Page 19 of The Air You Breathe

“That schmuck almost beat Cal,” I said, almost losing my cool.

“I think you’re thinking of Al, father,” Giovanni said, trying to help me.

Lucio looked at Giovanni like he was an idiot. “Either way we won’t be changing the roster.”

“Sir, we also need to reconsider Cal and Brent,” I said, feeling desperate. “Brent is clearly in a higher weight class and there is a very big possibility that Cal will lose this fight.”

“Alvaro is also unhinged, you really want to put Cal in jeopardy to not be able to pay you back?” Giovanni crossed his arms across his chest. “He might end up like that last fighter and then you will be really screwed.”

Lucio laughed. “Cal has paid his debt a long time ago, he’s an excellent fighter and makes more money than all of my fighters put together, which is why he is fighting Brent.” He slapped Giovanni’s shoulder, looking at the arena again like he was imagining the crowd and the money that would come in soon. “Everyone loves an underdog. Let’s hope he brings his hot nurse with him, and he doesn’t get his ass kicked. She can patch him up and then he will be ready for the next fight.”

This asshole. I can’t believe Cal has paid his debt and he is still stringing him along.

Giovanni and I shared a look of anger at this man.

“If she does come, maybe she can look after Dev. If what Evan says is true maybe she can also make sure he is taken care of.” Giovanni shrugged.

Fuck. Shit. Motherfucker.

I glared at Giovanni. The guys will lose their shit if she is forced into taking care of Dev. Lucio has never confirmed it but aside from Giovanni and myself, everyone else only suspected that Dev was Lucio's son. There is no way they would agree for her to do anything for Lucio.

“That sounds like a great idea.” Lucio turned around, looking like he just won the lottery. “I’ll make her an offer she can’t refuse.”

I wanted to say something, anything to get him away from thinking about Jane but I knew it was going to be useless.

“Make sure tonight is perfect,” he said, to no one in particular as he walked away from us but turned around quickly. “I need the money from tonight to fund our other business adventures. So don’t fuck this up.”

He gave us a pointed look as he walked away. Dread pooled in my gut at the sound of his saying ‘our adventures’ like I would condone anything he did, especially sex trafficking.

“Seriously Giovanni?” I snapped, when Lucio was far away.

“Look, if she can help Dev, then I’m all for it.” He ran his hand through his hair. “We will keep an eye on her, and I’m sure they won't let her go alone.”

“Why do I feel like this might be a shitshow?” I asked, feeling stressed already.

“When isn’t this a shitshow? Let’s get through tonight so we can focus on whatever he has planned next,” Giovanni said, nodding at me before he walked away.

I don’t think any amount of focusing would prepare us for what Lucio had in mind. That thought alone scared the shit out of me.

8

DEV

The day of my fight, I was on edge all day. Ava knew something was wrong, but I didn’t want her to know about anything in my life that was attached to our father, so she had no clue that I was going to fight tonight.

“Why do I have a bad feeling something is going to happen tonight?” Ava asked, as she came into my room. I was packing a bag and sticking whatever I thought I was going to need for tonight. Thankfully I had packed the first aid kit before she came into my room.

“Nothing is going to happen,” I said, with all the confidence I could muster. I hated when she worried about me, she was too young to do that and that was my job, not hers.

“Then why are you packing a bag? Are you not coming home tonight?” She sat down on my bed looking around my room.

“I might stay over at Evan’s tonight, and I just want to be prepared if I do,” I said, zipping up the bag.

“I wish you would just tell me what is going on. I’m old enough and I know that our father is a bad man,” she said, with a hard sigh. She was frustrated, but if I could keep her from everything I would.

“I know you're old enough and mature enough but Ava, you don’t need to know everything. Like you said, he’s a bad man, there is nothing about what goes on with him that should worry you,” I said, looking at her, seeing our father in her. “That's why I do what I do because I don’t want you anywhere near this world more than you have to be.”

“I’m in this world whether you like it or not,” she snapped. “That choice was taken away from me when he got our mother pregnant.”

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