Uppercut Princess (The Heights Crew #1)(16)

Goosebumps spread over my body. I pass my palms over my skin, trying to calm the chills, wondering how many students at the school have been run off because of what the Heights Crew has going on here. If you think about it, it’s the perfect setup. They own the people here. The fights keep everyone in line and makes sure only the strongest survive. It gives guys like Rocket the perfect opportunity to pick the best people to join the Heights Crew ranks. Not to mention the money they make out of it all.

“So, who’s this Cherry?” I ask.

Brawler drops into my recliner and ignores the evil eye I give him. “Now that would be cheating.”

“You don’t think she’s going to know everything about me?”

“No one knows anything about you. You just showed up.” He eyes me like he’s trying to look deep under my skin again. It’s unnerving.

I move to the bar separating the small kitchen from the living room and lean against it. “That happens, doesn’t it? People just move places. That’s not unheard of.”

“It doesn’t happen in the Heights. You think people want to just move here? The people who live here are stuck, and there’s more than one way to be stuck.”

He looks away. I’m burning with curiosity about all his secrets. I can’t help myself. I thought I would hate everyone here. I thought everyone who had anything to do with the Heights Crew would be outright terrible. Like I could look at them and just know their dirtiest secrets. If Brawler has dirty secrets, they’re hidden underneath his fine exterior and conflicted gaze. “Fine. I don’t get information on Cherry. How does Nevaeh feel about this? She wanted the fight, right?”

“You’re still on her shit list. You better be careful with that one. Oscar’s been at the top of her list for a while. That asshole hasn’t done you any favors.”

That’s an understatement. He basically sicced every female at the school on me on day one. Then, he used me as bait to get back at someone else. I’m beginning to think that Brawler’s assessment of Oscar only being out for himself is all too true.

“So, you said I have to pay to fight, right? I—”

Brawler waves me away. “Only the person who wants the fight has to pay up.” He stands from the armchair. “Have you ever fought before?”

He steps closer, his looming presence hovering over me.

I shrug, a smile plays over my lips. “You think I’m going to tell you?”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“If I don’t get to know anything about Cherry, why would I tell you something about me? Something you could take back to her?”

He purses his lips. “Why would you think I’d do that?”

It’s hard to concentrate when he’s around. I’ve almost forgotten we’re even having a conversation. He just has this aura about him that makes me want to take him in. Inspect him without using words. “Just being cautious,” I say finally.

He gives me a short nod. His intrusive blue eyes make me want to fidget under his inspection. But if I do that, he’ll know I have something to hide.

“You know, you never really answered the question about why you’re helping me. This isn’t the only time. You practically walked me to school this morning. You warned me about Nevaeh. Now this. What’s the deal, Brawler?”

He steps back on his heels like I’ve shoved him with my words. “I don’t know,” he says. Pure honesty flickers in his gaze before he covers it up, placing on a controlled mask I can tell he’s perfected. “You remind me of someone, I guess. Someone who never belonged here. Who put on a facade, but…” He trails off. “That’s all.”

Jealousy burns in the bottom of my stomach. Whoever Brawler is talking about, he loved this person very much. The wound he’s carrying is raw, open, and seeping. I haven’t loved someone like that in a long time. “Sorry,” I say automatically because it’s clear he lost this person and that he has to deal with the loss every day.

Just like me.

“Be ready in an hour,” Brawler orders. “I’ll take you to the place.”

I peek at the neon clock lights above the stove. It’s six already. I guess I definitely did take a nap when I got back from school. “I’ll be here,” I tell him, gesturing like I have nowhere else to go.

He gives me one last look before walking around me, leaving a trail of controlled sadness and resolution in his wake.

When the door closes behind him, I drop down into the recliner he sat in and breathe in deep. It smells like him. Like sweet sweat and musk.

I didn’t expect to find someone who gave a shit about anything here. Even less so someone who might look out for me. I have no idea why Brawler would be doing this, so I have to believe what he told me. I remind him of someone…

The lies I’ve worn and spewed make my stomach churn with guilt. Isn’t that one of the first things we learn when we’re little? Not to lie? I have to though. I have to bury the truth inside me, so it doesn’t come up when I least want it to. My truth will kill me. It doesn’t matter if Brawler acts like he gives a shit what happens to me. I have one goal and one goal only. Take Big Daddy K down. And if someone else in the Heights Crew gets in my way, I’ll take them down, too.

I can’t have any regrets.