Page 8 of Cannon
Archer picks up the remote from the coffee table and turns off the movie. “We’ve got a thing or two to discuss.”
A few mutters of “Oh, shit” and “What now?” roll through the group as they anxiously look around the room, meeting each other’s eyes. It’s almost as if they’re trying to ascertain if anyone knows exactly what’s about to happen.
I fold my thickly muscled arms over my chest, scanning the group, and let several seconds go by while I stare stonily at them, wishing I could look into their heads to know exactly who the culprits are.
Stuart huffs out a breath and rolls his eyes as he lounges against the couch cushion with a bored look on his ugly mug. I scrape my teeth over my lower lip as I consider how best to deal with his quiet insolence. My actions must come across menacingly, as the cockiness falls swiftly from his face. “Something funny, Stu?” He bristles a bit but doesn’t respond. I know well that the mean-looking auburn-haired dude really hates that nickname.
“No.” He looks away.
“Anyone else want to give me shit before we start?” My gaze moves from one person to the next, surveying their reactions. “Watch yourself… because I’ll give it back to you tenfold. I will bury you so fuckin’ deep, you’ll suffocate on it.” From beside me, Cannon shifts, his chest heaving with a silent chuckle. Archer clears his throat, a sign he’s covering up his amusement at my words. I bite back a smile before I allow my eyes to land on Taggart, who is wisely staring down into his lap. “I’m going to, once again, ask Taggart to go upstairs. You’re not needed in this conversation tonight. Consider yourself spared.”
His head pops up, eyes bugging out. “Um. Okay.”
I chuckle darkly as I grab at the back of my neck. “Unless you’re feeling particularly guilty.”
He stiffens but rises to his feet with a sharp shake of his head. “No, sir. I’ll go.”
“Good. But if you have something to say about either of the games or anything that has to do with Elliot, please text me tonight, and we’ll set up a time to talk. Understood?”
Taggart hesitantly wets his lips while he looks to Dane, then Zeke before nodding. “Yes.” He doesn’t waste time after that, hurrying to the stairs and out of sight.
The bored expression on Bridger’s face tells me he assumes we aren’t looking at him. He doesn’t have a clue anyone knows what he did to Elliot, when in fact he’s theonlyone we are certain has acted against her. “So… I got to leave last night with Taggart. Can I go, too?”
“Yeah, can he? And why the fuck are we rehashing what we’ve already discussed?” Alec narrows his eyes, speaking way more flippantly than he has any right to, considering everything. He thinks he gets a pass because as our former initiate, he knows us better than most.
Well, fuckthat.At the very least, his initiate is fucking up. At worst, well… it’d probably be better for him if I didn’t think about that right now. He touches a few fingers to his lip, and I hope like fuck he’s belatedly remembering what it felt like to have my fist smack him in the mouth.
First, I slowly turn my head toward Alec. “Shut the fuck up if you know what’s good for you.”
And like I didn’t just dress down his sponsor, Bridger shoots me a sly, way-too-cocky look with his beady little eyes. He may regret his attitude in about thirty seconds. I glance at Cannon, who looks like he wants to jump over the coffee table and throttle the smart-mouthed asshole. I halt Cannon’s movement with a firm hand to his shoulder.
“’Fraid not, bucko.” Archer steps in to answer Bridger, since I find myself trying to convince Cannon with the pressure of my hand that he needs to stand down for the moment. I know damn well he’d like to snap the guy’s neck and make him disappear. Archer hooks his thumbs behind his suspenders and slides them from shoulder downward while he tilts his head to the side, considering what to do about the mouthy initiate. He huffs out a chilling laugh. “You see, we have something to talk to you about, Bridger.”
It’s interesting to watch the sweat build and pop out on his arrogant forehead. He mutters what is probably a curse under his breath but remains seated, not pushing any harder.
Alec opens his mouth with a scowl to say something more, but I arch an eyebrow at him. “Are you really ready to say something stupid in my presence again?” I pause and wait while he shrinks back into the couch, glancing at Joel out of the corner of his eye. His buddy shrugs, as if to say,If you do, it’s your funeral, man.“But that’s okay, since you seem to want me to deal with you instead of Bridger… What I want to know is whether you’re aware that your initiate shovedourinitiate to the ground in a bid to make her lose during the first game?” I slick my tongue over my lip, while I watch Bridger sputter. I can almost smell the stench of the lies he’s going to spew when he gets the chance. “Or if you’re just clueless about the level of assholery he stooped to that night?”
FOUR
ARCHER
Each of thejuniors gives Bridger a wary look, and Joel’s face hasOh, fucking hell, you’ve done it nowwritten all over it.
Honestly, I’m surprised no one has shit themselves yet. I shake my head, wondering how these guys were selected to be part of the brotherhood in the first place. They’re clearly not up to par.
Alec is the first to respond, as much as it obviously pains him. While glaring at Bridger, he grits out, “No. We had no idea.”
“I didn’t know.” Joel shrugs, but the glint in his eye tells me otherwise.
“Nope.” Stuart rubs a hand over the thick auburn stubble on his cheek.
I snort in derision, eyeing the lethal look on Kingston’s face. “Oh, come on. You really think we believe that? You’ve spent practically every moment since she arrived voicing your negative opinion of her and how she came to be here. You’re telling me that your initiate wasn’t comfortable enough with you to tell you what he did? Because that seems a little off to me—either because you’re lying… or because he has no trust in you. Both are bad in our eyes.”
“I don’t care what she told you, I didn’t fucking touch your slut.” Bridger glares at us angrily.
I blink. This guy. Hewilllearn his place. As if I’m channeling Kingston, words I’ve never said before burst from my lips. “Watch your fucking mouth, initiate.” My voice is harsh and low. I guess I’m more pissed than I realized. It’s not often I lose my cool. But I’m awfully close.
Kingston turns to look at me, and his head cocks to the side.Impressive,he seems to say silently, then turns back. “That was about the stupidest thing you could have said, B.” He chuckles a bit. “Yeah. I’m going to call youBnow, because I’m about to make you our bitch.”
