At least we were moving.
“I kinda wish Kira’s parents owned one of the apartments with access to a fire escape,” I said, stuffing the empty pretzel packaging into my bag.
“I don’t think the people that have one would want to use them. They aren’t exactly stable,” Dean murmured, standing a foot above the rest as we reached the second-floor landing. He tapped the jagged scar on his right eyebrow.
He had slipped on one of those fire escapes the night we met. He was running from Marcus Woods — from a job gone wrong when Marcus shot at him instead of handing money over. A mistake that led to his murder.
I shuddered a little, glancing over my shoulder to the door of Marcus’s empty apartment. He hadn’t been killed there, but people weren’t comfortable moving into the apartment of a man who was shot and burned in a car.
We descended the second flight of stairs, moving slowly as the fire alarm beeped through the chatter echoing up the stairwell.
Dean’s phone buzzed from within his back pocket, and he fished it out. His jaw clenched as he concentrated on the screen. Whatever it was cast a shadow over his face.
I spoke quietly. “Antonio?”
He shook his head and let me view his screen. “Seb said Murphy’s back.”
“The Irish guy?” The ex-MMA fighter who broke Dean’s ribs so many years ago. Who beat him up with his friends outside The Den over a month ago. He hadn’t been back to the basement for so long, I thought maybe he gave up fighting.
“Yeah...” His phone buzzed with another text, one that came through from an unknown number in a separate inbox. We read it together in silence. Antonio, or the unknown ID, wanted him to fight again tonight.
“You’ve barely healed from the last one.” I gestured to his ribs and the small cut on his cheek.
He looked at me but didn’t have to say the words out loud.
“But you don’t get a say.” I nodded slowly in disappointment.
“I can handle Murphy. I know what he’s like.”
“Yes, but...” I lowered my voice as we got to the first floor, walking with everyone else towards the front door. “That’s when you aren’t already bruised.”
Dean half smiled as he put his phone away and slid his hand into mine. “I’ll be okay, Lily. Always am.”
I wanted to believe he would, I really did. But the bruises...
When we got outside, we separated from the crowd and joined Kira and Aiden on the sidewalk.
On the way over, Dean ducked his head and gently squeezed my hand. “I've been in way worse situations, Lily. Nothing will hap—”
I covered his mouth quickly with my fingertips. “Don’t say it.”
He smiled against them but agreed with a nod.
“Good.”
Dean and I couldn’t wait around long, I had to get to work, but Kira agreed to let me know what caused the emergency evacuation if she found out.
We were just about to say our goodbyes when Aiden said, “Looking forward to the fight?”
Dean leveled Aiden with a very subtle, uninterested glare.
“I’m in a private group on the socials,” Aiden continued. “One of Murphy’s guys is in it and likes reminding us when he’s fighting you next.”
“Good to know,” Dean drawled.
Aiden smiled, but the look in his eyes wasn't sincere as he wrapped an arm around Kira and pulled her into his side. “We’re looking forward to tonight, aren’t we babe?”
In the briefest of moments, I saw Kira's mask slip. It was for barely a second but she winced when his hand gripped her bicep.
