Page 78 of Captivating

The announcer moves next to us and shoves a microphone in my face. “That was an incredible fight, Killer. Is there anything you’d like to say?”

I set Lilah on her feet but anchor my arm around her waist, refusing to lose her in the crowd. “I’d like to thank my entire team for spending a lifetime training me and trainingwithme. Crucible MMA is the best gym in the world with world-classcoaches, and I’m fucking lucky they’re my family. Victor put up a good fight tonight. One day, he’ll have a belt. But not this one. This is my town. My belt.” I squeeze Lilah extra tight. “And I fight for what’s mine.”

“Are you gonna take some time off now, or are you eyeing your next fight already?”

I blow out a breath and press my face into Lilah’s hair. “I’m gonna take some time off. Maybe enjoy a honeymoon and figure out what’s next.”

“Are you thinking about retiring?” the ass asks, like he’s gonna get an answer to that.

“I think I’m going to spend a few months as a groupie and figure things out from there.”

Lilah laughs and turns her face away from the cameras.

Her hand lays flat against my chest, and her ring shines bright enough to blind the camera guy.

My town. My belt. My wife.

LILAH

Dance in the center of the storm.

Let the music soothe your soul and heal your heart.

Not a bad lyric.

—Lilah’s Secret Thoughts

“Ithought you said it was just us tonight.” Killian buries his head in my neck and pulls me against him once he sees the friends and family filling my house a few hours after the fight.

“Oopsie,” I whisper. “Everyone wanted to celebrate, and I couldn’t tell them no. Between Dillan and Rome, food was ordered, booze was ordered, and Xander was basically losing his mind over the security aspect of it all.”

“Lilah,” he grumbles so only I can hear him. “You and me and blueberry pancakes. That’s all I wanted. You—naked—with nothing but that ring on your finger.”

“And you’ll have it. I promise. Just as soon as they all leave.” I frame his face with my hands. “I love you. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, princess. I know.”

“Good. Because here comes your mom, and she’s pissed.” Basically announcing to the world we were engaged before we announced it to our families didn’t exactly sit right with Scarlet St. James. No shocker there. This woman runs a billion-dollar empire. She’s not big on surprises.

She stops next to us and hands me a glass of champagne, then taps her crystal flute against mine. “To the real prize.”

My eyes grow wide as I look from Killian to his mother, confused.

Scarlet shakes her head. “We all knew it would be the two of you eventually.” She lifts my hand and smiles at her son. “You did well, Kill.” She kisses his cheek, then purses her lips. “Now give us a minute.”

He doesn’t move until I smile. “Go. I’ll find you.”

And moving a little slower than usual, the man I love more than anything in the world walks away, sore and tired and not at all in the mood to deal with a house full of people. I make a mental note to surprise him with blueberry pancakes from The Busy Bee in the morning.

Scarlet links her arm through mine. “Walk with me, Lilah.”

You’d think it was her house, with the way she walks me out of the crowded family room and into my quiet music room. She drags a finger along the piano, and my cheeks flush, thinking about exactly what her son has done to me on the instrument. If Scarlet notices, she’s gracious enough to ignore the reaction. “How are you doing? Watching them fight can be hard.”

“I’m fine. Just glad it’s over. I think he’s a little frustrated by all the people here though.” I’m not sure what she wants to know, but I don’t think that was the real question.

That’s still coming.

“It doesn’t get easier, you know,” she muses as she walks over to the wall of windows and looks out at the stars. “Watching the people you love subject themselves to the same pain over and over again. It takes a toll on us as much emotionally as it does on them physically.”

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