“And that's why. None of us wanted to take you away from your search.”
“I get that, Prez; doesn't mean I'm not pissed.”He shakes his head.“I'm already packed, so once I'm off this call, I'm on my way home. Fucking tell Shadow he's on my shit list for not telling me what's been going on.”
“Nah, I think I'm going to keep quiet. Let you coming home, and knowing what's been going on, be a surprise. You know how much I enjoy winding my brother up. I'll see you when you get home.”I say with a smirk.
He just shakes his head at me, laughing.
Once he's regained his composure, he says,“I should be back the day after tomorrow; I'm riding back and don't want to risk being on the road too tired.”
With that said, he nods his head and cuts the call.
Unable to help myself, I burst out laughing. I know he's going to give Shadow so much shit when he gets home. Shadowshould know better than not to tell his best friend everything. The prick can be vindictive when he wants to be.
With the meeting over, I decide to go check up on Flame. I can't help myself. I need to reassure myself that he’s really back and okay. Entering The Common Room, I see him sitting and talking to Jake. When I get closer, I hear what they're talking about, and I can't help but smile. Flame's giving Jake advice about how to deal with his sexuality in Devil's Inferno. Pulling up a chair next to Flame, I drop a kiss on his lips before sitting down.
“Don't mind me; carry on. I just wanted to come check up on you now that my meeting is over.”
Flame just rolls his eyes at me but doesn't say anything.
“I don't mind if you want me to leave, Prez,”Jake replies.
“Nope, I won't be here long; I have shitloads of work to do. I just needed to see this one for a moment before I carry on.”I say honestly.
"Okay. Thanks, Prez. So, you don't think there will be an issue with the other brothers, then? I get they're okay with you two, but you're an Enforcer, and Wrath is the President. You don't think it'll be different with me just being a Prospect?”He asks, looking unsure.
“No matter whether you're a Prospect or not, if they have an issue with your sexuality, you need to bring it to an Officer, Jake. That's not how things go around here. We're all free to be who we are. So stop worrying. It'll all be fine.”Flame says, seriously, that was one of his biggest issues when we became members; the older generation wasn’t very accepting. Dad soon put an end to that, and we've carried it on. I know I made some idiotic decision to hide myself when I became President, but that's because, like Jake, I was worried about how others would react.
“He's right, Jake; don't hide who you are around here. I did that for a long time, thinking I needed to hide my feelings towards Flame, and it cost me a hell of a lot of time with him. Just be true to yourself.”I say as I stand, patting him on the shoulder.“Right back to work for me; see you later, babe.”
Bending down, I drop a quick kiss on Flame's lips before leaving to go check in with Tech.
I want to see if Tech's found out anything more about Claire and where the fuck she's scuttled off too. There’s no way she's going to stop what she's started now; she's clearly just regrouping after her last attempt went bust when we rescued Flame. I know she'll be back, coming at us hard. I want to be as prepared as I possibly can for when that happens. I don't want to go through anything like when Flame was taken again. That was the worst forty-eight hours of my life.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Flame
Jake leaves not long after Wrath; he's due on gate duty. He takes everything he does around here seriously, which is really appreciated. Some Prospects don't put in the effort or take their time as Prospects as seriously as they should, and they’ll never get patched in that way. Jake certainly shows a lot of promise. I’d be happy to call him a brother.
Sitting, just enjoying being in a different space than the house is a godsend; I definitely needed this. A woman I've never met before takes a seat opposite me. I can take a wild guess that this is Jasmine. I can tell she's not a new bunny by the fact she's actually dressed respectably in jeans and a top that isn't showing everything she has to offer. I wait to see what she has to say.
“Hi, you're Flame, right?”She asks.
I just nod in response. I only know what Wrath's told me about her. It might be horrific what I know, but that doesn't mean I'll automatically trust and like her. I'm wary as fuck right now after what happened to me.
“I'm Jasmine; I just wanted to introduce myself and say I'm sorry about what Claire had done to you.”
“You don't have to apologize for something she did; you're not your sister. I've heard enough about you from both Wrath and Cam to know that.”I explain to her seriously. I don't want her to apologize for something she had nothing to do with.
Sitting here with her, I realize I'm fucking hungry and need to get something to eat before my stomach starts making it obvious to everyone around me.
“Excuse me a minute, Jasmine. I'm fucking starving, so I'm going to grab something to eat. Do you want anything?”
"No, thank you,”she responds sweetly.
I'm not quite sure what to make of her yet. She seems sweet, but so did Claire when we first met her.
Getting up, I slowly make my way into the kitchen. It's slow going, though, as I've been sitting for too long, everything's gone stiff. Making a quick ham and cheese sandwich before I go back into the Common Room. Entering, I notice Jasmine's now surrounded by bunnies. Oh great, what're those bitches up to now? Getting closer, I can hear what they're saying, and it's not pleasant in the least; it's downright rude and hostile. What else did I really expect from them, though?
