Because she was my woman. At least for now. I wasn’t about to give her up to a ghost. If Parker eventually grew bored with me or wanted to move on, there was nothing I could do about it. But I was damn sure going to enjoy what I had with her right now.

“You left her limping, then?” Dean asked.

I threw a couch pillow at him.

Laughing, he batted it away. “Thought so.”

“Keep it up and I’m putting you in a headlock.” It was my greatest threat when we were younger, and Mom would freak out if I got too rough with Dean.

The thought of my mother was sobering. Parker had said I was making Dean a chump by keeping him in the dark. She was right, I’d had all but become a hovering, interfering parent to my brother. Shit, but I hated talking about this.

My stomach curdled as I searched for a good way to get it all out.

“I’ve been lying to you.” Okay, not the best way to start.

Dean frowned. “You didn’t rock Parker’s world? Because I have tips—”

This kid.

“Jesus.” I huffed out a laugh. I loved my brother something fierce. “No. Not that. Dean … shit. It’s about Dad and the way he left things.”

“You mean with the gym about to be repossessed by the bank?”

“What?” I blinked. “How …”

His smile was slanted and more than a bit annoyed. “Yeah, I don’t know if you truly understand this, but I’m not a total dumb-ass. And your method of hiding shit from me sucks balls, bro.”

Well, hell.

I sighed again. “There’s more to it than just that …” I told him the whole sordid tale, Mom’s medical bills, Dad’s stupid gambling mistakes, how he’d made a shit ton of bad investments with my earnings. I ended with Kyle Garret’s offer to buy the gym, and Fairchild’s attempts to push me into another bout.

He swallowed several times before speaking. “Why did you … fuck, I know why you kept it from me.” He glared as though he was mentally punching my face. “It’s insulting as fuck, you know, treating me as if I’m a kid.”

“I know.” I rubbed my aching chest. “I’m sorry. I just got in the habit of looking out for you and I didn’t want you to worry.”

His tight nod was his only answer.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” I added.

“No, you shouldn’t have. But you told me now, so I guess that’s something.” He blew out a long breath and shook his head as if to clear it. “You quit boxing because of Jake.”

The pain in my chest grew. “Yes.”