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“Maddie,” Cade starts, but I stop him.
“Listen, Cade, I’m sorry about my brother. I just filled him in on what happened, and I guess he felt a certain way about it.” What the heck? I don’t even know if that made sense.
“Stop, Mads. It’s fine. Until we know exactly what’s going on, no one is going to be alone in this gym. That’s the new rule. Safety in numbers.” He puts the notepad down on the desk and picks up a business card. “The detective from last week stopped by today. They don’t have any new information on the break-in, but they do have extra patrol cars driving by.”
“Okay. But really, I’m not scared to be here alone, Cade.” I hate the idea that someone else will have to take time away from their lives and their families three nights a week to babysit me.
Cade chuckles. “Yeah. Pretty sure that won’t be an issue.” He looks over my head, and from the way my skin warms, I know exactly who’s just walked back into the room. “The fight’s in five days, Maddie. Just do me a favor and make sure he stays focused until then. After that, he’s all yours.”
My eyes snap so far open I think they might be detaching from their sockets. “What?” I look over my shoulder and watch Hud climb back into the black metal cage. “We’re just friends.”
“Five days, Madison.” Cade’s voice is firm as he walks away, and I burn with a daunting mix of humiliation and something else.
Something stronger.
Something I can’t put my finger on, but it’s right there, hiding under the surface.
And it’s scarier than any break-in could ever be.
* * *
Hudson
I don’t mind the sauna most days. It serves a purpose, like everything else. Some guys love it, and some guys hate it. To me, it’s a tool. Weigh-ins are Friday. So for now, it’s a necessary evil I’ll be using a few times a day, all fucking week. But I’m fucking tired at this point in the day. I’ve just closed my eyes for a minute, lying back on the bench, when the door slams open and Cade walks in.
“Keep your head in the fucking game, King.” His frustrated tone is like sandpaper rubbing my skin raw.
I slowly sit up and wipe the sweat from my face with my towel, then toss it to the bench. “It’s in the game, Saint,” I growl back, tired of everyone telling me the same fucking thing today.
“You’re not fucking focused, and that’s never an option. Especially not now. You get distracted—you’ll get hurt. And my wife won’t just kill you, she’ll killmetoo. You should be going home, icing your body, and going to bed. Not staying here to play bodyguard to Madison Dixon.”
I stand from the bench and step up to Cade. “Watch it, Saint. I love you like a brother, but you’re walking a fine line.”
“That’s what I thought,” he grinds through gritted teeth. “Days, man. You’ve got days left. Don’t lose now because you’re splitting focus. The rules are there for a reason. And one more week isn’t making a difference after three goddamn years.”
This man has been my coach, my friend... damn, he’s my brother-in-law, and I respect the hell out of him. I have for a decade. But he’s not making sense. “I don’t even know what you’re trying to get at.”
“Did you know your sister and I used to wonder what the hell was going on with you and Imogen? We took bets on whether you guys were a thing and were just keeping it to yourselves, or if you really were just friends. Wanna know when we stopped?”
What the hell?“When you pulled your heads out of your asses and figured out that we’re friends? That I love Imogen like I love my sisters.” Swear to God, I look at Cade like he’s losing his mind. “Which one of us has spent too much time sweating it out today, Saint? You’re not making sense.”
“It was when Madison Dixon walked through the front door of Crucible. We’ve all seen it for years. You two are the ones who haven’t.” His eyes narrow on me. “We both know she’s got some issues to work through. And seriously, man... I don’t want you to miss what’s right in front of your face. But I swear to God... One fucking week. Defend your title. Win the fucking fight. Then go get your girl.”
He stands there for another minute. I don’t know if he’s waiting for an answer or expecting a fight, but when he doesn’t get either, his stance eases, and he grabs the door. “Jax is gonna close the gym up tonight, so once her class is done, I want you to take her home and then ice. Got it?” He takes a step back, his hand still on the open door. “I’m outta here for the night. See you tomorrow.”
I catch a glimpse of pretty blonde hair as the door swings closed behind Cade and push it back open.Motherfucker.Maddie is standing in the locker room on the other side of the sauna door, and judging by the confused look on her face, she just got an earful. “Mads...” I take a step toward her, but she backs up.
“Sorry.” She stumbles backward. “I was just...” Maddie looks around and takes another step until she’s backed against one of the lockers. “My class is about to start, and I wanted to thank you for offering to take me home. But Chloe’s here, so I’m going to catch a ride with her.”
I move in front of her and cup her beautiful face in both my hands.
Her eyes dart to my mouth and then up to my eyes, but she doesn’t pull away, even if she’s thinking about it.
“Let me take you home, sunshine.” My muscles tense as she licks her lips.
“Hudson...”
I slide my fingers into her hair. “Madison.” She nuzzles into my hand, and I feel like I just won the greatest title fight ever with that simple move.
