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Cassius grabs onto my cut and hauls me off the couch. I uppercut him quickly, surprising the hell out him and everyone else. I can hear as the stools scrape across the floor and boots start stomping towards us. Cassius elbows me, slamming it right into my cheek bone. We end up on the ground, a mass of flying fists and grunts until hands slither between us and pull us apart.
“The hell is wrong with you?” Cassius barks at me.
I stare at him, the taste of copper filling my mouth. I spit on the ground and wipe the corner of my lip. “Nothing.”
“Doesn’t seem like nothing to me, Z.” West says from behind me.
I shrug everyone off, walking back to the couch and laying back down where I started. “Everyone fuck off tonight, all right? Justfuck off.”
I can feel everyone staring at me, and I’ll probably get grilled tomorrow, but whatever. I don’t normally get into it with the club. None of us usually get into it with each other, but sometimes shit happens.
And today, it just so happened that today was the day my anger decided to snap.
It was only meant to be an ambush in Tijuana today, but it ended being so much more. I didn’t get to walk away with Santiago’s head.
Instead, I walked away with a girl and her kid.
* * *
After a few hoursof tossing and turning, and I unfold my body from the uncomfortable position I’ve been struggling with. I sit up, stretching my neck that must have been twisted in half while I slept. Glancing around, I see the lights off and the bar empty. Everyone must have gone to sleep.
I check my phone, seeing it’s only six in the morning. People will be sleeping until lunch time, at least. That’s how it is for most of them around here. Party until morning and sleep until the afternoon. I can’t lay on that couch for another second though. I’d rather take the bar top.
I walk to the bathroom to take a leak, then head upstairs. No way am I going to be able to get back to sleep at this point. Might as well check on the girl.
Maybe let Charlie go to sleep.
If Charlie fell asleep and they somehow got out of here unseen, I’ll lay into him ten times harder than I did Cassius last night.
Shit, Cassius.
I feel like a dick for being such an ass last night, but who the fuck breathes their drunk ass breath all over you when you’re laying down? Cassius, that’s who. The guy drinks way too much.
Once I get to the top of the stairs, I can’t stop the chuckle from breaking loose at the sight of Charlie. He lays against the white walls that are scuffed to shit from years of being beaten and battered. His eyes are half-mast, ready to knock out at any second. He’s doing the head bobbing thing, struggling so hard to stay awake that he can’t tell I’m only a few feet away from him.
Which brings me to my next point—he’s not doing a very good job of being on the lookout.
“Charlie.” I bark.
“Huh? What?” He snaps his head up, looking at me, but not looking at me. He is so tired his eyes can’t focus on one single thing.
“She try to leave again?” I nod towards the door.
He gets up, stumbling a few times in the process. “Uh, no. No noise all night. Heard some shit going on downstairs though.” He eyes trace my face, and I’m betting I’m a little bruised from last night.
Not going to go there with the prospect. “Go to sleep. You look like hell.”
He perks up, ready to bolt down the stairs. Kid is tired as hell. “You sure?”
“Yeah. Get out of here.”
“Thanks.” He bolts down the stairs before I can say another word.
Turning towards the room, I stare at the door in front of me. Part of me doesn’t even want to go in there. I’m not sure if I’m ready to face the day and whatever stands in front of it. No girl has ever even remotely invoked the beast in my chest to thump in my rib cage and try to escape. Not that Ivy has. But she woke him, and to me, that’s enough to raise my guard.
Opening the door as quietly as I can, I stop in my tracks at the sight in front of me. Ivy is sleeping, curled into a ball as if protecting herself from the monsters the lurk around her. That’s not who has me looking petrified in the doorway, though. It’s the kid, Lilah. She sits there, on top of the covers, legs crossed underneath my parachute of a shirt covering her tiny body. Her eyes look tired, but alert. She’s stares at me like she’s leery of me but doesn’t want to be.
I lift my hand in a wave.
