Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“Understood,” Frankie said, although I could see his jaw was tight and his fists were clenched.
“You have our word,” Lotto added.
“No,” Troy said, locking eyes with me. “I’ll have your fucking heads.”
Chapter 24
Bones
“What the fuck is that?” I mumbled to myself as I pulled up at home. Ever since I joined Smiley’s, I hadn’t had many visitors at my house. Which was probably because no one knew where it was. So, it was a shock to see a strange car in my driveway. To make it worse, it was a flashy sports car, which meant it belonged to someone who had a whole bunch of money. But I had no idea who it could be.
Was it a recruiter from another gym trying to steal me away?
No. Maybe in the past that would have happened, but not anymore. No one was going to want to take on the PR nightmare that I was other than Ari.
So who then?
It wasn’t until I stepped out of the car, and I spotted the very unwelcome, very familiar number plate, that it hit me.
KingNero1.
The car belonged to Nero Rodriguez—the man who’d got me into this fucking mess in the first place. The man who made me throw that fight. The man who helped ruin my life.
My heart rate kicked up to a whole new level as I started to realize what this might mean. If he was back in my life, he must want something. Even though I didn’t have a damn fucking thing left for him. He already had absolutely everything of mine.
I pumped my fists angrily at my side as I marched toward the front door, noticing that he’d already let himself in. Something he always used to do. Of course, back then, he was letting himself into my swanky Seattle apartment, wandering among the hallways of greatness, helping himself to top-shelf booze on my mahogany bar that cost more than most people made in a year. Whereas now, he’d gone into a shitty, rundown house.
I shoved the door open violently, smacking it against the wall with a loud bang, and I stalked from room to room just waiting to see that damn fucking face of his again.
That fucking smug bastard smirk. That horrible way he squinted. His arrogant aura.
How the hell had I ever thought that he was my friend? Sure, he’d entered my life at a vulnerable point, just when I’d found out Dad had cancer the first time around. Nero had shown me a surprisingly good time, despite all of the shit I was going through. I’d been a fucking naïve idiot back then. I’d thought he’d wanted to be my friend. I hadn’t realized he’d been grooming me, drawing me in to be one of his biggest clients. He’d used my dad’s vulnerability to get to me. He’d taken me to the casino and shown me how easy it was to win big. He’d seemed to realize that I needed a quick cash fix to help my dad, and I’d fallen for it all. I’d been so desperate for cash, and I’d been sucked in like a fucking chump.
Well not again. I would never, ever be fooled by that damn idiot again, and I intended to let him know that the second I saw him. It enraged me to no end he was even here, anywhere near my life, and it terrified me, too. The influence this man once had on my life, and the threats he had made to get what he wanted out of me, had fucked with my head. Nero was a big part of the reason why I wanted nothing more than to lock myself away from the rest of the world.
I soon found him standing in my front room with his arms outstretched to hug me, as if we were old friends. “Hey there, Bones. It’s wonderful to see you again!” he said smarmily, with that familiar smirk I hated playing on his lips. “How have you been?”
I had no intention of having any fake small talk with this guy. Especially as I didn’t know what fucked-up game he was playing. “What do you want?” I snapped back. “And how did you find out where I live?”
“When I want to know something, it’s easy to find,” he said, making his meaning all too clear.
When I was penniless and out of the sport, I was no use to him. Now that I’d made my comeback, all of a sudden, he wanted to know me again. He had come back to me because he thought he could sink in his claws. Knowing this man, he probably knew about my dad being sick again, too. He was probably aware of how ill he was, and he intended to use that to his advantage.
Well, not this time. I was stronger now. More capable. I’d find a way to look after Dad with Lotto by my side. Somehow.