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My mom had never sat and tenderly taken care of my wounds, and there had been plenty of them. She’d spent her days trying to keep out of his way. Mom and I had grown apart trying to fend off Dad’s anger and survive in our own slice of hell. I still hadn’t called her, but I was pretty damn sure her reaction would not be one of grief.
    “You’ll need to get this x-rayed.” The nurse dropped her gaze. “Once you take care of things.” Everyone at the hospital had been soft spoken and reassuring to me as if I’d just lost a dad who would be sorely missed. And I’d played the part of the grieving son because it made me feel normal.
    The nurse patted me on the shoulder. “Are you alone? Was it just you and your dad? No other family?”
    “My mom is in Florida. I haven’t called her yet.”
    “It’ll be a difficult phone call to make, but you should do it soon. It always helps to talk to family.”
    “Yeah, I will. And thanks for wrapping this.” I hopped down from the exam table. Strangely enough, the break in the bone had relieved some of the earlier pain. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d left a bone to heal on its own. I could still move my fingers some, and I was sure my hand would heal enough by the fight that I could still compete.
    Surprisingly, there were only a few papers I needed to fill out. The doctor hadn’t really done anything except sign a death certificate. Natural causes had been written on the line for cause of death. The doctor had said it was probably his heart. All I could think was that the cause of death should have said call for help ignored by son .
    It was a moonless night as I walked out of the hospital. The city lights had drowned out the starlight, and the sky looked black as asphalt. And, suddenly, I felt more alone than ever.
    I slid into the front seat of the car and stared at the wrap around my hand. It had taken a double hit but it’d suffered worse. Once, I’d gone through a round of fights with two broken knuckles. I’d learned early in life to never show pain. It only made you that much more vulnerable. I had perfected a face of steel that always unnerved my opponents in the cage.
    The nurse had been right. It would help to talk to family. I pulled out my phone and dialed. I could hear music before the voice and I nearly hung up. Then Nix said my name and my finger came off the screen.
    “Hey,” I said weakly. I took a deep breath and forced a normal tone. “Sounds like you guys are having a party.”
    “Yeah, just a little one since it’s our last night here. You’re missing out. So did you land some good hours at the dock?” He had to talk loudly over the noise.
    “My dad died.” My throat seized up with the words, and I was sure he hadn’t heard me.
    There was a long pause and loud music thrummed through the phone. I could hear Taylor’s distinctive laugh in the background.
    “Shit, Dray, I can’t believe it. What happened?”
    “Doctor thinks it was his heart. He called me while I was standing in the boss’s office so I didn’t answer. I didn’t hear his message until it was too late.”
    “Don’t you even fucking think about blaming yourself for this, Dray.”
    “Yeah.” I swallowed back the ache in my throat. “Is Cassie still there?”
    “No, she left this afternoon. Scotlyn and I can leave tonight. I’ll come out to the Lucy later.”
    “No, I’m fine. Sounds like everyone is having a good time. Don’t mention this call tonight, and I’ll see you when you get back to town.”
    “Hey, Buddy, don’t forget your real family is still here for you.”
    I hadn’t cried since I was eight years old. Tears had never served a purpose or softened the blows. When Cassie had left the first time, I’d felt an ache, a desperation that seeped deep into my bones, but I never cried. Now my eyes burned. It was a sensation that was foreign to me. “I know you are. I’ll see you later.”
    The day’s events had drained me and I felt numb,