Forever Consumed Read online

Chapter 2

  Olivia His hands hit the large gloves in quick patterns and my entire body vibrates, humming with arousal. It’s mesmerizing. Every retraction and strike captivates me, forbidding me to look away. My lips part as his large, firm arms extend until they’re fully straight, showing off all of his delicious ropes of muscle that make up those fucking fantastic limbs. Man, if I was given a dollar every time I was rendered useless just by watching him, I’d be a millionaire… and then I’d spend that money on a home gym and watch from the comfort of my own house. That’s the life. “You should take a picture, it lasts longer,” Seth teases from the cage. I sigh and watch his thick fingers curl around the wire of the cage. Wait, what? I blink quickly and drag my gaze to his. He smiles down at me wickedly, and I feel my cheeks burn. I swallow my embarrassment at being caught staring at him and cover it with a smirk. “You’re too cocky for your own good, you know. ” I shift my weight onto my right leg and fold my arms. “I was merely watching your technique. You don’t seem to punch as hard as you used to. ” I’m messing with him. Seth is forever trying to impress me, and of course he always does, but I’m in the mood to torment him today. He deserves it. This morning in the shower he said there was a huge spider in the drain. Of course there wasn’t, but it still made me cry. I should’ve known he was only messing with me—the whole time he was laughing. Seth’s smile fades and his brows furrow. “Are you tired?” I ask, pushing further. “Did you eat enough for breakfast?” “I’m fine,” he snaps, whirling on his heel and storming back to the center of the ring. He lifts his gloves, bringing them closer to his face. He nods to Jackson, who shakes his head at me. I shrug. If Jackson can’t take one of Seth’s full power punches, then maybe he shouldn’t get into the cage with him. Jackson has been nominated as Seth’s new in-house sparring partner. When Seth first started his training camp, the MMAC provided him with eight new sparring partners, but Seth being Seth, refused them all. He doesn’t trust the MMAC. Matt Somers has been playing both sides of the field since he announced the third and final fight months ago. “You really shouldn’t have said that. ” Darryl sighs, strolling up beside me. I fold my arms. “I had to get him to stop looking at me like that somehow. ” Our conversation ends as Seth’s gloved fists slam into Jackson’s wide, black gloves with a loud slap. Slap. Slap, slap. Slap. Slap after slap sounded, making my heart stutter every time, and soon I fell back into ‘la la’ land, watching my hot-as-hell husband duck and dodge as he throws combos at Jackson. Seth looks amazing—better than amazing—he looks flawless, more flawless than he ever has—which is an accomplishment all on its own. Not everybody can improve upon perfection. His muscles are more prominent, his arms wider, his legs thicker, and his determination stronger than ever before. Don Russell took from Seth and Seth doesn’t fare well when his things are taken. Darryl exhales and scribbles notes into his green clipboard. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to push him harder. His times are slacking since his last fight. ” “He’s having trouble sleeping, too,” I confess, glancing briefly at Darryl who widens his eyes at me, offended. You’d think he’s a best friend I’ve been keeping secrets from. “It’s not his fault. ” “Yeah, well, he needs to sort his shit out before it gets the best of him. If he loses this fight, his time in the MMAC will be over before it even begins. ” I nod, watching Seth and the way his sweat glistens off his hard torso. We know the repercussions of this final fight… we know the MMAC is exploiting the relationship between Seth and Don for their own monetary gain, but they’re also fishing to see who’s the better fighter. Darryl thinks there are a few people on the MMAC board that believe Don is a better fighter and would love to see Seth be replaced. “Talk to him about it, Darryl. You’re his coach. ” He laughs once. “That means nothing anymore. You’re the only one he listens to, and besides, we’re the same sex. He’ll punch me in the mouth long before he punches you. ” I roll my eyes. Fantastic. For forty minutes Seth pushes himself harder and harder. The harder he hits, the more frustrated he gets and I wonder if maybe I shouldn’t have teased him. I take in his entire form… tall, muscular, and dangerous. He holds a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and I don’t care who you are, no one is strong enough to carry the weight of the world. “Time!” Darryl shouts, making me jump. Seth lowers his hands, panting heavily. I gulp as he strides across the ring, each step seeming more aggressive than the last. In no time flat, he’s leaning against the cage, and though I thought he was angry, he smirks at me. “Better?” I open my mouth to agree, but Darryl chimes in over the top. “Better than this morning, but not as good as last month. What’s wrong, Seth?” Seth’s eyes narrow and his lips purse. Without a word, he pushes off the cage and storms over to the gate. My entire body tightens with anticipation as he pulls it open and storms down the steps. His dark stare flicks onto my face and I’m trapped—unable to look away. My knees turn buttery the closer he gets and if I focus hard enough, I can hear my hormones multiplying by the second. I catch the corner of my lip between my teeth and thank God humans can’t read minds. Seth would have me locked up in an insane asylum pronto if he heard half of the crazy, obsessed thoughts I have about him. “I’m fine,” he growls as he passes Darryl. “Never better. ” “You may be, but you’re times aren’t. ” Seth snatches my elbow, squeezing tightly as he pulls me away from the cage. I glance over my shoulder at Darryl and he closes his clipboard, giving me ‘the look. ’ I know exactly what it means. It’s up to me to talk to Seth, to motivate him. According to everyone else, I’m the only one he listens to. According to me, he doesn’t do anything I say unless I’m begging him to fuck me. I let Seth pull me through the training room without a fight. Its set up is state of the art and it’s obvious the MMAC spares no expense when it comes to their fighters. I’ve never seen so many machines. Seth pulls me all the way into the shower room and finally releases my arms as the door closes behind us. Sadly, I’m getting used to the inside of a males only bathroom. The cool, white bricks are cold against my skin as I lean against the wall. I let my head angle lazily to the side as Seth pulls his black tank top over his head and tosses it to the floor. His back is to me and my stare automatically sticks to every rise and depression. I know his body so well I can feel it under my fingertips without even touching him. “Maybe Darryl is right…” I say, feeling confident now his intense eyes aren’t on me. Seth doesn’t rush to respond. In fact, he doesn’t even look at me. Instead, he leans in to turn on the open floor shower. Immediately, the hot water begins to steam up the room, feeling heavy in my lungs as it settles. I wait, patiently, for Seth to speak to me. Two minutes pass and all he’s managed to do is hold his hand under the stream of hot water. “Seth—” He whips around and glares up at me from under his brow, making me gasp. Only he has the intensity to make someone gasp aloud. “You’re going to give me a lecture now, too?” “No, I—” He starts forward, his aggressive and predatory steps swallowing the distance between us and forcing me to swallow my words. I brace myself against the wall, expecting some kind of show of dominance, instead he stops three feet away. Strangely, I feel cold… I want his warm body on mine. Unable to resist his pull, I inch closer. “I’m not trying to lecture you… I just want to help—” “I don’t need help,” he snaps at me and I back up an inch. “I’m fine going at my own pace. ” I frown. “And when Don beats you?” He jolts forward, pushing me hard against the wall. There’s the show of dominance I was expecting. I don’t falter, not because I’m not scared—no, I’m scared—I’m fucking terrified. I don’t falter because I know it upsets him when I let him get to me. His chest is flush against mine and his thigh forces itself between my legs. I’m pinned—completely immobilized. “You think he’ll beat me?” Seth growls and I rapidly shake my head. His breath is warm and quick on my face and I want nothing more than to back down, but I have to be the one to tell him to go hard. No one else has the balls to, and besides, he needs to hear it anyway. I’ve lost co
unt of his sleepless nights and can no longer calculate his fluctuating moods. He’s unpredictable—even more so than before—and for the first time since we started dating, I don’t know how to read him. “I think you’ll let him. ” He leans even closer, stealing my breath from me. “If you can look me in the eye and tell me that you honestly think I’m not working hard enough, then I’ll push myself harder, just like I did today. ” I rake my teeth over my bottom lip. I think Seth’s doing all right, but I’m not the one who studies him and takes the notes. “I think you need to try harder, not for me or Darryl, but for yourself. You didn’t take it so well when you lost to Don last time. ” I allow my fingers to graze his hard sides. “I don’t want to see it happen again. ” “It won’t happen again,” He states, harshly, and this time, I flinch. I’m not trying to fight him… I don’t ever want to intentionally upset him, but sometimes things need to be said. How he wants to take it is up to him. My intentions have never been anything other than wanting to help him. He exhales, leaning his forehead against mine. The previously tense muscles of his arms relax, and he lets them fall from their defensive position on the wall before gently stroking my cheek. “Mentally, I’m exhausted and I need to sort it out before I start pushing my body to its limit. I can’t be both mentally and physically exhausted, O—it’s not good for anyone. ” I nod, caressing him. That’s understandable. I catch his hand on my cheek and pull it over to my mouth. His eyes flutter shut briefly as I kiss the palm of his hand. It smells and tastes like sweat and rubber, but I don’t mind. “What can I do to help?” I ask. He drags his thumb along my bottom lip and I resist the urge to suck it into my mouth. “I need you to be with me, not against me, and I need you to ignore whatever Darryl says because I’m already aware of it. I know I’m not pushing myself. I know I need to train harder, but I also know that I… I can’t. ” I almost pout. “Is it something I did? Is there something wrong with me?” Seth grips my face, forcing our foreheads to press together. “Baby, this has nothing to do with you. You pacify my erratic thoughts, you know that. All of this is about me and letting Don and my father get into my head. ” I nearly sag in relief. “How do we get them out?” He shakes his head and releases my face. “I don’t know… but I’m working on it. ” His brows furrow and even deep in thought he’s sexy. I can’t help myself. The longer I look at him, the needier I become. I can feel fire swirl through my stomach and flow south. It moves slowly, but burns hot like lava, and when it hits my center, it explodes like a barrel of gun powder. In my head I imagine crushing my lips against his and taking exactly what I want from him. I imagine hair pulling and swearing, screaming and groaning. I imagine biting, sucking, and licking to the hardest degree, fucking until he doesn’t remember who Don is—until he doesn’t remember his own name. I force myself back to reality with a dry, hard swallow. “I have a temporary idea,” I say, sounding more nervous than sexy. The golden rivers of honey in his irises flare and he flicks his tongue across his bottom lip. I squeak as he manages to tug me forward and grip my ass. The zipper of my jean shorts digs into my clit and the friction causes surges of arousal to pulse through me. “You better watch yourself,” he murmurs in a sexy, gruff tone that has me breathing deeper. “There’s only so many hits my resistance can take. ” He nods at my shirt. “And I’m already having a hard time keeping my hands off of you in this tight-ass shirt. ” I look to his lips again, briefly, and then back to his eyes. God! My insides are liquid. “You’re right,” I whisper, dropping my hands. “This shirt is awfully tight. You should take it off. ” He smirks and leans in. His hands release my backside and find my hips. He squeezes them as he urges me harder against him. “I’d say you’re going to regret that, but we both know that’s not true. ” “It’s not?” He shakes his head, catches his bottom lip between his teeth and releases it. “When I’m finished, you’re going to beg for more, not regret that it happened. ” I smile and find myself staring at his mouth again… such a sweet, vulgar mouth. “I’m not sure if anyone has ever told you, but you’re confidence levels are annoyingly high. ” “Now that you mention it, there was one girl who repeatedly referred to me as over-confident and annoying. She also claimed she hated me once… or something very close to that. ” I laugh once under my breath and he continues. “It turns out she was a terrible liar with a serious case of denial. She ended up marrying me. ” “What an idiot. ” He nods ever so slightly, bringing his mouth dangerously close to mine. His full, warm bottom lip grazes mine and my breath hitches. “Maybe, but she’s my idiot now. ” Only Seth can make an insult sound so sickeningly romantic… or maybe there’s something wrong with me. In the eventual case that it is me, I don’t ever want to be right. I push the thought from my mind. There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m sure any girl would lose all train of thought with a mouth as tempting as Seth’s close to their lips… or his naked torso pressed so flush against them. He teases me for a few seconds, holding his mouth close and grazing. I want to launch closer and kiss him, but I’m paralyzed—useless. It’s like his mouth has control of my nervous system and he’s locked everything in place. “You really want to kiss me, don’t you?” I breathe my response. Yep, my mouth was too dry to speak so I breathed my response at him. There’s definitely something wrong with me. He chuckles low and deep, striking all of the right chords. “I can’t hear you,” he teases, flicking his tongue out and swiftly licking my bottom lip. Sweet mother of Satan. “Y-yes, badly. ” “How badly?” he asks, squeezing his thigh harder between my legs and making me sigh. “Like you need an explanation,” I manage to squeeze out, sounding like a normal human being who isn’t on the verge of sexually assaulting another human being for a change. “On the contrary, sweetheart, I need a very good explanation. I want to hear all of the naughty thoughts that are currently buzzing around your sexy little brain so I can make them a reality, right here, right now. ” His words awaken something playful inside of me. It’s been a little while since Seth has been his usual cheeky, sexy self. Lately, I’ve been treated to silent cuddles, rough sex, and an overall grumpy Seth. Occasionally, sweet Seth shows his face, but it’s usually not without extreme encouragement from me. “Unfortunately, we don’t have enough time for you to make all of my naughty thoughts a reality. At least, not here anyway. ” He counters, “We have plenty of time. ” “Please, don’t let my presence stop you. ” I don’t even have to look. I’d know that voice anywhere. Don ‘the asshole’ Russell. Seth and I snap our heads toward the door. The second I see him, any bodily fluids that Seth enticed from me dry up. He leans lazily against the wide door frame, smiling at us like we’re old friends. His grey tank top allows for his snake tattoo to be on show and I scowl at it. Someone should really cut it off. The number of poor stupid girls it must have traumatized should be enough to start a petition. Don’s eyes flick between us as Seth peels himself off me and steps forward. I grab his wrist and force him to stay put. The last thing I want is a fight to break out right now. Thankfully, Jackson appears at the door frame beside Don and steps inside. He eyes Don with the intent to kill, I can see it as clear as day. What makes me nervous is the fact that I truly believe Jackson would kill for Seth. It’s admirable, to say the least. When we were fifteen, Selena threw me in the path of a barking dog in fear of it mauling her to death. Luckily (and not that she cared) the dog was on a chain… sometimes I wonder why she’s my best friend. Anyway, it’s clear Jackson’s here to have Seth’s back in case anything gets out of hand. I’d be scared of Jackson, all tall and muscular with his outrageous tattoos, but Don ignores him like he doesn’t exist. “What the hell are you doing here?” Seth demands. His entire body is tense and ready to attack at a moment’s notice—all of it I feel by the touch I have on his wrist. Don reaches up and scratches his bald head, still smiling away like he’s won the lottery. “Oh, Matt didn’t tell you?” My jaw clenches. “We’re training under the same roof. ” He snickers before let
ting his slimy gaze focus solely on me. His eyes rake me up and down, lingering on all of my private sections. It’s creepy and I step slightly behind Seth to block it. “Which means no more after training fuck sessions… unless you’re inviting me, of course. ” He winks one of his beady eyes at me and Seth starts forward. I use the momentum created by his body to quickly throw myself in front of him. Desperately, I press myself against his torso and finally he stops, but not without an annoyed growl that tingles my hands. “I’m a big girl,” I tell him. “I can handle myself. ” I turn to Don, pressing my back against Seth. I feel his stomach muscles contract and relax, tighten and release. “You’re disgusting,” I spit at Don, and his smile turns into a sneer. “Charming,” he counters. “Arrogant. ” “Passionate. ” I clench my fists tighter with every counter. “You are obnoxious, evil, childish, stupid, and vile. ” Don’s smile widens, exposing his annoyingly perfect teeth as he looks at Seth. “Careful, Seth, hate and lust are separated by the thinnest line. ” I gasp. How dare he even insinuate that I’d ever ‘lust’ over him? I’d go with Jackson or Darryl before Don—hell, I’d even climb back into Blade’s bed before Don’s. The fact he has the balls to stand there and disrespect me and my relationship in front of my husband is appalling—an act only someone still in high school would do. I start forward, seeing only red. “You son of a bit—” Wind is knocked out of me as Seth’s strong arm seizes me. His thick arm wraps around my waist before he lifts me and throws me over his shoulder like I’m a child who doesn’t want to leave the playground. “Seth! Put me down!” I clench my hands into fists and smack his back with the base of my hands. Blood rushes to my head, making pressure build up behind my eyes. “Call Matt,” Seth orders Jackson, his voice surprisingly calm. “I will not train in the same center as this fucking asshole. ” Don chuckles, and as we pass by him I feel his fingers rake through my hair. I glance up and see my chocolate strands slip through his fingertips. “Get lost!” I snap, slapping him away and earning another laugh. “Don’t touch me. ” I see the floor of the training room pass under Seth’s feet as he carries me away. “Seth!” Darryl calls from somewhere. I try to find him, to ask him to tell Seth to put me down, but my head spins and I grit my teeth together. “I’ll get this sorted out. ” Seth ignores him and before long, I find myself in the hallway just outside the gym doors. “You can put me down anytime now…” I say, but Seth chooses to ignore me, too. I sigh. Stupid Don. I could be in the shower having epic sex with my epic love right about now. Instead, I’m being carried off like a sack of meat. Thanks a lot, Don. I owe you one, asshole. *** After Seth brought us back to the hotel and showered in the safety of our own room (alone, might I add) he left to attend a press conference and sort things out with Matt Somers. He wasn’t too keen on attending the conference. Ignoring the fact that Don will also be there, it turns out my confident fighter is a little interview shy and actually hates talking about himself. Ha! Who would’ve thought? When he left, I lay down on the couch and fell asleep, only to be awoken an hour later by excited banging on the door. “Olive?” I open my eyes and squint around the hotel room. Maybe I’m hearing things? I close my eyes and pull my knees into my chest, snuggling further into the couch. “Olive?” Whoever it is, they’re singing the word in a high pitched opera voice before bursting into fits of giggles. Olive? Really? I think I have plenty of nicknames and I definitely prefer ‘Olly’ over ‘Olive. ’ I lift my head and my brain spins in my skull. My eyes feel heavy and the strength it takes just to keep them open is enough to exhaust me into another nap. “Ooooooliiiive! Open up!” I groan. I have to nip this one in the bud before it spreads to someone who enjoys tormenting me like Seth or Selena. I drag myself off the couch, feeling worse than I did before my nap. I pull the door open and immediately frown when I see Seth’s sister’s face beaming at me. “Whatcha’ doin?” She smiles lazily, running her slender fingers through her dark hair. Even drunk off her tit she’s annoyingly beautiful… just like her brother. Man, does their family have good genes or what? “Olivia?” She chuckles, gripping the door frame and looking at me like I’m certifiably insane. “I was napping, thanks for that. ” “Napping? Geez, you’re even starting to act like my brother. ” She pushes past me, and as I go to close the door behind her, Selena jams her hand in. “Christ, O,” she swears as I pull the door open. “I’m here, too. ” I open the door wider and let her in. “Sorry. ” I say. I pinch a small curl between my fingers and tug on it. “I didn’t see you. ” Selena swats me away as Maddi struts eagerly over to the kitchen bench and slips right onto the stool. When Selena joins her, I take in their appearance. Maddi is wearing skinny jeans that cling to the curves of her backside and legs. Her white backless shirt that dips low in the front complements her tan nicely and the whites seems brighter with her black hair draped over her shoulders. I try not to stare, but a good portion of Maddi’s breasts are on show for all to see. When she’s not looking, I peek at them a few times, trying to decide if they’re real or not. I think they are, but unless I touch them, I’ll never know. Instead of skinny jeans, Selena opts for a sleek royal blue blouse that clings to her body before being tucked under the waistline of her pencil skirt. She looks smart and sexy, everything a business woman should be. The only thing she’s missing is a business. I glance down at my jean shorts and tank top. “Am I missing something here?” I ask, scratching my head and stifling a yawn at the same time. “You won’t be if you get dressed. ” Selena smiles at me, but the smile doesn’t make her eyes wrinkle like it usually does. “Dressed for what?” “A night out—just us girls. ” Oh hell no. I shake my head. I haven’t been out in Vegas since the Spearmint Rhino and I’m not about to change that tonight. If the past year has taught me anything it’s that I don’t do well in clubs. Whenever I’m in one, karma manages to pinpoint my exact location and hone all of her energy in on me. “No, thank you. ” “You can’t say no, Olivia,” Maddi counters. “It’ll just be us and I’m taking you to one of my favorite places. I know the owner, the manager, the security—everybody. We can drink and have fun without any hassles, and besides, Selena really needs a drink right now. ” “Or two,” she adds meekly. “Why?” I ask. “Jackson and I are going through a bit of a rough patch and I kicked him out of our room. ” She says it like it’s no big deal and quickly shrugs her shoulders. My mouth drops open. Should I be offended I’m only finding out about this now? After Maddi? “You two broke up?” She shrugs again, slumping into herself. “Yes—no—I don’t know. I don’t even know if we were dating in the first place. ” I step forward. “Sel, why didn’t you call me?” “Because I thought he’d fix it by now. ” “Jackson has always been difficult,” Maddi says, slipping from her stool. “And he’s easily the most fucked up guy I know, but don’t completely rule him out. He’s also passionate and caring. He’d never do anything to hurt you on purpose, that I know for sure. ” “How do you know?” Selena asks, sounding hopeful. “I just do, now come on, are we going to sit around and talk or are we going out?” Maddi grins at me, her light brown eyes gleaming. How can I turn her down? She’s my sister-in-law after all, and I’m sure Seth won’t mind me hanging out with Maddi for the night. I can’t let Selena deal with this all alone, either. She needs my support and if that means hanging out at a bar against my will, then so be it. I exhale and turn around. “Give me ten minutes. ” *** Seth I chew my toothpick and twist a tiny piece of paper between my fingers, doing anything I can to distract myself from reaching over Matt and punching Don in the mouth. I keep my eyes on the table, ignoring all of the flashing lights and eager people. If there’s one thing I hate about going pro, it’s the attention. The odds of me saying or doing something stupid are high. One wrong word and I’ll be plastered all over newspapers and magazines—the internet, too. I feel Jackson close to my back. His tension is rolling off him in waves and I know it has nothing to do
with our current situation. Selena kicked him out and clearly expects him to apologize first. I don’t know what happened between them, but I do know Jackson has never said the word ‘sorry’ in his entire life, even when he’s to blame. “What do you think, Seth?” a husky, feminine voice asks. Her voice is a lot like Olivia’s, and that in itself is enough to make me lift my gaze to the sea of reporters in front of me. I look at the girl holding her tape recorder the closest. Although she sounds like Olivia, she sure doesn’t look like her. Her hair is auburn and cropped at her ears, like a little pixie. She blinks at me, waiting for my response. Fuck. I have no idea what she’s talking about. To buy time, I reach up and pull the toothpick from my mouth. “Don called you out, bro,” Jackson mutters, kicking my chair. I drop the paper I’m twisting in my hand and fiddle with my toothpick instead. “Don has no idea what he’s talking about. ” The reporters snicker. “I made it here on my own. He made it here on my name, because he was the guy I beat to get here. ” “While that may be the case,” Don responds, “I still beat you last round, kid, and I’m sure you have the hurt pride to prove it—not to mention it was video recorded. ” I peer around Matt, my vision blurring a little red around the edges. If I’m not careful, I’m going to jump this table and beat his ass right now. “You cheated, and who the fuck are you calling kid, you motherf—” “As you can see,” Matt interrupts, tapping a small white card against the table and cutting me off. I lean back in my chair and stuff my over-chewed toothpick into my mouth. “Seth and Don still have a lot of stuff to sort out, and you can witness it all on July 16th. ” I grind the toothpick between my teeth and flick it with my tongue. Matt glances sideways at me before he continues. “Seth is a little on the cranky side tonight. He found out earlier that he and Don will be training in the same center. This morning, Don was early for his session and walked in on an… intimate… moment between Seth and his wife, Olivia. ” The spectators ‘ohh’ at me and wolf whistle, like they have any right to be privy to that kind of information. Slowly, I turn my head in Matt’s direction. What has that go to do with anything? I hear Don chuckle. “Seth’s a lucky man…” I know exactly where this is going. I clench my fists and tighten my jaw. The toothpick snaps in half between my teeth. “…Olivia has quite the ass. ” I react without thought and push off of the table, throwing my chair back and launching to my feet. Don does the same, and all with a huge fucking smile on his face. Jackson’s arm comes up under my armpit and around my shoulder blade, the other around my chest as Matt rises to his feet. He angles his body towards me and extends his palms in a calming gesture. His hands get closer and closer and I shove Jackson off before shrugging away from Matt. “Don’t fucking touch me,” I growl and it takes every fiber of willpower in my being to turn around and not knock them both on their asses. I push past Jackson and storm down two small steps before pushing out a side door and into a hallway. Before the door closes, I hear the reporters go crazy, bombarding Matt and Don with excited questions. Of course they entertain them like fucking show ponies. Jackson follows me out and I begin to pace. Forward seven steps. Turn. Seven more steps. I’m lucky Darryl isn’t here. He’d be chewing my ass off this very second if he was… or maybe he’d be proud that I walked out without hitting anyone. “Well,” Jackson exhales, leaning against the wall. He rubs the back of his tattooed neck. “That went a lot better than I expected. ” I stop pacing and frown at him. Jackson seems pleased with the outcome of the conference. His sparse upper lip is quirked, like he’s trying not to smile. Relax, I tell myself. You got out of there without hitting anybody. Quickly, my frown turns into a smile and I laugh under my breath as I unclench my fists “You thought I’d hit him?” “Shit yeah, I would have. ” He bends his leg at the knee and completely relaxes against the wall while I stuff my hands into the pockets of my jeans. “Darryl is going to be pissed,” I say. Jackson shrugs. “Nah, we managed to get out without costing you your MMAC contract so I think he’ll be happy regardless of what happened. ” I nod. “He’s playing us, you know. ” “Who? Darryl?” I shake my head. “Matt. He’s stirring us up like wild dogs, knowing we can’t touch each other until we’re in the cage. ” “This is his blockbuster fight of the year, he wants it to be intense. I don’t know why he goes out of his way to piss you off, though. I mean, all Don’s gotta do is look at you and you want to throw down. ” I smirk, pulling my phone out of my pocket. “Yeah, well, there’s no such thing as bad publicity, right? He wants us to be at each other’s throats right up ‘til the fight. ” And I get the feeling that’s not going to be a problem. I glance down at my screen and see two missed calls and one text message from Olivia. I open the message: FROM: OLIVIA. TIME: 6:26 P. M Hey! I’m not sure when you’re coming home, but don’t freak out if you arrive and I’m not there. Maddi and Selena have kidnapped me for a girls’ night. We’re at Salem’s, if you want to stop by.