Page 51 of Cost of Courting

She leans forward, snatches the smoke out of my hand, and tosses it in the pool. “Filthy habit.”

“I quit.”

“You better, or I’ll kick your ass.” She pauses, her face scrunched up. “He's really going to make you fight four?”

I nod my head. “I can’t do it. This is to put the fear of God into me and force me to quit so I take his other offer.”

“Which is?”

“Work it out with my legs spread.”

Dot spits another interesting curse. “If ever an alpha needed a bullet, it’s that one.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Pack Dread?”

“Can’t know about this. What are they going to do? Cause trouble and then leave? Stir up the Cobra’s nest and let us pick up the pieces?”

“And the other?”

I huff, considering the question for a long time before I reach into my pocket and pull out an envelope. I’ve had it written up for a while now. It’s the evidence that Anderson and Despair will be able to use to bring Benson and the Cobra’s crashing.

“While I’m with Benson, if I don’t come back…I need you to deliver this for me.”

“What is it?”

“It’s going to keep everyone safe.” I hope. “Take it to the Despair MC and ask for Andy. Tell him that I’m trusting him to fight for my people now.”

Dot’s eyes widen, but she reaches out and takes the envelope. “You need to live. You need to survive this.”

“Oh, I’m going to fight my ass off to live, but I’m going to need your skills tonight, Dot. I am sorry.”

“I’ll come to you-”

“NO!” I stand up and start pacing. “No, fuck no. If they find out about you, you’ll disappear into their little stronghold, and I’ll never get you out. No, you wait for me here. I’ll make it.”

Dot doesn’t look convinced.

“And if you can’t make it?”

“I will call Mael,” I whisper. “I promise on my life that if something goes really wrong tonight and I can’t get home, I will call Mael and get him to bring me here.”

She stares at me. We’ve been working together for too long to bullshit each other.

“Okay. If something happens, I’ll deliver the letter and set everything up. You save Dulcie.”

She shakes her head and laughs without humour.

“Do you want a beer?”

I nod. “Yeah,” I say softly, staring into the water in the plastic pool and wondering how I’m going to survive tonight. “I really do.”

I let out amoan and clutch my side.

I did it. I don’t know how I did it, but I managed to win three fights. And then Benson, in a rage, sent Hammer to teach me a lesson.

I’m worse than I was last time, but it’s not serious, it’s just painful as fuck. Actually, I don’t know if it’s serious. I live in hope, though, and I walked out of there on my own two feet. That’s gotta count for something, right?

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