Page 43 of Bloody Bones
Tommy
Iwatched her go, her hips swaying as she walked away from me. She was sexy as hell and didn't even know it. Watching her was a moment of self-indulgence before I turned back to Raze.
Leaning back in my chair, I stared at him over the table. My long legs kicked out as I studied him. I didn't know what his problem was but it was obviously something.
He didn't back down. His eyes met mine unflinching. The only other person who dared do that when I was mad was Leviathan. Maybe he thought our friendship would help him? If that was the case then he was in for a rude awakening.
“Want to explain to me what the hell that was all about?” My voice came out quiet and smooth. Deadly.
“I don't know what you mean.” Raze went back to eating his eggs like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't just made my woman walk away with tears in her eyes.
“Don't play coy, Raze, it doesn't suit you. You fucked up back there, and I want to know why.” I could feel the anger bubbling under the surface, like a volcano about to blow. Anger wasn't my friend in this situation. When I lost myself to the rage, I lost my humanity. Violence would follow. I didn't want to have to resort to that, not with him.
I would if I had to, but I didn't want to.
“Briella walked away from here crying, you did that. Do you not know how much it took for her to come out here in the first place?”
Uncertainty flashed into his eyes. “She's a sweet kid, I didn't mean to upset her,” he finally said, his mouth full.
“Yeah, you did, otherwise you wouldn't have said it. Why is what I want to know?”
Slowly, he placed his fork down. His eyes met mine and narrowed. “If you don't know why, then you are a fool, Bloody Bones.”
My eyes flashed, the anger just under the surface rising up my throat. “Don't call me that.”
“It's your name,” he countered, his voice never rising. We didn't have to shout though; all eyes were turned towards us. The room was in silence for what felt like the millionth time that day. “You aren't Tommy, as much as you like to pretend. You aren't remotely human. None of us are. Does she know this?”
He didn't let me answer.
“No, of course, she doesn’t. You made her think there was a future for you both and by doing so you put this club in danger. Tell me,Tommy,is she still going to want you when you show her your true form?”
I swallowed down the bile that filled my mouth. I wanted to scream at him that of course she would, that she felt the same connection that I did. Instead, I said nothing and just continued to stare at him.
“I would never do anything to put the club in danger.”
“You already have. If we had taken her back from Acco without you giving him some cock and bull story that she was your woman, the club would have handled the repercussions without moaning, but this…” He threw his hands wide. “You've known from the beginning that you can't keep her and you took her to bed anyway. Where the fuck in your orders did it say to fuck her? Oh, that's right, it didn't. You did that because you wanted to. Without a thought for this club or for her.” His shoulders heaved as he sucked in a breath. “You put her in danger because you needed to get your dick wet.”
I was out of my chair and across the table in a second. Plates of breakfast food went flying as I wrapped my hand around his neck. The force of my attack knocked his chair backwards and sent us both sprawling to the floor. I didn't loosen my grip, and he didn't put up a fight.
“It is not like that.” I spat every word. “This isn’t...” I faltered, doubt overtaking the anger that I had let consume me for a second.
“Yes, it is. You care for her.” Raze kept his voice level. Almost soft. And that was worse than anything else. If he had screamed and shouted at me, fought back with tooth and claw, then I would have been able to hold onto my anger. But when he spoke so calmly, it was next to impossible. Because he was right. I had taken her into my arms and explored her body because I had wanted to.
Because I was weak.
“Anyone with eyes can see you care for her, Tommy,” he continued. “But you've been a selfish son of a bitch. You can’t claim her without her knowing your true form, and she would never accept that after what Acco did to her. How are you going to keep her safe now?”
“I will.”
“You can't,” he countered. “Even with your seed all over her skin.” His eyes narrowed. “And yes, we can all smell it, which is what I’m guessing you were going for. That won’t be a deterrent to Acco. If she isn't claimed by the time he comes looking for her, then…”
“Then he will take her,” I finished for him. “The Legion can keep her safe.”
“Leviathan has said to send her home.”
I frowned, that was the bit that didn't make sense to me. Why would our growly, scary as hell leader go to all the effort to rescue her if he was just going to let her loose unprotected?
“Then I will make sure she is protected there. I will make her untouchable. The club can watch out for her until…”
