Page 122 of Green Flag
“I’m glad you have some new friends,” he said. “Arabella’s a good influence.”
She had literally hot-boxed the taxi on the way to the venue and had drank a whole bottle and a half at the Italian we’d gone to for dinner.
“Where is my boyfriend? What direction?” I didn’t want to end up in Luca’s enemy’s quarters. Though that would wind him up a good degree…
Dad smiled, watching me carefully. “He really loves you, doesn’t he?”
“Dad!” I cried, outraged.
He grinned, showing his teeth. “I’m really glad you moved back home, Ever.”
Before I could even consider that, he was waving a security guard over. “This is Luca’s girlfriend. Can you take her out to the back?”
I didn’t have the words to thank him, because I simply didn’t have any coherent thoughts.
The stadium was loud with chatter, but the noise dipped to individual laughter as I was escorted out through the dark tunnel past more guards and then into an open area. The room was dark with brass accessories, from taps to tableware to the light fixture. There was a bar to the right, sofas in the middle with large screens to show the fights and more rooms down a corridor.
There were plenty of people back there. Coaches, drinkers, VIP. But Luca was nowhere to be seen. I poked my head round the corner of another door to see a small gym of weights and machines, but still no Luca.
“He goes on a run,” Marco said, making me jump. “Sorry, Everly. He’s been distracted and… The cold gets him going, apparently.”
That made sense. He was masochistic like that.
“How long until he’ll be back?” I asked, following him to sit down on one of the leather seats.
He shrugged. “Probably after the first couple of fights.”
So I settled in for the hour, watching the fights on the screen and hearing the chants and screams of excitement from the stadium. I should be out there in one of the two seats that had been bought for me, but not telling Luca good luck before his fight seemed like it would be a bad omen. I wouldn’t forgive myself if he didn’t win.
Not that I meant anything to him.
The fight that had just started was particularly slow. Near the end of the second round, they’d only managed to secure a punch or two. They were in defensive mode.
It was boring.
“She’s here?” I heard over the quiet of people waiting for something to happen.
His voice.
I turned in my comfy chair. One of the fighters had made some flirty comments and pulled a blanket over me.
“Everly?” Luca asked and I saw him push through some of the guys to get to me. He looked cold in his tight fighting shorts and hoodie. He’d take it off soon, and then… everyone would see what he was packing. And all the other women would drool over what I had licked and stroked and kissed. “How long have you been out here?”
I thought for a moment, trying to see past the imagination of my thoughts. “Before the fights started.”
“Shit,” he muttered but stood in front of me, blocking my view of the awful fight. Just staring at him was more entertaining. “You look cute,” he said with a smile. “And comfy.”
“I am comfy,” I told him. “One of your friends got me all cosy.”
His eyes hardened immediately. “Sorry?”
“One of the guys got me the blanket.”
“Did they tuck you in?”
I laughed. “Luca—”
“Did they?”
