Page 64 of Burning Truths

The ring is now empty with a younger looking boy standing in the middle with a swollen eye and bleeding lip. Using his thumb he wipes away the crimson liquid and flashes his teeth.

“Parties over!” He shouts across the room. When no one moves he walks to the ropes and stands on the bottom one lifting himself higher over the boisterous onlookers. “Get the fuck out assholes!” He bellows. Everyone turns at once to look at G, and whatever they see on his face puts them in action. Feet shuffle to the exit not wasting any time getting out of the way. G’s made a name for himself around here. People respect the man at my side.

A familiar face walks through a group of men flashing me a smile. I can't help the returning grin that lights up my face when I see him coming towards me. Romero’s name falls from my mouth, and I can feel the heat of G’s glare on the side of my face. Romero pauses, barely a foot away, lifting my hand that’s wrapped from the broken glass in my dorm, he looks between me and G.

He speaks, his tone uneasy, G making him nervous, and of course he would.

“Kenna.” He acknowledges me.

The Stone brothers warned him to stay away from me, but him taking a chance now has pride bubbling in my stomach for the jock, who usually minds his place. I’ve come to like Romero, not in the way I thought I did months ago, but I have a new respect for him now. Taking in G’s stance, the domineering look on his face, knowing that Romero wouldn’t stand a chance against him in the ring, and yet he still not only walked up to me and spoke, but is now cradling my hand. Inspecting the damage and checking to make sure I'm okay.

“How are you, Kenna?” He asks, looking up from my knuckles, his eyes flipping between me and the brute beside me.

My cheeks turn pink with embarrassment because I know that everyone’s watching this interaction and confusion has to be taking over. One minute I’m with a Stone, the next I’m with G, and now Romero is holding my hand delicately. I remind myself to not give a fuck what these pricks think right now not when everything is starting to come back together. My memories and thoughts are starting to be less clouded.

“You look like you’re about to kick some ass.” He nods to my outfit with a crooked grin. “Have fun but be careful.” He says before backing away, making a move to go around us. Pausing, he gives G a dark look, “Take care of her.” His tone is low and hard.

G’s jaw ticks, clenching tight, I can feel the agitation rolling from his skin heating the space between us. A soft laugh leaves me and his head jerks to the side, our eyes clashing. The broody bastard doesn’t like the threat that he feels Romero just left him with, but really it was a request to make sure I’m taken care of, so I take it with ease. I reach out to grab his large hand squeezing tightly, giving him a half smile, and jerking my head towards the ring signaling him that I’m ready.

“Hey, Kingston.” A voice calls out drawing my attention to a male and a woman standing between a lingering group of people.

The others are forcing their way through the crowds towards the door but something made these two pause. G’s arm whips around my waist with a tight grip pulling me close to his side, but my stare is set on the man staring back at me. Around his throat is a haunting tattoo giving the illusion of the dead pulling him down to hell. The skeleton hand wrapped around his throat tattooed there like a stamp or branding claiming him. My eyes drift from the ink to his dark eyes then to the woman standing beside him. Her stare is harsh and her lips curl into a snarl, but neither of them look familiar. She has long red hair down to herwaist with tattoos covering every inch of her arms. They look like a fierce pair side by side. She’s every bit as beautiful as she is feral.

Green eyes float from mine down to where G’s arm connects with my bare skin and they darken. Her painted red lips twitch before she jerks her eyes away looking towards the exit.

“I’ll be seeing you.” She quips but it’s not me she’s looking at anymore. It’s the man with his hand resting on my hip.

G flashes her a wide grin, “Keep your eyes to yourself, little tease.” His words spark something behind her eyes.

The man finally pulls his gaze from me and tugs at her arm with a look crossing his face that says he’s pissed. At me or her? Rolling my shoulder I try to shove that question away for another day. The room is almost empty. By now the soft whispers and murmurs lingering die down but I ignore them. Stepping up to the ring, G nudges me forward, making me break my focus on the weird standoff we’re in. The man finally turns away and follows the woman out of the Basement. G pulls back the rope to the ring letting me step through and a memory slams into me sucking the air from my lungs. The flashes bring an array of colorful feelings, one of shock and fear, but more than that a feeling of power and seduction. At the forefront of those memories is the man in question himself. Ryker fucking Stone. He holds every facet of my memories for as long as I can remember.

Ryker Stone.

The faint phantom buzz against my throat conjures the familiar feeling of pain, but it never comes. The strike of lightning never follows.

Chapter Thirty-One

KENNA

“Fuck.” I let out an exasperated huff.

My palms hit my knees, my entire body trembling from the overuse of weak muscles. G props his elbows behind him on the top rope leaning back with a crooked grin. Not a drop of sweat can be found on him.

“Getting tired already, Kens?” He jokes.

My breathing starts to slow, but I’m still short of breath when I respond.

“Fuck you.” I snap.

Irritation courses through me when he peers at me with his smug ass attitude. My calves scream at me from the workout but G looks far from done.

“What are we doing here?” I push.

It’s not the first time I’ve asked and if he bounces around the question it won’t be the last. Either he’s a shitty liar, which I know isn’t true, or he’s busy trying to keep me away from something. Pushing up my back straightens my stare and darkens, quaking a brow in response to his silence. The Basement is still empty but I can hear noise upstairs so I'm guessing a party is going to be starting soon.

Looking towards the door, his jaw clenches, “You’re here to clear your head.” Rolling his head back, his eyes fall to the ceiling. “You need to let go of everything you think is true and follow what you already know. You can’t do that until you push past the pain.”

Dropping my gaze to the mat the air rushes from my lungs. A deeper part of me screams out into the void for help that I know only I can give myself. No one can drag me from the darkness in my mind but me. G’s here right now trying and yet all I want to do is crawl into a ball ignoring everything around me. That empty feeling behind my ribs twinges with a bone deep ache, a harsh reminder that even the numbness wears off eventually. Gio bounces backward making his body spring forward coming at me fast.

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