Caged(126)

Rig and Knox moved aside so Deacon could step forward and wave to the crowd.

Then Maddox went on to introduce the remaining roster and the training specialists, mentioning Ito-the only instructor who'd opted not to come.

During the introductions, Deacon scanned the crowd for Molly. He saw Amery in the front row. Presley stood off to the side. But he hadn't seen Molly since he'd first walked in.

Where the hell was she?

"Thank you, everyone, for your attention," Ronin said. "If you have any questions about Black and Blue Promotions or Black Arts, there are brochures on the tables with contact information. Enjoy the rest of the evening."

Thank fuck he could get out of here now and find his woman.

A hand landed on his shoulder. "Before you run off, I think I can convince both Smackdown and Bellator to send reps to the Needham fight next week. I'm meeting with them tonight."

Deacon scanned the crowd for Molly's shiny brown hair. "So?"

Maddox stepped in front of him. "So, show a little enthusiasm."

"Why? These guys get a fighter all fired up, thinking their life is about to change. Then the organization 'forgets' to send a scout. I've seen fighters devastated because some dude in a suit wasn't ringside. I don't put my faith in anything besides my ability to fight."

"I want this shot for you, Deacon. You deserve this more than any man I've ever known. Lots of fighters have the skills to get to the top, but you, my friend, have the heart of a champion." Maddox walked off, leaving a dumbfounded Deacon staring after him.

He turned around and two women-a blonde and a brunette-blocked his path. They were too classy to be ring bunnies. Had to be strippers.

Sounded like someone-likely those TGL bastards-had done their research on him.

Too bad they'd done it prematurely.

"Hey, aren't you Con Man McConnell?" the brunette asked.

"Yep."

The brunette hip checked the blonde. "I told you it was him!"

"We're big fans of MMA," the blonde said.

"Go to a lot of fights, do you?"

"All the time."

Deacon gave them each a cool once-over. "You ladies ring girls?"

"What?" the brunette said.

Bingo. These women didn't know shit. He locked eyes with the blonde. "'Pour Some Sugar on Me.'"

She blinked and then rolled her hips forward. "I'll do anything you want me to, sugar."



       
         
       
        

"No, that was your stripper song, wasn't it? Bet you had crystals on your tasseled pasties and your G-string. Bet you dumped water down your body and played with your nipples as you humped the pole on your knees."

The brunette turned wide eyes on the blonde. "Misty, he's seen your act!"

Deacon laughed. "I've seen lots of acts, and I see right through yours, ladies. Word of advice. MMA is one place where you can't fake it. Real fans, fighters, and promoters will laugh you out of the room. And if you don't want people to know you're a former stripper? For fuck's sake, don't dress like one." He stormed off and made it fifteen steps before he saw Molly.

She leaned against a pillar, her arms folded over her chest.

He erased the distance between them. He pressed his lips to hers and snaked his arm behind her to pull her close. "Where the hell have you been, babe? Goin' crazy without you."

"Seemed like you were making very important contacts."

He buried his face in her neck. "You look stunning tonight. I saw you across the room in this amazing dress, and it fucking killed me that I couldn't get to you to tell you that until now."

"Sweet man. And what were you telling the ring bunnies?"

"Not ring bunnies. Strippers. I told them to do their research before trying to pass themselves off as MMA enthusiasts."

She laughed. "Of course you can differentiate between normal women and strippers." She twined her arms around his neck. "How did everything go today?"

"Training was brutal. But standing around pretending I give a damn about any of this stuff was sheer hell. I would've rather trained another four hours than deal with this." Deacon didn't mention Maddox's meeting with the fight organizations. No reason to get his hopes up. He planted kisses up her throat. When his lips reached the corner of her mouth, he paused, letting their breath mingle, keeping her on the edge.

"Kiss me."

"It's not your mouth I wanna kiss right now."

She swayed against him. "Let's go to the room."

"I'm playing the 'get off, get gone' card."

"No," she breathed.

"Uh-huh."