Giving It Up by Amber Lin Page A

fingers around to the backs of his hands. Rough skin, though not as rough as the calluses, and the soft hair of a man. My fingers inched up—it was coarse and…? My eyes snapped open, and I looked down to see open cuts on his knuckles. I stared at them for a moment.
    An icy shiver ran down my spine, one that had nothing to do with my fever. I didn’t know if I was slow because of the late hour or because I didn’t want to see it. I remembered what the man at the clinic had said—that was the exact phrase Colin had used last night, that the guy just didn’t want any trouble. Last night the guy had acted like he knew Colin, or at least knew of him.
    I turned slowly in Colin’s arms until I was facing him, still clutching his hands. “How did you get these?”
    His face closed up, confirming my fears. And in his eyes there was knowledge of what he’d done. There was caution too, which I hated.
    “Colin.”
    He looked like he might not answer me, but he said, “It was nothing. A disagreement.”
    “Who?”
    He shrugged, not casually enough. “Someone where I work.”
    “Right. Someone didn’t pay the tab, so you beat him up?”
    Colin shook his head, but his eyes never left mine. “The restaurant isn’t the only place I work.”
    “Tell me.” Tell me you didn’t do that to him. Tell me you aren’t another violent man.
    “My brother. He owns a few businesses.”
    “Was it the man from the other night?”
    “Why would you think that?”
    “Gee, I don’t know. Maybe because you tell me you have something to take care of. Then I see him with the shit beat out of him. And then you come around with—”
    “You saw him? When the fuck did you see him?”
    I flinched at his language, which was laughable considering my own dirty mouth. Still, this one was less like an exclamation and more like a lash.
    “Did he come here?” he asked. “I swear to God, I’ll kill him.”
    I pulled away from him and stood, wrapping my arms around my sides. “You did it, then.”
    “Yes, I kicked his ass, but it was a fair fight.” He stood and paced away from me. “What? Did you like him or something?”
    “No, I don’t like him, but I don’t want to see him hurt because of me. Jesus, Colin.”
    “You didn’t do it. He started it, and I finished it.”
    I rolled my eyes. “I am not some stupid girl you fight over, winner take all.”
    “I wasn’t fighting to win you. I was teaching him a lesson. Now answer me. Did he come here?”
    “No! Not that I owe you an explanation, but apparently you’ll go homicidal if I don’t tell you. I saw him at the ER where I took Bailey, okay? All he did was apologize to me. And he looked like shit. You seriously hurt him.”
    “Good. But he shouldn’t have talked to you at all. I warned him what would happen if he did.”
    My eyes widened. “You’re not going to do anything else to him.”
    He said nothing.
    “I’m serious. I can’t believe you even did that much. This isn’t like the caveman days. Who does that? Crazy, violent people, that’s who. You could’ve really hurt him.” And then a thought hit me. “You could get in trouble. Even go to jail .”
    “If I do get sent to jail, it won’t be for that .”
    “What does that mean? What other things are you doing?”
    He gave a quick shake of the head. Don’t ask.
    “I swear to God, Colin, do not make me play twenty questions. If you are up to something dangerous and you are bringing it here into my house with my daughter , then I have a right to know.”
    Finally he looked ruffled, his cheeks pinking and his nostrils flaring slightly. “I’m not bringing anything into your house. No one will hurt you or your daughter, especially not if I’m seeing you.”
    “Is this supposed to be comforting? Because it’s really not. What does that even mean? Who the hell are you? The mob?” I tried to laugh but choked on it when he shrugged.
    “Nothing that organized.”
    I stared at him, dumbstruck. Out of the frying