Page 24 of Strike
My lips parted when I caught sight of Callie standing inside, but any positive emotions I had faded away instantly. She wasn’t alone.
She was talking to a man—I didn’t hear what they were saying—and her cheeks were flushed, and she had that awkward thing going on. The same awkward thing she’d had last night. Pink cheeks, averted gaze, stilted speech. She was into him.
Studying the guy closer, I realized it was the firefighter I’d handed her to on the night of the fire. Fuck, he worked fast.
He looked different out of his full kit, but I could still pick his face out of a lineup. It was one of the many skills I’d learned fighting at The Underground. You had to know who was who in case you fell afoul of the wrong crowd. That and it was best to know your opponent before you got into the cage. It made beating them a hell of a lot easier.
Narrowing my eyes, I turned away. Staring at the traffic crawling along the street, I resisted the urge to curse at the top of my lungs. There was no competition. At all. Jealousy twisted my heart, and I almost snapped.
Glancing back, I saw the firefighter leave the shop. Knowing Callie was still inside, I could’ve walked in there and hit her for six, but instead, I did what I did best.
I walked away.
That night at The Underground, in a spectacular comeback after my beating the day before, I won my fight.
I pocketed a wad of cash for my efforts, and I rode the high for an hour, but it wasn’t long before I came crashing down again. Money could buy shit, but it didn’t solve any problems. At least not emotional ones. I was still the same guy I was before I’d walked into the cage, win or lose.
My hair still damp from the shower, I grabbed my jacket out of my locker and fished around for my phone. No point staying here for longer than I had to.
Checking the time, I was surprised to see a message waiting. Blinking, I stared at the notification and wondered if it was a hallucination brought on by one too many hits to the head.
Callie:Drinks tomorrow?
Drinks tomorrow… Tomorrow? I swallowed hard.
Even after seeing the firefighter, she was still messaging me. Was she playing us both, or was it more than that? I wouldn’t hold it against her if she were dating more than one guy at a time, I certainly used to have more than one women on the go, but knowing it was me and that douche? It cut. Deep.
I cursed under my breath and drank in her profile picture.Callie.
I didn’t know a thing about the guy, but on the surface, he was the complete package. Clean-cut, no prior convictions, stable career, impeccable reputation, do-gooder community hero, and best of all...no scandals waiting to happen. He was the real deal. I was now competing for Callie’s attention, and I’d never had to battle it out before.
I didn’t know what to do. Keep pushing or pull with everything I had?
She didn’t know I’d seen him with her today… What could I do with that nugget?
Ah, fuck it. My heart was too invested to let her go so soon even with the noose already tied around my neck. I wasn’t ready, not when there was a slim chance she might believe my side of the story…if I could grow my balls enough to tell her.
Unlocking my phone, I opened the app and typed in a response.
Storm R:On a Tuesday?
She replied almost immediately, and I grinned like a moron.
Callie:It’ll be quiet. Unless you have work on Wednesday.
Storm R:I work unconventional hours.
Callie:Then you can?
Storm R:What are you doing now?
There wasno reply for a while, and I grimaced. Slipping my phone into my pocket, I slammed my locker shut and went out into the warehouse. Music was blaring, people were screaming for blood as the latest fight played out, and the noise drove me mad.
Outside, the air was crisp as I sat astride my motorcycle. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop myself from pulling out my phone to check if she’d replied. Was I going home or…?
Callie:I can meet you in half an hour. Does that work?
Storm R:Yeah. I know a quiet place.
