Page 87 of Rebel Hawke

“It sure is.” Astrid’s voice cuts across the gym, and I wince.

Shit.

I hadn’t meant for anyone else to hear that. It was for Jenkins. The assurance he needed. If I had noticed she’d come in from the studio, I would have held my tongue.

She wanders over and leans against the edge of the ring. “You really love her, don’t you?”

I scrub my palms over my face.

It isn’t that the word hasn’t crossed my mind a thousand times since she’s been back. But fuck, it hasn’t even been two weeks…

Dropping my hands, I glower at her. “I’m not having this conversation with either of you right now.”

Astrid smirks, opening her mouth to keep pushing and prodding me the way she always has. If I don’t interrupt her line of questioning, this is going to get even more frustrating.

“How was your class?”

She laughs. “Nice segue. It was good.” Her gaze cuts to Jenkins. “Your granddaughter’s really good at her job. She knows what she’s doing.”

Pride makes his chest swell, and he nods. “I never doubted it for a second.”

Astrid inclines her head toward me. “You think she can actually help this one?”

Fuck.

I guess our little arrangement isn’t a secret anymore.

Something I’ll definitely have to discuss with my Little Bird later.

Jenkins’ gaze flicks between us. “I sure hope so. It’s the entire reason I brought her back.”

My back stiffens. “What do you mean?”

He swallows thickly and glances at his feet before he looks back up at me. “I’m worried about you, kid. Everyone can see you’re struggling, and you wouldn’t talk to any of us. Not even me, the person who’s supposed to be getting you ready for this fight. I can’t put you in the ring and risk your life. After your grandfather, I…”

I can hear the waver of emotion in his voice.

He watched Sam “the Savage” Hawke drop dead in the ring, and no doubt has felt personally responsible for decadeswhen no one, absolutelyno one,could have known he had that aneurysm just waiting to pop in his brain.

It was a ticking time bomb.

All it took was one punch in the wrong spot.

“Jimmy?” I walk over and settle next to him on the bench, wrapping my arm around him.

“I’m sorry, kid.” He swallows hard again and glances over at me with tears shimmering in his eyes. “I just thought if anyone would be able to get through to you, it might be her. You two always had a thing, even as kids. And now, with her medical background, I thought…” He shrugs. “I thought maybe she could do something.”

I peer up at Astrid and see the same concern knitting her brow. “She’s trying.”

Astrid’s lips tilt into a little half-smile, and Jimmy drops his hand on my knee and squeezes it.

“Good.”

“But I don’t want anyone else knowing about this.”

Astrid’s smile falters, and she pushes off from her leaning position. “Why the hell not, Atlas? Why are you keeping everyone at arm’s length when all we want to do is help you? Ever since the shooting… Christ, the moment we woke up in that hospital room, you won’t talk to anyone. Not even me.”

I hear the tremor in her voice, and it makes my chest tighten. “You, of all people, should know why, Astrid. Because of how much this opening means to the family, because of what it will mean if I have to pull out of this fight.”

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