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We ride the rest of the way home in silence.
The tension between us continues building with each mile, ratcheting up more and more as we get closer to the house. When we finally step through the door, Carys spins on me. “If you don’t want to talk to me, you’ve got to talk to someone, Cooper. What happened tonight... I don’t think that’ll just go away.”
I wrap an arm around her waist and tug her against me.
Wanting to feel her.
Needing it to ground me.
Carys rests her head on my heart and sighs.
That one little sound tells me we’re okay. And it’s a start. “I know I need to talk to someone. Declan wants me to go somewhere with him tomorrow. He’s picking me up at six a.m. I promise I’ll look into it after that.”
“Where are you going that early? Doesn’t Dec have practice?” She tips her head back, looking up at me as her fingers graze my jaw.
“He doesn’t have to be at the stadium until later in the day.” I search her eyes, looking for anger or hurt, but all I see there is love.
“You could always take my car,” she offers, knowing there’s no chance that’s happening.
I bend down at the knees and throw her over my shoulder, spanking her ass. “That would be afuck no. I need to buy a goddamned car that doesn’t have eyelashes this weekend.”
Carys pinches my ass as I carry her to bed.
* * *
“You gonna tell me where we’re going?” Declan showed up at the house ten minutes early, but it didn’t make a difference to me. I haven’t slept in days anyway. It’s still dark out, and the frost is already clinging to the grass outside.
I missed a lot of things about Kroydon Hills while I lived in California, but cold fucking winters were not one of them. I stuff my hands into the pockets of my sweats and climb into his old Bronco. “Dude, you’re the highest-paid quarterback in the league. You want to maybe get a car from this century? This thing is older than both of us.”
“Fuck off. I only take this old girl when I don’t have the kids or Belles in the car with me.”
When I snort, he punches my shoulder.
Fucking hard.
Asshole.
Declan turns the radio off as we head into town. “So, you know Scarlet Kingston married Cade St. James a few months ago, right?”
I nod. “Pretty sure somebody told me that. But please tell me we’re not going to the football stadium. That’s your thing, Dec, not mine.” Not anymore.
His middle finger shoots up into the air. “Listen, you cocky little shit. It was yours for most of your life too. But no, we’re not going to the stadium. We’re going to Cade’s gym, Crucible. He trains MMA fighters, including Hudson.”
“I’m not against sparring.” Running helped calm my mind yesterday. Sparring could definitely work.
“They also work with veterans. I thought it might be good for you. Meet some people. Hear some stories...” Dec trails off as we drive down Main Street, and I watch the storefronts pass by, wondering which one Carys and Chloe were looking at yesterday.
We pull up to the gym at six o’clock on the dot, and there’s already a handful of cars parked there.
Guess we’re not the only ones here.
I never came here as a teenager before I left for the Navy. But I’d heard of the place. Cade St. James was already a heavyweight champion by then, and Crucible was a big deal. When we walk inside, Hudson is warming up in the octagon with a guy who looks familiar.
What the fuck?“Dave?”
Dave’s head swings my way, and Hudson knocks him down, laughing, then spits out his mouthguard. “Thanks, Sinclair. I owe you one.”
I step up to the octagon and hear a throat clear behind me.
