Page 111 of Sacrifice the Knight (Checkmate 6)

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Mac

“Iswear to hell and back, if you ruin this, I’m going to rip your nuts out of your throat.” I stand up under my best friend’s angry glare. He’s taller than me, broader, and his fists hurt like a motherfucker, but I’m badder; I have soldiers on my side, and I will not be swayed. “Sit down, shut your trap, mind your business.”

“I think you’re all sorts of fucked in the head for encouraging this shit. Seriously, I don’t get you.”

“I’m not selfish like you.” I shove Ben back so the couch slides back when he lands. “I care that she’s happy; I care thatthey’rehappy, but you just cared about keeping your mommy to yourself. You lost your war; your mom got married, andoh no,she’s happy. The horror!”

“Shut the fuck up!”

“Not one single word.” I turn just as my mom enters the living room in a beautiful black dress and high heels I haveneverseen her wear. It’s almost as though she splurged for the first time in her life and bought new shoes for the occasion. “You look beautiful, Mom.”

“Hooker heels,” Ben coughs.

Mom’s smiling eyes snap to Ben, but I throw my leg out and slam him back against the couch. “I like your shoes, Mom. They’re pretty.”

“Thanks, honey. Is this…” She wags her fingers between me and Ben. “Is this going to be an issue? Do I need to stay home?”

“No, it’s not an issue. Ben forgot his meds today, so he’s got a nasty case of Tourette’s, but we’ve got it under control.”

Mom stops at the kitchen counter and begins fixing her clutch, adding keys, phone, lipstick. “I have this place on full lockdown, and Spence is watching. You are not allowed to step a single foot outside that front door.” She stops and turns back to me. “Please don’t ruin this, baby. Don’t make me worry.”

“I promise you have nothing to worry about. Nothing at all. I have a headache, so I’m not moving my ass off that couch once you leave. Not even for pizza. You’ll be back by eleven; we’ll be asleep, and tomorrow, we all get to share an awkward breakfast together.”

“Gag!” Ben chokes behind me. “This is unnatural, Mac. This is way not okay.”

“How’s your mom doing, Benny?” Mom steps across the living room and stops in front of him. “How’s your sister?”

“Liv’s good. She’s sleeping at the Rollers tonight. She wanted a sleepover with Bean.”

“Hmm.” Mom’s lips twitch. “Livi’s not home. And you’re not home…”

Benny’s eyes narrow. “So what?”

“So nothing…” Mom flips her hair over her shoulder at the knock on our front door. “I wonder what your mom and stepdad are doing tonight… all alone.”

“No!” Ben explodes and digs the phone from his pocket. “No! Oz said he was working tonight.”

“Mmhm.” Mom turns to answer the door, but I move first and ignore the twang of pain in my leg and my aching muscles. I’m falling apart seven decades too soon. Ben and I have trained hard this week in prep for my upcoming fight. I have a winning streak, and there’s no way in hell I’m letting it slip because I got lazy.

Stopping at the door, I peek through the peephole like I’ve been ordered to do, then I swing it open and look Eric up and down. He ain’t wearing flannel today, but a full suit and tie. No earflap hat, but combed hair instead. No work boots, but shiny black dress shoes. “Jesus, Cap. You stepped up.” I narrow my eyes and study him closer. “What did you change? You look like you aged backwards.”

He rubs a hand over his chin. “Tidied up is all.”

“You don’t look super old today. Bravo.”

“I’m not old!” He angles his head as though to catch a glimpse of my mom. “Can I come in?”

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about curfews.” His eyes widen. This whole time, I’ve been throwing her at him, but now that I hooked him, it’s time I take back my control. “Eleven o’clock. Not a second later. Don’t disrespect her, Cap. You make her cry, I’ll make you cry. You ditch her for the next month, I’ll come find you at Spence’s and show you how I feel about you making my mom cry.”

He lifts a brow and bites down on a twitching lip. “Eleven p.m. curfew. No crying, no ghosting. Anything else?”

“Yeah. What are your intentions?”

“That’s enough!” Mom pulls me back from the door and pays no attention when I practically slam against the wall. Now that she’s in love, she’s cool with me hitting walls and doesn’t stop to kiss my booboos anymore.

“I see how it is.”

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