Page 26 of Giving Up the Ring
Rocco’s jaw clenched painfully. “This ends tonight,” he said quietly.
Luna’s grip on him tightened instantly. “No.” He looked back at her. Luna’s eyes were fierce despite the fear sitting underneath them.
“You are not walking out there alone,” she insisted.
“I’m not letting him near you,” Rocco breathed.
“And I’m not letting you martyr yourself because you feel guilty about a past that you had no control over,” Luna breathed. Jesus Christ. The woman saw through him too damn easily.
Outside, Gunner laughed softly like he could somehow hear the conversation happening inside. “You always did have a thing for saving people,” he called. “How’s that working out for you these days?” Rocco’s vision flashed red for half a second, because Gunner knew exactly where to cut.
Tony moved closer immediately. “Easy.” Rocco exhaled hard through his nose, trying to regain control. That was something he’d need to keep if he wanted to beat Gunner at his own game. It was the only thing stopping this from turning into a bloodbath.
Jonesy looked toward him. “You thinking clearly?” he asked. That was something he’d ask all his boxers before a fight.
“No,” Rocco admitted. At least he was being honest.
The older man nodded as though that was the right answer. “Good. It means you know not to go out there angry.”
Another slow circle of footsteps sounded outside, and then it got quiet—too quiet. Rocco hated silence in situations like this because it meant that Gunner was positioning himself for the fight that he wanted. He was planning his next move, and that was the last thing that any of them needed.
Luna must have sensed the shift, too, because she stepped even closer behind him. “What’s he doing?” she whispered.
“Moving into place,” Rocco said.
“For what?” she asked.
“For a fight,” he breathed. The cabin suddenly felt too exposed. There were too many windows and blind spots for his comfort.
Tony checked his weapon calmly near the fireplace. “This guy is military trained, right?” he asked.
Rocco barked out a humorless laugh. “One of the best.”
“Like you,” Luna whispered. “You’re one of the best, too, remember?” That shut everybody up, because they all knew what that meant. A man with military training, combat trauma, and a personal obsession wasn’t just dangerous—he was unpredictable.
Outside, a branch snapped somewhere near the back of the property, and Luca spun instantly toward the sound. Rocco reacted automatically. “Tony, you take the front, and Luca, you’re with me.” The words came naturally. He was using his command voice—the same one that he used during his deployments, and Luna seemed to notice immediately. Her eyes widened slightly as she watched him shift fully into soldier mode, and Rocco hated that she had to see this side of him, butthere wasn’t room for softness right now. Not while Gunner was outside.
He touched Luna’s arm briefly before moving. “Stay with Jonesy,” he ordered.
“I hate it when you give me orders,” she breathed. Despite everything, his mouth twitched slightly.
“Yeah, Doc. I know,” he admitted. Another noise sounded outside, closer this time. The back porch steps creaked as Rocco moved fast, positioning beside the kitchen wall while Luca took the opposite side. Every instinct screamed at him that this was a setup.
Rocco silently checked himself. His heart was steady, his breathing was controlled, and his weapon was at the ready, even though he felt anything but ready to face Gunner again. The doorknob rattled for a few seconds and then stopped. A long silence followed before Gunner spoke again. Only now, his voice came from directly outside the back door.
“So this is the girl, huh?” Gunner asked, peaking in through the kitchen window. Rocco went cold, and Luna froze behind Jonesy.
“She’s pretty,” Gunner continued conversationally. “You finally stopped punishing yourself long enough to let somebody get close.”
Rage burned so hot behind Rocco’s ribs it almost blinded him. “Shut the fuck up,” he snarled.
A low laugh answered him from the other side of the door. “There he is.” The doorknob rattled again, harder this time.
“You know what hurt the most?” Gunner asked quietly through the door. “Realizing you never came back for me.” Rocco’s chest tightened because there it was—the truth. The thing driving all of this was the fact that Gunner felt abandoned. Luca glanced toward him, and Tony went still near the front window. Even Jonesy’s expression hardened slightly.
“You were supposed to come back,” Gunner said. The anger in his voice now sounded cracked around the edges. He was unstable—a feeling that Rocco knew well.
“I thought you were dead,” Rocco shot back.
