Page 86 of Rebel Hawke

He wants me to hurt today.

Fuck.

I hold out my hands to have him pull off my gloves, and he scowls and steps forward to do just that.

There’s no time like the present.

If I’m going to survive Jimmy Jenkins, we can’t have this elephant in the gym with us.

“Say what you need to say, old man.”

He glances up at me, his weathered lips twisting. “I think you know what I’m going to say.”

I nod, sweat dripping into my eyes. But he doesn’t release my hands to give me an opportunity to wipe it away. Just another way to make me hurt. To ensure I’m uncomfortable.

“I have an idea.”

“That’s my granddaughter…”

“I know.”

He tugs on my glove, getting the first one off. “And you’re shacking up with her after she’s only been back in town for a few weeks.”

The distress in his voice bears the truth—he doesn’t trust me with her. And that stings more than the salt in my eyes.

“With Satriano sniffing around her, I couldn’t just leave her to the wolves.”

His bushy white brows rise. “And what are you, if not a wolf?”

It’s a fair question from a man who has known me and my family for a very long time.

What we’re capable of.

WhatI’mcapable of.

I smirk at him. “A hawk.”

He scowls and shakes his head as he pulls off my second glove. “That’s not any better, asshole.”

Chuckling, I lean in to nudge him gently on the shoulder. “You don’t have anything to worry about with me, old man. Trust me. I adore her. Fuck, I more than adore her. I worship her.”

He glances at me as he sets my gloves on the bench next to the ring and turns back, crossing his arms over his chest, appearing far more tired and far older than I remember him looking even last week. “That’s what I’m worried about.”

I run my hand over my face to mop away some of the sweat. “What do you mean?”

His heavy sigh mingles with a groan, and he lowers himself to the bench with a wince. “I’m not going to be here forever, son.”

Those words might as well be a knife straight to my chest—a reminder of how very human he is. “You think I don’t know that? Not that I want to think about it, but…”

He shakes his head. “None of us do. But when the time comes, she’s going to need someone reliable.”

“Didn’t I just tell you I worship her?”

“Now, maybe, but I know you, Atlas.” He leans back against the base of the ring, assessing me like he expects to find something new, even though he sees me almost every single day. “I’ve known you your entire fucking life. Hell, I knew you before you were born. I knew yourfatherbeforehewas born and yourmother, and I knew your grandfather. Out of all those people, who do you think is the one I worry about the most?”

I scowl at him. “You don’t need to worry about me—or her. I’ll protect Wren with my life if I have to. Forever.”

“That’s a pretty bold statement.”

---