Fighting Dirty - Sidney Halston Page 0,34
tow truck. Could you please be a doll and let my daughter—”
Jamie Lynn ripped the phone away from Enzo’s hand, having heard what her mother wanted. “Listen here, Mama. I already told you I’m not givin’ you any more money. I am not answerin’ my cell phone for a reason. I don’t want to talk to you. Don’t call again!” she said, and slammed the phone back down.
Stepping away from Enzo, she walked into the kitchen and started opening drawers until she found a bag of potato chips. “Sorry ’bout that,” she said, ripping open the bag and crunching a handful into her mouth. “That was nothing. My mama’s a nut. Let’s go work out.”
She tried to step around him, but he stopped her. “That wasn’t nothing. Tell me.”
“You and I are having a great time. I will not allow my mother to ruin that.”
“I see that this is upsetting you, so I’ll let it go…for now.” She reached up and kissed his cheek gratefully before he added, “But that’s two stories you now owe me. The one about your scar and now your mother.”
She nodded as she stuffed her face anxiously with potato chips.
Chapter 8
It was early afternoon when Enzo and JL walked into the Academy hand in hand.
“Yo,” Cain said with a nod.
“Hi, Cain.” JL waved to him and then to the other men who were working out.
“See you later, sweetheart,” Enzo said, and kissed her. She slapped his ass and went in the opposite direction to find Jessica.
From the other end of the gym she heard a yelp and the familiar voice of her brother. “What the fuck, man?”
JL turned toward the cage, where Travis was lying on the ground spitting out his mouthguard and holding his bloody nose.
“Shit! Sorry.” Tony knelt in front of Travis. “You dropped your guard in the middle of sparring. Stupid move.”
Travis sat up and tilted his head back in an attempt to stop the bleeding. “Why the hell are you and my sister holding hands and kissing?” he asked Enzo. Then he turned to JL and said in a low growl, “And why did you touch his ass?”
Tony chuckled as he worked on Travis’s bloody nose.
“Relax,” Enzo began, but JL cut him off.
“I can take care of myself, Trav.”
“Really?” Travis stood and swatted Tony’s hand away. “I’ve seen how well you can take care of yourself, and it really isn’t too comforting. And you—” He pointed to Enzo. “You were just married. My sister doesn’t need you messing with her. What the fuck, man?”
JL was about to say something, but Enzo stepped in front of her. “Don’t speak to your sister that way.”
Travis looked like someone had just slapped him across the face. He leaned toward the fence and gripped it tightly, “Excuse me?” he snarled through the fence. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re even talking about. I would never hurt one hair on her head.” He shook the fence.
“Neither would I!”
JL gripped Enzo’s biceps and tried to pull him back while Tony did the same with Travis. Francesca came out of the office. “What the hell is going on out here?”
“These two idiots are arguing,” Tony replied.
“Well, take it into my office or something,” Francesca said.
“No need. There’s nothing to talk about,” JL said. “I’m going to yoga and you are going to mind your own business, Travis. I’m fine. Everything’s fine,” she said, practically gritting her teeth. “And as for you, I’ll see you in an hour or so,” she said to Enzo, giving them both a warning glare as she walked away.
“Let’s go, brother,” Tony said, snapping Travis back around. “Work it out with me in the cage.”
“Fine,” Travis spat out.
—
Enzo knew he needed to speak with Travis. During the last year or so, Travis had become his closest friend, and he didn’t want their friendship ruined. But he also didn’t want to give up Jamie Lynn, and he knew she was very close to her twin brother.
Slade had come into the gym soon after and begun working with Enzo. By the time the hour was almost up, Enzo was dead tired. But, tired or not, he needed to clear the air with Travis.
In the locker room, as Enzo was about to change out of his sweaty clothes, Travis walked in and said, “We need to talk.”
“Yes, we do,” Enzo agreed, but when he saw Travis standing still, with his arms crossed and his lips in a straight line, he knew that Travis wasn’t going to