02: DON'T BLAME ME.
Bradley

"Bradshaw, what the fuck was that?" 

Phoenix's pissed off voice was the first thing that brought me back to reality after a hand with some hard rings still stung my cheek. She stared at me with a hard glare and she used my last name.

"Way to start a dog fight," Coyote commented as I checked behind me, but no Leah in sight. Only the roar of a motorcycle engine and Hangman calling after it.

"It's none of your business, Phoenix," I told her.

Damn, do I taste blood? I thought as I felt the taste of metal in my mouth.

"It is once you piss off my friend," She snapped.

"It's between us. I've known her a lot longer than you have, so stay out of it," I told her as Hangman made his way back inside and his jaw clenched as he looked at me with the nastiest glare.

"I'll tell you why," Hangman volunteered.

"You fucking stay out of it," I warned, getting closer to him as he gripped the pole in his fist.

"He cut her off-"

"Seresin," I said in a warning tone.

"-right after his mother died, he cut her out. Blocked. Right before they were both supposed to start at Top Gun. Ain't that right?" I had never seen Hangman so pissed. You'd think he was in love with her.

You'd think he was in love with her.

"What the fuck?" Coyote said.

"Dude, that's not cool," Bob added.

"So yeah, she might have called up to have her papers pulled. But who the fuck wouldn't?" Hangman hissed.

"That is not what happened," I stood my ground.

"Then explain what happened. Because I may not have grown up with her, but I have never seen Kazansky so goddamn angry in the ten years that I've known her," Phoenix and them all stared at me with angry or confused expressions.

They have no idea why I did it.

And I don't owe them shit.

"Fuck this," I muttered, walking past the crowd.

"Rooster!"

They don't know shit.

And I don't need to justify shit.

But seeing Leah again after sixteen years and the way she hit me without a second thought made me feel weak. The absolute hatred in her eyes as she looked at me, the controlled rage in her voice and how goddamn beautiful she looked while doing it made me feel like a teenager all over again.

I didn't realize how much I missed the way her eyes lit up whenever she saw me, or the smile she wore. Fuck, even the way she'd laugh at my dumbass jokes.

It was like she wasn't even the same girl anymore.

"Bradley, please, for the love of God, you can't do it. This is all I ask of you."

"Fuck!" I shouted, hitting my steering wheel.

"It'll ruin her."

But that's not the only thing it ruined.

And now with her here, I have to spend an unknown amount of time in the same room or plane as her. I have to watch her hate me from a distance or up close. I have to watch as she sticks by Hangman and see what could be between them.

And I can't tell her why.

"It's for the best."

But. . .I can also see what an amazing woman she's become. See how that shy girl who was once known as Kazanskys little sunshine became a badass Army Ranger, and how it led to her being picked for this mission. I can get to know her, and see how Leah Kazansky has made a name for herself.

Hopefully, I can rebuild what we had.

///
Obviously Roosters got some explaining to do. Hangman is close with Rampage, and Phoenix is too. Rooster only did what he did on the behalf of someone else, but what could they say and ask to make his best friend come to resent him?