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“I’m gonna shower and get ready in my room. Then we’ll go.”
“Alright.” She watched him walk away without following him.
He didn’t question me beside her. “You want me to take you back?” She could have left with him now if she wanted to be with him, but it seemed like she preferred to stay behind.
“I’d rather see him after he’s cleaned up. I don’t like seeing him like that.”
That had been the last fight of the night, so the men started to file out and head back to the casino. Hades returned to us. “He fought well. Congratulations.” He said the words to Annabella even though she was anything but proud.
“Yes, he did,” she said in agreement.
Hades turned to me. “He’s been out of the ring for a while. That was a strong return.”
That meant more money for us because we took a cut of his profits to launder. Liam couldn’t take so much cash and spend it all. “Yeah.”
Hades was in a black t-shirt and jeans, his wedding ring the only piece of jewelry he wore. “I’m gonna head home. Want a ride, or are you going to hit up the casino?”
If I went home, I would just be alone. I’d rather be surrounded by booze, money, and women than be by myself—even though Annabella had given me more comfort during this fight than I’d had in months. “I’m gonna stick around.”
Annabella addressed him. “I’m glad Andrew is alright. Sofia told me about that peanut allergy.”
“Thank you,” Hades said. “He’s a strong boy, so he recovered quickly.”
“Still…no peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for life.” She shook her head. “That’s a rough fate.”
He chuckled. “If he’s anything like his father, he won’t eat them anyway.” He turned around and walked away.
Annabella turned to me. “I’m glad you guys are friends again.”
“Me too.”
“You’re so much alike.”
I shook my head. “No, we aren’t. He’s the smart, pragmatic one. I’m the irrational and emotional one.”
She stared at me with a slightly incredulous look. “By emotional, you mean passionate. And by irrational, you mean spontaneous. You’re one of the smartest men I’ve ever met. Don’t ever think otherwise, Damien.”
All I could do was stare at her because I didn’t know what else to say. I was used to being showered with insults by the people who knew me best, but Annabella had nothing but good things to say about me, had always accepted me for who I was. If the circumstances were different, I would lean in and kiss her.
But the circumstances weren’t different. She was married. And even if she weren’t, she couldn’t be mine anyway. “I’ll walk you to his room.” I left the chair and stood off to the side, taking my gaze off her so I could shut down all those feelings, bottle all those desires.
She rose to her feet, an hourglass figure in that cocktail dress. “Most of the crowd is gone…I can make it on my own.” She spun away without giving me a chance to say goodbye. She seemed to want to get away from me as quickly as I wanted to get away from her.
Instead of walking away myself, I turned my gaze and watched her.
Watched her walk all the way across the room and disappear into the hallway.
And only then did I walk away.
3
Annabella
I grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and walked to where Liam sat at the bar, his empty plate in front of him where his dinner had been moments ago. I placed the ice pack on his temple next to his eye, where the swelling was the most prominent.
He didn’t protest. “Baby, I’m fine.”
I continued to apply it to the bruised area, the discoloration making me sick.
“And let’s not forget how the other guy looked.”
I never checked. “Liam.” I moved the ice pack a few more places before I lowered the bag.
He sighed because he recognized my tone.
“We’re together now. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“Of course.” He grabbed the bag out of my hand and tossed it on the counter. “More than anything.”
“Then why don’t you enjoy it? Let’s travel. Let’s start a family. Let’s not spend our time with you in the ring.”
“Baby—”
“It’s not like you need the money.” Damien’s argument came back to me, the only man who seemed to understand how I felt, who knew watching my husband risk his body and life was terrifying.
“I’m thirty, Anna. I can’t do this much longer…”
“Then retire now.”
“I’m not the kind of man to sit around the house and do nothing all day.”
“You won’t be doing nothing. You’ll be with me…and your family.” Why wasn’t that enough?
He turned away and sighed. “It’s just a few more years, alright?”
“But you could get really hurt—”
“I won’t.”
“Then why wouldn’t you stop now? It’ll happen after you get seriously injured anyway. That’s the only way you’ll consider yourself to be too old.”
