Chapter 4 Wren
WREN
I stopped dead the second I saw the guy in the gray suit. What I didn’t understand was why he was talking to Ripp. I’d never seen him before, but there was familiarity on Ripp’s face as if he knew him well. There was tension between them that I could feel from across the room.
At first, I thought the man was Nikolai.
They were so similar in appearance from their sandy blond hair, build, and facial structure.
I’d only met Nikolai once, and he had a face you could never forget.
But after further inspection, I realized the man in the suit wasn’t him.
The eyes were completely different. But it still didn’t change the fact that chills ran down my spine the second our gazes locked.
I’d met many dangerous men in my life, and I could spot them a mile away. Whoever that guy was, he was not someone to mess with.
“Hey,” Parker called out, grabbing my arm. I jerked around to face him, and he hugged me tightly. “Congrats on the scout. What did he say?”
He let me go and there was nothing but pride on his face. Quickly, I looked over to see if I could find the man in the gray suit again, but he was gone.
“I’m in!” I shouted, loving the feel of the excitement bubbling in my chest. “James is going to send me all the paperwork I need to complete so I can start fighting in the UFC.”
It was something I’d wanted my entire life.
Parker’s gray eyes softened. “I’m glad you finally get to have everything you’ve always wanted.”
I snaked an arm around his waist and leaned against his shoulder. “Same for you.”
My gaze drifted across the room and settled on Ripp, walking through the crowd toward us.
His expression was carefully blank, but a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips when he noticed me watching him.
I wanted to ask him about the mysterious man in the suit, but I knew there would be plenty of time for that later.
“You’re officially one of us now, Wren,” Ripp announced, a broad smile taking over his face. “How does it feel?”
I exhaled deeply, all sorts of emotions coursing through me at once—a feeling which was both foreign and welcoming at the same time.
“I can’t put it into words,” I replied quietly, extracting myself from Parker’s side.
Ripp motioned to the far end of the room, where a colossal man stood guard before a hallway shrouded in darkness. “Come on, let’s grab your winnings and get out of here.”
We followed Ripp, and upon seeing him, the bouncer stepped aside without a word and gave us access to the corridor. A faint light shone from an open doorway near the end and when I peered inside, I found Kali standing beside Kase with piles of cash stacked high on his desk.
She met my eyes with a mischievous glint in her own and chuckled lightly. “Impressive, huh?”
I’d never seen that much money.
“Just a little.”
Kase held out a large envelope toward me and winked.
He was handsome with his bright blond, perfectly coifed hair, and dressed in a light blue polo shirt that fit snugly around his muscles.
His father used to be a heavyweight champion, but Kase didn’t want to compete; he was happy running the Labyrinth.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” he said, coming around the side of his desk to hand me the money. “James doesn’t just recruit any fighter. Then again, there was no doubt he’d offer you a spot.”
I had no clue how much money was in the envelope, but judging by the weight, it was a lot. I smiled over at Kali and then at Kase.
“Thank you. I’m ready to get started.”
“You know what this means, don’t you?” Kali asked, her black heels clattering against the floor as she came over and pulled me in for a hug. I knew exactly what it meant. She let me go and playfully narrowed her hazel eyes at me. “We’ll be competing against each other soon.”
I stared right back at her. “And don’t think for one second that I’ll go easy on you.”
She shook her head and laughed. “Don’t worry, my dear friend. I’m going to kick your ass.”
I snorted. “We’ll see about that.”
It would definitely be an exciting fight. We both chuckled and she hugged me again.
“All right, girl, I’m headed out. You did amazing tonight.”
I squeezed her and let go. “Thanks.”
Her brows lifted when she stepped back. “Are we training tomorrow?”
“You know it,” I promised. “I’ll meet you at the gym in the morning.”
“Be ready for me,” she said with a wink. “Oh, and I brought your bag in here earlier. It’s over there.”
She nodded toward the corner where it sat on the floor. I picked it up while she said goodbye to Ripp and my brother. However, I couldn’t help but notice how Ripp tensed as he watched her leave. I glanced around at Kase and Parker, but they didn’t notice.
Kase shook Ripp and Parker’s hands, and I slid the money into my bag before leaving the room. Several people congratulated me as we walked through the club toward the exit. I had to admit, it was nice being noticed.
When we got out to the car, I hopped in the front seat and Parker slid into the back. I watched Ripp closely as he started the truck; the tenseness was back.
“What’s up with you?” I asked.
He drove out of the parking lot and glanced at me before concentrating back on the road. “What do you mean?” The muscles in his arms tightened as he gripped the wheel.
“There’s obviously something going on. You’re wound up like a fucking spinning top tonight. I saw the way you reacted when Kali left.”
Ripp huffed. “It’s nothing, Wren.”
“It didn’t seem like nothing,” I challenged. “Do you have a thing for her or something?”
Ripp laughed and shook his head, his body slowly relaxing when he met my gaze.
“It’s not like that. I don’t see Kali in that way.
” He blew out a slow breath. “I’m just protective of you and her.
” Before I could even laugh, he held up a hand.
“I know, I know. You and Kali can take care of yourselves. You don’t need me to keep you safe. ”
Reaching over, I patted his shoulder. “No, but I think it’s sweet.
I’ve never had a real family other than Parker,” I said, peering back at my brother, who smiled sadly at me.
I focused on Ripp and let my hand slide off his shoulder.
“It’s nice to have you and the others now.
I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Peyton. ” I owed her everything.
Ripp chuckled. “Speaking of Peyton, she’s been blowing up my phone. You might want to check yours.”
I dug around into my bag and pulled out my phone. Sure enough, there were a gazillion texts from her and my coach, asking how everything went. I texted them back, saying I would officially be a UFC fighter soon. Peyton’s reply was almost instant.
Peyton: We’re celebrating when you come home!
Me: I look forward to it!
“Do you ever think about your time in Louisiana . . . about what would’ve happened if you didn’t save Peyton?” Ripp asked.
Visions of that night flashed through my mind, but I willed them away. With a heavy sigh, I tucked my phone back into my bag. I wasn’t the type to think about the what-ifs. Thankfully, I was lucky Peyton’s story had a happy ending.
Turning to the window, I watched all the lights blur together as we drove through Sin City. “I try to live in the present and how my choices affect the moment,” I whispered low. “With how messed up my life has been, there was no room to think of the future.”
Ripp nodded in understanding but didn’t say anything. While he concentrated on the road, I stared curiously at him. I wanted to know who the guy in the suit was and why Ripp was angry at him.
His eyes shifted my way and he chuckled. “Why are you staring at me?”
“Who was that guy you were talking to earlier?”
Ripp’s jaw clenched, and he stayed focused on the road. “I talked to a lot of people tonight, Wren.” He knew exactly who I was talking about. His reluctance only made me more curious.
“He was the guy in the gray suit, Ripp.”
He shrugged it off. “He’s nobody.”
I scoffed. “He sure didn’t look like nobody to me. You forget I have experience with all types of men. That one is worth a lot of money. Not to mention, he was packing a lot of heat beneath that expensive suit.”
Ripp blew out a frustrated breath. “His name’s Grant Baker.”
Parker cleared his throat sarcastically and it grabbed my attention. When I turned to look at him, his eyes were dialed in on Ripp’s in the rearview mirror.
“Are you sure you want that to be your answer?” Parker said to him. “You know I have access to all sorts of FBI files, right?”
They stared each other down and then Ripp sighed. “Okay, fine.” Ripp looked over at me and I could see the worry on his face when he spoke next. “It was Seth Michelson.”