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I stepped closer, disregarding the pleasantries. “You might as well put that hand down until you tell me how you know my woman.”

ArKane laughed. He fucking laughed in my face.

“Your woman? That’s hilarious.”

That’s it. I’m fucking him up.

Vera wedged herself between us before I could make a move. “That’s enough. We’re done.”

“We’re not done until I say we are,” ArKane said with a wolfish grin.

“Shit. Let’s go outside then.”

“Alright, tough guy. Let’s do it.”

ArKane turned and headed toward a side exit without another word.

“Hart,” Vera warned when I followed.

“Not now.”

“Seriously.”

“Seriously, I wouldn’t be doing all of this if my girlfriend wasn’t out here acting single.”

“You’re not going to try to fight ArKane, are you?” she asked, sounding a little more than worried.

“I’m not swinging first, if that’s what you’re asking.”

We reached the loading dock, and ArKane walked several yards away from the entrance before finally stopping beneath a flickering security light. The DJ lit a cigarette, and suddenly, I was jonesing for one. He pointed it toward me.

“I don’t think you’re serious about Verydian.”

My head snapped towards Vera. I shoved my thumb toward ArKane. “He knows your government name?”

“I know her very well. I know just about everything there is to know about her. Don’t I, V?”

“Unfortunately,” Vera drawled, rolling her eyes.

“So,” ArKane said, taking a drag from the cigarette. “When I say I don’t think you’re serious about her, I mean it.”

“You’re judging me, and you don’t even fucking know me,” I snapped.

A shoulder lifted and fell lazily. “Not much to know. You athletes are all the same.”

“Fuck you.”

ArKane chuckled. “Wow. Truth hurts, huh?”

“Kan—”

ArKane lifted a hand to pause Vera, and to my surprise, she shut the hell up. “Hart, right?” he asked with a smarmy smile. I nodded. “Convince me you’re serious about her, and I’ll walk away.”

I raised a brow. “I don’t need to convince you of anything because I don’t owe you shit,” I said, stepping towards the DJ. “As far as I’m concerned, whatever y’all had is in the past, and it’s gonna stay that way. I’m gonna leave here with my woman, pick her up something greasy to eat, put her ass in the guest room tonight because she pissed me off and has me out here showing my ass, so she ain’t sleeping with me. Mind you, if the shoe were on the opposite foot, Vera would’ve burnt this warehouse down with all of us in it.”

“Mass arson,” Vera piped up.

I snapped my head towards her. “That’s not funny.”