Fractured (Deep In Your Veins, #5)(29)

“Paige—”

“Not that I need to ask why you kept this from me. You knew I wouldn’t like it; you knew I’d tell you that you’re being dumb, and you didn’t want to hear that. You didn’t want to hear the truth, because you didn’t want to face it. You wanted to live in a fantasy land where Butch actually gives a flying f*ck about you.”

He puffed out a breath. “Didn’t have you pegged as the dramatic type, Paige.”

“Excuse me?” she hissed.

“You’re protective of Imani, I get it. You don’t want her to be with someone like me, I get that too. But this isn’t about you. And if you’d push past your protective streak and your hurt feelings and let her f*cking speak, you’d hear that you’ve got this wrong.”

“No, Butch, you might be able to bullshit her, but you won’t bullshit me. Nu-uh.” With that, she stormed off with a majorly annoyed Alora close behind her.

Sighing, I rubbed at my forehead. “I can’t say that didn’t hurt. But I also can’t say I didn’t expect it to go like that. It’s going to be mere moments before this reaches the others.” Alora would tell Evan, who would tell Sam and Jared. Paige would tell the other girls, at which point Jude and Ava would tell their mates. Salem and Chico would then tell the other members of their squad. “Paige is seriously pissed at me.”

Butch kissed my temple. “She’ll get over it.”

“You don’t know Paige like I do. That girl can hold a grudge.”

“Having second thoughts?”

I frowned. “No. I knew when I made my choice that people would react badly. You were right; we have to be tight and stand against it.”

“So you’re still with me on that?”

“I’m with you.”

He nodded in satisfaction and twined his fingers with mine. “Let’s get to the arena and get the rest of this shit over with.”

As if by mutual agreement, we took a slow walk out of the building and to the arena. It seemed that neither of us were in any rush to listen to more people slate our decision. I kept my chin up as we walked inside, still hand in hand. To my surprise, none of the girls were there. I didn’t know what that meant, but I guessed it was an ‘I’m so pissed at you, I can’t even look at you right now’ message.

Butch’s squad was there, however. With the exception of David and Salem, they all scowled at him. The weight of their disapproval and anger set on my shoulders like lead. It also ticked me off big style. Who were they to freaking judge?

None of them spoke. They just stared at Butch expectantly, as if waiting for him to begin explaining himself.

Finally, Chico arched a brow at Butch. “Got something you want to tell us?”

Butch just shrugged, nonchalant. “You already know.”

“It’s not enough that you f*cked her over once before?”

I was about to make it clear that he hadn’t f*cked me over; that I’d known what I was getting into a year ago and I’d chosen to take a risk, but Reuben was speaking before I could.

“I thought better of you, Butch. I really did.”

“Jude is having a shit fit right now,” said Chico. “She’s also considering slicing off your balls. I had to confiscate her knife.”

“It’s nothing to do with Jude or any of you,” Butch stated, his tone even.

“Wrong,” insisted Chico. “This is Imani we’re talking about. She’s not just anyone. She’s a member of the legion, she’s under our protection.”

“If you want to be a hit and run guy,” began Harvey, “I figure that’s your business. But when the girl you’re running over is a member of the legion and under our protection, it becomes our business.”

Chico nodded. “We gave you the benefit of the doubt a year ago, because we trusted that you wouldn’t get involved with someone you’re supposed to protect unless it was serious. We realised we were wrong. So don’t think any of us will trust you not to hurt her a second time.”

“There are other females on this island for you to use and drop,” said Damien.

I narrowed my eyes. “And you’re so certain he’ll use and drop me?”

Looking at me like I was dumb, Damien snapped, “Well he’s done it before, honey.”

“Careful,” warned Butch. It was a lethal whisper that made Damien swallow hard.

“He doesn’t use women to be an *, Imani,” Denny told me, his voice gentle. “He does it because he’s not capable of more. That’s why we’re worried here.”

Nodding, Max turned to Butch. “I’d like to think you’ve changed. I’d like to think that you’ll be different with Imani. But I know you won’t, because you walked away from her once before.”

“And you know this isn’t good or you wouldn’t have hidden it,” added Reuben.

Butch lifted a single brow. “Since when do I have to announce the details of my personal life to all of you?”

No one had an answer to that.

Wiping a hand over his face, Stuart looked at me. “Imani, you’ve got to see that Butch isn’t who you need. You just got out of a relationship after being let down by someone you trusted. Do you really want to go through that again?”