Page 41 of Shattered

“You should know since you watched.” He lifts a hand to stop me when I stumble over my words. “Just put your shoes on.”

I do as he says, allowing him to walk me to my house. I keep my pace slow so I’m not rushing him, and I don’t miss how he watchesthe road as we cross over the driveway. Once we get to the door, he pulls out his keys before I can grab my own and lets us into my house. I want to make a snarky comment about it, but I don’t.

Once shut inside, he locks the door before turning to me. “Lock every door and window in this place, now.”

I don’t hesitate, following his instructions while he rummages in my kitchen like he owns the place. Once I’m finished with the upper level, I rush downstairs. He’s pulled my two largest knives and set them on the counter. He grabs the largest one and hands it to me, holding the blade while offering the handle. I take it gently, careful not to cut him, and his hand falls away.

“Put that by your bed,” he says.

He heads for the den with the other knife while I run upstairs. When I return, he’s placing the other knife on the coffee table beside my sofa. He moves to the other side before sitting down. He can’t hide his limp, likely from the fall, and I notice how he won’t look me in the eye while I approach. I slowly sit down and turn to face him, folding my legs and placing my hands in my lap.

“Are you okay?” I ask, my voice shaky.

He nods quickly, easing my worry, but only stares into space.

“Who were those guys?”

Once the words are out of my mouth, I feel stupid. Why does it matter if he’s okay or who those men were? Asher has been nothing but evil towards me. I fully expect a backhanded response. What I don’t expect is the deep breath he takes before he gives me their names.

“Rocco and Rooney…”

I want to ask him why he was so scared of them, but I know that’s not a good idea. Instead, I go around him. “Why was Bane so afraid of them?”

He pauses, considering whether or not to share with me. Eventually, he begins to unfold.

“They’re the ones who fucked up my leg.”

I never put much thought into Asher’s leg and how it happened. But to be attacked? That thought didn’t occur to me until Rocco and Rooney mentioned it so cryptically outside.

“Tell me what happened.”

And just like that, the moment’s gone. His brows pinch together, and his attitude is back. “None of your business.”

“Jesus christ, Asher, just fucking tell me. After what you did last night, you owe me.”

He considers it, and somehow, my line works.

“Bane and I used to work at their tattoo shop; until I fucked Rocco’s wife. They found us together and took a baseball bat to my leg. My femur was completely shattered.”

The word makes my chest seize up.Shattered. The amount of force and brutality it would take to completely shatter a femur is nothing short of horrifying.

“They did this to you?”

He nods, still avoiding my gaze. His eyes clearly show he’s trying not to break in front of me. “I fucked Rocco’s wife. Kind of asked for it.”

“You slept with his wife; you didn’t permanently injure him!” I blurt, immediately realizing the error of my words when he looks at me with black eyes.

“It’s not permanent,” he says, biting back an eruption.

“I know, I’m sorry.” It’s a lie, but fighting him on it is clearly not the answer. “Why did you sleep with her?”

“I was in a bad place. My knee was messed up from a motorcycle accident, and I was dealing with a limp - probably a temporary one, ironically. I was angry and probably a little self-destructive. Raven was there and into me, and I just said fuck it.”

My chest tightens as he mentions the girl’s name. Raven. Suddenly, I’m a bundle of anxiety. Why? I don’t get it. I don’t give a fuck about Asher. “What happened to Raven?”

He shrugs. “No idea. I imagine Rocco probably slapped her around, and he’s probably got her on a short leash.”

“You haven’t spoken to her?”

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