“You can’t love me, Bear. You don’t know who I really am.” Or does he? My name is different, but I’m still the same person.
“I know you,” he counters. “I know you’re not a morning person but once I get you a coffee you’ll perk right up. And that you hate rude people. Especially the ones who forget to use their blinkers. I also know your toes get cold easily, you don’t want your food too hot, and you have a way of calming people.” I stare up at him as he goes on and on. Those stupid tears start to form in my eyes again.
Yeah, I don’t think I’m falling in love with Bear. I’m already there. I pull him down for a kiss to silence him. This is the most I’ve ever heard him talk at once, and it sounds like he could go on forever. He starts to deepen the kiss, and I know where this is going. I want to go there but first I have to tell him the truth. For all I know he might be pissed and kick me out after realizing the danger I might have put both him and Paige in.
“Okay, you know me,” I say, breaking the kiss.
“Then we’ll get married,” he orders. That should piss me off, but all it does is make me want to kiss him again.
“My name isn’t Honey.”
“Good, I hate it.”
“You hate my name?”
“All these people keep calling you Honey. I don’t like it.” He grunts. I snort a laugh. “You’re my Honey, Paige’s too.”
Gosh, I love that sound of that. So dang much. Once again, I’m going to lose my whole world. This time it’s going to kill me. I’m not sure I can take it. Before I wasn’t leaving much. Now I have a man who thinks he’s in love with me and a little girl that I want to be mine.
I go for it, ripping the Band-Aid off before I chicken out.
“My real name is Hannah Louise Ricci. I’m in the witness protection program. I was put there after I went to the police to report a murder. I’m the reason that big shot movie producer Lawrence was arrested.”
Bear’s eyes widen in shock. “As in Jared Lawrence?”
I nod my head yes. I’m not shocked he knows the name. His arrest had been everywhere in the news.
“I’m more than sure he’s got a hit on my head. He can’t have me testify against him.” I close my eyes, waiting for Bear to say something. But no words come. The only sound I hear is the door opening and then slamming.
He’s gone.
Chapter Nineteen
Bear
“Randy, do you remember when that guy came around asking if we would be willing to throw the fight against Mad Dog Barnes?” I ask. My mind is only on one thing right now: protecting Honey. Nothing else matters. I saw red when Honey told me there is a price on her head.
“Sure do. Not like I’m going to forget him putting you and our whole gym in jeopardy, why?”
“Wasn’t he connected to the Hollywood producer that put a hit out on his wife and then got arrested for the murder of his mistress?”
“Jared Lawrence?”
I snap my fingers and point at Randy. “Exactly. Him.”
“Yeah. Mad Dog put out a statement of support and then the Internet dug up that Lawrence was in Mad Dog’s camp for a fight a year ago. People suspected Lawrence had been betting on Mad Dog’s fights and earning a pretty coin off of them. What made you bring that up?”
“Ran into someone who might know him. Do we know where Mad Dog is these days?”
“Think he trains at the Vargas gym.”
“Thanks, Randy.” I slap the trainer on the back. When I turn to go, he grabs my arm.
“Whoa, you’re not going off to see him, are you?”
I give a pointed look at his fingers on my arm. I’m itching for a fight right now. I don’t want to take some of that itch out on Randy. He removes his grip quickly. “Yeah, I am. Why?”
“The Vargas gym is not friendly territory. Someone might spike your drink or drop a weight on your toe and call it an accident. You need to bring some muscle.” Randy whistles sharply.
“I am muscle. All muscle. Champion muscle.” I tap my biceps.
Two kids who are so fresh that the new car smell still lingers around them trot up. “Yeah, Randy?” the slightly shorter, stockier one chirps.
“You two go with Champ here. He’s on his way to the Vargas gym, and he can’t get sabotaged because he has a big fight next week. Got it?”
“I can handle this on my own. I’m not babysitting two kids. No offense, my friends.”
The leader speaks up again. “We won’t be in the way. Promise.”
I glare at Randy, who gives me a sheepish shrug.