What scares me most is not knowing which option I’d prefer myself.
Eight
Memphis
“Are you ready?!” the announcer screams, though that might be too fancy of a title for what the man actually is.
Joe Pescopi is one of the local mob bosses, a close personal friend of Wilson Cobb, and a motherfucker who just can’t keep his mouth shut. So I don’t think there’s a man or woman in the room who’s surprised about the fact that he has so graciously agreed to play announcer for this little shindig.
What better way to spend your evening than roaring out sputtery bullshit at two men hell-bent on putting one another in the ground, right?
I don’t really care. All I need to focus on is winning, regardless of the Cobbs and Pescopis in the world.
I gnash my teeth against my mouth guard as I step into the cage, feeling the familiar spring of the soft floor beneath my bare feet. The crowd roars their welcome and I raise a hand and give them a winning smile, or as much as one could through the plastic I’m gnawing on. Wouldn’t want to destroy my lovely smile, after all.
“In this corner, we have Angel, a tough as nails Chicago prized bull with nothing to lose!” Joe blabbers on as I jump from foot to foot, wondering who my opponent is.
When the door on the opposite end of the cage opens and the lights focus there, I can’t help but grin. This’ll be a cakewalk.
“And in this corner we have Billy Green, an Irish brawler always who is never out of luck!”
The nearest spectators – all lowlife mob types of one sort or another, with their cheap girlfriends glued to whichever side they have their wallet on – groan slightly. Joe’s being especially cheesy tonight.
But that doesn’t matter to me. Billy Green is right in front of me and I know this will be fun. He’s a wiry sort of guy, about my height, with a gleam in his green eyes that tells me that his boss has been shooting him up with something my boss is too fucking cheap for. But I see the slowness in his step and the slight loll of his head as he looks from side to side, cracking his neck.
He’s been fighting too much lately. I’ve got this in the bag.
The realization hits me fast and hard, just as the gathered schmucks grow quiet. My attention snaps to the small balcony looking down on the cage along with everybody else’s.
Wilson, I think, my blood boiling at the sight of his smug grin.
But that anger goes away a moment later, when I see a true angel float in right after him, looking scared and lost. Adrienne.
I haven’t seen her for so long, I sort of started wondering if I was making up all those letters in my head and just imagining her existence. One look at her brings back all the dizzyingly delicious memories of her sweet body in my arms as I carried her through the mansion, the way she looked at me with those fear-stricken eyes that still had so much defiance in them despite everything.
God, she’s beautiful.
I’m gawking at her so hard that the mouth guard almost slips from between my teeth. I right it in my mouth quickly and give Cobb a nod, which he returns. He’s a sick bastard, but I know he needs me to win.
The bosses of the other major houses file in around him and when all of the big fat cats have taken their seats, Joe starts talking again. I keep sneaking glances at Adrienne and I think I catch her blushing.
Good.
Keeping my cock from throbbing in the compression shorts is a battle of its own. I admire that girl, keeping her head up after everything that’s happened to her, but I can’t help but remember how soft and lovely she was in my hands. And my cock can’t either, apparently.
I’m not going to lie, I’ve been using the image I had painted of her in my head as the one and only source to get me off ever since we first met. Seeing the real thing again is so much better, though.
You’ll be mine, sugar.
It’s as much a threat at the establishment we’ve gotten stuck in as it is a promise.
I tear my eyes away from her – it takes far too much fucking work, what with her lush lips, long tresses and that constant blush on her cheeks – and focus. Even the shittiest fighter can catch you unawares if you’re not careful and this time, I’m not just fighting for myself.
“Gentlemen,” Joe starts, and the crowd roars with laughter – other than the people upstairs, there isn’t a single man here who would answer to that particular call. “Are you ready?”
I nod shortly and Billy does the same. We meet in the middle of the cage and touch our knuckles together. I give the kid an easy smile which he doesn’t return. His cheek is twitching and I can see it carry over to his forehead as well. Boy’s fucked up on something.
Almost a shame to take him out in this state. But whatever, the best man has to win and I’ve decided that man to be me today.
“Fight!” Joe hollers, already safely out of the cage, the doors locked and the barbed wire nice and sharp, waiting for someone to be thrown into it.
I dance left and right, warming up my feet some more. I steal a look at Adrienne and she’s practically gnawing on her fingers. Damn, she looks cute when she’s nervous. Shaking my head, I look at Billy, catching him in his first charge. Though Joe called me the bull, right now I feel more like the red flag, though there are more popped vessels in Billy’s eyes than I care count as he comes at me, arms swinging.
I duck under the first punch and return one right in the solar plexus. As he keels back slightly, I knock him in the jaw from below, sending him staggering back. The crowd is already jeering and booing, trying to get Billy to ‘man up’. I know there’s a hell of a lot of money being bet in this room right now, both of me winning and losing, and the latter side doesn’t want to see me doing well or Billy going down like a felled tree.
I’m going to have to disappoint them though.
Billy shakes his head and I see sweat and saliva flying already, along with a couple droplets of blood. This stuff has always been fun for me, like stealing candy from a baby. I grin at him, motioning with my hand to come at me. He takes the bait, hook, line and sinker.
He comes at me almost blindly, swinging, and I sidestep him with trained ease. I spin back at lightning speeds and catch him in the back, shoving him with my foot to add insult to injury. He slams into the fencing and bounces back, howling with rage. The next time he comes for me, I time the hit perfectly between his frantic blows, catching him in the right cheekbone with my left.
He goes down immediately, his head hitting the matting and recoiling up once before settling on the soft floor. I take a step back as the crowd counts down from ten, stuck between saying the numbers and chanting my stupid nickname.
“Angel!” they roar, and I hear every syllable, raising my hands.
I barely worked up a sweat.
Giving Cobb a smug look, I see him beaming back at me. My joy of victory is immediately marred by that. Fuck him. Every win I get, it only adds to the pile of money he’s making. That’s the worst part about this. I don’t want to give that man a fucking thing, other than maybe a decent concussion.
But my stormy gaze travels to Adrienne beside him and she has tears shimmering in her eyes. Fuck, she’s gorgeous. And she’ll be mine, no matter what.
“We have a winner, folks!” Joe Pescopi calls, and I swear I hear disappointment in his voice.
Either he had money on Billy, or he’s sad that he can’t talk nonsense at willing listeners anymore. Whichever option it is, I don’t find myself caring much.
Of course we have a winner, I think, rolling my shoulders back.
Nine
Memphis
I’m like an eager goddamn puppy as I wait in my cell for my treat.
My knuckles are unwrapped and I took off the compression shorts, opting for another pair of shorts that doesn’t cut off my damn circulation in all the places it matters. I haven’t put on a shirt because... well, it’s not like I don’t know what I look like. I saw Adrienne’s gaze track over my muscles the first time she saw me, and I
bet she liked seeing them today.
Got to give the crowd what it wants, right?
But the longer I wait, the more nervous I get. This has never happened before. I don’t get nervous. I don’t think I’ll lose, I don’t worry and I don’t fucking fret. So why am I standing in the middle of my cell, considering pacing back and forth and losing my mind at the same time.
What if she doesn’t like me?
What am I, a teenager? Fucking hell.
I slick a hand through my hair, the minutes ticking by endlessly. I’m beginning to think that someone’s playing a fucking joke on me, that Cobb’s gone back on his word - which wouldn’t be surprising, he isn’t exactly the epitome of fairness – or that something’s happened to her, when I finally hear footsteps. Two sets.
I let out a long breath, flexing my fingers again like I always do when I feel the narrow edge of something unknown coming for me. The locks are undone one by one and when the door opens, my face fells.
It’s Sage.
“Hey, buttercup,” I greet him dully, but I shut up a moment later as I see Adrienne peeking out from behind him.
“Hey, you,” I add, a hell of a lot softer.
She doesn’t say a word but raises her hand slightly, moving her fingers timidly. Fuck, she’s cute.
Sage just quirks up a brow and allows Adrienne to pass. She steps into the room gingerly, looking behind herself for a moment.
“Memphis, you have to be fast. I have to have her back in twenty,” Sage says.
Before I can launch into a volley of objections, Sage slams the door shut and sets up the deadbolts. I’m fuming, my eyes narrowing slightly, but it’s no use. I bet it’s Cobb again, fucking around. He knows as well as I do that not much can be accomplished with twenty minutes – at least not when I’m the one doing it.
Okay.
Another thing I can’t change. Fine. Lemons out of lemonade.
My expression clears as I look at Adrienne. She’s petite, sweet. Honey-blond hair falling in waves over her shoulders and bright blue eyes marked with so much sadness that I want to do whatever I can to make her feel better. Her pouty lips are slightly parted as she stares at me, like I’m some sort of apparition, but I see her gaze rowing over my abs, my arms, my pecs.
I’m not sure if she’s shocked by the tattoos or just the fact that we’re here together, but she seems to be as tongue-tied as I am. I’ve kept all her letters and I wait for every word from her. It’s silly, in a way, because we can never pass notes that are too long – I don’t have the paper for it and I don’t want to reuse her notes to send them back – and my room gets searched periodically for any contraband. Still, I feel like I know this girl and she knows me.
I open my mouth to say something but no words come out. I shake my head and she smiles slightly, obviously feeling much the same. How stupid is it that it was easier to talk to her when good old Sage was in the room, rather than now that we don’t have any distractions?
I can’t take it much longer.
Her body calls to me and I take a breath. In two steps, I’ve covered the distance between us and she stutters backwards a step as my hands wrap around her small but curvy body. She feels fucking fantastic, wearing an aquamarine dress that accentuates her body in all the right ways. I slide a hand up her back as I stare down at her eyes, smiling now.
“Hey,” I say again.
“Hey,” she answers back hesitantly.
I kiss her.
She gasps into my mouth and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard. I have to rein myself in, because I want to devour her like she’s ice cream on a hot, sunny day. I take it slow, tasting her lips and then slipping my tongue into her mouth. I’m not sure if she’s ever kissed before – I never asked – but she molds to my touch perfectly.
Her body responds just like I need it to, pressing against me, her hands on my broad, bare chest. I don’t know if she can feel my heart beating a mile a minute, but it is. My cock twitches in my shorts and I can feel her jerk away from it for a moment, before pressing herself closer a second later.
She likes this.
I can’t help but feel proud. You could take my ninety-six victories away from me right now and I wouldn’t give a shit because I’ve just scored the best win of my life.
I growl into her mouth and she moans softly as I kiss her harder, walking her back against the door. Goose bumps pimple on her skin as the cold metal touches her and I nip at her lower lip, catching it between my teeth. She tastes like honey and chocolate and freedom. Good things. I can’t get enough of her.
I move one hand lower to cup her ass and she squirms, rubbing her thighs together.
“Is this too much, sugar?” I ask, willing her to say no.
She just shakes her head, her lips already puffy and her eyes hazy with need.
I want to give her the world. I can’t yet, but I can give her something that feels almost as good.
Slowly, keeping her pinned between my strong body and the door, I slip my hand down the folds of her thin dress. She stammers another sigh as my fingertips brush over her perky tits, staying there only for a moment to pinch one of her nipples through the fabric. Adrienne yelps and I grin, kissing her again, letting her moan into my mouth.
Oh, I’m going to love this.
My hand gets down to the hem of her dress and my rough fingers touch the soft, silky skin of her pale thighs. She shudders beautifully and I let my hand move upward, palm facing up, tracing a line up her thigh until I can feel her heat. Her gorgeous blue eyes shoot wide open and she looks up at me, some unsaid prayer on her lips, but I hush her.
“I’ll play nice, sugar,” I promise, and I mean it.
This might be the first fucking time I want someone to get off this badly. I want her to smile, I want her to cry out in ecstasy in my arms. I want to see that.
I push my palm flush against her pussy, covered only by a pair of thin panties, and she gasps, gripping my biceps. Her short nails dig into my flesh as I rub up and down a few times, moving to kiss a line along her neck at the same time. I love the way she whimpers and grinds into my hand, the way her whole body is shuddering with every touch of my hand, my lips.
She’s so wet, I can feel it through the panties. She needs this as much as I need to give it to her. Losing my patience, I grab hold of the fabric and rip, making her yelp as the seams come undone and I toss the ruined panties aside. I find her mouth again and shove my tongue in her mouth and she sucks on it eagerly as I press two fingers against her slit, swimming in her juices.
I roll my thumb over her clit and it’s like she’s been hit by an electric shock, jolting against me. But she has nowhere to run. I have her exactly where she wants to be.
Slowly, I insert both of the fingers, just the tips at first. She’s gasping for air, her eyes rolling back in her head as I consume her mouth.
“Fuck, you’re so tight,” I ground out, and she doesn’t have to tell me what I already know.
She’s a virgin.
I pull one finger out while allowing the other to go deeper, gently, slowly. At the same time, I tease her clit, rubbing it and flicking it as I work my finger in and out of her. She’s moving up and down against the door with each bit of motion, rocked by lust. Her mouth keeps finding mine, demanding for more, and I’m happy to give it.
“Memphis,” she mutters as she clings to me, and I swear it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve heard.
“That’s it,” I tell her, shoving my other finger in her as well. “Say my name.”
“Memphis!” she whines, her knees buckling, but I don’t let her fall, I don’t let her collapse.
I keep her right there with my hand in her sweet pussy, fingerfucking her as she chants my name.
“Say it,” I ground out, kissing her neck, tearing her dress aside to reveal one of her breasts.
I push down the cup and suck her pink, rosy nipple into my mouth. It puckers immediately. Fuck, I want to bury my cock in that tight, desperately hot pus
sy so badly, but I won’t. Not today.
“Memphis!” she screams as I scissor my fingers in her and bite her nipple, my tongue swirling over it.
I can feel her entire body spasm and rock as the orgasm washes over her like the tide. She’s jerking and shuddering and I keep her there, pinned, safe in my hands. My fingers don’t stop teasing her for a second, working her through her release.
When she finally collapses, completely spent, I release her nipple from my mouth. Casually, I right her bra and her dress and then move up to kiss her lightly on her lips. I’m grinning like a fool and she’s a tousled, sexy mess looking up at me.
The fuck is this woman doing to me.
“Hey,” I echo again, and the smile she gives me this time is damn near radiant.
“Hey,” Adrienne replies, her voice a sweet sigh.
“I was beginning to think I made you up,” I tell her, pumping my fingers into her one more time and being rewarded with a groan for it.
“Why?” she asks, the tiniest hint of confusion flitting over her blissful expression.
“Angels don’t come around here often,” I say, and she grins.
Then, I hear footsteps coming up along the hallway and I growl out of frustration. For a moment there, I hope that they’ll pass, but I know they won’t. I pull my fingers out of her and she lurches forward from the sudden loss. Keeping her on her feet, I gently pull her away from the door.
“We’re not done here, sugar,” I tell her, and then peck her on the lips as I brush her now messed up hair out of her face.
She jolts away from me the moment the first locks come undone, righting her dress and fussing with her appearance. I just stand there, sporting an impressively painful boner – knowing that she’s going to leave is not doing much to ease my frustration – and watching her.
Sage opens the door and our eyes meet. I think he’s almost apologetic, but it might also be that he’s hungry. Can never tell with that guy.
Savage: A Bad Boy Fighter Romance Page 6