“Ha ha. Fuck you, Santiago,” I bark before elaborating. “If anyone of us claims a woman as his own, what happens?”
“Ehh, it’s up to you?” Florian supplies, as confused with this conversation as the rest of them.
Right.
He probably never even thinks about commitment.
“Except when a man takes a woman, he shares with her. She becomes part of you. It contradicts rule number five, in which we do not reveal the true deeds of the brotherhood.”
Florian runs his hand over his face, muttering something about my romantic nature, while Santiago huffs, his body language showing in all its glory how much distaste he has for my statement.
Octavius, always the peacemaker, finds his voice first. “Look, Remi—”
“No. I won’t leave this to chance. We’ll agree on it right fucking now, or this brotherhood will run without me.”
Santiago gets up, facing off with me, anger shining in his orbs while his fists clench.
Well, it looks like a fist fight will be inevitable at this point.
“Who are you, Remi, to give me ultimatums?”
“Who are you to tell me I cannot protect my woman?”
“She doesn’t even exist. It’s a mythical concept you think you might want to have someday.” He hits me on the chest, and I sway a little before finding my balance quickly and delivering my own blow, sending me flying to the wall, my back hitting the stone hard.
“Fucking apologize!” I shout, moving toward him, and he punches me right in the face instead.
The rest of the guys jump up. “Lo siento, Remi. Is this enough of an apology for you?” he asks, a wide grin spreading across his mouth.
I launch toward him, delivering my own blows to his face as we fall back. He hits me in the stomach, and I bend in two.
Santiago can be a real mean fucker if he wants.
“Enough, both of you.” Neither of us listens to Octavius, and we continue to hit each other, the cracking sounds reverberating through the space.
“What is it, Remi? Want a woman of your own so she can compensate for your childhood?”
Of course.
Of fucking course he uses my childhood against me, but then what’s new? After the hell he has endured, Santiago always lashes out in the most vicious way.
“Shut up!”
He pushes me harder, and I fall on one of the desks, where we continue to deliver blows, only for me to kick him hard, and as a result, we both tumble on the floor.
One second, Santiago is under me, and the next, someone lifts me up.
“Enough, Santiago, enough!” Florian screams, wrapping his arm around him and keeping him away from me while Octavius does the same to me, both of us standing opposite each other and breathing heavily. Blood drips from his lips, bruises already forming under his nose, and I feel my forehead dripping.
“Let me go,” he orders, but Florian doesn’t listen to him.
When it comes to conflicts, that’s when his resolve shines through, because Florian never does anything unless he is absolutely sure everyone has calmed down.
“Not until both of you are done.”
“Please, let me go. I’m fine. I’m not going to do anything.” Octavius waits for a second as if contemplating my words and nods, stepping back, and I adjust his shirt, wiping away the blood, and point a finger at Santiago. “You’ve got issues.”
Florian finally lets him go, and he steps closer to me, smirking. “Yeah, so do you.” We watch one another for a second before we hug, slapping each other on the back, and I whisper, “It’s important to me.”