John shrugs. “It’s the least I could do. He’s your brother.”
“Do we look that much alike?” I ask, curious how he knew Brandon was my brother.
“You do favor. But I got the full dossier on you when I was assigned to you,” John explains.
“So you know my whole family by sight?”
“Yes, along with Andi and your other friends.”
The mention of Andi’s name still makes me bristle, and John immediately picks up on it.
“She’s still your weakness. Be careful with that. The guy you’re fighting will use that against you in the ring. He’ll say things about her, distract you, and try to throw you off your game. If he sees it bothers you, he’ll keep doing it until he beats you with it. Stay focused on what you’re doing in the ring. Nothing else,” John advises.
“It’s under control,” I reply confidently. John doesn’t look as confident in my ability to block out anything about Andi.
“Yeah?” he asks. “Did you see the latest news about her and Travis?”
“Nope,” I answer and try to keep from gritting my teeth.
“She confirmed that she’s pregnant with his baby. They’re talking about whether to have a big wedding or just run off to Hawaii for a barefoot on the beach ceremony.”
The echo of my answering roar was probably heard on the first floor…and we’re on the thirty-first floor. The glass that was sitting on the bar in front of me is now shattered into a million pieces all over the floor. I’m searching for the next thing to smash when John grabs me and pins me to the wall.
“My point exactly,” he says, menacingly low. “If you want a chance of beating this guy, get a grip on yourself. Let it make you mad—at him. Then show him what his taunts will get him. Shut him down—but don’t shutyourselfdown.”
Releasing me, John steps back to the stove and resumes cooking as if nothing just happened. Grabbing the broom out of the closet, I quickly sweep up the glass shards and think about my reaction to Andi being pregnant by Travis. John is right about one thing—I’ll get killed in the ring if I don’t stay focused on the fight. The danger of giving the other guy an opening isn’t just about getting hit. If he stuns me, he’ll keep pounding until I’m out for the count—and it could be permanent.
“You’re right,” I admit as I pour the broken shards of my heart into the trash can. “I either have to tune him out of my ear or tune her out of my life.”
“You said you have some pictures showing she cheated on you with Travis?” Brandon asks.
“Yeah.” I nod, looking down. “I’ll show you.”
Leaving them in the kitchen, I walk through the two-bedroom suite at the Bellagio and take in all the opulence it offers. Stopping in the living area, I can’t help but think that Syndi would love the classic luxury this suite has, and then it hits me how uncomfortable Andi would feel in it. They’re complete opposites in every way, and that’s probably why I feel nothing but friendship for Syndi.
Finding my bedroom, I rifle through my clothes until I find the envelope with all the offensive pictures. I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of them, but I can’t stand to look at them either. I’m too curious to see what Brandon says about them to stop now.
Walking back into the kitchen, I hand Brandon the envelope. “Here you go. Have at them.”
He eyes me for a minute, waiting to see if I’ll lose my cool again if he looks at them in front of me. “Maybe you should go take a load off.”
“Fine,” I agree. I don’t want to see them again anyway.
Brandon sits at the dining room table and pulls the pictures out. He arranges them across the table and carefully studies them, picking up one and comparing it to another over and over. His face gives nothing away as he puts them back in the envelope.
“Well?” I ask.
“Some of them are definitely real, but they’re onstage. It’s part of the act. There are a couple that are iffy, but there are also a couple that are definitely fake,” he says.
“Fake?”
“Yeah. I’ve been working with a graphic artist to create an illustration of a new construction project. I’ve learned a lot about spotting when photo-editing software has been used. There are at least two pictures in there that have been altered. Whoever did it is good, but not good enough,” Brandon explains.
“Which two pictures?” I ask.
“The one of them dancing and the one with his mouth on her neck. Definitely not real,” he says.
“And the one on the merry-go-round?” I ask.
“That one is real,” Brandon says sadly. “But, Luke, I honestly can’t tell if she’s kissing him in it. It’s very possible that it’s just the angle of the picture, especially since the others are obviously fake.”
“Why would someone take the time to fake those pictures and send them to me?”
“That’s a very good question” Brandon replies.
