Page 3 of Battling Aries

My sister has rocked me with what she’s just shared with me. That Rory is with her. That they’re both on the way here. Cordelia said they’re on the Jersey Turnpike, so they’ve got about seventeen hours before they get here.

This means I’ve got roughly that amount of time to come to terms with the one woman who I never wanted to set eyes on again.

“I will, Aries.”

“Check in every hour,” I tell her and hang up. I don’t need her to confirm with me that she’ll do as told. She knows to check in with me when she’s on the road.

“What’s going on?” Wolf demands.

“Cordelia and a friend of hers were attacked earlier.”

“They okay?” Dutch asks, watching me closely. He’s a damn good brother to have at your back when you need it. During the shit going down with Rosemary, we all saw him in action in that death ring. He had no problem finishing his fight, killing his opponent.

“No.” Slowly, I retake my seat. With them being on the road, there’s nothing I can do right now. Not until they get here and I find out who attacked them. “They’re on the way down here.”

“Who’s the friend? We know her?” Wolf would ask that damn question. He like Kevlar, knows me. Sometimes better than I know myself.

It means he knows exactly who Rory is to me.

Holding my brother’s gaze, I answer, “Rory.”

Wolf’s eyes narrow, and you can see him visibly gritting his teeth. “The fuck is Cordy doing being friends with that bitch.”

“Don’t know,” I grunt. “I’ll find out in about seventeen hours.”

“Want me to get Vulture to start looking into your sister’s friend?” Dutch asks, eyes going between Wolf and myself.

“No.” There’s no need for Vulture to get involved.

Once I have my sister here, hear what Rory got my sister involved in, I’ll kick her ass to the curb, just as she’d done to me all those years ago.

Fuck that bitch and whatever she’s brought on herself. The only one in this situation I care about is my sister. I’ll make sure she’s clear of it and send Rory on her way.

CHAPTER 2

ARIES

“Brother, you gotta keep it together.”

I glance over at my VP as he says this, but I don’t stop pacing a good portion of the clubhouse. It’s been nearly eighteen hours since I got the call from Cordelia. She checked in with me as I told her to, and the last time she called, they just crossed over into Mississippi. She was still sounding freaked over the fact Rory had yet to wake up.

“If you don’t chill, I’m gonna knock you on your ass and make you calm down,” Viper remarks. “It’s bad enough I’ve got a hormonal, pregnant woman.”

“Don’t you dare finish that statement,” Jade shouts, stopping our Prez from making a big mistake.

We all glance in her direction as Jade steps from the kitchen, a mug in her hand, the string from one of her tea bags hanging on the side. It hadn’t been that long since we all found out that she was knocked up. But she’s been a bit of a nut case since Viper got her pregnant. Usually, Jade is pretty chill, quiet, and shy almost.

“Darlin’, it’s the damn truth. You’re more hormonal, flipping out over the simplest shit there is. Just this morning, you were crying over a damn commercial on the TV. Then this afternoon, you shouted at me for not having a minute to fuck you.”

“Well, you could’ve taken a break,” Jade snaps. “Try and see if I let you have sex with me again.”

“Jade, you ain’t gonna get me from fuckin’ you later.”

I shake my head, look at Cyrus, and address him rather than pay more attention to my Prez and his woman. “I’m keeping it together.”

“Barely,” Cyrus grunts. “Who’s this chick with your sister to you?”

“A part of my past.” There’s no way I want to get into it where Rory is concerned. She fucked me up. Played me, for that matter. After what she’d done, Rory is the last woman I want ever to see again. I shove the thought away and stop pacing. “Soon as I find out what the fuck is going on, the bitch is on her own.”

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