“Yeah, and then you get someone like Scarlett who is as fucking true as they come. She’s genuine and honest, and I don’t think she could tell a good lie if she practiced in front of a mirror for a week. She wouldn’t realize if she was being scammed, because she thinks everyone has a good heart, just like her. She’s a fucking miracle.”
Karas chuckles quietly. “She and Holly would get along well then. Holly grew up with more than you, but much less than Scarlett. She personifies grit and grace. She’s smart and stubborn, and will outwork me if I’m not careful. I get what you mean by a miracle.”
He turns toward me as we approach the club. “You’d better take good care of Ms. Priest. A woman like that will make the rest of your life worth living, in a way nothing else can.”
I think of every time Scarlett has made me smile, laugh, or just stare at her in wonder. “That’s the plan.”
“Which is why you won’t lose Saturday.”
“Damn right. Which means the mob better be real fucking sure that they got Moses under control, because I’m not taking a chance that bastard is going to touch a fucking hair on her head. You understand me?”
“Don’t question the mob or me. You’re covered. Moses won’t hurt her. Now, get that shit out of your head and focus on the fight.” He grabs the handle of the briefcase and offers it to me. “Put this in your safe. I’ll see you Saturday. Good luck, Legend.”
“I don’t need luck. But thanks anyway.”
* * *
Q stares at the stacks of cash I take out of the case and stow in the top shelf of the safe. “You just rode in a Rolls Royce with Creighton Karas, and he gave you two million dollars—in cash—for the hell of it?”
I reach back to grab another stack and put it inside. “Yep.”
Q wipes his hand across his mouth and shakes his head. “That’s some way to start the day, brother.”
A small smile comes over my face when I think of what Karas said to me.“You’d better take good care of Ms. Priest. A woman like that will make the rest of your life worth living, in a way nothing else can.”
It’s the goddamned truth too, which is why the first thing I’m buying after I win is a ring. One that she deserves. Because I’m going to be the man she’s always needed, even if she didn’t know it.
I still remember what I said to her at the hospital when she came out of surgery.“I’m not what you need, but I’ll learn, ladybug.”
The money I’ll make Saturday night won’t put me on par with what Scarlett’s got in the bank, but it doesn’t matter.I’llbe enough for her without it, and I finally fucking get that. She doesn’t care about what I’ve got. She cares about who I am and how I treat her.And if a cool mil of my own helps me treat her even better ...no harm, no foul.
“It’s not just gonna be a great fucking day,” I tell Q with a smile. “This is the start of a great new fucking life for all of us, buddy. Just wait.”
“I believe you, Gabe. You haven’t let me down yet.”
Forty-Three
Legend
I head backto the gym, more in the zone than ever before. My focus is turned up to the max, and determination fuels every punch.
I bob and weave, throwing combination after combination.
Chadwick—smack.
Lawrence Priest—slap, slap.
Rolo—bam.
Johnson—feint.
Moses—whack.
Lucy—bob.
The list repeats in my head ad nauseam, and by the time we finish, the grin on Jeb’s face is as wide as the cage I’m going to dominate on Saturday.
“You’re fucking ready, kid. I wouldn’t believe you were the same fighter as when you walked in the door if I hadn’t trained you myself.”