Death Kings

Chapter 35

Etienne

"Why did you give the kid that a sedative?" I ask Ryder after we get the kid tucked into Ryder's bed. It's a bed that doesn't get used much, considering we all tend to pile into the giant one altogether more often than not.

"You saw how much pain he is in. I don't care that he laughed. His eyes told me a different story," he replies.

I grunt in reply. I guess he is right. He is used to dealing with Callum, who enjoys physical pain and bloodletting. It is difficult to tell if he is in pain or if he is just hiding it sometimes.

"Do we need to call the doctor?" Callum asks us as we both collapse on the couch in front of the fireplace.

Ryder shakes his head. "No. His ribs are bruised but not broken. Most of the damage was done with a butane lighter on the bottom of his feet. It'll be like the time Jax shredded his feet."

"I've had that done before, me. Only mine was done with a torch, so it was a little worse. I felt nothing after a while. I have little feeling on the soles of my feet," I say, and this has Callum and Ryder both looking at me with concern and intrigue.

"When did that happen?" "Who did that?" They both question at the same time.

"It was... I was blindsided after a fight and I was drunk. They couldn't get the jump on me," I say with a shrug, not wanting to answer their questions. I did not take my justice out on the person responsible. He was my lover at the time.

"Answer the questions, Sugar," Ryder demands.

I chew on the bars inside of my lower lip. We have too much on our plates currently. I don't want to add more by telling him this. Ryder's glacial eye narrows on me. He knows I'm reluctant. I'm not sure he is prepared to fully understand why.

Callum sighs, removing his hood. "This going to require drinks. Beer or whiskey?" He asks, getting up and moving to the bar off the side of the kitchen.

"Grab the bourbon," Ryder says.

He and I stare at each other in silence. He is next to me, and I can feel his frustration with me because I'm keeping a secret from him. I don't keep things from this man.

When Callum returns, he sets three tumblers and a bottle of bourbon on the table. He also has ice in a bucket with tiny tongues. He makes a glass for Ryder with some ice and hands it to him. Ryder takes a sip while he watches me. Callum goes to put ice in mine, but I cover it with my hand before I take it.

I take a sip, needing the burn to give me courage. I'm not proud about what I'm about to tell him. I was young and an idiot. I was exploring my sexuality.

Callum sits with his glass in his chair, and I scrub my face. I down the entire contents of the glass. I take a shaky breath. Here I go. 'Time to grow a set of ovaries', as Chaton says.

"I trusted the wrong man. I thought I was in love with him. I told none o' you 'bout him 'cause I felt guilty. Felt like I was cheatin' on you and Jax, me," I tell Ryder first before beginning my tell, recalling every moment.

He was handsome, Axe Zen was. It's ironic to me now that my mother married someone named Axel. But those men are vastly different. Axe had black hair that curled into ringlets when wet, but he would keep it slicked back with gel most of the time. His blue eyes would draw you in. He was also charismatic and knew who he was at twenty-eight. That was appealing to a sixteen-year-old like me. He wasn't my first love that honor still belongs to Jaxson, but Jax was only here a couple of months a year. I wanted someone I could be with who could show me what sex would be like with a man. I've had my share of girls already, but I wanted to experiment with the same sex. Plus, I could learn a thing or two on how to run my crew better from someone with as large of a crew as the Ravagers.