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Cruz looks down at himself. Black tank, his ink on full display, the eagle on his collarbone peeking up over the neckline. “What’s wrong with my shirt?”

“You look like you came from a porn shoot,” he replies.

“Thank you, baby.”

Brady chokes on nothing.

The waitress comes over and we order. Beers for the boys, whiskey for me, and Dakota asks for a Coke. Cruz raises an eyebrow.

“Driving,” she says.

“You came with us.”

She shrugs.

When the drinks arrive and the waitress moves off, I rap my knuckles once on the table. “We need to talk about how this works.”

Brady exhales like he’s been waiting to be told what to do with himself.

“First thing.” I look at each of them in turn. Cruz last, because he’ll make a joke if I look at him first. “Victor doesn’t find out. Not from us, not from anyone else. Not yet.”

“He’ll figure it out,” Dante says. “Eventually.”

“Eventually it’s fine. Now isn’t. Brady’s got a fight in less than two weeks. Dakota’s still building her record at Oath. I’m your coach on paper. If the commission gets so much as a whiff… ”

“They pull our licenses,” Cruz finishes. The grin’s gone for a second.

“And mine. Victor loses sponsors. The gym would be in financial trouble.”

Brady’s gone pale. “Jesus, Coach.”

“I’m not saying it to scare you. I’m saying it so we’re all carrying the same weight.” I take a drink, enjoying the burn of the whiskey. “We don’t do anything stupid at the gym. No touching, no looks that linger, no disappearing into the same locker room. Cruz.”

“I know,” he replies.

“Say it,” I demand.

“No grabbing your ass when you’re holding pads. Got it.”

Dakota snorts.

“I’m serious,” I deadpan.

“So am I, Coach. Look at me. Serious face.” He widens his eyes at me.

“Cruz,” Dante urges quietly, and Cruz settles.

“Outside the gym,” I go on, “we’re careful. We don’t all live in the same apartment. Not yet. Dakota stays where she is. Brady stays where he is. Cruz and Dante—you keep your places separate on paper even if you’re never in them.”

“We figured,” Dante says.

“Theo knows,” Cruz adds. “About me and Dante, anyway. He won’t say a word.”

“Theo’s fine knowing about you and Dante. That doesn’t break any rules, not really. He’s Victor’s, but he’s also family. We just don’t put him in a position where he has to lie to Victor’s face about the five of us.”

Dakota’s been quiet, fingers wrapped around her glass. She looks at me. “What about therapy? If I ever needed to talk to someone.”

My jaw clenches and I wonder why she needs therapy, but then, I’m about to enter a relationship with four of my fighters, and I clearly don’t know as much about their lives as I should.