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Tito threw his hands in the air. “No idea what you’re talking about. You got proof?”
“Aside from them saying they had a message from Leo? No. That’s all the proof I needed.”
Tito’s gaze searched mine as he walked backward toward the door. “Come on, now. Why would he tell you it was a message from him?”
“Why would he do half the shit he’s done?” River growled from behind me. “The shit he’s done to this guy—I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“There’s one thing he wouldn’t do, and that’s what you’re accusing him of. He wouldn’t put his hands on a girl. He has three daughters. I’m telling you, you’re off base on this one.” He held up a hand. “Let’s have a good fight out there tomorrow, all right?”
I scrubbed a hand down my face. I didn’t have the energy for any of this. “Planning on it.”
He went through the door, and we turned and walked back toward the elevators.
My brain raced because none of it added up to me, if I were being honest. Why would a guy who begged to fight me have me jumped a few days before the fight? Although, the guys he sent weren’t fighters, so maybe it was just a scare tactic. I doubted Demi was part of the plan, but she’d ended up there, hadn’t she?
And that shit was unforgivable.
“You think he’s covering for him, or do you think Tito really doesn’t know how dirty his boy plays?” Butch asked.
“I don’t have a fucking clue,” I said, as we stepped onto the elevators and made our way to our floor.
“Hey,” Lincoln called out when we stepped off the elevators. “Brinkley and Tia are there with Demi. They said all her tests were fine. Her dad is causing the holdup and keeps asking for more tests and making things difficult.”
“And they’re sure that she’s okay?”
“She said Demi’s aggravated that she hasn’t been released. They just ordered takeout, and she’s feeling good. Her dad is wielding his power. Probably trying to keep her from showing up here.” My brother paused in front of his hotel room door.
“Tell Brinkley to make sure Demi stays home. I don’t want her near Leo or any of this drama.”
Lincoln nodded. “She knows that. Tia is going to stay with her to watch the fight with your mom and grandmother. Brinkley will catch a flight here tomorrow after Demi gets released, so she can cover the fight for the magazine.”
“All right. Thank you.”
“Of course,” he said.
“That sounds like a good plan. You can figure everything out when you get back home. Now we know your girl is fine. And you’ve got a fight tomorrow, so let’s get our heads in the motherfucking game!” Joey shouted, and everyone cheered.
At the end of the day, I was the reason Demi had been hurt, and I couldn’t get past that. That hit was meant for me. And she and I would have to deal with that when I got home.
Loving someone as fiercely as I loved her was one thing.
Hell, I’d fucking kill for that girl. Give my life without hesitation if it meant protecting her.
But that didn’t mean that I was right for her.
Demi Crawford deserved better than me.
But right now, I wasn’t going to think about it.
I was going to get my head right so I could show up tomorrow and hopefully put my fist through the face of the man who’d hurt her.
That was one thing that was in my control.
Game on, Leo Burns.
thirty
. . .
