Page 60 of The Pucking Wrong Man

The woman stared at the money for a long moment, so long I thought she was going to refuse it, and then she looked up. Her eyes were shiny, tears welling up and dripping down her wrinkled cheeks. “Thank you, young man. I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” I replied, forcing a small smile even though it felt like I was being haunted by ghosts. “Just take care of yourself.”

She blinked and squeezed the money in her fist, suddenly wheeling her chair away as fast as she could. She was probably scared I’d been joking, or that I’d turn out to be some monster that would hurt her.

Watching her go, the weight in my chest grew heavier. There was a chance she’d use the money for drugs or alcohol, but I didn’t care.

I couldn’t not help.

I’d spent all those years watching helpless as my stepdad beat my mom, stripping her of any dignity. I hadn’t been able to do anything then. Even after I’d gotten older, I hadn’t been able to save her.

So now I tried to do everything I could to help anyone, especially women, who needed it.

All these years later, I still felt like I had failed my mom. I refused to fail Anastasia too.

As I walked down the block to where I’d parked my truck, each step was filled with a lingering sense of helplessness.

And I hated feeling helpless.

I couldn’t take much more of this with Anastasia.

She was going to force my hand.

CHAPTER 11

ANASTASIA

My leg was ruined. Every step I took felt like my tibia was going to poke through my skin. Running was never a good idea for my body.

But running after a full day of dancing and then walking to and from the arena, taking a million stairs on the way?

Devastating.

It was one of the few times in my life though where the devastation had been worth it. As I limped toward the shelter bathroom, I was reliving every play, every time it seemed like Camden had glanced at me.

Maybe I didn’t need a new leg, maybe I just needed Camden James. I was beginning to think he was the perfect drug. Just thinking of him made me feel better.

I pushed open the door to the bathroom, needing to wash my face before I got into my designated cot for the night. The fluorescent lights flickered above me, the smell of bleach and old, damp towels hitting my nose. As I stepped inside, my eyes adjusted to the dim light, and...

A girl, maybe a few years older than me, was crouched by the sinks, a needle in her arm. Her eyes widened, pupils like pinpoints, as our gazes locked.

“Shit,” I muttered, instinctively turning on my heel to leave. How had she even snuck that in? Drugs were a no-no at this place, and I was sure the people in charge would find out about her soon, but I wasn’t going to stick around in the meantime.

Before I could reach the door, she sprang at me like a wild animal, fear etched across her gaunt face.

“Don’t you dare tell anyone!” she hissed, her voice low and desperate as she grabbed my arm, her dirty fingernails digging into my skin.

I tried to push her off, but she was stronger than she looked. Her fist connected with my ribs, knocking the wind out of me. I stumbled, my back hitting the cold tiles. She came at me again, fists flying, and I raised my arms to protect my face. One of her punches glanced off my arm and hit my jaw, sending a jolt of pain through my skull.

“Stop!” I gasped, trying to fend her off. “I won’t tell! Just stop!”

But she was beyond reason. She seemed driven by panic and rage, and she slammed me against the sink. My head cracked against the porcelain edge, and a bright, blinding pain exploded in my skull. My vision blurred, and I felt myself slipping, the sounds of the bathroom echoing distantly in my ears.

As I lost consciousness, her terrified eyes were the last thing I saw as she disappeared from the room.

I blinked slowly, groaning because even blinking seemed to hurt. There was a buzzing sound in my head and it took me a second to realize I was hearing the hum of the lights above me.

I was still laying on the bathroom floor, no idea how long I’d been there. Not long enough that one of the staff hadn’t come yet, I guessed. I was going to get in trouble though if they did come in and found me like this. They’d probably think I was on drugs or something.

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