(Noah)

Instinct took control and I hurried to get Dalton to a hospital. His face was beaten badly but it was his left arm that bothered me. He favored it and groaned, his eyes shut, lips fluttering as he was outstretched in the backseat over Penny. She jumped right into the fire with me, no fear, touching Dalton’s head, whispering to him that it was going to be okay.

At the hospital, nurses rushed to get Dalton a room. I was pushed into some waiting room area and had to stand there with Penny. I couldn’t take my eyes off the door. If Erik destroyed Dalton’s arm, that meant he destroyed Dalton. I had spent years helping the kid stay off the street. He was a damn good boxer and had a real chance of doing something with that. Instead, he was pulled into a scumbag detective’s revenge for something I did.

Penny touched my back. “He’ll be okay.”

“You don’t know that,” I said. “I don’t want to hear that.”

“Okay. Sorry.”

Penny started to move and I turned, grabbing her arm. “Hey. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“What you did there. Dalton… he’s had a bad life, honey. I’ve been working hard to keep him away from this kind of shit. And it’s me who brings the danger right to him. He was in the gym working out. Not hustling on the street. And he gets hurt. But you were right there with me. With him. Thank you.”

“I’m here, Noah,” Penny said. “I’m here. No matter what happens between us.”

There was a lingering pause. Maybe it was my moment to tell Penny exactly how I felt about her. It wasn’t the time or the place. Shit, I didn’t even know what was real.

“How about a coffee?” Penny asked.

“Yeah, sure,” I said. “Got something you put in that?”

Penny grinned. “You Irishmen. Do you put whiskey in everything?”

“Of course. We even put whiskey in our whiskey. Makes us strong.”

Penny slipped away.

I watched her walk away and touched my chest.

It was happening. All those old feelings. They were all getting dusted off and being put to use again. This time, it mattered. This time, it was important.

I sighed when the words came to me.

I loved Penny.

* * *

I touched Dalton’s right arm. He was cleaned up but still fucked up. I asked about his left arm and the doctor said it wasn’t broken. He had been hit with an object and Dalton used his arm to block the blows. It was bad because of what it did to his arm, but it was smart because it saved the blows from hitting his head and killing him.

I sat down in a chair and stared at the bed.

Penny touched my shoulder.

I reached up and touched her hand.

“Dalton,” I said. “I’m right here, man.”

Dalton made a noise and his eyes slowly opened. His left eye was swollen and half shut.

“Noah,” he said.

“I’m right here.” I looked up at Penny. “Give us a minute?”

“Of course,” she said. “Feel better, Dalton. I’m sorry.”

Penny left the hospital room.

“Jesus Christ,” I said. “What happened?”

“I didn’t say anything, just so you know,” Dalton said. “I don’t do the street thing, but I know how it works. I told the doctors that I was jumped. There was a cop here and I gave him nothing. Said the guys were wearing black masks and shit.”

I nodded. “I’m sorry this happened.”

“Someone is after you, Noah.”

“I know, Dalton. It’s hard to explain. You know my buddy Seth?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s dead,” I said. “He was killed.”

“Oh, damn.”

“Yeah. There’s some old street dirt being dug up. That guy…”

“He’s a cop.”

“His name is Erik. He’s coming at me hard. All off the record, too. He’s lost his mind.”

Dalton licked his lips. “He showed up and flashed his badge at me. Said he needed to talk. He started asking me questions about you. About the gym. Just real random stuff. He asked about my life. Then he brought up some robberies or something and tried to pin me. Like he was justifying himself being there, you know? I caught on and pushed back at him. I wouldn’t do shit wrong, Noah.”

“I know,” I said. “He wasn’t looking for you for a robbery.”

“I told him I was closing up and getting ready to leave. I said if he didn’t have anything to charge me with then to leave me the hell alone. Then I walked out back.” Dalton turned his head. “Two guys were waiting for me.”

“Cops?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “But they went right at me. I didn’t have a chance to fight back, Noah. All that training…”

“Shit, no,” I said. I stood up. “Fuck, don’t do that. Don’t think of that. That’s not how it works. Look at my face, Dalton. I got jumped and beat up. It happens. It wasn’t a fair fight. That’s not on you.”

Dalton looked at me. “I want to kill that man, Noah.”

“I plan on it. You need to get healthy. Rest that body and arm. Okay?”

“They wanted to break my arm,” Dalton said. “I wrestled with them as best I could. Erik then said they had to go. So they threw me against the back of the building. That’s when I grabbed my phone and called you. I knew it had to do with you, Noah. I just… knew…”

“Dalton, I can never make this up to you. I tried to protect you from this and I brought it to you.”

“It’s okay,” Dalton said. “Just… how bad is this?”

I made a fist and put it to Dalton’s shoulder. “It’s bad, man. But you said nothing. I’m proud of you for that. I have a fight coming up. There’s new power taking control. Things are going to settle down. I will help you through this, Dalton. You’re safe here. Nobody is going to hurt you again. This was a message to me. Erik is going after family.”

“I’m not your family.”

“Not by blood,” I said. “But you’re my family, Dalton.”

Dalton looked at me. His eyes glistened. The painkillers were working. “Nobody has ever said that to me before.”

“Ah, shit,” I whispered. I leaned down and tried to hug him. “It’s going to be okay, man.”

“I love you, Noah,” Dalton said. “I would fight for you…”

“Okay, okay,” I said. “Close your eyes and get some rest. I’ll check up on you.” I looked at Dalton. “Thank you, Dalton. You’re a tough son of a bitch. Remember that.”

Dalton nodded.

I left the hospital room and put my back against the wall. I saw Penny at the end of the hall, biting her nails, pacing.

Everyone around me was getting hurt. And they were going to keep getting hurt.

Penny stopped walking and looked at me.

I nodded.

She smiled.

As much as I wanted to just go face to face with Erik, I didn’t want to lose Penny. I had to do this thing the right way.

I had to stop thinking like a fighter and start thinking like a mobster.