Laced Steel - M.J. Fields Page 0,21

a little nymph, looking at me like you want my dick, and when I’m not paying attention, doing the same with Harrison?”

And again.

“Keep your shit up, and I’ll file an order of protection on your ass.”

“Shut up!” I yell at him as I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.

“No, you shut the fuck up.” He pulls my hair back and turns my head so I am looking in his direction. “Stay the fuck away from me and my friends, you hear me?”

“I hate you,” I snarl at him.

“Feeling’s mutual.” He lets go of my hair.

“I hate you!” I yell.

He steps back, looking me up and down like I’m disgusting.

“I hate you!” I scream.

His face loses the disdain, and he leans in, looking from one of my eyes to the next. “You hit your fucking head?”

“Did you get dropped on yours, you arrogant, self-centered assh—” I cover my mouth as I turn and throw up once again.

He grips my hair again, gentler this time, as he pulls it away from my face.

“I don’t need your fucking help!”

“You have a knot on the back of your head, and your pupils are jacked. You’re throwing up and probably have a fucking concussion. Good job, Steel. You come to watch a fight and end up in worse shape than the actual fighters.”

“Yeah, well, your face is so fucked up you’re probably going to be showering alone for the foreseeable future!” I lean against the sink, reach up, and turn the faucet, trying to rinse the vomit out of my mouth.

“Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure that doesn’t mean shit when you’re packing the uppercase Ds and don’t lay with little, spoiled rotten high school brats.”

I look back at him and force a laugh. “Oh, that’s right; you’ve got dirty Dee, with her shitty attitude and her old lady snatch. Go you, Easton the ‘Experience’.” I feel my stomach tighten and turn, gripping the counter, knowing I’m going to throw up again.

“Exactly why, no matter how your eyes beg me to touch you, you’ll never get that experience,” he snaps.

“Newsflash, asshole, I’d never fuck a thug, money or not, and you are a thug. As far as interest in you, I never even knew you had blue eyes until today.” I inhale a couple slow, steady breaths then push myself up. I turn around and look up at him. “And if you think I didn’t notice how you looked for me tonight, you’re wrong.”

“Get the fuck over yourself. I was just watching my back because I had no idea when or where you were going to show up next.”

“Hey!” I hear Patrick’s voice boom into the room. “What the fuck is going on!”

I narrow my eyes at Tobias, and he narrows his back at me. Then he turns around.

“Your girl fucked up her ankle, and I’m pretty sure she has a concussion. Her pupils are jacked, and she’s been throwing up.”

Patrick hurries toward me. “T, the fuck was all five-foot-nothing of you gonna do in that ring?”

“I was hoping to get a closer look when Ranger and his boys beat the shit out of Tobias.” I take a step and wince.

“Let’s get you out of here.” He turns, squats down, and looks over his shoulder. “Hop on.”

Chapter Six

Idiom

Actions speak louder than words.

Truth

I prefer discussions.

I wake with the worst headache I’ve ever had, a throbbing ankle, listening to Patrick snore in the bed across the room, and Brisa is curled up next to me like an annoying little blanket-hogging kitten.

When we got home last night, we were all ready to tell my parents the truth about what happened. We thought it was inevitable with me limping. But when Dad wasn’t waiting up for us, we decided that fate had pushed us into the safe zone and all hurried to my room. Brisa and Patrick took turns poking me every hour or so to make sure I didn’t die in my sleep, and even though I feel like I’m half dead, I am completely alive and still very, very angry at Tobias fucking Easton.

I roll over and grab my phone to check the time—it’s freaking noon—and see a couple messages from numbers that I don’t recognize.

I hit the first one.

- Sorry we skated last night. I almost threw up in (What did you call them? Horses’ asses) house. Had a great time with you and Brisa. We need to hang out more often. ~ Alexa

I give her message a heart, because that’s all I have