Page 107 of Brutal Reign
My head isn’t really in the game, though. I’m still reeling over what Ace just told me, wondering how the hell I didn’t put it together before now.Does that make me a shitty friend?
He knows everything about me. I thought I knew everything about him, too, but this whole virgin thing is a total blindside. Sure, I fucked River first, but hesavedhimself for her. No wonder she’s been looking at him all day with stars in her eyes.
I cringe at the sound of Chandler’s annoyingly high-pitched laughter, flickering a glance toward the doorway of the lounge as she steps inside.Fucking great. I can’t stand when that girl’s around, and looking away from the screen just cost me preciousseconds in this race. I don’t have enough time to slow down for the turn, so I take it too wide, Ace’s car slipping past mine on the inside of the track to snag the lead.
“Damnit,” I grumble under my breath, gnawing on my lower lip as I focus back in on the race and try to catch him.
Despite my best efforts, he winds up pulling out the win, grinning triumphantly as the announcement scrolls across the screen. I heave a resigned sigh, flopping back against the couch cushions. Glancing over toward River and her friends, I hold up the controller, calling out to get her attention.
“Riv, you want next?”
“Nah, you two go ahead,” she calls back, waving a hand dismissively.
I lower the controller, turning to Ace. “Rematch?”
“Sure,” he agrees.
Looking back to the screen, I hit the button to pull up the main menu again.
“You know she’s fucking both of them, right?” Chandler comments loudly, my posture stiffening as I swing my gaze back to Ace, the two of us exchanging a tense glance. “And they callmea slut.”
“Would you shut the fuck up?” Hayden snaps shrilly.
I whip my head around just in time to see River’s friend shoot to her feet, glaring daggers at Chandler and her band of mean girls.
“What the hell has River ever done to you, other than land the guy you were throwing yourself at?” Hayden spits venomously. “Get the fuck over it, bitch.”
“Who are you calling a bitch?” Chandler fires back, pushing up from her own seat. “The only bitch here is your friend letting herself get passed back and forth like a whore.”
In the next blink, everyone’s on their feet yelling at one another. River and Hayden are charging toward Chandler withGus and Kendrick on their heels; Chandler’s own friends are fanning out around her. Ace and I leap right over the back of the fucking couch, bolting for our girl. Before we can reach her, she’s aiming a punch right at Chandler’s stupid face, her knuckles connecting with a loud crack.
Not gonna lie, pride surges through me when she lands that hit.
Chandler stumbles back from the force of the blow, but her friends catch her, allowing her to launch herself right back at Riv. The two of them collide in a flurry of flailing limbs, kicking and punching and pulling at one another’s hair, a feral growl emanating from River as the air around her body starts to shimmer.
Getting into a fistfight is one thing, but if this turns into a wolf battle, someone could get seriously injured. Not to mention it’s strictly forbidden in the rules for squad recruits. I know she wants me to let her fight her own battles, but surely this calls for an exception.
“River!” I bark out as I dive right into the fray, grabbing for her. I circle an arm around her waist, yanking her backwards as Ace shoves in between her and Chandler to break them up. River’s skin is burning hot, practically vibrating beneath my touch as her wolf fights to push through. She twists around in my grip, her bright, metallic eyes wide with fear as they lock on mine.
“Get me out of here, Seb,” she chokes, her fingernails digging into my arm so hard that they break the skin.
Fuck, I’ve never seen her look as scared as she does right now. My own wolf surges forward in response, primed and ready to defend her, but letting him out will only escalate this situation. I dart a glance toward Ace, his own eyes swimming with silver as he growls, “Go!”
Without another thought, I scoop River up into my arms, turning around and making a mad dash for the door. She buries her face in the crook of my neck, arms clinging tightly around me like she’s holding on for dear life. I descend the stairs two at a time, diverting to my cubby to grab the keys to my bike before charging out the door, racing around the side of the building to the parking lot.
River doesn’t argue about getting on the back of my bike. She doesn’t say anything at all, which scares the crap out of me. Her hazel eyes are hauntingly vacant as I plonk my helmet down over her head, settling onto the seat in front of her and starting up my bike, the engine rumbling to life beneath us.
I can’t even enjoy the feeling of her body wrapped around mine as I pull away from the squad complex. The only thing on my mind is getting River far away from here; from whatever has her so shaken up. Damage control is Ace’s forte, so I have no doubt he’ll smooth things over in our absence, but fuck, I wish he was with us right now. He always knows what to do.
The ride up to the peak of Pine Mountain somehow feels both short and tortuously long. Gravel kicks up beneath my tires as I pull off at the top, knocking down the kickstand of my motorcycle and climbing off the seat. I immediately pivot around and tug the helmet off River’s head, dropping it onto the ground and taking her face in both my hands as I step in close.
“What happened back there?” I demand, staring into her eyes intently.
She bites her lip to stifle a whimper, averting her gaze.
“River,” I press.
“I can’t,” she whispers.