Page 42 of Ignite
“What I’m doing is preparing to live in my car,” I said dryly. “There’s only so much shit I can fit in theback.”
“No, Ali,” Faye exclaimed. “It won’t come to that. You need to get rid of this overpriced apartment, and then you can stay withme.”
I stared at her, the shirt in my hand falling to thefloor.
“Listen, Ali…” she went on. “I came here toapologize—”
“You already did,” Iinterrupted.
“But there’s something else going on. WithLiam…”
“I don’t want to talk about him,” I said, my heart numbing again. “Ever.”
“Ali, he’s fighting Viper. It’s…” She looked really worried, frightenedalmost.
I scowled, my brow creasing. “What are yousaying?”
“It’s going to be messy. Like,really messy. Last time something like thishappened…”
“What?” I asked, my skinprickling.
“Last time there was a fight like this…someonedied.”
Her words hit me with such force I felt the wind rushing out of my lungs. My head spun as images of Liam lying bloody and beaten on the floor of the cage slammed into me. I wanted to hate him for leaving me, for leading me on again and again, but I couldn’t. It was the most frustrating feeling I’d everexperienced.
“Do you…” I began, my words failing me. “Do youthink…”
“Liam and Viper have a bitter rivalry,” Faye explained, placing her hand on my arm to steady me. “Viper has always fought dirty. He watches other fighters, finds their weaknesses, and picks them off one by one. Manipulating them behind the scenes until they break in the cage. He’s had his eye on Liam for a while now…ever since he showed interest in you. Ali… I’m worried Liam’s focus will besplit.”
I pulled in a sharp breath. “Overme?”
“He asked me to come here tonight and keep you away from The Underground,” she went on. “He wants to protect you from seeing the fight, but I couldn’t… I’m worried he’s going to do somethingstupid.”
“Overwhat?”
“All of this is for you, Ali,” she replied. “I could see it in his eyes. He’s fighting Viper to get him off his back, but it’s also because the snake used you to get to him. By struggling with his feelings for you so openly, it made him a target…and you, too. He’s trying to make it right. To make it safe foryou.”
“By fighting a guy who might beat him to death?” I exclaimed. “How is that making itright?”
“It’s The Underground,” she said like it was that simple. “It’s how things arethere.”
“No…” I muttered, trying to think of another way. There had to be another answer because fighting to the death was not the right thing. There was no shame in walking away from the cage when his life was at stake.Therewasn’t.
“He won’t want your help,” Faye said gently. “Liam keeps everyone away because he’s always been let down. Always. It’s that simple, Ali. He’s just trying to keep you from gettinghurt.”
“Then the answer is simple,” I said, grabbing my jacket and checking for my keys in the leftpocket.
“You can’t go,” Faye exclaimed, rising to her feet. “Liamasked…”
“I’m pretty sure Liam isn’t thinking straight right now,” I shot back. “He needs someone to fight for him, Faye. Someone who cares. Someone who loves him. That’s what he needs, not fists at twentypaces.”
“It’s more complicated thanthat.”
“No, it’s not.” I stared her down, not afraid of standing up for what I thought was right. “I might not be all of the reason he’s in there, but I’m not letting him risk hislife.”
Once, I would’ve just hidden under the covers and forgotten about all of this. Not anymore. It was time for Alison Anders to stand up and fight…for real thistime.
“All of this is simple,” I went on. “He showed me I was worth something, that I was more than the pushover I’d become. Now it’s my turn to show him he’s worthy of love, that I’ll stick with him when it matters the most. That’s what this whole thing is about. We met at exactly the right moment. We both had something the other needed even though neither of us could see it. Everything has been such a mess since…” I sighed and slipped my jacket on. “All that shit blinded both of us. Now the skies areclear.”
