“Serious, though. You could stand to lose a few.”

He runs his hands down his gut, a slow smirk pulling on his lips. “And get rid of the lady magnet?” He releases a chuckle from deep in his throat. “The ladies love it! More bounce per ounce.”

“More fun per ton.”

He lets out an all-consuming laugh that has his entire body jiggling.

“Yo,” I start, then look behind me at DeLuca sitting at his regular table, phone and laptop in front of him. I turn back to Tiny. “You want to grab some burgers after this?”

His eyes widen and he licks his lips.

“Tiny!” DeLuca shouts. We both face him. He’s on his feet now, shaking his head at Tiny. He’s annoyed, and I’m glad—because I’m getting to him—right in his head.

“Nah, bro,” Tiny says. “Can’t mix business with pleasure.”

“Got it.”

I step away from him, not wanting to get him in more shit. I have a soft spot for Tiny. Given any other situation—I think we could be friends.

I stop next to DeLuca. “Sorry man,” I lie. “I didn’t mean any disrespect.” I glance down at his phone sitting on the table, unlocked and on the home screen. I point to Tiny, hoping his gaze will follow. When it does, I drop my phone next to his. “I’m just trying to entertain him, you know? He seems like a good guy.”

DeLuca clears his throat before looking up at me. “He is a good guy. He’s also my guy.”

“Like I said—”

“Yo, Boss Man!” Tiny calls out. “You have a visitor.” He jerks his head to a blonde standing by the door.

DeLuca swears under his breath and pushes off the seat. Then he makes his way over to her.

Perfect.

I turn my back, blocking them from seeing my hand now on his phone. I peek over my shoulder—but DeLuca and Blondy are deep in heated whispers.

The home screen on his phone is in another language. I tap the phone icon and go to recent calls. All the names are numbers—like a code of some kind.

“Just tell her to fuck off next time!” DeLuca yells.

I drop the phone back on the table and swiftly make my way to the row of chairs against the back wall. I’ve just stripped off my shirt when DeLuca speaks from behind me. “A word, Parker?”

I turn to him—but his expression, just like his words, are calm.

Too fucking calm.

He jerks his head to the change room.

Fuck. “Sure.”

He leads me to the room and once we’re both in and the door is locked, I’m pinned to the wall—his forearm in my throat. “How fucking stupid do you think I am?”

I try to push him away.

He presses harder, cutting off air to my lungs.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I stammer.

He doesn’t reply—but his punch right to my fucking mouth says it all. I use all my strength to push off the wall and into him. My hands fist his shirt, pushing him until his back hits a set of lockers. “Don’t fucking touch me again.”

He smiles—this sinister fucking smile. My free hands forms a fist—ready to pay back his assault.

But he’s fast.

Too fucking fast.

Again.

I don’t even notice him pull the gun from his back—don’t even know he has it until it makes contact with my chin.

“Don’t. Touch. My. Shit. Ever.”

“Fuck you!”

He presses the gun harder into me.

I hold my ground.

The door bursts open.

“What the fuck!” I’d never seen a fat cunt move so fast. “Let it go, man,” Tiny says to DeLuca, pulling him off me.

DeLuca drops his hand and takes a step back, his eyes on mine. “Get the car, Tiny.” He looks me up and down with that same fucking calm in his eyes. “I’m done here.”

14

MADISON

Sara: What are you doing?

Madison: Walking.

Sara: On your own?

Sara: You there?

KY

I fight a war in my head trying to work out what parts to reveal to Jackson and what to keep to myself. I decide on the facts that are of interest to the case—and nothing else. The personal vendetta I have on DeLuca is exactly that—personal. I tell him about DeLuca’s phone and the numbered codes—and I tell him about it being set on a different language.

“What language?” he asks.

I stop and lean against a building on the way home from the gym. “I can’t be sure. DeLuca—sounds Italian, right? Maybe it’s that.”

“Maybe. Thanks for getting that info. Doesn’t really help much, though.”

“Sorry, man. I’ll keep trying.”

“It’s all we can do. Keep me in the loop on everything.”

“Yeah.”

“Everything, Ky. I mean it.”

“Promise.”

Lie.

***

Madison jumps up from the seat in the foyer when I enter the building. I wish it were one of those times when seeing her would make me forget everything else. Unfortunately, it isn’t. And I can lie to her—lie to Jax, even. But I can’t lie to myself. “Morning, Kyler,” she coos, sauntering toward me. She curls her arm around my neck and leans up for a kiss. But she stops halfway and pouts, then runs her thumb across the cut on my lip.

I rear back and push her hand away.

She frowns.

“Sorry,” I mumble.

“I take it it wasn’t a good session?”