“Preach, what’s wrong with Trevor Crispino?” I ask hesitantly, not really sure I want to hear the answer, because I know it’s bad. Really bad.
Preach looks up at me, his eyes are glassy and he looks sad. My heart lurches into my stomach. “He’s Frankie’s brother. The boy that died in the the fight. They’re trying to make it a grudge match. But the kid shouldn’t even be in the ring with the likes of Nico. He’s no match. Nico will kill ‘em.”
I’m sure the last words weren’t meant literally, but sometimes things that aren’t meant to come out that way, come out the way they should be spoken in the end, anyway.
***
I find Nico in his loft, sitting in the dark. His elbows on his knees, head dropped low in his hands. I wait for a minute before I approach, wondering if he will acknowledge I’ve entered the room. The gate on the elevator door is loud, there’s no way he didn’t hear me come in. But he just sits there quietly, even as I make my way to him and rest my hand on his shoulders, he doesn’t move.
“You okay?” My voice is low, but the room is so quiet, there is no mistaking that he can hear me. Yet he doesn’t answer.
I bend down to eye level with him in the darkness. It doesn’t matter that he can’t see me, I’ll be harder to ignore when I’m so close.
“What can we do?”
Nico lets out a heavy rush of air before he wraps his big hand around my neck, leaning his forehead against mine. “Just let me hold you.”
That I can do. I only wish I had more to offer to comfort him. His voice sounds raw and pained. I can only imagine what he must be feeling. If my own crushed heart and knotted stomach are any indication, then his own pain must be unbearable. How can they do this to him? Put him in the cage with the brother of the man he killed? A man that is no match for his power. Aren’t there rules or something?
My initial shock and sadness is starting to wear off and I’ve moved onto pissed. Mad, angry, ready to take on a fight of my own. “We’ll get you out of this. You don’t have to do this. This isn’t sportsmanship, this is for ticket sales.” Have they no conscience? And what about safety? Preach said the brother is no match, that Nico will kill him. Aren’t they supposed to match up ability? I hear my own breath speed up, my anger getting the best of me.
Nico chuckles quietly. It’s barely there and I’m not even sure if what I heard is the sound of his laughter. But then he speaks and I know that I’m not mistaken, “Might have to keep you home for the fight…afraid you’re gonna jump in the cage and beat the crap out of the guy for me.” I can hear the smile in his voice as he speaks.
“I might.” His smile is returned, even if he can’t see it.
***
I spend the next three days researching, analyzing, and generally looking for any possible loophole to get him out of the fight. I’ve called in every favor I had and sought opinions from each and every lawyer that might remotely be able to help us. Even William. But we all come up with the same conclusion, the contract is airtight. Of course, Nico can walk away from the fight and pay the penalty clause. But he won’t do that. Preach’s finances are on the line too. I don’t know why I didn’t see the motive behind making Preach invested in the fight, but I didn’t. Whoever drew up the terms of the contract new exactly what they were doing. They knew Preach and Nico well, but not just the fighter and trainer.
They’ve exploited the relationship between these two men on a personal level, knowing Preach would never let Nico pay his penalty and Nico would never let Preach take such a financially draining hit. Two stubborn men that will protect each other until the end, no matter what the cost to themselves.
And it’s gotten even worse. Preach has decided that the fight will be good for Nico, that he needs to move on and getting through this disaster of a fight will help him push through the remnants of emotional ties that remain. He’s even started to get Nico to believe some of his bullshit. That a grudge match is some sort of sick redemption…a shot at salvation.
I jump when I hear the front door to the office open. It’s after ten and I promised Regina I’d lock it behind her when she left hours ago, but I was so engrossed in what I was searching for, that I completely forgot. But then I feel it, the unmistakable presence of the man that makes my heart rate speed up. I’m absolutely certain that if I was hooked up to an EKG machine, it would be able to record each step closer that Nico Hunter takes in my direction.
“The door isn’t locked.” Nico’s voice is tense. He’s protective, and my lack of concern for my own safety is something I’ve learned he isn’t fond of.
“I must have forgotten.” I look up, offering the lame excuse. I watch as Nico takes in the mess that was once my office. I have piles of papers and journals strewn all over the office and my garbage overflows with crumpled yellow legal paper where I’ve started to map out an angle to break the contract, but didn’t work in the end.
“Big case?” His eyes gloss over my desk to accentuate what he is referring to.
“Sort of.” I’m not lying…at the moment it’s the most important case I have. And the reality is that it’s the only case I’ve worked on in three days. All my other work can wait.
Nico pushes off the door frame where he rests and walks to my desk, taking a piece of paper off it, and reading a few lines before putting it back down. He takes a pile of clipped documents from the other side of the desk and does the same thing, reading a little to get a feel for what I’ve been working on. He knows what I’m doing, this act is for my benefit.
“Come on, we’re going home.” He’s standing on the other side of my desk. As much as I love hearing Nico tell me we’re going home, I’m not ready yet. I need a little more time to work my way through my latest strategy. There has to be a way to get him out of the damn contract.
“I’m not done yet.”
I don’t miss Nico’s jaw clenching, it’s ridiculously sexy. A deep line on his chiseled cheek forms and his eyes turn a deep greenish grey. He looks strong and menacing and I would bet most would take a step back with the scary vibe that he throws off. But not me, I hold my ground and stay put, albeit a little more aroused than I was a minute ago. We stare at each other, each waiting for the other to back down, and I wonder if we’re going to be here a while. But then Nico breaks the standoff.
He doesn’t release my eyes as he stalks around my desk and pulls back my chair, leaning his big frame down to reach my eye level. His thick frame blocks me into my seat, one hand on each arm of my chair. “You need to do anything before I take you out of here?”
“I…I...” I was going to say that I’m almost done and just need a few minutes, but I don’t have the chance to finish my thought. I’m lifted out of my chair and tossed over Nico’s shoulder in one fluid movement. The barbaric move should piss me off, but instead it makes me smile. I’m happy that my head is tossed over his back, so he can’t see that I’m actually enjoying myself. Challenging this man has somehow become foreplay to me.
He doesn’t release me until I’m in the passenger seat of his car. He buckles me in while I sit with my arms crossed over my chest, feigning anger. After he tugs on the belt, double checking I’m secure, he kisses me chastely on the lips before jogging around to his side of the car.
“What about my car?” I throw a little extra attitude in with my question.
“I’ll drive you to work in the morning.”
I let out an exaggerated sigh. “You’re bossy.”
“You’re stubborn.” My mouth drops open at his comment, even though I know it’s true. But Nico just finds my response amusing and chuckles.
Chapter 46
Nico
Usually the night before a fight I have dinner with Preach and get a pep talk. But I pass on the tradition and Elle stays at my place instead. I finally convinced the stubborn woman to stop her fifteen hour a day quest to break my contract. At least I’d like to think I convinced her, but it might also be because we ran out of time, considering the fight is tomorrow. The wo
man is a challenge when she sets that damn smart mind on something, to say the least.
Elle doesn’t agree, but Preach thinks the fight will be good for me. We studied Trevor’s last few fights. The kid has improved. A lot. He’s not the same stupid, cocky fighter that he was a year ago. He’s matured, found patience. The fight isn’t as lopsided as we all originally thought, although I’d be fooling myself if I pretended that what happened with his brother didn’t factor into the League’s decision on who to match up for the championship fight. My fights are always profitable for the League, a sellout. But I can’t remember the last time MMA got as much press as it did this week. My face has been plastered on mainstream news, not just the channels dedicated to sports.
I lift her onto the island counter as I make dinner. She’s still wearing her work clothes and I’m definitely not prompting her to change. I like her in the smart looking crap she wears. It’s a turn-on, almost like fucking the hot librarian, only better because it’s Elle.
Some guys won’t have sex before a fight, they think the pent up frustration gives them an edge. Me, I prefer not to fight with blue balls. I’ve never been one to look for an angle. I study my competitor. I work my ass off training. I fight hard. I’m good. It’s as simple as that. Plus, looking at Elle swinging those long damn legs propped up on my kitchen counter, there’s not much of a chance where things are going to go later. I look at her and she smiles. It’s that damn goofy grin. It may be sooner, rather than later.
***
After we finish dinner, I can see something is on Elle’s mind. I’ve said it before, but for a lawyer, she’s pretty easy to read. And a crap liar. “What’s going on, Babe?”
Her eyebrows pull together and shift down, her face telling me she isn’t even aware that she’s showing her hand. “Nothing…what do you mean?”
“Something’s bothering you.”
Her face relaxes a little, but there’s still tension underneath her forced smile. “No…I’m fine.”
“Shit liar, Babe. I told you that.”
She smiles. “Maybe I’m just a little nervous.” She holds up her two fingers, measuring a small space between them to indicate she’s just a tiny bit nervous. Her fingers may say a little, but her face screams much more.
Elle goes to sit next to me on the couch, but I grab her arm and pull her down on to my lap instead. “What are you nervous about?”
She rings her hands together, looking down, avoiding my eyes. I lift her chin, forcing her eyes to mine and repeat myself. “What are you nervous about?”
“The fight.”
“Okay.” I brush the hair away from her face, she looks worried, almost vulnerable. “I’m not going to get hurt, I can take this guy, Babe.”
Nervously, she bites her bottom lip. I’m off base. There’s more to the worry resonating from her. “I know. I mean, I’ll always worry about you getting hurt. I can’t help that. But…” She hesitates, considers her words.
“What then?”
“I know you and Preach think winning this fight will help you get past things, but I’m worried that it will bring it all back. I’ve seen him. He looks like his brother.”
She’s right, he does. He looks just like Frankie. It’s like some sort of twisted fate fucking with me. And I’ve worried about the same thing. But I can’t allow that to control me anymore. I push it to the back of my mind and keep it there each time it finds its way to the surface. It’s all about control. Martial arts is as much about the mind as it is the body. Both must endure, submit to complete control. Work together.
“Preach thinks winning the fight will help me get past things. But I already know what it takes. And you’ve brought me further along in the last two months than a year and a half of trying to work it out on my own ever did. Before I met you, I was hitting my head against a concrete wall, going nowhere fast. Only I didn’t know it. Didn’t even realize I was stuck, until I met you and took that first step.” Elle gives me a hesitant smile. Some of the worry disappears from her face…but not all of it. So I go for broke, being the fucking sap this incredible woman has made me into.
“When we met, we were two injured souls. Both keeping the real out of our lives for fear of what we might find. But nothing could have kept us apart. I never believed in destiny. Thought that was a bunch of crap for people who read too many books. Until I met you. You’re it for me, Babe. I didn’t even know I was missing something until I found you, but now I don’t know how I got through a day without what you’ve given me. You’re my soul mate. As sappy as it sounds, it’s god damn true. Nothing has ever been truer in my life. So no, I’m not worried about this fight not helping me heal from my past, because it’s you who does that for me. You’ve filled all the cracks in my heart and made me better. I never thought I’d say this after what I went through, but I’m the luckiest bastard on this earth.”
She cries. That’s how she responds to my gut wrenching, pussy-whipped declaration that we’re soul mates. Tears stream down her face and, even though she’s smiling through the tears, I want to make the tears go away.
Chapter 47
Elle
I never thought I’d be happy. I was content with flatlining my way through life. It was good enough. Keeping out the highs and the lows was my favorite past time. No emotions meant nothing ever got out of control, and keeping control was higher on my priority list than breathing. Until I met him. He makes my heart race and my breathing hitch, and that’s just when he walks in the room. Don’t even get me started on what that face does to me. Or those hands…especially when they’re moving all over my body like he can’t get enough of me. I can feel his need for me in his touch. But his words, that’s what does me in. They’re raw and honest and filled with emotions, and I can actually feel my heart swell as they’re spoken.
He wipes away my tears with concern on his face. I’m sure he thinks I’ve lost my mind as I smile through my crying after listening to the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me. I’m the one whose head is usually filled with words. But right now I find myself at a loss for something beautiful to say in return. So I say what I feel and hope it’s enough. “I love you.”
He smiles, the worry leaving his face. “Love you too, Babe.”
And then I kiss him, the tears still falling, my mouth still smiling, and a sob escapes me as our tongues find each other. I’m a mess, but it’s beautiful and real and I can’t get enough of him. Not now, not ever. He’s right. We’re two lost souls that found each other and became one. And I’m the luckiest girl on the planet.
***
There’s still hours before the fight, but I’m ready to go right now. It’s a sold out championship fight, but Nico gave me four tickets of my own. My stepbrother, of course, has texted me half a dozen times to make sure we’re still on for the day. It’s a close race who is more exited, Max or Vinny. Both probably didn’t sleep last night with anticipation pulsing through their veins.
I’m excited I also got to invite Regina and Lawrence. Regina because, well, she’s the best friend I have ever had...and I think she’s more excited about my relationship with Nico than I am, at times, if that’s even possible. After all these years, she couldn’t wait to see me throw myself back into the land of the living. And Lawrence, he’s more than my boss, he’s been like a dad to me the last few years. Plus, it’s the first bit of excitement his wife has let him have since his heart surgery. She’s afraid too much might give him a heart attack.
At first I’ve forgotten what I’m wearing when Nico catches sight of me, he hasn’t seen the t-shirt Vinny made for me. I’m not sure if the kid did it on purpose, but it’s tight, very tight, hugging all my curves. My shirt is different than the one Vinny wore last time. It’s a full body shot with Nico facing forward. He looks more like a model than a fighter.
Nico freezes in place for a minute, gracing me with a devilish smile. “I like your shirt.”
I feel my face heat and I know I’m turning a nice shade of pink.
“It’s my new favorite shirt. I can keep you pressed up against me all day, even in public.” I respond coyly.
Nico stalks to me. “I’ll press the real thing up against you all day in public, Babe. You don’t have to ask twice.” He’s smiling like he’s kidding, but I know he’s serious. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me tight against his warm, hard body. He’s wearing only a pair of running shorts and my body responds to his rough touch, even though it’s been only hours since I’ve had him inside of me.
I’m flustered. “Don’t you have a fight to get ready for?” My voice comes out throatier than I had intended, but I just can’t help myself around him.
Nico presses into me, I can feel his throbbing erection pushing against my stomach. “They can’t start the fight without me.” He grabs half my ass in one of his massive hands and squeezes hard. His head lowers with intention to take my mouth, but the buzzer downstairs rings.
“Ignore it.” I feel the words on my lips as he devours my mouth. My body gives in almost immediately and a small moan escapes my lips as he lifts me underneath the knees and cradles me in his arms as he heads toward the bed.
The buzzer rings again and neither of us break the kiss, even though I’m certain he hears it too. But then it buzzes again, this time more insistently. Whoever is downstairs waiting to come up isn’t going away. Nico growls loudly, as he sets me down and stands. “Don’t move, I’ll get rid of whoever it is.” A stream of expletives leave his mouth as he makes his way to the poor fool who is about to feel his wrath.
I lie in the bed for a moment, my breath slowly returning to almost normal as I wait for Nico’s return. But then I hear voices and I realize that whoever it is has no fear of the irrational man that went in a frenzy to get rid of them.