“What about her sister?” His smile gleamed with malice. “Such a pretty girl. So willing to give herself up to the cause—”
I was on him again so fast that he didn’t even have a chance to block the hit coming toward his jaw. It snapped back his head, but it didn’t stop the venom shooting from his blue-black eyes. “Stay away from Carly,” I snarled.
He rubbed his jaw, his lips twisting into a smirk despite the pain I knew he had to be in. My hand hurt like a bitch. “She gave herself to me fair and square,” he said, mimicking me. “Surely you don’t intend for your little sweet thang to renege on her deal? That wouldn’t be very sportsmanlike.”
As tempted as I was to hit him again—and boy, was I tempted—I had a date tonight. An actual date with a woman I hadn’t believed would ever go out with me. Or ever let me hold her as she slept, as she had last night. That was what mattered. Not this asshole. But I’d drive the message home one more time, just in case.
I flexed my sore knuckles, examining them. “You ever have someone you love, Costas?”
“Yeah, I’ve loved somebody.” He spat the words as if they were poison.
“Well, see, you’ve got a leg up on me. Because I’m not sure I ever did, not like this. So if you harm my woman or her sister, you’re going to force me to do something I might regret when I’m thinking straight.” I smiled. “Then again, I might not.”
“Get the fuck out of here.”
“With pleasure. Nice chatting with you.” Deliberately, I turned my back and sauntered away.
Slater lifted a brow as I approached. “Another injury?”
“Flesh wound, baby.” I flashed him a grin and patted him on the shoulder. I appreciated that he’d rounded up the troops to make sure my ailing ass was covered.
“Knox,” Timmins barked from the doorway. “In my office. Now.”
A few weeks ago, that voice would’ve inspired a healthy dose of nerves. Not now. “Sorry, Coach, I have somewhere to be.”
I had an appointment for a walkthrough at NYU to see if we’d be a good fit. I needed to make sure most of the coursework could be completed online, in case I ended up moving out of the area.
In case someone split town and asked me to go with her.
“Yes, and that’s in my office. No fighter of mine brings trouble to this gym.”
“Thanks for bringing that up.” My smile returned, unbidden. The weight was already dropping from my shoulders. “I’m done fighting—for you or anyone else. Effective immediately.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Mia
Saturday was officially the slowest day of my life.
I’d never had a date night before, at least when I was an adult. That was pretty sad to admit, but it made me feel a little better about why I couldn’t concentrate at work. I fixed drinks and talked to customers without being aware of any of it, my thoughts totally centered on Tray.
Completely pathetic.
As soon as I finished at Vinnie’s, I walked to the gym. On the way there, I did something even more unusual than daydreaming all day. I window-shopped by choice. I stared up at the pretty dresses in shop windows and imagined myself wearing them. Maybe even dancing. Then I imagined Tray taking them off me…
Before I knew what I was doing, I’d wandered into Taylor’s and headed straight back to the lingerie section. So much pink and red surrounded me that my eyes bled.
“It’s almost Valentine’s Day.” The impossibly polished blonde saleswoman checked me out, taking in my ratty backpack, Tray’s ginormous battered leather jacket, and my threadbare Vinnie’s shirt. She lowered her voice in obvious defeat, her enthusiasm for the sale gone. “Get something for the man in your life. He’ll love it?” I assumed the question at the end of her statement had to do with the possibility I actually had a man.
“That’s why I’m here. Not for Valentine’s Day. For tonight.” Vamping up my role to the hilt, I twirled my hair and surveyed the selection in front of me. It all bordered on obscene, but I supposed that was the point. “Do you have a rack of size six?”
The saleswoman pursed her lips. “Ma’am, anything on this wall is available in our full range of sizes.”
Right. I knew that. I shopped for lingerie all the time. I definitely didn’t buy my sturdy white cotton bras in three-packs at the drugstore.
“Oh, okay. I’ll just…look around then. Thanks.” She’d already walked off before I finished speaking.
I blew out a breath and walked toward a rack of teddies. At least that’s what I think they were called. Some of them had garter belts and seemed to be missing fabric beneath the waist.