Page 49 of Givin' Me Fitz!
“Do you know who that old man was in the video?” I held my breath.
TJ sucked in a breath. “No, but it wasn’t my grandfather. I called Rosemary, his caretaker, when I got out of jail, and she said he’s fine. I’m worried he might be in danger.”
“What did Garza say to you after he showed you the video?” I wanted to push the kid to answer, but he broke down… hard.
Finally… “He said, ‘Take a dive in the ring and your grandpa will be fine. My people will be sure both of you are fine. This isn’t your time to become a ranked fighter, but I’ll see that you get a turn in the ring.’ I knew he was threatening me, and I beat the fuck out of him so he knew I could best him.
“When security came to his room, he asked me again, ‘Is that a yes? You love that old man that much?’ I said yes, and then the security guards hauled me out.”
I nodded. “Okay, TJ. Anything else we should know?”
“To keep my grandfather safe, I’m supposed to take a dive in the third round. Garza has to win, and if I take the dive, the Scorpions will leave my grandfather alone. Garza said they’d pay ten grand toward his care. It’s more money than I can raise in a couple of months by tricking.”
Sawyer stood and sat on the bed next to TJ. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me what was going on? We’ll help you. You’re not alone in the world, TJ.”
Jealousy coursed through my veins for an instant. It was maddening to see Sawyer wrap his arms around TJ, but as the young man sobbed, I moved to sit on the other side of him to offer any comfort I could.
It had to be a heavy load for TJ Middleton to carry by himself, and as I glanced at Sawyer, it was a heavy load for him too.
I stepped out of TJ’s trailer and sat on the second step from the bottom to wait for Sawyer. He’d stayed behind to speak with TJ, though I wasn’t sure what was being said. It really wasn’t my business.
To me, there was only one way to tackle the disaster laid at Sawyer’s feet, and I wasn’t sure if either man would go for my solution. It sounded as if the Scorpions were trying to fight dirty, and if it was my problem, I’d fight dirty in return.
TJ, now wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt, followed the handsome biker outside. I glanced over my shoulder toward Sawyer. “So, what are we going to do about this bullshit?”
Sawyer took my hand, pulling me up. “We’re going to go get Grandpa Jim and maybe he can stay with you at your place? Nobody would know he was there, and we can bring his care nurse along to look after him.” Sawyer stared at me for a reaction, but I was waiting for more details.
I didn’t mind Grandpa Jim and his caregiver staying with me. Heaven knew I had enough room and was barely ever home, but I had neighbors to worry about if someone came looking for the old man.
I had Elgin Tan and his mother, Mae, who lived across the street. Elgin had swept the sidewalk, the driveway, and the front porch several times, and I’d left money in an envelope on his mother’s porch for him. I didn’t know their story, but the young man was trying very hard to help his single mother, and I admired him for it.
“I’d take him to the clubhouse, but I think that’s the first place the Scorpions would look, and I don’t want to bring the fight to us. I want to keep the element of surprise. Do you mind, Fitz?”
What the hell could I say? “Not at all. Mr. Middleton can have my room, and the nurse can have the spare. I’ll take the couch.”
“Thank you. I wonder if I should stay at Mr. Middleton’s place in Mesquite and wait for a Scorpion to show up?” Sawyer stared at me, and I shook my head. No fucking way was he going to be a sitting duck.
“We’ll talk about that later but,” I turned to TJ, “we need to pick you up in the morning to go get your grandfather.”
“Get my grandfather?” TJ looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. Had he not listened to what we’d just discussed right in front of him?
“Yeah. We’re going to take care of him and bring along his caretaker so he’s comfortable at my place, and you’re going to fight, but you’re not going to take a fall. You’re going to kick that guy’s ass, and the club is going to bet on you to make up for the money the Scorpions stole from them.”
The kid’s mouth flew open as he turned to Sawyer. “I agreed to take the dive, Bones. I can’t back down or they’ll find my grandfather and kill him.”
Sawyer laughed. “Not a chance in hell, TJ.”
Chapter Eighteen
Sawyer
“Damn, these ribs are fantastic.” Fitz was licking his fingers, and I was biting my tongue as I watched.
We’d left TJ at Cowpokes for his evening appointments, and Fitz had dropped me at the clubhouse to get my truck. I followed him to the open-air parking lot at the casino, and we went into the restaurant.
After we were seated at our table and ordered drinks, I stared at him, wondering why the hell he was spending time with me. It just didn’t make sense.
We didn’t speak until our server came to the table with a far-too-happy smile to take our order. I ordered a brisket sandwich, and he got the rib dinner.
