Page 74 of The Echo of Violence

“Who said anything about making her our old lady?” Splinter smirks.

“You know what I mean. Bunnies are different. There’s no jealousy involved.”

“I’m not saying there won’t be a learning curve, but I saw you kissing her earlier, and it didn’t make me want to punch you. That has to count for something,” Splinter states.

I look at him like he’s lost his mind. “Eightball?”

“Like you said, I’ve fucked her. I know once won’t be enough. When I heard she’d kissed both of you, I was pissed. Not because she’d kissed you both, but because she blew me off.”

“So, if she walks out of church and I take her upstairs and fuck her stupid…”

“I’ll follow right behind you,” he answers without hesitation.

“Splinter?”

“I want her any way I can get her. The second that bullet hit her, I thought it was too late.”

I tip my head back and sigh. I don’t know why I’m resisting so hard. Fuck knows I’ve wanted the woman since the first time I laid eyes on her, but I know there’ll be no going back afterward. You don’t fuck a woman like Jinx and expect to walk away unscathed. A diamond like that would shred a man’s cock to pieces, and he’d still beg on his knees for more.

I look up when I hear the sound of dog paws clipping across the floor.

She walks into the room with Kaz beside her, talking quietly. I check her over and see she’s no worse for wear. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but she seems okay.

I stand up as Kaz points to the table in the corner behind us. I turn and see Mercy sipping on a drink. Fuck. I wonder if she heard us talking.

As if sensing eyes on her, she looks up. She stares at me for a second before her gaze drifts to Jinx, who is approaching her.

The room is silent as we all watch it play out. The only sound is that of Jinx walking across the hardware floor and the jangle of the dog’s collar as he follows behind her.

Jinx stops in front of Mercy, but she doesn’t take a seat. “I can leave if you want.”

Mercy bites her lip before pointing to one of the chairs opposite. Jinx eases herself down, the dog lying next to her without command.

“A part of me is mad that you didn’t tell me. But then why would you? We hardly know each other, and there is a shit-ton about me that I’ve kept quiet about. Pretty hypocritical, right?”

“You get to feel how you feel, Mercy. I’m sorry if I hurt you in all this. You have to know that wasn’t my intention. I came here for Scooter. I never planned on coming back.”

“Then I barged into your life.” She groans.

“I could have said no. But why would I? You’re fucking awesome, and I feel like both of us could use a friend right now.”

“Why do you have to be so nice, dammit? I was working on sulking and pouting a little.”

“I can go away and come back again.”

Mercy laughs and shakes her head. “I’m over it. If I would have known what kind of man Scooter was, I would have kicked his ass out myself.”

“Friends then?” Jinx holds out her hand for Mercy to shake.

With a grin, Mercy does, easing the tension in the room a little.

“Damn, there goes my hopes for a pillow fight.”

Jinx turns her head and rolls her eyes at me, but I don’t miss the smile on her face.

“So, about the center…” Mercy drifts off uncertainly.

“You need to talk to your guys first, and I need to talk to mine. But if you’re asking if I’m still interested, the answer is yes.”

---