Knowing Granger still has access to Blue is rubbing me the wrong way. And with the shit still going on with Ezra and Emily, I haven’t had a chance to get to her sooner.
“Those are some impressive bruises and cuts you got there.”
Patrick studies my face with a curious look. “Did you get in a fight with a dozen other guys somewhere else and lose?”
No, actually. These bruises are from a fight I got into with Ezra on the morning he showed up at our house to tell me he was dating Emily.
He gave me no other option but to deal with it with violence, choosing a fight to work out our problems because we’re not exactly the types to talk.
Bastard caught me in the kitchen and without saying a word, he grabbed me by the shirt and slammed me against a wall. I was the one to throw the first punch, and it was while we were wailing on each other, that the truth finally came out.
I don’t know why I bothered to fight him. Maybe it was a release of pressure I needed before finally exploding.
But, oddly, it helped.
We needed the release of tension.
And we needed to use our fists to finally come to an understanding.
The following morning, I drove to Emily’s house to give her my blessing about her relationship with Ezra. I finally and fully gave my oldhomeaway to Ezra that morning while promising her I would still be her friend.
The past two weeks have been hell.
Between the shit I’m doing for Blue, Ezra running behind my back with Emily, and my father calling … I’m just about ready to lose my mind entirely. Add to that the Inferno’s continued games and problems with finding some stupid fucking servers, and I’m about to quit this shit entirely.
The only thing saving me from packing my truck and hauling off into the sunset is working with Shane and Priest at the shop. It’s the only place where my head clears up, and I feel a sense of normalcy.
Earlier tonight I was out with Shane. He didn’t want to let me out of his sight, but after a few beers and a few different bars, we decided to call it a night.
Shane went home to do whatever the hell he does, and I hauled ass here.
“You should see the other guys,” I joke.
Patrick snorts and leans back on his stool.
“At least you were intelligent enough to keep it out of my club. I would hate to have to tackle your ass down again. You might not come back to finish buying me that car.”
Speaking of which…
I pull my wallet from my pocket to pay whatever ridiculous amount he demands, but he waves it away.
My brows tug together, confusion flooding my head.
“What happened to the entry fee?”
This isn’t normal…
Panic sets in, my heart rate climbing so high, it can’t be healthy.
“Blue is still here, right?”
He stares at me with a blank expression for a few seconds. I’m about to jerk him up by his collar and demand answers when he finally speaks.
“If you mean Ames, yeah, she’s here.”
He pauses, studying my face a little longer.
“And by the looks of her, she got into the same fight as you.”