Rafe (Inked Brotherhood 5)

“I’m coming over. Give me the address.”

“Girl, no, that’s not a good idea. Place is crawling with mobsters and shit. Rafe’s going after this guy who may have killed his family, and things might get ugly.”

“All the more reason for me to wait for him with you. Don’t ask me to stay away.” I push off the wall and start undoing the knot of my apron one-handed. Rafe may be hurt. I need to be there. “Tell me where to find you.”

“Damn.” Zane grunts. “You really do care about him, don’t you?”

I close my eyes. “You have no idea.”

“Thought so.” I can hear a grin in his voice as he rattles out the address. It’s not very far from here.

“I’m on my way,” I say and start walking away from the café, toward Rafe. Soon I start running to get there as quickly as I can in the cold drizzle, ignoring the looks passers-by give me.

I don’t even think about Carson. The crippling fear that held me earlier is gone in a rush of excitement. The closer I get to Rafe, the lighter my heart feels, and if that isn’t a sign, then I don’t know what is.

Then again, I should know it’s in that precise moment, when you feel like you’re flying, that you trip and fall.

Chapter Eighteen

Rafe

My arm wrapped around my ribs, I stagger out of the changing rooms, looking for Nino. I push past other fighters, one of them unconscious, carried by burly bodyguards. The door to the main hall with the cages is open and I walk through, plunging into the jeering crowd.

A glance at one of the two cages shows me two unknown fighters. Guess Colt’s fight is over. Nobody pays me any attention as I shove my way through. Everyone’s attention is on the fight.

Good. Having lost money betting on my opponent, I don’t think they’d hesitate to take out their anger on me once they recognize me.

I check their faces as I walk among them, looking for the one who haunts my nightmares.

Where are you, Nino Gaspari? Show yourself. Come to me. Where are you, dammit?

Before I reach the other end of the hall, a heavy hand drops on my shoulder, and I jerk around, ready to fight, broken ribs or not.

“Easy,” Colt says, raising his hands, grinning. He’s still in his boxing shorts and boots, bare-chested and splattered with blood. He sports a black eye, and blood dribbles from a cut in his lower lip. “Fight went well, I saw.”

“I survived.”

“And won.” He glances at my arm that’s still wrapped protectively around my middle. “You badly hurt?”

“I’ll be okay. I’m looking for Nino.” Johnny’s revelations rush back and I take a step closer to him, scowling. “Tell me something, Colt. What does Nino have to do with this woman you’re looking for?”

His grin falters. “Who told you this?”

“Johnny.”

“So you asked him about her? Did he give you any information?”

“Maybe. But first you got to tell me what’s going on.” Dammit, time is passing, but I need to know. “What’s Nino got to do with this case?”

“Fine.” Colt glances at the cages, then back at me. “He’s Mara’s uncle. He doesn’t know who I am. I came here hoping he’d know, that he’d let slip where she is, but he’s as clueless as I am. And when I overheard Ralph, your gangster buddy, talking with you on the phone, about a guy with a hand tattooed on his arm, I thought…” He sighs, hands curling into fists. “Thought we could help each other. Look, pal, I told you what you wanted to know. Please tell me Johnny gave you something.”

“What is she to you?”

“You serious? Wanna have this talk now?”

“You got two seconds to start talking and then I’m leaving.” I stare at him hard. “One. Two.”

“Wait. She used to be everything to me, man. She still is.” He’s shaking now. “Need to find her. Please. Nino can’t know I’m looking for her, and this is my only lead. Been fighting here for weeks, trying to find an answer.”