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“Hell no. He seems even more tense when he gets back, not like he just got laid. Also, he’s always dirty, but he never smells like sex. I’ve run into him after one of his escapades, and he smells like he bathed in his girl of the month. But not lately. I mentioned it last time, and he told me I wouldn’t know what pussy smelled like if someone waved it in my face and to fuck off. I may like dick, but I lived in the barracks long enough to know he’s not diving headfirst into snatch every night.”
Gross but true. I made a mental note to have the building cleaned more frequently. “What’re you thinking?”
“He’s doing something, and it isn’t a woman.”
From the corner of my eye, I could see my uncle holding court on the other side of the gym. His usual cronies and the capos were next to him, except Gabriele, who was working on a heavy bag with one of the new recruits nearby. It wasn’t uncommon for them to help with the newbies, but this was one who had no affiliation with Joaquin. What did it say that Gabriele wasn’t close to my uncle? Unsure what to make of the unusual distance between them, I filed it away in my brain to ask Greyson about later.
“Do you think he’s making moves?”
“He’s always making moves,” Moore reminded me. “That man has been gunning for the throne since he took his first breath. The fact that it’s passed him over time after time is bound to chafe. If he wasn’t plotting, I’d be shocked.”
Yeah, I thought the same. Dominic and Nate tapped gloves, and the match was on. They danced around each other, gauging the other’s reach and strength.
“Who do we have on Joaquin?” I asked quietly.
“Warner. Though, Cameron’s been out just as much as he has.”
I wasn’t surprised. If Joaquin had defected, his son would take that personally, especially after Rey’s death. I knew I wouldn’t even try to convince him not to follow. It was his prerogative, and if he needed to see proof that his father was a danger to us, that was none of my business.
The fight in front of us heated up as both Nate and Dominic seemed to decide playtime was over. They traded punches, Dominic getting one to the ribs that made my own creak in sympathetic agony. Nate got hit just right so his eyebrow split open. Blood covered half of his face, and I had to hand it to Dominic. It was a smart move. Head wounds bled like crazy, and it would essentially blind Nate in one eye if he wasn’t careful.
“Are we taking bets?” Greyson said as he slid next to me, his fingers brushing mine before he slipped his hands into his pockets. He’d been doing it more since I got back, small touches that weren’t noticeable to everyone else, and each one meant the world to me.
“My bet is on Nate,” Tennessee said as he limped his way to stand next to Moore. He leaned down to give Moore a kiss, only for his husband to turn away at the last second. Undeterred, Tennessee grinned. “You mad, baby?”
“Not mad, just ashamed. You baited him and lost.”
Tennessee shrugged. “The kid’s got more skill than I gave him credit for.”
Moore snorted at his husband. “You gave him credit for nothing. It’s your own fault.”
Tennessee tipped his head in agreement. “Does that mean you’re not going to kiss me better?”
“Go kiss your own ass.” Moore rolled his eyes, and Grey and I both struggled to hold our laughs. “I’m voting for the kid, too.”
“I’m voting for Dominic,” Grey said. Shocked, I turned toward him, but he shrugged. “I don’t have to like him to know that this is way more than just a single fucking match.”
There were so many ways to take that comment, so I said nothing. I also didn’t make a bet. The truth was, I didn’t know who to bet on. Nate had the skill, but Dominic was angry. I could see it in every move, every swing of his arm, every step that he took. He had rage to release, and whether he had earned it or not, Nate was his target.
I also knew firsthand rage made you sloppy, so I wasn’t surprised when Dominic swung a haymaker, only for Nate to duck under and drop him with an uppercut to the chin. Dominic’s eyes were closed before he hit the mat, and my panties were soaked.
Why was that so attractive?
Greyson leaned in so his lips traced my ear. “That got you hot, didn’t it?”
When I didn’t answer, he laughed and gave me some space. Truth was, I’d been wet since Nate had climbed into the ring, but seeing him and Dominic fight had me drenched. I didn’t know what it said about me that I was such a bloodthirsty bitch, and I honestly wasn’t sure I cared.
I moved toward the ring to congratulate the winner—and yes, to check on Dominic—but before I could go far, Tennessee called me back.
“Forgot to tell you, we got a phone call earlier. The audit’s done.”
Finally. We needed to dive into our financials to see just how far Cash’s claws had dug in before I could even attempt to scrape him out. “Set up a meeting.”
“Already did. Ten a.m. tomorrow.”
I nodded and went down to climb into the ring, where Nate knelt beside Dominic, lightly tapping his cheek.
“Wakey, wakey.”
