Page 36 of Knuckles

“How long?” he demands.

I answer, “Just under five months,” and he growls and confirms, “So the extra raids?”

I nod and admit, “Because of my relationship. The Chief is pissed because I won’t walk away from his daughter, and Kodi has informed me before every raid, which is how I knew.”

“What are you pissed about?” Trick asks him, seeing his anger, “That he didn’t tell you about their relationship because, yeah, I was pissed as well, or because he’s seeing the Chief’s daughter?”

Cage looks at me with hurt, and I wince as he grunts, “He didn’t tell me,” before he says, “We’re supposed to be brothers,” and frustration builds as I stupidly retort, “And I don’t trust the brotherhood and the only reason I’m still a part of it is because my dad threatened to take my gym from me.”

Shit. Cage and Trick glare at me and I wince.

“You need to explain, and you need to explain right fucking now!” Cage demands, and I sigh as I lean against the ring and shake my head.

“I can’t,” I admit softly, causing his face to harden, and I state, “If I do, if I open all the old wounds, then I can promise you now, I will get on my bike and never return, I’ll hurt my girl by leaving.”

Both brothers look at me in shock, and Cage opens his mouth, but before words can come out, the gym door slams open as mymother, dressed like she should be in a strip club, storms in. I can see how red her face is from here.

“Your little girlfriend held a fucking gun to my head and threatened to bury me!” Mom accuses, and I raise a brow while Trick smirks and Cage tilts his head at her.

“And what did you say to her in order to pull a gun out on you?” he asks just as my phone beeps and Mom tenses as I grab it out of my cut and she glares at it.

Hmm…

Unlocking the screen, I press on the text thread with my girl, who is obviously awake.

My Fireball:

I forgot to tell you, I pulled a gun on your mom after she confronted me at work yesterday with a knife and threatened to kill me if I didn’t leave you alone, so I threatened to bury her. Hope you have a good day, because I know I’m going to be feeling you x

I smirk at her words and lock my phone without messaging her back, the kiss at the end sending my nerves haywire, that and what I saw in her sketch book, and I answer Cage, “Threatened her at work with a knife,” and I raise a brow at my mother, who clears her throat.

I know the real reason she held the gun to her, and it isn’t the knife. I’m not stupid, she’s felt my scars. She saw them while I was sleeping and added two and two together, making four.

She wanted to shoot my mother on my behalf, and fuck, I just…

She saw my scars, and I can feel myself stepping back for a moment knowing I need to get my head right.

“It doesn’t matter what I did, you are my son, and you need to fix this, end her!” she snaps, and I chuckle darkly and remindher, “And Kodi is my girl, and it’s a shame she didn’t shoot you, now fuck off.”

Her mouth drops open in shock before outrage takes over her features, and she opens her mouth ready to probably berate me like normal, but she freezes when Cage sneers, “Barbie, get your ass back to the clubhouse right fucking now and do what I pay you for or pack your shit and get out!”

The man is angry and ready for murder.

Mom tenses as she looks at Cage, then Trick, before her eyes come my way, more towards my chest, and I know she’s nervous.

I smirk, and fear enters her eyes before she turns on her heels and storms out, seeing we won’t be on her side with this, ensuring she bangs the door, and I roll my eyes before looking at a pissed-off Cage.

Shit.

“I need a fucking explanation,” he growls, “because we both know, Kodi wouldn’t just pull a gun on your mother because she had a knife, she’d disarm her.”

I look at Trick to see his face hard, and I sigh.

“Why would you want to leave if you open old wounds, and what old wounds, brother?” Trick demands, and I look between them.

“I don’t trust the brotherhood, fuck, I don’t even think I want to be a brother, and if I tell you this, my first instinct is going to be to leave,” I inform them, hoping they’ll leave it, but Cage shakes his head.

“We won’t let you leave, and if I have to, I’ll call Kodi now to talk to us,” he demands, and I know I can’t convince them to leave it so instead I open my mouth and confess, “For as long as I can remember, not only have the brothers treated me like an outsider because I could have been theirs, and my father didn’t want to know me, but I was abused.”