“I know.”
“But if something happens to her, you’ll have me to worry about.”
“Understood.”
“Goo d,” Stone said and walked away.
I watched him disappear into a darkly lit doorway on the other side of the arena. I stood next to Ben and asked, “Where is he going?”
“That’s where the fighters get ready. His office is back there too.”
Ben crossed his arms and continued to keep an eye on the crowd, as I watched the fight, impressed with their skills. Wincing when one of the men did a swift uppercut, knocking the other off his feet, I tilted my head to speak without taking my eyes off the fight. “How are you doing, Ben? Love the name by the way. Makes you look smart.
“Shut up, Foxy.”
“Seriously, it suits you.” He only grunted and my jaw clenched in anger. I took my eyes off the ring and leaned closer. “Why the hell didn’t Teij tell me you’d be here, Bear?”
“You didn’t look sur prised when I walked up earlier.”
“Good acting,” I growled. “Why are you here?”
“The same reason you are, the mission.” Bear narrowed his eyes , as he glanced at me.
“Really?” I asked. “Does Teij even know you’re here?”
Bear’s arms dropped to his sides, as he turned to completely face me. His expression was one of pure shock. “What the hell, Foxy? Of course he knows.Why else would I be here?”
“I don’t know,” I raised an eyebrow. “You tell me.”
“I am not a traitor, Foxy, and you know it,” he growled. His face turned red, as he glared down at me.
“Just asking,” I shrugged.
“What about you?” he suddenly asked, his eyes narrowing on my surprised face. “You looked mighty cozy with Stone tonight at the bar.”
“What? You know how this works.”
“What does Paul think about the way you're going about it?”
“Who cares what Paul thinks,” I hissed. “What does that even have to do with anything?”
“Just asking,” he shrugged, mimicking me, as he went back to scanning the crowd.
“You didn’t answer me. Why didn’t Teij tell me you were here? And how did you get inside so quickly? I’ve only been here a couple of days.”
“I’ve been here a few days,” he snapped. “Pretended to follow the circuit and started asking around to see if anyone needed a bodyguard. I got lucky when Stone hired me.” I nodded and looked around the arena. No one was paying attention to us, but we really needed to watch what we said.
Bear’s eyes cut to mine briefly before looking away. “As to why Teij kept you in the dark? I don’t know. But he had to have a good reason.”
“Right.” Like punishing me for getting one of our own captured, or worse. And now I was questioning Bear’s loyalties, when I knew without a doubt he’d be the last one to do something like that. And from the look on his face, I could tell I messed up. He wasn’t just pissed, he was hurt. Just one fuck up after another, I thought.
“Listen, Bear, I believe you. I just had to ask, you know? I trust all of you guys. Well, most of you.. .”
“We’re a team, Foxy. You have to trust all of us or none of us. If you don’t, it could bring us all down.” Bear’s voice softened , as he spoke and I knew I was forgiven for being such a bitch. He was right too, of course, but... “I can’t change overnight, Bear, but I will try.”
He nodded and I pushed away those thoughts and focused back on the job. “Have you seen Red?”
“No,” Bear sighed. “I’ve looked, but I’m not left alone often and no one is talking.”
“What about The P it? Is it as legit as Stone claims?”
“Yep. They’re volunteers and get a fair cut of the winnings. Even the losers get a little compensation. And all fighters are drug tested before each fight. I’ve seen no sign of the drug being made or being used by anyone.”
“Shit,” I hissed. That sounded almost noble. Where the hell was Stone hiding his dirty little secret?
“But,” Bear murmured, turning his head closer
“But if something happens to her, you’ll have me to worry about.”
“Understood.”
“Goo d,” Stone said and walked away.
I watched him disappear into a darkly lit doorway on the other side of the arena. I stood next to Ben and asked, “Where is he going?”
“That’s where the fighters get ready. His office is back there too.”
Ben crossed his arms and continued to keep an eye on the crowd, as I watched the fight, impressed with their skills. Wincing when one of the men did a swift uppercut, knocking the other off his feet, I tilted my head to speak without taking my eyes off the fight. “How are you doing, Ben? Love the name by the way. Makes you look smart.
“Shut up, Foxy.”
“Seriously, it suits you.” He only grunted and my jaw clenched in anger. I took my eyes off the ring and leaned closer. “Why the hell didn’t Teij tell me you’d be here, Bear?”
“You didn’t look sur prised when I walked up earlier.”
“Good acting,” I growled. “Why are you here?”
“The same reason you are, the mission.” Bear narrowed his eyes , as he glanced at me.
“Really?” I asked. “Does Teij even know you’re here?”
Bear’s arms dropped to his sides, as he turned to completely face me. His expression was one of pure shock. “What the hell, Foxy? Of course he knows.Why else would I be here?”
“I don’t know,” I raised an eyebrow. “You tell me.”
“I am not a traitor, Foxy, and you know it,” he growled. His face turned red, as he glared down at me.
“Just asking,” I shrugged.
“What about you?” he suddenly asked, his eyes narrowing on my surprised face. “You looked mighty cozy with Stone tonight at the bar.”
“What? You know how this works.”
“What does Paul think about the way you're going about it?”
“Who cares what Paul thinks,” I hissed. “What does that even have to do with anything?”
“Just asking,” he shrugged, mimicking me, as he went back to scanning the crowd.
“You didn’t answer me. Why didn’t Teij tell me you were here? And how did you get inside so quickly? I’ve only been here a couple of days.”
“I’ve been here a few days,” he snapped. “Pretended to follow the circuit and started asking around to see if anyone needed a bodyguard. I got lucky when Stone hired me.” I nodded and looked around the arena. No one was paying attention to us, but we really needed to watch what we said.
Bear’s eyes cut to mine briefly before looking away. “As to why Teij kept you in the dark? I don’t know. But he had to have a good reason.”
“Right.” Like punishing me for getting one of our own captured, or worse. And now I was questioning Bear’s loyalties, when I knew without a doubt he’d be the last one to do something like that. And from the look on his face, I could tell I messed up. He wasn’t just pissed, he was hurt. Just one fuck up after another, I thought.
“Listen, Bear, I believe you. I just had to ask, you know? I trust all of you guys. Well, most of you.. .”
“We’re a team, Foxy. You have to trust all of us or none of us. If you don’t, it could bring us all down.” Bear’s voice softened , as he spoke and I knew I was forgiven for being such a bitch. He was right too, of course, but... “I can’t change overnight, Bear, but I will try.”
He nodded and I pushed away those thoughts and focused back on the job. “Have you seen Red?”
“No,” Bear sighed. “I’ve looked, but I’m not left alone often and no one is talking.”
“What about The P it? Is it as legit as Stone claims?”
“Yep. They’re volunteers and get a fair cut of the winnings. Even the losers get a little compensation. And all fighters are drug tested before each fight. I’ve seen no sign of the drug being made or being used by anyone.”
“Shit,” I hissed. That sounded almost noble. Where the hell was Stone hiding his dirty little secret?
“But,” Bear murmured, turning his head closer
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