I nodded my agreement but remained silent, eyeing Antonio for any change in that calm demeanor.
“You both showed some real grit in your matches.” Antonio smiled as moved around to the back of the couch. “But…”
There it is.
His hand came to my newly aligned shoulder, and I tensed.
“You embarrassed me tonight, Dean,” he said, his hand resting on me. “Don’t do it again.”
I nodded once, breath short. “Yes, boss.”
“Good man.” Antonio stepped back, removing his hand.
My chest heaved once silently, and I glanced at Seb side-on. He looked just as relieved as me that Antonio was leaving. Which he was. Sort of.
Antonio reached his bodyguards posted at the bottom of the back stairs when he snapped his fingers in realization and turned back around. “Before I forget. Dean, you’ll be driving for the Winchester job.”
A weapons deal happening in over a couple of weeks. I usually accepted these orders without question, but that was usually when I knew I wasn’t about to step on toes. “I thought Frank was doing that?”
Frank had overheard what Antonio said and wandered over to the lounge area looking confused.
“He was. Until he failed to show up last night to drive me to that meeting.” Antonio said pointedly to Frank before flashing me a smile. “It’s yours now.”
“Yes, boss,” I said again.
Antonio smiled again and turned for the stairs. Frank followed along saying something quietly about how he needed the money from that job, but I tuned out. Frank didn’t have a wife or kids to support, so I assumed it was for his gambling debts. He wasn’t very subtle when it came to talking about which horse or game he bet on in the past.
“So,” Seb said after a moment of quiet, watching the remaining fighters milling about the room. “Roxy looked pissed.”
I folded my arms loosely across my chest, wincing at the tenderness in my shoulder, and rested my head back.
“I ended it,” I said, looking at Seb from the corner of my eye.
He blinked, processing it like I had said something completely out of character. “Like, for good? I’m not going to find out tomorrow that you went back to her place after this?”
I closed my eyes and turned my face to the ceiling. “For good.”
Seb sucked in a breath. “I’m impressed, bro. But be careful. I wouldn’t be surprised if she keyed your car.”
I huffed a laugh. “Thanks, Seb.”
Roxy wasn’t the kind of girl to let go easily, but keying my car wasn’t her style. No, she was the type to cut break lines. As a precaution, I checked over my car when Seb and I headed out the back, finding no leaks, no scratches, or anything missing from underneath or within the engine bay.
“All good?” Seb asked, swinging his leg over his black Yamaha.
“Seems that way.” I closed the hood, wiping any grease on my hands onto the hem of my dark gray T-shirt as I walked around to the driver’s side of the car. Just about to tell Seb goodbye when the back door of the club slammed open.
“What makes you so special, huh?” Frank looked furious as he marched outside. His outburst caused several other guys, hanging around their cars, to look over.
Great.
“Here we go…” Seb murmured, fixing the straps of his backpack.
“You think you’re better than everyone else— Getting special treatment from Antonio.” Spit was flying from Frank’s mouth as he got closer.
Not wanting to be in the firing line of it, I ignored him and climbed into my car, winding down the window to let some air into the warm space inside.
“Feeling a little jealous, Frank?” Seb chuckled but threw his hands up defensively when Frank flipped him off.
