Page 26 of Outcast

"Not when it comes to Rita. She's as much a Dirty Dog as you are. More. I'm just looking out for you."

Waving my hand, I opened the door to Javier's room, slipped inside, and shut Ricco out.

My nostrils flared and my forehead throbbed from the mild headache Ricco only made worse.

I didn't need that shit. Neither did Rita or Javier.

Releasing a breath, I rolled my head from shoulder to shoulder, forcing the tension from my body. Once it was as gone as I was going to get it, I took the chair next to Javier's bed.

He turned his head my way and gave me a sleepy-eyed look. "Ricco's a fucking Mary Sue with that shit."

I snorted. "You heard him?"

"The dead heard him." He grunted as he tried to scoot up in bed. I bent forward to help but he shooed me away. "Get the hell away. I don't need help. I'm fine."

He said that, but he ended up staying in the same spot with his head resting on the pillow. He was a sharp old man. Loyal as they came, and quick on his feet. Old as shit too.

For a man who ran a deadly gang in South America, he also had a sweet look about him. Like he was someone's happy grandpa.

"Yeah, yeah." I humored him and flopped back in the chair.

"Ricco's right, you know."

I sighed. "Not you too. I'm here because you're here and Rita's not. I care. Get over it."

"Not that." He mashed his lips together and closed his eyes. "The other thing."

"What other thing?" I asked, but made it clear in my tone, I'd rather not have this conversation at all.

"We all know you fucked my baby girl."

What? I scrunched my face up. "I'm not talking about this,” I seethed. “Unless you want to rehash your public fucks in the club." There were many, and I'd witnessed more than I liked to admit.

His chest compressed with his loud exhale. "She's always liked you. But you're not Matías."

I couldn't blink. I didn't twitch.

The only thing I could do was sit there staring blankly at him. He actually just said that.

Javier pulled the rug from underneath me and idly watched me flailing on my back like he hadn’t hit me in the gut with his fucked up truths.

"Matías was her one.Fuck." He coughed, and grabbed hischest. Not in danger of another heart attack. Probably from the tender muscles. "Damn, he was my one too."

I ignored the disbelief coursing through my body. I kicked aside the doubt his words were creating inside me and focused on how insane his words were.

"What the hell, Javier?" I finally found my voice. "You can't hold onto someone when they don't want you."Ifucking knew that. "And what does that even mean, he was your one?" I parroted back to him.

"I wanted him to lead the Dirty Dogs. Steal him away from Vicente."

Gripping the ends of the armrests, I fought the urge to shake some sense in him. Every muscle in my body was strung tight.

"Why? We don’t need him,” I gritted out. It was harsh, but the man jumped ship at first convenience. He was nothing. No one.

"Yeah?" He asked sardonically. "Did you get any messages today at the shop?"

I stuck my tongue between my teeth, almost biting it off. Javier wanted an answer and I couldn't avoid it forever. "A nice flower arrangement with a sarcastic get well soon card," I bit out.

"What else did you hear?" he prodded.

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