Page 58 of Dirty Big Sins

“It looks like you’ve fallen a lot harder than you expected. Feeling a little shell shocked?”

“Big talk from a man whose wife leads him around by the dick.” I shot a glance over my shoulder at Gabe who’d appeared in the gym locker room without a sound.

“Fuck you.”

I grunted. “Thanks, but I’d rather not. What the hell brings you around here in the middle of the day? Don’t you have a casino to run?”

“Figured I’d find you here and I could use a damned punching bag right now.”

“Tough day?”

“You know it is. Fucking nightmare down there.”

“I’m surprised you left your wife and Zia alone, all things considered.”

“The hell I did. I tripled security around both of them. I’m not fucking around. Although I’d kick those vultures out if I could. One wrong move and they will be out. But I’m pissed as hell about the whole thing and it was either come here and work it out or end up arrested for assault.”

“I feel ya. My mood has gone from dark to pitch black the more I hear about the situation.”

“You up for some more ring time or are you done for the day? I know you’ve got a big night ahead of you.”

“You heard about that, huh?”

“Hell, I helped green light the plan. Still can’t believe we have to resort to this kind of thing to get butts in seats, though. Her food is amazing and a little kink should not have shaken anyone in this town. Fucking hypocrites.”

“It’s nothing but a bandwagon thing. Everyone wants to hitch themselves to a star until a little scandal hits them.”

“That photo there is getting quite a reaction.”

I looked down again. I hadn’t even checked out the likes or comments yet. “I wasn’t going to look. When it comes to her, I’ve got a hair trigger. Especially today. I’m not sure even Vegas is ready for my brand of justice.”

Gabe laughed. “Well, besides a few zealots, you two are garnering a lot of support. Apparently, the star-crossed lovers angle is a thing.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. As long as it works, I don’t give a shit what they say. So The Sinclair is standing beside her?”

He glared at me, the look so quietly vicious it almost made me laugh. Gabe Michaels was not the kind of man you questioned. He had integrity in spades and to call him out like that was dangerous as hell.

“I’m going to give you a pass for asking me that. But only one, you son of a bitch. You thinkyouhave a hair trigger? Don’t test me.”

“Fair enough,” I said, shrugging it off. “You can try and take out your frustration on me in the ring. I’ve got a little more time.”

“Good.” Gabe reached for the gloves and wraps he kept in his locker. “You know what those people on the internet say is nothing compared to what her TV show people had the nerve to say to her in a video chat.”

“You saw that?”

“Heard it. Nina and I were there to meet with her when they called. Pricks need a lesson in etiquette if you ask me and that is not a word I usually give two shits about.”

“Yeah, I heard. However, I’ve got that situation in hand. They are about to learn not to mess with me or mine.”

Gabe hesitated mid wrap. “Do I want to know? Fuck it. Yeah, I do. I don’t usually resort to violence, but in this case, I’d call that justified. They deserve to get their balls handed to them.”

This time I really did smile. Gabe’s anger over my woman’s situation reminded me why I liked him so much. For one he wasn’t a dick. But second, and most important, he had no tolerance for assholes.

“My plan might surprise you then. No violence is involved. Not that I would hesitate to employ that if that’s what it took. This time, however, I’ve got bigger ideas. Although serving up their balls would be extremely satisfying.”

Gabe laughed as we headed out of the locker room and into the main training area. The gym they offered here at The Sinclair to the athletes preparing for their in-house events was pretty sweet. It came equipped with pretty much everything I needed. The hotel hadn’t spared a dime in making this place pristine. Although money couldn’t buy the only thing missing from Bennie’s place. The gritty vibe that filled the air there. It was made up of one part testosterone and the rest comprising a mix of determination, grit, desperation and the strongest scent of them all—fear.

As we entered the ring, Gabe at one end and me at the other, we both honored the moment with silence. In a live fight, that wasn’t a thing, but here in this space, I’d taught Gabe how we both needed this moment to gather our thoughts and sometimes form a strategy. Fighting took intense focus and it wasn’t always easy to maintain, so getting your head in the right space before starting could make all the difference.

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