Cold Silk

4. Damien

Can't help falling in love - Ice Nine Kills

"Seriously, Roman? I'm going to murder your wife." I growled over the phone placed against my ear. His laugh roared through the receiver and echoed into the empty locker room. Slamming my locker shut, I finished drying my hair, breathing deeply to try and dislodge the fury threatening to choke me.

          "Awww, don't do that. I like this one." Roman joked, and I didn't stop the laugh that tumbled out of my throat. The sound was hollow in my throat as it went down the line. We both knew the pain behind the comment. He'd been lucky to survive the last. Fuck, I had been too.

          "She didn't even... fuck me, she didn't even check to see if anyone knew her, did she?" I asked, sitting on an empty bench and ignoring the off-key singing coming from the shower room.

          "She did check. This new broad's got the same amount of known history as your new piece of ass D."

          Well, that's fucking disturbing.

          "Think she'll be a problem?" I ask with a sigh. The locker behind me offered a cool respite from the churning sensation in my stomach. I leaned against it, tipping my head back as I willed the feeling away.

          "Maybe? There are two known unknowns in our territory now. Thanks to that fucking sham of a peace treaty with your dad, we still have to send people back and forth."

          "Seems a bit stupid to send someone obvious, though, right?" I asked, smoothing the nonexistent wrinkles in my slacks. Fucking slacks.

          "Fuck, why do I work here again?" I groaned as Reynolds hopped out of one of the shower stalls, the full monty exposed and thrusting his hips to make his dick helicopter. The fucking thing was splashing water everywhere, and he was gleefully oblivious to my disgust.

          My lips curled, baring my teeth in a half snarl that he ignored. His rendition of "Pretty Woman" was terrible, and I hadn't felt the urge to shoot a human in so long, but I sure as fuck was feeling it now.

          Humans are fickle creatures, hiding thoughts without a pack mentality to have them watching each other's backs. It's everyone for themselves. It's what makes the human gangs so much worse and why I took over the Black Wolf gang. Partially because of what I am, and another because humans can't be trusted.

          "'Cause we need someone on the inside. Eli fucking sucked at it and almost got his ass put in the Penitentiary, and Jay has that stick too far up his ass with his new mate that he'd be fucking useless. And... well, Malcolm's busy, and you know how I feel about Jax."

          I sighed as a stab of guilt shot through me.

          "I don't want Jax mixed up in this. Besides, I need him for other things."

          Roman snorted. I heard the telltale clank of weight dropping and his breath whooshing out after a hard set.

          "I prefer him with you anyways. Safer."

          "Yeah." I look down at my pants again. I was smoothing them out before asking the question that's been plaguing me.

          "...Is he doing better?"

          A beat of silence followed my words before Roman cursed through the line.

          "Yeah, He hasn't forgotten about his girl, but... Ari seems to be helping him cope better than he was. Still won't talk to any of us about it, though."