Page 29 of Knuckles

“Thought I’d find you here,” Trick's voice echoes, and I look towards the door to see him strolling in, and I grunt.

“When did you get back?” I ask as I jump out of the ring and walk over to the controls on the wall.

“An hour ago, I dropped Clark and Willow off at home before coming here,” he admits as I lift up the bag, and I grunt in acknowledgment. “Crash called me the other day,” he admits, and I groan out loud.

I knew I shouldn’t have allowed him to come to the fights.

“Let me guess, to tell you I’ve been angrier than normal?” I confirm, and he hums.

“Then I get home, and Cage mentions you haven’t been to the clubhouse, not even your home behind the club. Your mom is pissed, while your dad is confused,” he mentions, and I sigh as I look his way and raise a brow. He tilts his head and asks, “What’s going on? Over the years, you’ve always been closed off, angry, but for Crash to be concerned and scared that you’re basically nearly killing men in the ring, then something must have happened.”

“My girl was backhanded, and instead of telling me who did it, she basically told me to leave it, and even though I have my suspicions, I can’t go and confront the person who did it, so I’ve been fighting more,” I reluctantly admit knowing the fucker won’t let it go, and Trick's jaw drops as his eyes widen in shock.

“G-Girl?” he splutters, “Since when do you have a girl?”

I half smile as I unwrap my knuckles and admit, “Since we saved those kids four months ago,” and the man stumbles back slightly.

He blinks, then blinks again, and I cross my arms over my chest as I watch the lightbulb slowly turn on, and his mouth drops as he gasps, “Kodi?”

I nod once before I turn to my side and carefully not to show any of the scars lacing my stomach and chest, I show him my girl's name tattooed large down my side, and the man drops his arm, pure shock radiating from him.

Kodi hasn’t seen it yet because I’ve always worn a tank top even when we’re having sex, and we haven’t had shower or bath sex yet, though I know she’s felt the scars.

The first time, we were lying in the motel, her head was on my chest as she traced the carnations that go along my collar bone like a necklace that just peeked out, and she felt one of the scars that I got when I was six when Mom hit me too hard, and she tensed, but she didn’t question it, knowing I’m closed off to my past and instead traced the raised tissue.

I know I could tell Trick right now about my past, he’s shocked enough to listen, but I don’t trust the club.

“Does Clark know?” he finally asks, and I chuckle as I shake my head.

“Kodi and I want to keep things on the down low until we can see where we’re going, but her dad is aware something is happening between us. The fucker came and threatened me the day before the wedding, then the next thing I know, my girl has a split lip and a massive fucking bruise,” I admit.

“Fuck,” Trick chokes, “of everything I thought of when Crash called me as to what was wrong, this wasn’t even on the list, fuck, I’ve never even seen you look at a girl, and honestly, I thought maybe you were into men.”

I let out a shocked chuckle as I shake my head and walk over to the desk to grab the water bottles ready for Kodi to get her sexy ass here for our fifth session.

“No, brother, I don’t swing that way, but as to women, no one ever held my interest until Kodi and her sass.” I look at the man I want to trust, and I admit, “She was my first, and I was hers,” and I swear, Trick’s jaw is going to stick in that position at this rate.

“So, you’re claiming her?” he confirms as I walk over to the ring with the drinks, “I mean, you have her name tatted right?”

I deny, “No, I’m not claiming her, I’m not ready.”

Trick frowns when I turn his way, and I sigh, seeing the confusion on his face before he whispers, “You don’t trust us, do you?” I flinch, but he continues, “If you did, you would have told us about you and Kodi, you’d tell us exactly why you’re always angry, you would have had her cut made,” his eyes widen like he’s figured something out and he gasps, “Shit, you’re going to do a Cage, aren’t you?”

I look down, not wanting to lie because I honestly don’t know and it’s why I haven’t made my decision about Kodi and I and he curses, “What the fuck happened for you to hate the club?” just as the gym door opens gaining our attention and thankfully ending this conversation and my girl, looking like a vision walks in but I tense and not because Trick is here, but because of her fucking outfit.

No one gets to see that sexy as fuck body but me!

“What have I said about wearing that shit out and about?” I growl, not able to keep it in, and Trick snorts while my girl rolls her pretty hazel eyes.

I’m so spanking her ass for that move later.

“I literally ran out of the precinct without anyone seeing me, caveman,” she sasses, and I retort, “And yet my brother here can see you.”

Trick blinks then smirks, seeing my jealousy, and I give him a middle finger as I stalk towards my girl.

The cut on her lip is nearly gone, and her bruise has yellowed. I cup her jaw and inspect it.

“That’s quite a nasty bruise going on there, Kodi,” Trick mentions, and I try not to react, knowing he’s going to try and get the answers she won’t give me.