I looked down at my watch. “Travis’s fight is in twenty minutes. I better go.”
“We still have dessert coming.”
“I can’t, Jess. I don’t want him worrying if I’m going to show up. It’s important.”
His shoulders fell. “I know. I miss the days when I was important.”
I rested my hand on his. “We were just kids. That was a lifetime ago.”
“When did we grow up? You being here is a sign, Abby. I thought I’d never see you again and here you sit. Stay with me.”
I shook my head slowly, hesitant to hurt my oldest friend. “I love him, Jess.”
His disappointment shadowed the small grin on his face. “Then you’d better go.”
I kissed his cheek and fled the restaurant, catching a taxi.
“Where you headed?” The cab driver asked.
“Zero’s.”
The cabby turned to look at me, giving me a once over. “You sure?”
“I’m sure! Go!” I said, tossing cash over the seat.
Chapter Sixteen
HOME
Travis finally broke through the crowd with Benny’s hand on his shoulder, whispering in his ear. Travis nodded and replied. My blood ran cold as I watched him be so friendly to the man that had threatened us less than twenty-four hours before. Travis basked in the applause and congratulations of his triumph as the crowd roared. He walked taller, his smile was wider, and when he reached me, he planted a quick kiss on my mouth.
I could taste the salty sweat mixed with the coppery taste of blood on his lips. He had won the fight, but not without a few battle wounds of his own.
“What was that about?” I asked, watching Benny laugh with his cohorts.
“I’ll tell you later. We have a lot to talk about,” he said with a broad grin.
A man patted Travis on the back.
“Thanks,” Travis said, turning to him and shaking his outstretched hand.
“Looking forward to seeing another match of yours, son,” the man said, handing him a bottle of beer. “That was incredible.”
“C’mon, Pidge.” He took a sip of his beer, swished it around in his mouth and then spit, the amber liquid on the ground tinged with blood. He weaved through the crowd, taking in a deep breath when we made it to the sidewalk outside. He kissed me once and then led me down the Strip, his steps quick and purposeful.
In the elevator of our hotel, he pushed me against the mirrored wall, grabbed my leg and pulled it up in a quick motion against his hip. His mouth crashed into mine, and I felt the hand under my knee slide up my thigh and pull up my skirt.
“Travis, there’s a camera in here,” I said against his lips.
“I don’t give a fuck,” he chuckled. “I’m celebrating.”
I pushed him away. “We can celebrate in the room,” I said, wiping my mouth and looking down at my hand, seeing streaks of crimson.
“What’s wrong with you, Pigeon? You won, I won, we paid off Mick’s debt and I just got the offer of a lifetime.”
The elevator opened and I stood in place as Travis stepped out into the hall. “What kind of offer?” I asked.
Travis reached out his hand, but I ignored it. My eyes narrowed, already knowing what he would say.
He sighed. “I told you, we’ll talk about it later.”
“Let’s talk about it now.”
He leaned in and pulled me by the wrist into the hallway and then lifted me off the floor into his arms.
“I am going to make enough money to replace what Mick took from you, to pay for the rest of your tuition, pay off my bike, and buy you a new car,” he said, sliding the card key in and out of its slot. He pushed open the door and set me on my feet. “And that’s just the beginning!”
“And how exactly are you going to do that?” My chest tightened and my hands began to tremble.
He took my face in his hands, ecstatic. “Benny is going to let me fight here in Vegas. Six figures a fight, Pidge. Six figures a fight!”
I closed my eyes and shook my head, blocking out the excitement in his eyes. “What did you say to Benny?” Travis lifted my chin and I opened my eyes, afraid he had already signed a contract.
He chuckled. “I told him I’d think about it.”
I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. “Oh, thank God. Don’t scare me like that, Trav. I thought you were serious.”
Travis grimaced and steadied himself before he spoke. “I am serious, Pigeon. I told him I needed to talk to you first, but I thought you’d be happy. He’s scheduling one fight a month. Do you have any idea how much money that is? Cash!”
“I can add, Travis. I can also keep my senses when I’m in Vegas, which you obviously can’t. I have to get you out of here before you do something stupid.” I walked over to the closet and ripped our clothes from the hangers, furiously stuffing them in our suitcases.
Travis gently grabbed my arms and spun me around. “I can do this. I can fight for Benny for a year and then we’ll be set for a long, long time.”
“What are you going to do? Drop out of school and move here?”
“Benny’s going to fly me out, work around my schedule.”
I laughed once, incredulous. “You can’t be that gullible, Travis. When you’re on Benny’s payroll, you aren’t just going to fight once a month for him. Did you forget about Dane? You’ll end up being one of his thugs!”
He shook his head. “We already discussed that, Pidge. He doesn’t want me to do anything but fight.”
“And you trust him? You know they call him Slick Benny around here!”
“I wanted to buy you a car, Pigeon. A nice one. Both of our tuitions will be paid in full.”
“Oh? The mob is handing out scholarships, now?”
Travis’s jaws clenched. He was irritated at having to convince me. “This is good for us. I can sock it away until it’s time for us to buy a house. I can’t make this kind of money anywhere else.”
“What about your Criminal Justice degree? You’re going to be seeing your old classmates quite a bit working for Benny, I promise you.”
“Baby, I understand your reservations, I do. But I’m being smart about this. I’ll do it for a year and then we’ll get out and do whatever the hell we want.”
“You don’t just quit Benny, Trav. He’s the only one that can tell you when you’re done. You have no idea what you’re dealing with! I can’t believe you’re even considering this! Working for a man that would have beat the hell out of the both of us last night if you hadn’t stopped him?”
“Exactly. I stopped him.”
“You stopped two of his lightweight goons, Travis. What are you going to do if there are a dozen of them? What are you going to do if they come after me during one of your fights?”
“It wouldn’t make sense for him to do that. I’ll be making him lots of money.”
“The moment you decide you’re not going to do that anymore, you’re expendable. That’s how these people work.”
Travis walked away from me and looked out the window, the blinking lights coloring his conflicted features. He had made his decision before he’d ever come to me about it.
“It’s going to be all right, Pigeon. I’ll make sure it is. And then we’ll be set.”
I shook my head and turned around, shoving our clothes into our suitcases. When we set down on the tarmac at home, he would be his old self again. Vegas did strange things to people, and I couldn’t reason with him while he was intoxicated with the flow of cash and whiskey.
I refused to discuss it further until we were on the plane, afraid Travis would let me leave without him. I buckled my seat belt and clenched my teeth, watching him stare longingly out the window as we climbed into the night sky. He was already missing the wickedness and limitless temptations Vegas had to offer.
“That’s a lot of money, Pidge.”
“No.”
His head jerked in my direction. “This is my decision. I don’t think you’re looking at the big pictu
re.”
“I think you’ve lost your damn mind.”
“You’re not even going to consider it?”
“No and neither are you. You’re not going to work for a murderous criminal in Las Vegas, Travis. It’s completely ridiculous for you to think I could consider it.”
Travis sighed and looked out the window. “My first fight is in three weeks.”
My mouth dropped open. “You already agreed to it?”
He winked. “Not yet.”
“But you’re going to?”
He smiled. “You’ll quit being mad when I buy you a Lexus.”
“I don’t want a Lexus,” I seethed.
“You can have anything you want, baby. Imagine how it’s going to feel driving into any dealership you want, and all you have to do is pick your favorite color.”
“You’re not doing this for me. Stop pretending you are.”
He leaned over, kissing my hair. “No, I’m doing it for us. You just can’t see how great it’s going to be.”
A cold shiver radiated from my chest, traveling down my spine into my legs. He wouldn’t see reason until we were in the apartment, and I was terrified that Benny had made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. I shook off my fears; I had to believe Travis loved me enough to forget the dollar signs and false promises Benny had made.
“Pidge? Do you know how to cook a turkey?”
“A turkey?” I said, taken off guard by the sudden change of conversation.
He squeezed my hand. “Well, Thanksgiving break is coming up, and you know my dad loves you. He wants you to come for Thanksgiving, but we always end up ordering pizza and watching the game. I thought maybe me and you could try cooking a bird together. You know, have a real turkey dinner for once in the Maddox house.”
I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh. “You just thaw the turkey and put it in a pan and cook it in the oven all day. There’s not much to it.”
“So you’ll come? You’ll help me?”
I shrugged. “Sure.”
His attention was diverted from the intoxicating lights below, and I allowed myself to hope that he would see how wrong he was about Benny after all.
· · ·
Travis set our suitcases on the bed and collapsed beside them. He hadn’t pushed the Benny issue, and I was hopeful that Vegas had begun to filter out of his system. I bathed Toto, disgusted that he reeked of smoke and dirty socks from being in Brazil’s apartment all weekend, and then towel-dried him in the bedroom.
“Oh! You smell so much better!” I giggled as he shook, spraying me with tiny droplets of water. He stood up on his hind legs, covering my face with tiny puppy kisses. “I missed you too, little man.”
“Pigeon?” Travis asked, nervously knotting his fingers together.
“Yeah?” I said, rubbing Toto with the fluffy yellow towel in my hands.
“I wanna do this. I want to fight in Vegas.”
“No,” I said, smiling at Toto’s happy face.
He sighed. “You’re not listening. I’m gonna do it. You’ll see in a few months that it was the right decision.”
I looked up at him. “You’re going to work for Benny.”
He nodded nervously and then smiled. “I just wanna take care of you, Pidge.”
Tears glossed my eyes, knowing he was resolved. “I don’t want anything bought with that money, Travis. I don’t want anything to do with Benny or Vegas or anything that goes along with it.”
“You didn’t have a problem with the thought of buying a car with the money from my fights here.”
“That’s different and you know it.”
He frowned. “It’s gonna be okay, Pidge. You’ll see.”
I watched him for a moment, hoping for a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, waiting for him to tell me that he was joking. But all I could see was uncertainty and greed.
“Why did you even ask me, Travis? You were going to work for Benny no matter what I said.”
“I want your support on this, but it’s too much money to turn down. I would be crazy to say no.”
I sat for a moment, stunned. Once it had all sunk in, I nodded. “Okay, then. You’ve made your decision.”
Travis beamed. “You’ll see, Pigeon. It’s going to be great.” He pushed off the bed, walked over to me and kissed my fingers. “I’m starved. You hungry?”
I shook my head and he kissed my forehead before making his way to the kitchen. Once his footsteps left the hall, I pulled my clothes from their hangers, grateful that I had room in my suitcase for most of my belongings. Angry tears fell down my cheeks. I knew better than to take Travis to that place. I had fought tooth and nail to keep him from the dark edges of my life, and the moment the opportunity presented itself, I dragged him to the core of everything I hated without a second thought.
Travis was going to be a part of that, and if he wouldn’t let me save him, I had to save myself.
The suitcase was filled to its limit, and I stretched the zipper over the bulging contents. I yanked it off the bed and down the hall, passing the kitchen without glancing in its direction. I hurried down the steps, relieved that America and Shepley were still kissing and laughing in the parking lot, transferring her things from his Charger to her Honda.
“Pigeon?” Travis called from the doorway of the apartment.
I touched America’s wrist. “I need you to take me to Morgan, Mare.”
“What’s going on?” she said, noting the seriousness of the situation by my expression.
I glanced behind me to see Travis jogging down the stairs and across the grass to where we stood.
“What are you doing?” he said, gesturing to my suitcase.
If I’d told him in that moment, all hope of separating myself from Mick, and Vegas, and Benny, and everything I didn’t want would be lost. Travis wouldn’t let me leave, and by morning I would have convinced myself to accept his decision.
I scratched my head and smiled, trying to buy some time to think of an excuse.
“Pidge?”
“I’m taking my stuff to Morgan. They have all those washers and dryers and I have a ridiculous amount of laundry to do.”
He frowned. “You were going to leave without telling me?”
I glanced to America and then to Travis, struggling for the most believable lie.
“She was coming back in, Trav. You’re so freakin’ paranoid,” America said with the dismissive smile she had used to deceive her parents so many times.
“Oh,” he said, still unsure. “You staying here tonight?” he asked me, pinching the fabric of my coat.
“I don’t know. I guess it depends on when my laundry gets done.”
Travis smiled, pulling me against him. “In three weeks, I’ll pay someone to do your laundry. Or you can just throw away your dirty clothes and buy new ones.”
“You’re fighting for Benny again?” America asked, shocked.
“He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“Travis,” Shepley began.
“Don’t you guys start on me, too. If I’m not changing my mind for Pidge, I’m not changing my mind for you.”
America met my eyes with understanding, “Well, we better get you back, Abby. That pile of clothes is gonna take you forever.”
I nodded and Travis leaned down to kiss me. I pulled him closer, knowing it would be the last time I felt his lips against mine. “See you later,” he said. “Love you.”
Shepley lifted my suitcase into the hatchback of the Honda, and America slid into her seat beside me. Travis folded his arms across his chest, chatting with Shepley as America switched on the ignition.
“You can’t stay in your room tonight, Abby. He’s going to come straight there when he figures it out,” America said as she slowly backed away from the parking block.
Tears filled my eyes and spilled over, falling down my cheeks. “I know.”
Travis’s cheerful expression changed when he saw the look on my face. He wasted no time jogging to
my window. “What’s wrong, Pidge?” he said, tapping on the glass.
“Go, Mare,” I said, wiping my eyes. I focused on the road ahead as Travis jogged alongside the car.
“Pigeon? America! Stop the fucking car!” he yelled, slamming his palm against the glass. “Abby, don’t do this!” he said, realization and fear distorting his expression.
America turned onto the main road and pressed on the gas. “I’m never going to hear the end of this—just so you know.”
“I’m so, so sorry, Mare.”
She glanced into the rearview mirror and pushed her foot to the floor. “Jesus Christ, Travis,” she muttered under her breath.
I turned to see him running at full speed behind us, vanishing and reappearing between the lights and shadows of the street lamps. After he reached the end of the block, he turned in the opposite direction, sprinting to the apartment.
“He’s going back to get his bike. He’s gonna follow us to Morgan and cause a huge scene.”
I closed my eyes. “Just … hurry. I’ll sleep in your room tonight. Think Vanessa will mind?”
“She’s never there. He’s really going to work for Benny?”
The word was stuck in my throat, so I simply nodded.
America grabbed my hand and squeezed. “You’re making the right decision, Abby. You can’t go through that again. If he won’t listen to you, he’s not going to listen to anyone.”
My cell phone rang. I looked down to see Travis’s silly face and then pressed ignore. Less than five seconds later, it rang again. I turned it off and shoved it into my purse.
“This is going to be a god-awful fucking mess,” I said, shaking my head and wiping my eyes.
“I don’t envy your life for the next week or so. I can’t imagine breaking up with someone that refuses to stay away. You know that’s how it’s going to be, right?”
We pulled into the parking lot at Morgan, and America held open the door as I lugged my suitcase in. We rushed to her room and I puffed, waiting for her to unlock her door. She held it open and then tossed me the key.
“He’s going to end up getting arrested or something,” she said.
She ran down the hall and I watched her rush across the parking lot from the window, getting in her car just as Travis pulled up on his bike beside her. He ran around to the passenger side and yanked open the door, looking to Morgan’s doors when he realized I wasn’t in the car. America backed out while Travis ran into the building, and I turned, watching the door.