Page 19 of Duke
I stare with wide eyes. “What the hell does that mean?”
Duke grimaces with a slight eye roll. “The brothers from SIN are a bunch of animals. Completely out of control half the time.”
“Sin.”My nose wrinkles in distaste as my anxiety over tonight’s fight and what Bear will face quadruples in my active imagination. “What the hell are you talking about, and should I be scared?”
Bear rumbles, “Sigma Iota Nu. One of the frat houses on campus.”
My mouth forms an O as understanding dawns on me. I remember they mentioned the fighter from this frat at least once before. “Gotcha.”
Duke juts his chin toward the door. “I’m going in. I’ll look for any potential pitfalls. Be right back.”
I cast an anxious glance past him into the building, but don’t see much before the dark interior swallows him and the door snaps shut. He’s right, though. As much as I’m itching to kick a little ass tonight, we don’t need to walk directly into Tristan or Derek—or that bitch Morgan, for that matter. Not that I couldn’t handle her again if I had to.
Memories of having to put that girl in her place invade my brain space. These guys have a past—in fact, Duke’s haunts my dreams—so am I wrong to be so confident in my relationship with them? I suck in a deep breath and close my eyes, letting a movie reel of some of my favorite moments with each of them run through my head. Bear—asking so sweetly if I’d attend his football game. Mason—drawing me and telling meI’mthe masterpiece. And Duke—bringing me lollipops just because he knows I like them.Nope.I have no reason not to be confident in them. The bond forming among the four of us gets stronger by the day—no, by the hour. Where I’m not confident is with their fathers and everything that comes with them, including their dirty businesses.
No matter who is here tonight, I’m ready to show them that I’m not backing down. I’m not scared of anything they have to dish out. The only thing that does kinda terrify me would be if something were to happen to take me away from Mason, Bear, and Duke.
I don’t know how long I’ve been mulling over things in my head, but I realize a moment later that Bear’s scanning the parking lot behind me.Looking for… what? Trouble, probably.A slow shiver rolls down my spine, but I shake it off. I don’t want to know what he’s looking at, so I don’t turn around to see whatever’s caught his attention. “So, just like last time, right? Another preliminary match, then yours?”
Bear simply nods. “Yeah, baby. You can wait for me in my dressing room.”
I don’t say anything to that because it’s definitely not my plan. Hearing the crunch of gravel behind me, I turn around to find Mason’s legs eating up the distance between us as he crosses the lot. When he reaches us, he grabs my hand, laces our fingers together, and gives me a reassuring smile. “You good?”
“I am.”
Just then, the door opens and Duke waves us inside. The smell of sweat, blood, and alcohol assails my nose from the first step I take into the building, much the way it had the last time. It strikes me as odd that in this place where blood will assuredly spill, Duke wears a nice pair of fitted jeans and a button-down with rolled-up sleeves. Then again, his family’s stature probably prevents him from dressing any other way while at an event like this. Mason, on the other hand, doesn’t have a father figure here to watch him like a hawk, but he did manage to put on a clean pair of jeans and a black T-shirt—charcoal-free. Bear gets a pass, of course, trudging into the building in joggers and an old shirt that was big enough to accommodate the ice pack strapped to his shoulder. The fight world needs both the brawlers and those rich enough to bet on them. Money makes the world go round.
I follow Bear and Mason down the dimly lit hallway, allowing Duke to bring up the rear and shut the door behind us. Am I nervous to be back here again? Maybe a little. But that’s sure as fuck not stopping me from doing what I can to make sure this night goes off without a hitch for Bear. I said I would support him no matter what he chose to do, and I meant it.
We settle into the same big prep room we were in last time for Bear’s prefight routine, and the guys get to it with an ease born of familiarity and repetition. I wonder how many times the three of them have been together like this, how many fights Bear has won for his father, and how much money he’s earned for that dickhead douchebag over the years. And the horrendous thing is, I would bet Bear’s never seen any of it.
I don’t want to interfere with their routine—I did that plenty last time—but I definitely am glad to be included so I can keep an eye on things with Bear. It hurt me way down deep to see him fall apart. Gone was my strong, confident Gideon, and in his place was a shell of him, so lost and barely holding himself together. None of the guys ever questioned whether or not I’d attend tonight, and that’s the way it should be. I’d have fought them if they denied me based on what’s happened in the last twenty-four hours, because Bear needs me with him tonight more than I need to stay behind and cower from whoever it is out there who sought to harm me.
I haven’t allowed myself to think about it much since the guys and I went through what I could remember from last night… but I do wonder if the masked guy with the knife is lurking. He obviously took me somewhere I simply don’t remember, and then deposited me with Warren of all people. There’s been so much to hash out, I don’t know if it’s occurred to the guys to wonder why Warren? The nice guy. The only one in the house with an actual girlfriend, even if they were off again the night of the auction. The reason?
To cause drama. I’m positive. And to throw us off the scent of the true identity of my actual abductor… or abductors. Because the idea of Warren snatching me? It’s laughable. And the more I think about it, the more I’m positive that wasn’t Warren’s voice. Nor was it anyone else’s that I can pick out easily.So.
The guys might assume they’ll have to protect me tonight, but if someone out there has decided to fuck with me, I’m ready to fight. I’ve entered some odd post-trauma stage, and I’mpissed.And rightfully so. I’ve steeled myself, ready to take on whatever else is thrown at me. Maybe they should sendmeinto the ring instead of Bear because I have enough fire running through my veins to take down the biggest of asshole motherfuckers. Whoever this SIN fighter is—the one they keep referring to with mild reverence—might get more than he bargained for if he were to take me on right now. Amused by my own thoughts, I take a seat on the couch where I hung out last time to watch the preparations.
Bear goes through the process of getting his cup situated but needs more help than usual with the intricate ties necessary to hold it firmly in place. Without a word, Mason steps in and does it for him, then helps him get the second set of compression shorts on so he doesn’t have to strain his shoulder at all. It’s adorable the way he’s helping his friend. I stifle a giggle as Bear sits down on one of the wooden chairs, then outright cover my mouth when Duke steps in to help Bear get his T-shirt off, taking special care with his right arm.
Mason quirks an eyebrow at me as I laugh behind my hand. “What’s funny?” His question has the other two turning to look at me, and I can totally tell a flush is creeping up my neck to stain my cheeks. “Sorry. It’s just like he’s a seventeenth- or eighteenth-century noblewoman, and you two are the maids helping him dress. I’m kinda waiting for one of you to whip out a corset next.” Another giggle bursts from my mouth, and I duck my head with wide eyes. When none of them say anything, I mumble, “Sorry,” sheepishly through gritted teeth, though my shoulders continue to shake with mirth.
Duke and Mason both glance at Bear, trying to get a read on him, because yes, I’m disrupting the flow of their usual prefight prep with my laughter and ill-timed jokes. But then a small miracle happens. Bear cracks a smile, presses his lips together, and eyes me from under his raised brow.
“Uh-uh. Don’t you dare laugh,sir.”I hold up my pointer finger and waggle it in front of his face as I get up and approach the three of them. “Get back to your routine.”
Bear’s left arm shoots out, and he grabs me, pulling me between his legs and against his chest. His arm belts around my torso so I can’t flee, perfectly capable of subduing me with just one arm. I turn my head, my face nestling into the crook of his neck as my chest heaves with laughter and tears stream down my face. He turns his head, and his words are a soft whisper near my ear. “Baby girl, Daddy owes you a spanking later. Understand?”
My lips curve up into a smile where they’re pressed against his skin. “Yes, sir.”
He growls, “You’re the best kind of distraction. Now lemme get ready for this fuckin’ fight.” Bussing my cheek, he loosens his hold on me.
I breathe a quiet sigh of relief, as he seems better than he did earlier. It’s the drugs talking, but I can only hope he remains stable, and he can fight like he’s expected to. Then we’ll figure out how the fuck to get him off this shit and get him help. Reluctantly, I back up, my cheeks hot as he winks at me with a certain fire in his eye that tells me he isn’t kidding about the spanking.
Duke shakes his head at our antics and gestures to the ice pack strapped to Bear’s shoulder. “How’s it feeling?” he murmurs, watching his friend carefully for clues as to how he’s managing everything.
Exhaling hard, Bear moves the shoulder a bit. “I mean… the pain is dull at the moment, and I’m not shaky like I was earlier.” He scrapes his teeth over his lip, considering. “I don’t know. I could honestly still be in for a whole world of hurt tonight. Maybe it’ll feel better once I warm up some.”
