Knockout (Tapped Out 4)

“Yes. Heartfelt declaration. Stop stalling.” She thumped his arm. “Give him something he can’t say no to, jerk.”

My pleasure—and relief, God, so much relief—nearly exploded into a laugh, but I fought it back. I needed to hear every word of this.

Even knowing I’d have to retu

rn the favor in spades, I intended to soak up every syllable. And every annoyed gesture JC made.

“What do you see when you look at Emerson?” she prompted, nudging him again. It was kind of cute, seeing her trying to pull out of him what she’d likely have to pull out of me next.

“I see a complete asshole who I’m pretty sure hated me for months or years, mainly because I dared to get too close to his girl.”

I nodded. That was sterling truth.

“It pissed me off, but I also admired him for it. Because anyone who would protect someone that thoroughly had to love just as hard, which made her pretty damn lucky.” He cleared his throat and shuffled his feet, looking for all the world like a little boy who’d forgotten his homework. “I saw a guy who was decent and stand-up and good. Like I’ve always wanted to be, but always kept messing up. And I saw a guy with a really fucking hot ass. What?” he protested when Lily started whaling on him.

Now I did laugh. I had no choice.

He pushed a hand through his shaggy hair. “And I saw a guy I fell for, mostly against my will. One I might even love. Okay, fine, I love you.” He glared at Lily. “Happy?”

“I don’t know if she is,” I cleared the rust out of my throat, “but I am. I never expected this. Didn’t need it, honestly, but I’m happy.”

Even saying the word felt like tempting fate. Like if I dared to revel in this moment, something would happen to take it all away.

When my dad was shot, we’d been playing street ball in an alley not unlike this one. Other neighborhood kids had been there, circling around my dad as they always did because he knew how to tease them in just the right way to make them smile. That gunfire had stopped everything—the game, the smiles, the laughter that I’d always found with my father even if depending on him hadn’t always been part of the equation.

I’d expected bullets to rain down every time I took a moment’s joy since.

“I don’t know how to be that way anymore. Happy, I mean,” I murmured. “It’s been a long time, and I always end up looking over my shoulder. Waiting for the ax to fall that will take whatever good I’ve found away. So maybe that’s why I didn’t look for much. I didn’t want to lose it again.” I rubbed my hand over my sandpapery jaw. I hadn’t shaved in a couple of days. “But Lily was always my good. Always the one thing I’d give my life to protect.”

“Oh Em,” Lily murmured, stepping forward.

I held up a hand. “Let me finish. Please.”

She nodded, glancing up at JC as he slid his arms around her waist.

“But I can’t keep you under glass forever. I knew JC was trouble from the get-go.”

JC chuckled. “You and my parents.”

“Maybe he was the best thing that ever happened to us though,” I added softly, swallowing as my gaze locked first with Lily’s then with JC’s. “Without him, we probably would’ve danced around each other forever. Not wanting to hurt or get hurt.” I rubbed the stitch in my side from where Lubino had landed a punch earlier. “Not wanting to hurt your dad.”

“He’s just going to have to handle it,” she whispered.

Her conviction solidified mine. She was absolutely right. I would do everything in my power to convince her father that JC and I would take care of Lily—together. I hoped he would understand, but even if he didn’t, I couldn’t walk away from this.

I nodded. “You’re right. He will.”

Lily tipped back her head. “So I guess we owe JC a lot, huh?”

JC nodded and stroked her hip. “You sure do.” He pressed a kiss to her temple and caught my eye again. “And I have the perfect idea of how you two can begin to pay me back. It’s going to take a while though, and a lot of…effort.”

Shaking my head, I grinned. “I just bet.”

“One thing you forgot though, freedom fighter.” JC’s smirk blazed through me, lifting my damn towel. He was at his hottest when he was most annoying, it was a proven fact. “Remember that love stuff? You can’t escape.”

“I don’t want to. Ever.” I shut my eyes and waited for my breathing to become steady enough for me to speak. “I love you, Lily. With my whole heart and…”

“He’s embarrassed to say ‘dick’,” JC said in a faux whisper, making her giggle.