Page 213 of Fighting the Forbidden

“The girls are here to elevate the fights,” another producer says with an indignant sniff that seems fake as fuck. I can’t take this dude seriously—his perfect eyebrows look like they were lacquered on with a toothbrush. “Not service you.”

“Bullshit,” I mutter. My gaze searches the room for Diane. She might be a sneaky bitch, but I respect her more than these other producers. Did she even know about this?

“Cool, then they don’t gotta stay in the house with us,” Bear Trap says.

“What he said.” Venom points at Bear Trap. At least I’m not the only one lacking enthusiasm for this new arrangement.

“The romantic aspect is an extra bonus for our contestants. And an element of suspense for your viewers,” Matt insists.

“Hard. Pass,” Bear Trap rumbles.

Deadass rubs his hands together and licks his lips, staring at the women like he’s ordering off a menu. “More for us.”

“Jesus Christ.” Venom groans. “I told my wife this was a serious show. Not some twisted UFC-Bachelor mashup.”

“Same,” I grumble. “This isn’t what I came for.”

“It’s a distraction technique.” Woolly taps his forehead. “Stay mentally strong. You can resist any temptation.”

“I’m not tempted. I have a girlfriend.” How could I be tempted by any woman other than Molly? I’m only here to win money for our future. If I wanted a mindless fuck, I could’ve done that at home. Not on the set of this twisted show where I have no doubt the producers will exploit any hookup to the max.

As if she’s ignored our protests, one of the girls makes a beeline for Venom, Bear Trap, and me. If she moves any quicker, her boobs are gonna explode out of her tight red satin dress.

They might’ve dressed her up like a tart, but her hazel eyes are sharp and assessing. “Venom, Stonewall, Bear Trap, right?” she says pointing at each of us. “I’m Kiki.”

“Congratulations,” Venom says in a dry tone.

“Not. Interested,” Bear Trap adds.

Who knows if she wasn’t tricked into being here? Maybe she was told she’d auditioned for a date-an-athlete show. “Sorry. I think we’re all spoken for.” I glance at Bear Trap to confirm but he just keeps glaring at Kiki.

“Where the fuck is Diane?” Venom twists around, his gaze searching the vast house. He storms off, and Bear Trap follows him.

Kiki steps closer to me. “Don’t go.” She pouts. “We watched the pickup videos for all the guys. Your little girlfriend was so cute.” Her tone turns a shade mocking.

Danger prickles over the back of my neck. My expression hardens. I didn’t want to be a dick, but my relationship isn’t up for discussion. With anyone. Not for any price.

She glances to the side, then lifts her gaze to mine again. She rests her hand on my chest. “I’ve got a question for you, though.”

I wrap my hand around her wrist and pry her hand off me. “Yeah? What’s that?” I sneer.

“Why are you letting some little girl back in your hick town lock you down so young, Griff?” Her hazel eyes drill into mine but there’s no genuine curiosity or kindness. “You have so much potential. Why shackle yourself to one girl when you can have your pick of any woman?”

She wants to bait me into an argument. And I’m not biting.

I lean down to make sure she hears every word. “You wouldn’t understand. She’s not my prison. She’s my peace.”

CHAPTER FORTY

Griff

Everything I thought I knew about fighting up to this point in my life was a lie.

I’ve never trained harder. In school, I learned to fight on the playground to protect myself and later to protect my friends. In the dank basement of the detention center, I started out fighting to gain special privileges from the sick guards who pitted inmates against each other. Later, it became a battle just to survive that hellhole.

Once I left the correctional facility behind, I never fought dirty. Hard—yes. Dirty—no.

Remy and I formed our fight club to keep our skills sharp and earn extra money. I thought I was hot shit. I rarely lost a fight at The Castle. Respect was earned with blood, sweat, and fists.

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