Page 56 of Acid

I painted the back wall dark red, then painted the rest cream, before tidying up the room.

I haven’t fucking slept. Fuck, I feel like I haven’t slept since she told me about her rape. To know that she’s been through what I’ve been through….

“Harder, baby, move your hips harder, you can do it,” our social worker moans as Dad grips my hips, forcing me to do as I’m told….

I squeeze my eyes tight.

I hate that the memories won’t fucking leave me. They’re the reason why I won’t make Perrie mine, giving her my cut. Yes, she loves me, but I hurt her. I pushed her away instead of letting her in.

If I were a good man, I’d let her go completely, but I need her in my life somehow. I just don’t think I can be the one for her happily ever after when my past still haunts me. She deserves better than me and my filth.

“You finished painting?” her angelic voice says from behind me, and I hum.

“Yeah,” I admit, “also did your dad's office as well; painted the walls, and built the new desk chair for you.”

I turn to look at her. Her hair is up in a messy bun, her makeup is a little less than yesterday, and she’s in her waitress uniform.

She looks around the room and nods. “I guess it’s time to decide whether I want to sell now that the place is nearly done, huh,” she says, and I tilt my head at her.

“Why would you sell, Tinker?” I ask, knowing how much this place means to her.

Her teary eyes come my way, and she admits, “Because I don’t know if I can live up to Dad’s legacy. I didn’t finish college, Ollie.” My mouth drops open in shock, and she shrugs. “I dropped out after the first semester, my sole focus on this place. The fight money I gave Dad, he had some leftover in the safe, so I used it to do the apartment. Then I decided to keep fighting after Cass left, and used some money I had won for all this equipment and renovations. The rest, I had saved. After selling the house, I have enough to travel for a little while.”

I can feel the sweat beadinh at the bottom of my spine as true fucking fear hits me, and I remind her, “You hate flying….”

She gives me a sad smile and whispers, “But I hate being here without Dad…and without you…. I feel empty, Ollie. I feel lost.”

Fuck.

I walk toward her, but she shakes her head, stopping me as she says, “I’ve got to go, or I’ll be late….”

I nod, and she turns and leaves, taking my heart with her.

She can’t leave town! We’ll never hear from her again! I thought that once Cass came back, the old Perrie would as well, but she was raped, stealing what wasn’t theirs to take.

I think it’s time my Tinker remembered she has people here who love her. I may not be able to give her my cut, even though my heart wants to, but she has my friendship—she always has—and if I have to watch her fall for someone else, well, I guess I’ll have to, right?

Sniffing hard at the bile rising at the thought of her moving on, I walk to the reception desk and grab my phone. Ignoring the picture of Perrie and me from her sixteenth birthday party, I bring up the text thread between Steal and me, adding a new message.

Me: Meet me at The Fight near Brooklyn at eight tonight. Bring Piston.

I press send and drop my phone again, my pulse racing. I can’t lose her from my life; I’ll lose myself if she goes.

I walk into The Fight, Viking nodding from the bar, before I notice Steal and Piston. They both look my way with raised eyebrows.

“Seriously, I told you, fucker, that you weren’t allowed to fight here, I’d never fucking see you,” Steal says, and I chuckle.

“Don’t worry, it’s not me,” I reassure, and he nods. I ask, “Is it done?”

This time, Piston speaks up and confirms, “Both brothers are wrapped in trash bags, weighed down by bricks, and have been dropped into the ocean. Both pleading and begging until they went under.”

I nod.

After Perrie told me what had happened, I called Steal and told him the Aldos needed to die. He said Cass had barged into his office at the club and said the same thing. It was the first time Cassidy had stepped foot in the clubhouse since Brute was killed. She didn’t explain why she wanted them dead, but I did.

Sounds like they had the worst death someone could face, but they deserved worse, so much fucking worse.

“So why are we here, then?” Steal asks just before the announcer shouts, “And your reigning champ, Tinker!”into the mic. The crowd goes wild as I tense, watching Perrie walk up the steps to the ring, her hair braided down her back.

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