I can’t argue that because it’s the truth. That doesn’t mean I fucking like it. “Here’s the thing, Matt. I don’t give a fuck about that. She’s mine right now. And I don’t fucking share. So as a reminder …” I stand and grip his sweaty hair. Yanking his head up, I bring my knee to his face, hearing a crack, and he cries out. His body jerks, and the guys have to grip the bar tighter to keep it in place.
Keeping my hand fisted in his hair, I crouch back down beside him this time and whisper into his ear. “That was for putting your fucking tongue on her face. Do it again, and I’ll cut the goddamn thing out.” I let go of him, and his bloody face falls to hang over the bench.
“Stay the fuck away from her, Matt. This will be your only warning. I already took her from you once, and I can do it again.” With that, the guys let go of their ends, and it slides off to the right of his back. The weight catches his body and shoves him to the floor with it.
I turn and walk toward the double doors to exit the gym when I hear him shout, “She does not belong to you! She will be my wife!” He’s screaming as the doors shut behind my exit. Taking the stairs down to the first floor, I head to my room to pack my bag for my trip home.
“What the fuck was that about?” Prickett charges into my room with Gunner behind him.
“Nothing,” I lie. I’m not in the mood to go through this with them. My entire body is vibrating right now because I’m so pissed at Matt. At Blakely. I know it’s not her fault, but the fact that I may have never found out doesn’t sit right with me. And I can’t even fucking tell her that because then she’ll know she told me last night. Fuck!
“What the fuck, Ryat? That was not nothing.” Gunner is the one who snaps.
I throw the bag on my bed and turn to face them. “I didn’t need your help. So next time don’t follow me and get involved.”
Gunner snorts, and Prickett runs his hands through his hair.
“Listen …” Prickett steps into me. “Things haven’t been the same since you and Matt returned from Chicago last year. We all know it. We’ve all seen it. I don’t know what the fuck went down there, but you need to get your shit together. Fighting in the Lords over a chosen …？” He shakes his head. “That’s the last thing you want to be seen doing.”
I step into him, not about to back down. I love Prickett as a brother, but I’m not past breaking his fucking jaw. “Then he needs to keep his fucking hands off what’s mine.”
“Jesus, Ryat. Are you falling for her?” Gunner asks, wide-eyed.
“Fuck, no.” I hiss at his dumb-ass question. “This is about Matt and him putting his hands on something that doesn’t belong to him,” I shout. “I didn’t give him permission—”
“I’m going to stop you right there.” Prickett interrupts me, placing his hands up and stepping back, giving me some space. “Did he fuck her?”
“No.” I would have killed that sorry son of a bitch right there in the weight room and hung his body for all to see just to make a point.
“Then you can’t go after him, Ryat. Unless he did something with your chosen without your permission, the Lords won’t see your tantrum justified.”
“Tantrum?” I give a rough laugh.
“What else would you call it?” Gunner shrugs.
My teeth fucking grind because I could explain it to them a million different ways, and they wouldn’t understand.
Someone knocks on my bedroom door, and I snap, “What?”
It cracks open, and Sarah pokes her head in. Her eyes go from me to Prickett and then Gunner. “I’m headed to class,” she tells him.
He looks at her, then back at me. After a long second, he sighs. “I’ll walk you out.” Then he leaves me alone with Prickett.
“I …”
“Leave, Prickett.” I’m over this conversation.
He hangs his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just hope you know what you’re doing, Ryat. I’d hate for you to come this far and lose it over a piece of ass.” Then he too turns and walks out, leaving me pissed off.
An hour later, I’m boarding my father’s private jet when my cell rings in my pocket. Taking a seat in the white leather chair, I see it’s a number that isn’t saved and shows no name. Not uncommon.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Hello, Ryat.”
I recognize his voice immediately and sit up straighter in my chair. I haven’t spoken to him since I met him in the middle of the night in his office when he told me to choose Blakely. “Sir …”