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I hated having my final fight in the underground ring end with an obvious loss, but I had no other choice.
I didn’t feel comfortable talking to Shane about Grandad, even though part of me wished I’d brought it up. Maybe Shane was in on it. Even thinking that felt like a betrayal, but I was getting such weird vibes from my brother that anything was possible.
When I got to the warehouse, deep in one of the seedy areas of town, I flipped my hood up and kept my head down. I rapped my fist against the metal door until the usual bouncer, Tom, opened it. He was enormous and could have been a defensive lineman, but he wasn’t, and I didn’t care to find out what he did.
A lot of people milled about, getting things ready. Snake was off to one side, where they’d set up an office of sorts for him to take the bets. I kept going even though everything in me screamed about how bad an idea this was. When I got to the back offices near the warehouse's south side, someone emerged from the shadows, and my fists clenched until I saw who it was—Mark Rowan.
Mark had placed bets on my behalf on occasion since I started fighting. He was a known gambler who kept his trap shut. It was his only redeeming quality.
I shoved a wad of cash into his hand. “Bet on the opposition.”
“Why?” He pushed his wire-rimmed glasses up on his nose, but they slipped again immediately. “Are you feeling sick? Or is your hand messed up?”
“No.” I wanted to throw up. The conversation needed to end.
“Maybe you shouldn’t be fighting. You haven’t lost in forever. What’s going on?”
“Stop with the questions,” I growled, leaning down so we were eye to eye.
His left eyelid twitched.
“If you tell anyone that I bet against myself…”
He shook his head, pressing his thin lips together tightly enough that all the color leached from them. “I won’t. I wouldn’t ever.”
“Just keep your fucking mouth shut about it, and if I lose, bring the money back to me.” If he didn’t, everything would go to shit.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
ASPEN
The knock at my door made me jump, and a handful of Kleenexes tumbled to the ground. They were everywhere. I was sitting in a mound of them and feeling sorry for myself, which had been the status quo since the argument with Max the night before. The stupid hormones were making me unusually weepy.
I glared at the door, not making a sound. I wasn’t going to open it. I looked terrible anyway, with puffy eyes and my I-don’t-care-anymore outfit—my favorite black-and-teal starry pajama pants with a tear on one knee, a tight pink cami, and a gray cardigan. I was in no shape for anyone to see what a train wreck I was.
I snorted softly. My luck, it would be that jerk-off, Elias. I could only imagine the picture he would take. It would be a meme in no time and go viral with his large social media following.
I didn’t understand why anyone liked him. He hid his viciousness behind sarcasm. They were all idiots.
The banging on my door grew louder, and I burrowed deeper under my comforter, which wasn’t comforting me at all.
“I know you’re in there, Aspen,” Max shouted. “Open the door. I’ve got candy.”
Candy?I threw the covers off and stalked to the door, flinging it open. “Damn you.” I grabbed his arm, yanked him inside before anyone passing by could see me, then slammed it shut. I flipped the lock, grabbed the candy bar from his hand, then crawled back into bed. “If it wasn’t for my desperate need for chocolate…”
Max glanced around, a frown on his handsome face. He looked good, as always, like James Marsden in27 Dresses. Of course, Max was dressed in a trendy dark-gray collared shirt and jeans, making me even more self-conscious. He kicked a path through the avalanche of Kleenexes then sat on the desk chair.
I took a bite of the chocolate and barely stifled a moan. I hadn’t eaten anything more than a few crackers. It wasn’t smart, but I couldn’t leave the room.
“I’ll take your peace offering”—I raised the chocolate in a salute—“and counter with an apology.” His lips twitched, and a tiny bit of tension eased from my shoulders. “I’m sorry I barged in on your date and scared him off. Not because he didn’t deserve everything I said and more, but because you shouldn’t have suffered because of my outburst.”
Max sighed and rolled his eyes. “I would hug you, but that whole area is contaminated.”
I laughed but made no move to clean it up. I wasn’t sure if he was staying or had plans with the jerk, and besides, picking up my mess would take too much effort. The teasing smile fell from his face, and I held still, waiting for what he would say.
“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have said what I had to you. It’s not—”
“True? Yeah, it kinda was.” I’d had plenty of time to think about what he’d said and had reached a very unpleasant discovery. He was right. I was a selfish ass.
