8 Mile & Rion by K.S. Adkins Page B

he kisses me hard, takes my hand and during our next match single handedly took out every last one.
    Oh yeah, he’s the bad boy alright.
 

‘A true woman always loves a real soldier.’
    ~Belle Boyd
    Gotta fuck her. That’s all I can think about. I’ve been a slave to a lot of things. My parents, my government and then to Jill’s bullshit, but never to lust. This is more than lust though, this is Rion. She doesn’t want me to be a slave. She just wants to make me happy. What the fuck does a guy do about that? He takes out the enemy with pellets, that’s what he does. When it’s over she whistles out loud and when I turn to look at her, she looks so fucking happy that I forgot to breathe. No one has ever looked that happy about anything that had to do with me. I grew up with a Marine for a father. Our house was a well-oiled machine. I have six years on my brother so by the time he was born I already knew the rules. My father died when my brother was one and I was seven. From then on, my mother was a fucking drunk mess. Being the man of the house as a kid wasn’t easy. My brother did whatever the fuck he wanted because he was too young. Me though, I had to take care of both of them until she died and we were split up by the state. Over the years I tried keeping in touch with him, but as he got older and got adopted I knew one thing. My brother was a fuck up, had it easy and I hated him for it. Hated the chances he was given that I wasn’t afforded.
    The woman talking to her team mates was loved by her old man. He raised her right and it showed. She was a good woman and she was too good for the likes of me, but if I could change even a little bit and could keep her, I sure as hell would fucking try. When her guys walk over to say goodbye, I watch everything she does. When she spoke she used her whole body, when she smiled it was with every muscle in her face. When she spoke of me personally, she was actually bragging in full detail and fuck if she didn’t look proud to be here with me. Shaking hands in goodbye and packing up I feel the urgency to get her home, under me and safe.
    I even let her do all the talking on the way back while I sorted my head out. Truth is, I could listen to her talk for hours. Mostly she replayed my killing spree from her point of view and I felt like a king that she thought I was somebody. She wasn’t doing it to bullshit me either, she meant every word. Once we’re back in the city she takes my hand and laces her fingers through mine.
    “Thanks for coming today,” she says looking down at our hands linked.
    “Thanks for inviting me.” I manage to groan out.
    “I don’t know what war’s like,” she says squeezing me, “but thank you for doing it so people like me didn’t have to.”
    Speechless, I replay what she said and was struggling with what to say back. No one’s ever thanked me before, that’s for damn sure. Parking in the garage, she said to leave the car in gear for later, so I did. She asked me to give her a few minutes while she checked her messages so I opted for a shower and made us both some dinner while I waited. The door opens, Rio walks in, flops on the couch and eats Rion’s salad. “Said she’d be a while, got a bunch of bets to place. You got me for a few.”
    “Wonderful,” I mutter making her another salad.
    “Airsoft, huh? She talked you into it, or did you lose a bet?” When I don’t answer he keeps going with his mouth full. Rio was a sloppy eater and didn’t seem to care in the least. “Went with her a few times but the girl never tires out and she’d shoot me when I wouldn’t follow the rules, so I quit going.”
    Still ignoring him he keeps yapping. “Hope it’s cool I had her bail your ass out. She was all fucked up about thinking you were a no show. Heard the judge let you go, but if you ever get to see her in court for real, prepare to get your god damn mind blown.”
    “Why’d she quit if she’s so good?”
    “She only went to