Page 48 of Bonded

The sound of a new voice makes her turn around and she blinks. Holding her breath, she has a sudden moment of confusion, and then her brain registers, “Rhys!”

“If you’ve got what you need, Michael… then go.”

Kat sighs, closing her eyes. She can’t look at him, her throat dry as she swallows her nerves. “Oh, what the fuck do you want now?” She grinds her teeth, feeling sick. The sound of Luna’s relentless mocking inside her head gives her a headache and angry she feels hurt and humiliated—used.

“Oh…” Rhys frowns, “well from the look on your face, it doesn’t seem like you had such a good time tonight?”

“I said, what do you want… because I need to go.”

“Oh, I just thought I’d check and see if you were okay? I know what an asshole Darius can be. You know Kat… Darius is not what you think. He’s not a good guy and if I were you, I would stay away.”

“Yeah, well… don’t worry, I worked that out for myself, thanks. Oh God…” She sighs loud in her regret with regret. “Shit… me and liquor, hell… why do I never learn?” Then taking a breath, she looks him in the eyes. “Oh, let me guess, you’re going to tell Ryan what I did? What… maybe you want me to sleep with you… so you’ll keep quiet? Well, you know what… go right ahead and tell him, because there is no way on this earth I will fuck you, ever! And anyway, I don’t think Ryan will be so bothered. He’s already busy back at the house—fucking Alyssa. So, don’t lecture me with some shit about going behind your brother’s back, because I really don’t care. He broke his promise to me first.”

“Kat…” he laughs, “I couldn’t give a fuck what you do behind my brother’s back. I am, however, curious what it is about you that makes my brother so smitten? Now Darius? I mean, that really has to be something special to get both of their attention, Darius especially. Hell, I’ve not seen anyone who can turn his head in a long time. What is it, Kat?” He steps up close, staring her in the eyes. “What makes you so special?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Now get the hell away from me, I need to go.” she shoves him hard in the chest.

“Oh no…” he sneers. “No, not yet. Anyway, don’t worry about telling me, I already found out what you are. And for your information, my brother, he didn’t fuck Alyssa tonight.” he smirks. “And I know that because she came back to the club over an hour ago. Pissed as hell, ranting out of her mind to anyone who would listen about how he sent her away, without fuckin’ her. Oh, and how small his dick is—but then we already knew that.” He snorts with laughter. “She didn’t speak too favorably about you either, though she had a few other interesting facts to tell me. It would seem my brother may have run his mouth off a little too much, but I do know he didn’t fuck her, or she’d still be there. So, this little payback of yours… seems like a waste of time. I just thought you might like to know that.”

“You know what Rhys… go fuck yourself and leave me alone.” She growls angrily and tries to push past him.

He stops her, grabbing a hold of her arm. “You know… you have a rather dirty mouth on you. I hope Darius got his money’s worth from it?” he sneers. “Though, I would like to see my brother’s face if he found out about tonight. It would certainly knock that smug, cocky look off his face. Could be worth telling him just for that pleasure?”

“So, you are going to tell him? Well, go ahead, I don’t care. You’ll probably do me a favor, anyway.”

“No… no, my brother was an idiot for taking that dumb-bitch home, so he gets what he deserves. That was his bad choice. I mean, he’s got you, and yet he can’t think with anything but his dick. He always was the family let-down.”

“Don’t talk about Ryan like that, like you’re something superior. He told me what you do. That you deal drugs, guns—people, and that you hurt and kill anyone who gets in your way.”

“I told you he talks too much; it’ll get him in trouble one day. Well, like him… I am what I am, but I get very rich from it. So where’s the problem?” He smiles. “Do you know what else I get? I get power. Now, that is a real turn-on. Maybe you should try it. Oh… but before I forget… you do get to kill people, so you kinda know how it feels—I mean you being a soldier and all that.”

“I’m not listening to this. I’m going.”

“Kat…. wait! I need to ask you something, I need to know the truth… it’s important. Did my brother kill Munroe?”

“What? Ryan? No. No, why would he?” “.

“Because some little rat, street-dealing hyena told me he had a run-in with him. He did something to you? Did Ryan go after him, I mean that seems somethin’ stupid my brother would do—for you.”

“No. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Ryan wouldn’t kill him and anyway, it was nothing.”

“Well, I was just makin’ sure. I will find out what happened to him.”

“I have to go.”

“Kat… take some advice. Don’t visit this part of the club again unless you’re invited. It’s not a place for someone like you to be alone.”

***

Swiping the tears of frustration from her cheek and with the earlier crazy-drunk Kat long gone, the reality of the early hours’ sets in. She growls in the back of her throat as she enters back into the bright light and noise of the VIP lounge.

“Hudson… large whiskey!”

“Whiskey?” he frowns with concern. “Kat, are you sure?”

“Yeah, that’s what I said. What, you got a problem with your hearing now? I have a bad taste in my mouth I need to get rid of.”

“Okay, you got it. One large whiskey comin’ up!”

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