I pull away from the window and turn around to face Bailey, who must have been over my shoulder the whole time, because we end up butting heads with a loud thud.

I grab my head and give Bailey a dirty look. “You were over my shoulder the whole time? Way to get noticed.”

“So what? Who cares if he knows? Did you get a look at that man? He is exactly what you need. Lyric, he is sexy as all hell. He looks like he could be fun too. He appears to be your type, not like that cocky boss of yours that is always hitting on you. What a douche.”

I shake my head while lowering the blinds. “You don’t know that. You could hardly even see him in the dark,” I say, playing off his sexiness even though there was plenty of light from the streetlamp to know damn well that he was definitely hot; more than hot from what I could see.

She lets out something between a laugh and a huff. “I saw enough, honey, trust me, and I saw the way he looked over here at you too. He wants some company. You should go over there tomorrow and offer to massage his tight ass.” She lets out a little moan and bites her bottom lip on the opposite side of the piercing. “Or make him an offer to massage yours. I bet he won’t turn that down.”

I look back toward the window and laugh at her tired silliness. “I don’t know what I would do without you and your dirty mind,” I say with a smirk. “Now get out of my room.” I point at my door. “I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”

“Not nice. You’re always kicking someone out of somewhere.” She stands up and walks toward the door. “You’re lucky I’m too tired to fight back or else I’d stay in here all night just to bug you.”

“Uh huh, sure.” I lay back and adjust my pillow. “Go to sleep.” I sit up real fast. “And clean your mouth before bed.”

“Yes ma’am,” she says while showing off her lip to me. “God, I love this thing. Nightie.”

“Night,” I say tiredly as she exits my room, shutting the door behind her.

I’m definitely sleeping in tomorrow. I need some damn rest . . .

IT’S BEEN SIX LONG YEARS since I have set foot in this alley, and being here now is making every muscle in my body tense with the anger I have been trying to keep buried. I take long, wide strides through the dirt and gravel, keeping my eyes straight ahead of me. It’s all I can do to stay in control. I’m here for one reason and one reason only.

When I arrived home over an hour ago to an empty house, my first instinct was to go searching for my brother Alex. From the looks of the vacant house no one has been there in a while.

The ideas running through my head makes me sick to my stomach. I’m here in search of my little brother, although, I’m hoping I won’t find him here. The last thing I want is for him to end up like me.

I pick up speed when I hear the whooping and hollering of the various people rooting on the fight that is taking place at the end of the alley. That part hasn’t changed. With each step that brings me closer, I hear the sound of the blows that are nearly louder than the screams that follow.

“Ah, damn!”

“Get ’em! Get ’em!”

“Get up! Shake it off!”

Approaching the scene I flip my hoodie up, doing my best to not stand out as I push my way through the crowd. The only thing I’m here to do is find my brother; a quick grab and go. There is only problem with that: Alex was just sixteen the last time I saw him. It’s going to take me checking people out to be able to spot him. That also makes it easier for someone to recognize me.

Keeping my head low, I do my best to stay out of the lighting while still trying to pinpoint Alex. The first place I look is where the fight is taking place, but I know right away that none of them are Alex, because one fighter has blonde hair and the other has red. Alex has dark hair like me.

I take a second to watch the fight, remembering what it was like to be in their spot. The power running through your veins. The rage. The release it gave me. It all led me into my dark hell that has me back here, watching from the outside.

The blonde guy—the bigger one, comes at his opponent, swinging a bare knuckle fist into the right side of his face. The blow causes everyone to get rowdy as the smaller dude falls over to the side, blood and sweat splattering through the air. Just like that the fight is over and one guy gets to go home feeling like a fucking machine while the other guy gets pride in taking his beating like a man. The one thing I know is that they’re both here to release their demons. That’s why we all do it. That and for the cash.

Turning away from the fight, I get ready to walk forward but bump into someone’s shoulder. Before I can even look up to see who it is I get shoved backwards, causing me to bump into someone else that is too busy yelling at the fight to even notice.

I steady myself and shake it off. I’m not here looking for trouble, although everything in me wants to shove my fist down his throat and release some of this pent up anger.

“Watch where the fuck you’re walking, asshole!” The idiot seethes while pushing his chest out and shoulders back, trying to intimidate me. He may be big, but it doesn’t faze me. “Take your stupid hood off and pay attention before you find yourself fucking with the wrong person.”

Pushing back my anger, my muscles tense up as I push past him, bumping his shoulder in the process. Now is not the time to get myself thrown back in the hellhole I came from. I know I’m pushing it, but I have a hard time being pushed around, and right now is not the time to piss me off.

The guy reaches out, grabs my shoulder, and spins me around to face him. “Hey! You want to go at it, asshole? I told you to watch where you’re walking.”

Inhaling a deep breath, I attempt to get my thoughts in check, but it’s no use. The heat is already spreading throughout my body, making it hard to think straight. Breathing out, I swing my elbow out, connecting it to the dude’s jaw. A loud crack sounds, causing everyone to stop watching the current fight and focus their attention on us.

The guy falls on his ass, probably not expecting me to stand up to him. Too bad for him; it’s in my blood.

Jumping to his feet, the big dude swings with a left hook, hitting me on the right side of my mouth. I feel blood dripping down my lip and that’s all it takes for me to lose it; although, I have to admit, I welcome the pain.

Grabbing the back of his head with both hands I push his head down and lift my knee, plowing it straight into his face between the eyes. One blow to the face and the guy’s knocked out cold.