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“Yeah? And why’s that?” she asked, taking her fighting stance.
I took my life in my own hands with my next comment. “Because he had to deal with you.”
Her face crumpled slightly, and then something happened that I never expected. A fucking tear fell down her face. I shoved to my feet so fast that I almost fell over. I didn’t mean to make her cry. Hell, I was just bantering like we always did.
“Rae—” I hurried over to her, but didn’t see it coming. Her knee rammed into my groin and when I bent over, wheezing in every scrap of air in the vicinity, she swept my leg, then finished me off with an elbow to my chest.
I curled up in a ball on my side as pain leached from every pore of my body. I should have known better. Rae never cried, and she used what men perceived as weakness against them. Now she was standing over me in victory as I laid humiliated and in a shit ton of pain on the ground.
“Rae!” Cash shouted, waltzing over to the ring. He shook his head at me in disappointment. “What part ofgo easy on himdid you not understand?”
She frowned, looking down at me in confusion. “I did. There’s not even a drop of blood.”
“He’s curled up like a girl on the floor.”
“Hey—” Rae snapped.
“Sorry, like a weenie,” Cash corrected, making it sound even worse. “What was wrong with a little light training? You know, throw a few punches with gloves on. I just wanted you to get him moving again.”
“He is moving. Do you see him?” she pointed at me. “He was standing up, then he was bent over, and now he’s on the ground. Mission accomplished.”
“I wouldn’t be on the ground if I hadn’t been shot,” I wheezed out.
“Dash, you wouldn’t even be in the same ring with me if you thought you were at full capacity. The only reason you agreed to this is because you mistakenly thought I’d take it easy on you. Now, go home to your girlfriend and let her nurse your wounds.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” I muttered, rolling over until I was on all fours, my back hunched as I slowly accepted the pain in my balls and did my best to unleash the negative feelings.
“She’s been staying at your place for two weeks,” Cash sighed. “In your fucking bed.”
“Trust me, it’s strictly platonic.”
I finally hoisted myself off the ground and uncurled my body. Fuck, that hurt.
“You know, at some point, you’re going to have to tell her what you really do,” Cash pointed out.
“I thought we weren’t supposed to do that,” I shot back. “What about all that stuff about remaining private?”
“Well, yeah, but this is a woman you’re?—”
“Don’t say it,” I pleaded. It was bad enough that I had those thoughts, but I didn’t need others thinking the same thing.
“I’m just saying, she’s at the very least your friend. How long are you going to let her assume you work in construction?”
I was surprised he was saying this. “You really think it would be okay? You know, that she wouldn’t be upset that…that I basically lied to her since we met?”
“Oh, no,” Cash laughed. “She’ll care.”
“Then why would I tell her?”
His gaze flicked to Rae’s in confusion. “Because…you can’t lie to her forever?”
“I could so lie to her. How hard can it be?How was your day? Great. I hammered some nails and put up the…the thingy.”
“Uh-huh, and as convincing as that sounded, what are you going to tell her when you come home with another bullet in you?”
“Well, as long as none of my teammates decide to shoot me, I should be good.”
“I wouldn’t count on that,” Rae snorted.