Page 142 of The Obvious Check

We did it.

I grin, breathless, scanning the stands until I find Savannah again.

She’s watching me, her hands pressed to her lips, eyes glistening with pride.

Fuck, she’s beautiful.

It’s in that split second that something solidifies in my chest. I’m not just going to win this fight at Luke’s. I’m going to destroy everything he holds dear because I would burn down the world if it meant Savannah could live a second longer. I'd tear apart anyone who dared threaten her smile, her laugh, her life.

Luke thinks he knows what he's dealing with. He thinks I'm just some college hockey player who got in over his head with a girl who he views as disposable.

He has no idea what a man becomes when someone threatens his everything.

But he's about to find out.

Chapter 33

I smooth my hands down my sweater, desperate to stop the trembling that threatens to give away just how terrified I am. My palms are slick with sweat and no amount of deep breathing can calm my nerves or the tension in the room.

Cade sits beside me on the couch as his fingers drum against his thigh in a steady rhythm. With his shoulder’s back, his jaw locked and his eyes steady as steel, he’s perfected the art of looking calm when we’re clearly in a hugely fucked up situation.

The tension in the room isn’t just from the meeting we have today. It’s from the near-nuclear fight we had last night. Our first real fight that should have been a celebration of his win turned into a new world war.

He tried to break the news to me gently. As if there’s any gentle way of telling your wife you’re planning on walking into a ring and dying for her if he needs to.

It’s the only way, Savannah. If I don’t, the consequences will be worse.

As if any of that was supposed to make me feel better or stop the guilt churning through my stomach. He’s riskingeverything… for me, and I can’t be the reason for him to lose all of his dreams since he’s been so beneficial to mine.

We might’ve had make-up sex that left us both wrecked and gasping for air, but we didn’t actually make up. How the hell can we? My husband is about to jump into a ring with god knows who and he expects me to smile and wave him off like he’s going to the grocery store.

The fact he’s doing it for me… Forus, makes it that much worse.

I’ve been trying to focus on this meeting, which could possibly be one of the most important conversations of Adley’s life, but every time I look at Cade, all I can think is that I love him too much to let him do this.

Knock. Knock.

Stanley’s ears shoot up, and he releases a soft woof before trotting toward the door with excitement. I force myself to stand and brush past Cade without looking at him. Every time I do, I feel myself tearing up. When I get to the door, I scratch Stanley on the head before wrapping my hand around the knob.

Deep breaths, Savannah. Don’t fuck this up.

Fern McKinley's familiar face greets me, her warm smile offering a sliver of calm in the madness, but the woman beside her is all sharp angles and red lipstick. She’s professional in a way that screamsI-eat-weak-people-for-breakfast.

“Good to see you, Savannah,” Fern says gently, gesturing to her companion. “This is Ivy Tipton, the attorney I mentioned. She specializes in cases exactly like yours.”

“Nice to meet you.” Ivy extends her hand with a smile but barely focuses on me. She’s already cataloguing every detail of our apartment like she's mentally preparing a report.

I take her hand, not trusting my voice. The last thing Adley needs is for me to say something stupid and torpedo her chances.

“Please, come in,” I manage.

Cade rises as they enter, and Ivy's attention locks onto him immediately. She's assessing him, trying to figure out what kind of man he really is under all that controlled composure.

If only she knew he was the kind of man stupid enough to risk everything for love, then she’d realize just how devoted to the cause he is.

My chest constricts as he meets her stare without flinching, radiating that quiet confidence that made me fall for him in the first place. It’s the same confidence that makes me quietly believe he’ll win the fight and take down the worst man to have ever lived, but there’s the tiny part of me that doesn’t want him to even take that risk.

“You must be Cade,” Ivy says, stepping forward.

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