BANE

CHAPTER EIGHT - BLEED (Part 1)

Holden checked that the back seat of Blake's car was empty. "Where's Alice?"

"At the hotel, still asleep. She doesn't know I'm here."

Holden warily got into the passenger seat. "Are you still leaving this morning?"

"We'll be a little behind schedule, but that's not a big deal. It's better for Alice to rest."

"Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine," Blake began to drive. "I want to talk about you, instead. Why do you stay with my siblings? No angry accusations or anything, I'm just curious. My brother's futon can't be that comfortable," He laughed.

"Corbin and Layla took me in when literally had nothing left. My entire family is gone... they're important to me."

"Is that the only reason?"

"What are you trying to say?" Holden glanced out the window, but didn't recognize the buildings passing by. "...Are you lost?" They were heading in the wrong direction, out of the city.

"No. We're going somewhere else. What I have to say is going to take longer than a ten minute car ride..."

Holden discretely fired off a one-handed text message to Corbin, letting him know who he was with while Blake was distracted with his driving. "What's going on?"

Blake's knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel. "I stopped by that restaurant on Friday after the girls went out dancing... the bartender told me that neither you nor Corbin worked that day. So, where did you go with my brother for eight hours?"

Holden shrugged, deciding to act casual so as not to incriminate Corbin in their relationship. "He was stressed out. Corbin had a bad feeling about this weekend, which was apparently right."

"You seem really close. You live together, you work together, and you spend almost all of your free time together... Corbin hasn't had a friend he was willing to spend that much time with since he was a teenager."

"Your point being?"

"He barely knows you, yet you're able to steal time away from his family."

Holden's eyes narrowed. "It was his choice, I supported him because I was worried. I didn't force him to anything. Why do you both have such a problem with me?"

"Did I mention that when the bartender told me Corbin wasn't working, I asked her about you?" Blake glanced sideways at Holden. "You know what she said when I asked if Corbin's 'roommate' was there?"

"I can guess."

"She laughed and said you were his boyfriend," He stopped the car on a deserted road. "Let's take a walk."

"What, you're going to murder me because a co-worker he doesn't even like told you that I'm dating your brother?" Holden laughed. "It's just our cover at work," He got out of the car and started to walk along the road.

"Cover for what?" Blake matched Holden's pace.

"I cut myself at work and he drank my blood. Someone thought we were making out, so we went with that story rather than tell everyone the truth, obviously," Holden laughed once more. "Calm the hell down. You don't have to worry about me fucking your brother."

Pain shot through Holden's head and briefly he saw nothing but white. "You son of a bitch!" Blake shouted as he struck the blond man in the back of his head.

Holden hit the ground with a hard thud, and the gravel dug into the palms of his hands. He turned to look up at Blake as a kick landed at his stomach. "What the hell?!"