Page 101 of Last Round

“Too soon?” The death glare she shoots me says yes. “Before the fight today, I was scared. Not about fighting him, but about what sort of future we might never have if something went wrong. Which almost happened. The doc was right—I was lucky—but I’m not going to push it anymore. I’m done fighting. I’m even done with the gym. That part of my life is over, and it doesn’t scare me anymore. I’m ready to build a new life, with you.”

“One year,” Molly says with a smile. “Then we can talk about it. I’ve wanted this for so long, Killian. I’d like to enjoy it, us, for a little while.”

“Male translation:I want to be able to have ridiculous amounts of sex with you for the next year without having to worry about caring for another human being.I like this plan.” I grin.

Happily Ever After Part One

Molly

One Month Later…

Thepianointroof“Good Golly Miss Molly” by Little Richard sounds in the near-empty apartment. Most of our stuff has already been moved to the new place. All that remains are the larger items Killian is leaving behind and a few boxes with random odds and ends.

With the first line of the song, Killian slides across the floor wearing nothing but his socks, a pair of briefs, and sunglasses—all while lip-syncing into my hairbrush. Embarrassment heats my cheeks. I bend forward, covering my face with the pillow. I pull it down just enough to steal another glance. Killian is still going at it enthusiastically, though more in the style of Elvis as he gyrates his hips and twists his legs.

“Oh my god,” I cry out with a laugh. “Fine, you win.”

My words seem to be ignored as he jumps onto the mattress, lands on his side, and props his head up on his hand, a giant shit-eating grin on his face. “I win?”

“Yes, you big dork. After we get settled, we can go get a dog.”

“And I get to name him?”

“Yes.” I love this man, but there is no neutral.

The IV was barely out of his arm at the hospital before he started making changes. Sean and Kill had some tough conversations about their businesses. It wasn’t difficult for them to come to terms, rather it was the realization they were both ready to close a huge chapter of their lives but didn’t want to abandon what they built. Neither of them has the heart they used to for fighting; however, closing the gym would have a major impact on several lives. Lucky for them, Declan is up for the challenge.

Tony is long gone. Shortly after the fight, news spread like wildfire about how the rising star had to back out of his UFC debut due to injuries sustained in an accident. Little details were shared about what happened, only that it was tragic and that he’d be out of commission for the foreseeable future. One hospital image was leaked and circulated the internet, his face bruised and bloody, almost unrecognizable. He had an arm and both legs in casts and up in slings. Rumor said it was a car accident, that he was drinking and speeding down highway 35. So far, no one has come forward with any additional information. But there was a look my brother had when he shared the news, a special twinkle in his eye that made me question what might have really happened.

I’ll never ask. Honestly, I don’t want to know. All I care about is Tony is gone. Out of our lives and we can move on. On principle, Killian returned the advance the gym received with the contract. Neither Sean nor Declan fought him on it. It was just one more assurance that Gideon had nothing to use against them.

There have also been a few staffing changes. As with any major storm,Il Doucheleft damage in its wake that had to be cleaned up. But if you ask me, I think the gym is a much brighter place now. Declan took over the day-to-day operations and is the official manager of Full KOntact. Killian still maintains ownership but is acting primarily as a figurehead. Sean, with Killian’s blessing, sold his shares at a steal to Declan so that he could have an investment in the company. Except for celebrity appearances and talking to kids about his life as a fighter, Killian is completely—one hundred percent—done with fighting. While Killian will always be a local legend, born and raised, Declan “The Devil” holds enough notoriety that the gym doesn’t require Killian to thrive.

And with Luke, pretty soon they won’t even need the weight of Declan’s name.

The bar is back to how it used to be. Sean and Killian both agreed that over the past several years that’s where they’ve been happiest. Killian’s even happier because, without having to deal with the gym, he’s not burning the candle at both ends. For the first time in what seems like his whole life, he’s slowing down.

I’m back to picking up shifts at the bar, but only while I build my own business. I took Bex’s advice and have been establishing myself with a couple of writers to help them market their craft.

Not long after the boys decided on what to do with the business, Killian surprised me by looking at houses in the old neighborhood. We aren’t on the same block, but we found a nice house with a large, already fenced-in backyard. Which started the dog conversation.

I’m not against dogs. I’ve always wanted one. When Dad was around, he said we couldn’t get a pet until I was old enough to care for it on my own. Then when I finally was, he was gone and Sean was already struggling with all his responsibilities, so it seemed selfish to add one more burden to his load. Killian always wanted a dog too, but his mom wouldn’t let him—she was too concerned about it tearing up her garden.

So, I get it. We’re both fulfilling a childhood dream. While Killian has made a lot of changes these past few weeks, he still barrels through life full steam ahead. Except, now, the focus is on us and starting our family. And I absolutely love him for it. Because at heart, he’s the same Killian I fell in love with.

“What do you say?” he asks. I must have missed something because he’s giving me that hooded gaze that incinerates my panties. Not that he needs much to rise to the occasion. I swear he can make himself hard with a single thought. But I’d like to know how we went from talking about getting a dog to him licking his lips like the Big Bad Wolf and I’m his tasty snack.

“Huh?”

I fall back as Killian crawls over me. He slides the thin strap of my tank top down my shoulder, pressing kisses along the way. “How about we give this apartment a proper farewell?”

“I thought that’s what we did this morning?” I spread my legs so that he can sink further into me.

“No, that was one last good morning sex. This would be one final midday fucking.”

“We’ve got only a couple of hours before we need to get to the bar.”

He slides my sleep shorts and underwear to the side.

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