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“Chicken owes him money. The clown is a scumbag loan shark,” I said loudly.

The crowd booed him.

“Yo, Tip! I didn’t know you loaned money,” said someone.

“If I see him hit you, I’ll have tokillhim.” Arrow placed a hand on my shoulder. “I don’t want you visiting me in prison, Tulip. Let me be the man I want to be for you.” His gray eyes gleamed with intensity.

My relentless protector.

Itwouldkill him to watch me fight Ghost.

“Fine.” I pulled him closer and whispered into his ear, “Knock out a few of his teeth.”

Arrow snorted and whirled to face the crowd. “How much does Chicken owe you? Let’s resolve this right now.”

“I borrowed five hundred,” Chicken said. “But the interest came to be two thousand, of which I already paid one fifty. He just added another thousand a few minutes ago!”

The crowd roared. “Rip off!”

“Fraud!” another man shouted.

“The Tip gave himself a huge tip!” someone said and made the crowd laugh.

I could imagine how furious Ghost must be right now. Birdman went somewhere as people surrounded Arrow and Ghost. Did Ghost know who was behind the Bullseye mask?

“If you win, consider his debt erased,” Ghost said.

“WhenI win,” Arrow corrected and shrugged off his coat, passing it to me.

CHAPTERFIFTY-SIX

ARROW

I knewsomething awful would take place at Midnight Chaoss, but seeing my woman being attacked by Ghost wasn’t on the list. He had attacked her once when she was a child. He would never place his hands on her again. The fury that rose in me was something I’d never experienced. It was volcanic, and it coursed through my veins, wanting to erupt with violence. I had to gather all my self-control not to kill him on the spot. That malice had nothing to do with the fact that he’d stolen from me and destroyed my property.

Vivian was the only woman who could drive me to the edge. I loved her, but I also wanted to strangle her right now. She shouldn’t be here tonight. She shouldn’t place herself in danger like this. Didn’t she know how important she was to me?

But she was trying to help her patient. That calmed me a little.Just a little.

My fingers curled as I stood across from Ghost, bouncing on my feet and preparing to battle. He probably didn’t know who I was, and it was best that way. I had a feeling my love had a plan that required our discretion. Vivian and I needed a long conversation after tonight.

“Who’s betting on the Clown Loan Shark?” asked a man in a Batman mask.

Someone laughed.

A person wearing a mouse mask looked at me. “If he’s a shark, what are you?”

“A killer whale,” Vivian said. “And not from Sea World.”

The crowd laughed.

“Killer whales kill sharks. They’re the true beast.” Vivian punched a fist into the air. “I vouch for Bullseye Killer Whale!”

“It’s called a killer whale for a reason! My bet too!” shouted a man with a green mask.

My woman could flip the switch on me like no one else. The anger in me subsided, replaced by amusement. She had gotten the crowd to root for me even though I didn’t need them to.

Ghost threw a punch, and I blocked with the tiger claw. As we battled, I discovered he’d also learned some martial arts. It pissed him off when he got no hits on me. His techniques were all over the place, which also meant his mind was unstable.