Page 17 of Ink & Reina

Jordan pressed a kiss to my temple as he grabbed my bag from me. “Come on, babe. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”

I drew in a deep breath, and ignoring my mother’s pleading behind me, I left.

Chapter Ten

Ink

Ilooked up at the familiar rumble of my brother’s engine—a sound I’d hoped to never hear again. Every muscle in my body tensed, and my hand tightened around the cloth that I’d been using to clean Sabotage’s bike.

Jordan was out.

And Reina was in his fucking passenger seat.

A bad feeling settled in the pit of my stomach, and I did my best to brace myself for whatever was coming my way. And I had a feeling it had everything to do with Reina—and Jordan being back. I wasn’t ready to face this shit. I’d been up a whole fucking two hours, and I still had a goddamn pounding headache from being awake more the past three days than I did asleep.

I set the cloth I’d been using to clean Sabotage’s bike down on the leather seat and watched as Reina got out of the passenger side of Jordan’s car. Her hair was up in a messy bun on the top of her head, tendrils escaping to frame her face. Her glasses were seated on the bridge of her nose.

And she waspissed. What the fuck had I done?

I gritted my teeth as she drew closer to me. I didn’t know what in the hell she was angry about, but if I had to guess, I imagined it would be about some bullshit lie my brother had spewed to her.

“Surprised to see you here,” I finally forced myself to say when she strode across the gravel lot towards me. She normally evaded the clubhouse.

“Don’t you fucking even,” she seethed. Her hand cracked across my face as she slapped me. I worked my jaw around, trying to keep my temper in check so I wouldn’t explode in her fucking face. “He left because ofyou!” she screamed up at me. I wanted to laugh. Of course, he’d fucking played that card. “Because of you, his record is tarnished and fucked up! Because ofyou, he and I lost years together, Ink!”

I glared down at her. “That the bullshit he spewed to you?” I demanded.

“Don’t fucking put this on him!” she yelled at me. “It’s what youalwaysdo, Ink! You just hate that you’llneveramount to be evenhalfof the man that Jordan is.” I wanted to fucking throttle her, but I kept my hands to myself. “You’re just joining the Savage Crows to make up for what you otherwise lack. You’re nothing but a fucking criminal. Not your brother, butyou, Ink. This is allyourfault—all because you’re stupid and fucking jealous of what he and I have together.”

I lifted my eyes from her angry face. My brother was sitting outside of the gates, a smug look on his face. He was ballsy to show up here, but he hadn’t been stupid enough to pull onto the lot.

She was so goddamn blind, and I was tired of trying to open her eyes.

I looked back down at her, forcing myself to keep my temper in check. No matter what she said to me, I was determined to keep my shit together around her. I couldn’t lash out at her likeshe was doing to me. But if she kept pushing at me, my restraint was going to snap.

“You ask him why he didn’t pull onto the clubhouse grounds?” I asked her, my voice barely collected.

She jabbed a finger against my chest. I didn’t even flinch. “Because he doesn’t want to cause any more trouble with you, Ink. Your brother loves you—” this time, I did laugh, “—butyou’rethe dick who turned your back on family all because you couldn’t fucking have me.”

My mood significantly darkened. I glared down at her, no longer giving a shit about holding myself together for her sake. I’d heard enough. “I hope you have a fucking happy as hell life with him, Reina, because he’s going to fuckingruinyou.” She opened her mouth to speak again, but I ran right over her. “And don’t you fuckingdarecome running to me for help when he does.” I gestured between me and her. “This? You and me?Done. I’m done being here for you. I’m done being your rock and holding you together. I’m done biting my goddamn tongue with you.” Her eyes flashed with hurt, but I was now too pissed to give a fuck about how she was feeling, about how much I was hurting her with my words.

“Jordan is going to fuck you up, Reina. He’s going to twist you all up inside, and he’s going to make you regret the day you ever turned your back on me and your family. Believe this is love all you fucking want, but he’s goddamn brainwashing you.”

“I’m leaving with him today,” she seethed, tears in her eyes, but I didn’t give a fuck anymore. I’d turned it all off.

I shrugged. “Have fun. I give it two weeks before you realize the mistake you made,” I told her. I leaned in so close to her, our faces were a mere inch apart—if that. “Get the fuck out of my face, Reina.”

She stumbled back from me. “Ink—” Her voice was softer now—like she was just now realizing the mistake she’d made in lashing out at me. But it was too damn late.

I’d said I was done, and I meant it.

“You’ve said your piece,” I told her. “And now, I’ve said mine. Get thefuckout of my face, Reina.”

She turned around and rushed back to the car just like the fucking coward she was. I stared after Jordan’s car until they disappeared from sight.

And then, I lost my fucking shit.

Chapter Eleven

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