Fuel and Fire

CHAPTER 4

I froze outside my apartment while cold air rushed through the shattered window above me and my exhaustion disappeared beneath a sharp wave of adrenaline.

Glass glittered across the sidewalk beneath the broken frame while the brick sat in the middle of my living room floor wrapped in black cloth.

“Are you f*****g kidding me?” I muttered.

The movement flashed near my car. A woman wearing a leather jacket darted across the front of my truck while something metallic scraped loudly against the paint.

“Oh, you dumb bitch.” I said.

I dropped my bag before sprinting across the parking lot barefoot while the woman looked up in surprise.

“You f*****g psycho.” I yelled.

The woman cursed while stumbling backward away from my truck and moonlight caught the side of her face just enough for recognition to slam into me.

One of Sabrina’s friends. Of course it was.

“You better start running.” I snapped.

“Sabrina said you needed a lesson.” The woman said lifting the tire iron defensively.

“Yeah? Well, Sabrina should’ve come herself.” I shot back while cracking my knuckles.

She swung first and I ducked sideways while the tire iron missed my head by inches. Then I slammed my fist directly into her ribs hard enough to knock the breath from her lungs.

She staggered backward cursing while I grabbed her jacket and shoved her against my truck.

“You break my f*****g window and touch my car?” I snarled.

The woman shoved me hard before swinging again wildly and this time the tire iron clipped my shoulder painfully.

I ripped the weapon from her hand before throwing it across the parking lot. Then i drove my knee straight into her stomach while she folded over coughing.

“You crazy f*****g cunt.” She wheezed.

“Funny. People say that alot.” I replied while grabbing her hair roughly.

She clawed at my arms while trying to shove me away and then she caught my cheek with her nails hard enough to sting.

That was enough for me. I punched her directly in the face.

Blood exploded from her nose instantly while she screamed and collapsed onto the pavement clutching her face.

Apartment lights flickered around us while people started shouting from the balconies. That was just f*****g perfect.

The woman curled against the ground sobbing while blood dripped through her fingers and honestly, part of me still wanted another swing.

Then police sirens echoed down the street.

“Well, that escalated quickly.” I muttered while breathing hard.

“She attacked me.” The woman yelled immediately while point at me from the pavement.

“You vandalized my apartment and car.” I laughed.

A police cruiser swing into the lot seconds later while red and blue lights flashed across the buildings and two officers climbed out looking irritated already.

“What the hell happened here?” One officer asked looking between us.

“This psycho assaulted me.” The woman shreiked.

“She threw a brick through my f*****g apartment.” I said pointing toward the shattered apartment window.

The second officer looked at the blood covering the woman’s face before looking back at me barefoot and furious.

“You hit her?” He asked.

“She earned it.” I said.

“Ma’am, calm down.” The officer sighed heavily while reaching for handcuffs.

“I am calm.” I said.

“You’re covered in blood.” He said.

“Most of it’s hers.” I said.

“Jesus Christ.” The first officer muttered while the woman kept whining dramatically from the pavement.

Then another engine rumbled into the parking lot.

It was a black truck that I hadn’t seen before but Knox climbed out before the engine fully stopped and both officers stiffened slightly the second they recognized him.

Knox’s eyes landed on me first while anger flashed across his face briefly.

“What happened?” Knox asked.

“Apparently Sabrina outsourced vandalism.” I said crossing my arms.

“She attacked me.” The woman yelled pointing toward me.

“You smashed her window.” Knox replied coldly.

“Mercer.” The officer closer to him said clearing his throat.

“Officer.” Knox said barely looking at him.

“You came for her?” The woman asked staring between us before realization crossed her face.

Knox ignored her completely while stepping closer toward me and his jaw tightened when he noticed the scratch across my cheek.

“You hurt?” He asked quietly.

“I’m fine.” I said.

“You punched someone barefoot.” He said.

“She had a tire iron.” I said.

“Look everybody needs to calm down.” The officer holding the cuffs said.

“I am calm.” I repeated.

“You never calm?” Knox asked looking at me.

“Not when people throw bricks through my apartment.” I said.

“Sabrina warned you to stay away from him.” The woman snapped at me and Knox’s expression went cold instantly.

“Get her outta her.” He told the officers.

“Excuse me?” The woman asked shocked.

“You heard me.” Knox snapped.

The cops exchanged uncomfortable looks before helping her toward the cruiser while she continued screaming threats at me through blood and tears.

“You’re f*****g dead bitch.” She yelled.

“Get better friends.” I said rolling my eyes.

Knox grabbed my arm lightly before I could keep yelling and heat rushed through me instantly.

Once the police finally drove away silence settled across the parking lot again except for distant thunder overhead.

Knox looked at the shattered apartment window before dragging a hand across his beard.

“You should’ve called me.” He said.

“And what what? Hi Knox, somebody threw home decor through my window?” I scoffed.

“You could’ve gotten hurt.” He said.

“And she could’ve minded her business.” I snapped.

“You always this stubborn?” He asked.

“You always this controlling?” I asked.

Tension cracked between us instantly while rain started falling lightly again.

“I didn’t ask for protection.” I said.

“No. But you still need it.” He replied quietly.

“I handled it just fine.” I said.

“You got into a parking lot barefoot at three in the morning.” He said.

“She started it.” I said.

Knox stared at me for a second before suddenly laughing under his breath.

“What?” I asked.

“You’re f*****g unbelievable.” He said.

“That wasn’t an answer.” I said crossing my arms.

His expression softened slightly while rain dampened the dark hair falling across his forehead.

“Come sit in the truck before you freeze to death.” He said.

I hesitated briefly before following him toward the black pickup because my adrenaline was finally fading and now I was just cold and pissed off.

The truck smelled like leather and cigarettes and the silence between us felt heavier once the doors shut.

Knox glanced toward me while resting one arm across the steering wheel.

“You gonna tell me why a girl from a rich family lives alone in a shitty apartment and fights people in parking lots?” He asked.

I stared out the windshield for a second before laughing humorlessly.

“Because rich doesn’t mean good.” I said as Knox stayed quiet.

“My parents care more about appearances than people. Everything was money and parties and pretending we were perfect.” I admitted eventually.

“And you left.” He said.

“I disappeared the second I turned eighteen.” I said.

“Why stay here?” Knox asked studying me carefully.

“Because nobody owns me here.” I said.

The words slipped out more honestly than I intended. Then Knox surprised me completely.

“I’ve been watching you for months.” He said.

“That sounds illegal.” I said turning toward him slowly.

“You know what I mean.” He said as his mouth twitched.

“No. I really don’t.” I replied sofly.

Knox looked down briefly before meeting my eyes again.

“You don’t act scared around anyone. You mouth off to truckers twice your size and work your ass off every night and you still smile after people treat you like shit.” He admitted.

“And?” I asked quietly.

“And I noticed.” He said.

Something shifted hard inside my chest because Knox Mercer looked at me like I mattered and nobody had looked at me like that in a very long time. Maybe ever.

“You’re dangerous.” I murmured.

“So are you.” He said.

Then he leaned over and kissed me. Warm, rough and sudden.

My fingers grabbed his jacket instantly while his hand slid against my jaw carefully like he was trying not to scare me away. The kiss hit hard enough to steal every coherent through from my brain.

When we finally pulled apart both of us breathing heavier, Knox rested his forehead briefly against mine.

“You should come back to the clubhouse with me tonight.” He said quietly.

And honestly? Part of me already knew I would.