Chapter 15

CHASE

Hours pass as I sit with the guys, wondering whether Brooke is okay. We chat as Zane has a girl grinding on him in a lap dance. I roll my eyes and scoff, but he just laughs. "Jealous?"

"No. I have everything I need."

"I can see that."

Devin brings over another round of drinks.

"I see it now, all those years of trying to keep her safe, keep her away from you, I understand why that temptation was so great. She's special."

I smile as I run my fingers through my hair, pushing it back. "Yeah, she is."

"She keeps up with you."

I nod. "She challenges me in ways I never thought possible. She's a fucking brat."

Devin laughs. "They're the best kind of girl."

Devin looks at this girl who's now topless on his friend's lap. Tipping his head, she pouts and walks away as Zane groans. "What was that man? I was about to get laid."

Devin rolls his eyes. "You have enough of that, and we need to focus. What do you need from us?" he asks, turning his attention to me.

"Nothing. This isn't my thing. It's Asher's. But I guess if you're offering, then I'm gonna accept because we're about to take down a small group. Maybe five to six in an apartment complex."

"You need silencers. We can do that. You planning on leaving any survivors?"

"Only one. We're taking him with us."

"And the others? You need them disposed of?"

"You can help with that?"

Zane laughs. "Oh Chase, you have no idea."

"We can send a clean-up crew, I'll send you my guy's number by the time they're finished nothing will look out of place," Devin interrupts.

"Can I trust them?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Not entirely."

Devin smirks. "Good answer. But the answer is yes, you can trust them. Is there anything else you need?"

"No."

"And Nate?"

I look at him square in the eyes. "What about him?"

"Hey." I hear the soft voice of my girl. I look up and see her walking toward me. She has dried blood on her shirt and neck. There is also a bruise forming on her shoulder and a mark on her face.

"You fucking…" I get up raging, ready to swing for Levi when I stop. He's just as fucked up. His jaw is bruising, and there's another on his forehead.

"Holy shit… You got your ass handed to you by a girl."

Zane erupts in laughter as Devin smacks him around the head. "Shut up!"

"Are you okay?" I ask her, pulling her face into my hands to check her injuries.

She laughs. "I'm fine, I could just do with a hot bath that's all." Her eyes go to mine, and I can see that need dripping in her eyes as she thinks about me joining her. Still not having been allowed to orgasm and then training like that has her worked up, eager for a release.

"Is that right, Hellcat?"

She nods, biting her lip as she stands on her tiptoes to kiss me. I feel myself shudder as she melts into me. She is mine and she always will be, no matter what and who comes our way. I pull her closer to me, growling into the kiss as I feel my cock twitch for her.

Devin clears his throat, and she pulls back, blushing. She shrugs, laughing. "I guess fighting makes me horny…" She leans down, grabs my beer, and takes a swig before collapsing on the couch. I take a seat beside her and put my arm around her as she rests her head against my shoulders.

"So, what have you guys been up to while I was learning to kick Levi's ass."

He laughs in response, taking a seat beside me. "She's not wrong. You have a firecracker there."

I smile with pride. "Oh, I know." I kiss her forehead lightly.

"She has you whipped," Zane pipes up, and Devin kicks him in the shin, giving him a look to be quiet.

Brooke leans forward, looking him square in the eyes. "You've never been in love, have you?"

He goes quiet.

"Maybe close to it, but you never quite got there. You've never had a girl tell you that she loves you in a way that you're more important to her than breathing. That's what Chase is to me. My air, my reason to keep on living. My future. One day, a girl is gonna walk into your life, and you'll know what that's like. And when that happens, Zane, I'll tell you what a whipped little bitch you're being, and you'll feel so fucking stupid for that comment you made today."

Zane gets up, storming away into the dark corridor behind us. Brooke doesn't flinch; she just rests her head back on me and takes another sip of my beer.

Levi clears his throat. "So, I was thinking we could meet every day, 7:00 a.m. I know college doesn't start up for you for a couple more weeks and I think we should keep training."

She looks up at me, and I wonder why. Is she looking for my permission? Whatever she sees makes her answer, "Works for me, but not tomorrow. I have plans, and I can't break them. I'll come by in the afternoon, around two."

He nods. "Fine. I want to see you handle weaponry tomorrow."

"Okay, we need to get going," I say, pulling Brooke up with me. "Ready?" I ask her, and she nods.

We say bye to the guys before getting into the car.

"Where do you want to go, Princess?" I ask, and she smiles warmly at me.

"I'm kinda starving."

I laugh. "Well, you're not really in a condition to go for dinner, but why don't I drop you at my house? You can shower, and I'll go grab us some food?"

"Onion rings?" she asks, her eyes lighting up. I laugh.

"Onion rings for my girl, definitely."

I lean over the seat, taking the key to the choker from my back pocket. She places her fingers on it. "Does this mean the same to you as those guys?"

I shake my head at her. "You're not my property, Brooke. You're the other piece of me. I don't need you to wear that to prove it. I know you're mine, but most of all, I know I'm yours."

She smiles before turning and lifting her hair off her neck. I softly kiss it before unlocking the choker and tossing it into the empty cup holder.

"You say things to me sometimes that takes my breath away," she whispers.

"Well, I have a lot to make up to you, Brooke, and I mean every word of them."

She leans over, kissing my lips delicately. "Thank you for today. I know it takes a lot from you for me to be involved in this and I can only imagine how hard it was to take me to see these guys."

"I just want you safe, Princess. Plain and simple. Though that bruise on your face is making me think otherwise."

She laughs. "Technically, it's my fault, I headbutted him. It looks easier in the movies."

I freeze for a second in shock. "You headbutted him?"

"Yeah. Punched him in the jaw, too. It was kinda funny—he looked surprised."

I laugh. "I bet." I doubt much surprises Levi. "You seem better, I don't know, lighter somehow?"

She nods in response. "I got some things out that I didn't know were weighing me down. I can see why you fight. It's a release."

She has no idea. Fighting in the ring has kept me out of trouble. I'm pretty sure I would have been arrested by now if I didn't learn to channel that rage inside of me somehow, but since I have her back in my arms, I don't feel the need to beat someone bloody.

"I'm glad. Truly. Okay, buckle in, Princess. I need to feed you."

She raises her eyebrow at me and smirks.

I roll my eyes. "Real food, Brooke." I laugh before starting up the car.