Page 49 of Gambler's Fallacy

He’s shaking, I realize, and I squeeze him tight. Even though he shakes his head again, he says quietly, “I just… thought I saw someone I recognized. That’s all.” He smiles at me. “I’m sure I was imagining things. It’s fine. The next fight is about to start.”

I glance around, trying to spot somebody out of the ordinary in the crowd. It’s tough, with so many people moving and cheering, but eventually I notice one person whose attention isn’t on the cage. No, he glances in our direction.

Our eyes lock, and the guy looks back to the fight.

Coincidence?

I’m not sure I want to take the risk.

“How about we head up and watch the rest ofthe fight on TV?” I suggest. “We can cuddle with the cats and make a mess of Caleb’s place.”

He cracks another small smile. “Yeah. We can have popcorn and watch Nacho chase the laser pointer. It’s his favorite new thing. Even Miss K gets involved.”

I help him up, and I don’t miss the way he glances warily in the direction of the man I’d noticed.

I grit my teeth, resisting the urge to go over and confront the potential threat. It wouldn’t be a good idea, especially right here and now, but I’m pissed that he managed to ruin something Seven was enjoying.

Seven stays pressed close to me until we reach the elevator going up to Caleb’s penthouse suite, then his shoulders sag. “I’m sorry,” he says quietly. “I was probably… I don’t know. I doubt it was anything.”

“Trust your instincts,” I tell him. “I didn’t see any real active combat, but it’s something they drilled into us in the military. If something feels off, it probably is. Your conscious brain doesn’t always have the same info as the rest of your body.”

He nods, but he doesn’t say anything else until we reach the top floor. The usual guards are waiting there, and I’m grateful for their presence. They won’t let anyone up who isn’t supposed to be here.

They’ll protect Seven.

“You should probably tell Caleb,” he says, looking away from me as we enter the suite.

Nacho crosses the room, rubbing against Seven’s ankles, and he crouches down to give the cat some scratches behind the ear.

“Hey, Nacho,” he coos. “Did you miss me?”

I pull my phone out to text Caleb. “He probably missed the treats.” The kitten has nearly doubled in size since I took him to get neutered—both from regular growth and from getting fed a steady diet. He used to be extremely skinny, and now he’s a healthy, near-adult cat.

Seven rolls his eyes. “Gee, thanks,” he says. He’s still tense, but he finally leaves my side to head toward the kitchen. “Popcorn? I was thinking we could watch that anime instead, maybe. The one we were watching last time? I was waiting for you to keep going.”

“Oh, sure.” I put my phone away and scoop up Nacho, who is more than happy to rub against my face. “The one with all the fake lawyers, right? Objection! Hold it!”

Seven laughs. “Yeah. All their fighting moves have complicated law names.”

I set Nacho down again and go over to where he’s standing, right up against the kitchen counter. I brush the back of his hair aside and lean down to kiss the nape of his neck.

He still has a small hint of the hickey Vortex had left.

“Maybe I should start shouting out legal terms when I get into fights,” I say.

“Mhm,” he agrees, and he pushes against me, his ass grinding against my groin.

I trail my hands down his arms and settle them on his wrists, squeezing them tightly. He’s so skinny in comparison to me, and his pale skin bruises easily.

My knuckles are still red and recovering from the fight.

I force the darker thoughts away and bite down on his shoulder.

Seven lets out a needy sound. “Please,” he begs. “I want… I want it. Please don’t keep beating yourself up.”

I growl and push him down over the kitchen counter. “I’m so glad I pushed you up against a bathroom stall that day.”

“Me too,” he says, already breathless. “I…” He laughs, still pushing back against me. “Was it worth getting pummeled by Vortex?”

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