Behind me, Riley comes with my robe, and I spread out my arms and ram them into the sleeves while I keep my eyes on her.
“Riptide!” I hear the call, and I bounce in place for a second, then trot out into the arena.
I take my ring like I always do, but tonight’s not a normal one. Tonight, I fight—
“Benny, the Black Scoooooorpion!”
I see him charge out of the walkway on the other side. That ugly black tat on his face, he storms out to the general booing of the crowd, but grins nevertheless.
Remembering the club incident, where he dared speak of my girl’s pussy, I remind myself I owe him a beating. The moment he takes the ring, he comes up to center, and so do I, fixing my gaze on his yellow eyes.
His rage and my rage combine to create a powerful effect on the air.
“Fucking pussy needs a woman to defend him now?” he says, spitting on the mat.
I laugh softly. “The bad news is, not even a woman can defend you from me now.”
We tap knuckles, and the fighting bell rings.
We wait it out, both of us inspecting the other, and I want my little firecracker to see this.
I want her to see me beat the living daylights out of this dipshit.
Flicking my eyes to the side, I notice Brooke’s chair is empty.
Scowling, I scan the arena and duck when Scorpion swings, then I come back and punch him, fast and hard, on the jaw.
Then I see her.
She’s calling out to a girl heading to the exit with one of Scorpion’s minions, while another of those motherfuckers holds her—Brooke—by the arms.
My blood runs cold, then hot in fury. I slam my fist into Scorpion’s jaw, shove him aside, grab the nearest rope and leap out of the ring onto the cement floor, leaving Scorpion spitting blood on the mat. The arena erupts with shouts and screams and the announcer yells through the speakers, “The victor, Scorpion! Scooooooorpiooooooon! Remington Tate has been disqualified from this round! Dis-qualified!”
I reach Brooke as she struggles to break free, and she looks tiny and feisty in that motherfucker’s grip, making me livid. I grab the hands on her arms and thrust them back, delivering him a look that promises he will die because of me, then I yank her into my arms and forget about everything but that she’s safely nestled against me.
Still, she fights me.
“No. No! Remy, let me go, I need to follow her.” She twists in my grip and lightly hits my pecs, her expression twisting in pain. “Let go, Remy, let go, please.”
I clench her tighter against me and walk her to the exit, because I don’t think she realizes what’s going on. “Not now, Little Firecracker,” I softly warn her. She stops squirming and peeks over my arm at the angry faces of some of Riptide’s fans, and I use my shoulders to shove through the crowd as they start getting vicious.
“Bitch. It’s your fault, you stupid bitch!”
Her eyes widen in horror as the crowd starts clawing angrily into the air, then she curls into me and lets me guide her out to the car.
“Fucking shit!” Coach thunders as the limo pulls into traffic.
“You’re down to third. Third. Possibly fourth,” Pete glumly tells me, handing me the T-shirt and sweatpants I wear after matches.
“You had this one down, Rem. You were training so fucking well you would have had his ass on a stick, man.”
“I’ve got it, Coach, just relax.” I shove into my casual clothes as quickly as I can, then I reach out and pin Brooke to my side, my blood still pumping hot as lava.
Rubbing my hand down her arm, I notice she won’t take her eyes off the window as if searching for that woman.
“You’re in the worst placement you’ve been in years, man, your concentration is shit!”
“Pete, I’ve fucking got it—I’m not screwing this up,” I assure him, rubbing Brooke’s arm faster so she knows it will be all right.
“I think Brooke should stay in the hotel next fight,” Riley mutters.
I burst out laughing. “Brooke comes with me,” I snap, shaking my head in disbelief at them.
“Rem . . .” Pete tries to reason.
I clench my jaw and shoot him a warning glare, not in the mood for this bullshit. We ride the elevator in tense silence, and I’m getting worked up by Brooke’s unease. The need to protect her from whatever it is that’s made her this uneasy is eating at my gut.
The doors roll open on her floor, and she gets out like a whirlwind I’m determined to calm the fuck down. The guys yell back at me and demand we have some words, making me snap, “Pete, we’re talking about this later, just cool your nuts, all three of you.”
“Get back here, Rem, we need to talk to you!”
“Talk to the wall!”