Chapter 7 Rome
ROME
Meet me at Crucible. I need to hit something.
—Text from Rome to Killian.
“What’s gotten into you, man?” Killian asks as we circle each other in the octagon.
He’s been fighting less this past year than he had been, but he and I are still the best fighters representing Crucible.
And if one of us calls, the other comes.
Not many guys can spar at our level, and I didn’t feel like knocking the piss out of one of the younger guys today.
Frustration bleeds thick in my veins as I shake my arms out, muscle memory taking over. “You ever feel like you’re treading water, trying to get to the damn shore, but the sand never gets any closer?”
“If we were good at waiting, we wouldn’t be fighters. We’d be accountants. Waiting is for people who don’t like action. You and I love it. We live for it.” Killer throws a lazy right hook I could have dodged in my sleep. “At least until we live for something else.”
“Your wife’s making you lazy, Killer,” I taunt as I flex my arms and bounce on the balls of my feet, doing exactly what we both just admitted we’re awful at.
Waiting. Only this wait is almost over. “You said you wanted to take time off, so Hudson gave me the okay to move up to heavyweight. That was almost two damn years ago. I’ve put more than a decade of my life into this sport, and I feel like one of those puppets whose arms and legs are attached to strings, waiting for someone to pull the right one. I want my fucking turn at the belt.”
The words are bitter, even to my own ears.
I sound like a spoiled fucking brat. Not a trained fucking killer.
“It’s coming, brother.”
Easy for him to say.
He’s got the belt.
Three of them.
“You gonna keep dancing around or let it fucking fly?” Hudson calls out. Killer and I are more than gym family, we’re actual family. Cousins. Our moms are sisters. And Hudson, he’s their younger brother.
Outside of this building, he’s our uncle.
Inside these walls, he’s our coach.
A living legend.
A world champion every fighter’s heard of. Studied. And tried to emulate.
Including me.
Not that I’m going to tell Hudson that. His head is already big enough to fill the cage, even at his old-ass age.
“Nobody’s giving you a fight if you don’t stop acting like a little bitch.” Killian’s words barely have time to penetrate before his fist swings out so damn fast he catches my jaw unguarded, and I drop to my knee, one hand flat against the mat for balance.
I look up to his taunting smile and shoot forward, slamming him to the ground so damn hard, even Hudson hisses. “Who’s the bitch now?”
“Fucker,” Killian answers, and it’s my smug-ass smile growing now.
“Get up,” Hudson groans like he’s chiding his teenage daughter instead of two world-class fighters. “You.” He points at my chest. “Get up. Get showered. And get the hell home. Rest up this weekend because Monday we’re planning your camp.”
“For what?” I ask. I don’t have any upcoming—
“For your fight. You’re on the card against Benny ‘The Beast’.
Took fucking long enough.
I pull Killian to his feet. “You know about this?”
“Maybe.” He yanks off his gloves and tosses them to his bag. “See you Monday.”
Hudson and I watch as the happy fucker practically skips out of the damn gym in a rush to get home to his pregnant wife. The crowded gym parts like the Red Sea to let him through, and I shake my head as everyone watches him go.
As much as we’re an MMA gym, Killian’s dad and Hudson have always made sure it was a safe place for any resident of Kroydon Hills who wanted to work out, take classes, or get stronger. They never cared what drove you to be here, just that you were here bettering yourself in some way.
Nights are typically when the after-work crowd comes in.
The guys trying to work a day job while they train for the next fight, hoping like hell this next one will be the one that lets them quit that day job.
The people stopping by to get a class or an hour in after work before they go home.
The professional fighters are mostly here during the day, leaving it open for everyone else after they leave.
Tonight, one of Hud’s daughters is teaching hot yoga in the room off to the side of the cage, and judging by the gorgeous woman walking out of the room, rolled mat in hand and sweat-soaked hair plastered to her pretty face, class has ended.
Dillan fucking Ryan.
Her aqua eyes narrow when she sees me before looking away like I’m the asshole.
I mean, I am an asshole. But I refuse to let Dillan Ryan make me the bad guy.
Sorry, princess. But that’s all on you.
She’s been a pissy bitch for two years.
Have I let that stop me?
Now where’s the fun in that?
She has to walk by me to get to the locker room, and my mouth fucking waters with each step that brings her closer until I’m the only thing blocking her path.
Her warm skin is pink and glistening from her class, and her tiny little sports bra and booty shorts do little to hide her toned body.
A body I had my hands and mouth all over before she went nuts and kicked me out.
I like ’em kind of crazy, but she definitely caught me off guard.
One perfectly arched eyebrow lifts as her lips purse. It’s a shame she looks so hot when she’s pissed. “Stalking me now, Beneventi?”
Hudson chuckles behind me.
“You’re in my gym, Ryan. Who’s stalking who?” I fold my arms over my chest and flex, just to see if she watches, and Dillan doesn’t disappoint. She might fucking hate me, but she still wants me.
She shuffles from foot to foot and looks away. “You’re not usually here at night.”
“Yeah well, I needed to hit something.” This is the shit that pisses me off most. I don’t want to hate this woman. I don’t want to not like that I just made her uncomfortable.
Fuck this shit.
“Me?” she asks, completely missing the point.
“I’m an asshole, Dillan. Not a piece of shit. But it’s nice to know what you think.”
Hudson’s daughter walks out of the yoga room and stops in front of us. “Hi, Daddy. Hi, Rome.” She looks at Dillan. “You ready?”
Without sparing me a second glance, Dillan nods and sidesteps me.
I watch that perfectly plump ass as it walks away. “See you at book club, Ryan.”
Dillan’s middle finger flies in the air, and Hudson whistles in my ear. “What the hell is it with you boys and the Ryan girls?”
That’s a great fucking question.
Jamie
So how does this book club thing work?
Lexie
You read the book.
Lucky
Smart and beautiful.
Kaleigh
First rule of book club—We don’t talk about book club.
Ryker
I think I just fell in love.
Kaleigh
Everyone does. I’m awesome.
Dillan
Stop by the store, and I’ll give you the book, or you can read it on a Kindle.
Killian
A what?
Lilah
It’s what I use to read in bed.
Killian
One word about my wife in bed, and I’ll gut you, Rome.
Rome
Touchy. Touchy.
Lucky
Okay. Read the book. What else?
Kaleigh
Basically, we’re buddy reading it. So we chat about it here, if we want, as we go.
Lexie
Then we all get together to discuss it when we’re done.
Jamie
So we read a book and talk about it? Not gonna lie. I was expecting a little more.
Ryker
You guys do make this sound like the greatest thing ever.
Kaleigh
Read the book and you’ll see why. There’re wars, monsters, betrayal, and sex.
Lexie
And love. Don’t forget the love story.
Lilah
This heroine is supposed to be a total badass.
** Group name updated to Badass Book Club **
Ryker
Is she hot?
Kaleigh
She’s got mad knife skills.
Rome
Sounds like my sister.
Dillan
She’s also beautiful.
Jamie
Okay, I can get on board with hot and dangerous.
Kaleigh
Gee wiz, why are you still single?
Jamie
You could put me out of my misery and change that.
Kaleigh
And ruin the fantasy? I’ll pass.
Dillan
I’ll set aside a stack of books tomorrow.
Lilah
I can’t wait to start this one.
Lexie
I can’t wait to hear what the guys think.
Dillan
I’m still impressed Rome can read.
Rome
Guess we’ll see soon enough.