Page 53 of Deadly North

“It will.” Fury claps me on the back. “It will, brother. Just you wait.”

26

MACK

“You give her her space, but you make sure she sees that you’re still there. That you ain’t goin’ anywhere. You do that long enough, she’ll figure out that you’re stickin’ around. She’ll stop bein’ afraid of the thing she wants, when she finally starts to figure out that she can actually have it.”

Fury’s words ring in my ears as I go to check on Gigi. I still can’t quite believe I didn’t have to get into a fistfight with him to settle this thing. But I guess after the shock of finding out I’m with his sister, he’s okay with it now that he knows this isn’t just a hookup. Gigi’s it for me. If she’ll have me, that is. Which ain’t a given. But according to Fury, I gotta show her that I ain’t going anywhere, but still give her her space.

Sounds like a fuckin’ tightrope walk, but I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to keep Gigi by my side.

When I get back to the apartment, Gigi’s not there. For a second, my adrenaline spikes, thinking she’s run away, but I know she couldn’t get very far. We have men guarding the gates to the compound and patrolling the perimeter until this shit with the Scorpions is dealt with. So she’s gotta be around here somewhere. I know she said she wanted to be left alone, but I gotta know where she is.Great start to giving her her space, fuckhead.I check all around the clubhouse, asking the men, Little Big Mama, and a couple of the club girls if they’ve seen her, but nobody has. Finally, I get an idea.

I head outside to the back of the compound — the side that’s hidden from the road. It’s where we’ve parked Gigi’s Body Bus until it can be moved to another location. Sure enough, when I approach, I see the door is open. Music wafts toward me from the inside. I approach and knock softly on the jamb.

“Hey,” she says, looking up at me with a half-smile.

“Hey. Can I come in?”

“Sure.”

I ascend the steps, not giving her a chance to second-guess herself. “What ya doin’?”

She glances around the bus. “I’m just taking some time to myself. Wondering when I’ll be able to go back to work. Or back to my place. I miss having my normal, boring life.”

“Yeah. I guess shit has been a far cry from normal lately.”

Gigi sobers. “Mack. Please. I’m begging you. This war between you and the Scorpions. I can’t have it on my conscience.”

I reach over and take her hand in mine. “I know, babe. I know how you feel. And I’ll do my best to stop it. I promise you that, okay? But I can’t guarantee anything. I’m not Magnus. I don’t decide.”

“I really should just leave,” she says on a sigh.

“Wouldn’t stop anything. If war’s coming, it’s coming no matter what.” I take a deep breath. “But if you leave, I’m leaving with you.”

“You’d do that?” Gigi whispers.

“I would. I will.” I draw her into my arms. “I love you, G. I’m sorry I got lost in the need to make Blaze and the Scorpions pay. The most important thing is you. If I make them pay but lose you in the process, it’s a Pyrrhic victory.”

Gigi blinks up at me, cocking her head. “A what?” she asks, her lips quirking.

“A Pyrrhic victory. It’s, like, a victory that comes at such a big cost, it’s basically a loss.”

Giggles bubble from her. “I know what it means. I just didn’t think you would.”

“Oh, I see. So you think I’m nothing but a pretty face. I got brains, too, you know.”

Gigi collapses into peals of laughter. The sound of it makes me feel fucking giddy. “You’re right,” she gasps when she finally starts to get control of herself. “How dare I objectify you like that! Oh, god, it’s been forever since I laughed that hard.”

“Glad I could be of service,” I say, smirking.

“I love you, Mack,” she says, eyes shining up at me.

“I love you, too, G.”

“I’ll stay here,” she says. “I’ll stick by you. I’m afraid of what’s about to happen. But I won’t leave. Just promise me something.”

I brush a lock of her fiery red hair off her forehead. “Anything.”

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