Page 124 of You Had Me At Thirteen

Finding Jordan in the corner of the room, his hands in his pockets, one leg crossed over the other, I lift my chin at him. ‘What the fuck happened?’

He runs a hand through his hair. ‘Anderson took a fucking cheap shot, man. You remember nothing?’

I shake my head. ‘I remember him being pissed I was kicking his arse.’ I grin, remembering the way the vein in his neck throbbed each time I got a hit on him, or slipped out of one of his attacks.

Jordan crosses his arms as he blows out a breath. I know he wants to say more.

‘What is it?’

He swallows before pushing himself off the wall and coming to sit at the end of the bed. He glances from me to Matilda while he rubs the back of his neck. ‘Fuck. Well… I did some digging, and it turns out Michael Anderson is the older brother of Stephen Anderson.’

He says the second name as though I’m supposed to know who Stephen Anderson is. I don’t, so I wait for him to continue.

‘The guy you smashed into the ground at the club a couple of weeks back?’

Matilda’s face pales and she covers her mouth. She blinks a few times before she speaks. ‘It’s my fault.’

No way is this her fault. The fact she thinks it has me wanting to wring Stephen’s neck again.

‘No, baby, this is not your fault. That fucker deserved everything he got, and I’d do it all over again.’ I clench my fists, remembering the look on Matilda’s face that night when I found her trying to escape.

She’s crying again. But Jordan takes one of her hands. I know he cares for her. They’ve become close over the last couple of weeks. And I’m glad she’s had him to support her through this hard time. He’s just lucky he’s hooking up with my cousin, because any other man touching my woman wouldn’t have a hand left to touch her with.

‘Anyway,’ Jordan says. ‘I caught up with Michael.’

‘What?’ Matilda pulls her hand from his, her eyebrows pulled in so close they’re almost touching.

Jordan holds his hands up. ‘Calm down, savage. I explained everything his brother did. You should have seen the look on his face.’

‘So fighting me was payback? Is that why he took a cheap shot?’

Jordan nods. ‘That’s exactly why.’

‘Motherfucker…’ I scrub my hands over my face, feeling the coarseness of the stubble covering my jaw. It itches under my fingertips.

Matilda holds her stomach. ‘Oh god, thisisall my fault. What if you…’ Her voice breaks, stopping the last words I know she’s thinking.

‘I’m still here, beautiful. I’m not going anywhere. Come here.’ I motion for her to climb on the bed with me.

With the way her clothes fit her body, I know she’s lost a couple of kilos. Jesus, has she been here the whole time?

Jordan clears his throat. ‘I’m going to get a coffee.’

Smooth.

Matilda rests her head on my chest, as I stroke her back. ‘Never do that to me again. Prick.’

I low chuckle rumbles in my chest. That’s my girl.

‘How long was I out for?’ I say after a few minutes.

‘A couple of days.’

‘Fuck. Does my dad know?’

Matilda’s body tenses. ‘We can’t get a hold of him. I tried when it happened and Carla has been trying ever since. It rings but goes to voicemail.’

I nod. Typical. He’s the reason I went to that fight. After the lawyer called to tell me he’d re-mortgaged the house by forging my mum’s signature, all my emotions had me scrambling.

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