Page 22 of Unlucky You

“Does it matter?”

He laughed roughly. “Stupid question.”

It was a stupid question. To a man like him, everything mattered, especially someone trying to infiltrate his life.

“I was hired to take pictures of the fight.”

“Of me?” His face hardened.

“No, not you specifically. Just of the fights.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a big mystery. Organized,illegal,underground fights. People are curious.”

“So you are a reporter?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Then why the fuck were you there and more importantly why were you asking questions about me?”

“I was there because I’m good, the best actually, and the guy who hired me wanted the best. My questions about you were…” I paused briefly, not wanting to say but for some reason I did. “Personal.”

“Personal?”

“I watched you fight.Iwas curious.”

His eyes squinted slightly then lowered to my lips. My heart lurched as he examined me, trying to decide if my response was good enough. His guard stayed up, trying to decide if I was a threat. This big imposing man saw me as a potential threat but not a physical one.

“Curiosity can get you into some shit you can’t handle. Stop asking about me. I’m not someone you want to know and don’t come back to the fights. If you weren’t invited, then you shouldn’t be there.” His warning was clear. Stay the hell away from me and the fighting but his stance had shifted. It wasn’t a threat. He no longer viewed me as a threat. He was protecting me. What I couldn’t tell was what he was protecting me from, the fights or him.

When he let me go and walked away, I shouldn’t have stopped him. I should have been grateful but I squeezed my eyes shut and exhaled my logic away, yelling at his back.

“Then invite me.”

My heart thundered in my chest as I watched. He stopped but didn’t turn to face me and time stood still until he snarled at me over his shoulder and shattered whatever hopes I clung to.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t protect you.”

“I don’t need you to protect me from them.”

“I didn’t mean from them…”

From him.

I felt the silent omission as his icy stare met mine. My stomach squeezed and the air around me changed with a warning I should have accepted but knew I wouldn’t.

SEVEN

Grand.

I pulled up at Raiden’s school and smiled, watching his little head moving from car to car. His smile expanded big as hell when he noticed mine. I chuckled when he began bouncing in place, pointing. My mother called ahead to add my name to the list that granted me access and gave me a school sticker, which was already on the passenger side of my windshield.

I couldn’t promise to be here every day to get him, but I would do my best to be here as much as possible. Today was the first of many. When I made it to the spot where Raiden was standing, he sprinted toward my car, only to be blocked by the teacher standing guard. He frowned when the guy grabbed hisarm and I was throwing my car in park and pushing the door open before I had time to think.

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