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The whole night I tossed and turned. Whenever I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep, I dreamt of Braden, just like I did about five nights a week—sometimes every night. And they weren’t normal dreams either; they were the X-rated kind. I’ve lost count of how many times I’d woken up touching myself.
Groaning, I rolled over and buried my face in the mattress. I wanted to stay away from the gym, but I had to go. If I kept my distance from Braden, I’d be fine. I slid out of bed and fetched a pair of black spandex shorts, a sports bra, and a gray tank top out of my dresser.
Once dressed and my hair braided to the side, I freshened up in the bathroom and grabbed a water bottle, a protein bar, and a banana, shoving it all into my gym bag along with my phone. The warm ocean air blasted me in the face when I walked outside, and I breathed it in. I looked over the railing at the parking lot and was happy to see no one waiting for me like there was yesterday. Unfortunately, however, I couldn’t see the whole parking lot.
When I climbed down the last flight of stairs, I peered around at all the cars. I didn’t see anything suspicious. If Nikolai and Seth had men watching me, they were good at hiding. Quickly, I got in my car and drove away, checking my rearview mirror every few seconds to see if anyone was following me.
“This is ridiculous,” I mumbled under my breath.
My phone rang, and Braden’s name popped up on the screen of the infotainment system. I was curious to know what he wanted, so I pressed the accept button on the steering wheel.
“Hey,” I answered.
“I’m just checking on you. You doing okay?”
“I’m fine. Heading to the gym as we speak.”
“Hear anything from Nikolai?” he asked.
I didn’t want to lie to him, but I'd really lose my freedom if I told him the truth. I could see it now: he’d call my brother, and he and Ripp would come back from Vegas. I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere without someone with me.
“No, thank God,” I lied.
“Good. Guess I’ll see you when you get here.”
He ended the call, and a few minutes later, I arrived at Fightanium. There were a few parking spaces up front, so I parked there instead of going to the back. I grabbed my gym bag and hopped out of my convertible.
“Reagan,” someone called out.
I turned around to see a beautiful brunette with sun-kissed bronze skin get out of a red Acura NSX. She was about five foot seven—the same height as me and clearly around the same build—with well-defined arm and leg muscles. Her long hair was pulled high in a ponytail, and her yellow tank top looked amazing against her tanned body. She looked immaculate which shouldn’t surprise me if she knew Nikolai. From what I knew of him and his people, they were all worth millions and then some. If the woman was Annika, she probably had a fortune in the bank, just like she had a ton in that car.
I had a lot of money, but it wasn’t in the millions. The girl drew closer and held out her hand. “I’m so glad I got to you before you went inside. I’m Annika. I think Nikolai told you about me?”
The smile on her face was genuine, but I couldn’t help but be cautious, even if she did have kind hazel eyes.
I shook her hand. “I thought that’s who you were. Are you good friends with Nikolai?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, definitely not. I told him he should’ve let me talk to you first. I was afraid you wouldn’t help me.”
Slinging my gym bag over my shoulder, I stared her down. “I’m still debating on that.”
Annika’s smile faltered and she nervously peered over at the gym doors and then back to me. “Okay, I get it. You hate Nikolai; a lot of people do. What I’m doing has nothing to do with him.” She blew out a breath and hung her head. “I also know what happened with your sister and Carter. Word travels fast in my world.”
“So, you can see why I’m leery of helping you, right?”
Annika lifted her head and nodded. “I do, but you’re the best female fighter around. I could use your knowledge and skills.”
“What for?” I asked.
She blinked once, her stare unwavering. “To fight.” I opened my mouth to protest, but she held up a hand. “Not to fight to the death. I know that’s what you’re thinking.” She stepped closer. “I’m not going to lie, those fights still happen. I haven’t personally been to one, and I don’t plan on it. The fights I’ll be participating in are something new altogether. The men fight for dominance and rank within the families, and the women are being trained to do the same.” Annika grabbed my hands, her expression full of fire. “I need your help, Reagan. This is something Iwantto do. No one is forcing me. We’re women in a man’s world. I want to show them that I’m a force to be reckoned with.”
I knew the feeling.
“So, it’s no fighting to the death?” I questioned to be sure.
Annika shook her head. “Just to knockout or tap out, that’s it.” She let my hands go and sighed. “I’m glad the women are starting to show their strengths. Don’t get me wrong,” she said, her lips spreading wide, “it’s nice for the men to want to protect their women, but I don’t consider myself weak.”
That made me smile. “Me either. And I know exactly what you mean. When I told a couple of the guys that Nikolai confronted me, they went on bodyguard mode.”
