AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Watch me.”
I turned on my heel, about to head for the door without him, but Gavin followed close behind.
“Thought you were getting your jacket.”
“Giving you a chance to ditch me? Psh. How stupid do you think I am?”
I opened my mouth to respond, and he quickly shoved a finger up against my lips.
“I can either walk through the tunnels with you and show up at the fight by your side, or I can sneak down there alone and?—”
“Okay, you fucking win.” Because there was no way I would let him go trekking down there again, alone, in the dark. And he would, too, the stubborn little shit.
Gavin grinned, pleased with himself for winning this round, but I had some stipulations if he planned to be a reckless fool.
“You can’t go down there looking like that.”
Gavin glanced down at his t-shirt and jeans that barely clung to his hips and shrugged. “I told you I would get a jacket?—”
“It’s not just that.” I frowned. “It’s everything. Your hair, that face… Jesus, it’s like you’re a beacon of holy light or some shit. Those heathens will sniff you out in a second.”
Gavin pouted, and fuck, if there hadn’t been money riding on tonight, I would’ve taken him right then on the closest flatsurface and showed him what a heathenIcould be. “Well, I can’t really change my face.”
“Thank God for that. All I’m sayin’ is”—I grabbed my leather jacket off the coat rack and then snatched up the ball cap I’d tossed on the entry table the other day—“you gotta hide all that pretty. It’s distracting.”
Gavin’s pout turned to a grin as he pulled the cap on and slid his arms into the jacket. “Better?”
“It’ll have to do.”
I shook my head and pulled open our front door, and when we stopped by the elevator and Gavin sniffed the collar of the jacket and moaned that it smelled like me, I wanted to kick myself in the ass.
Tonight was going to be alongfucking night.
THIRTY-SIX
gavin
HEADING DOWN THROUGH the tunnels this time was an entirely different experience. For one, Daire was holding my hand, something I wouldn’t have thought possible a couple of days ago. But his fingers were linked through mine, holding onto me with a firm, strong grasp as he led the way.
Now that we were down here, I realized what a monumentally stupid idea this had been. Upstairs I’d only wanted to be with him, to make sure he was okay, but the closer we got to the fight, the more I wondered if my presence would only distract him. What if the others in the crowd tried to mess with me again? I’d conveniently forgotten that part, that Daire had stopped his fight to get me out of there.
No wonder he’d been so adamant about my throwing on his hat and jacket so I’d blend in more. I hoped it worked. I needed to keep my head down and try not to draw attention, because that was the last thing Daire needed.
I could hear the shouts echoing down the tunnel as we got closer, and Daire tightened his fingers around mine. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought he was anxious.
“Stay close to me,” he said, keeping his voice low. “During the fight, don’t move from where I put you. Got it?”
“Promise.”
Daire stopped abruptly to face me then gripped my chin as he pulled me in for a kiss I felteverywhere, but before I could reach for him, he turned away and we were on the move again.
As we approached the opening in the wall that led into the makeshift ring, Daire gestured for me to go first and followed close behind.
Oh shit.The crowd was even bigger tonight, their shouts deafening as they urged on the two fighting in the center. I couldn’t see much, but I definitely caught the spray of blood that spattered those standing closest when one of the guys took a direct hit to the jaw.
My stomach plummeted at the sight, but beside me, Daire was almost…smiling? Not with teeth or anything, but his lips were definitely curved upward, and his excitement shone through his eyes.
Of course it couldn’t be anything as simple as compass hunting that he enjoyed; Daire got off on a good punch to the face.
