Page 158 of With Us

“I’ll find a way to pay you back. Just give me time.”

“You had plenty of chances.” Flesh connected with flesh, and skull connected with cement.

The door creaked open, and Frankie’s head lolled to look. The tiniest glimmer of hope lit his eyes, only for it to die out when he saw who was there.

Cazzo. I wish I had a camera to capture that exact moment.

“You said you didn’t tell him,” Frankie accused.

“Like you, I lied,” I shot back.

“Then just kill me,” he pleaded his negotiation. “I’ve got a few grand in my pocket. Take it and blow my brains out. At least you’ll make it fast. That fucker is gonna torture me.”

“And that’s exactly why we’re handing you over to him.”

Goliath’s huge frame blocked the exit. A sick smile spread across his face as he cracked his neck. When he shifted to the side so Luc and I could leave, Frankie tried to bolt. His adrenaline must have kicked in, because he moved quicker than expected.

It still wasn’t fast enough. Goliath stopped him with a large hand on his head.

As the door closed behind Luc and me, Goliath’s crazy, creepy laughter echoed around us.

“That fucker is nuts,” Luc said. “It’s a shame he fucked up.”

“I told him if he got clean and could pass regular drug testing, I’d give him another shot.” At Luc’s look of disbelief, I shrugged. “Since he’s handling Frankie for us, I didn’t have to shoot his kneecaps out for trying to sell to other fighters. He knows he got lucky, and he seemed sincere. Worst case, we don’t hear from him again. Best case,” I started before a perfectly timed blood curdling scream interrupted, “we’ve gotthatto draw in some crowds.”

“Good point.”

“Gabe know he’s on clean up?”

Luc opened the door that led to the dark parking lot. “He’s around the corner. He’ll pull in when we leave, and Niall will shoot him a text when it’s his turn.” Putting his phone away, he shook his head. “I’m surprised he doesn’t bring Tina with him to cut out the travel time.”

“That’s my fucking cousin.” I grimaced, fighting back the memory. “And he has before, and I walked in on them.”

Whether he was wrapping his hands to fight and make the mess or pulling on gloves to clean one, Gabe liked what he did.

A lot.

“I’m surrounded by sick motherfuckers,” I said over Luc’s chuckle.

“We learn it from our leader, boss.”

I was going home to the woman I’d give up everything for, only to happily go to bed with a serious case of blue balls so long as I was sleeping in the same house as her.

Maybe he was right.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Devil Needs Love

Dahlia

With a sigh of regret, I trudged toward Weggies.

Despite all my attempts, I hadn’t been able to find a new job. Since Jerry had always liked me, I was going to suck it up and ask to be rehired.

I neared the door, but couldn’t bring myself to step inside. Customers maneuvered their carts around me as I stood like an idiot, the sliding door opening and closing.

“You okay?” an older man asked.

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