“Yeah,” Fox pipes up. “We’re here to help.”
“Help?!” Zusanna cries, so loud it echoes into the dark inside of her gym, where I can just make out the shapes of equipment: padded floors, dangling speed bags, a neon sign that screams FIGHT LIKE A GIRL. “My gym is ruined. I am trying to fix. And now my father sends in the…the…theclown brigade”—she gestures wildly at the four of us—“and I am supposed totake it easyso you canhelp.”
“Um.” Fox is blank-faced, stunned. “I guess. Here’s your T, by the way.” Meekly, he hands over the fallen letter from the sign, then throws a bug-eyed,save-me-pleaseglance at Kit, who just spreads his hands and looks at Pan.
But Pan looks at me.
I take a deep breath. Mentally crack my knuckles. Because…well, for de-escalating this kind of situation, I probablyamthe best man for the job here.
Whether I feel like it or not.
“Zusanna?” I take a small step forward, hands spread in anI come in peacekind of gesture. “Can you maybe just tell us what happened?”
Zusanna folds her arms, still standing at full attention, and slices her gaze to me.
“Your dad…didn’t give a lot of details,” I elaborate. “Just that we had to…how did he put it?” I glance back at Pan.
Pan clears his throat and steps primly forward like it’s his turn at the school spelling bee. “Get you and your boys down there before I pound your skinny ass intokofte,” he recites. And winks.
Zusanna groans, and I rip the spotlight back from him before he has a chance to vamp. “Right. So…we know even less than you do. Help us out.”
Zusanna blows a strand of hair out of her eyes. But she relaxes. Somewhat.
“Youseewhat happened,” she says, jerking her head back at the windows. “I am supposed to be opening in three days. July 1. I have whole celebration planned, influencers coming. Balloon sculpture.” She scowls. “And now, ruined.” She gives a short laugh. “Withyouhere. My God, Baba is sooverprotective?—”
“Can’t imagine why.” Kit toes at a piece of glass with his boot as Blue steps back in view from around the corner—I hadn’t even realized he’d slipped away.
“So who’d you piss off?” He looks from the ground to the smashed letters of her sign.
“Ipiss no one off,” Zusanna says testily. “Keep to myself.”
Blue gives a short laugh, arms folded. “Sure. And this place just…spontaneously combusted.”
Zusanna lets out a torrent of Albanian that I can’t imagine is friendly.
“Maybe…someone’s trying to get at your dad?” I interrupt, glancing at Pan, who shrugs.
“No,” Zusanna says vehemently, swiping the air. “No. This has nothing to do with him. I stay clean of all that business. No place for a woman.” She tosses a long braid over her shoulder. “I take loan from him, is all. But that, I will pay back. I do not need his…protection. Not his money, not his”—she gives a loud snort—“muscle.”
Now Pan looks affronted. “I’ve got muscle,” he protests. “We’vegot muscle.”
Zusanna stares at him. “And I don’t?” She rolls her eyes. “Obobo,you’re worse than my father. Just because you’re a man, you must be stronger than me, eh?”
The corner of Pan’s mouth lifts, and he gives a humble, shuffling shrug. “Well, I mean?—”
Bam. In a flash, Pan’s on the ground and Zusanna’s knee is in the air. Where Panusedto be.
Blue loses it. I mean, actuallydoubles overwith laughter. Fox just grins, unabashed but a little nervous. And even I have to snort. I mean, it’s funny.
“Ow!” Pan pushes himself up and sits, criss-cross applesauce, rubbing his cheek. “Thathurt, Zuzu.”
“Sounds like you problem. Next time, you brace.” She glances at the rest of us. “So any ofyouwant to?—”
“Nope!” Fox spreads his hands through the air, shaking his head vigorously. “Nope, no, no thank you. We’re good. We love women. I mean, strong women. Women in…business.” He smiles very broadly, does a thumbs-up for good measure.
Kit nods in agreement while Blue gives a quick shakeno.
Zusanna remains unimpressed. She opens her mouth, but then her eyes flick over to me, and she pauses. Thoughtful.
