Page 45 of Finding Redemption

“Look this way, Deathstroke!”

With each yell of my name, I twisted my fingers in Brooke’s long vest thing that hid her perfect body outlined by the black leggings and bodysuit she wore beneath.Whenever someone called for me to look their way, I ignored them, keeping my eyes on Brooke.

If they wanted a picture, they could capture my love for her in my eyes, the obsession that painfully twisted my insides the moment I wasn’t touching some part of her.When she had to move aside so that Luck and I could be photographed together, every muscle in my body strained toward her.

Henry stood a foot behind Brooke as she and Bella were photographed with Sariah and some other woman I didn’t know.Brooke kept an arm around Bella’s chest, kissing her temple every few moments and taking that moment to whisper something to her each time that would make her giggle or burst out laughing.Sariah would grin with them but mostly continued to act as a human shield, blocking Brooke anytime she sensed my girl getting overwhelmed.

As I watched the three of them together, everything felt right with the world.For the first time in my forty-five years, I had exactly what I wanted and needed.

Finally, we made it to the private box.Everyone wanted a cage-side seat, but even that close, they would have to watch the majority of the event on the screens.Our box was the perfect spot, giving us an aerial view to take in each fight.It was soundproof but wired to hear the matches so the noise of the crowd wouldn’t intrude.

Three attendants were already waiting to serve us, catering staff walking around with trays of champagne or weird French foods I still didn’t know the names of even twenty years after being thrust into this side of being a celebrity.Luck snapped up two glasses of champagne for Sariah and himself.When he tipped the glass toward Brooke, silently asking if she wanted one, she shook her head.

It wasn’t just our group of five in the suite.An event as large as this one took a lot of money.I recognized almost everyone already in the glassed-in room, many of them big fans of mixed martial arts fighting long before I was in the business.A movie producer.A politician.A prince from a country I couldn’t remember the name of.Billionaires who didn’t blink at spending a hundred million to sponsor an event they loved—like Luck.

We had originally met at one of these events, and then we quickly became friends.Now, after carefully investing my money over the years, and then starting the business with Luck, I was a billionaire too.Throwing out the kind of money it cost to be a sponsor for an event of this magnitude didn’t even put a dent in my bank accounts.

As we made our way through the crowd, Henry stayed a respectful distance away, while the other members of my security team remained outside the doors waiting.I kept my hand at the small of Brooke’s back, always touching her, not just so she felt included when we paused to speak to people and I introduced her, but because I couldn’t fucking stop myself.

Luck nudged my shoulder while we were in a group discussing who we favored to win in each weight class.He tipped his head, and I followed the direction, my teeth grinding when I saw Jon Powel.Vaguely, I recognized his date as the blonde who had tried to sit on my lap earlier in the week while Luck and I were out with one of the fighters.I knew she wasn’t his wife, because he was going through a messy, public divorce.

Noticing our attention on him, Jon walked over, threading an arm around Sariah’s waist like he had the right to touch her whenever he pleased.It made me see red when she flinched and curled into herself.Luck and I both snarled at him, causing him to chuckle, thinking everything was a game.

He was a dirty bastard who didn’t hear the word no often.Normally, I wouldn’t have been in the same room with the motherfucker, but Powel was a last-minute buy-in.Fuck, I shouldn’t have listened to Luck and should have stayed home with my girls.

“Keep your hands to yourself,” Luck snapped, pushing Jon back a foot, causing a stir with the others in the room.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Henry shift closer to Brooke, who tucked Bella behind her protectively.

Jon laughed, enjoying riling up Luck, always loving to cause a scene.I popped my neck, ready to throw the bastard through the window.Sariah touched my arm, shaking her head before shifting her eyes to Brooke and Bella, who were watching us.

“I think someone needs a time-out,” Bella commented to Brooke, her voice small, nervous.She wouldn’t know why the man before her was a slimy scumbag, but she was perceptive enough to sense he was a bad man.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have the power to do that to other adults, precious,” Brooke soothed, her eyes narrowed on Jon.“But obviously, some people didn’t have parents who loved them enough to teach them any manners.”

For the first time, Jon looked at her, and the possessive, obsessed monster inside me was ready to tear him apart.The only thing stopping me was the knowledge that I would scare my girls.

Interest had Jon’s eyes brightening.He took a step toward her but abruptly stopped when I snaked my hand around her waist, letting him know who Brooke belonged to.My eyes shot him a warning, silently daring him to even lift a hand to attempt to touch what was mine.I would break every bone in his body.Would relish the sound of his agonized screams.

“Hi, Paxton,” someone greeted to my left.“I had so much fun the other night.Maybe we can do it again sometime.”

ChapterTwenty-Eight

Brooke

I flinchedat the sound of his name coming from another woman’s mouth.As soon as I’d spotted the blonde I’d seen when we had arrived at the hotel earlier that afternoon, I’d been preparing myself.For what, I wasn’t exactly sure, but I could sense…something.

Yet I wasn’t prepared for how badly it hurt to hear her say his name.I felt like the air was knocked out of me.Paxton felt my reaction, his hazel eyes dropping from the sleazy creep who had invaded Sariah’s personal space to me.Rage had been radiating off him only moments before, but now his brows were pulled together in concern.

“Kitten, what’s wrong?”

I nibbled at the inside of my bottom lip, trying to read him.Earlier, he hadn’t even acknowledged the blonde when she’d tried to speak with him.And if I had to take a guess, I would have said her comment about having fun with him the other night had gone right over his head.

While I was still trying to determine whether I should be hurt, Sariah lunged forward with a growl, grabbing the blonde by the back of the head.Bella screamed, turning so she could hide her face in my chest.

“Ah, hell no,” Sariah snarled, wrenching the blonde’s hair back so hard she was practically bent in half.Clutching at Sariah’s hands, the woman screeched at her to let her go.“Mistake trying to mess with my best friend, Chloe.Big mistake.”

“You psychotic bitch!”Chloe screamed, struggling frantically to get herself untangled from the death hold Sariah had on her.“Let me go!”

“Don’t you ever come near what is mine again,” Sariah seethed.“Keep your disease-infested skank ass on the other side of the room from my family, or I will kill you.If you so much as look at Paxton again, I will gouge your eyes out with your stupid, diamond-encrusted heels.Daddy can’t save you from me.No one can.”

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