Page 72 of Ice
Reacher groaned. “Look. Fuck… okay, I get it. You guys are… whatever the fuck you are, and clearly insisting you do this outside of the clubhouse is just gonna drive away someone who really fucking needs his brothers right now, just like we need him. I have so much shit to worry about right now, I can’t be dealing with this too, buthear me, one more fucking moment of drama involving either of you, and this ends. I don’t care what you say at that point, because I’ll hold firm on banning her for life. I’ll even take it to the fucking table, just to make it fucking final. Hear me? One more fuckup, and this is done.”
Lissa
Themanlookedexhausted,like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. I had no idea what other dramasa club like this might have going on, but it looked like he was losing sleep over it.
In any other situation, I’d probably offer to listen, or try to help, but I couldn’t help feeling intimidated by him, because the more he raised his voice, the more he reminded me of my father, and the more I wondered if he’d go from yelling to punching someone. I didn’t know how severe his mood swings were, or how bad his temper was, and I had no desire to find out.
“No drama, I promise.” My voice was far more diminutive than it had been even a minute before.
“Jesus. Can you fuck off now, Pres? I gotta dig my woman back out of the fucking hole you scared her into.”
He shoved up from the chair he’d only just dropped into.
“Might want to work on your manners there, kid. I believe the words you’re looking for are ‘thanks for coming by to make sure I’m okay’.”
He grinned as he walked away, reaching the door before he turned back.
“We love you, kid. Don’t make us lose you.”
The club doctor let Ice leave once it was obvious that the anti-emetic was working, and he should be able to keep food down. Even then he suggested we go for something gentle on his stomach. He also gave Ice a flyer detailing the withdrawal symptoms he might experience, and even offered to stay onsite for the night in case he was needed. He wasn’t all bad, and it helped to know that these people, as abrasive as they’d been to me, were so desperate to keep Ice safe and healthy.
We sat down with a cup of tea, for the sake of his stomach, and he had a bowl of soup that someone had popped up from the kitchen downstairs.
“So, apart from the way they feel about me, the club seems pretty caring, you know, when it comes to you.”
Ice nodded, and spoke in between mouthfuls of soup.
“The club wasn’t always like this. Most of us are fairly new, and joined over the last decade, since the old president was replaced, and Reacher and Stitch took over. I don’t think you’ve met Stitch, but he’s uh… he’s away being treated for something that they’re keeping top secret.”
I was starting to understand some of the burden on Reacher’s shoulders.
“I think I expected it to just be like a boy’s club, you know? You guys all high fiving each other and talking about pussy.”
He burst out laughing. “Yeah. There’s a lot of that, to be honest.”
“So, do you need to go high five anyone for getting to mine?” I shouldn’t have asked just as he took a mouthful of tea. He half-choked, half-spat the tea in my general direction.
“Jesus, Lissa. You fucking vixen.”
It was such a relief to see him laughing again, that I thought I’d try feeling him out about the other thing intriguing me.
“So, why don’t you like Has-Been?”
He shook his head at my sudden subject change, which was intentional to keep him on his toes.
“I don’t know, I just don’t. I’m trying, babe, but I just don’t know. Something about him just makes me want to punch his lights out.”
Hmmm. Something to revisit later, maybe.
“So tell me something about your family. You never talk about them.”
He groaned, shoving his teacup and empty soup bowl along the low table.
“Seriously? You wanna shrink me right now?”
“It’s this thing people do called a ‘conversation’. If you don’t want to talk about them, that’s fine. Let me tell you about mine instead.”
“Fuck’s sake, babe, it’s not that interesting. My mum’s married to a sanctimonious prick. A copper, yeah, but… he did save her from my dad, so I guess he gets a tiny bit of leeway for that.”
