“Ellison is with me and she’s off-fucking-limits,” I roared.
“Too bad your brother Fox didn’t get that memo,” he said. Max dropped his cigarette to the gravel and stubbed it out with his shiny shoe.
Were people trying to tell me that my own flesh and blood had stolen my girl from me?
My temper flared, the mercury hit the red. I tossed down my helmet and stalked towards Fredricks, ready to rip his face off regardless of the consequences.
He whistled and the two bear-sized bouncers appeared at his sides like hounds. Figured he didn’t fight for himself—the skinny weasel he was.
“Might want to reconsider that,” he sneered. Fredricks disappeared between the two oafs and walked back up the stairs.
I faced the two giants and cracked my knuckles as I fisted them. One thing DesMax had taught me, a fight to the death wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially when it meant a ticket out of that hell hole.
If this was the story I was coming back to, that the fairy tale of South Vale was dead, and all that lay in the path of its ruin was Desolation. If the only people I cared about had betrayed me, then I was as good as dead anyway.
The first punch felt like a dream. A rush of adrenaline, a much-needed escape from the mental pain. I saw blood spurt from his nose and felt the warm wetness of it run down the back of my fist. I swung again and again, until someone was restraining me.
When they broke my jaw, I saw stars. When they kicked my ribs, I lost consciousness.
“Put him in the trunk.” Cavelli’s clipped command was the last sound I heard.
Chapter 35
ELLISON
“You sure you’re ok with staying at my place tonight,” I asked Fox as I filed some accounts in his office. He was a complete mess, typical disorganized man.
In the beginning of my single-parenthood, Fox had hired me to do the club’s accounting, answer phones, and any other secretarial tasks they had lying around the office. I still went into working mode whenever I visited the club.
“You don’t have to do that Ellison, you’re not on the payroll anymore.”
“I know. I guess old habits die hard.”
When I was offered the job at The Emporium by Cavelli, Fox tried to talk me out of it, but the pay was outstanding and I wasn’t in a position to refuse it. Fox had spent years bending over backwards trying to make up for Cal’s absence, and as much as I appreciated it, I needed the independence. Fox couldn’t protect me from the world forever, and it turned out letting go was exactly what I needed to move on with my life.
“You kidding, Ellie? There’s nothing I love more than spending time with my favorite little person.”
“I’m looking forward to a girl’s night with Charlie. I want to clear my head and Charlie always has great advice.”
Fox rolled his eyes. He and my best friend Charlie had irreconcilable differences. They were both way too hard headed, but they’d be the very last to admit it.
“I need advice from Charlie Matthews like I need a hole in the head. But don’t worry, go out and have fun. I’ll crash on the couch and make sure Adele eats her Pop Tarts and drinks tons of caffeinated soda. Don’t yell at me if your kid trashes the house, though.”
“Montgomery trait,” I said as I shuffled a pile of unopened mail.
The last ten years Fox had become my shoulder, my rock. Because of him I was able to get through the tough times. After his mom left and my parents moved, we only had each other so we’d become close, like family. And Adele had bonded with her uncle as the only father-figure in her life. We’d learned to lean on each other, and get through it together. If it wasn’t for Fox I would have fallen apart completely. Fox had become a brother to me, helping me heal all the wounds that had been left behind.
“Calvin got released today.” Fox’s words left my blood cold.
My plan had been to attempt to get away with not telling Fox about our disastrous run-in.
“I know. He came to see me at work.”
“Seriously?” Fox walked over, his brow drawn in concern. Fox was a contradiction, because while I knew he’d put hands to anyone who tried to knock his brother, he also would be the first to stand up against him when it came to Adele and me.
“He tried to drag me out against my will. Cavelli let me go, I just found out this morning.”
“Where’d he go?”
“Well, we went to Baker’s to talk and then before I knew it, he was ditching me and I had to call an Uber to get home.”
“Listen, Ellie. Prison is no cake walk. I’m not sure what his intentions are, but both you and I have to prepare ourselves to be dealing with a changed man—and likely not for the better. You’ve gotta let me know when this kind of stuff happens, though. My job to protect doesn’t end just cause Cal’s home.”