“Yes. I met up with her and we came to an agreement. It’s a done deal,” I told a silent Dean. “So, like I said, put on the suit and hunt down a job you’re made for.”

I felt like an asshole. How could I not? I was. But some things had to be done. You sucked it up, pushed away the guilt, the regret, and got on with it. I’d been doing that my whole adult life. And my adult life had started way before I’d been ready.

“I can’t believe you,” Dean rasped. “You fucking stole my gig with Parker.” He laughed broadly and without humor. “You dickhead! You weren’t worried about me. You just saw a good opportunity to make some cash yourself. You selfish, fucking—”

“Hey.” I pointed at him in warning, guilt riding me hard. Because he was right. And he was wrong. “That’s not what I had planned when I went over there. I planned to hand her her ass.”

“And then you saw how cute her ass was,” Dean said, nodding as though it all made sense to him now.

“No.” Yes. Maybe. “I realized that she was hanging out with Franklin Fairchild.”

He blinked. “Who the fuck is that?”

“Some big-shot billionaire with too much time on his hands and not enough ways to spend it. Parker works for one of his companies.” I glanced around the sparse loft apartment before pinning Dean with a stare. “I didn’t want to worry you, but we’re in danger of losing the gym—”

“Good! It’s not like I wanted you to buy this place anyway.”

“This place,” I ground out, “was Dad’s dream, his legacy to us.”

“Exactly. His dream. His legacy.” Dean flung an arm up. “It was never about me. You were the golden boy, the star. I can see why you’d want it, but don’t include me in this.”

“Fine.” I set my mug down with a sigh. “Regardless. If I hang around Parker, and therefore, Fairchild, I can try to convince him to sponsor the gym.”

Dean paced, grabbing at the ends of his hair. “So instead of me being pimped out, you’re going to pimp yourself out? Am I getting that right?” He laughed again. “Fucking unbelievable.”

He stopped short and faced me. “You know what I don’t get? Why the hell do you even need money? You were making bank when you were boxing. Where the hell did it all go? And don’t tell me it went into the gym and my education again. You made way more than that.”