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“Yes.”
“I’ll warn you, you won’t like it.”
She licked her lips. “It’s about you though, right, and all of this. How did you even take over from something like this?”
“What makes you think I took over?”
“You said if you don’t someone else will.”
He smiled. “It’s one of the many things I like about you, you’re smart.”
“Don’t patronize me. I’m listening to you, and you’re treating me like I’m stupid.”
“All of this is stupid, Ava. Why do you want to know the truth?”
“I want to understand. Is that so hard to believe?”
“If you’re looking for a hero, you’re not going to find him in me.”
“Then tell me what I am going to find. I’m not looking for a hero.”
He stared at her, and she didn’t know if he was going to throttle her or not. He looked ready to kill her.
Maybe not the best idea to anger a guy people think of as death.
Good going, Ava.
“I was thrown in jail, and my lawyer he said the sexual assault charge would be on my record and I was on a sex offenders’ register. I was eighteen. I’d done nothing wrong, and my entire life had just been thrown down the fucking toilet. My parents were broken by what happened. They left Crow Valley behind, but it killed them. Little by little. I was angry. My rage knew no bounds, and even my friends couldn’t help me. They’d given everything up for me. With no money, nothing, I started to fight. At first, they were little fights. You know, just a few punches to earn a couple dollars a night. Enough to keep me warm.”
“Were you hurt?”
“They’re fights, Ava. Everyone gets hurt. I started to earn a reputation. Undefeated, and a guy at one of the gyms I went to in order to train asked me if I wanted to make some real money. Underground fighting. No rules. No protection. No one to stand in my way. I took it. A couple hundred turned into a couple of thousand. Those fights you could still walk away from.”
“You went further?”
“To get a reputation and to be where I am, you need to learn to kill without batting an eye.”
“And you did this?”
“Yes. I’m still undefeated. Only, I wasn’t just a couple of fists. I knew what I was doing. I watched who was on top. The guy who sat in this seat before me, his name was Arthur Myette.”
“I’ve never heard of him.”
“You won’t. He was the biggest, baddest motherfucker in town. At first, he and I, we hit it off. I did the fights he wanted. Worked for him in security, but what he didn’t know was I was more than a pretty face. I knew what he was doing, and I was calculating. You see Arthur, he had a lot of enemies, and I’m known for being a fair guy. He got greedy, and when that happened, people started to turn on him. So, one night, down at the docks, in front of all his men, I gave him an ultimatum. He gave everything up, or I killed him.”
“You killed him?”
“Yes. There’s no way anyone relinquishes that kind of power.”
“And you never will?”
“I have no reason to. I will never allow myself to fall, Ava, you need to understand that.” He kissed her temple. “And now because of everything you know, I can’t let you go.”
The threat was clear.
Any way out of here was death.
She understood why so many people were afraid of him.
****
The following day, Logan drove toward Julie’s apartment. She lived in a nice neighborhood. The kind any young mother would be happy to raise a child. She worked for him to support her two kids, to get them through high school and off to college.
She was a thirty-five-year-old woman with a ten-year-old and five-year-old. Her husband had died in a hit-and-run, and she’d been struggling until she came to work for him.
He knocked on the door. It was a Friday morning, and he hoped the kids were in school. He didn’t do well around kids.
Juliet opened the door, and her eyes went wide.
“I didn’t complain. I swear.”
He saw the black eye she was sporting. The heavy makeup clearly didn’t hide it.
“I’d like to come in if you’d let me.”
“Of course. I mean, this house is yours anyway.”
Stepping across the threshold, he followed her down the corridor toward the kitchen.
“This is your house.”
“I know. I will be back at work tomorrow night.”
“You don’t work weekends,” he said.
“But I’ve had a couple of days off.”
“I can see why.” He pointed at her eye.
She touched her cheek and turned away, fiddling with the kettle.
“I did tell Louisa it was no big deal.”
“What exactly did Luke want from you?” he asked, taking a seat. “Before we delve into what you’re afraid to tell me, your job is secure. You shouldn’t have been hurt, and you won’t be returning to work until you’re well. Also, this house is yours.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the deeds, sliding them across the table. “Now, tell me what went down.”
