Page 42 of Fight Me Daddy

"He's got a point," Nic said with a shrug.

"Nic, I will punch you in the diaphragm again," Amadeo ground out as a vein popped up on the side of his neck. "You two aren't an exception to the rule."

"But you are?" I asked.

"Yes!" my brother snapped before he sucked in a deep breath and finally let Six go. "We're leaving."

Six sucked in a breath. “Can you stop trying to kill me?” he scolded. “I wanted to say hi to Calix,” he complained as Amadeo led him away.

I moved out of their way and they slipped past me. Six glanced over his shoulder with a grin on his lips and Nic slapped a hand onto my shoulder.

"Make sure you wrap it up," Nic said as he looked at me somberly. "If you knock him up, it'll be a pain."

"Nic, come!" Amadeo called.

I shook my head. "Yes, Nic. Leave."

He chuckled as he walked off with them and I was left alone. I turned and headed for the locker rooms. Security stood outside, but one glance at me and they moved aside. I walked inside and found Calix sitting on a bench. His eyebrows knitted together before he frowned.

"What are you doing here?"

"Congrats on the win," I said as I walked over and then thought better of getting too close to him.

Calix laughed dryly. "Thanks," he muttered as he unwrapped the bandages around his hand and hissed. "Shit."

I moved forward and grabbed it. "It's not as bad as before," I breathed with relief when I saw only bruises and some blood that clearly wasn’t his own. "Thought you would need stitches again."

Calix yanked his hand away and glared at me. "I don't need you to be my doctor. I'm fine," he said as he tugged a shirt over his head. "I have to go."

"Wait," I said as he stood up and wavered a bit. "You should take it easy. That fight was brutal."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not," I growled. "And I'm not letting you drive home like that. You can either get in my car and shut the fuck up or I can knock your ass out and carry you. Which would you prefer?"

He scoffed. "You're not going to come around here and start bullying me," he snapped. "We're boss and unfortunate employee that owes you a shit ton of money. That's it."

Calix tried to walk past me. Everything in me screamed to leave him alone, let him go, but I grabbed his arm instead and slammed him against the wall. He pushed against me, but I pinned him.

"Where are you getting the bruises, Calix?" I asked as I reached out and touched the spot on his face. He hissed and tried to pull away, but I refused to let him. "You didn't have this a few days ago."

"None of your business," he muttered as he tried to push against me again. "Move before I call security and have you dragged out of here."

I searched his face. "Calix, I-"

"Save it," he snapped. "I don't care what you have to say and I don't give a damn about what you do. The next time you have collections, call me. Other than that don't turn up, don't text, don't bother me. I don't care what you do to me. I don't have to speak to you when I'm not working."

My jaw ticked. Calix made me want to choke the hell out of him. I stayed still as I searched his face looking for answers that weren’t there. He looked everywhere but at me until he finally couldn't help but meet my gaze.

"Where did you get the bruise?" I asked again. "Is someone hurting you?"

Calix blinked at me before he burst out laughing. "Did you hear what I just said!"

"I don't care what you said," I snapped. "I asked you about that bruise."

"You don't give up," Calix growled. "Get off of me."

"And what if I don't?" I shot back.

His eyes narrowed. "You think I can't kick your ass? I could, easily. But I wouldn't want to end up in a ditch somewhere. So I'm going to tell you one last time to let go of me."

My chest tightened. He wants nothing to do with me. I pulled back and he stormed away. I watched him go as my shoulders dropped.

I should lock him up like Ama did to Six.

Except I couldn't do that. Calix needed to fight and run his gym, he couldn't just disappear. And I didn't want to lock him in a cage. No, I wanted something a hell of a lot more impossible.

I wanted him to give a damn about me.

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