Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
And I was determined to fucking win.
I pulled on his arm even harder until I heard a sick pop. River cried out and kicked at me but I locked my legs even tighter. Now that I dislocated his shoulder, I shifted closer to the steel cage and reached out for it. River fought me the entire way, but my thighs held onto his chest. I linked my fingers with the cage just as I wrapped his neck between my thighs. I squeezed over and over until he was red in the face; with one useless arm, there was no way he could fight me off.
We locked eyes.
River kept my eyes as he lifted his good arm and tapped the mat.
One. Two. Three.
The match was over.
I let go of River’s neck and he rolled away, fighting to catch his breath. The referee rushed over to keep us apart; a doctor came in to usher River away and likely pop his shoulder back in. When I stood up, the world came rushing back.
And it was screaming my name.
Once River and the doctor were clear of the bars, spectators rushed the cage, surrounding me in a sea of bodies. Some people congratulated me on winning the match. Others asked for a handshake. Some douchebags outside the cage glared at me with murder in their eyes. Clearly, they bet on the wrong horse. I threw my bruised hands up and drank in the feeling of the chanting crowd.
SMILEY’S! SMILEY’S! SMILEY’S!
I was back on top.
No. We were back on top.
Ari, Frankie, and Lotto pushed through the swarm of people to cut through the ring and reach me. As soon as they did, Ari threw her arms around me. Her eyes shone with tears as she looked up at me.
Her words were quiet but everything. “We did it. For Dad.”
Pride swelled in my chest hotter than the stuffy underground.
“We sure did.” I leaned down to press a hard kiss to her lips and brought her in closer. Next to me, Lotto and Frankie lingered by my side.
The four of us together were un-fucking-stoppable. Not even one of the best in the underground could keep us down.
But people would certainly try.
People like Troy Godwin.
He stood at the door to the cage in his sleek suit, clapping in time with the chants of my name. He smirked like he had just won the lottery. He probably had. I just won that fucker all the money he could ever need, and all I had to do was bruise a rib or two.
Troy didn’t approach, but one of his cronies did it for him.
The burly bodyguard I knew from his office threw people aside to make his way over to us. “Troy requests to see you in his office,” he growled.
Lotto pushed a half-naked girl aside to step in front of Ari. “All of us?”
“Don’t know. Don’t care.” The bodyguard motioned to Frankie. “At least you. The rest of you can fuck off.”
“Warm welcome,” I snapped and held Ari closer.
Frankie glared at the bodyguard and set a hand on Ari’s shoulder. “Lotto and I will go. You two go get patched up.”
As much as I wanted to argue, my side was aching now that the adrenaline had worn off. I’d need some aspirin, a good night’s sleep, and a hard drink. Preferably the drink would come first, but my ribs ached again and threw that out the window.
Damn. I guessed the club would have to wait ’til tomorrow.
“I’m sure this conversation will be riveting,” Lotto drawled.
The bodyguard grunted. “Extremely. Now hurry the fuck up. We don’t have all day.”
We actually did. All weekend, in fact, but I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to die when I had just fought for my life.
“Don’t have too much fun without us,” Ari cooed and pressed herself further against me. She obviously didn’t want to see Troy either. “Tell him we said hi.”
Frankie glanced down at her before shaking his head. “Troy Godwin and fun don’t go in the same damn sentence.”
“See you soon.” Lotto nodded toward us before leaving the ring with Frankie and the bodyguard.
People still swarmed us, but all I saw was Ari. She looked as fucking angelic as the first time I saw her in the ring a few months ago. Blood stained her white sports bra and shorts, and she had a nasty cut on her temple, but other than that she glowed. Like a literal fucking angel. Maybe that was why she looked so damn good in white. ’Cause she was a beacon of light to lost pieces of shit like me.
“Let’s go get you cleaned up, king,” she purred and traced over my chest. “And then tomorrow…”
“We celebrate,” I agreed and pulled her into my chest. “All of us.”
Her eyes flashed with understanding.
We didn’t keep our eyes or hands off of each other as we pushed through the crowd to get patched up.