The feel of cold water rushing over me greets me. I sputter into consciousness. Dragon is standing over my bed in the club, a dripping empty bucket in his hand.

“What the fuck, man?” I yell jumping out of the bed, using my hand to wipe the water out of my eyes. I moan at the pain the sudden movement costs me. I sway but manage to stay on my feet.

“Time to get off your ass, Dance. We got shit to do.”

He throws a towel at me, I wipe my face off and then put the towel on the bed and sit down to get my bearings. Sadly, most of the water hit me not the bed.

“What kind of shit?”

He throws down a flyer and I look at it.

Hope Harbor, A Sexual Trauma Recovery Center

“Oh, fuck no!”

“Oh, fuck yes,” Dragon returns.

“You don’t know what the…”

“I don’t, exactly. I’ll give you that, but I know what it’s like to be used for sex when I had no idea what sex was.”

“Damn it, Drag…”

“Look at me, motherfucker. Do I look weak to you?”

I stop and look at him.

“I was traded around the streets as a kid for sex. A fucking kid! I survived. I am my own fucking man and I fucking fight to keep that. I fucking fight to keep my woman and…”

“It’s not the same! I went off half-cocked!” I scream standing up, the state of my hangover lost in the crap that Dragon seems intent on bringing to the surface.

“So? You kept Carrie from being…”

“If it had been you, it would have turned out different! You would have kept your cool! You would have saved your woman and covered your ass and none of the other shit would have happened! You even told me that shit!”

“I fucking lied!” Dragon yells back and I freeze.

“If it had been Nicole attacked in that fucking alley. If it had been Nicole some motherfucker had his hands on, I would have gutted him like a motherfucking fish and I would have danced on his corpse. Fuck I might have even made a necklace out of his entrails.”

I listen and my hand comes up to rub the stubble on my face. I almost want to smile.

“You’re a sick bastard.”

“Never claimed different.”

I sit back down.

“If it had been you Drag, you would have been able to protect yourself better. You would have stopped them…’

“Bullshit. You were one man. One man, who they grabbed, shanked from behind like the fucking pussies they were and then beat you into unconsciousness—all before they took from you what they did. Hell Dance, even with all that you still managed to put two of the guards in the hospital.”

I swallow as I look down at the floor. I can’t look up at Dragon. I’m not ready.

“They didn’t take from me, Dragon. They didn’t steal a watch off of me. They didn’t rob me of money. They raped me.”

It’s a whisper. A broken whisper and I hate that there are tears, but there are. So, I keep my head down.

“They did, but they did not break you, Dance. You’re still here and you got a good woman who loves you. You got a baby on the way. You got a family who needs you and brothers that would fucking die for you. Do NOT let these pussies take that shit from you, man. Don’t let it happen. If they do that, if you let them do that, then you’re weak. Right now brother, there’s not a motherfucking thing weak about you.”

“How do you know?”

“Your dreams in the hospital, then I did some digging.”

“The brothers?”

“Might guess, but have no idea. I did this, I called in a marker.”

“You really think some new age recovery center can help me?”

“I think it’s worth a shot. I think it will help you get your woman and kid back.”

I swallow and chance a look at him. I breathe easier when he is looking down at me and I don’t see pity. I see… belief. I grab the paper again.

Hope Harbor. I sure could fucking use some hope.

“I want them all to die. I want to send them to hell. I doubt Hope Harbor can do that for me.”

“No, that’s where I come in.”

I look up at him and he has another sheet of paper. He slides it in the pocket of his jeans.

“You get better. If you want to help you’re welcome to, but I will make the fuckers pay. I made a promise.”

“A promise?” I ask trying to ignore the panic at the thought of the men on that paper.

“Red told me to make it hurt. I intend to.”

My eyes freeze on Dragon’s.

“She did?”

Dragon nods.

“I need help, Drag. I…I can’t do it on my own.”

“Then let’s get you help and get your woman home where she belongs.”

“She might not want to come home.”

“Then you’ll just have to convince her.”

“You think I can do that?” I ask, but I feel lighter than I have in forever.

“It’ll take a lot of work,” Dragon shrugs, but he is smiling too.

“A lot of work,” I echo.

“Anything good in life is.”

“Let’s get me healthy then,” I respond and when I stand in front of Dragon he cups my shoulder in support.