She huffed and threw back the coke Logan had so generously offered to her when they entered to the bar. Glanced longingly towards the bartender who for some reason seemed to avoid her. Then turned towards the cage where Logan was pounding yet another contestant to the floor.
“This is abso-fucking-lutely un-fucking-believable…” She muttered under her breath. Five more hours to go in this sleazy joint, and all Logan let her drink was non-alcoholic drinks and water. He on the other hand was slugging back beer and whiskey like they were water.
“I don’t want to get thrown out because the chick I came in with can’t hold her liquor,” he had said when she had asked for whiskey. Just because she passed out at the previous bar they had stopped didn’t mean squat. She had been tired and hungry back then, having spend nearly half a week sitting in a cramped Pontiac, eating fucking pretzels and beef jerky!
She tried hailing the bartender once again, task that proved futile, and slouched down from the stool she was sitting on. Moved closer to the ringside.
It was boring as hell to sit in a car 24-7, but these matches were worth to look for. All the bare skin and rippling, sweaty muscles a girl could hope to see. Now, if she only could get a drink, even one lousy beer, everything would be perfect. But unfortunately nobody seemed interested in facing the Wolverine’s wrath. Every bar they entered he made it perfectly clear to everybody that she was under no circumstances allowed nowhere near booze.
She cringed when Logan took a knee to his side and fell on to the floor on his hands and knees. Cringed some more when his opponent kicked him hard. Then cringed even more when she saw the grim lines appearing around Logan’s eyes as they narrowed. Nobody… Fucking nobody in his right mind kicked his jewels. Not if they wanted to remain in the land of the living.
“This is going to be so good…” She muttered under her breath. Logan seemed to hear her barely audible whisper, tilted his head and winked at her. Then started to crawl up from the floor, as if in horrendous agony. His opponent who obviously hadn’t heard of the Wolverine before nor seen him in the ring stepped forward, launching a well-aimed punch, which Logan countered with his own fist. For a moment both men stood there, knuckle against knuckle, and time quite literally froze.
She could hear every breath. Every holler. Agonized whimper beginning somewhere deep in Logan’s opponent’s chest. Metallic ringing sound as Logan’s reinforced knuckles met fragile bone.
Then sudden wrench and everything came rushing back. Voices turned to blurred noise, Logan moved swiftly and swiped his opponent down with one blow to his jaw and the match was over. Logan was standing in the ring. The MC was holding his hand high and announcing him the king of the cage.
“Are you alright?” She asked when Logan scooted slowly to his corner of the cage and leaned carefully lower, picking up a bottle of whiskey and taking a sip.
“Just fine… Few bruises, that’s all. But we should get going before they disappear,” he said, taking another sip and grimacing slightly. She picked up his shirts from a stool near the cage and handed them to him. Logan slipped them on, moving gingerly, like he was in pain.
She followed him after he had collected his rewards. Once on the outside he straightened his stance and patted down his pockets, finding a cigar and a lighter.
“We made good money tonight. Few more nights like this and we can hole up for the winter,” he said.
“Hole up?” She asked. They started walking towards his car.
“Yeah. I have a cabin. Pretty remote and we’ll be snowed in for the most part of the winter, but we’re under military radar.”
Whole winter cooped up with him in some dingy cabin?
“And what are we supposed to do while were there? Jerk off and watch the paint peeling?” She asked, hoping that Logan was joking about the whole thing.
“Well, jerking off can keep you busy only for so long… I have books. And the cabin itself will keep us occupied.”
“Huh?”
“It needs a little fixing. And we need to carry water and firewood. And hunt.”
“And by little fixing you mean… Is the roof leaky or will the whole fucking shack fall apart if I slam the door too hard?” She asked. Logan threw her a nasty glare.
“You have options. Most of them lead you to Stryker, sooner or later. Do you wish to become his pet project?” He asked. She swallowed, then shook her head.
“No. I’m sure the cabin is not that bad. Besides, it’s good to try rural lifestyle for a change…”
She knew about Stryker and his program only what Logan had told her, but those bits and pieces of fractured memories and grisly discoveries were enough to assure her that she’d be better off even with Magneto and Sabretooth than him.
“What’s the deal between you and Eric?” Logan suddenly asked. She had apparently voiced over her opinion of the situation.
“I have nothing against Magneto. It’s Sabretooth.”
“Good old Vic… What’s he to you?” Logan asked.
“I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Suit yourself. Ready to turn in for the night?” Logan asked, dropping the subject for her relief.
“Yeah… Uh… Could we stay in a motel for a change?” She asked. For the most part they had been sleeping in the car, she curled at the back, Logan half sitting on the front seat.
“It would be nice to take a warm shower. Sleep in a real bed,” she added quickly when Logan looked hesitant.
“It would be nice,” he admitted.
“And there probably would be cable. All the hockey you could ever want, just press the small button on the remote…” She pressed on.
“It would be nice, but… I don’t know if it’s safe.”
“Come on! It’s not like Stryker can track us down now! We’re in the middle of nowhere, for Christ’s sakes!”
“Hide and seek is a game we both, me and Stryker know very well. We’re on his turf now,” Logan said. Bright neon sign of a motel appeared in the distance.
“But… Just one night? Please?” She mustered all her diplomacy and ‘aren’t I adorable’ –attitude to those words, even batted her lashes for the good measure. The exit to the motel was getting closer every second. Logan looked at her. He looked at the blinking sign that advertised vacant rooms. Glanced around.
“What the heck… I could use shower and some proper shut-eye myself as well…” He finally relented. She let out a victorious squeal.
“But I get to choose the bed first. And the TV is mine,” Logan added hastily.
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