Noah crosses his arms, his coat parting slightly to show off the gun on his hip. “See to it. There is time before the next fight. Get your fucking head in the game, and whatever you think you’re doing with the Lynde girl, don’t bother. She’s one of the younger ones, and she’s not worth the time. Both of them are too involved with school to know much about the Lynde business.”
I nod, knowing it’s what’s expected of me.
Right now, there isn’t time to deal with him. Not that I know what I’m going to do when I decide it is time to deal with him.
He’s been pushing me around for too long, but that comes with the territory when you’re the head of the family. However, all the other things he’s done to me or had me do over the years are another story. One that I don’t have a lot of patience for anymore.
One that I have less tolerance to each day.
Jade needs to know that I’m a man who’s going to stand up for her, no matter the person in front of me. I want her to know atthe end of the day that the best choice she could make is giving her loyalty to me.
“I have to go.” I dodge around him and grab my clothing, pulling it on. “Is there anything else you need for the night?”
“Yeah.” Noah’s stern look has me stopping for a moment. “I need you to clean the blood off your face and get your head in the fucking game. I won’t lose money because of you, Ezra. The moment you stop being useful to me is the moment your leniency within the family goes away.”
He strides away through a set of doors, leaving me to stand there and scrub a hand down my face.
That could’ve gone better, but it could’ve gone a hell of a lot worse as well.
I get dressed and head to the sinks in the back, cleaning the blood from my skin. I don’t want to scare Jade when I find her—and I am going to find her—but I don’t want that to be done with another person’s blood on my skin. She saw enough tonight.
Noah would’ve gloated if he had her. He would’ve made snide comments while we were talking.
I flick the water off my hands before heading for the door, weaving through the crowd, and leaving the warehouse behind.
It’s time to go hunting.
I wasan idiot to trust her. I never should’ve thought that cuffs to a bolted chair were going to be enough to stop her.
She must have asked someone in the crowd for something to pick the lock with. There were more than enough women in the crowd tonight who would’ve helped her.
Bright yellow taxis flash by me on the side of the street as I make my way to Jade’s apartment. I’ve checked everywhere else in the city, thinking she would go to one of her family members’ houses. It would make sense if she’s looking for protection.
I was an idiot for thinking that too.
In all the time I’ve been following her and making sure she’s safe, she’s never once told her family about me. Her best friend, yes, but never her family.
She’s going to try and fight me when I get there. I know it. She’s never been one to back down from a fight.
I round to the fire escape, pulling down the ladder.
A man with a tattered coat and a cigarette hanging from his lips approaches me. “What’re you doing?”
“Locked myself out.” I reach into my pocket and pull out my wallet, taking out a hundred dollars and handing it over.
He gives me a smile, showing off his missing front tooth before tucking the money away. The man saunters away, turning the corner and striding out onto the street.
I wait until he’s gone before climbing up the fire escape.
I take one staircase after another, turning and striding, glancing in the windows with a small sense of curiosity about what the other people in the building are doing as the sun creeps up over New York.
Bright rays are reflecting off the buildings surrounding me as I open Jade’s window.
And there she is, asleep on the couch, her dark lashes fanning across her cheeks and her hair spread out around her. She’s breathing deep and clutching a pillow close to her, still wearing the clothes I snuck her to the fight in.
Poor little love, always thinking that she’s two steps ahead. Thinking that she can take care of herself regardless of what’s happening around her.
One of these days, she’s going to have to learn that she’s helpless.
