Page 14 of Liberator (Serpent Sinners MC #2)
Chapter 14
I refused to cry or show how terribly their actions had affected me. I remained stiff and dry-eyed. I wasn’t going to let them see that I was too exhausted to move. Instead, I continued to move the scrub brush across the stairs in a circular motion, mixing the mud with the soapy water.
I wiped sweat off my brow with the stinking, splattered sleeve of my sweatshirt. Blackened water dripped from my raw fingers because I’d ditched the gloves due to the stinging sweat that had built up inside them.
A calm voice that held some compassion reached my ears from below. Prime ordered, “Vikki, you need to stop for today. You’ve done enough, more than was expected. I’m sorry I was away and just now discovered that you were still working.”
“I can keep going as long as Flame or any man!” I defiantly announced.
“I’ve sent Flame and Maxum to the showers as well. It appears the club members became too enthusiastic in their enjoyment of giving orders. It won’t happen again. You are also relieved of duty from the bar tonight,” he stated.
My chin rose high, and my eyes darkened with a determination that my poor body didn’t agree with. I argued, “I can do my job. I don’t want any special favors.”
“Take what Prime is offering!” Rage bellowed as he rushed up the steps. “Why the hell are you all being such assholes? She’s doing her damnedest and you all keep screwing her over. Keep it up and you’re going to answer to me!”
Instantly, I had the strength to stand. Anger gave it to me. I rose from my place on the steps and confronted Rage. My hands were clenched, my heart pounded, heat filled my cheeks, and I was panting.
“Don’t you dare speak for me! I don’t need you to get between me and the others. I’m not a fucking child! This is my fight, my test. Back off!”
“I have to speak up. These assholes are taking it too far just because you’re a woman. They think you should have more to prove than any man. It’s not fucking fair! I’m not going to back off! I can help. They all know better than to challenge me,” Rage ranted.
“Don’t you see? You’re the asshole! You’re acting like you own me, and you damn well better understand that you don’t! I’m in control of my destiny. Not you! Not Prime! Not any of these men. Only me! I intend to be seen as their equal, your equal. Your actions are making me appear weak and pathetic. I won’t stand for it! Leave me the hell alone!” I screamed until I grew hoarse.
“But you are a woman,” Rage astounded me by saying. “We shouldn’t be as harsh on you as we were the male prospects. I can’t allow this to continue.”
“YOU CAN’T ALLOW IT!? Who made you my master? It certainly wasn’t me. A few kisses don’t give you control. I’ve kept that for myself, and I won’t be relinquishing it to you any time soon,” I argued. I didn’t care that everyone stood by listening. It no longer mattered what they knew about me.
“It was more than a few kisses,” Rage declared.
Uncontrollable rage took me by surprise. I flew down the steps separating us and swung a fist as I closed in on him. It struck Rage in the jaw and barely moved his head. He wasn’t harmed at all. However, pain reverberated from my fist and up my arm into my shoulder. Even my neck felt the sharpness of the nerves sending signals to my brain.
I clutched my fist to my chest and cried out in agony. I knew without looking that my thumb was broken, the skin over my knuckles was split, and my wrist was sprained. The hard- headed oaf had defeated me without lifting a finger.
“Let me see!” Rage demanded.
“Back off!” I growled, choking down the tears that wanted to come.
“Rage! Step away. I think you’ve done enough already. Go outside and cool down or I’ll have to send you away for a few days,” Prime ordered.
“But I…” Rage began.
“Do you really think it’s in your best interest to defy me right now? Will it make you feel better if I beat the shit out of you? Walk away! Don’t test me!” Prime spit out.
Rage apparently saw how foolish it would be to confront his superior. He slowly backed down the stairs, turned his back, and walked out the front door. For a moment no one spoke. Then, the onlookers began to drift away. Their murmuring to each other was all I heard until a softer hand touched my shoulder. It was just as filthy as my own. I recognized it as Flame’s even before I raised my eyes and stared into her exhausted face.
“Prime wants me to take you to wash up. Then, we’re supposed to meet Doc in the infirmary so he can look at that hand. How bad do you think it is?” she asked.
Through teeth grinding because of the pain I said, “I’m positive the thumb is broken. Otherwise, it’s just split skin. Maybe, a sprained wrist. I’m not sure about that though.”
“You gave him all you had inside you, that’s for sure. I’ve never seen that particular demon come out of you before. It’s going to come in handy in a real fight. But you’re going to have to learn how to throw a punch without harming yourself, chica. You need some training before you try that again,” Flame replied.
“I think Rage is just hard- headed,” I said, trying to make her laugh.
“That’s true enough, but your stance and the way you make a fist are all wrong. You’ve got a lot to learn that has nothing to do with scrubbing the damn floors. You need to learn control. You need to find a way to use that anger in a more positive way to defeat those that are stronger and larger than you.”
“I managed to shut Rage up, didn’t I?” I asked.
“You succeeded in that. However, he wasn’t fighting back. He didn’t even try to dodge the fist, and yet I know he saw it coming. Rage is an excellent fighter. If he’d wanted to take you down without you laying a hand on him he would have done so easily. Not even I am a match for him,” Flame admitted.
“Then what do I do? I have to pass the tests to be a prospect. I can’t leave. I have no one and nowhere to go.”
“Vikki, no one here is against you. We all want you to succeed. The men are such idiotas that they see the hazing as fun. They don’t realize what it means to us. We have more courage than they can imagine simply because we have always needed to be tougher in order to survive. I’ve got your back, chica. I know exactly what you need to do, and Prime will approve of the plan. You’re going to kick the shit out of those tests, and you can bet your ass I’ll do it too, probably better,” she declared.