And Tex let him.
“Chase, stop!” I wailed. “You’re going to kill him!”
“No.” Chase drove his fist into Tex’s side. “I won’t.”
“Chase!”
The door burst open again; this time it was Phoenix. With a curse he ran to the guys and pulled Chase from Tex’s bloody body. Chase still tried to lunge for Tex but Phoenix had his arms pinned behind his back.
Tex pushed up to a sitting position, blood tricking from a cut to his left cheek. One eye was already beginning to swell shut. “That all you got, Chase?”
With a roar Chase elbowed Phoenix in the stomach, twisting his arms out of his grip and dove for Tex, this time jumping into the air as his fist landed against Tex’s temple.
He crumpled to the floor.
He hadn’t even defended himself, and Tex was a relative giant; he could have, easily.
But that hadn’t been a Campisi taking the hits, that was Tex, my Tex. He’d felt guilty, and he’d needed to feel the pain as a reminder. I knew that about him, knew he was taking physical punishment for the emotional damage.
“Enough!” Phoenix roared. “Chase, leave.”
“No.” Chase heaved, wiping his hands on his shirt. “Not until—”
Phoenix sighed, reaching to the small of his back and withdrawing his gun then pointing it at Chase. “I said leave.”
Cursing, Chase stomped out of the room while Phoenix put his gun away and slowly walked over to Tex.
“Is he okay?” I squeaked.
“I hope it was worth it.” Phoenix ignored my question.
I reared back. “Worth it?”
“Sleeping with him. I hope it was good, because he’s going to have a hell of a headache and most likely two bruised ribs.”
I choked on a sob, covering my face with my hands. “Nothing’s worth him getting hurt over.”
“Then stop.” Phoenix’s voice was hoarse. “Stop hurting him, Mo. Stop making him turn into something he can’t be. Stop dreaming he’s going to come back and save you. There is no white horse, there is no happy ending in this story, alright? You aren’t one of the lucky ones and I’m sorry that I have to be the one to tell you that. But in no way is that man.” He pointed at Tex. “Going to say screw it to his own family in order to marry you.”
“He could though.” I fought the doubt in my head. “I could stay married to him, I could help align the families, like before. You said—”
“Forget what I said,” Phoenix snapped. “This isn’t a game, Mo! People’s lives are at stake. What if I told you it was Chase or your brother, would you pay attention then? Hmm?”
I shook my head in an effort to fight the truth. “You’re lying.”
“Am I?” Phoenix threw his hands up into the air. “What could I possibly gain from a lie? When the truth is so damning!” He bit down on his lip and placed his hands on his hips. “Mo, you need to stay out of it. Let him go, if you don’t…”
“If I don’t?”
Phoenix turned away from me, his face like ash. “Imagine a world where a husband is forced to kill his wife. Imagine a world where a brother is forced to watch his sister get raped. That’s the world you live in, Mo. That’s the world his father—” He jutted his finger towards Tex. “—created. It’s his legacy, that’s what Tex has to fix. That’s what he has to protect everyone from. If he fails to gain the allegiance of Alfonso’s men, if he fails in any way to gain the allegiance of the other families, if he shows weakness, that’s the legacy you’ll be allowing to live, and if for some reason he fails… we’re all going to die.”
Tex stirred with a moan.
Phoenix knelt down to his side and shook his head. “I won’t tell you again, Mo. Leave him alone. Go get dressed, I won’t watch. Let me know when you leave and I’ll go about getting him cleaned up.”
Slowly, I rose from the bed and quickly slipped on a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt.
“Also.” Phoenix didn’t turn around. “I need you to get Nixon.”
“But—”
“Mo.” Phoenix’s voice was harsh, edgy. “Get Nixon.”
Getting Nixon meant he’d know what happened and I knew I looked like I’d just been with someone, the room smelt like us, I smelt like him. Tears threatened as I walked down the hall and into the Billiards room.
“Nixon?” I pasted a fake smile on my face. “Can I talk to you?”
He flashed a smile. “Of course.”
That same smile stayed firmly in place until he reached the door, his fingers dug into my arm as we walked swiftly down the hall.
“What’s going on?” he asked smoothly, as muscle ticking in his jaw as his teeth clenched harder.
“Chase almost killed Tex.”
Sighing, Nixon looked up at the ceiling and crossed his arms. “For the hell of it, or was there good reason?”
“Oh, there was a reason.” Chase stumbled out of the bathroom, his hands a bloody mess. “He slept with Mo.”
I took a step back as Nixon took a menacing step forward.
I jutted my chin forward in defiance as I challenged him with a glare. “He’s my husband.”
“Funny you should say that.” Chase crossed his arms. “Because when you were both busy ripping each other’s clothes off, the deal was just getting signed.”