Page 24 of You Know I Love You

“My wife is my type.”

“Clearly. You really have never done anything halfway, have you?”

“Nope, I’m all in or out.” It’s how I have always been.

Never second-guess yourself because in that half second of doubt, the opportunity could slip right through your fingers. When you grow up with nothing, you learn to grab hold and never let that shit go until you get what you want out of it, but with Willa, there will never be enough, and I’ll never let her loose.

“But like I’m saying, don't let that shit eat at you. You aren’t the men that used to hang out at your mother’s strip clubs.”

“Don’t go there.” That’s the last thing I want to think about. The smell of sex used to make me want to throw up. The club my mom worked at always smelled of it. With Willa it's different. I could bathe in her smell. I want it all over me.

I check the time again. It’s Friday, which is fight night. Rich has a match tonight, and although I haven't seen or heard from him, I know he's still been training. He’ll show. The kid is too bloodthirsty not to. Willa said he’s missed a few days of classes and is staying clear of everyone.

Now I'm beginning to question whether he is the one who is concerned about the details of his father's death being revealed. The more I grapple with it myself, the more I know I can’t keep it from Willa forever. I don’t want that hanging over us, but still a fucked-up part of me is trying to get myself ingrained deep into her before she does find out.

There’s no telling how she's going to react, but I’m hoping she knows me well enough by then. That she’ll realize I did what I thought was best for everyone in that situation. Well, maybe not for her father, but he had made his own bed long before that.He was a shitty human being and more than that, a despicable father.

My mother wasn’t the best, and she raised me around some shady places, but she never laid a hand on me. Never allowed harm to come to me. Not the physical type, anyway. I couldn’t say the same about Willa and Rich’s father. That man deserved what he got, and I wouldn’t hesitate to make the same decision over again.

“Everything set for tonight?” I ask Anton, trying to change the subject.

“Yeah, Rich brings in a lot of bank. Those wealthy bastards keep betting against him, thinking he has to lose one sooner or later.”

“He needs to go pro.” Rich isn’t going to lose. Not right now. He’s got so much rage inside of him that the kid doesn’t feel anything else but that. I remember those days. There is no pain. You don’t allow yourself to feel it, and when you don’t feel, you’re untouchable, and the kid thinks he’s got nothing to lose.

“He needs to get grounded,” Anton says what I’m already thinking. I nod. If he did that, he really would become unstoppable.

He even enjoys the sport of it. I hadn’t. It was a means for me to find a way to release the rage I had, but it sure as shit doesn’t fix it. It will only start to build again, and once again, you’ll need that release.

I grab my phone off my desk and check the time and my girl's location. I stand up when I see she is out of school and headed my way.

“Going to collect my wife,” I tell him before heading outside to the front of the warehouse. Teddy pulls in, giving me a small wave. I open the car door, and Willa jumps into my arms.

“Missed you.”

“Missed you too, Princess.” I give her a deep kiss.

“I’ll be back tonight for the fight,” Teddy says.

“I’ll make sure they know. You can use this side door,” I tell her.

“See you lovebirds later,” she says before taking off.

“Come on, I want my wife to myself for a few hours.” I lead her toward the dock.

“Where are we going?”

“The boat.” I had it brought over so I could have a few hours with my wife before tonight. “Going to have dinner and spend some time alone.” We haven't spent a night apart, but it’s getting old slipping in and out of her bedroom.

“That sounds really nice.” Willa beams up at me. The bright light in my once dark world.

Chapter Fourteen

WILLA

“You know, I haven’t seen you smile this much in a long time.” Teddy hops up on the desk to sit next to me. We’re in Vasily’s office.

He and West started talking about the docks and how there is a delay in shipments when you order things to the island. I was only listening to half of it, but now West is getting a tour of the warehouse. The two of them are discussing some kind of fix or business. I’m not quite sure, but I’m glad they are getting along.

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