Page 81 of Ice
I sighed, glancing at Alicia, who gave me a reassuring nod.
“It was a shock. That girl was so confident about the fact that they were a couple, and he’d mentioned there being someone else a while back. I guess I was feeling insecure already, and that was enough of a shock that I was hurt and upset. Has-Been saw me in the hallway, and just wanted to help.”
Reacher groaned, leaning back in the chair, looking completely exhausted, beyond exhausted even. I saw Alicia watching him carefully, before she moved into the chair beside his, and rested her hand on his arm.
“You need rest, old man.” He chuffed out a tired chuckle.
“When I’m dead, woman, remember?” Her hand went from stroking his arm to slapping it hard.
“Don’t say that, dammit. Finish up here, so we can go and rest.”
He opened his eyes and stared at me.
“I’m locking both of the boys down for a couple of days. Do you have somewhere to go while I resolve their shit for them? After that, I’ll lift any restrictions on you being here, if that’s what you both want. For the record, whoever that bitch was tonight, she’s nothing to Ice. Somewhere he dipped his dick a while back, that’s all.” Alicia slapped his arm again and he shot her a glare that would have had me backing away, but she just smirked.
“Rude.”
“She’s definitely banned from here, but you can come back.” He shot me one of those fierce looks next. “As long as you’re helping my boy, and not hurting him, get it?”
I nodded, feeling a cold loneliness sinking back into me. Wow, had it always been there? Had being here chased it away, when I hadn’t even known I was feeling it?
“I understand. Thank you for giving us a chance. Can I see him before I go?”
He shook his head. “They’re already on lockdown, girl. I’m sure he’ll find a way to contact you, but if he doesn’t, just know it’s because I’m actually succeeding in something for once in this fucking place.” He stood up and dragged Alicia up with him.
They were heading for the door, and I suddenly realised I’d have to walk unless I asked for help, and could I even do that? Could I bring myself to ask this challenging, sometimes terrifying, man for a favour, after all of this? Hadn’t I shown enough weakness already in front of him?
“Uh, you got a way of getting home?”
He’d read my mind, and relief flooded me as I shook my head, my cheeks reddening with shame.
“I’ll send someone to drive you, but not on a bike. If you’re Ice’s, you don’t get on the back of another bike, yeah? That’s how it works.” He left, while I dwelled on the fact that I’d already broken that rule. Would it be a problem? I’d heard Ice trying tomake amends with Has-Been, before it all went wrong. I’d been so proud of him for trying, for making the effort, and then I’d ruined that too.
“Hey, love. I’m your ride home.” The biker I’d met before poked his head through the door. “Ryder, remember?”
Thirty-Eight
Reacherreturnedlongenoughto stick his head in his office, and demand that we both go to our rooms, and then we were followed by two poor prospects who looked like they’d also had their asses handed to them tonight.
I’m sure the gate prospects had been reamed too, for letting in some bitch who didn’t have a reason to be here. How the fuck had she even thought coming here was appropriate? Sure, I’d strung her along a little, to get the drugs for Ry and Tori, but I hadn’t been back in weeks. Since before the uh… incident that apparently I shouldn’t mention.
I glared at Has’ back as he walked ahead of me, but I knew I was being an asshole, because he actually hadn’t done anything wrong, right? Not until he punched me when I was distracted. If he was helping my woman, shouldn’t I be grateful? Would she have run from me if he hadn’t? I’d gone to his room to apologise for everything, and ended up trying to bury my fist in his damn face.
“Has, uh… sorry, uh…” I trailed off, because apologising to him felt wrong, and I was still pissed at him.
He’d stopped to look at me from his doorway, a snarky ass look on his face.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah…sorry you had to sucker punch me to get the upper hand.”
He laughed, flipped me off, and disappeared into his room, closing the door firmly behind him. One of the prospects took up position outside his door, while the other followed me further down the hallway.
Going into my room sucked, big time, because it was already too empty without her. The bags she’d packed, so she could stay with me, they were all gone. Nothing of her remained, except for a hint of her perfume, and a stronger scent of tea for some reason. That reason became clear when I stepped into the kitchen and something crunched under my bare foot, pain lancing through my instep.
“What the fuck!” There were shards of ceramic everywhere. Jesus, my favourite mug. TheVanilla Iceone that Torch bought me as a gag gift years ago. The image on the mug had been fading, but the good memory had always persisted when I used it.
I dropped down onto my ass on the floor, wincing at the reminder of the ache in between my legs, and the way my shoulder absorbed the jarring landing. I pulled my foot up to rest on the other knee, so I could dig out the small piece of Vanilla Ice’s face from my foot, blood following out for a moment, before I pressed my fingers over the cut. Damn. It hurt more than it should have. I was just losing fucking everything today.
