Page 22 of Brutal Reign
“Helping, I think,” Ace mutters, his gaze still fixed on their exchange.
I huff an annoyed breath, watching as the three of them work their way closer to the exit door. “There’s something off about that guy,” I grumble.
“Yeah.” Ace turns to look at me, flecks of silver swimming in his turquoise eyes.
“We can’t,” I grit out.
He jerks a nod. “I know.”
We exchange a long look, then both turn back to watch River and Jake help Hayden through the door, ignoring the urges we’re both fighting. My inner wolf’s just as close to the surface as Ace’s, but neither of us can do anything about it. This is our agreement; it’s the way it has to be.
I blow out a breath as soon as the door swings closed behind River, dropping my gaze to the dance floor again. The two girls that asked to come into the booth are staring up here, and one tosses me a wave when our eyes meet.
I lazily lift my chin, smirking back at her. She’s a sure thing, and maybe that’s what I need tonight after all. The only time Ican seem to forget about my problems is when I’m balls deep in some nameless blonde with big tits and an inferiority complex.
Too bad nothing will ever actually solve them.
8
“Grab her feet,” I grit out, hefting the upper half of Hayden’s body onto the mattress of the bunkbed we share in the recruit barracks. The girl doesn’t weigh much, but after a night of drinking and dancing, I’m not exactly in peak physical form. Definitely better thanher, though.
Hayden grunts as Jake complies with my directive, scooping up her legs and sliding them onto the bed. Then she promptly bats us away, flinging an arm around while muttering something unintelligible before rolling over onto her side and putting her back to us.
“She gonna be okay?” Jake asks, blinking down at my friend through the darkness.
“She’ll be fine,” I reply with the dismissive wave of a hand. “I mean, she’ll be hurting tomorrow, but this isn’t the first I’ve had to take care of her like this. She’s not a puker. She just shuts down and has to sleep it off.”
Gesturing for Jake to move back, I slide down to where Hayden’s high-heel clad feet are resting on the bed, grabbing for one of her stilettos. She groans in protest and tries to kick me away, but I manage to get both her shoes off and a blanket tossedover her body, so I take it as a win. Rocking back a step, I nod to myself in satisfaction at the sound of her soft snores, pivoting around to face Jake.
He’s still lingering close by, carding his fingers through his sandy blonde hair as his eyes ping between Hayden and me. “So what now?” he asks.
“Like I said, she’s gotta sleep it off,” I say, shrugging. “You can head back to the bar if you want. Thanks for your help getting her home.”
Before Jake insisted on helping, I’d assured Kendrick and Gus that I could get Hayden back to the squad complex on my own. It’s only a quarter mile walk on a trail through the woods. I definitely underestimated how far gone she was, though, and when she refused to keep walking and tried to talk us into letting her just curl up and sleep in the forest, I was glad Jake was there to assist.
He cocks his head, brows pinching together as he regards me. “You’re not coming back?”
“Um, no,” I laugh, throwing a thumb over my shoulder toward Hayden. “Friends don’t leave their friends passed out alone.”
“Oh. Right.”
“I’m pretty tired after this week anyways,” I add.
“Yeah, me too,” Jake agrees, a lazy grin curving his lips. “This week was brutal, huh?”
“Uh huh. And it’s only gonna get harder as we go.”
While I know I’ve got an uphill battle to prove myself here at training camp, I’m actually looking forward to seeing what the squad leaders have in store for us going forward. It’s thrilling just to be here and be part of it all. Considering how against it my dad was, there were times I wondered if it’d ever happen.
“Eh, you’ve got nothing to worry about,” Jake drawls, trailing after me as I turn and start for the cubby at the end of thebunkbed Hayden and I share. “You’ve been fierce out there. I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything youcan’tdo.”
I snort a laugh, slipping off my heeled booties and stooping down to grab them off the floor. “Oh there’s plenty,” I joke, straightening to tuck the boots onto a shelf.
“Doubt that,” Jake chuckles. He moves in closer, leaning a shoulder against the edge of the cabinet. “You’re amazing, River. The others here may just be realizing it, but I’ve known all along.”
I roll my eyes, laughing uncomfortably as Jake edges further into my space, casting a shadow over me. “Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence. I’m sure you’re gonna kill it at training camp, too. Your sparring skills are top notch.”
He puffs out his chest, grin widening. “Learned from the best.”