Page 52 of X's and O's

Pritchard followed me up to my room and watched me throw my handful of clothes into a shopping bag. He leaned on the doorframe. “I’m fucking disappointed, man.”

“Yeah, well, you and me both.”

“Where you going?”

“Don’t know. Probably won’t be anywhere far before I get picked up again for assaulting that dickhead.” I swore beneath my breath. “I’m such a fucking idiot. Two weeks on the outside and I’m already back to the man I was.”

Pritchard shook his head. “You don’t have to be. I’ll convince Dickson not to press charges. I’ve got enough dirt on him to keep him quiet. But you do need to leave, Levi. This place ain’t good for you.”

Didn’t I already know it? But there was nowhere that was good for a man like me. Nowhere but prison. That seemed to be the only place the anger inside me went silent.

That, and when I read Violet’s letters.

It took a pathetically short time to pack. I couldn’t look Pritchard in the face, but I mumbled a thank you at him, because fuck knew if it had been any other of the guards here tonight, I probably would have been hauled away in the back of a police car.

Boyd stopped me at the door. “You shouldn’t have done that for me.”

“I didn’t just do it for you. He deserved it.”

Dickson glared at me from across the room, a couple of his guys all standing around him. The only thing stopping them from coming after me was Pritchard in the middle, his Taser hanging from his belt and his hand hovering not too far away from it.

“Go, Levi.”

He didn’t have to tell me twice.

Boyd walked me out. “Dickson and his guys will probably come after you, you know.”

I hoped they did. Somewhere dark and private where nobody would see what I did to them.

“I’ll be fine.” I held my knuckles out toward him and winced when he touched his to them. Fist bumps were probably not the smartest choice when you’d recentlybeen throwing punches and your knuckles were all beat to shit.

I walked away without turning back. I kept my head down, trying to mind my own business and settle the dark swirling need inside me that I’d never wanted to feel again.

But there was no ignoring it. It roared in my ears. Pounded through my veins. I made it to the main street of Saint View, the strip club’s neon sign buzzing as I trudged past to the Dead End Diner at the end of the street.

The place was nothing to look at, with its cracked vinyl booths and floorboards in desperate need of polishing. But they’d always done good burgers here, and they were cheap, which was about all I had the money for.

I found an empty seat and set my pathetic shopping bag full of everything I owned in the world down at my feet. I waited patiently while the overworked waitress zoomed around the room taking people’s orders. She hustled out of the kitchen with her arms laden down with food and carried it halfway to a table in the back before a man stood to help her.

I groaned beneath my breath.

I was sure it hadn’t been loud enough for anyone to hear, but the man glanced in my direction, recognition flickering over his face. He took the tray he’d rescued from the waitress and set it down on the table. She smiled up at him gratefully, and I rolled my eyes.

“You always were such a golden boy,” I muttered to him when he made his way over to me.

War stared down at me, crossing his arms over his chest. “You mind if I sit?”

“You gonna go away if I say no?”

“No.”

“Sit then. It’s a free country.”

War pulled out the seat across the table from me and sat in it. He watched me, ignoring my taunt, and fixing his steely-eyed gaze on me. “You ready to come home yet?”

I had no money. No job. No fucking clothes. And now no home.

War was offering me a place back with the only family I’d ever known. I’d turned him down once before, back when I’d thought I had a chance of making it without them.