AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh yeah, I’m sure Angie would love that.” Penny snorted. “Kyle, you were never a douche, don’t start acting like one now. It’s not a good look.”
Dahlia flattened her lips, holding back her smile. Her friend had a good point, and hopefully, it would serve as a reminder. Good men were few and far between, and while it hadn’t worked out between her and her ex, he’d always been a decent guy.
“I’ll cheer from back here, and—” She reached into her bag, pulling out a bill. “I’ll even put some cash down to show my support.”
Kyle grinned, then jerked his head when another guy called out to him. “Thanks, Dahl.”
He hurried away, and she passed her friend.
“You betting?”
Penny scoffed. “If I did, it wouldn’t be on Kyle.”
“I’ll be back,” Dahlia said, rounding a group of men near the hallway entrance. All the bets were taken in a back room. Ritchie, who she’d known through the circuit, handled all the cash. She stood in line, shifting on her feet and peeking around the man in front of her. It would be at least a fifteen-minute wait.
Or twenty. By the time it was her turn, the line behind her had doubled.
“Hey, beautiful!” Ritchie said.
Dahlia smiled, waving her ten-dollar bill.
“Big spender,” Ritchie teased.
Dahlia laughed. “It’s my way of showing support. Kind of like buying cookies from the scouts. A small investment for the greater cause.”
Ritchie laughed, but his eyes moved over her shoulder, and he lost his smile. He glanced up at her and gestured for her to move aside, which she did.
“Give me a minute, babe.”
Dahlia looked back at the line now parted in two with a familiar man walking toward the table. She sucked in a breath. As he made his way closer, his gaze darkened, landing on her. She’d seen him only a few times in the last week. She’d looked for him during every shift, but his appearances were sparse.
“Hi, Trey.” Her voice was low and breathy, giving too much away.
Trey stared and slowly lowered his chin but remained silent. He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out an envelope she assumed was cash and a small slip of paper. Dahlia squinted but remained still so as to not be too obvious. She couldn’t read much, but his bets were far larger than hers. Hell, they were probably bigger than everyone in the room combined.
“Well, that puts my bet to shame.”
Trey slowly angled his head, dropping his gaze to the table with her ten-dollar bill. It wasn’t even a fraction of the wad of cash he pulled out from his chest pocket. Dahlia steeled her reaction. Sort of. She could only control her facial response so much. Math had never been her thing, but if she had to guess, Trey was betting a few thousand.
She smiled and cocked her head, and his gaze lingered for a brief second before turning to Ritchie and listing the bets. Dahlia listened closely. Trey was betting on the bigger contenders. It made sense since that was where the real money was to win. And to lose.
“Got it.” Ritchie nodded.
It was a different vibe with Trey in the room. All sense of teasing and ease was completely sucked out of the air, replaced with a rigid tension. Trey slowly turned toward Dahlia. She expected him to walk out with the three men manning the door, but he stopped, eyeing her.
“Who are you betting on?”
“Kyle Marks.”
When Trey squinted, she waved her hand. “He’s in the second fight. Amateur.”
The only thing more pitiful than the second in the lineup was the first. The objective was to save the best fighters for last. Clearly, the same men Trey was betting on.
“Is he any good?”
Dahlia drew in a breath and smirked with a small shrug. “There’s a reason why he’s in the second fight. But…” She paused, feeling guilty for throwing Kyle under the bus. Everyone had to start somewhere, and who’s to say he wouldn’t be a headliner in years to come. Many, many years. “His heart is in it, and what he lacks in power, he makes up for in scrappiness. There’s something to be said for the underdog, right?”
Trey scanned her face, giving nothing away. The man was impossible to read. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and grabbed a hundred-dollar bill. When he placed it on the table, she widened her eyes.
