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One to drink. One for his eye.

He had to get the swelling down before Cora got off work. One look at him, and she'd freak.

"Two more minutes, and he would've shoved his knife between your ribs." Jagger took the chair across from him. "Did you clear the air with Ruger?"

"He's not my problem. He can hate me all he wants. The feelings mutual." He repositioned the bottle on his eyebrow. "But Cora wants her brother in her life. Ruger won't give her any time to listen to what she has to tell him."

"Can't make a man do what he doesn't want to do."

He grunted. Cora was his woman. He'd do whatever needed doing to make her happy. But Ruger was immune to any blood ties with Cora—his loss.

As far as Wire was concerned, Ruger had his chance. Now, he could stay out of Cora's life. His girl had already proven she could survive on her own. She was strong. Eventually, she would learn that her family dynamics were set in stone before she was born. There was nothing she could do about her brother.

"Do you need stitches?" asked Jagger.

He removed the beer bottle from his eye and showed Prez the damage. Hopefully, he could get the swelling down before the skin split.

"You're good." Jagger stepped back. "You better keep that on longer if you don't want Cora upset."

He grunted. There was no way to hide his eye. Cora would spot it instantly, and she'd worry. And if she knew who gave it to him, she'd feel guilty—because that's the kind of woman she was.

Cora would take her brother's actions and claim them. She'd take responsibility as if it was her fault. For one reason. Ruger was Cora's family.

Ruger had no idea what he was walking away from.

Chapter Thirty Six

CORA STROKED THE MASCARA on her lashes but wasn't looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She studied Wire, leaning against the doorframe, watching her.

His eye was now half open with a heavy, swollen lid. A black and purple bruise covered his eye and into his eyebrow. It looked much better than the last two days when it oozed fluid and sealed his eyelashes shut.

She removed her hairband and ran the brush through her hair.

Wire stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "We can stay home."

"I know." She met his gaze in the mirror. "But then he'd win."

"I don't think it's a war, babe."

Her brother had turned their relationship into a war when he refused to listen to her and instead caused bodily harm to her boyfriend. She no longer cared who started the fight—and Wire admitted he'd started it.

The more she thought about everything that had transpired, the more she wondered if things hadn't worked out for the best. Would she want to split everything her parents left behind with someone who turned his back on her family?

Ruger never even tried to get to know her.

And that was his fault.

She turned around in Wire's arms and hugged his middle. "Going to the clubhouse will be fun. Plus, I want to spend time with you. I feel like I've barely seen you lately. You're always out on calls."

He kissed her. "Tomorrow, we'll stay in bed all day."

She warmed. "That's a date."

"A date." He chuckled. "You're cute."

He kissed her again and turned to leave the bathroom when she slapped his ass. He growled, looking over his shoulder.

"Keep it up, and we'll stay home." He stepped into the hallway and pointed his finger at her in warning.

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