AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Two men circled each other inside.
From the way it felt like she was watching them fight on a high-definition TV, Ayesha figured it was where all the money was being spent on electricity. They might as well have lit the rest of the space with glitter.
Tonight was supposed to be an attempt at normalcy, but they should’ve known better than leaving it up to Mo.
“How’d you find this place again?” she asked.
Mo grinned. “Word of mouth. Isn’t it awesome? With everything happening lately, I figured we needed a ladies’ night.”
Ayesha cocked her head to the side. Awesome wasn’t the word she would have chosen, and this wasn’t what she thought of when “ladies’ night” came to mind, but it was definitelyinteresting. Plus, watching the two men grapple with each other did make her heart pound.
It hadn’t been as difficult as they’d anticipated, sneaking out to Stockholm to the fight club that Mo had, somehow, found. They played their usual dice game to see who would be the designated sitters for the evening, and Ari and Larke sat out this round.
Xara stared at the cage where one man had the other in a headlock. “Is this turning anyone else on?” she asked.
Both men were in peak physical condition, their bodies glistening. Each move made their muscles bulge, and every grab came with a groan or a grunt.
“A little,” Ayesha confessed.
They walked close enough to nearly be flicked by the fighters’ sweat through the fencing. There were seats, but no one used them; the air was too charged to stay in one place.
“I signed up to fight tonight,” Mo announced.
Ayesha’s eyes bulged. “Mo, Giorgio’s been on edge. He’s been more obsessed than usual with making sure you and Aleksi are all right.”
“I know, but I don’t know what else to do. Something’s been off with me lately. Something’s missing. I feel like this might be what I need to fill that void in my life. If it’s not, then it’s not, but I have to try.”
“You’ve never told me about a void.”
Mo shrugged. “I don’t know how to explain it. I like being a wife, specifically Giorgio Pozza’s wife, and I like being a mother, but I don’t know if I’m okay with beingonlythose things.” Mo shot her a look. “And don’t psychoanalyze me. You’ve got a lot to deal with.”
“Believe it or not, being there for you guyshelpsme deal with it.”
“Because you get to run from your own problems.”
“Precisely.”
Mo nudged her side.
“Does Giorgio know about the void?” Ayesha asked.
Mo’s shoulders moved with a sigh. “I haven’t said anything to him, but I’m sure he senses something. That’s why this can’t get back to him. Just like you, he’s got enough to deal with. I want him as happy as I can make him, not always worried about me.”
Ayesha agreed to do whatever she could to ensure their little excursion didn’t make it back to Giorgio. It wasn’t only for Mo. The assumption was that Giorgio couldn’t be “hurt,” but his hurt simply looked different from everyone else’s.
A man bumped into her right side.
When she looked up, he smiled down at her. Even in the dark, she could tell he was handsome, with a headful of wavy blond hair, thick eyebrows, and dark-brown eyes. While he didn’t have a fighter’s physique, he was in otherwise excellent shape.
“Sorry about that,” he said. “I’m Josh, by the way.” He was about to say more, but then he looked up and spotted Mo. “Hey, it’s you.”
Mo turned her head. “Yes, it’s me. And you are?”
“We met, remember?”
Mo squinted up at him until her eyes lit up with recognition. “You were with Oskar. You’re originally from…Oregon, right?”
“Yes! Wow. Great memory.”
