Damn Good Reasons **DISCONTINUED - SEE NEW VER!**

34 Burning For Revenge

Warning... contains scenes of violence.

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"I think she's comin' 'round."

I groaned softly and stirred as my consciousness began to lift from its deep slumber. My head felt heavy, although the ache had subsided somewhat from the night before. Now, it felt like soft kitten feet padding around in my head rather than tiger claws slicing off bits of my brain.

A thumb gently grazed at my cheek, and the familiarity of its touch heightened my self-awareness even more. I warmed into it and shed a tear of relief before I was even awake enough to open my eyes.

"Are you good, babe?" Ace's soft, husky voice speaking close to my ear is what brought me around fully. I became aware of the daylight that seemed so bright and sudden, and I squinted as I forced my eyes to open. "Just take it easy."

He knelt by my side as I lay on my sofa, and seeing his face brought on an uncontrollable hit of emotion. I bolted upright and snatched him to me. I bawled into his shoulder like a child finding its mommy after being lost at a show.

"It's so good to see you. I can't even explain..."

Ace wrapped his arms around me, and I tucked my head in to rest it on his chest, snuggling into the safe, warm space as if he were my big protective blanket. But as I began to relax and my sobs quietened, I noticed his heart was pounding against my ear. It was galloping. And there was a whisper of a growl in each of his breaths as his arms tensed tighter around me, almost crushing me against his sternum.

I wriggled as if to let him know it was time to stop cutting off my air supply, but his mind was elsewhere. I had to struggle to pry myself out of there, and he snapped out of wherever he had been and released me.

Ace's eyes were narrowed into a fearsome stare that spoke unequivocal wrath. "Was it Kyle?"

I stuttered for a moment. I hadn't noticed until then that Natalie and Eyeball were standing at the end of the sofa with their arms around each other's waists. I wiped at my eyes, a lame attempt to clean myself up, feeling embarrassed for my little breakdown. They stood quietly and appeared somber, and Natalie gave me a small smile as if to say, "It's OK."

"Tell me," Ace demanded.

I nodded, ever so slightly. "He jumped me at the train station."

Ace nodded back at me, and I sensed revenge at the forefront of his mind. I thought back to the time when Ace had beaten Lewis to the ground for holding a knife to my throat, and technically he hadn't even touched me that night, at least not on purpose. Kyle on the other hand... I hadn't seen myself, but I didn't need a mirror to know I looked bad. My jaw and my cheek ached to the touch, and the corner of my lip felt fat as I ran my tongue over the split. So, whatever insidious thoughts were prowling through Ace's mind right then, I feared them.

"Eyeball," Ace said, rising from his crouch. "Get in the car." He left my side and strode to the front door, and I saw him pat the back pocket of his Levi's, checking his switchblade was at the ready.

"Ace, wait," I said. "There's more you need to know."

He stopped and turned around to me, his fearsome stare more quizzical now. "Like what?"

"Eyeball, take Natalie out." Natalie had a quizzical look of her own. Lately, her suspicions about what we all got up to in the dead of night were becoming too apparent.

"Come on, babe," Eyeball said, and he led her away and down the hall.

"Well, come on!" Ace said, starting to get impatient.