10. Lucy

T he tavern had been packed until we closed, but it generally was. It kept us clothed and fed, so I wasn't complaining about it at all, even if running around bringing food and drinks to people while running back to the kitchen to check on the garlic and ginger soup I had going had my feet and back killing me by the end of the night.

My night wasn't done yet. I made enough soup to feed the tavern the next day, but some of it was already earmarked for two people. I set aside some for my mom and steeled myself to bring some to the brothel for Theda.

I would have asked Ollie or Beck, but Beck hadn't come by and Ollie was up to some kind of Ollie shenanigans and Mom got mad last time we spent the night in the cells. Neco acted like Ronan didn't exist, so if I sent him with soup, it wasn't going to get to Theda.

Neco and I were different. We avoided each other, but when we couldn't, it ended up in a screaming match. He left the tavern if I was working the front of the house and I avoided him if I was at the brothel for Beck.

Thing was, I could destroy Neco Argent by telling him my secret. He imploded our friendship to step up for his mom and her new baby. He grew into a man who took hurting women and kids seriously. That was the one thing I liked about him. If he knew he broke a girl's nose he wouldn't be able to deal with it.

It wasn't worth the hassle of anyone finding out my secret.

So, I just walked over to the brothel with the soup and braced myself. If that fucker hit me again, he was going to need one of the Baron's healers to extract his testicles from his stomach. I was serious. I had been so shocked he hit me when we were ten that I just stood there when he stomped off.

I had ten years of rage built up against Neco Argent and he really deserved a broken nose from me. But first? Soup.

The brothel stayed open much later than the tavern. We could have brought in more coin feeding the merchants slinking off in the dead of night, but we were doing well without it. Some of those men were insufferable, and I got my love of sleeping from my mom.

Neco saw me. He scowled at me but I knew he thought I was here for Beck. I generally was. He stood up clenching his fists when he realized I was headed straight for him. Yeah, he looked ready to hit me again.

"Listen, first of all, fuck you. Secondly, I have hot soup in my hands that I have no problem throwing in your face but I made it for Theda because Ilyn said she had a cough like my mom."

"Fuck you back. Ilyn should learn to keep his mouth shut."

"Listen, shit for brains. I can't stand you, but I adore Theda and Rowena is a good kid. I don't particularly care if we both die hating each other, but your mom and sister didn't shut me out and break my nose.

"Ilyn said the cough could be one of two things and this soup would help both. If it's more serious, they'll need a healer. You know what's going to happen if you have to ask your father. He might be satisfied with you, but he might want payment from Rowena, too, and no one can stop him.

"If you go after him, you'll end up dead either way and they'll take it out on Theda and Rowena. The Madame can't say no or they'll shut her down. All the girls would be homeless and unable to work until she agreed to his demands.

"So, take the soup, you knob head. There's enough for you and Rowena just in case its contagious. I only made enough for you so you don't give it back to them if it goes away."

Neco snatched the soup away from me and glared down at me.

"This doesn't make things right between us," he snapped.

Fuck him. If he wasn't holding soup I needed to get to Theda and Rowena and my mom would need that pot back, I'd return the favor and break his fucking nose.

"First of all, this wasn't a peace offering, you utter shit. Your mom was like a second mother to me once. I already apologized for what I said to you. As far as I'm concerned, you owe me an apology for cutting me out and then breaking my nose."

"What the fuck would I apologize to you for? I had every right to hit you. In fact, I'd like to hit you again," he said, setting the soup down.

I cracked my neck and bounced on the balls of my feet. I was probably about to get my arse kicked, but I'd get at least one good punch in. I'd feel like shit tomorrow, but if I could just break his nose, I'd feel much better.

But Rowena zipped between us and thumped me right in the boob. Fuck! Getting punched in the tit hurt, even if they were strapped down. My eyes watered and I tried not to let them know why it hurt me.

Neco grabbed Rowena and pulled her behind him.

"Don't you dare think about hurting my sister!" he roared.

Beck came barreling in next and yanked me away.

"Shit, Lance. You know Neco gets feral about his sister. What were you doing?"

"I wasn't trying to hurt Rowena. I brought Theda some soup and Neco started shit."

Beck pulled me to his bedroom.

"Neco would have finished it, too. Don't mess with him. I mean it."

"Maybe he shouldn't fuck with me."

"Look, you did good bringing Theda soup. I know you were just trying to help, but maybe you should have had me do it."

"You weren't at the tavern."

I suppose I could have found Beck instead of Neco, but Beck was needed to protect the girls and Neco was right there.

"I hate him."

"No, you don't."

"I really do."

I'd loved Neco once, but he hurt me, so I hurt him back. When I felt like shit about that and tried to apologize, he hurt me again. No, I really hated him. And I hated that I hated him because we'd been so close before. I got a lot of joy out of hating my father and shit-talking him, but it hurt to hate Neco. Which just pissed me off.

"Look, Ollie tricked him into making peace with Ronan at the party. You and Neco are the last holdouts from our group."

Ugh. Neco and Ronan made peace? I'd never ask them to choose between us, but now I was the outsider. Then again, Neco didn't want to make peace with me. Beck saw me glaring at him.

"Look, none of us are going to force either of you to do anything. But we were a group once and there's been a piece missing since Neco left."

I ran my hands through my short hair. I was trying not to get irritated with Beck because I really did love him.

"Why are you talking to me and not Neco? He's the one who pulled away."

"I'm planning on that after you leave."

"Well, I'm leaving now. I did what I came here to do and my mom is sick, too."

"Take care of Caitrin, Lance."

Yeah, Mom was my life. I'd always take care of her. Ten-year-old me missed Neco, but I was twenty now. I'd grown up.

Neco Argent could get fucked.