Page 54 of Wild Pitch

He looks up at me, his smirk morphing into a wide smile. “It’s over, baby,” he says, and that’s all I need to take off across the room and launch myself into his waiting arms. He laughs as I squeeze him tightly, lifting me off the floor and spinning me around.

“Wait!” I shout, kicking my feet in an attempt to get him to put me down. “What exactly does that mean?What’sover?” He keeps me in his arms, walking us over to the sofa and setting me on the plush cushions before plopping down beside me.

“I decided that honesty was the best policy here. I tried to work out ways to prove that the video isn’t what it looks like, but I knew without the audio, it wouldn’t matter. So I went straight to Mr. Durst and I told him the truth.” I wince, making him chuckle, and he continues. “I told him what happened that night, including the way your father spoke to you. I told him I had to protect you, and that’s why I did what I did.”

“He wasn’t mad? You’ve been such a problem child over the years, and we knew he was ready to send you packing. What changed?” That video showed him doing exactly what he had done to Tanner when he found out about him and Grace. He was protecting his sister, butbecause the videos didn’t pick up the conversation between them, it just looked like an unprovoked attack. Even after they spoke about it to the media, the public had already made up their minds. That was one of the reasons Riggs was in hot water when I got here, so I’m curious to know what’s different between now and then.

“You did,” he says softly, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against mine. “You make me a better man, Monroe. The whole world can see it.”

Tears prick at the backs of my eyes and I press my lips to his, inhaling the scent of his woodsy cologne as it wraps around me. He can say it was me who made the difference in his life, but the truth is, we did it together. I may have been a catalyst in him wanting to show people who he really is, but that guy was always in there. He just needed someone to pull him to the surface.

“So, we’re staying in Daytona?” I ask, swinging a leg over his lap so I’m straddling him. It’s not sexual; I just feel like I can’t get close enough. I’d crawl into his skin right now if I could, and I don’t even care how creepy that sounds.

“We,huh? Is that your way of saying you want to move in with me, Mayhem?” he chides, grabbing my ass and squeezing.

“Ew, no,” I say with a scoff. “I could never live with a guy who clips his toenails at the dinner table.”

He rolls his eyes. “I still can’t believe you called my mom about that. You really are a she-devil,” he replies, a small smile lifting the corner of his mouth. “Move in with me. I know it’s a lot, and if you want to keep your house, you can. But let’s give this thing a real shot. We can stay in Hope Harbor during the offseason, and?—”

“I’m interviewing new tenants next week,” I say, cutting him off. “I hired a moving company to pack everything up and ship it here. Your mom is supposed to be meeting them tomorrow to get started.”

His eyebrows shoot up, nearly disappearing into his hairline. “You’re fucking with me. Right?”

I giggle. “Nope. I decided weeks ago that I didn’t want to leave. I just needed to work everything out before I let you in on my plan. Are you happy?”

“Baby, I’m the happiest guy in the world.”

Two hours later, we’re snuggled up on the couch, a chick flick queued up on the TV and a plethora of snacks in front of us. We decided to celebrate by ordering all the McDonald’s fries we could handle and calling it a balanced dinner, then spending the evening with a movie of my choice. If I wasn’t already feeling worshiped, I definitely am now.

I’m doing my best to push all the heavy stuff with my dad out of my mind, but I have to admit that I still have a few worries. We may have the support of the Fury organization, but if he decides to press charges, I’m not sure that’ll be much help. That’s a bridge we’ll have to cross when we get there, but I hope it doesn’t come to that. With any luck, my dad will back off and let us live our lives. Hedoesn’t need me appearing as his doting daughter to run for governor when he already has the entire state of California fooled into thinking he’s a good person. I’m sure my mom will portray the picture-perfect wife, making all sorts of excuses for why I’m not around. He’ll win the election on a foundation of lies and get everything he wants, just like he always has.

“You good?” Riggs asks, pulling me into his warm body. “Something on your mind, sweet thing?”

I snuggle into him, letting all the stress melt away as he holds me tightly. “No,” I sigh. “I just wish there was a way to take my father down a peg.”

He kisses the top of my head, grabbing the remote and pressing play. “Karma has a way of coming back around. It’ll catch up with him eventually, and I’ll make sure you have a front row seat to his downfall.”

THIRTY-EIGHT

RIGGS

“I fucking love baseball,”Monroe says quietly as I bend down to pull a pan out of the cupboard.

I freeze with my hand in mid-air, turning my head to see her taking a very generous eyeful of my ass. “Really?” I ask, raising a brow in question.

She pops a shoulder. “I mean, I love baseballbutts. That’s basically the same thing.”

I stand and turn abruptly so my back is against the counter, away from her prying gaze. “First of all, stop objectifying me, you pervert. Secondly, the only baseball butt you better be looking at is mine.”

She pushes her lip out in a patronizing pout. “Aww, does it bother you that I look at the entire buffet of cake at every Fury game?” I growl in response, spurring her on. “I have a question. Will yours get as round as Ace’s, or is that”—she waves her hand in a circle, gesturing at my midsection—“your final form? I just need to know if I picked the wron?—”

I drop the pan and dart around the island as shescreams and runs the other way. She’s laughing hysterically as I chase her into the living room, reaching out when I’m close enough and throwing her over my shoulder like she weighs nothing. She beats her small fists against my back trying to get me to release her, but I tighten my hold until I reach the sofa. I toss her down, and her laughs get louder as I dig my fingers into her sides.

“Riggs! No!” she screams as I tickle her, thrashing around to avoid my attack.

“You little brat,” I say, finally relenting before leaning down and dropping a firm kiss to her lips. “You’re lucky I’m hungry or I’d turn that ass red.”

“Oooh,” she replies. “We’ll circle back to that later.”

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