Page 1 of Fight for You

Chapter One

Cade

"We need to talk about January."

As soon as Roman Gregory says her name, pain blasts through me, ripping me wide open. Goddamn. It hurts.

I slam my hand down on the conference room table, jumping to my feet to glare at the massive ATF agent seated across from me.

“Don’t fucking go there,” I warn him in a growl, donning rage like armor. It’s the only thing that keeps me breathing most days. I’ll smile in your face, laugh at your jokes, slip a knife between your ribs, and not feel a goddamn thing except fury so cold it’s turned to ice.

“She needs you.” Roman meets my gaze, his expression level. He’s a stoic motherfucker. I don’t think anything scares the big bastard.

He’s been working with cartels and gangs for ages, snatching guns out of the hands of some of the most dangerous men in California.

I guess he forgot, though.

I'm the motherfucker who haunts their nightmares.

"Kincaid, chill." My best friend, Tristan Riley, wedges himself between us before I can lunge across the table at the big bastard. His blue eyes meet mine, rife with empathy. “Chill, brother. He’s trying to help you.”

Help me?

"Then don't even fucking speak her name," I snarl, my voice raw with emotion. It’s been seven years since I last set eyes on her. Seven years since I destroyed her and ripped my own damn heart out. Even after all this time, it’s still bleeding. I don’t think it’ll ever stop.

I’ve loved that girl since the moment I met her. We were just babies.

Then - Age Seven

"Who are you?"

I lift my eyes from the tire swing to see a boy my age standing in Ma Lucia's backyard with his arms crossed and his head tilted to the side as he studies me, frowning. He's almost the same height as me, but he's bigger. He looks like a football player, but he's probably too young for that like I am.

"I'm Michael Kincaid." I drag my foot through the dirt until the swing stops. "Who are you?"

"Titan James." He has a cool name and cool hair. It's shaved on the sides and spiked on top. His skin is lighter than Ma Lucia's but darker than mine. It reminds me of leaves when they start turning brown. They're always prettiest then. "Why are you on Ms. Lucia's swing?"

"I live here now," I mutter and cross my arms. Ma Lucia was my mom's nanny when she was little. She came and got me from the group home last week and said I'm going to live with her now.

Titan purses his lips, his dark green eyes narrowed like he doesn't believe me. "You do? Since when?"

"Since the other day."

"You don't have a family?"

I shake my head.

"Oh." He's quiet for a minute. "What happened to them?"

"My dad left. He didn't want me and my mom. My mom died in a car wreck."

"Oh. I don't have a dad, either. He died when I was a baby. I used to have a stepdad, but he left a long time ago." Titan studies me for another minute and then offers me a smile. "You're going to be my best friend," he says then. "I live right next door."

"Cool," I say, still watching him. Marcus used to be my best friend even though he didn't like to race with me, but I guess I won't see him anymore. He doesn't live where Ma Lucia lives.

Ma Lucia's neighborhood isn't very good. The houses are all old and kind of sad. Ma Lucia keeps hers nice, though. She has flowers all over the place. She says she's been here for longer than anyone else.

I like it here with her even though her neighborhood is scary. Being here isn't the same as being with my mom, but Ma Lucia is nice to me.