Page 56 of Paid In Full

“You don’t know? They’re all dressed for the job,” I pointed out, waving a hand toward everyone. “And the one guy you bother, he’s dressed like a normal ass dude. That didn’t make you realize that maybe you were barking up the wrong fucking tree?”

“I was just—”

“You were just fucking up.” I slammed his head into the bar again. When he sat up, he wavered as if he was dizzy. “What’s the matter? Can’t feel your face?” I grinned. “Shit, is that a tooth?”

One of his teeth lay on the bar, strings of tissue still inside it. I glanced up in time to see Gran Myah looking on. She didn’t say anything, but I saw the irritated look on her face. As I glanced around the bar, I knew why; I was fucking up her business.

My hand tightened around the stranger’s neck. “Let’s take this somewhere more private.”

I dragged him out to the alley, shoving him against a wall where he bounced off, groaning. Shrugging my jacket off, I tossed it to the side before I stretched and then cracked my fingers. He slid down, landing on his ass.

“It was a mistake,” he said, his voice shaky. “I didn’t know who he was or who he was with.”

“So you know me?” I chuckled. “Seems like you still have a few brain cells rattling around in that shitty head of yours.” I crouched down and flicked his already broken nose. He howled. “But even if it wasn’t me, even if it wasn’t him, you walking into someplace and thinking you can treat anyone you want like shit is gravely offensive.”

“No one’s complained about it before!” he shouted.

“Well, I am.”

I balled up my fist and slammed it into his face. Pain shot up my arm and made my fingers throb. That did nothing to stop me.

“Don’t fucking touch what’s mine!” I growled.

“I didn’t know he was yours!” he shouted.

“You know now, don’t you? Huh? Don’t you?” My fist crashed into his face with every question, his head bouncing off the brick wall. “Next time, act like you have some common goddamn sense!”

“Giancarlo, stop. Stop!”

I panted, my fist pulled back, ready to deliver another blow. My head whipped in the direction of that voice. Ash stood there, Sweetie behind him as they stared at me. The cloud that had been wrapped around me slowly pulled back. I stood up.

The man who had been in my grasp slumped to the ground again. I didn’t give a damn if he was dead or not. I walked over to Ash instead. Reaching out, I touched his cheek. This time, he didn’t pull away from me. He stared into my eyes as my stomach churned, waiting for him to tell me to leave him the hell alone again.

“I want to go home,” he whispered.

My stomach twisted. I nodded. “Okay. Let’s go.”

I took his hand in mine. Even though they were stained with slick, hot blood, Ash didn’t pull away. As we moved through the brothel, weaving our way through the slowly returning crowd, I pulled him closer, scooped him up, and held Ash against my chest. He still didn’t pull away. I let out a relieved sigh. I didn’t even realize I was so worried about him rejecting my touch again. Warm arms wrapped around my neck, and he buried his face against my throat.

We stepped out into the quickly fading sun, but I still didn’t want to let him go. Someone had hurt him, and I wasn’t there to stop it. And then he’d witnessed me beating a man. I didn’t know what to do, what to feel, what to think. My stomach churned as I staggered forward, fighting the feeling of cement blocks wrapped around my feet and weighing me down.

“Ash,” I muttered. “About that—”

“I’m okay,” Ash whispered. “Please, I want to go back home.”

That small voice pushed me forward. I sucked down the panic that climbed up my throat and made it to Baby. Carefully, I put him inside before I leaned over his body to click the seatbelt into place.

“Are you hurt?” Ash asked.

I tilted my head. “What do you mean?”

“Your fist is all… messed up.”

I glanced down at it. Sure enough, my knuckles had split open. I couldn’t even feel it, but I could see the white meat of my flesh peeking through and the fresh blood that continued to flow.

“It’s fine.”

“You’re not fine,” Ash said, his eyes welling up with tears again. “And it’s my fault. I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

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