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Sweat trickled down his shirtless torso as he hammered the punching bag in rapid alternating combinations. If Jupiter was in Snowshoe, it meant there was a reason.A goddamn good one.The hint of bruises healing on her throat and face were enough for him. Hell, she could’ve said the bastard only yelled at her and he’d still be ready to rip the man apart with his bare hands. No woman deserved to be treated with anger. And Jupiter never would be again. Not if he could help it.And I will.
The punching bag suddenly stabilized, and Rubble whipped his eyes up. Brewer stood behind the large bag, holding it steady. “You looked like you could use some resistance.” He smirked. “Don’t want you busting this one.”
Wiping sweat from the tip of his nose, Rubble grunted and nodded once. For the next twenty minutes, Brewer stayed silent while Rubble took his frustrations out on the heavy bag. By the end, every inch of him was covered in a sheen of sweat. He picked up one of the clean towels and ran it over his face. It wasn’t like him to get overly involved with a woman, but here he was, on the edge. He knew what would happen if he took the next step. Knew what he was risking if he stuck his neck out there for a woman who clearly didn’t want to be found. His stomach dropped at the thought of Jupiter leaving without a trace. He couldn’t protect her if she ran away again.
“Drink?” Brewer held out a red sports drink.
“Thanks.” He unscrewed the top and guzzled half.
“It’s Jupiter, isn’t it?”
Rubble started unwrapping his wrists. “Why do you say that?”
Sitting down on a bench press, Brewer shrugged. “I saw the way you looked at her.”
“I look at all girls the same.” He tossed the wadded-up tape into a large trash can. “They’re trouble.”
“Yeah, yeah, you talk big, but I’ve seen you with her. You’ve never looked at a woman like the way you look at Jupiter.” Brewer chuckled when Rubble glared. “No judgment here, brother. She’s quite the lady.” He stood and lowered his voice to say, “But I saw the bruises.”
Turning around, Rubble stalked over to him and grabbed the front of his shirt. “And you didn’t say anything to me? What the actual fuck is wrong with you? Somebody did that to her.”
Brewer’s usually cheerful blue eyes shadowed. “It wasn’t my information to tell.”
Rubble growled low then dropped his hold. The man wasn’t wrong. It killed him to admit it, though. His role in the MC was to ensure the club’s protection. Jupiter fell under Macha’s outstretched wings. He wouldn’t let her down even if it killed him.
“Dolly made enchiladas for dinner.” Brewer took a step toward the door. “That was the main reason I popped in.”
“What was the other?”
“To tell you Nikita’s looking for you.”
This got Rubble’s full attention. “She must’ve found something.”
Brewer shrugged and disappeared through the door. The clubhouse wasn’t too far away. He’d walk over after taking a quick shower. The blue and red ring mocked him as he passed it. It had sat unused for too long. Rubble aimed to fix that as soon as possible. He needed to spill some blood even if it was his own.
CHAPTER13
JUPITER
Lyle: I miss you, pet. Send me a photo of that beautiful ass so I can show my friends.
Jupiter swallowedthe bile in her throat, her mind spinning over how to reply. She glanced at the time. It was only nine at night, which meant he wasn’t fully drunk yet. She walked further down the hallway toward the door to the back staircase. Other than nymphs coming and going from their downstairs lair, she was alone.
Her fingers hovered over the small keys of her phone. She chewed her bottom lip. No response was coming to her. She shouldn’t reply, but a little part of her worried about what would happen if she didn’t. When they were together, he demanded an instantaneous reply to any call or message. If she didn’t comply…. Jupiter shivered at what Lyle used to do to her.But that was then. This is now.
“Everything all right?”
Squeaking, she jumped backwards and nearly bumped into a nymph with a tray full of beer. Jupiter placed a hand on her chest and lifted her gaze to the intruder. “Rubble.”
She instantly cursed how out of breath she must sound. It happened every time she looked into his mismatched gaze. One blue, one green, his eyes were spellbinding, and she was instantly lost in them.
Rubble’s brows knit together. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t.” Jupiter shoved the phone into her back pocket. “I mean, you did but I don’t mind. Not when it’s you.” She slapped a hand over her mouth. “Shit, I didn’t mean to….” She couldn’t finish the thought.
A flicker of lust crossed Rubble’s face and Jupiter’s breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t remember a time when a good man had looked at her like that. But Rubble wasn’t good. He wasn’t bad either. He was an MC biker. They practically had warning signs tattooed on their foreheads. He was bad news, but she couldn’t resist. Not after years of being discarded at any given moment.
A whoop of laughter cut the tension and Jupiter looked away. Staying here was reckless, especially with the way her stomach filled with butterflies whenever Rubble was near.
