Page 114 of Of Flesh & Bone

"She was exaggerating your relationship all over campus.She even said you were engaged on her socials.Then, after you ended things, she got venomous.She was threatening other girls and talking like you were just on a break and telling people you loved her and were obsessed with her.I had enough and I told her so.It worked too.I never heard another word."

I had wondered why the gossip stopped so suddenly.Little sister's been looking out for me just like I'm always looking out for her.

"What did you say to her exactly?"

"I said, 'A word to the wise and also to you, Nadia don't let my brother's name grace your overfilled lips again.If I hear that you have so much as whispered it to another person, I will be back here on your doorstep, and I won't be here to talk.This is the only warning that you'll get.The next time you see me here, you'll also see your own blood and teeth on this mat.'Then I left."

I'm surprised by how eloquent and scary her threat was.Sunshine my ass.

"A word to the wise and also to you?"I laugh."Overfilled lips?You won't be there to talk?Blood and teeth?"I guess Eve isn't the only one who can make me laugh because I'm laughing so hard now that my side hurts.

"Yes.Excellent repeating of everything I just said, ass."

Ace and I joke back and forth for several minutes before I realize that Eve is gone.Where the fuck did she go?Cal and Cotton are standing a few feet away, talking to some girls.No, Cotton is talking to them.Cal's eyes are glued to Ace.That mother fucker.I walk over to them."Where's Eve?"

Cotton answers me first, "She needed another drink.She wouldn't let us get it for her.Apparently, she's a big girl and doesn't need two big ass yeti dudes on her heels everywhere she goes."He puts the last part in air quotes, letting me know that's what Eve said when they tried to insist on going with her to the bar.

"She's already had four of those damn Highballs plus two brightly colored shots that the waiters are carrying on trays.I'm surprised that she's walking.She must have been cursed with a high tolerance."Cal quips as he scans the crowd for Eve.

One of the girls who has been trying to get Cal's attentions asks "Why is a high tolerance a curse?Isn't that a good thing?"

Without looking back at her and continuing to scan the crowd, Cal says "A high tolerance sucks because it's expensive.It takes longer to reach the goal.Ah.There she is.Oh fuck."

Cals face falls and he looks worried.I look in the same direction and sure enough there she is near the bar...talking to Nadia.

"Ace!"

Ace looks at me, and I point to where Eve and Nadia are standing.

"Shit!"

Ace starts pushing through the crowd and the three of us follow behind her, knowing that she's the one that will have to handle Nadia.Nadia is on the soccer team.She's good.She's fast and very strong.I know this because we did quite a bit of wrestling during our time together and I was amazed by her power.

As we get closer to them, I see Nadia push Eve's shoulder.Eve isn't moved.She stands firm and looks down at her shoulder where Nadia just touched her as though she'll see a blemish there on her dress.Eve looks back up at Nadia and speaks low and menacing so I'm surprised that I can hear her when she says, "That one was free.The next one will cost you in flesh."

Nadia throws her head back and laughs.She's clearly not scared of Eve.

"Damn it, Ace!"

"I'm trying!The bodies get thicker as I get closer to the bar!"

We're nearly to them, and Ace can almost reach out and touch Eve when Nadia brings her right hand across her body.I immediately know what she's about to do.She's going to backhand Eve right across the face.Nadia's hand is almost connected with Eve's face when Eve's hand darts up and catches it.I can't see Eve's face, but I can see Nadia's.She's stunned.I'm stunned.I don't think I've ever seen anyone move that fast.

Eve leans in and says something to Nadia and her face falls.All the color drains from her skin, and I don't know what she said, but Nadia is clearly scared of her now.Ace has almost reached them.None of us expected this and it's obvious that no one knows what to do when we reach them.It all happens in a split second.Eve still has Nadia's hand in hers, and before anyone has a chance to speak or react, Eve lands two quick jabs.One to Nadia's nose and the other to her mouth.Each time, blood sprays everywhere, including onto Eve, but she doesn't stop.She grabs Nadia by the back of the head and slams the stunned girl's face into her knee at the same time that she is bringing up her knee with force.

I can't believe what I'm seeing.This is brutal.This is as violent a fight as I've ever seen, and I certainly haven't ever seen women fight like this.It's not even a fight.It's a beating.Nadia doesn’t stand a chance, and I've realized this too late.The whole group seems to come to our senses at the same time, and we all go for Eve.She's too fast though.Before I can get an arm around her waist, she has smashed Nadia's face off of the bar top twice.There's blood everywhere.It's on the bar, the floor, Nadia is covered in it and unfortunately, she chose white for this black and white affair.

Nadia's body crumples to the floor.She's unconscious.I have Eve by the waist now, but I don't notice the huge empty beer mug she grabbed off the bar.I pull her away from the bar, and unfortunately, closer to Nadia's head.She rears the mug back and I see it but it's too late as she swiftly brings it down toward Nadia's sleeping form.Cotton falls to his knees in front of us reaching for the mug and jerking it from Eve's hand just inches from Nadia's face.

Holy shit.She would've smashed her face in with that thing.

I pick Eve up by the waist and race out of the room with her.My family will handle Nadia and the crowd.Most people didn't see anything until Eve smashed Nadia's face off the bar.Cotton will make sure the story is clean, and that Eve comes out of this okay.My concern right now is Eve.What the fuck just happened?She beat that girl unconscious and refused to stop.She was so calm.Just like that night at the football meeting, she made absolutely no sound at all.Most girls scream and trash talk but Eve stays eerily silent.

As soon as I get her outside, I pull the yellow ticket from my pocket and hand it to the valet.Turning to look at Eve, my worst fear is confirmed.She's not here.She's standing here.She's looking right at me, but it isn't Eve.Her expression is vacant, and her eyes are empty.

No...not again.

---