Chapter 18 BLAST FROM THE PAST
“Who is chasing you?” Jax asked, startled, looking perplexed and on guard as I rushed into the tunnel leading away from the ring.
My heart, already racing from the fight, felt like it was about to leap out of my chest. I couldn't believe she was here, of all places.
"Has anyone seen Siren?" I heard her voice call out over the din of the hall.
Viper. One of the two women who made it to Kanan's close circle, and her name was well earned.
I had seen her dozens of times at the compound, usually standing three paces behind Kanan, her hands folded over her belt, her eyes as vacant as a snake's.
A cold, paralyzing fear washed over me. I instinctively lowered my head, my shoulders hunching as I tried to disappear into the crowd of fighters and fans. My mind screamed a single word: Hide.
I stumbled, my boots catching on the uneven concrete. I bumped hard into a solid wall of leather and muscle.
"Si? What are you doing?" Jax asked. He caught my arms, steadying me. He looked at my face, his brows furrowing in deep concern. "Why are you trying to hide in the dark? You just won. You're supposed to be out there enjoying your victory."
“Don’t,” I hissed, pulling my hood lower. “Just... don't let her see me.”
But it was too late.
“There is the firecracker!” Viper called out, her voice sharp and dripping with an authority that usually made people clear a path.
I froze, waiting for the accusation.... waiting for her to scream 'Ghost!' and pull out a gun.
Instead, she sauntered up to us, a wide, predatory grin stretching across her face. "Siren, that was quite the show. Truly impressive." Viper said, ignoring Jax entirely to beam at me. “I’ve been hearing whispers about a girl in the pits who fights like she’s got a death wish and the skill to back it up. You can't imagine my sadness when I heard of your accident months ago." She looked me up and down, her gaze lingering on the red hand wraps. "I was always curious if the stories were true. I am so happy to see that the accident did not destroy you, as everyone thought. The Pit needs its Queen."
My breath hitched. Of course, she didn't know I was Elena. Why do I stupidly keep forgetting I was in a different body?
Jax stepped forward, his body shielding me slightly. He was probably still wondering why I was hiding from her, looking so scared, so his instinct was to protect me. "What do the Harbingers want with a low street fighter?"
Vane laughed. It was a dry, hollow sound. She reached into her dark coat and pulled out a heavy, embossed business card, then held it out to me.
"I've been making plans for a while now to expand my font," Vane said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial hum. "So I'm looking for the best of the best. And I think you may fit the criteria, Siren. But you would have to prove yourself and start grassroots in a more...." She looked around the warehouse with disgust. "... organized setting than this."
I reached out and took the card, my skin crawling as my fingers brushed hers. "And your boss approves?"
Vane smiled condescendingly.
It was the same condescending smile she used to give me when I was just the lowly "wife" in the background.
"Oh, Mr Maddox doesn't bother himself with... low level doings," she drawled. "Maybe when we grow and become more, he would decide you are worthy of his attention. He has a keen eye for talent." She looked me up and down with a placid expression in her eyes. "Though I'd admit that with a little bit of work, you may catch his eyes, but for now, he is busy with more appealing talents."
The way she said it was like a match to gasoline. She probably thought I had asked because I was one of those desperate girls who threw themselves at him.
I felt the heat of the brand on my chest sear into my heart. That bastard was moving on and having fun while my family rotted in the ground.
"He is moving fast," I spat, my voice dripping with venom. "Didn't he just lose his wife recently? Isn't he supposed to be in mourning?"
Jax stiffened beside me. I could feel his shock.
Nobody talked to a Harbinger lieutenant like that. Not to talk about talking about the Mafia leader that was in front of one.
It was a death wish.
He looked at me, his eyes wide, wondering where this sudden, suicidal bravery was coming from.
Viper laughed instead of getting angry. "Oh, you're really a firecracker. He loves that." She tilted her head, her smile widening into something cruel. "About the wife," she sneered, "that does not matter a bit. The accident was nothing more than a minor setback."
I clenched my fist, my nails biting into my palm as rage bubbled in me.
"There was nothing special about her anyway." She continued, her voice sharper. "Elena was a sniveling, weak girl. She was a burden he had to carry for the sake of a greater goal." She shrugged. "At least now he can get someone better. Someone who fits his world. A man like Kanan needs a wolf, not a house pet."
The world turned red.
I didn't think about the consequences. I took the card and threw it directly into her face. The sharp edge of the card caught her cheek before fluttering to the floor.
"Fuck off," I hissed. "I would not be joining whatever you're planning to create."
Viper’s smile didn't falter, but her eyes turned into chips of ice. She touched the small red mark on her cheek and looked at the blood on her finger. "You have fire, Siren. I like that. We will definitely meet again. Let me give you some time to think it over well."
She turned and walked away, her dark coat swirling behind her.
"Si, what the hell was that?" Jax asked, his voice low and frantic. "Do you have any idea who she is? You don't throw things at Harbingers! You don't talk about Maddox's dead wife!"
"I don't care," I said. I pushed past him, my breath coming in jagged gasps. "I need to get out of here."
"Si!" Jax thundered behind me
Ignoring him, I stormed toward the exit. Not stopping to reply to those who tried to get my attention. But as I reached the alley where the bikes were parked, the group of young girls I had seen earlier blocked my path.
They were holding up their homemade placards, their faces glowing with excitement.
"Siren! Can we get a picture?" one of them asked, her voice full of awe. "You're so cool! You showed him that girls can fight too!"
I wanted to snarl at them to leave me alone, but as I looked at their faces, I swallowed my anger, forcing it back into the dark pit of my stomach.
They were young girls living in this violent district, looking for a hero.
I spent the next ten minutes taking pictures and nodding as they told me how much they looked up to me. When I finally climbed onto my bike, my hands were still shaking, but the rage had settled into a cold, hard stone.
I rode back to the garage in a blur. The wind didn't feel like freedom this time; it felt like a reminder of how much Kanan had stolen.
As soon as we were back inside the garage, I didn't wait for the debrief. I walked straight to where Leo and Mina were playing a video game, ignoring Kael sleeping on the large couch.
“Leo,” I said, slamming my helmet onto the table. “I need you to hack the central precinct. Get me the police files on the Cruz massacre. Everything you can find: every photo, passerby statements, and even who called it in."