Page 140 of Property of Fang
The room falls quiet, save for our breaths as the standoff escalates. Reno’s hand tightens around my leg, just below the knee. She leans closer, sneering at Fang. “So what? I finally leave, andnowthe bitches get a voice? What’s she got that I didn’t, Fang? What’s she giving the boys to get those special privileges?”
“It was never a privilege to be heard, Reno.” He leans down, face an inch from hers as he bands his large hand around her delicate wrist and squeezes. “It was just that everybody was tired of hearing your shit.” His thumb makes an indent between the tendons.
She winces. “Leave a bruise and see what that gets you.”
“Let go, Fang.” It’s not worth it. Not worth the ammo it would give her if he ever needs to contest Molly’s care. “She’s not worth your time.”
He rolls his jaw and unhands her, stepping back with a disgruntled exhalation.
“Me, on the other hand,” I say, twisting in her grip to face her. “I’ve got nothing left to lose.”
FORTY-SIX
FANG
Jenna liftsher trapped leg toward Reno, swinging her knee up so that it connects with the woman’s chin. The snap of Reno’s teeth as her jaw slams shut reaches me a split-second before the bitch cries out, releasing Jenna to cover her mouth.
“You little sthlut!” she lisps, blood gushing from the wound inside her mouth. “Fuck!”
“Told you to get your goddamn hand off me. Your fault you didn’t listen.” Jenna spins on her heel and strides through to the kitchen, twisting sideways to get around Loki.
I take a step away from the carnage and cover my mouth to hide my smile.Hell, yeah.That’s the fire Freckles needs to get through the last of this. It’s a glimpse of the woman she was when she first got here, the wildcat ready to battle for what’s right.Until I cut her confidence down and pushed her past breaking point. Fuck—I really am the asshole the guys have been telling me I am these past years.Damn.
“The hell happened here?” Loki whips a bandana from his pocket and throws it at Reno. “Shove that over your mouth before you stain the rug and Dolly has your ass.”
“Jenna kneed her,” I mutter, fighting not to smile.
As I said, I’d never hit a woman, but I’m not averse to seeing one get her just desserts.
“Why?”
“Because Reno wouldn’t take her hand off her.”
“For fuck’s sake.” He disappears and re-emerges moments later with an ice pack.
Reno frowns at the man when he hands it over. “What the phuck am I sthposed to do with thiths?”
“Stop any swelling?”
“It’s her mouth, dickhead.” A snort escapes.
Mongrel appears in the doorway to check out the commotion. “Try sticking your dick in there and see what happens,” he taunts. “At least one of you would get some benefit out of it.”
“Fuck the lot of you,” Loki complains. “I was trying to help.”
Mongrel crosses the room with a shake of his head. “Tip your head up, sweetheart. Better to swallow that blood than let it fall out on the floor.” He coaxes Reno’s head back. “Do what comes naturally.”
“What you thrying to sthay?” she hisses.
“That we all know what his throat was built for.” He pats her neck with his rough fingers. “And it wasn’t keeping the peace around here, was it?”
Loki turns his back to the scene to hide his amused reaction. I contemplate bailing from the room and giving in to the hysterics building with every fucking word these clowns mutter.
“It phuckin hurths!” Reno hisses, jerking her head away from Mongrel, who tries to pry her mouth open for a look like she’s a goddamn horse.
All I can picture is that fucking snake in theJungle Booklistening to her attempts to speak. “You’ll be fine. Quit your whining.”
She’s delivered much worse in her time here. More than one local girl left a party with an extension missing, scratches on her face, even a black eye. We stopped welcoming unknowns to our bigger get-togethers after Marty was called out to investigate an assault complaint.
