Reese

“Malice?” he snaps.

I step back and pull my hand free.

“After…” I swallow, looking at him before continuing. “After my last fight, I knew I was done. I made a huge amount of money. I was going to buy a little shack on the beach somewhere, watch the waves by night, and surf them by day. I was going to outrun my demons, one way or another.”

“And, did you? Outrun them, I mean?”

“Not really. If anything, I picked up a few more along the way. The difference is, I’m not weak anymore. When they try to drag me under, I fight back.”

“You were never weak, Duchess, but you sure as shit should have never been put in that situation.”

“Somebody had to do it. Why not me?”

He shakes his head, looking sad for a fleeting second before masking his emotions.

“How long are you back for now?”

“For as long as it takes,” I reply cryptically.

I wait for him to say something else, anything else, but he just watches me in that way that peels back my layers and flays my bones.

I hate that I’m the one to break first, but I feel like he sees too much, and I can’t afford to be exposed right now, even if I know he wouldn’t use it to hurt me. Vega isn’t built that way.

I move back to my locker and unlock it, conscious of the fact that Vega has followed me. A spark of anger ignites inside me. I would have killed for this man to notice me years ago, so why now?

I can’t let him derail my plans, but I’m not sure Vega is going to be easily put off. Not with the way he is looking at me now.

Out here, I’m on my own. Oh, I know I can bring the girls in if needed, but none of them will blend in with this lifestyle. It’s why Sugar pulled me in to begin with.

But I’ve been out of the game for a while. I might have kept my fingers on the pulse of this place, but these guys, Vega and Blink, will have a better feel for the beat of what’s happening within the heart of this city.

“You need something?” I snap finally.

He presses me against the locker, his body flush with mine.

“Yeah, I do.” He swallows. “You were just a kid back then. I had to stay away. What I wanted was fucked-up, so I kept my distance and steered clear of you.” His words have my heart beating erratically in my chest as his eyes move over me in a way that feels like he’s stripping me naked.

“But you’re not a kid anymore, and I swore if I ever found you again…”

“Vega.” My whisper sounds tortured even to me.

“Tell me this isn’t what you want,” he murmurs, skimming his nose across my jaw.

“If I do, will you walk away?”

“Fuck no. I’ll just show you all the reasons why you’re wrong.”

“I can’t…not right now, at least. I’m on a job.”

His hand sliding up my ribs stops as he pulls back to look at me. “What kind of job?”

“The kind I can’t tell you about without calling my boss first. This isn’t just about me.”

His thumb rubs over my jaw while he thinks over my words before nodding. “Get showered and make your call. We can talk later.”

“I have to meet Blink.”

That intense wave of need throbs between us once more before he speaks. “I know. We’ll figure it out.”