Page 19 of Bear
I’m edging more and more toward pissed off at myself. I can’t even imagine how we’d ever not be biting each other’s heads off. Setting the Juliette stuff aside, Lennon drives me crazy on a regular basis, and I can’t even seem to resist messing with her. A holdover from my preconceived notions—shit I got into my head based on watching her mother with my father. One thing is very apparent at this point. She is not her mother’s daughter. Sure, biologically she is. But in all the other ways it counts, Lennon is nothing like her mother. I hang my head. It’s what she’s been trying to tell us since the moment she got to Bainbridge Hall. And some of the things she’s said… it makes me wonder what life was like growing up with a mother like Nikki Bell.
I’m equally curious and hesitant to find out what happens when Lennon and I reach a boiling point and everything we feel spills over and into the open. So much time has been spent with the two of us at each other’s throats. What would happen if we were to flip the script and stop fighting each other? I let out a shuddering breath. We’re ripe for an explosion of epic proportions, but it’s shitty-as-hell timing for me, personally.
Gritting my teeth, I cautiously give a look around. I think we’ll be okay if we stand behind these big dudes at the end of the hallway. My father is holding court in his usual seat with Derek beside him. A bunch of high-stakes gamblers surround them. And… well, that’s fuckin’ bizarre. Morgan sits on Derek’s other side. My brow furrows for a moment before my gaze slips to Bear, who toys with the Gamma Chi brother. I’d better go get Lennon in case this is over as quickly as I think it might be. Moving stealthily, I creep back through the spectators in the standing-room-only area, and down the hall to Bear’s dressing room.
I let myself in, and Lennon is immediately on her feet, an excited glint in her eye. We slip back down the hallway together, and without thinking, I take her hand. It’s small in mine, and to my utter surprise, she hangs on tightly as I tug her along behind me. We weave through the crowd, not stopping until we come right up behind the big guys I’d seen standing here earlier. Lennon goes up on tiptoe, but it’s obvious she’s straining to get a look.
“Shit. You can’t see much can you?” I squeeze her hand when she doesn’t answer.
She glances at me for only a moment before she goes back to the dance she’s doing on tiptoe, trying to catch a glimpse of Bear.
I release her hand, then turn a bit, patting my shoulder. “Hop up on my back.”
Her brows pinch together. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’ve seen plenty of fights. You deserve to see one. Come on. Quick, before he knocks this dude out and it’s all over.”
With only a moment’s hesitation, she nods, and coming in close, she puts both hands on my shoulders. “You’re sure?”
“Yes,” I grit out. Motherfuck, I hope I can handle Lennon’s body draped over my back, because the mere thought of it is making my dick twitch excitedly in my pants. “Jump on three.” I pause only a second before I count under my breath for her. “Ready? One. Two. Three.”
Lennon jumps, leaping easily onto my back, and at the same time, my heart jumps into my throat. I clasp her smooth thighs near the knees while she grips my shoulders and shimmies upward. I’m rewarded with a waft of coconut and mango drifting up my nose. Fuck. It’s going to drive me batshit crazy, just like it has on every other occasion I’ve had her close like this. At least it makes things a bit more pleasant—this warehouse stinks like sweat and greed.
With her scent cocooned around me, we watch as Bear plays with this guy. The Gamma Chi dude is big, but he’s clearly nowhere near as muscular as Bear. He’s also a good three inches shorter, which usually translates to a shorter reach. From the looks of it, he hasn’t gotten many hits in, and not only that, but he’s sluggish. Bear is fast on his feet, an absolute powerhouse. His body was made for this, in the same way it was made to perform his position of tight end for the KU Lions.
I sure hope he knows what he’s doing, continuing on with fights like this. Normally, I wouldn’t voice my opinion, but fuck, he needs to be done with this before it lands him in a whole heap of trouble. If I were him, I’d get in Derek’s face and tell him this is it. No more. Even though I’m envious of Bear’s football career and the potential he has to go pro, that doesn’t mean I want him getting removed from the team for something his dad forces him to do.
Just then, Bear plows his hand into this guy’s face, then immediately brings a left hook around. I wince, my body jerking at the impact. Lennon clenches me, both at the shoulders and around the waist with her thighs. I might be in heaven. My brain scrambles with thoughts of my dick in her pussy, and her legs wrapped around me and holding on tight. Fuck. Focus on the fight.
My eyes flick over to Mason where he’s going apeshit on the outside of the caged fighting area. He shouts encouragement at Bear and throws his fists into the air with every landed punch.
“You okay?” I grit, giving her a little bounce to hike her up a bit higher on my back.
“Yeah. Do both of you usually do that?” Lennon points toward the cage.
My gaze darts back to Mason, and I chuckle. “Mase is the only one who acts like a lunatic. But yeah, I’m usually at the cage with him.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s fine.”
“It’s definitely my fault you aren’t over there with your friend.” She lets out an aggravated sigh.
“Again, not a big deal. He’s doing fine.”
A minute or so goes by before she asks another question. “Why is this guy not trying to hit him back?”
I study Bear and his opponent for a moment before answering. “It’s kinda strange. He’s supposedly a striker, but he’s got a pitiful defense tonight. Not looking so great, to be honest. Probably should have prepared better before going up against the likes of Bear. He’s only embarrassing himself.”
While watching from the corner of my eye how Bear circles his opponent, I let myself see what Lennon must see, the sheer insanity of what’s happening before our eyes. There’s raised seating all the way around the caged ring, absolutely full of spectators. The lighting isn’t the greatest, but the dimness only adds to the already unsavory atmosphere. It’s quite obviously a curated crowd, meaning only those who can pay the price of admission are invited to participate. And these rich men, supposedly the pillars of society, get off on knowing they’re doing something illegal.
“What’s that over there?”
“The ticket-window-looking thing? That’s where bets are placed. That’d be the biggest source of revenue.” I swivel a bit with her on my back. “And then there’s the bar that does nonstop business. I don’t even fucking know if they have a liquor license. If they do, Derek must have bought someone off in the Georgia Department of Revenue to get it so everything looks above board.” The bar does crazy-good business on fight nights, and it’s currently slammed with people ordering drinks.
Bear hooks his leg around the back of this dude’s knee and down to the mat they both go.
Lennon whispers, “I don’t know much about this style of fighting, but I can tell Bear still has the upper hand.”
