My Vegas Groom (The Greene Family Book 3)

by Piper Rayne

  I glance over and see my mom’s frown. Is she as scared as I am of what distance could do to our relationship?

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Watch yourself, Vince.”

  Logan

  On the walk back home from Nikki’s parents, I debate in my head on whether or not to show her the half-finished podcast studio rather than waiting for it to be fully finished. But with me leaving town early, if I don’t show her I run the risk of someone slipping and ruining the secret.

  “Hey,” I say, taking her hand. “I have something I want to show you before we head home.”

  She glances over at me with suspicion and trepidation. “Okay.”

  “Don’t worry, it’s a good thing.”

  She chuckles. “I’ll admit you scared me a little there.”

  “Like I was going to give you the ‘it’s me, not you’ speech?”

  She says nothing and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the fact that she doesn’t want to break up, that she’s truly in this relationship with her whole heart.

  “You can’t get rid of me that easily.” I squeeze her hand, waiting for her to look over at me. When she does, I smile and she matches my grin, laying her head on my shoulder for a moment while we walk.

  I slow my steps as we near the shop.

  “Are you going to show me your moves?” She stops in front of Pump It Up, assuming that’s where we’re going.

  I tug on her hand. “I show you my moves every night.”

  She laughs. “I particularly like the ‘against the wall’ move.”

  “Me too.” I waggle my eyebrows, stepping up in front of the shop next door that still has brown paper covering the windows. Hank was adamant that in this town we needed to cover everything up if I didn’t want Nikki to find out.

  “What’s this?” She tilts her head while I retrieve a key out of my pocket.

  “Just wait. I wish I had a blindfold.”

  “Hmm… a blindfold and a building with covered windows. Now I’m scared in a whole other way.”

  I chuckle and use the key to open up the door. Holding it open, I flick on the light then wait for her to step into the space first. Following her, I lock the door behind us and watch her gaze scatter around the room. “What is this?”

  “This will be where you record your podcast.” I point to the spot by the window. “I thought it would be cool for people to walk by and see you interviewing your guests.”

  First she looks at me like I’m crazy but right after, her shoulders fall and her hands go to her mouth. “Logan,” she says my name like she’s in disbelief, which makes my chest swell with pride. And my ego a little too.

  “You need a place to do your interviews.” I shove my hands in my pockets, unsure what to say. “It’s not quite done yet only because I have to leave town early, but I promise I’ll get it finished up right after I get back from the fight.”

  “You did this for me?”

  I nod.

  She slowly walks over to me and slides her arms around my waist. “This is way too much,” she whispers and buries her head into my chest.

  I draw back and put my finger under her chin, urging her to look at me. The tears welling in her eyes is all the appreciation I need. “It’s not. I wanted you to have this.”

  “But you know that I didn’t need this? I would have managed.”

  I shake my head at her. “I know and that’s exactly why I wanted to give this to you. I know you’ll make your show a success. I’ve always believed in the adage ‘begin as you mean to go on.’”

  “Thank you,” she murmurs into my chest, squeezing me tight.

  “You’re welcome.”

  I hold her as long as I can, already missing her, and I haven’t even left the damn state yet.

  There’s a knock on the front door and I overhear Nikki answering it. “Hey, Pauline, come on in.”

  I’m upstairs, packing my bags and wishing Nikki could come with me, but she has her job at the radio station and can’t give up her spot just to follow me around while I work on my career. I’d never expect her to do that.

  “Are you going with him?” Nikki asks my mom.

  I have no idea what my mom thinks of Nikki and me. Ever since she showed up here, she’s spent more time away from me than with me. I assumed she’d be all up in our business. While Nikki and I have gotten together with my mom a few times a week since she arrived, it feels to me like she’s carved out her own life here. Which seems odd, given that she’s only visiting.

  “I think I might stick around here. I really enjoy your town,” my mom says.

  “That’s great. Mandi said you’ve been a huge help to her.”

  “I need to keep busy. I used to waitress some when Logan was growing up, so I don’t mind pitching in when she’s busy. Come by and I’ll read your tarot cards.”

  That’s my cue to get downstairs. Who knows what those tarot cards will say, and I’m not about to put any more doubts in Nikki’s head just because some card that can be interpreted different ways turns up in her shuffle.

  “Hey, Mom.” I drop my suitcase on the floor and catch Nikki’s gaze, diverting to it for a second. Yeah, this sucks.

  “You’re leaving, I hear,” Mom says.

  I nod. “I leave and the press comes with me.”

  “You know, I did one of their tarot card readings the other night. I’m not sure who these people are, but they didn’t even know I’m your mom. How dense is that?” She shakes her head. “I may have fibbed a little about their future outlook.”

  Nikki laughs. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “You’re my daughter-in-law and they’re being intolerable.”

  “Well, thanks.” Nikki glances at me. “Craig going too?”

  “Yeah, the whole training group. I need them in Vegas.”

  “Don’t go on one of those strict diets and turn into skin and bones. You need some fat on your body to block those punches.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  My mom runs her hand down Nikki’s arm. “Can I have a moment with my son?”

  Nikki nods. “Of course, I’ll just be in the kitchen.”

  Once Nikki’s gone and out of earshot, my mom signals for me to step farther away. “Are you sure you’re making the right decision? Just leaving like this?”

  “They won’t bother her if I’m not here.”

  She raises her eyebrows. “You can’t guarantee that. Plus, if she’s going to be your wife, this is a part of your life. Whenever you have something going on, she’ll have a camera in her face, pictures taken when she has no makeup on, and yeah, lies spread about you both. She might as well get used to it now.”

  I tug on my mom’s sleeve to step even farther away so Nikki can’t hear me. “She will get used to it, but we haven’t even known one another that long. Trust takes time to build, and I’m trying to do this with baby steps to ease her into it. I’m not going to push her into the deep end of the pool and say sink or swim.”

  “You’re protecting her.”

  “Yeah.” I nod. “I am, and I’m not ashamed. We’ll get there, but not right now. This is the best decision for us at this point.”

  She wraps her arms around my shoulders. “Okay, if you think so. I’ll be at your fight in a few weeks then.”

  I understand what my mom is thinking, but things have progressed so fast for Nikki and me. If I let the press eat her up now, I might as well sign the divorce papers. “Love you.”

  “Love you too.” She runs her hands down my back.

  Craig comes to the door, the other trainers all loading their bags into the truck behind him.

  “I’m going to say goodbye to Craig. I think Zoe might miss him.” Mom winks. I can already see her matchmaking skills hard at work.

  “Remember, Craig lives in the lower forty-eight.”

  “So, do you?” She raises her eyebrows, and I shake my head.

  “Hey, Nik?” I call after my mom leaves.

  She walks
in, and I can already tell from the look in her eyes that this is going to suck.

  I take her in my arms and kiss her forehead. “You’ll be so busy you won’t even notice.”

  “Um… did you miss that we’re in Sunrise Bay, Alaska?”

  “What did you do before me?”

  She rests her chin on my chest and stares up at me. “I don’t remember. It feels like a lifetime ago.”

  I nod. “I know how you feel. Going back to Vegas doesn’t seem like a good fit anymore.”

  She rests her hands on my chest. “It is. It’s where you make your living.”

  I cover her hands with mine. “So I’ll see you soon, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I hope you like phone sex, because it’s going to be a struggle without you being an arm’s length away.”

  She giggles. “Maybe abstinence will help your training.”

  I shake my head. “Nah. Overrated. Done it before. Just makes me angry.”

  “Which is good for the ring, right?”

  “You don’t want to be responsible for the death of Rinaldo, do you?”

  She laughs and I wish I could record it to play it over and over again. I’m not prepared for this separation ahead of us. “Go. We can’t do a long, teary goodbye. Besides, it’s not goodbye, it’s see you soon.”

  I stare at her, trying to memorize everything about her even though I snapped a picture of her sleeping last night, wondering if I’m making the right decision. The press can twist things around, and I’m counting on Nikki not to read into things she may see or hear. Distance can do crazy things to the most well-established couples. It could be suicide to our relationship.

  I lean down and capture her lips in a kiss I hope conveys all my feelings for her. She moans when I slip my tongue in her mouth, and she grips me harder, her body flush to mine. Damn, I’m going to miss her something fierce. She’s the one who ends the kiss, and we take a moment to catch our breath.

  “I should get going,” I say with a hoarse voice.

  She nods a few times fast.

  “I’ll call you when we land.”

  “Great.”

  “You going back home tonight? I don’t want you here by yourself.”

  She pushes me toward the door. “You do know I was a functioning adult before you came into my life, right?”

  “That’s before. Now it’s my job to protect you.”

  She smiles and shakes her head. “Well, I promise I’ll be fine.”

  I kiss her one last time before heading down the steps with my bag. Right before I step into the truck, I stare at her in the doorway. My mom’s with her now, her arm through Nikki’s. I can’t imagine how those men who go off to war handle this because my heart is shredding from thinking about spending the next few weeks without her.

  I wave and she waves back. Then I head into the truck, under the darkness of the tinted windows.

  “You’d think you just broke up. It’s only a few weeks.” Craig slaps me on the knee.

  “I’m fine,” I choke out, staring at her through the window.

  “Man, she sure won you over fast. I’ve never seen a man fall so fast and so hard.” Craig laughs.

  I refrain from making a crack about Zoe.

  When we arrive at the Anchorage airport, Vince is already in the private jet. He does love to fly on my dime. The latest gossip magazine is on the table, and I pick it up and ask the flight attendant to throw it away.

  “You should know what they’re saying,” Vince says.

  “I don’t care what they’re saying.” I sit in my seat and strap in, as does Craig and all the other trainers.

  “Being blind to the issue isn’t going to make it any better.”

  “What issue is that?” I spear him with a look.

  I’ve always loved Vince. He’s a great manager, always has my needs in mind, but after our confrontation about Nikki, I sense his displeasure with me finding someone to share my life with. And if he doesn’t want me happy in all aspects of my life, then I don’t really care for him to be in my life. Which brings the thought of retirement back up. One thing I do know is that I won’t retire unless I’m on top, so if I don’t win this fight, I’ll be going for the title again.

  “The fact that you’ve never won a fight when you’ve been in a relationship.”

  I roll my eyes. “You know that’s just a coincidence.”

  “Still. Every time you’re in a serious relationship, you lose. Case in point, it’s clear to me since I arrived in that nothing of a town that your focus is split. I hope you can turn it around once we’re in Vegas and there aren’t distractions.”

  “Watch yourself, Vince.” I shoot him a warning glare, and he looks away.

  He’s not normally so vocal about his concerns with me. Then I remember a headline about Dale Campbell signing with someone else. Vince’s eggs are still all in my basket.

  Before takeoff, I send one last text

  Me: I miss you already. ☹

  Three dots appear immediately.

  Nikki: I miss you more. <3

  I shut the shade, not wanting to see the mountains disappear and turn into desert, and put in my earbuds. My head falls back to my headrest and all I envision is my wife spread out naked on the bed for me. I’m going to have the bluest balls ever by the time she meets me in Vegas. I need to channel all that sexual energy somewhere else, so I pull up Rinaldo’s last fight to study his moves some more and figure out how I’m going to counter them.

  I hate it, but Vince is somewhat right—having a wife is a distraction. A welcome distraction, but still, I’m thinking of our relationship a lot, and not one-hundred percent focused on the fight mentally like I normally would be.

  Vince puts his tablet up in my face to show me an article that’s just been posted.

  Place your bets now… rumor has it, Logan Stone and his new bride have separated already. Finally, all those who believe in the superstition that he’s never won a fight while having a girlfriend can rest assured he’s moving up in the odds in Vegas now that he’s single again.

  I roll my eyes. Who would report we broke up? Then I shake my head, not really giving a fuck because they’re wrong. If someone didn’t bet on me because of that stupid superstition, screw them.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Your cheeks are flushed, dear, are you feeling okay?”

  Nikki

  My heart drops out of my chest when I see the article that says Logan and I broke up. It’s fake news. Just like Logan explained when we talked last night, some people will do anything to gain success or money. He’s been gone for a few days now, and I’ve been trying to keep myself busy with work and preparing for my podcast with Gavin Price, but none of it helps. I’m still always thinking of Logan in the back of my mind.

  Since we’re very much still together, it isn’t the reported breakup that concerns me. It’s the fact he’s never won a fight while he’s been in a relationship. So I’ll be the reason if he loses? At least as far as the world is concerned? Why didn’t he ever tell me that before?

  “I think you’re overreacting,” Mandi says, sliding into the seat across from me at her restaurant attached to her inn. “You’ll prove them wrong when you show up at the fight.”

  “I told you to poison their food while they were here,” Chevelle says, crossing her arms and giving Mandi a glare.

  “And murder someone?”

  “I simply suggested a little digestive trouble. They deserve it for coming here and ambushing Nikki and Logan.”

  I close my screen, unable to read it again. The tidbit about him never winning while in a relationship took me down a Google blackhole of Logan’s exes, only to find one I recognize. Melanie from the casino. She’s one of the girls who holds the numbers and struts around the cage. How fucking unoriginal is that? From what I gather, they were involved for at least six months, maybe a year, and he lost every fight during that time. After they broke up, he won again and has been on a winning
streak ever since.

  “I can’t afford a bad Yelp review,” Mandi continues to argue about something I don’t care about. I’m only half paying attention.

  “Oh, screw Yelp. Do you know I got a review that said I was wearing too many clothes on the boat?” Chevelle rolls her eyes and flicks her long blonde hair behind her shoulder.

  “Shut up?” Posey’s mouth hangs open.

  Chevelle nods. “There was this group of guys and they were rowdy and really annoying and probably a little embarrassed that not one of them could catch a fish. When we docked, one of them grabbed my ass.”

  “And what did you do?” Mandi asks.

  “I was about to throw him in the water, but Cam saw and took care of it.” She shrugs.

  Oh, Cam. When will that guy ever admit to wanting my stepsister? He’s been Fisher’s best friend forever, and though Cam and Chevelle argue like siblings, I still think there’s an undercurrent of desire too.

  “Then I yelled at him because I can fight my own battles. I certainly don’t need Cam to do it for me.”

  “What did Cam say?” Posey is clearly enthralled with the story. Must come with being a hairdresser. She gets gossip on the regular—not that she shares any with me for my show. She says it would be bad for business.

  “He said Fisher would kick his ass if he knew he saw what happened and didn’t do anything. So now I have a one-star review. Yelp took down the remark about the clothes but kept the star there. I fucking hate Yelp.” Chevelle picks up a fry and dips it into her ranch dressing before popping it in her mouth. “Anyway, this is about Nikki. Carry on.”

  I hold up my hand. There’s nothing more I can say. “I’m done. I should just go drink my sorrows away.”

  “Where is my sister and who stole her pussy?” Posey asks, shocking all of us. We just stare at her for a minute. “You know how people say who took your balls for a man?”