Page 3 of His Jersey Girl

“Enough! We can bug her tomorrow at work about this stuff,” Zoe declared. “Tonight is supposed to be a fun night for the LJGs, and I know exactly what we need.”

Thankful for the change of subject, I clapped along with the other girls. “What are we doing, Zoe?”

The look in her eyes said clearly we were all going to soon be in trouble.

“Pillow FIGHT!”

CHAPTER 2

WHOEVER HAS MY VOODOO DOLL, PLEASE GIVE IT A REST.

Gabriel

Pain shot from my lower back up to my left shoulder like a bolt of lightning as I stepped out of my SUV. I straightened and the groan I made probably sounded like it came from a much older man. Breathing deeply, I waited out the muscle spasm. I was getting too old to keep up with the intense training my career required. For the last five years I’d enjoyed both the money and the fame that came with being among the top ranked MMA fighters in the country.

I’d been smart with my income and opened a national chain of gyms with Rocco, my best friend and manager. Because I knew that in any sport or physically demanding career, a person’s time at the top had an expiration date. There was only so much abuse a body could take and my thirty-seven-year-old muscles didn’t recover as fast as the twenty-somethings I’d been competing against.

The match in a few weeks would be my last. It was a crossover between fight organizations with each putting up their best fighters by weight class. I’d actually announced my retirement last year after defending my heavyweight championship for the third time. Six months later, they’d lured me back in with a guaranteed multimillion dollar purse and a higher percentage of the Pay- Per-View profits. At the time I’d thought it was a smart move that would add extra cushion to my already more than healthy retirement fund.

That was before I found out who my opponent was going to be. Collin “Bain” Thompson played into every bad stereotype of the industry, using dirty tactics whenever he thought the referee couldn’t see. Rumor had it he was as unpleasant out of the ring as he was inside of it. He’d permanently injured two promising athletes during what should have been training matches. Unfortunately, by the time I found out, I’d already signed on the dotted line.

For the last few months, I’d been training twice a day, six days a week. Even two years ago I wouldn’t have been this nervous, but as the pulled muscle in my back showed, I was on the downslide of my prime. As part of the contract, I’d agreed to move into one of the casino’s rooms for the last month of training so I could be under the watchful eye of the league officials. They wanted to be sure I showed up every day and put out full effort. Luckily, they didn’t monitor what I did with my free time.

I should be at the hotel in a tub full of ice cubes, resting my back, not heading out for a night at a club. But Rocco had managed to set us up for an interview for membership to the Dragon’s Tail, and there was no way I was risking losing the opportunity. Ever since I’d learned about the exclusive BDSM club I’d been trying to join.

When I first got a taste of fame, it had shocked me just how many underground clubs there were in the world. No matter what your tastes or vice, there were people willing to take your money and provide it. If you didn’t have morals, money really could buy anything.

This place was different. The owner was a man named Angel. At his club, it didn’t matter how big your bank account was or how famous you were, if you failed to meet his standards you would never make it in the door. The rumors about what happened to anyone who broke his rules once inside were enough to give even me nightmares.

So far, this place wasn’t what I expected. The parking garage was like any other; the elevator was nothing special except it contained a slot into which I slipped the card Rocco had given me. The doors closed and the elevator sped upward without any indication of what floor it was taking me to. It was all very mysterious.

We’d been required to show up separately and park on different levels. The instructions said to leave our phones and any electronics in the car. My anticipation was killing me, but I wasn’t going to screw this up by not following directions.

“Finally!” Rocco’s voice was like a bullhorn as the doors to the elevator opened.

I shook my head and walked out into the room that was revealed. High-end leather furniture and tasteful and expensive decoration made the area look as classy as any country club lounge I’d ever visited. My friend was scowling at me as he leaned against the closest wall like he’d been waiting for me for hours instead of barely five minutes. A few years older than me, Rocco had fought in the circuit briefly before switching over to manage fighters. But the man still kept in shape.

“You act as if I’m late.” I wasn’t. Hell, we were both early, but I could understand his enthusiasm. One of the many things we had in common was our desire to find a Little girl of our own to cherish.

Rocco laughed and pushed off the wall. “Do you have any idea what I had to do to get this interview, Gabriel? If you were this slow in the ring?—”

“Neither of us would have vacation homes in Hawaii?” I looked around the room, finally noticing we were the only people present except an amused young man who sat at a small podium near a closed door. Not sure what I’d been expecting, but it wasn’t this. “Is the club closed tonight?”

Rocco had told me this was only going to be the final interview, but I’d hoped to possibly at least get a feel for the place if we were accepted.

“I’m not sure this is even the club.”

“It is.” I turned to see Angel walking toward us with a friendly smile. Where had he come from?

The man was lean and well-built. With the balanced and predatory way he moved, if it wasn’t for the almost pretty quality of his features, I could picture him as one of the more deadly lightweight fighters in the league. He wasn’t as tall as either Rocco or I, but I wouldn’t discount him in a fight. No one knew this man’s last name, but he was famous in the kink world for not only his clubs, but also the many causes he supported.

“This floor holds my office as well as the private rooms. Dragon’s Tail is spread among several of this building’s floors. Each has its own membership, but there is a lounge that any Dominant and their guests may visit on the top floor if you wish to socialize.”

“Good to see you again, Angel.” Rocco’s smile was bright but his eyes were tight, showing me my usually confident friend was nervous.

“And good to see you.” Angel turned his gaze my way and it was like his blue eyes were assessing me right down to my bones. “I’d like to apologize to you, Mr. Lanzo, for not looking at your application sooner. I let your public persona color my opinion of you.”

As a professional MMA fighter, media and public relations were a tricky game. While the results of the fights were about who was better in the ring, what fights you were offered was based more on marketability and the league’s ability to make money. Early in my career because of my name I’d been dubbed ‘The Destroyer’. They played off the reputation of the archangel and presented me as a cold, heartless judge of the unworthy. I didn’t think anyone would be shocked if they found out I frequented BDSM clubs. Honestly, I think many people would expect it. What they wouldn’t expect was that I had no interest in the harsher side of the lifestyle. I was what people called a Daddy Dom.

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