Page 36 of Brutal Boxer

His elbow poked me. I held my breath, waiting for him to notice his faux pas. The men sitting across from us watched with interest. Zach did nothing, staying right where he was at… touching me.

What was he doing? Being a jerk. But why? His old lady wouldn’t like it. Or I assumed as much. I certainly wouldn’t want my man engaging his ex the way Zach did me.

Before I moved, Storm’s phone rang. He raised his hand, a cue to be quiet, I assumed.

The hairs on my arms stood as holy terror wiped out everything else I’d been feeling.

“Ciro,” Storm answered.

“Storm, this is some crazy shit. You’ve really got her?”

I trembled despite myself.A lamb to the slaughterrang in my head.

These bikers just signed my death certificate.

11

Boxer

I hadn’t felt this out of control since I was a pussy-whipped teenager. Seeing Aspen on Lynx’s lap sent me reeling. A murderous rage directed at my brother flooded my chest. When he called her sweetheart, it escalated. It was what he called all the women he bedded. He wanted Aspen. I knew the motherfucker did the second he’d used one of his ridiculous pick-up lines on her.

I shouldn’t have given a fuck. Shouldn’t have behaved like he’d betrayed me. He hadn’t, but it sure felt like it. Worse yet, it all went down with my brothers watching me turn into a jealous man for the first time ever.

What the fuck was wrong with me? I hated Aspen with a capital H.

Hated her more than anyone else.

But I couldn’t overlook the damage I’d caused to her already injured wrist. The red seeping through the gauze made me sick. My club and I didn’t harm women. We weren’t those kinds of animals. Animals still, but only toward our enemy. The vilest men. Those that hurt women and children. The type that kicked dogs and skinned cats alive. Evil, corrupt men like Casso Campbell, who’d held a woman captive by handcuffing her to a bed. When I grabbed Aspen, I’d been no better.

“Can we use her to draw Cass out?” Ciro’s question jerked my attention back to the conversation at hand.

“Oh, God,” Aspen muttered, her slim arm trembling against mine.

“Use her like bait?” Storm’s steely eyes darted to mine.

Ciro snorted. “It’s the fastest way to get him. My sources tell me he’s going nuts. He’d come running if he knew you had her.”

I shook my head.

Storm glanced at Raul, who appeared displeased with Ciro. Fucking Mafia was unapologetic when it came to getting what they wanted. They’d do anything, hurt anyone. The Remottis’ wanted the club to take out Casso. It’d been a little over a month since they requested our help. As payment, they’d give us one hundred million dollars. Crazy sons of bitches. We’d taken a vote the week after Thanksgiving. We wouldn’t get involved with the Mafia. Not even for a crap ton of money.

Now with Aspen here, we were involved anyway.

“No, that’s not how we roll. Using an innocent woman to catch a dangerous man won’t ever happen.”

Ciro sighed. “Can I speak to her?”

Aspen jolted, sitting taller in the chair. She cleared her throat like she knew Storm would say yes.

“Sure. You’re on speaker. She can hear you.”

“Figured as much.” Ciro paused for a moment. “Aspen, I apologize for what that monster did to you. I hope you understand the family would’ve rescued you if we could’ve gotten through his security.”

Christ, I wanted to slam my fist on Storm’s cell phone and end this call. The fucker knew all along she’d been held captive and didn’t do a damn thing to help her. When Hero and the others returned from Canada, he’d told us about a woman being held captive. We still voted to not get mixed up in Mafia business. Fuck, I felt like shit now that I knew the woman had been Aspen.

“What do you want, Ciro?” Aspen’s tone was cold. She flipped a one-eighty, going from a frightened mouse to a tough-ass bitch. I gotta say, I was impressed with her swift change.

“It’s good you’re angry. Ready to fight. You’ll need that ire in your blood for when Casso gets you. And make no mistake, Aspen. He will get you.” The bravado in Ciro’s voice made me seethe.

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