“Why’s he suddenly thinking I’m not upholding my end of the bargain?” I say with annoyance, and turn back to the bag, throwing out a hook-jab combination.
“Just shut up. I don’t want to hear your voice for the rest of the time.” He rolls his eyes and turns his attention back to his phone and honestly, I’m fine with it because it means I don’t have his creepy fucking eyes checking out my ass every two fucking seconds.
Do you know that feeling that makes you stop in the middle of the street and look over your shoulder? The feeling that makes you check that the door is locked and that you turn over to make sure your back is against the wall while you sleep…
Yeah, that exact feeling makes me scour all around me.
Someone’s watchingme. I know it.
Without alerting my babysitter, I turn, under the guise of stretching and slowly monitor around me. There’s two older fighters training a young buck in the makeshift ring, but they’re deep in discussion and focused on their guy in the ring.
My gaze drifts upward and I look for hidden cameras. There’s only one I can see–an old one that looks like it’s from the 70’s.
There’s one window towards the front door. Big enough that anyone walking by could see in, it’s dirty as shit, but when I step closer, I see two dark eyes staring back at me in the darkness before vanishing. The feeling of being watched vanishing with it.
“Oi! Get back to work!” Babysitter snaps at me and I turn back to the bag as anxiety creeps in.
Mickey’s amping up his surveillance. Or Mario’s watching me to get payback.
This fight… It’s not going to end well.
Swallowing hard, I straighten my shoulders and nod.
If I can’t make it out of this… Ty’s going to.
CHAPTER 28
I haveto find out what’s happening.
I can’t wait anymore.
She asked me to trust her, but she’strainingfor something.
I turn away from the window quickly, stepping back into the shadows. That guy is her handler, not a friend. My head’s spinning as I lean my back against the cool brick. I’m not leaving her, not alone with some fuckhead buffoon.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I reluctantly check.
When I see who it is, I immediately kick off the wall, my jaw setting to the side.
‘Brother, please. One more fight.’
Mario.
‘No.’There, clean, simple, strong.
“I think you should listen to your brother,” someone says from behind me. A gruff, entitled fucking voice that belongs to no one but Mickey.
Turning to face him, I’m intent on knocking his shit out for Roxie, but I see Mario–bloodied and barely standing up–in his grip.
“What are you doing?”
His lip curls up into a mocking grin. “Well, your brother here,” he manhandles Mario, who shakes like a leaf in the wind in his grip, “came to me and asked for me to give him a loan.”
My teeth grind together so tightly I’m worried I might crack a molar. My vision cuts to Mario, and I can see from the way his hands are shaking and his pupils are dilated that he’s strung out. He needs a fix and so he went to the shadiest fucking person we know.
His dry lips crack as he tries to speak louder, “Ty, please.” Mickey rolls his eyes and tightens his grip on Mario’s hair.
“Pathetic. First it was crying for a hit, and now it’s crying for big brother to save you. Grow a pair,” Mickey snarls, forcing Mario’s head back.That’s fucking enough. I’m going to fucking knock his teeth in. Lunging forward, Mickey’s shirt is almost under my fingertips but a glint of metal shines between us and I freeze.
