I threw two more punches, knocking Axe to the ground. When I stood over him, both hands fisted, I took a deep breath and wiped the blood from my mouth with my arm. “You want more?”
“That’s it,” another jumper barked while pushing his way through the crowd.
While I took a step away, lowering my arms, Axe wasn’t ready to stop the fight.
He threw himself on top of me, both of us toppling to the ground.
The free for all was ridiculous, both of us clinging to the other. We rolled back and forth, the punches now ineffective.
Finally, someone jerked me to my feet, dragging me away. “Enough!” Rock snarled.
Axe had been ripped to his feet as well by the one guy I’d just met on the plane. He was in front of Axe, his voice low as if not wanting anyone else to hear what was being said.
Rock moved in front of me. We stood eye to eye, his expression one of fury. But so was mine. I was finished with being picked on by anyone.
Finally, the other jumper moved into the center of the group. “What is the meaning of this shit? Huh?” He took his time glancing from me to Axe then to the others.
A couple of men couldn’t look him in the eye, Raptor finally addressing him. “Sorry, Steel. They got tangled up when they were on the narrow part. That’s all it was, right?” He looked at me as if I was to blame.
After wiping my mouth and staring at the blood on my fingers, I nodded.
Meanwhile, Axe paced the ground, finally grabbing his pack.
“Axe?” Steel gritted out.
“Yeah, whatever.”
Steel cursed under his breath. “I’m going to repeat myself one last time for everyone’s benefit. Yeah, we lost one of our own a couple months ago and it hurts. Hell, of course it does. My brother…” He stopped, dropping and shaking his head before looking directly at Axe. “Our brother was a legend with the Zullies, but his death was no one’s fault and especially our new team members.”
“We don’t want or need his kind here,” Axe threw out. There was so much fucking hatred in his voice, but it was the accusation he was leveling that pissed me off.
“My kind? What the fuck is that? Huh? Tell me!”
Rock stepped in front of me, cautioning me with his eyes, but I was already too far gone.
Axe took several scattered breaths, his entire face full of rage in exactly the same way I felt. The group was silent, waiting for the shoe to drop.
“Go on,” I encouraged, doing what I could to calm the fury.
Axe didn’t soften, didn’t take another breath before spelling it out. “That man is a convict. A goddamn criminal.”
“Yeah? I did my time. I’m a free man. You get it?” I threw my arms out, daring him to continue.
With a man so embroiled in hatred and the need to blame someone, all I did was push him to the breaking point. “You killed a man. You fucking killed him in cold blood.”
Shock tore through the others, two taking a step back as if I was planning a massacre.
Of all the times I’d been accused both correctly and incorrectly about what I’d done, no other time bothered me the way this one did. I was hurt.
“What?” Raptor asked, but he wasn’t addressing me.
“Why don’t you tell them, Viper. Huh? Go ahead.” Axe laughed when I didn’t answer right away.
Steel took a deep breath. I hadn’t realized they were brothers. No wonder they were a closeknit team. A group of men I’d never fit in with. Whatever. I didn’t bother providing any additional details. Not only was it none of their business the horrible reasons why I’d taken the life of a fucking cruel bastard, but doing so wouldn’t mean a damn thing.
Anger making it impossible to think, I snatched my pack, swung it over my shoulder, and headed down the path.
There was no sense in looking behind me and if the assholes knew what was good for them, they’d leave me the fuck alone.
