I looked down at her skin on mine and let out a breath. “Bob. It’s over. I’m done. Okay?”
“Just like that? You’re just going to call it like the fucking pussy you are?”
I must have found a new way to handle most of my rage because his taunts didn’t get a rise out of me. “I am. Call Jackson. He fights just like I do. And he still likes it. Dave and William are great, too. But I’m out.” I was going to call the guys I liked, however, to tell them I was done, just in case Bob went off on them like he was doing with me. Plus, there were a few others at the gym that I worked with or made sure they got to their cars safely that I wanted to check in with. I couldn’t leave everyone high and dry, even if I hadn’t really thought about the connections I’d made in my short time there.
“You’re going to regret this. You drop me now? You’ll never get back into it.”
“I’m just fine with that, Bob.”
“Whatever. But don’t you dare crawl back to me. I won’t take you,” Bob snapped before ending the call.
I sighed and put my phone back into my pocket. I couldn’t help but notice the relief on Dakota’s face.
“Thank you,” she whispered. I didn’t know if it was for herself or for me.
“You want to tell us what the fuck that was about?” Cross asked.
“Cross, Joshua’s in the other room,” Myra whispered.
Prior snarled. “And Hazel’s with him, and she’ll make sure he doesn’t hear me yell at my fucking brother for being a fucking idiot.”
“Fighting?” Cross asked again.
“And it looks like a couple of people in this room knew,” Prior snapped. “Were you going to tell us, Nate? Or were you guys just going to keep hiding shit from us? What the hell is going on? And we need to fucking tell Arden, or she’s going to be even more hurt than we are. We don’t keep fucking secrets in this family. Not anymore.”
Everyone started talking at once, and I held up my hands. “Okay, let me just talk this out because this is not why we’re here.”
“We’re here to keep our circle protected,” Cross said slowly. “And I guess that means we’re going to start with you.”
“He just told his trainer or whoever that he’s quitting. That should calm you down a little bit.” Dakota raised her chin.
I nearly staggered back at her confidence in me. At her tone of defense. I didn’t fucking deserve it. But hell, I liked it.
“Why don’t we let Macon speak?” Dakota said after a moment. Then she looked at me. “If that’s what you want.”
I let out a sigh and nodded. “Looks like I don’t have a choice.”
“Don’t be like that,” Cross replied. “You made a choice to not tell us and when you decided to put yourself in danger. Talk to us. That’s all we ask.”
“After the shooting, I needed an outlet for my rage. I know it’s stupid. I knew it was idiotic the whole time. But it’s what I wanted to do. And so, I did it. I was as safe as I could be. Except it wasn’t completely safe. But I didn’t do it every day. I only fought those who fought at my level and played by the rules instead of going against them. Boxing is a sport,” I reminded them.
“But you’re not a boxer,” Nate said softly.
“No, I’m not. I’m a veterinarian who got a bullet in his chest and is still trying to figure shit out. But I’m not going to do it anymore.” I looked at Dakota rather than at my family. “I’m not.”
“I know you won’t. But you still should have told them,” Dakota argued, chastising me.
I shrugged. “Maybe. But I’m still figuring out my thoughts. I’m sorry, you guys. I’m not doing it anymore. As Dakota said, that was my trainer. It’s not happening again.”
“Okay, okay.” Paris held up her hands when my brothers started to shout at me. “We don’t have time for this,” she said. “We’re here for Dakota, remember? Yes, Macon, you’re an idiot. But we’re glad you’re safe. And if you do it again, and if Nate holds it back from this family again, then I will have to make this a problem. And you do not want me to be the bad guy here.” That made me smile, and Paris just narrowed her eyes at me. “Don’t think I’m being funny. I’m not.”
I just smiled. “Okay.”
Paris flipped me off, and I rolled my eyes. “Now, let’s get back to Dakota.”
“I don’t want to be the center of this,” she said.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but you are the reason we’re here.”
“Let’s go back to talking about you.” She smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. Without thinking, I brushed her hair back from her face and noticed the others’ sidelong glances.
They all wanted to know what the hell was going on between Dakota and me. Well, I wanted to know, too.
But this wasn’t the time for that. I had no answers anyway.
And, Jesus, I just wanted to hold her close and tell her that everything was going to be okay, even if I knew it wasn’t. At least not yet.
“So, what did the detective say again?” Myra said, looking down at her phone. “I have notes from that day, but I want to hear it once more.”
“You took notes?” Nate asked.
Myra glared like the ice queen she pretended to be. “My friend is being stalked. Of course, I took notes. And I’m sure Paris has it in her pretty little planner. If you have a fucking problem with that, Brady, have at it.”
“Okay, okay.” Dakota put herself between them and held out her hands. “Stop it. Both of you.”
“I mean, we can also spend the time talking about what the hell is going on between you two if we want,” Prior added.
“Nothing is going on between us,”
