Page 126 (1/2)

"Daht And I also haven’t been with Novo"

The long silence was a surprise, but Axe didn’t really care one way or another "We done here? FYI, I’ to fucking do with you, but that hasn’t changed since orientation"

"Her father calledout of the house He’s requested that I keep an eye out for her and I’ve agreed to do that"

Elise was leaving home? Holy shit

Except then Axe reminded himself that it wasn’t really his business anyot to his feet "Congratulations Then again, shit alorks out for people like you, doesn’t it--"

Novo came up the short steps and leaned into the bus "Are you two killing each other or soood--oh, but he thinks I fucked you three nights ago--or whenever it ent to the club"

"What?"

"You heard me"

Novo stared at Peyton "Axe put me up for membership That’s why he took me there And it was because I asked him to--oh, and Axe shut me dohen I asked him if he wanted to be with me Turned me down flat Jesus, Peyton, could you be anyhis head "It doesn’tpast Novo, he stepped off the bus, went over to the door that had been propped open, and entered the training center

As he headed for the gy, he are of a whole lot of things: He was exhausted, for one thing, but he had a feeling he needed to get used to that He was in pain, but yeah, file that along with the for each and every thought he had, checking for signs that he was going to crash and burn as his father had It was like he was searching for cracks in his foundation, waiting for his superstructure to collapse, anticipating the paralysis that he had watched for years

He was already crippled on the inside Surely the outside was going to go, too

Because the truly pathetic thing? He had bonded with Elise

Yes, as she had pointed out, it had been only a hts, but--as he had so often heard, and never truly believed--when it came to males and their soul ht fe for her

So yeah, he was crippled and going to remain that way for the rest of his life

But what the hell

He’d already been crippled before He was used to this