“Mickey’s got it out for Ty, but we’ve beaten him before.” Asher says loudly from the kitchen and I want to fucking throw a book at him. Roxie’s eyes widen and mine harden.
I think,This goddamn stupid boy.
I turn and face him, every bit of my anger burning him where he stands.
“What?” Roxie asks, the panic coming again.
“I just meant that we know how to handle Mickey,” Asher says quickly, standing up from the table and trying to fix the fuck-up his stupid mouth made.
I finally had her calm and trusting me. One word from him and her walls are slamming right back up.I don’t know how I’m going to get him back for this, but it’s coming.
“What do you mean he has a thing for you?” She ignores Asher, turning her attention to me.
I sigh roughly, nearly groaning because this is not something I wanted to share with her just yet. But she asked, and she deserves total honesty. Running my hand over my head, I nod.
“Maybe a week after you were moved, Mickey set up a fight between his fighter and me. They thought I would be an easytarget, a way to boost Nathan’s standing. Well, I knocked Nathan out like the little bitch he is in half a minute and it embarrassed Mickey.”
“Is Nathan still alive?” she asks seriously and I haven’t even thought of him since the day I watched him limp out of the Underground.
“I assume so,” I shrug, “I haven’t seen him in fights since then.”
“He’s gone,” she whispers. “Dead, there’s no way Mickey would let that slide.”
My eyes widen and there’s a stitch of guilt that runs through me. I should’ve thought about it sooner, but I push it aside. I can’t focus on it right now. Not when she’s on the edge like this.
“I’ll find out, okay?”
“Not only that…” Asher adds in, unhelpfully and I feel the muscle in my jaw pop from how hard I clench my teeth.
“Not only that,” I say tightly, turning to throw him a nasty look, “but he’s been trying to trap me somehow so that he can use me to throw fights.”
“He’s going to kill me. He’s going to kill me, and then kill you.” Roxie looks terrified and I cup her jaw gently.
I chuckle, not at her, but at that I’d let Mickey in her orbit ever again. At my chuckle, her eyes turn towards me and sharpen. A little bit of that fire straight from Roxie that tells me she’s in there.
Just protecting herself.
“Never again will you be with Mickey alone. Absolutely not going to happen. So don’t worry, Rox, you’re going to live a long, long life,” I say confidently, sitting back a little.
With me, my brain adds but I shake that off. Not the fucking time.
“Do you think,” she snaps, all steel and pure strength in her tone, “thatthatmatters? You don’t think that the moment thatI step out of here, or hell,you guys go to work and leave me behindthat it will matter what youwantto happen? No, no, no,” she says the words quickly, chuckling darkly without humor as she explains. “If you’re on his radar, and heknowsthat I’m with you, we’re all fucked.”
Asher and I look at each other, and his eyes tell me all I need to know.
We’re not backing down.
Not with her in the balance.
“Roxie,cariño, we’ll cross that bridge when it comes. But know that without a doubt, we’re behind you. I’m in your corner. No one else’s.”
Roxie looks at me like I’m a puzzle she can’t quite solve, her eyebrows narrowing slightly.
“I promise you.” I put as much feeling, as much emotion as I can in those three words. No room for second-guessing, no room for her noble sacrifices anymore. It’s my turn.
“Can you give me the address and I’ll get your stuff?” I ask her softly.
“No, Ty, you can’t.” She grabs my hand that’s holding hers with her other, holding me in place.
