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“You guess?” He chuckled. “It’s none of my business but I know it was you she was talking about. She’s not close with anyone. Even though she’s been working at the center for quite some time. She hardly communicates with anyone.”

“But she does with you,” I pointed out, unsure as to why that still grated on my nerves.

“Yes, but it’s only because she looks at me like a little brother.”

Leaning my elbow on the windowsill, I rubbed my jaw, driving with one hand. “Really.”

He shook his head, letting out a huff. “Trust me, Cyrus, she’s not interested in me. At all. But can I ask how you saved her? She never talks about anyone. Not from her past or even people she knows now.”

“There was a fucker following her. I don’t know who he was and neither does she. She ended up at the deli I was having breakfast at.” A question came to mind, and I knew I shouldn’t be asking him and should be asking Ainsley instead, but I needed something. “How much do you know about her?”

“Nothing much really. Just that she hasn’t said more than a handful of words in years and that she’s been working at the center for a while. She used to live there but wanted to feel somewhat normal, so she moved into her own apartment.”

“The security in that place is top notch. I was impressed.”

“You’ve been there?”

“Yeah.” I looked at Cheesy when he didn’t answer but only stared at me instead. “Why?”

“No one knows where she lives, Cyrus. Only the ladies who own the center. That’s it.”

“Huh.” I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Should I be proud of the fact that Ainsley trusted me enough to know her address? No, it couldn’t be that. I drove her home the second time I saw her. It didn’t make sense for her to trust me so quickly.

“Either way, if you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

I chuckled. “Right.” I glanced at him when he didn’t respond. “You’re serious.”

“Of course, I’m fucking serious. Now tell me, who are you fighting tonight?”

***

Jumping from foot tofoot, I shook out my arms. Leaning my head from side to side, I shivered when the hard crack rippled down my spine. I lived for these moments. The time before the fight when I hadn’t met my opponent yet. I didn’t know if he was bigger or smaller than me. I didn’t know if he was a dirty fighter or played it safe. I preferred the former. The ‘anything goes’ type. It helped me work out that familiar edge when sex was currently off the table.

My phone took that moment to ding.

Pet: Just wanted to say hi and I hope that you have a good night.

A shit-eating grin spread on my face. It was like she knew. It was like she knew to text me at the perfect moment so it would give me the strength I needed to beat this fucker.

A part of me hoped I could get this done and over with, so I could go back to Ainsley’s place, but I didn’t want to push myself on her either. I was sure I would see her at the center, or I would text her in the morning and make plans to meet up before our date.

“Cyrus.”

A punch to my shoulder forced my head around.

Cheesy grimaced. “You’re distracted. I don’t know much about fighting but even I know that it’s not a good thing when you’re not paying attention to where those fists are flying.”

“I’m fine. Just be there to collect the money when I win.” Sure, it was cocky of me, but I had a driving force behind me that usually made me win.

Anger.

I channelled it and called it forward, letting it control my actions until my opponent was writhing on the ground beneath me. It usually called for death but that wasn’t my thing. I could get paid more if I killed the guy, but I didn’t care about that. Even when the crowd started chanting for me to kill him, I refused. I didn’t kill innocent people. Even though most of the guys earning a buck or two here, were ex-cons. I still didn’t kill them.

When a whistle suddenly sounded, the crowd parted like Moses parting the Red Sea back in the day. At the other end, I saw who I was fighting. I had never met him before, and he wasn’t that much bigger than me. He was tatted up, had eyes filled with hate, and a cocky grin on his face.

The crowd formed a circle around us.

I could feel Cheesy at my back, his nervous energy sparking this need to get this done and over with quickly. I liked the kid, but I wouldn’t bring him back here. I would go by myself first if I had to, but I couldn’t deal with the nerves rolling off of him.