Page 104 of Redemption

“Fuck you.”

Lacey jumps up and storms over. Her pale face flushes, and her hands shake at her sides. “What’d you just say, bitch?”

“I told your husband to go fuck himself. Then again, if you were doing your job as his wife, maybe he wouldn’t need to. Maybe he’d actually be pleasant.”

“Maybe if you learned how to stay the hell away from married men, he’d be more pleasant towards you. In fact, he’d probably never even acknowledge you, and all of us would live a happier existence.”

“I can’t help it if men naturally gravitate towards me.”

She releases a deep breath and ties her fire-red hair into a bun. “Trust me, the only thing that gravitates towards you naturally are sexually transmitted infections. I’m not going to tell you again. Get the fuck away from them.”

“Or what?”

Diane gets in Lacey’s face, and Colt can’t stop himself from imagining what would happen if this was Lex. The old Lex. The club bunny would be shaking in fear before bleeding or waking up in a different place. She never shied away from swinging. At least, she never used to. Now, though, he feels like she’s not the same woman he remembers, and he finally really sees just how much of a role he played in that change.

He spent far too much time away from home, but he never wanted to bring his survivor’s guilt to Lex. She wouldn’t understand. Sure, he knew he was hurting his family, but he thought he was doing them a favor by keeping the darkness bottled up. It never occurred to him he created a different darkness.

“Don’t walk away and find out.”

Diane looks around the room at the other club bunnies who all laugh. “Doesn’t look like much.”

“You fucking bunnies really need to learn your place,” Lacey says and swings quickly, hitting the brunette under the chin, and her teeth hitting against each other fills his ears.

She falls to the ground, eyes closed and completely out. His eyes stare wide at Lacey. “I think I fucking love you.”

“That’s weird because I fucking hate you,” she spits at him, surprising him, and shakes out her fist. “But someone needs to put them in their place. Especially that one.”

“Are you okay, baby?” Psycho asks and stands.

She holds a hand up to stop him. “I’m fine. I just didn’t expect her jaw to be as hard as the cocks she sucks every night.”

They burst into laughter. “Damn, Psycho, Black Valley agrees with your girl! She’s got zingers with a fist to back them up,” Ky says and nods at her approvingly.

Colt can’t deny he’s also impressed, but based on her feelings for him, he keeps his comments to himself. It won’t be received well.

“You’re so fucking sexy right now,” Psycho growls, but Lacey steps out of his embrace. “Lace?”

“Not tonight.”

His jaw drops, and Colt wishes he’d gone outside when he felt the urge earlier. An unsettling feeling hits him, and he feels like concrete sits in his belly.

“Excuse me?”

“I heard your conversation with Lex outside.”

Sighing, he closes his eyes, clearly frustrated. “That doesn’t have anything to do with us.”

“No, it has to do with you. You were her best friend, Carson. Colt fucked up, and you’re not holding him accountable. How can you not see how badly he broke her? How you all have.”

“She seemed fine when she left with that douche and went back to the hotel where she probably fucked him.”

Colt’s stomach rolls. Yeah, Ben may have warmed his wife’s bed tonight, and it’s not a great feeling. Even with the nausea, the solid rock in his stomach doesn’t move.

“It might be best if you stay at the clubhouse tonight,” she says. “Actually, you should probably stay here until the man I love shows back up because this version is kind of an asshole, and I don’t really like him very much.”

She walks over to the bar, and he stares after her. “What the fuck just happened?”

Ky sighs. “You’ve been hit with the loyalty the women of this club have to Lex. Trust me, I’ve gone through it, too. You might as well just admit you were wrong and apologize.”

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