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“Ugh,” Peyton scoffed, “what a nightmare.” I could hear Gabriella in the background saying it was time to go. Gabriella was her mother and one of my training coaches. Guess you could say she was Peyton’s bodyguard. Gabby was a fierce UFC fighter back in the day; she still is. “All right, Ray, I gotta go. Make sure to water my plants for me.”
I smiled. “I always do.”
We hung up, and I slung my gym bag over my shoulder as I made my way over to the key rack attached to my kitchen cabinets. With my car keys in hand, I was ready to go. I locked the door behind me, checking my social media as I slowly trudged down the two flights of stairs to the parking lot where my little silver Mini Cooper convertible waited for me. Ever since I won the featherweight title, my followers have skyrocketed. I loved the attention, but I liked being a role model more. There were so many young girls who wanted to be like me: to be strong. Coaching was what I wanted to do after my fighting days were over. I’d take over my share of Fightanium and train women to fight.
“You have a beautiful smile.”
The voice came out of nowhere, and it startled me. My heart lurched in my chest, and my phone slipped out of my hands, the screen cracking the second my cell hit the ground.
“Motherfucker!” I shouted, bending down to grab my phone. Thankfully, it was only the screen protector that had cracked. I looked at the man who spoke, and I froze. It was Nikolai.
Nikolai chuckled, his body relaxed as he leaned against the door of his black SUV, dressed to perfection in what had to be a several thousand-dollar suit. I’d never seen him in person, but I knew who he was from the family resemblance. He had the same sandy blond hair as Seth, only Nikolai’s eyes were an icy blue and not the golden hazel of his brother’s.
My pulse shot to the sky, and I didn’t know whether to be pissed or scared. “What do you want?”
Nikolai gave me a slow smile. “I take it you know who I am.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, unfortunately. None of the guys are here if that’s who you’re looking for.”
“Actually, I’m here for you,” he claimed.
My heart beat so hard I could feel it in my throat. I had to play it smart.Never let him see your fear.“What for? Want to use me for blackmail like you tried with my sister? Sorry, buddy, but your threats won’t work on me.”
“Ah, yes,” he said, pushing off his car and stepping toward me, “you have my brother’s protection.” He held up his hands. “I’m not here to hurt or threaten you, Reagan. I wanted to ask for your help with something. That is, if you’re open to listening.”
I stormed past him to my car, which happened to be right next to his. “Not gonna happen,” I snapped, glaring at him over the hood of my car. “It’s best you stay away from me.”
Nikolai shrugged, grinning devilishly. “I don’t give up so easily. I’ll try again another day.”
“You’re wasting your time.”
Jerking my car door open, I hopped in and started my car, desperate to get away from him. Once out of the parking lot, I looked in my rearview mirror and breathed a sigh of relief when Nikolai didn’t follow me. He hadn’t bothered me or any of the guys for two months.
With him appearing again, it could only mean one thing. A new game had started.
CHAPTER2
BRADEN
The before-work crowd had already been in for the morning, and now it was quiet at Fightanium. Closer to lunch, we’d be slammed again. I’d already run five miles, and it was time for my barbell reps. Since I’d recently won the cruiserweight title, my dad decided to take time off from coaching to join my mom and sister in Charleston while my sister finished filming. They were supposed to be back in another month or so. I was told to take a break and rest my body, but that wasn’t going to happen. I had to stay prepared for whatever came my way.
The front door opened, and Carter—who also happened to be my cousin—walked in and tossed his bag on the floor. We both had the same dark hair and build, but I had more tattoos. “You taking it easy today?” he goaded.
Covered in sweat, I glared at him, and he tried his best not to smile. “Does it look like I’ve been taking it easy, assbreath?” I fired back. “While you were riding the bony express this morning, I was here.”
Carter shook his head and laughed. “Wow. Someone needs to get laid.” He jumped on the treadmill and cranked up the speed. “How long has it been anyway?”
Grumbling, I set the barbell down and grabbed my towel to wipe the sweat off my face. “Too fucking long.”
He glanced back at me, his expression skeptical. “I find that hard to believe. You have women throwing themselves at you every day.”
It was true, I did, but none of them were what I wanted. Ever since we got involved with Nikolai and the shit with Scar, things had changed. My focus wasn’t on partying and fucking around anymore; it was on being as strong as possible. Nikolai had threatened to come after my friends and me, and I would make damn sure I was ready.
Carter’s brows furrowed. “What’s going on with you? You’re not acting right.”
Tossing the towel on my weight bench, I blew out a sigh. “Too much shit on my mind.”
He picked up his pace on the treadmill. “Why didn’t you go to Vegas with everyone else?”
