After grabbing his bag, he strode out into the warehouse. Twenty minutes, tops, had passed since he went into the locker room, but already the place had thinned out considerably. He made a beeline for Kelsey’s room. He wasn’t going to sit outside like he had last time. They needed to talk.
When he reached the door, he opened it and was greeted by a darkened room. What the hell? Scanning the warehouse, he didn’t see any sign of her. He rushed outside. There were a few cars still in the parking lot, but none of them were Kelsey’s.
Had she really left?
After jogging to his car, he tossed his bag inside, jumped into the driver’s seat, and peeled off down the road. He’d seen the disappointment and disapproval on her face. He’d hated seeing it there, but he couldn’t do what she was asking of him. This was his debt. His responsibility. He had to see it through. No one else could fix it for him.
Twenty minutes later, he pulled up in front of her house and was relieved that her car was parked in the driveway. He hurried up the walk and banged on her door, then leaned against the frame as his muscles screamed at the abrupt movement.
The door flew open. Kelsey eyed his stance, crossed her arms, and leveled him with an “I told you so” glare. “How you feeling?”
“Sore as fuck.” No reason to sugarcoat it. His ribs hurt, his head hurt, his fucking big toe hurt.
She gave a very unladylike snort. “You’re lucky you can even stand.”
God, he didn’t want to rehash his fighting with her again. “You left,” he said.
“I had no reason to stay.”
Ouch. Damn. From the way she kept herself firmly planted in front of the threshold, she had no intentions of letting him stay here either.
“Can I come in?”
“I don’t think we have anything left to say to each other, Lance. I don’t want to be a part of this any longer. In fact, I am not going to be a part of it. I said I was done, and I’m done.”
Every wall he’d spent the last few days bringing down was firmly back in place. She was unyielding.
“So, when you said that earlier, you were including me.”
“I want nothing more to do with the McNealys, and being involved with a man who owes them money isn’t doing that. So, yes, my comment included you.”
This was the second woman who was leaving him because of his involvement with the cousins. The first time, he’d deserved it. This time, he didn’t. “Will you at least allow me to explain?”
She tilted her chin in the air, a defiant move he’d seen her display many times in the past. “I don’t see how an explanation will change anything. You’re still involved with the McNealys. Have been for a long time, per your words, which means you don’t learn. I just can’t.”
A different kind of pain spread across his chest. It was like Piper was standing right in front of him, condemning him and his decisions, but coming from Kelsey it hurt even more. He hadn’t wanted to tell her about his immense debt to the McNealys, even if the reason had been Skylar’s life. She was a doctor. Made damn good money. What would she want with a man who was in over his head in debt? But if she was going to judge him on his actions, she would at least do it with the full story.
“Just let…please.”
Her arms tightened around herself before she shuffled back and allowed him to enter. After she closed the door, she motioned toward the living room. He slumped onto the couch, but she remained standing. He didn’t like the distance, and he could only hope his story would bring her closer.
“You’re really done with the McNealys?” he asked.
She nodded. “I refuse to work for them any longer.”
He studied the way she carried herself. Proud. Strong. Confident. The way she always had, but it was different now. More natural. Not as rehearsed. A switch had happened tonight. He wasn’t sure if it had to do with her disapproval of the Last Man Standing event, the incident with Rodney, or her reaction to that guy’s attack…or a combination of all it. She was getting closer to leaving.
A sad smile came to his lips. “I’m proud of you, Kelsey.”
And he was, even if he didn’t want her to go.
For a long, uncomfortable moment, she studied him, arms crossed under her breasts. Finally she asked, “Why?”
He wouldn’t pretend to not understand her question. It was the same one she’d been asking all night. She deserved a straight answer, but finding the words was proving to be more difficult than he imagined.
She crossed the room to the couch and slowly sat on the edge. There was still distance between them, but much less than before.
“It’s not a simple answer. The first time I was involved with them, I was a member of one of their gambling houses. Long story short, I had a gambling problem, lost a shitload of money to them that I couldn’t afford to lose. To win it back, I put up the deed to a house I’d inherited from my grandfather. I lost that bet, too, along with my wife and Skylar.”
“Jesus, Lance.”