Page 42 of The Devil’s Escape (The Devil’s Soldiers #7)
CHAPTER THIRTY
AVERY
Will they believe me?
Where the hell is Medic? He’s the one who texted me to meet him in here when Church was finished to help him with something.
I start cleaning up the room, trying to tamp down my irritation.
The man is a great doctor, but when it comes to keeping this place organized and clean, he’s just like they always are.
Waiting for someone else to do the clean up, and now that I’m the nurse working with him temporarily, it looks like he’s slipping into the habit.
I guess I can’t say much, though. I agreed to help, and I guess this is part of it. And let’s be honest, he’s never going to be as good at it as me.
I hear the laughter and noise out in the common room and shake my head, unable to hold back the soft chuff of laughter that escapes.
God, only Isla would be able to find shit like that.
The girl is like a bloodhound for people’s secrets.
I almost feel bad for Crypt, who is still probably sitting there and taking all the questions and jokes at his expense.
I was a bit worried that he might be pissed at her for it, but the man just stares at her and says nothing.
If Medic didn’t ask me to come and help him, I’d have probably stayed to see what the hell was going on.
Poor Crypt is never going to live this down.
Then again, I’m happy that Isla has found a new target and not me, and is asking question after question about Hulk kissing me.
God, the man is something else, doing that.
I have half a mind to put him into a coma with some well-timed drugs or something for doing that.
Seriously? I already told him I’m not sure we can do anything about the chemistry we have, and he goes and kisses me in front of my little sister and brother?
And, to make it worse, in front of the women who are clearly important in his life in one way or another.
Fuck, Rose and Thea were just as bad as Isla.
Is this how things are? What happens when all the women get together?
I shudder a little bit. A part of me wants to know, but a bigger part of me thinks that I really should avoid that for a while.
With the little time I’ve known Rose, I’ve already figured out she can be a bit wild, while also being a straight shooter.
I love her, but she’s already told us some stories that have me wanting to cover Isla’s ears.
The girl does not need any more ideas.
“What are you doing?” a deep voice demands, startling me.
I turn around and see two members of the other club standing just inside the doorway.
Their cuts name them Arson and Silver, and the suspicion and distrust coming off them in waves has me on alert.
I don’t know them, and I already don’t trust them.
“My job,” I say simply, watching them. These are two men I’ll never turn my back on. They look like the types who will stab it at the first opportunity. “Did you need something?”
“Watch your tone, bitch,” Silver snaps at me, a dark look covering his face. “This club might allow the women to do whatever they want, but you’re not one of them, so you need to follow the correct rules.”
“Correct rules?” I repeat, barely managing to keep my tone from being condescending.
These two are on a power trip, and because I’m a woman, they’re going to push it as far as they can.
“I’m a nurse, and I’m only here because of the current situation, so I’m afraid I don’t know what the rules are that you’re talking about. ”
“A fact that only proves that Bullet and his men are running this fucking club into the ground,” Arson huffs derisively. “Now, I asked you a question. What are you doing? And since I’m a visiting President of another club, that means you answer me, and you do it respectfully.”
Oh, he’s one of those pricks. I have half a mind to tell him to fuck off. I don’t care who he is, and I don’t care about his position. I’m not a part of either club, and I don’t need to answer to him, but I don’t want to cause any trouble between the clubs when it’s clear there already is some.
Instead of telling him where he can go, I say, “Medic asked me to meet with him, but he’s apparently side-tracked with Crypt being a book cover model, so I’m cleaning up the space.”
“You’re going through a brother’s shit?” Silver asks, tone tight.
I arch a brow. “I’m a registered nurse, and Bullet and Medic asked me to help out in here and keep it clean as needed.
So while I’m waiting for Medic, I’m cleaning things up.
” To lighten the mood, I smile wryly. “I’m a stickler on keeping things clean and accessible to make sure we can find things if we have to get to them quickly. ”
Silver’s eyes narrow, as if he doesn’t believe me, but he must realize he doesn’t have much to go after me for once I mentioned that Bullet and Medic both offered me to work in here.
I almost wish that I had worn my scrubs today instead of my casual clothes.
Maybe then this stupid line of questioning wouldn’t be happening.
“And if I start looking where you’ve been working, I’m not going to find anything I shouldn’t?” Arson asks casually, stepping forward. Too casually. The kind of tone where he’s hoping to sound like he’s not a threat, but he’s just become one.
Instead of getting defensive, I step away from where I was cleaning and wave my hand.
“Sure. Go ahead.” He’s not going to believe anything I’m saying anyway, so why bother to defend myself, though the anger and insult at his implication has me wanting to put him in his place the way I do to the arrogant doctors I work with.
He doesn’t react to my statement, but I have a feeling he expected me to fight him, and not giving him what he wants has him pushing me harder.
He moves forward, Silver falling in step behind him, and I hold my ground as they crowd close to me.
Intimidation doesn’t work when you’re the same height as both men and when you refuse to back down.
Arson’s eyes are on me as he waves his hand at Silver. Silver instantly starts moving and messing up the previously clean and organized space. Things crash and fall as he opens and moves things. I manage not to show any reaction, but the fury that’s filling me is nearly ready to burst. Fuck them.
“You know what I think,” Arson says in a low, dangerous voice.
“I think you’re a rat for Vlad and you’re in here trying to give information to him so you can fuck us over.
” His eyes are cold and foreboding as he stares at me.
Then his hand grabs my arms and yanks me hard so that I’m against him.
I barely manage to keep from struggling or kneeing the fucker in the balls, but if he doesn’t let me go, then all bets are off.
“And I’m going to get the truth out of you one way or another. ”
“I’ll make her talk,” Silver offers, leering at me. “She’ll be singing like a pretty canary when I’m done.”
“You better start talking, bitch, or I’m going to let him have a go at you.”
“You have two seconds to let me go,” I warn him, staring him straight in the eye. “You have a problem with me, you can talk to Bullet. Otherwise, get the fuck out of this room.” Respect and protocol be damned. I’m not about to let this fucker, or any of them, talk or treat me this way.
The reaction is instant. Arson’s grip on me is so tight that I know he’s going to leave bruises.
The fury in his eyes is overpowering, but I manage to keep from buckling under it by wrapping my own anger around me.
I’ve faced down worse men than this prick.
“You fucking cunt,” he hisses, and I see the hand rise out of the corner of my eye, as well as Silver crowding closer and his own hands gripping my hair, as if to hold my head in place for the hit that’s about to come.
Even now, I know it’s a practiced move, and one I won’t be able to dodge.
The slap to my face is loud in my ears, and the pain that follows has my vision going dark.
It stuns me enough to keep from reacting or lashing out myself.
My head whips to the side, but it’s quickly yanked painfully back, and another blow lands, before Arson snarls, “I’m going to fucking enjoy making you pay for your disrespect, cunt.
You know how I keep the women in my club in line? You’re about to find out.”
Yeah, not happening. None of this bullshit is going to happen. They got two in, and they won’t get another fucking one.
A roar fills the space so loud that everyone freezes, including me. It’s raw, furious, and almost feral sounding. Or maybe my brain is a little scrambled from those hits.
Arson and Silver release me, but only just in time to be tossed away from me with such force that I hear things crashing, before groans of pain.
I blink, staring at the large man in front of me, his body seeming to grow with every enraged step toward their prone bodies on the floor.
I hear steps running and suddenly the room is full of people, but none of them are in time to stop Hulk’s fists as they slam into both men.
Vaguely, I’m impressed that he’s managing to go after both men, but the more logical side of me worries he’s going to pull his stitches. Shit.
“Hulk, stop!” I scream, but over the roars of anger, people yelling, and others trying to pull him off them, it’s lost. I want to step forward, but something tells me that’d be a very stupid idea.
Finally, Viper, Frost, and Crypt get Hulk off them, with Bullet and Sniper standing between him and the two men who look like they’ve gone a few rounds with the champs, blood covering their faces, the wall behind them, and dripping to the floor.
A few of the Misfits push their way in, with one of them at the front of the pack.
He takes in the scene, but says nothing until they get Arson and Silver off the floor.