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“So, what’s your name?” Rogue chews hard on her gum as she concentrates on breaking the lock open.
“I…” The girl swallows nervously, her eyes looking up to me like she needs some kind of fucking permission to speak. I nod back to her, despite how fucked up it feels, because I need to know her name.
“I don’t know.” The girl’s voice is sweet, timid, and so soft it’s barely audible.
“That's kinda fucked up.” Rogue is her usual inconsiderate self. “You need a name. Oh... what about Viper?” she suggests with a peak of excitement in her tone. “Viper’s a kick-ass name. No one fucks with someone called Viper.” Her tongue hangs from the corner of her mouth when she shuts back up to concentrate and finally busts the thing open.
“You know I'm keeping this, right?” Rogue examines the collar in her hand, a wicked look creeping on her face. “Welcome to the club, Viper.” She winks before heading back to Grimm with her new toy swinging in her hand.
She can burn the thing for all I care, just so long as I never see it ever a-fuckin’-gain.
The girl looks up at me, her big, beautiful, broken eyes staring at me like I’m some kind of fucking savior, and it's making it real hard to focus. In better light, I can see blood on her hands. Maybe it's mine, maybe it’s one of the men I killed tonight. Either way, I don't fucking like the way it tarnishes her.
“You can wash up in here.” I kick the door to the ladies' bathroom open for her, and she hesitates to let go of my hand.
“It’s safe. I’m gonna be right here,” I assure her. I don’t know how this has happened. How out of everyone in the goddamn world, this girl feels the need to be close to me, but all that seems to matter is making her feel safe. She nods her head and offers me a tiny sweet smile as she releases my hand and disappears into the bathroom.
“I need Alex to take care of her,” I exhale, feeling like it’s the first breath I’ve taken since I first saw her on that podium. Then, running both my hands through my hair, I notice the blank look on my brother’s face.
“Dude, you’re talking!” he points out, staring at me like I’ve just dropped outta the fuckin’ sky. If he’s expecting some kind of explanation, I don’t have it. I have no idea why all of a sudden I’ve decided to find a fucking voice, but right now, I have more important things to focus on. Like the girl I just stole from Verretti and the fact my whole club fucking hates me.
“So, can you take her?” I ask him again, needing him to agree because I don’t think I can stand the girl looking at me like she does for a second longer.
“Don’t you think Alex has enough to deal with? She’s pregnant, Screw, setting up a bus—”
“Just for tonight, until I can figure out where she comes from and get her back to her family,” I interrupt, keeping my tone low so the girl doesn't hear me. He looks like he’s pissed at me, the same way everyone else around here is, but I know he won’t let me down, he never has.
“You hurt bad?” He looks down to my side, reminding me of the gash I got from one of the guards catching me earlier.
“It’s a scratch.” I shake off the question to get back to what really matters. The pain in my side is nothing compared to what I’m feeling inside right now.
“You know what you did was real fuckin stupid, right?” he checks, and I give him a look back that tells him I don’t care. “And you pulled that shit without me, which is unforgivable,” he adds.
“Just until we figure out who she is,” I bring Squealer back to my original question.
“I’ll go speak to Alex,” he finally lets up, slapping me on the back before he returns to the bar room to find his old lady.
I sigh with relief. The last thing I wanted was the girl sleeping upstairs on her own. Alex is a good person, she’ll take care of her.
“I’m sorry,” I call after my brother before he opens the door. And I mean it. I know this isn't what the club wanted. I’ve put people at risk with my actions tonight, his family included.
“Don’t be sorry, man. Up until tonight, I was starting to worry you were dead inside.” He throws a shit-eating grin at me before he disappears through the doors, leaving me alone in the foyer.
The girl comes out of the bathroom a few minutes later, her wide eyes soaking up all the open space around us before she lowers them back to the ground and stands static in front of me.
“My brother and his old lady are gonna take care of you.” I clear my throat to explain, keeping a safe distance between us. She immediately looks up, her eyes swollen with panic and filling with tears. She shakes her head helplessly, and I feel the frustration rising higher inside. It’s the kind that could tear down walls, and I’ve no one to aim it at but myself.
I caused those tears, and it feels like tiny shards of glass attacking me all over my skin.
“They’re good people. Alex used to be a cop.” I try reassurance, but she doesn't respond to it, she just continues to stare at me like I’ve betrayed her.
If she knew the kinda person I am, she’d be looking at me the same way she did Squealer. I’m doing what's best for the girl. Squealer’s got it all wrong. I am dead inside. Tonight was just…
I don't fucking know what tonight fucking was or what drew me to her. All I do know is that this vulnerable, broken girl is better off without me.
“Are you my master now?” she asks, her eyes dropping back to the floor again sadly.
“What…?” The question throws me sideways and only chips more anger outta me. “No, you don’t have a master or any of that shit here.” I try explaining, but it comes out as frustration rather than reassurance.
