Page 24 of Love to Stay

“No, we’re doing our job.” He sits up straighter, but a flush fills his cheeks, having been caught. “But you’re all clear. You’ve checked out. No warrants or anything.”

His response is a rush of ice-cold water through my veins. “You ran my name.” Of course he did. I’d given him my ID. Finlay responds, but my brain is now rushing with a million outcomes of what that could mean. It’s not till the door to the room I’m in flies open that I’m yanked back to reality.

“We’re leaving.” I glance at Finlay, then turn my attention to the officer standing behind Mick. I think his name is Ford. They aren’t stopping Mick, so I’m guessing we can leave.

“So everything is fine?” It’s not, but I’m asking about his situation. I know how his trainer Pedro can be when it comes to stuff like this. I mean, that man has a set of rules that are set in stone. Mick can’t even have a girlfriend. Pedro is beyond strict. I’m sure he’s going to get wind of this, if he hasn’t already, and the uncertainty of what that means for Mick makes my stomach uneasy. He told me all about Pedro, and I know this man can take him the distance. I’ve been with Mick a few days, and I might have already ruined that for him.

“We’re good to go.” Mick holds his hand out to me. I take it.

“We’ll take you back to your car,” Officer Ford offers. Mick nods in agreement, but I see his jaw tick. There isn’t much of an option, really. I'm sure it would take an eternity to find a ride out of here. It’s the least they can do at this point.

“Mick.” I place my hand on his chest, and he relaxes a touch but not much.

The ride back to the diner where the car still is feels like an eternity. The tension inside the patrol car is thick. Mick keeps a possessive hand on my thigh the whole way.

“We might have more questions, so—” Ford begins to speak as we exit the car, but Mick cuts him off.

“You have the lawyer's number. You call her to get to us.” He speaks with a finality that precludes agreement.

“Have a wonderful night.” Ford's response is clearly pissed, but whatever. Why the hell is he pissed?

“Come on.” Mick keeps a hold on me the whole way back to the car, opening the door for me when we get there.

“Are you okay?” I ask, not getting in, standing in the open door.

“Yeah.” I lift up to kiss him, but his hand grips my hip, preventing me from going up on my tiptoes to try and press my mouth to his. “Not right now.” I swear it feels as though I took a punch to the damn gut. I try to mask my hurt, but it must show. “Josie, it’s not you, it's me.”

“You did not just say that.” I shake my head with a huff of a laugh. Mick’s face remains serious and intense. He looks every inch of a man right now.

“I’m not in control. If I kiss you right now—” He glances towards the diner, where I can see people inside.

“All right.” I turn to get in, but he pulls me back, his mouth crushing down onto mine. The kiss is hard and possessive, revealing the raw side of himself that he tries to conceal from me. It takes my breath away. “Now, in.” He gives my ass a squeeze. I just nod and slip into the passenger seat.

With how on edge Mick is, I think I’ll wait to tell him my worries over the police running my name in their system. What might pop up for the psycho who is sending me creepy messages? Some of these online weirdos are quite adept at tracking things down.

Mick hops into the driver's seat, taking off back toward Vegas. His hand once again returns to my thigh. I’m starting to wonder if I should be more worried for the internet creep'ssafety than my own. If he shows up, who the hell knows what Mick might do.

Chapter Nineteen

MICK

“Ihad one rule. No boobs. No booze.”

“Technically, that’s two,” O.P. says.

I have to bite down hard not to bust out laughing. Pedro’s glare is cold enough to freeze water. O.P. grimaces and says, “You’re on your own, kid.”

“You lied to me. You ran off to LA and you almost killed a kid in a parking lot. Do you know what that does for your professional career?”

“No, sir.”

“It ruins it. Before you even get started. You can’t have a criminal record and fight at the MGM.”

I want to say they started it, but the police didn’t really buy that story, and I don’t think Pedro will either. It’s better to stay silent and take my lumps. Pedro will shout at me, make me run or lift some ungodly amount until I’m puking my guts out, and then we’ll get back to the work of making me into a champion.

“I’m not going to have a criminal record. It was self-defense.”

“Do you know why I have a no boobs rule? It’s because women are a distraction. No one gets to be a champ when they’re pussymatized. All you will be doing is running after that girl. She breaks a nail, you have to cut training short to get her a file. She’shungry, she’s thirsty, she’s bored, and she’s always going to call you.”

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