Page 134 of The Echo of Violence

Splinter and Eightball are both so tense beside me that I don’t know who I’ll need to grab if Viper keeps pushing. The only one who seems to be taking it in their stride is Jinx.

“Smart mouth for a prospect.”

Scope leans forward, his eyes narrowing.

“Smart mouth for a woman, you mean? Come on. You can admit it. Unless you want me to get the other prospects for you?”

She leaves it hanging in the air for a second before Viper smirks.

“You had to know this was a waste of time.”

“Viper!” Scope barks, clearly at the end of his rope.

“I wouldn’t worry about what I do with my time. I’d worry about what you do with yours.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Jinx keeps signing, but she stops speaking. Megan’s face goes pale as she dips her head.

“What the fuck did you say to her?”

“I didn’t say anything to Megan. You’d know that if you could sign. How long have you all been together? One year? Two? More?”

When nobody answers, Jinx just shakes her head, her lip curling. “All this time together, and you didn’t bother to learn how to sign so you could speak to the woman you love.”

Viper jumps up, but Jinx holds her ground.

“She reads lips, right? So, problem solved. Except you keep turning away, and there are too many of us here for her to focus on. She’s sitting silently, catching snippets of conversations, working ten times harder than anyone else in this room just to keep up.”

Jinx’s fingers move as quickly as her agitated words flow.

Viper looks down at Megan, who avoids looking at him. He curls his finger under her chin and tips her head back. “She right?”

“It’s fine, honestly. I’m used to it.”

“I didn’t ask you if you were used to it. I asked you if she was right.”

Megan blows out a breath before nodding.

Viper looks like he’s been punched in the face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know. You laughed when my brothers started learning… I…”

Viper picks up his bottle and throws it across the room with a roar. Zero reaches for him, but he shakes him off.

“I can teach you,” Jinx says loudly, drawing Viper’s attention.

He stares at her like she’s a bug. “Why would you?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I can’t make them give you your patch.”

Jinx snorts. “Nobody can. If you can refrain from being a dick to me, I’ll ride down once a week to teach you what I know. But just saying, you don’t really need me. You have your awesome woman right there.”

He smacks his head like the dumbass he is, making Megan giggle.

“I’m pregnant,” Mercy blurts out.

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