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“What the hell is going on here?” Frankie asked, temper lacing his tone. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re in here fighting? Keep this shit for the cage. The cage!”
The way everyone stepped back with an odd look of fear in their eyes was a little strange. Were they all scared of this guy or something? Was he more of a dickhead than he first seemed? When Freakshow realized no one else was answering, he tapped me on the shoulder and indicated for me to follow him to the other side of the locker room.
Shit. I tried to settle my nerves as I went. I’d had my chance for a half a second, and I’d already blown it. Would an apology be enough? Would I be able to talk myself out of this one? I wasn’t used to talking my way out of things anymore. It had been a long time since I’d had to answer to a trainer. Since I’d had to answer to anyone.
“I’m sorry,” I started instantly, wanting to get my words in first. “That should never have happened. I know that I need to earn your trust and respect, as well as theirs.”
“No.” He shook his head at me, causing my heart to sink. Was it already too late? “I don’t want to hear anything about trust. I don’t really give a fuck what you did in the past just as long as it doesn’t bleed into my gym. I need you to work your ass off and prove we made the right decision in investing in you.” Huh? That wasn’t what I was expecting at all… “Smiley’s used to be an amazing gym. Our reputation was that we only produced champions, and things haven’t been going so well recently. We’re losing our asses, and promoters are losing interest as well. I need you to help me with this. You are an amazing fighter, though out of shape and in need of some fine tuning. I’m sure it goes without saying that I don’t need any bullshit from you, but I’m sure that isn’t going to happen.”
“No, of course not.”
“Now, go and get dressed, and get that contract signed with Ari.”
I did my best to ignore the rest of the guys as I headed back toward the others to get dressed. My mind spun with the fact that I was being brought on to train with Smiley’s. Luckily, after Freakshow’s small telling-off, everyone else avoided me, too, which made me think that maybe he had it right. Maybe he needed to act like a dick with a firm fist to control all these dickheads.
As I finished dressing, Lotto entered, looking smug.
“Don’t even start,” I said, not being able to hide my smile.
“I was just down the street in a coffee shop. I knew I’d be coming soon enough,” he said.
“Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled. “Let’s go see Ari.”
Chapter 11
Lotto
Iknocked lightly on the office door, anxious to finally get a good look at Ari and size her up. Our meeting at the fight had been brief, and had I known it would morph into this, I would have taken the time to get a good read on her. I only knew one thing about her. She was gorgeous as anything, probably the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on.
“Come in,” she called out in a sing-song tone. I pushed open the door to see her grinning face. “Oh, hey, Bones. Come on in.” She looked at me with the same smile. “Lotto, right? Come on in.”
I really liked what I saw today. She was dressed completely different from the business attire I had seen at my house. Her stark-white hair was now pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore black leggings with a tight white tank top. The toned muscles of her tatted skin were only surpassed by the cleavage the tank top not only revealed but enhanced. A tattoo on her chest bone depicted doves flying across her flesh that made her look exotic, tough, and feminine all at once. The girl was ripped, clearly in shape, and the way she carried herself warned she was no nonsense.
Ari Dexter was, without a doubt, a bad-ass chick.
I was intrigued—hell, nearly intoxicated—by this side of her, but that didn’t mean I had to let my cock rule all thinking. Bones was already smitten, and one of us needed to keep a level head.
This was business. Serious, life-altering business.
“Just sorting out the last of the paperwork right now.”
I watched her getting organized for a few moments, drinking in her every graceful move.
She smiled warmly at me. “I told Bones this, but I’m also glad that you’re here. I think we will all make a great team. Bones will be a great asset to the gym, and I think we can be a great asset to you as well. We already have some venues in mind, and Freakshow already landed us an invite to Heathens Hollow. So we’re already underway.” She passed me the contract. “Go ahead and look it over. It’s pretty black and white. It’s what we have everyone sign.”
