My Vegas Groom (The Greene Family Book 3)

by Piper Rayne

  “Nik!” I open my arms and step inside. Our lips meet and the weeks spent apart fade away with my wife back in my arms. “Vince told me you weren’t coming for another two hours. He said something happened with the plane.”

  “What? I texted you when we took off.”

  My forehead wrinkles. “I never got a text.” I remember checking my phone when Vince and I were grabbing something to eat before I headed up to the buffet.

  She pulls out her phone, and sure enough, there’s a text she sent to my number.

  “Weird. But come on, forget my massage. I’ll work off this tension with you.” I kiss her again. When the elevator reaches the level my suite is on, I take her bag and grab her hand, tugging her down the hall.

  “You were going for a massage?” she asks and her voice stutters.

  I glance over my shoulder since she’s no longer walking with me. “Not anymore, but yeah, Vince set it up since you were going to be coming in late. But I forgot my phone, so I was just headed back up to get it in case you called.”

  “He made the appointment for you?” she asks. Something in her voice seems off.

  “Yeah, but all they care about is I pay, so come on, we’re wasting valuable time.” I insert my key card into the lock and the green light flashes. “You’re still clothed. We made a deal, remember?”

  “Logan,” she says and stares at me, not moving.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Tears fill her eyes and quickly pile up on one another, cascading down her face. “I was just in your room. That’s why I was leaving…”

  I keep the door open with my toe and pull her toward me. She doesn’t wrap her arms around my waist but stands there with her tears wetting my T-shirt. “What am I missing?”

  The door opens up all the way behind me, and I stumble back a step.

  “There you are, babe.” Melanie stands in the doorway. “Sorry, I couldn’t get out of here soon enough before she showed up.”

  I’m in shock for a second, my mouth hanging open before I look at Nikki and use my finger to push her chin up to look me in the eye. “Is this why you’re crying?”

  She nods and all I see is red.

  Releasing Nikki, I storm inside my suite. “What the fuck is going on?”

  Stalking into my bedroom, I find Melanie’s suitcase and her shit strewn around the room. I pick up clothes and throw them into her case.

  “What are you doing, babe? It’s okay, just tell her. She already knows.” Melanie’s voice sounds behind me, and I clench my fists to rein in my temper.

  Nikki stands by the door, wiping her tears. “Did you set this whole thing up alone?” she asks Melanie.

  “I’m not telling you anything. It wasn’t a setup.” Then she turns to me. “Logan, you can’t keep her in the dark forever. Just tell her.”

  “There’s nothing to tell.” I throw Melanie’s bag out of the suite, then I take her hand and lead her into the hallway. “Have a nice life and stop fucking with mine.”

  I slam the penthouse door and flip the lock. My anger is so all-consuming, I clench my fists at my sides and scream so that I don’t put a fist through a wall. Nikki startles but doesn’t move, so I rush over to her.

  “You have to know that was her playing some kind of game.”

  She nods.

  “Really? You believe me?”

  She looks at me, chewing the inside of her cheek. “I did at first, but when I saw all her stuff here in the suite, I can’t lie… it looked incriminating.”

  Fuck Melanie for ruining my reunion with Nikki.

  “You’re crying because you thought I cheated on you?”

  She shakes her head.

  Thank god, because I was about to go ballistic.

  “I’m crying because for a moment, I doubted you. It was so small, but there was still a moment. What if I never fully trust you?”

  My head falls back, and I sigh. I should be deep inside her by now, not reassuring her of my feelings and my faithfulness. “With what she did, Nikki, anyone would’ve thought that.”

  “But what if, Logan? What if these fears of mine never go away?” She sits on the couch and buries her head in her hands. “What if I’m just always screwed up? You live a lifestyle that scares me.”

  I sit and rest my forearms on my legs and link my hands together. “I can’t say it doesn’t hurt that you thought for even a moment that I’d screw around on you, but I can’t blame you. Someone went to a great deal of trouble to create an elaborate plan to convince you.”

  “Logan,” she whispers. “I don’t think it was only Melanie.”

  I nod because I agree with her. I don’t think it was either. “Vince?”

  “He told me you were up here and had planned a surprise for me, and that’s why you weren’t downstairs. He was there to give me the key.”

  “And he came to Sunrise Bay and then suddenly so did the press.” I go to the windows, wishing I could punch the shit out of one of them. I shake my head. “I need to go find him. I’ll meet you at the press event.”

  “Do you want me to go with you?” She stands.

  I shake my head.

  “Is this about us?” she asks. “I know I should’ve believed you one-hundred percent. It was only a second, Logan.”

  I hold up my hand. “Craig will get a hold of you.”

  “But—”

  “Please, Nikki, just meet me there.”

  I walk out of the hotel suite and shut the door. Before hopping in the elevator, I message Craig to ask him to get Nikki and her family to the press event on time.

  Up until this point, I didn’t know what I’d decide to do after this fight. But now, after the stunt Vince just pulled, my decision is made and final. I hate that Nikki thinks I’m mad, because I’m not, but if I tell her what I’m thinking, she’ll try to talk me out of it. I’ll need to help her understand this is for me and our future.

  The elevator stops on the ground floor and I walk out of the hotel, onto the Strip, to clear my head for a while, wondering if I have the guts to pull this off.

  Nikki’s not in my room when I go up to change, which means Craig has already escorted them to the event room. The room smells like her perfume, which stirs my dick. But there will be plenty of time for that later.

  After changing into my suit, I head downstairs to the press event and find Craig behind the scenes.

  “What the hell is going on?” he asks.

  I look around and pull him into one of the empty rooms. “Where’s Vince?”

  “Where’s Vince? Man, who cares? Nikki looks like she lost her dog. Are you guys okay?”

  “I need to know where Vince is.”

  Craig looks confused, but he says, “He’s in the press room, making sure everything is set for the weigh-in.”

  I shut the door of the room. “I’m retiring.”

  His shoulders sink, but he nods. “I figured as much. Retiring to enjoy the good life, huh?”

  I laugh. “Yeah. I’ve had my fun, made my money, and now it’s time for me to live a quiet life with a wife and hopefully some kids.”

  He claps me on the shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”

  “I’ll try to hook you up with someone else. You’re way too talented to not be on a team.”

  “It’s okay, I’m getting old too.”

  “Who you calling old?” I pretend to jab him in the stomach.

  A knock on the door says it’s time, and a queasiness fills my stomach. I should be relaxed right now, ready to go out there and play up my rivalry with my opponent to up the anticipation for the fans. But I know what I’m about to go out there and do, and even though I’m a hundred percent sure of my decision, it’s a big step.

  Craig and I walk out and up on the stage. Nikki and her family are pressed against the wall at the back, the reporters taking up the first few rows of seats.

  Vince is already there, smiling at me, and when I sit down, he covers the mic and leans in. “Sorry about Melanie. I don’t know ho
w she got up there. I already apologized to Nikki. Never again.”

  I nod and try not to give away that I know he was involved.

  The president of the league gets up on the microphone and introduces me. A few reporters try to ask me questions, but I raise my hand to stop them.

  “I only have one announcement to make.” I look at Vince. “Actually, two.”

  The room quiets down.

  “I’ll be retiring after tomorrow’s fight,” I say.

  Vince’s mouth hangs open, but he recovers quickly, putting his hand over my microphone. “You don’t mean that. We need to discuss this.”

  I remove his hand and stare at him as I say, “And Vince is no longer my manager. You’re fired.”

  I’m about to stand and leave when Nikki screams, “No! He’s not retiring.”

  “Nik,” I say.

  She hands her purse to Molly and walks toward the front along the side wall. “I’m not letting you retire.”

  “It’s not your decision.” She joins me on the platform, and I stand and place my hands on her hips. “I want a life. A life with you, my wife. Where we go to duo nights, and sit on the porch, and watch movies and… what do you people do in the winter?”

  “Make babies!” Ethel screams.

  I look toward the back of the room and laugh before turning my attention back to Nikki. “Make babies. Lots and lots of babies.”

  She shakes her head, tears building in her eyes once again. “You can’t give this up just because I’m messed up in the head.”

  I laugh. “You’re not messed up in the head. This lifestyle plays games with the best of people and I’m done with it. I’ve accomplished what I set out to do. You mean more to me than any of it.”

  “Are you sure?” she asks.

  “I’m positive. Your mood swings are enough of an adrenaline rush.”

  She playfully swats at me, but I take her in my arms and kiss her cheek.

  “Wherever you are is where I want to be,” I whisper.

  She pulls back from our embrace and holds my upper arms. “Then go beat the shit out of Brett Rinaldo tomorrow night.”

  “Consider it done.” I kiss her while everyone in the back of the room cheers. They’re not the only cheers I’ve got in my life, but they’re the best.

  Epilogue

  “I’m the only MMA figher in your world.”

  Nikki

  A little less than a year later…

  The boys have decided to hold fight nights at their house, and since we couldn’t all get together last night, we’re here on a Sunday afternoon, watching the recording. A part of me wonders if it’s hard for Logan to attend these nights, but he insists he enjoys himself. He did, in fact, retire a champion—although tonight, someone else earned that belt since he doesn’t get to keep it forever because he retired.

  “Do you still not believe me?” Logan puts his arm around me while we watch the new champion hold up his belt. “Look at Rinaldo’s face. I was able to keep mine all pretty.” He pats his cheek and smiles.

  I will say the fight a year ago between him and Rinaldo was brutal to watch. Although I found myself standing and cheering him on, the nursing him back to health part was hard for me. Seeing my strong husband barely able to get up off the couch was tough. They both fought an incredible fight, and Rinaldo is now the belt winner. But only because he doesn’t have to compete against my husband.

  I pat his cheek. “I do love seeing you without any bruises and cuts.”

  Logan bought Pump It Up and turned one half of it into a boxing gym and left the other half as is. Who would’ve thought we needed one of those in Sunrise Bay? But business has been good. Plus, it’s right next to the podcast studio he built for me.

  “And I love seeing you pregnant.” He places his hand on my small but growing belly as he so often does these days.

  I smile and lean in to kiss him again. Shortly after returning to Sunrise Bay, we decided to start trying for a baby. We both want the same thing, so there seemed to be no point in putting it off. Besides, that’s not really our style anyway. We tend to jump right in.

  I’m five months pregnant and next week is our gender reveal party. I cannot wait to find out whether we’re having a boy or a girl. I don’t have a preference either way, but I’m just excited to get everything together for his or her arrival.

  “Maybe I’ll have to get Rinaldo up here for an interview. See if those baby mama rumors are true.” I grin.

  Logan raises his eyebrows. “Nah, I’m the only MMA fighter in your world.”

  I laugh and he pulls me toward him, kissing my neck. The podcast has been a great side gig for me, and I’m starting to get bigger sponsors for the show.

  “Let’s go home,” he whispers in my ear.

  We’ve bought a place together, closer to Adam and Lucy on the other side of the bay but right on the water. Pauline has stayed in town too, but she’s renting a small one-bedroom in the downtown area by the inn so she can do her nightly tarot card readings.

  “Not yet. Mom said she’s coming by with a big announcement,” I say.

  “If she’s pregnant, I’m moving in with one of you.” Rylan picks up the controller since the guys are going to play video games now that the fight is done.

  “She can’t be pregnant,” I say.

  “Those two are worse than you and Logan,” Xavier says. “Like right now.” He signals to where I’m sitting on Logan’s lap.

  “Hey, seating is limited. We’re doing you all a favor by sharing,” Logan says.

  “They’ll be saying they have to go soon,” Mandi says, and I stick my tongue out at her.

  The door opens and my mom and Hank come inside holding flags and signs that say, “Vote Greene.” We all stare as they walk around and pass them out.

  Then my mom pulls out a bag of pins. “Guess what?”

  “Dad’s running for mayor?” Adam says.

  Sam Klein, Sunrise Bay’s mayor, is retiring after his term. Please tell me someone from this family isn’t trying to take his place.

  Hank shakes his head and puts up his hands. “Not me.”

  No. No. Tell me this is not happening.

  “Marla is!” Hank raises his hand and she high fives him.

  “That’s right. I’ve decided to run for mayor.” My mom beams.

  “Why?” Mandi stares at her flag with distaste. “Don’t you have enough to do?”

  “You don’t look happy.” Mom’s smile fades as she looks around the room. “None of you do.”

  Hank gives us all “the look.” The one that says, “Make your mom happy or I’ll make your life miserable.”

  We all force smiles.

  “Awesome,” Jed says. “We’ll hang a sign in the brewery.”

  “I can put one up at Fringe,” Posey pipes up. “What else do you need help with? I could be your campaign manager. Or you could run your office out of Fringe.”

  “Suck-up,” Fisher coughs out.

  Posey’s not a suck-up, she just always wants to make Mom happy. But if she wants to be Mom’s campaign manager, I say have at it. Better her than me.

  “You’ll all play a part in getting your mom elected, so put your thinking caps on,” Hank says.

  “As though my life wasn’t embarrassing enough.” Rylan groans and sinks farther into the couch. Poor kid.

  Jed ruffles Rylan’s hair. “Hey, maybe this will earn you points with the girls.”

  We all know it won’t.

  Another knock sounds on the door, and we look around to see who it could be. Most of us are here and accounted for. Fisher gets up and opens the door to find a man dressed in a suit.

  “Did someone die?” Rylan asks mom.

  She stands and so does Hank, walking toward the door.

  “I’m looking for Jed Greene,” the man says.

  Mom, Hank, and Fisher turn around and glare at Jed. He stays on the couch, playing his video game.

  “Jed,” Mom says.

  He looks up
.

  “This man is here to see you.”

  Jed drops the controller and walks across the room.

  Lucy, Chevelle, and Cam come into the room from the kitchen to see what’s happening.

  “I’m Jed,” he says.

  “Would you like to talk outside?” the man asks, gesturing to the door.

  Jed looks back at us and laughs. “Nah, I’ve got nothing to hide.” He shrugs.

  “We mailed you a letter and tried to call the number we had listed for you, but since this is a time-sensitive matter, I agreed to come out here personally. I was a friend of my client.”

  “Time sensitive?” Jed’s forehead creases and he crosses his arms, widening his stance.

  “You didn’t open your mail?” Mom scolds. It’s one of her biggest pet peeves.

  We all look at the boys’ bin of unopened mail on the table near the front door. Is anyone surprised? I don’t think so.

  “I’ve been busy,” Jed says to Mom.

  “My name is David Webb. I’m the lawyer and a friend of Tanya Eaton.”

  Jed shakes his head. “Okay…”

  “Do you remember Tanya Eaton?” Mr. Webb asks.

  “Oh, the day has finally arrived,” Mandi says, and Mom shoots her a look to be quiet.

  “What are you talking about?” I whisper to Mandi.

  But the lawyer beats Mandi to the punch.

  “Unfortunately, Miss Eaton passed a few weeks ago from a severe asthma attack.”

  “Oh,” Mom sighs and puts her hand over her heart.

  “I’m sorry to hear that, but I don’t know a Tanya Eaton.” Jed gives Mom his innocent look.

  “About four years ago, you and Miss Eaton had… relations.”

  Leave it to my siblings to laugh about that word. Mom and Hank shush everyone.

  “Those relations resulted in the conception of a little girl. Tan—Miss Eaton—has named you as the little girl’s father, and according to her will, she wants you to have sole custody. She has no other living relatives.”

  “What?” Jed whispers, his arms dropping to his sides.

  The rest of us look at one another in disbelief. Everyone but Mandi, who apparently thought this day would come.