The door to her room is about to slam shut when I reach it and push it open to follow her inside. “You all right?” I demand.
The door shuts behind me, and she faces me with bewildered gold eyes and the face of my fucking dreams, and suddenly I feel as impotent and useful as a damn table, standing here while whatever it is tears my woman apart.
I’m not going to fucking let it.
Life can throw the curveballs at me, but not at her. I’ll catch them for her and I’ll throw them back. She’ll be untouchable if I can help it. She’ll be untouchable to everything and everyone but me.
She has to stop fucking risking herself!
As she eyes me, I hear her sharp inhale as she signals at the door behind me. “Go talk to them, Remy.”
My voice is rougher than usual, even to me. “I want to talk to you first.”
I start pacing for a moment, dragging my hand through my hair all the way down to the back of my neck. Then I drop my arm with a sigh because I’m at a loss for words here. “Brooke, I can’t fight and keep an eye out for you.”
“Remy, I had it covered,” she cries.
“My fucking ass, you had it covered!”
She jerks in surprise, and my fingers curl into fists as the need to drive my hands into that dark hair and crush her against me starts to slowly and painfully consume me. Suddenly, her eyes flash in fury. “Why is everyone looking at me like it’s my fault? You’re supposed to be fighting Scorpion!”
A dark scowl settles on my face. “And you’re supposed to be in your goddamned seat on the front fucking row to my left!”
“What difference does it make? You’ve been fighting for years without having me in the audience! What does it even matter where I’m at?” She glares at me and dares me to tell her all the shit I feel for her, and the lack of words in me only frustrates the hell out of me. “I’m not even a fling, Remington! I’m your employee. And in less than two months, I won’t even be that, I’ll be nothing to you. Nothing.”
God, is that what she thinks?
Does she think I haven’t taken her because . . . what? She’s a toy to me? I’m fucked-up and imperfect, but I’m human and I want things. And what I. Want. Is. Her.
I want her too much to fuck it up.
I exhale through my nose and ask, “Who was that girl you were chasing?”
She drops her voice to a whisper. “My sister.”
A silence stretches between us as I register that her sister apparently is friends with Scorpion’s crew. “What’s your sister doing with Scorpion’s goonie?”
“Maybe she’s wondering the same about me,” she says with a bitter laugh.
I laugh right along with her, my laugh a thousand times more bitter than hers. “Don’t mistake me for a fuckup like him. I may be fucked-up but that guy eats virgins and spits them out like vomit.”
Brooke starts pacing, her face scrunched up in worry for a moment, then she closes her eyes sadly. “Oh, god. She looked awful. Awful,” she whispers.
That’s it.
That’s fucking it.
Brooke won’t be suffering like this over anyone.
Not in front of me.
I’m not a person who can stand and talk about stuff when there’s something to be done.
Quietly, I open the door, but before I leave, I look at her pretty face, all its color lost, and I have to say something. I’m no good at this, but I make an effort and gruffly tell her, “You’re not nothing. To me.”
Shutting the door behind me, I head straight for the elevator.
It’s not difficult to find a man who tattoos a fucking insect on his face.
Plus the fighters always stay in one of the hotels close to the Underground location.
Feeling bloodthirsty, I curl my hands into fists as I cross the lobby and head out into the night. A huge crowd litters the hotel driveway.
“Riptide!” they scream.
Camera flashes explode all over the place.
“Ohmigod!” A woman starts crying while members of the hotel staff struggle to keep the crowd at bay.
I’ve successfully shoved through one side of the crowd while a good dozen hands rub my ass and my chest muscles when I hear, “That’s her. Her fault he was disqualified tonight!”
Turning in confusion, I see something white flying in the air and smashing straight on Brooke.
Another white ball follows the first.
Simmering with rage, I clamp my jaw and stomp my way back to her as the fucking crazy people keep throwing shit at her.
Brooke has ducked and run to one of the parking valets, who sees me come up and says something to her.
Another egg crashes into her shoulder as I reach her, and I swear I feel like the fucking Hulk. I’m so damn mad, I feel fucking green!