Tap Out (Reaper's Den Book One) - Nikki Mays Page 0,41
bridge of my nose. I specially picked him because he is the most easy-going person that I’ve ever met. “I don’t want you to teach her how to kill anyone.”
“Why not?” He asks earnestly, making Edge chuckle darkly. Jesus.
“What the hell do you mean, why not?” I say through gritted teeth.
Jameson looks around our small group and shrugs. “I mean if he’s still hurti…ah I mean bothering her, death is a sure fire way to make him stop. Hell, I doubt anyone would miss him.”
“I like this kid more and more by the second.” Edge mutters so that only I can hear.
I look at him with narrowed eyes. “I wonder why?” I drawl.
“Figured that out, huh?” Kealy asks in a low voice.
He gives her a sweet smile. “I’ve grown up around women. Picking up on a woman’s cues have saved my butt more than once.” He gives her a little shrug and a self-deprecating laugh. “Plus, according to my sister, most women don’t get uncomfortable around a goofy looking string bean. You did though. I just put two and two together.”
“Thank you for that.” She says with a genuine smile.
“No biggie.” He replies, even though I suspect to Kealy it is a very big deal. Jameson looks between Edge and myself with raised eyebrows. “So, if we’re not going to teach her how to beat him to death, are we just going to do it ourselves?” He looks so damn excited that it’s admittedly a bit unsettling.
“No, we’re not going to beat anyone to death!” I hiss at him. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I ask rhetorically before continuing. “I don’t even think that you have it in you to be mad enough to ever beat someone that badly. Hell, half the time that you’re in the ring you look like you’re out for a damn leisurely stroll or some shit.” It’s true though, I have never once seen him even come close to losing his temper, which is why I figured that he would be perfect to be around Kealy. I’m starting to rethink that idea.
With a dead look in his eyes, J stares back at me. “You’d be surprised when it comes to something like this.” His voice has gone an octave deeper, making him seem more like the man that he is, instead of the boy he looks like.
“What does that mean?” I ask.
Edge holds up his hand in front of me. “Your pops used to hit your mom before he left, didn’t he?”
If I hadn’t been watching his face, I would’ve missed the tick in his cheek when Edge said that.
“Yeah, I learned early on that not all men treat women with the care and respect that they deserve.” J looks me straight in the eyes. “That’s why I make sure not to lose my temper. I refuse to ever be like him.”
I rub the back of my neck with my good hand. “Damn J, I’m sorry.”
He gives me a half shrug. “You didn’t know. I don’t exactly go around telling people about my sperm donor.”
“I think he’s going to work out good for this.” Edge states to seemingly no one in particular.
J is back to looking excited. “So, how we doing this?” He actually rubs his hands together, getting a small chuckle from everyone.
“I figure you show her the moves until she is comfortable with you guys. Maybe have one of you be an attacker and show her how to deflect and defend.”
Jameson eyes Edge up and down. He nods his head in Edge’s direction. “He’s the attacker?”
Edge gives him a frown while the rest of us try not to smile. “Why do you assume that I would play the bad guy? Because I’m a biker?”
Jameson purses his lips. “No, because you have a menacing look about you. Face it dude, you don’t exactly give off the warm and fuzzy vibes. A care bear you are not man. A grizzly maybe but definitely not a care bear.”
“I’m gonna have fun attacking you.” Edge states without any real malice in voice.
J just gives him the smuggest grin that I’ve ever seen come across his face. “You can try.”
Stacey
“Ouch.” Kealy whispers for the third time in a few minutes.
But she’s right, that landing looked like it hurt. Poor Edge can’t seem to get the drop on Jameson. You would think that with how tall he is, that he would move a lot slower. But maybe that’s Edge’s problem. He probably has at least twenty, if