Holding Strong
Page 147
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Just then Merissa shyly approached. That, too, was a dead giveaway because she flat-out wasn’t shy. Only with Armie.
When she stopped in front of Armie, he froze, but only for a second.
“Hey, Stretch.”
Rolling her eyes at the nickname, she held a hand out to Armie. “Dance with me.”
“I—”
“You’ve danced with every other woman here.”
“I—”
“My brother told me to make you dance.”
Armie’s brows shot up. “He did?”
“Right before he left.” In an accusing tone, she muttered, “Something about you drinking too much and now he’s worried about you and I’m supposed to be your babysitter.”
Denver went a little wide-eyed. Hard to believe Cannon—on his way out the door—would have thrown the two of them together. But then again, maybe not. He trusted Armie more than anyone. They were as close as brothers. Who else would he have looking after his sister?
Not for a second did Denver believe that bit about Merissa looking out for Armie.
Armie laughed. “A baby bird keeping an eye on the hawk?”
“I’m well aware of your rep, Armie. No reason to throw it around.” She snatched up his hand and began backing out to the floor.
“Rissy...”
“Don’t be a coward,” she mocked. “I promise not to bite. At least, no harder than you do.”
His face flushed, but he went along and just as they got to the middle of the floor the music changed, going slow and sultry.
Armie tried to leave again but Merissa laughed, grabbed him by the back waistband of his tux pants, and refused to let go.
Amused, Denver watched them until Logan stopped at the bar for a refill. It was interesting, the variety of Cannon’s friends. Locals young and old from the neighborhood, fighters from the rec center and beyond, including Havoc and Simon, cops, family... Everyone loved Cannon, and now they loved Yvette, too.
Logan nodded at Denver’s sling. “Anything serious?”
“Just a tweaked muscle. Happens all the time in practice. I’ll be back to full steam before the fight.” It was almost comical how Cherry fussed each time he got hurt. But she was every bit as supportive as she was concerned, and he knew when he fought, she’d be cheering the loudest.
“Good to hear it.” With a fresh drink in hand, he motioned for Denver to follow him to a quieter corner.
Denver did, but he also kept his gaze on Cherry. She’d just collapsed in a chair, her face dewy, her bouncy hair half tumbled to her shoulders, her eyes shining.
Men all around her.
He doubted she’d ever fully understand her appeal, but he did, and he counted himself damned lucky because no matter how many men admired her, or how she laughed with others, she saved all her love for him.
“I wanted to update you, if you don’t mind getting news during a wedding.”
Denver didn’t mind at all. He already knew Janet had finally recovered, only to be arrested before leaving the hospital. In addition to Carver, Mitty and Gene, a dozen or more locals and a handful of cops had also been picked up. “I’m anxious to hear.”
Logan looked at his drink, glanced out at Cherry, and smiled. “You already know they located nearly eighty grand in that old truck Cherry told us about.”
The truck where she used to hide. Muscles going tight, he nodded.
“But drugs were also recovered from their residence. They’d had them hidden in the floorboards, the walls, damn near everywhere.” He swirled his drink. “I heard it was a real hellhole. Hard to believe Cherry ever lived there.”
They both heard her laugh when Brand pulled her back to the dance floor.
Speaking the truth, Denver said, “She’s more of a fighter than any man I know.”
“The Nelson boys won’t be out of prison any time soon. You now have the ATF, Kentucky State Police, and two bordering sheriffs’ departments working with the state and local police.” Logan downed his drink. “Police corruption... I fucking hate it.”
Denver got that. Thankfully, Reese and Logan had always been honorable men.
“You should know,” Logan said, “they also found evidence to tie Carver, Gene and Mitty to a few murders.”
“No shit?” Not that he was surprised. Every single day for the rest of his life he’d be thankful that Cherry hadn’t given up on him.
Again Logan went quiet. “What you did to them...”
Denver raised a brow, waiting. He didn’t regret mangling the bastards. Far as he was concerned, they got off light.
When she stopped in front of Armie, he froze, but only for a second.
“Hey, Stretch.”
Rolling her eyes at the nickname, she held a hand out to Armie. “Dance with me.”
“I—”
“You’ve danced with every other woman here.”
“I—”
“My brother told me to make you dance.”
Armie’s brows shot up. “He did?”
“Right before he left.” In an accusing tone, she muttered, “Something about you drinking too much and now he’s worried about you and I’m supposed to be your babysitter.”
Denver went a little wide-eyed. Hard to believe Cannon—on his way out the door—would have thrown the two of them together. But then again, maybe not. He trusted Armie more than anyone. They were as close as brothers. Who else would he have looking after his sister?
Not for a second did Denver believe that bit about Merissa looking out for Armie.
Armie laughed. “A baby bird keeping an eye on the hawk?”
“I’m well aware of your rep, Armie. No reason to throw it around.” She snatched up his hand and began backing out to the floor.
“Rissy...”
“Don’t be a coward,” she mocked. “I promise not to bite. At least, no harder than you do.”
His face flushed, but he went along and just as they got to the middle of the floor the music changed, going slow and sultry.
Armie tried to leave again but Merissa laughed, grabbed him by the back waistband of his tux pants, and refused to let go.
Amused, Denver watched them until Logan stopped at the bar for a refill. It was interesting, the variety of Cannon’s friends. Locals young and old from the neighborhood, fighters from the rec center and beyond, including Havoc and Simon, cops, family... Everyone loved Cannon, and now they loved Yvette, too.
Logan nodded at Denver’s sling. “Anything serious?”
“Just a tweaked muscle. Happens all the time in practice. I’ll be back to full steam before the fight.” It was almost comical how Cherry fussed each time he got hurt. But she was every bit as supportive as she was concerned, and he knew when he fought, she’d be cheering the loudest.
“Good to hear it.” With a fresh drink in hand, he motioned for Denver to follow him to a quieter corner.
Denver did, but he also kept his gaze on Cherry. She’d just collapsed in a chair, her face dewy, her bouncy hair half tumbled to her shoulders, her eyes shining.
Men all around her.
He doubted she’d ever fully understand her appeal, but he did, and he counted himself damned lucky because no matter how many men admired her, or how she laughed with others, she saved all her love for him.
“I wanted to update you, if you don’t mind getting news during a wedding.”
Denver didn’t mind at all. He already knew Janet had finally recovered, only to be arrested before leaving the hospital. In addition to Carver, Mitty and Gene, a dozen or more locals and a handful of cops had also been picked up. “I’m anxious to hear.”
Logan looked at his drink, glanced out at Cherry, and smiled. “You already know they located nearly eighty grand in that old truck Cherry told us about.”
The truck where she used to hide. Muscles going tight, he nodded.
“But drugs were also recovered from their residence. They’d had them hidden in the floorboards, the walls, damn near everywhere.” He swirled his drink. “I heard it was a real hellhole. Hard to believe Cherry ever lived there.”
They both heard her laugh when Brand pulled her back to the dance floor.
Speaking the truth, Denver said, “She’s more of a fighter than any man I know.”
“The Nelson boys won’t be out of prison any time soon. You now have the ATF, Kentucky State Police, and two bordering sheriffs’ departments working with the state and local police.” Logan downed his drink. “Police corruption... I fucking hate it.”
Denver got that. Thankfully, Reese and Logan had always been honorable men.
“You should know,” Logan said, “they also found evidence to tie Carver, Gene and Mitty to a few murders.”
“No shit?” Not that he was surprised. Every single day for the rest of his life he’d be thankful that Cherry hadn’t given up on him.
Again Logan went quiet. “What you did to them...”
Denver raised a brow, waiting. He didn’t regret mangling the bastards. Far as he was concerned, they got off light.
