Page 4 of Battling Aries

“That still doesn’t tell us?—”

“VP, no offense, but Rory is something I won’t talk about. To me, the bitch is dead,” I tell him as Wolf walks in the front doors.

“Your sister’s pulling in right now.”

Wolf barely gets his sentence out before I plow past him, rushing out the door and to where Cordelia is parking her car. My sister barely gets the damn car in park before I’m there, snatching her door open, pulling her out from behind the wheel.

“Fuckin’ hell, woman,” I growl, holding her to me. I barely took a glance at her. I’d seen enough to recognize she’d been bruised up as well.

“I’m okay, Aries,” Cordelia states, shoving against my chest. “I’m fine. I told you I was good.”

“You’re not good. Your face is bruised up,” I tell her, taking in her face even more. “There’s a goddamn cut on your cheek.”

“It’s nothing like I haven’t had before. Remember, I might live in the city, but I was raised just like you, Tempest, and Fox were. I know how to handle myself.” Cordelia huffs and moves away from me. “It’s Rory who needs help.”

For the first time, I look in the backseat, following my sister’s movements. It’s then I see for the first time a woman barely recognizable. Blood-matted hair where it should be a striking blonde. Black and blue bruises where it should be clear, slightly tanned skin. Rory wasn’t one for being able to get a dark tan, but she’d always hold a natural look about her. The shirt was barely covering her, and she wasn’t moving.

“She hasn’t woken up,” Cordelia says. “The only sign of her being with me is the fact she’d moan every once in a while because of the pain.”

I can’t take my eyes off the broken woman in the backseat. Cordelia was right. She’d been fine compared to how Rory looked.

It takes me a minute more to be able to move finally. When I do, I yank the back passenger door open, reach in, and gently pull her out. No matter how pissed I am at her. How much I don’t want to hold her in my arms, I’d never wish this upon anyone, least of all her.

Rory whimpers in her sleep as I try not to jostle her. I’m pretty sure she’s got something broken.

Once I clear the door, I head for the clubhouse, seeing Wolf already holding the door open.

“Get Mace,” I shout.

“He’s already on his way,” Wolf states, eyes dropping to the woman in my arms and cursing. “Fuck. I didn’t see her in the back. I only saw Cordelia’s face.”

“The fuck,” Viper snarls the instant he sets eyes on Rory.

“Who the fuck would beat a woman like this?” Cyrus demands.

“She has to be in so much pain,” Jade cries. “Come on, let’s get her to Mace’s clinic.”

A few minutes later, I have Rory tucked into the bowels of Mace’s little clinic, which we’d finally finished putting together. It could honestly be used as a small surgical space if it were needed. We ensured no one would need to go to the hospital unless it was absolutely dire circumstances. Mace has everything from X-ray machines to Band-Aids, and anything he’d need under the sun in here to take care of all of us. It helps that Mace was more than just a combat medic.

I barely get her placed in the middle of the gurney when Mace comes racing in. He takes one look at her, eyes flaring bright. Yeah, he’s pissed. None of my brothers take kindly to a woman being beaten, but this takes it to another level completely. “Everyone out,” he orders, not even looking in our direction. He heads straight to the sink to wash up. “I’ll let you know in a bit what’s what with our patient here.”

“I don’t want to leave her,” Cordelia whispers.

“Come on, Cordy, we’ll let Mace help Rory while you fill us in on what the fuck happened,” I tell her, placing an arm over her shoulder and guiding her out of the room. It’s all I can do to keep from looking back.

I don’t know what happened to Rory, but no matter how much her being her fucks with my head, or that she did what she did all those years ago, she doesn’t deserve this.

“All right, Cordy, start talking.”

I waited long enough for an explanation, including giving her time to change and eat something. That waiting period hasexpired. It was time I knew what the hell was going on. Like why the fuck would Rory tell her to bring her to me?

I think that’s the one question that’s fucking with me the most.

“All I can tell you is that the men who jumped us, were sent to teach Rory a lesson and take her back. The rest, I’m sorry, Aries,” Cordelia shakes her head, sighing, “I can’t tell you.”

“You best tell me, Cordy,” I tell her, using the tone she knows well as the warning it holds. I’d never lay a hand on a woman, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to get answers out of her.

“Aries, I can’t,” Cordelia protests, eyes wide, that whole sweet persona coming through. “If I could, I would, but when Rory found me in New York and told me all that she did, I swore I’d keep it to myself and let her explain everything herself. You know me, big brother. You know I won’t go back on my word.”

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