“I’ll miss you, Sylvie,” he whispered into the top of my hair.
“I’m not leaving tomorrow,” I told him.
“Then I’ll enjoy you bein’ a pain in the ass for as long as it lasts.”
I sighed but it was fake and both of us knew it.
Knight gave me a squeeze then he let go and I stepped back.
“Gotta get to my man,” I said.
“Go,” Knight replied.
I nodded, lifted a hand, squeezed his bicep then moved to the door.
I stopped at it and turned back. “You know, I agree.” I shook my head. “That’s not true. I don’t agree, exactly. I believe. I believe in what you do, Knight.”
“I know,” he told me.
“The Serenas though, before they begin –”
Knight cut me off. “Know that, too, Sylvie.”
I studied him and I knew. He felt what happened to Serena. He felt it deep. He knew she had no business in the business.
“We’re instituting better screens,” Knight explained and I knew what that meant. A girl came to him, she wouldn’t work unless she understood the life and could take it.
“Right,” I muttered before, “You got work to throw my way, I can take it on and do Hawk’s job, I’ll take it and be a pain in the ass while doing it.”
“Would expect nothing less,” Knight returned.
“You’d be right,” I replied.
He shook his head and jerked his chin to the door.
I shot him a grin and walked out of it.
I was down the steps, through the club and out the backdoor before I let it hit me and when it did, it nearly brought me to my knees.
I loved the life I had in Denver and the people I shared it with. I was only moving a state away but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like a mother knowing I had to let it go.
I saw Creed standing outside his truck, leaning back against it, having a smoke, probably doing this because he was worried about me.
He studied me as I walked through the streetlamps toward him and he flicked his cigarette into the alley when I was three feet away. He saw it on my face, I knew, and that was why he pulled me straight into his arms and held me tight.
“He’s gonna help Charlene,” I shared, snaking my arms around him.
“Not surprised.”
My arms tightened around him.
“That sucked,” I said into his chest.
“I bet.”
“I’m not gonna cry,” I stated.
“All right.”