Dragon

27 - The anger inside

Phoenix

“Phoenix, what’s wrong?” Ava, my best friend since babyhood, asks while taking my arm in her hand. “Talk to me.” She urges when I finally stop pacing.

We were at the clubhouse for a while, but I needed to get out of there. I couldn’t deal with all those people. My head is a mess, even more than it usually is. The only problem is that, unlike before, I can’t turn off the thoughts and block them out. They’re driving me crazy, and I don’t know what to do with myself.

I’m not this person. Yes, I’m quick to anger. I curse, smoke, drink, fuc.k, and fight like a man with no morals. But that doesn’t make me a bad person.

What did I do to deserve this?

When I was ten, I met a boy at school. We became best friends, and even though he was in the system and was moved around a lot, Gage kept in touch. When he was fourteen, Gage was fostered by an older couple in town, and they kept him for a couple of years.

With Gage back in town, we got closer than ever before. He asked me to be his girlfriend, and there was nothing I wanted more. For four years, we loved each other. Gage promised to join Snakes Henchmen with me. We were going to be the club’s power couple.

It didn’t work out well, did it?

No. I became a Prospect with the club, but Gage made excuses for why he couldn’t right then. I didn’t question him on it because that was his choice.

Four months before I became the first official female member of the club, Gage left me. He just upped and left without a word as to why.

Okay, that’s a lie. Gage joined the military without informing me that he’d even signed up! It’s not that I wasn’t proud of him for wanting to fight for our country; it’s the fact that he had no respect for me. If he cared, he would have known that he could have told me what he really wanted to do with his life. I would have supported him. Instead, he did it behind my back and left me here without a care in the world.

I can’t forgive him for that. I don’t give a fuc.k who will tell me I’m being over the top. I don’t give a damn who will say that Gage did a good thing for his country. I know he did. But no one hurts me and gets away with it. No one!

When Gage left, I got on with my life. I didn’t wallow or cry myself to sleep. No, I got on with my life as if he never existed. I became the woman I always said I would. I slept with whoever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I even get into a s****l relationship with Eagle. He never expected anything from me. We had an understanding, and it suited both of us.

No one but Eagle could take me as high as Gage once did. I didn’t think anybody would ever get me the way Gage did. Not that Eagle and I are in love, we’re not. It’s just se.x. It’s not like either of us doesn’t sleep with others. We’re not a couple, and we can do what the hell we want. But somehow, we always end up in bed together.

I was fine. You know? I was getting on with things. I’d told myself that I would never see Gage again, and even though my heart was broken when he left, I thought it was finally mending.

Now the bastard turns up in my town, acting like he never did anything wrong, and I’m back to square one! I don’t think so. I have worked too fuckin.g hard to let Gage back in.

I look at Ava and shake my head.

Ava. She looks so much like her mom sometimes that it’s scary. Fallon, daughter of Roman and wife to Trace, is a beautiful woman. Her daughter looks just like her, and her sons look just like their father.

Ava and I have slept together a few times since Gage left me. I only had eyes for him when we were together, and I would never have cheated on him. Since he left, Ava has always been there for me. Things happened between us, and they’ve happened a few times. But like Eagle, Ava knows there will never be anything more than se.x between us. I shouldn’t use my friends like that, but they’re more than willing to be whatever I want them to be.

Who wouldn’t take advantage of that?

“Please, talk to me, Phoenix. You’ve been pacing since we got here. You look like you’ve seen a ghost and want to kill someone at the same time.”

When I jumped on my motorcycle, Ava climbed onto the back without a word. She held on as I rode us into town. I parked near the edge of town, climbed off my bike, and I’ve been pacing ever since.

My head feels like it’s about to explode!

I scrub my hands over my face. “I don’t know what to do, Ava.”

“About what?” She asks gently.

I swallow hard and look my best friend in the eye. “I saw someone this morning. Someone I hoped I would never see again.”

Ava furrows her brow. “Who?”

I open my mouth to speak, but a figure over Ava’s shoulder stops me. Dragon is arguing with some big-built motherfucker. Dragon doesn’t argue with anyone. He talks; you listen. If you don’t, he’ll walk away. Unless you’ve fucke.d him off in ways you shouldn’t have, then he’ll smash your teeth down your throat.

I can see how agitated Dragon is getting, which is not a good thing. Dragon might not be as violent as most of us, but he’s not someone to mess with either. The man is a cage fighter, for f***s sake.

Ava turns her head to see what I’m looking at. “I wonder what’s going on over there?” She mumbles.

“I don’t know, but it looks like Dragon is seconds away from smacking that guy in the mouth.”

I grab Ava’s hand and pull her toward Dragon.

“Seriously,” The guy growls. “You need to back off!”

Dragon chuckles darkly. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with. Do you?”

“I don’t care who you are!” The guy snaps. “I’ve been in town a week. It’s not my fault your daughter can’t handle herself.”

What the hell is this?

Did this bastard do something to Greer?

She’s a child!

Snakes Henchmen MC do not put up with the abuse of children. Period!

“My daughter is eight years old!” Dragon snaps. “Someone ought to have told you about my club.” He chuckles while shaking his head. “I’m a reasonable man. Ask anyone. But when it comes to my daughter, all bets are off. I’m giving you one chance to speak with your kids about keeping their hands off my daughter.”

Ah. I see. The guys’ kids have been bullying Greer. Poor kid, she hasn’t been at that school for long. Greer is a beautiful little girl, but she really needs to toughen up. Being part of the MC, she’ll learn soon enough.

No child should ever have to grow up before they need to. None should have to learn to defend themselves from attackers. But the sad fact of the matter is that, given the way we live, we have no choice but to teach our kids self-defense. I think it’s time Dragon did the same with Greer.

“You’re new in town,” Dragon rolls his shoulders. “And you’ll learn soon enough that we run this town. You have one chance to teach your kids some manners, or I’ll make you!”

“I’m not scared of you.” The guy says that, but I see his throat move when he swallows.

Dragon laughs. “You should be.”

I move closer. The guy looks me up and down, and I roll my eyes. “Everything alright, Dragon?”

Dragon doesn’t look at me when he answers. He keeps his eyes on the man in front of him. “No, everything is not alright. This asshole’s kids took it upon themselves to bully and beat my daughter in school yesterday!”

“What?” Ava gasps.

“They did not hurt your daughter!” The snaps. “I’ve spoken to them about it, and they assure me they did nothing.”

“Are you calling my daughter a liar?”

“Have you ever heard of Draven Vidal?” Ava asks.

Dragon would never have brought his uncle’s name into this. He never name-drops because he doesn’t need to. However, Ava is much like Greer, kind, soft-hearted, and hates violence. I’m sure Ava sees a lot of herself in that little girl.

The guy looks at Ava and nods slightly.

Ava smiles. “Mafia Don who would kill you as soon as look at you. Well, Dragon here is Draven Vidal’s nephew. Dragon’s father is Don Vidal’s younger brother.” She shakes her head mockingly. “I wonder what the Don will do when he finds out what your kids did to his great-niece. I wouldn’t want to be you, that’s for sure.”

“Look,” The guy holds his hands up. “There has been a mistake. My kids would never do what you’re accusing them of.”

“Hailey and Susan, eight-year-old twins,” Dragon huffs. “Those are your daughter. Right?”

“Yes,” The guy hisses through his teeth.

“They shoved, slapped, punched, and kicked my daughter!” Dragon snaps. “Now, someone is going to pay.”

I roll my eyes. I’m not in the mood for anything right now. My blood is boiling, not only because I saw Gage, but because I can’t believe this prick is still denying that his daughters hurt Greer. Hearing Dragon yell how Greer’s teacher had informed him who the girls were, and their father screaming that they didn’t do it, is pissing me off.

He’s scared; anyone can see that. But he’s still denying it. Fuc.k, all he had to do was tell Dragon he’d have words with his daughters and teach them that bullying is wrong, and all of this would have gone away.

As it is…

I pull my fist back and smack the cunt in the mouth. He’s a big bastard, but he staggers. I twist and kick the cunt in the gut. He groans while falling to the ground.

“For f***s sake,” Dragon mumbles.

I should leave this to him. Greer is Dragon’s daughter, and I have no right to interfere. But I need to get this anger out of me. I can’t cope, and if I don’t do something, I’m going to end up hurting everyone around me.

So, I dive on the prick. I slap his face repeatedly before getting to my feet and kicking him in the ribs. Piece of shi.t!

I growl as someone grabs me around the waist and pulls me away from fuc.k face. “Let go of me!” I scream.

“Calm down!” Dragon hisses in my ear. “You just beat the crap out of him in front of half the town!”

“I don’t give a shi.t!” I hiss as Dragon drops me to my feet. I turn and face him. “He deserved it. Maybe you should have smacked him one, and he couldn’t have been mouthing off like he had the right!” I turn and look at the people who have crowded round, staring at me open-mouthed. “You all keep your damn mouths shut about what you saw happen here. You wouldn’t want me to silence you. Now, would you?”

Many eyes widen in my direction, and everyone scurries off like their asses were on fire. They know their place. Everyone in this town knows you don’t fuc.k with Snakes Henchmen.

“Ava,” Dragon sighs. “Get Phoenix out of here while I deal with this mess.” He looks at me. “I had this under control, Phoenix.”

“Yeah. Seemed to me that you weren’t doing much other than arguing, which is so not like you. Why didn’t you smack him the fuckin.g mouth, Dragon?”

He growls at me. “Did you give me the chance? I wanted to give him the chance to speak with his kids. I was getting nowhere, I saw that. But you dived in before I could do anything!”

I close my eyes and sigh. “I’m sorry, Dragon,” I mumble before walking away.

I need to get out of this place. I need to ride my motorcycle out of this town until I no longer have to think for myself!

Or maybe I just need to kill Gage.

Maybe then, this anger inside of me will vanish.

Maybe…