Page 34 of Bear

A prickle of wariness skittered up my spine. Was it Justin?

I tiptoed to the door, peering out the peephole. Pedro stood in the hallway, shifting in place, and looking nervous. My wariness turned to worry. What was Pedro doing here at this hour? And without Bear.

Quickly, I opened the door.

“Hey, Pedro. Is everything okay?”

He gave a nervous little wave.

“Hi, Miss Thompson. Sorry to bother you so late but I needed to talk to you. About Bear.”

Now I was really concerned. I stepped back, ushering Pedro into the apartment.

“Come in. What’s going on?”

Pedro hurried over the threshold, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He seemed a little breathless, too.

“You’re in love with him, right?”

I blinked in surprise at the bluntness of Pedro’s question.

“Well, I - yes, I am,” I sputtered in response.

He nodded. “Good. Because he’s going to fight Justin in the cage. Tonight. For you.”

I tried to suck in a breath to steady myself but my lungs felt tight.

“Pedro, if this is a joke or a prank - ”

“It’s not,” Pedro cut in. “I overheard him on the phone with President Brewer and they were talking about it. You have to know…my brother will do whatever it takes to win that fight.”

I faltered. What could I possibly do to stop it? I’d already told Justin to leave me alone and he wouldn’t listen. I should have called the police. I should have tried to get a restraining order. I should have…

Pedro’s hand on my shoulder interrupted my spiraling thoughts.

“You need to be there,” he said.

“Won’t that make it worse?” I asked. “This whole mess started because of Justin and me. And now Bear is involved, and you and your brother - ”

“Justin has to see that you’re part of this family now,” Pedro replied.

My heart was racing. I hoped he was right.

“I’ll show you the way to the clubhouse while you drive,” Pedro added.

“Maisie,” I said. “I can’t leave her here alone.”

“Bring her in the car. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

Ten minutes later, Pedro, Maisie, and I were in the car, speeding as fast as I dared to go through Merry Field without getting pulled over. As we got closer to the clubhouse, the streets were lined with cars.

“This is all for the fight,” Pedro said.

“You’re kidding,” I replied in disbelief.

“It’s a popular tournament. My brother draws a big crowd when he fights, too.”

When we reached the clubhouse, the parking lot was full. I didn’t bother to find a designated spot and simply brought the van to a stop. I checked on Maisie one last time, bundled up and dozing in her car seat.

---