Chapter 37 #2
“You,” he said. “You knew that it wasn’t me, and I played along that it was just nerves and second guessing myself.
But you inspired me to fight and I guess at that moment, I chose my pride over money.
They were there. When I took out their fighter, I couldn’t stand to see what would happen next.
They had disappeared and I kept looking over my shoulder, waiting for my consequences.
” He dropped his head again, ashamed of the truth.
He kept rambling on. “Shooter, I never meant for it to get this way and bring it into the gym or at least the club. My own fucking problems and I couldn’t own up to it.”
“That’s why you stopped coming to the gym and avoiding phone calls.”
“I couldn’t face y’all.”
I was careful before I grasped his shoulder, bringing his attention back to me. “It don’t matter what it was, I failed you. You didn’t come to me. Or Stray or Hank. I told you we’d be there. We all have been in a time where we needed someone and didn’t have that person.”
“I’m sorry, man.” Dillon sniffed. “I’m done for, I know what the doctors said. A long ass recovery and possible rehab. My muscles aren’t going to be the same.”
“And we’ll be there to help.”
“I won’t be able to work as much and college, fuck, my old man is going to love the fact that I failed. And then I’ll be trapped… again.” His heart rate was increasing as his mind started to depict the worst case scenarios.
“You won’t be going back there. Just give us time, I’ll talk to Hound, you’re a good kid,” I tried to reassure him.
He groaned, holding back the tears from all that was unraveling. He tossed his head back. “I should have never said yes to that Santo fucker.”
Realization sparked. “Santo?”
“Dude in a suit, a part of a family. Santo or Santa,” Dillon grumbled.
“De Santo?” Fucking hell, it was deeper than we thought.
He nodded.
“Kid, it’s not your fault. They were here before you made that deal,” I said. Standing up before I ripped apart the chair.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Later. Just rest, we’ll get you out of here.” I sighed before pulling out my phone and messaging the board, signaling them that we had more fuel to add to this fire.
I stormed out of the room, walking through the hall, rushing through to find the exit. My blood was boiling. The demon inside giddy as fuck, itching to wreck havoc. In a flash, I waited for the elevators, frantically pressing the button thinking that it will make it come faster.
“Shooter,” a voice called out. I ignored it.
“Shooter,” it called again.
I slammed the button harder and harder. My breath came in rough exhales. I couldn’t see clearly, everything around me blurred into one picture.
A hand brushed atop my shoulder. I whirled around in a fury, clutching the neck of someone. Blinded by hatred I didn’t see, but felt the fast pulse of the person in my hands. The same voice called out, “Shooter.”
Emotions built up, pushing through me. They called again. “River. Come back to me.”
River. Like a spell that broke, one word and a single touch, settled me. Delicate touches to my cheek pulled my focus. I blinked, groaning that there was a piece still holding on.
“That’s it. I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere,” she called out.
When I came to, Amelia's sweet face and, pleading sorrowful eyes stared into my soul. My eyes followed my hand that was wrapped around her throat.
I lost it. I lost sight of everything. I unclenched my hand, scuffling back.
“Mia, you okay?” Hank’s voice called from down the hall. She raised her hand up, brushing him away.
I stared at my hands, frustrated, appalled that I broke the promise that I wouldn’t hurt her. No, I couldn’t bring her down this road where my mind could snap at any moment.
“I know that look. Come here, Shooter,” she demanded.
“No.”
She cocked her head, “I’m sorry, did you just say no to me?” Her voice was stern.
“Walk away, Amelia.”
“Shooter, get your mother fucking ass over here now.” There was power in her voice, one that sent chills down my spine.
With head down, wrapping around the idea that it was better to leave, I walked over to her. Her eyes gazed into mine. “You are going to listen and follow me to one of the on-call rooms and you’re going to talk to me.”
I couldn’t help but agree as she led us into an empty room, turning on a light. She sat on one of the beds, silently waiting for me to comply with her order. I started to apologize, but she held up her hand stopping me. “What happened?”
I rubbed the back of my neck. I didn’t want to pull her further into this mess. It was bad enough that she knew more than most partners or ol’ ladies in the club, but Amelia wasn’t scared of that. She had worse demons that chased her.
She sucked on her teeth, bobbing her head back and forth, she started to shrug off her cut. “I see. I guess I won’t be needing this cut then since we’re going back on a promise to tell the truth.”
That sparked my attention and compliance. “Go ahead, I’d like to see you try.”
“I thought so.” She pulled it back on. “Now, talk to me.”
I explained what we learned. Dillon, the family coming after him, how he ended up in the hospital. My mind came back to how my hand ended up around her throat, I saw the redness still on her skin.
“You blacked out for a second,” she said, calmly. Too calmly.
“It’s no excuse.”
“You can’t control everything. Shooter.” She tangled her fingers in her hair.
“You and I both know that life doesn’t play fair.
Our minds can say we’re the strongest, that we can overcome, until something tips that scale and shows us otherwise.
” She looked up at me, extending her hand to me. She gestured me to come closer.
I hesitated, afraid of breaking.
One touch of her hand, and I was sinking down to my knees, burying my head into her lap. A shuttered breath shook me.
“Awe, sugar. Even the strongest break. But never beyond repair,” she soothed me, as her fingers trailed along my neck.
“That’s what I love about you. I see the real you.
The lightness in your heart, the heart that you hide behind blood and violence.
The heart that says you care so much that it hurts. ”
One little word stole everything from me. “Say that one more time.”
“Uh, the whole thing or…” she trailed off.
I popped my head up. “No, the beginning.”
I could see in that dim light the pink in her cheeks flush. “What I love…”
I stopped her and threw myself on top of her, laying her out of the bed. I kissed her hard and fast. She said it, like it was the easiest to say. “Say it.” I growled between kisses.
She opened her legs a little more, only to wrap them around my waist.
“What you want me to say?” She moaned, before fingers gripping my hair pulling me back. “I love you, you crazy ass man.”
“One more time.”
“I love you,” she said, tilting my chin back to her lips, kissing me back. “As much as I thought I would hate you, you proved me wrong.”
“I love you so much,” I growled out. “I can’t help it. Love wasn’t a possibility with me, but you showed me that love could be a reality. Loving you is like breathing, always needing it to survive.”
“Always possessive, always obsessive.”
My hips pressed into her, she gasped. “Mine.”
“Mm, I think we have already established that. Now,” she hummed before tilting her hips up, “would you be so kind as to prove that I’m yours?”
That cheekiness was just the cherry on top. She surrounded me with forgiveness and acceptance of the monster that lived inside. She never backed down or walked away. My saving grace.