“Yeah, see ya.” She finally mumbles out, looking away and taking a sip of wine.
It’s not until I’m about to climb into my car at the valet stand when I hear her shout my name as she comes running out of the restaurant. Her face looks white as she shakes her head when I turn to her, and it feels like a stab through my chest.
“Don’t go,” she says pleadingly.
“Quinn-”
“Just don’t go? You don’t have to fucking do this! Please, Logan! Please don’t do this.”
“I have to.”
And I can’t tell you why, and I know you’re going to hate me for that.
I can’t, though. Telling her everything would mean losing her. This might mean the same thing, but at least this way she just thinks I’m an asshole instead of knowing the utter piece of scum I was before. And if I have to lose her anyway, I’m sure as hell not going to let her into that part of me if I can help it. For her sake.
“I have to go, Quinn.” I say quietly.
“Please.” Her eyes are wide and searching my face for something that I know she’s just not going to find. Not right now. “For me.” She says, and it’s like someone’s just punched me in the face. “For me, don’t go.”
It’s all for you, I think, tightening my jaw as I look into those deep pools of her eyes.
“Here,” I fish the keys to my penthouse out of my jacket pocket and push them into her hands. “It’s still partially under construction, but you can stay at my place.” She’s shaking her head and looking away from me with all the pain I know she’s feeling in her eyes. “Quinn, I’ll meet you there later. It’ll be fine.”
She takes the keys, but she’s turning and slipping out of my hands and walking back inside. “It’s going to be fine!” I lie, calling out to her. She turns and gives me one last lingering look full of hurt and pain, and it kills me because lying to her face hurts the worst, worse than I know it’s going to hurt later.
When I’m stepping into the ring later, sweat already pouring down my bare chest in the rush of the moment, the lights bright and the guy across from me looking like he wants to bury me, that last look from Quinn is the only thing I can see.
I’m supposed to win this one, but I just don’t fucking care anymore. Javier is screaming bloody murder at me from outside the ropes, but I ignore him and just take the beating. I barely put up blocks as the guy I’m fighting hits me again, and again, and again, numbing the pain. It’s sweet release with every hit. Like the punishment I get and deserve for fucking up my own rules and breaking her heart.
Quinn-
I stagger back from the solid hit, blinking as the guy advances on me, his fists raised.
Quinn, I’m sorry.
It’s the last thought I have before I hit the ground, and it all goes black.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Quinn
I’m awake when he comes home later. Well, I’m fairly sure I’m asleep at first actually, curled up on the large couch in his study. But the loud crash and the sound of shattering glass has me bolting from my sleep and from the couch with wide eyes and my breath in my throat as I dash towards the sounds. A cold chill seizes my heart as I round the corner, and my hands fly to my mouth when I see Logan slumped over on the floor next to a broken lamp.
Oh, God-
I’m running into the room, and I’m at least four steps in when I shriek as I realize we’re not alone, and the scream hitches like cold water in my throat.
“Well hello there, bonita.” Javier has his arms crossed over his chest and a predatory glint in his eyes as he grins at me, backed by two big looking guys who look incapable of smiling. I’m freezing mid step, and I glance back towards the doorway as Javier laughs. “Aww, now don’t go leaving the party just yet, chica. You just got here!”
He blows me a kiss that has my skin crawling, and one of his guys is stepping behind me to block the doorway.
“Get the fuck away from her, or I’ll-”
I scream and Logan grunts as Javier strides over and cuts him off with a kick to the ribs. “You’ll do what now?” He says with a leering grin down at Logan. “So sorry cabrón, I think you mumbled that last bit.” Logan grits his teeth and glares up the man, but Javier only laughs again and turns towards me. I can feel the blood pounding in my ears.
I’m suddenly keenly aware that this is a world I know nothing about, and that I’m so far out of my element with seeing actual mobsters - or whatever these guys are - inflicting real violence. I immediately think of my time as a med student working the late-night E.R. shift and patching up all manner of stabbings, or busted faces, or cracked ribs from people fighting. But I’ve only ever seen the aftermath, and seeing the first part being enacted right here in the supposed safety of Logan’s home is almost too surreal to even take in.