Page 13 of Knuckles

The black-haired woman flinches before turning back to the ring, and her blonde friend curls her lip at me and says, “Don’t worry, Knuckles will want a fuck after his fight. I heard he’s into choking,” and everything inside me drops, which, yeah, not good people, it is not good.

I don’t want to be hurt by that. I don’t believe in love anymore, yet my heart breaks just a little bit with her words.

“You still speak to Alexiana?” Crusher asks tensely, and I instantly shake my head before he loses his control.

“She cut all contact after graduation,” I admit, and I look at him and confess, “But she did call me once,” and he turns towards me, giving me his whole attention.

“When?” he demands, and I swallow hard.

I heard what he did, but I also see the pain in his eyes.

I may not believe in love anymore, but I always wished he’d make things right with Alexiana, to bring my friend back.

“When my mom was killed,” I reply, and he flinches. I sigh, “She saw it on the news and called instantly, but before I could beg her to tell me where she was, someone called her away. It sounded like she was in a diner or something, because the guy called her 'Miss' and asked for the check. I haven’t heard anything since and the number is disconnected.”

He nods curtly, his jaw that is already gaining a bruise ticking and I swallow hard before I admit, “I overheard the women behind us, she tried calling you before she left,” Crusher looks at me sharply, his eyes intense, “Whoever answered your phone told her you were engaged and that you were expecting a baby, so that may have something to do with the radio silence thing. Crusher, we both know how much that girl loved you, like really loved you to the point she ignored her up bringing and let you in her heart.”

“And your winner by a record time, Knuckles!” an announcer shouts, and we look to see Mags on the floor, a guy rubbing something against his nose, most likely smelling salts, and Knuckles, with barely a mark on his face, jumps down from the ring, his face like thunder.

“Not once in high school did he look at me, and yet he has nothing but hate in his eyes towards me,” I mutter, confused, and Crusher chuckles.

I frown his way in confusion, and he smirks just as a woman gasps, “He’s coming our way…,” and I look just as Knuckles shoves some woman’s hand away as she tries to grab his bicep, and I swallow the jealousy I suddenly feel, while the confusion on the way this man seems to have a hold on me builds.

Maybe I need to speak to Clark?

“Here to spy on us for your dad?” Knuckles instantly accuses as he stops before us, and I raise a brow as Crusher mutters, “Fuck’s sake,” gaining my attention, and I slowly look at him, side-eyeing Knuckles for his tone, and Crusher looks at me and says, “Thank you for telling me about Alexiana.”

“I didn’t tell you much,” I mutter, trying to ignore the death glare from the hot, sweaty man before me, along with the way my stomach tightens having him this close.

“You’ve told me more than enough,” Crusher replies with a softness I can’t seem to decipher before he gives Knuckles a nod, then walks away.

Crap, he’s going to do something illegal to try and find Alexiana isn’t he? and I’m going to have to look the other way…

“You seem to know all my brothers,Kodi,” Knuckles sneers, and I look his way but swallow hard as I lock eyes with his that instantly have me entranced, even with the anger in them.

I don’t understand the dislike, the nastiness. I never even looked his way in high school, never spoke to him because he beat up my brother, yet he has hatred for me.

“I went to school with all of you, Knuckles, and I’m also friends with Clark,” I remind him and his jaw ticks just as movement behind him catches my attention and some woman wearing a dress that makes mine look modest, her breasts literally popping out to the point I can see her nipple, lifts her hands and gently runs her bright red nails along his huge shoulders.

My stomach drops, and I look down, hoping to hide the sudden wave of disappointment I’ve never felt before, but I look up when I hear him growl so deep, it sends shivers down my spine.

My mouth parts and Knuckles shoves the woman back, making her gasp and stumble into some guy who knocks her in the face with his arm as he cheers along with the crowd for whoever is fighting in the ring and ignoring the havoc he’s justcaused, Knuckles grabs my arm, shocking me then drags me through the rowdy crowd, forcing them to move out of the way and a man standing near the archway wearing a leather cut that says prospect, gives him a nod but his eyes widen when they lock onto me as Knuckles drags me through the archway and I give him a grimace.

Everything in me, my personality alone screams to yank my arm back, to fight him but as I eye inside what I’m assuming is a medical room with double doors that I’m being dragged past, I lock on Mags groaning on a medical bed, but his swollen eyes following me, blood dripping down his face. I swallow my pride and allow Knuckles to drag me to a room at the end of the hallway.

He slams open the door that has office written on the frosted window and throws me inside which I don’t expect and I stumble in my heels which has me tripping but before I can fall or even look around the room, Knuckles grabs my arm and pulls me back so I’m slammed against the now closed door. It has me gasping in shock and Knuckles gets in my face and my stomach flutters.

Okay, is it bad that I find this hot?

Crap.

“Want to back up a bit?” I grit, confused by my reaction to him. “You may be able to fight, Knuckles, but so can I, and I'm not afraid of what your cut represents,” I threaten, knowing I can throat punch him and get out of here before he even realizes what has happened.

Everything in my body is pulling towards him, but my head is telling me to run.

“I’ll ask you again, what the fuck are you doing here,Kodi?” he says, spitting out my name with so much hate that it has me swallowing the lump forming. Leaning closer, so our lips areinches apart, he accuses with disgust, “You don’t belong in a place like this!”

Well, safe to say the man definitely hates me, even though he never even looked at me before he saved those kids. Heck, I was invisible to him in high school.