Page 46 of Blood

Kitty’s light dims in the shadow of this woman and I hate it.

“Sorry?” Diamond asks.

“His name is Liam, l-i-a-m,” she says slowly, pronouncing each letter.

“Well, I’m Rogue, Cutter’s lifesaver. When you lose your attitude, you can find me in the bar. You’re welcome to buy me a drink.” I grin and wave goodbye to Cutter who closes his eyes and mutters under his breath before I usher Kitty out of the room. I guess the bullet severed his backbone.

“Have I told you that I love you?” Kitty slings her arm around my shoulders and chuckles. The sound makes me feel less like I’m going to implode at any given second.

“You want to tell me about that?” I jerk my head, motioning behind us.

“Definity need alcohol for that conversation.” She shudders.

I gaze around the room, looking for a clock as we enter the bar. “It’s a bit early.”

“Five o’ clock somewhere. After the night we had, I think we deserve it.” She skips toward the bar and points to Daddy in the corner. “Plus, Daddy’s already drinking.”

He raises a glass of what looks like bourbon, the amber liquid swilling. “Gets the brain ticking.”

That’s bullshit, but who am I to argue with my elder?

“That was a low blow with the TV.” He grumbles. Craning my neck, I see the screen is still black, all he has to do is plug it back in.

“The next time you throw a knife at me, you better kill me with it,” Kitty snaps.

“I didn’t throw it at you. My aim is impeccable. Who do you think taught Cutter?” The image of the guy with the knife in his chest flashes behind my eyes.

“My brother taught Cutter.” Kitty reminds him, with raised brows.

Callan’s also lethal with a blade. I find my attention slipping to the door he left through, aching to know where he is.

“Who do you think taught your brother?” He chortles.

I want to ask if Kitty knows where her brother went, but I don’t want her asking any questions.

Is he in his room with her?

No. I refuse to be that woman.

“So…” I slide onto a stool, drawing her attention away from the old perv in the corner. “Diamond knows about you two?” The bar is smooth black marble, offering a cool surface to rest upon. It’s a different vibe in here from the nighttime, it’s quiet, there’s no sultry pole dancers or drunk members filling the dance floor. You almost feel exposed.

“She’s had to cover for me a couple times.” She chews on her nail, a guilty shadow in her eyes.

“Tell me about Claire.”

“It grosses me out, so I hate thinking about it, but Claire was my dad’s girl.” Kitty says it so casually that it takes a moment to register the words.

I jerk my eyes to hers, my mouth dropping. “What?” She doesn’t look much older than us.

“Yeah.” She shivers. “She hung around here as a club bunny.”

“Club bunny, like Playboy?”

“No, a biker bed hopper.” She shrugs. “Club slut. Comes to party and fuck bikers.”

“Okay.” Makes more sense.

Waving her hand in the air, she says, “My dad favored her over the other club sluts. She was supposed to stay loyal to him even though he wouldn’t put her on the back of his bike. One night, she got pissed at him and cornered Cutter while he was wasted. He said he didn’t remember, but she became pregnant, so my dad made him marry her.”

---