Page 33 of Flyboy's Nightingale
“You know that you can.” I shrug. “But it doesn’t mean that I’m going to answer your question.”
Duck throws his head back, laughing. “I swear, you’re too fucking good for that asshole.” He sobers up, turning to lock eyes with me.
The playful side of Duck is gone and sitting in front of me, is a brother. “After all the time that we’ve spent together at the hospital waiting for that fuck head to wake up. Every time you’ve watched one of the Ol’ ladies get mouthy. Have you ever seen one of us strike out in a malicious or harmful way? Do you notice any of the women in this club flinch or act scared when we’re around?”
I sit forward, finally pissed off. They’ve got no fucking idea. “What do you want me to fucking say, Duck? I can’t just turnoff nearly ten years of fucking abuse at the hands of “Brothers”. I know individually that ninety percent of the men in this club would never hurt me. But a brother alone, and a brother together, are completely different men.” Standing, I start to pace as I continue my round of pouring out the word vomit that I can’t seem to contain.
“I am not asking to stay here. I am not asking for you and your club to get involved with my bullshit,” I spew, throwing my hands in the air, letting my annoyance show. “Tell me exactly how I am supposed to get over it all? I want to be the confident woman that you all believe I am, but I’m not, and don’t know how to fucking be that person. Please understand when I say that I once ‘knew’ the men who eventually hurt me. I fucking grew up around most of them, so their betrayal and abuse is ingrained deep inside. I can’t help my reactions, and it took everything in menotto run away every time I was at the hospital and all of you descended!”
“Well, it looks like you do have a fire burning deep inside, Riley girl.” Duck stands, walking toward me and placing his hands on my shoulders. I normally would be scared, yet at this very second, I’m just fucking pissed off. “We just have to find a way to keep you from hiding it behind the wall you’ve built around yourself.”
“You better have a damn good reason to have your hands on my fucking woman,” Flyboy challenges, a pissed off look marring his face.
Duck smirks at me before turning to face Flyboy, egging him on. “So, you’ve decided to stop being a complete fucking dick and claim your woman?”
“What I decide about Riley and me is none of your fucking business, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave it the fuck be.” If he could put Duck six feet under with the menacing look in his eyes, he would.
Duck’s shoulders square as he walks over to Flyboy. “Your tallies are starting to add up, brother. Just know that the day is coming that we’ll all be cashing them in.”
Duck lightly shoulder checks Flyboy, being sure not to knock him off his crutches. Flyboy hangs his head for just a moment before looking up at me.
“Come on, Sunshine. Prez wants to talk to you about what’s about to go down,” Flyboy says, his voice sounding tired.
“You need to take a break from the crutches and rest. Let me go talk to him and you go rest,” I tell him, not liking the strain I see on his brow.
“When we have you sorted I’ll take a break.” The look in his eyes makes me want to wrap him in a hug. “Sunshine, please don’t fight me on this. Let’s go hear Prez out and then we’ll both take a break.”
Dropping my shoulders I decide not to fight him on the fact that once I’m done with Prez, it’ll be the last time I see Flyboy. I make the choice to act on the fire still burning hot; I strut to Flyboy reaching up to grab his face as I step into his personal space and place my lips on his.
It doesn’t take Flyboy but a half a second to fist his hand in my hair and deepen the kiss. I want more knowing this is all we’ll ever have. Flyboy pulls back before I’m ready for him to and presses his forehead to mine, sighing contently.
“Fuck, that’s the best thing in the fucking world.”
“Let’s go get this done,” I whisper, pulling away, and moving around him toward the door.
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
Flyboy
I gritmy teeth as I follow Riley down the hallway to Prez’s office. I can’t decide if the ache in my leg or the throbbing of my cock is what’s causing me the most pain. When we get done with Prez I’m going to have a conversation with Riley. I want to talk to her about what it’ll take for her to forgive me and truly give me a chance. When we make it into the office, I’m only slightly shocked to see Blue sitting on Steel’s lap. The only other person in the room is Razor, who is busy typing away on his laptop.
“Come on in, you guys. We’ve got a lot to cover,” Steel announces, sounding absolutely exhausted.
Riley walks through the door and stands beside the couch, watching me closely. I make my way over to her where she holds her hands out for the crutches. Huffing, I hand them over as I fall ungracefully onto the couch. Riley bends down, laying the crutches on the floor before coming to sit beside me. She sits there stiff as a board, as if getting ready to run.
“Steel, sir, we really don’t have to drag this out. I’m ready to go as soon as your men say it’s okay for me to leave,” she states, her voice wavering slightly as she speaks.
Blue’s wide eyes turn to her with shock and confusion. “Child, what’re you talking about?”
Reaching out, I pull Riley back and into my side, rubbing her arm. Riley shivers, holding her body tight, not willing to relax. My body ignites having her pressed so tightly into me. I slowly rub my hand up and down her arm, trying to get her to relax—even if it’s just a little. Riley twists her fingers together in her lap so tightly that her knuckles turn white.
The silence in the room continues to stretch, nobody willing to voice their opinions or fears out loud.
Movement behind me brings my attention to Razor as he comes over to us, holding two sheets of paper. “Riley, can you confirm who these two men are? I’ve gotten all the information I can on the club but I don’t have a clear shot of these two. So I need you to confirm their identities.”
Riley starts to tremble under my hand as she reaches out to grab the papers.
