AllFreeNovel
Share Us
19 Solo
“FUCK!” I SHOUTED as I stormed into the changing bay and threw my helmet against the locker door. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
I’d just come off the flight hop from hell and was still fuming at how that shit had gone down. Namely, how I’d gone down and Utah had gotten the jump on me—Utah.
Today was the first time I’d come in second place in a long while, and it didn’t take a genius to work out the reason behind it. For the last couple of days I’d been stewing over my run-in with Panther’s dear old dad, and while I’d tried to push that shit aside, it was pretty fucking obvious I was doing a piss-poor job.
My performance in the air today had been shit. From the second we’d engaged up until the moment Utah had gotten the lock on me and never let go, my flying had been average to say the least. I was all up in my head, courtesy of Captain Hughes, and if his goal had been to psych out his son’s best competition so he’d stay at the top of the class, then he should be pretty damn proud of his efforts after today’s disaster.
I kicked out at the concrete base of the bay, and then cursed as pain ricocheted up my leg. I hopped around on one booted foot and berated myself for yet another awesome decision, and then yanked off my Aviators and tossed them down on the seat to my left.
This day could fuck right off as far as I was concerned, and so could Captain Hughes.
“Ah, so this is where you tucked tail and ran after I spanked your ass good and hard just now.”
Utah…great. He was the last fucker on the planet I wanted to see right now. But with the way my day was going, I wasn’t surprised to find out that even the universe had it out for me.
“Fuck off, Utah. I’m not in the mood.”
“Oh, my bad,” Utah continued like the dumb shit he was. “Not so fun being on the receiving end of the smack talk, is it?”
No, it fucking wasn’t. But if Utah kept on, he was going to be on the end of my fist. Usually I was all about the competitive digs and bullshit smack talk, but the tension of the last couple of days had finally caught up with me.
Tension with Captain Hughes…
Tension with Panther…
Tension with my own self and every little move I made, and I knew I was pretty damn close to blowing.
Deciding it was best to ignore Utah, I unclipped the flight harness from around my legs, waist, and chest and shrugged out of it before hanging it up on its hook. I needed to get out of here, the sooner the better. Maybe I’d take a ride and try to clear my head, or maybe—
“Solo?”
At the sound of Panther’s voice, I winced, and Utah’s derisive chuckle made my fingers ball into fists.
“Aww, look, your boyfriend’s come to make sure you aren’t back here crying like a little bitch.”
“I swear to God, Utah, if you don’t get the fuck away from me right now, I’m gonna—”
“What? Kick my ass?” He laughed. “Pretty sure you proved out there that the only thing you’re interested in doing to an ass these days is fucking it.”
I whirled around on him so fast that my head spun, then I grabbed hold of his harness and hauled him in until our noses were practically touching. My chest was heaving, my anger at an all-time high. Utah stared me down with a look of contempt in his eyes.
“Solo?”
Panther’s voice echoed around the bay again, but I wasn’t about to take my attention off Utah.
“Are you in—Solo? What are you doing?”
Utah’s eyes narrowed on me, and a smirk curled his upper lip. I wanted to wipe it right off his face.
“Solo, let him go,” Panther said from somewhere behind me, but I wasn’t in the mood to listen.
“You know,” Utah said in a voice that made my spine stiffen, “maybe if you weren’t so busy thinking about sucking Panther’s cock while you were flying today, things might’ve gone better for you.”
I’d wondered when I would reach my breaking point. As I twisted my hands around the straps and rammed Utah back against the cage wall of my bay, I knew I’d just reached it.
“Say that again, motherfucker,” I growled. “I dare you.” My jaw clenched, my entire body shaking, and as I let go to throw the first punch, I felt a hand clamp around my wrist and jerk it back.
I turned my head to the side to see Panther standing beside me, his eyes boring into mine.
“He’s not worth it. He’s not fucking worth it, Solo. Let him go.”
20 Panther
WATCHING SOLO IN the sky today only confirmed what had been on my mind for days now: something was seriously wrong.
