disbelief in his eyes.
“Seriously,” she hissed at him.
“Everything was fine until he turned up and now he’s back?” the Twin said. “He got you caught up in illegal fighting and then he left you Ren. He put you in danger time and time again and you don’t see anything wrong with that?”
“You’re trying to turn her against me,” I hissed, stepping forward, but Ren placed a hand on my chest. It had an instant calming effect, like she was a fucking beast whisperer, and I stopped mid-stride.
“You didn’t see her after you abandoned her, Fuller.”
“You broke her heart,” Lincoln added.
I glanced between the Twins and wondered how messy it would get if I had to teach them both a lesson. They didn’t know the things I had to sacrifice in order to protect her. They didn’t know what that fucking word even meant. Sacrifice.
“Stop it,” Ren hissed, stepping in between me and the Twins. She pressed her back against my chest like she was trying to shield me. Turned me the fuck on.
“Leave off Ren,” Dean said. “This is between us.”
