“Yes.”
“So, have you ever been married?” she asked.
“No.”
“This business requires you to marry well, right?”
He shook his head. “I’ll marry who I want to marry, and I won’t be told before then.”
“Must be nice to have that kind of control.”
“You don’t think you have?”
“I can work in shitty jobs, and piss my parents off, but at the end of the day, they’re the ones who always have the control.”
“Who?”
“My brother, Riley. They like to put him in circumstances to keep me in line.”
“Why were you at the fight the other day?”
“My parents weren’t going to be there, and I heard who he was fighting. I care about my brother, Jacob. He’s the only family I have, and I love him very much.”
They paused as the waitress brought them out their drinks order. He had a strong coffee while she had a milkshake.
“This work you’re taking him out on, it’s dangerous, right? More dangerous than getting into a fight?”
“The fights can sometimes be to the death, you know that?”
“I know that. Riley, he doesn’t fight to the death. He told me he doesn’t.”
“And you believe him?”
“I’ve got no reason to doubt him.”
Riley had lied to her. Jacob had seen Riley fight, and he’d watched Riley kill his opponent. This was not his confession to make.
“I’m not going to lie and say the work isn’t dangerous. It is. Please be reassured that I’m the one going to be there by his side. I’ll keep him safe.”
“Do you promise?”
“I promise.”
The waitress came back to the table with their food. “This looks really good.”
&nb
sp; He watched as Lou grabbed her burger and took a huge bite.
“Wow, just wow, that is so amazing,” she said.
“I told you this was a good place.”
“And to think I wasn’t going to take you up on that date.”
“Ah, you admit you’ll go on a date with me?”
She shrugged. “I’ve not got anything else to do. I may as well have some fun with you.” She gave him a wink, and Jacob relished the small victory. He wasn’t fucking her yet, but he would.