Page 17 of Battling Aries

“Rory,” Viper grunts.

“Hey, Rory,” Cordelia says, giving me a sad smile.

“What’s going on?” I manage to ask.

“Un-fucking-believable.” Kevlar sneers. “You don’t realize what the fuck you’ve done by coming here, do you, bitch?”

There was no hiding my flinch at his harsh words.

“Kevlar,” the woman mutters.

“Not now, Rosemary, that bitch had him wrapped up around her finger years ago, and now, she’s got him running off from his own goddamn club. What the fuck did you say to my brother, bitch?”

“That’s enough, Kevlar,” Cordelia snaps. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Brother, you need to calm down,” Viper remarks.

Staring at Kevlar, I realize exactly who he is and do my best to swallow down the fear. This is Aries’s best friend. A man who used to also be like a brother to me. I had no choice but to cut him out of my life just as I had Aries. His road name suits him. He’s always been one for being like steel and facing off with others and not letting it affect him.

No matter how much I want to run and hide, I don’t. Instead, I square my shoulders and join the group as I clear my throat and speak for myself while glaring at Kevlar. “You know, asshole, I’d leave here if I could. I did leave, but your friend found me and brought me back. I know I made the mistake of telling Cordy to bring me to him. I shouldn’t have done that.” I stretch my armson either side of me. “Regardless, here I am, and they won’t let me leave.”

“Rory, you need to calm down,” Cordelia says softly, coming to my side.

“No, I won’t calm down. I’m sick of everyone telling me to calm down. To do this. To do that. Well, for once, I won’t listen,” I snap, ignoring the feeling of acting like a child with a temper tantrum. “All I’ve ever done was obey orders. The times I didn’t, I paid the price. I’m sick of all the bullshit. My God, haven’t I had enough to deal with thanks to Roger being a sick bastard? I’ve given up my happiness to make it so others could.”

“Babe, you need to calm down,” Mace remarks, his hand touching my shoulder.

“I said I didn’t want to calm down,” I scream, shaking my head. I reach up and sink my fingers into my hair with one hand, the other doing the best with the cast to do the same. “I just wanted to finally be able to get away and be alone for once in my life.” I drop my hands and glare at Kevlar. “You can think whatever the hell you want about what I did to Aries, but you don’t know the hell I’ve been living in ever since.”

Whirling away from them all, I run back in the direction I came from, my head filled with thoughts of all that I’ve done and lost because of all this. Yet I still blame myself for allowing the man who should have been nothing more than my stepbrother to take control of my life.

I seal myself away behind the doors of Aries’s room, locking it and even going as far as moving a chair he had sitting next to his dresser beneath the handle in hopes to barricade the thing and keep anyone from getting in if they have a key. Once I am sure no one is going to come through the door, I move to the bed and curl back in the middle of it, not knowing what else to do.

There is so much anger in my mind, so much rage and anguish, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get rid of it. All I’veever wanted to do was protect those I hold close to my heart. But it seems all I’ve done was hurt them just as I did myself. If not more.

I need to figure out a way to overcome everything. They’re not gonna let me leave here. Nor are they going to ask me to go.

What I need to do is just wait for Aries to get back. Finish the conversation I ran away from, and only then am I sure he’ll let me go, and I can finally get out of here. Then, I can find a place of my own to fit in and not worry about anything else but living out the rest of my life in peace.

CHAPTER 11

CORDELIA

“Way to go, ass-face,” I snap, looking at my childhood crush and brother’s best friend. “You really do know how to be a world-class jerk sometimes.”

“Calling her a bitch was uncalled for, Kevlar,” Rosemary snaps, joining me in on the chastising of her man.

Aries had told me about how Kevlar claimed a woman, and I thought I’d hate her, but I think I’ve actually got a woman crush on her. Not just because she was willing to take my side on this, but because she’s absolutely beautiful and fit.

Granted, I’m no slouch, but I’m not a fit girl. I’m more of a curvy girl with lots of ass and tits. I didn’t mind because I’ve learned to flaunt what you have a long time ago. This advice has gotten me into trouble one too many times.

“Rosemary, you gotta understand?—”

“Brother, you need to chill the fuck out and listen because you got shit twisted right now,” Mace snarls. I cock my head enough to look in his direction to see the pissed-off look he’s got going on.

“He’s right, Kevlar,” Viper remarks, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “You know, with Jade pregnant, I’ve got enough on my plate dealing with her craziness.”

“Jade’s not crazy, she’s just hormonal.” Rosemary snorts. “And as for enough on your plate, you know better than to think she’d be anything else.”

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