Page 48 of Heal Me, Love Me

He laughed. “You think I give a shit?”

“You should,” Keaton replied. “I doubt you’re good enough at your job to be this arrogant.”

Ridgway’s attention landed on me. “This what you do now, Cross? Let him stand in front of you and run his mouth?”

Keaton’s hand tightened around mine. “Leave him out of it.”

Ridgway didn’t look away from me. “Come on. Say something.”

“We’re leaving.”

His smile widened. “That’s it? Took you four years to say he was yours, and now you’re done already?”

Keaton stepped forward. “You don’t get to talk about him.”

Ridgway squared up without hesitation. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

“You are now.”

“Fuck you.” Ridgway shoved him.

Keaton absorbed it and caught his balance before Ridgway pulled his hand back. I moved toward Ridgway, ready to drop him before he got stupid enough to touch Keaton again, but Keaton caught my arm.

“Rowan.”

I heard him, but then Ridgway smirked at me. “That’s all it takes? He says your name and you back down?”

I looked from Keaton’s hand on my arm back to Ridgway. One clean shot would feel good for about three seconds, then it could cost me everything Grant had just put in front of me and everything Keaton was building too. Ridgway wanted a reaction, same as before, but this time, I had more to lose than pride.

I stepped closer, slow enough that Keaton let me go.

Ridgway lifted his chin. “What?”

“You don’t get another piece of us. Go back inside.”

For a second, I thought he might actually do it.

Then he swung.

It was sloppy and angry, more ego than aim. I saw it coming before his shoulder finished turning. I ducked under it, drove my shoulder into his midsection, and took him down hard enough that the air left his lungs when his back hit the pavement.

He tried to buck me off, but there was nothing behind it except rage and embarrassment. I pinned one of his wrists tothe ground and pressed my forearm across his chest, giving him enough of my weight to make him stop fighting without putting pressure on his throat.

“You done?” I asked.

“Fuck you.” He tried to twist free.

I shifted my weight, and he grunted.

“Wrong answer.”

“Rowan.” Keaton tugged on my arm. “Not here.”

I could hold Ridgway there all night. I could make him feel helpless. I could make him understand what it was like to be on the ground while everyone watched, waiting for someone else to decide whether it would get worse.

But that wasn’t choosing Keaton.

That was choosing Ridgway.