Page 45 of Kade

I opened my mouth. She dropped the pills in and brought the water to my mouth. After I swallowed them down, she got back into bed and settled in. She handed me one of the last ice packs so I could hold it against my face and put the other over my ribs.

I hissed at all of the cold contact. “I should’ve just done an ice bath.”

She raised an eyebrow, her lips pursed. “Next time.”

I looked over at her. “You’re not happy with me?”

She dropped the mask and let me see how unhappy she was. “I get that you needed to work off steam. But you didn’t have to do three fights. Jesus, Mason. Three?”

I flashed her a grin, which hurt. “It felt good to be fighting again.”

“That isn’t a statement I enjoy hearing from you.”

“Sam.”

She sighed again. “I get it. I remember how I was when I met you and Logan for the first time. Of course I get it, but what’s the point of the excessive amount of fighting?”

“Respect.”

She quieted. “What do you mean?”

“I may need a resource in that world. Their information could be helpful, and they aren’t going to give it if they don’t respect me.”

“You couldn’t do any of that through Channing?”

“The history’s too raw between them. And I don’t even know all the history. But this new charter isn’t the same group that was here previously. I could see that myself. I met some of the previous charter. These guys were different.”

“Does it matter?” She chewed her bottom lip and moved her gaze over my face, like she was trying to feel the answer before I told her.

“It matters. I wouldn’t have approached the last charter. These guys, I need them to respect me. Logan too.”

“It doesn’t feel right that you’re going around Channing.”

“I know. I’ll handle that.” I grimaced. “Channing will be pissed, but he’ll understand. I had to go without telling him. He’ll get that too. Once I’m healed a bit more, I’ll tell him. Chan’s a good fucking fighter too.”

“So you did all of this. Is it going to be worth it? Will they talk to you about this Bennett family?”

“I don’t know.”

Her mouth went flat. “Mason.”

“I mean, I don’t know their charter, but I feel like I fought some of their best fighters. The first guy, Boise. He was good. Like, really good. I barely won against him. The second guy was a little easier, but he was still fucking brutal. Then the last guy,” I held Sam’s gaze. “He was their president.”

She sat up a little higher. “What?” Her eyes rounded.

“Their prez climbed into the ring. That has to mean something.”

Her mouth turned down. “He’s the one who beat you?”

I snorted, then grunted from the fucking pain.Shit. “I was worn down, which the fucker knew. But, God. He hit hard. Precise. He knew exactly where to hit the hardest.”

“I don’t like it. I don’t like any of this.”

I needed Sam on board. Reaching for her hand, I tugged her closer. “Everyone is leaving soon. It’ll be just you and me soon.”

“And Heather and Channing.”

“Channing will be pissed, but he’ll understand. My PI’s not getting back to me. I can’t even get a hold of her. I had to make this move. I need to get a feel for who the fuck I’m going against.”

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