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“Yeah,” I say as I look up at him with a fond smile. “I think I do.”
Xander gives my side a gentle squeeze. “Good. I’m happy for you.”
A thought strikes me. “Do you have a fight tonight?” I ask.
He cringes as he looks down at me. “I do,” he says cautiously, clearly knowing where I’m going with this.
“Can we come?” I ask.
“I don’t know, babe,” he says. “It’s dangerous. You remember what happened last time.”
“What if Aaron came along?” I suggest, buttering him up, knowing just how much he loves it when my eyes are on him during a fight. “I mean, it’s not like he isn’t going to go anyway.”
Xander’s thoughtful for a moment, and I know the idea of taking me anywhere like that kills him. But he’s my man, and I want to support him. “Fine,” he grunts, finally giving in. Though, it’s damn clear he isn’t happy about it.
I grin up at him in victory, and he rolls his eyes in surrender. Score one for me.
We all pile into his truck, and we’re halfway there when Aaron and Zara start making out in the backseat. Tonight is going to be amazing.
It’s almost midnight when we pull up at an abandoned warehouse, and Zara looks around, confused why we’ve brought her to a place like this in the middle of the night. “I knew it,” she says. “You fuckers are gonna kill me.”
“Trust me, that’s what I thought when I first came to one of these,” I laugh as we hop out of Xander’s truck. “But I swear, I have a feeling you’ll love it in here. If you don’t, we can leave.”
She looks at me with a wary stare as she walks around the building, following Xander’s lead to the back entrance. We head in and find Cole, and by the way Zara latches onto Aaron’s hand, it’s clear she’s beginning to work out what kind of place this is.
There are people everywhere, and I have to admit, it’s pretty cool seeing behind the scenes of a night like this. There are big, bulky men all around, and the sound of fists pummeling into punching bags echoes through the hallways. Just by looking at them, I have no doubt these are the contenders for tonight.
We pass one guy whose ferocious stare instantly locks on mine, making a shiver sail down my spine. I don’t know who this guy is, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s dangerous.
We pass him, but I can’t shake the feeling that his eyes are still on me. As I glance back over my shoulder, sure enough, his stare is piercing right into me, following my every step. “Who is that guy?” I ask Xander.
“That’s Pitbull,” Xander says, putting his arm around me and pulling me closer. “He’s on top of the leaderboard, and he’s fucking pissed that I’m right up there with him.”
“He looks dangerous,” I murmur.
“He is,” Xander grunts.
The shivers shoot down my body once again. “Are you against him?” I ask nervously.
He shakes his head, and a wave of relief pulses through my veins. “Not tonight,” he clarifies. “But I will be eventually. He has a . . . unique style.”
My gaze narrows on him, not liking his tone. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’ll see. He’s fighting tonight,” he says, then stops in the hallway to glance back at Aaron. “I don’t like the way Pitbull keeps looking at my girl. Can you take the girls out to the ring?”
Aaron nods, but Zara cuts off his reply, her eyes wide. “Ring? As in a fighting ring?”
I grin at her reaction. “Yeah,” I clarify with a laugh. “Exactly that.”
“Shit,” she says, wide-eyed. “This is illegal, isn’t it?”
“Umm, sort of.”
“Sort of,” Xander scoffs. “There is no sort of about it.”
“Seriously?” she shrieks, her wide gaze swiveling back to me before muttering something about there being rules of fight club and that I’m not allowed to talk about fight club. But I have no idea what she’s talking about. Seeing the blank expression on my face, she knows it, too.
Xander shakes his head at me as though whatever I just missed is some kind of big deal, and I have a feeling he won’t rest until I completely understand the reference. Needing to get a move on, he nods to Aaron, gesturing for him to get us out to the ring. Pushing up on my tippy-toes, I wish Xander luck, give him a kiss, then scurry out of there. I want to be as far away from Pitbull as possible.
We head out to the ring, and just as expected, the place is packed. This time around, I feel a lot safer than I had last time. Though, that has everything to do with the company I’m keeping.
The drinks are flowing, and after having our fair share, Zara and I are positively wasted, but Aaron seems to have a handle on us. At least, I hope he does.
