Chapter 39
CHAPTER 39
BETH
I sit in the front passenger seat as Martin exits the highway into Houston and my heart drops when I recognize the direction we’re going.
“Martin,” I warn as I wrap my finger around his, holding into the shift gear.
I swear, if he’s taking me where I think he is, we’re gonna fight.
“Yes, little rabbit?” A sly grin spreads across his face.
“Don’t you little rabbit me, mister. I swear, if you’re taking me to that fighting–”
“Yes, I am taking you there, but you don’t need to worry.”
I roll my eyes. “The only way I don’t need to worry is if you’re fighting someone other than Nigel.”
He shrugs. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. He won’t get close to you with me by your side.”
“You say that now, but what about when he knocks you out?”
“He won’t,” he says with so much confidence it’s baffling.
“Oh, really? He has never lost a fight and every time I’ve seen you two fight, he always knocks you out. What makes this time any different?” I know I’m freaking out, but I have every reason to. I know he does this as some twisted kind of trauma release, but I don’t like the idea of Nigel hurting him.
“Beth,” he turns his hand upside down to hold mine in his. “He only won because I let him. It wasn’t because of his skill, strength, or speed. It’s because I wanted him to win. This time is different. I’m gonna hit him in all the places that hurt, including walking in there with the woman he wants and lost because he didn’t treat her with the love and respect she deserves. By the time we leave, he’ll know he’s never getting you back, no matter how hard he tries.”
My heart stirs as he focuses his gaze back on the road. I don’t know if I believe it’s all because he lets Nigel win. Sometimes it really looked like he was trying and failing.
I don’t want to see Nigel. I’m scared of what he’ll do when he sees me walk in there with Martin of all people.
Can Martin really protect me from my crazy ex?
* * *
With my hand in his, Martin walks me into the warehouse, but unlike every other time I’ve been here, the place is close to empty. However, anytime Nigel brought me here, we were always running late so maybe that’s why.
“So, why is your brother training Nigel instead of you?” I ask mostly to keep my mind preoccupied instead of thinking of what is going to be happening soon.
“Because he needs the training and I don’t.” He sends me a cheeky smile as he throws his duffle bag over his shoulder.
Cocky much.
Martin pushes open a door and pulls me inside. I find myself inside a locker room with a line of lockers and a big shower in the corner that doesn’t look like it belongs in this warehouse, but I guess they had to make upgrades for hosting these underground fights.
I sit down on the bench in front of the lockers and wait as Martin gets changed. He strips off his baby blue silk button down and his black slacks before moving onto those loafers. Once he’s down to his boxers, he puts on his gym shorts and a pair of tennis shoes. The entire time, I’m just enjoying the view of his glorious chest.
I’ve been successfully distracted and not by any talking but by the anticipation to get him back to the house and ride him like a cowboy. I’ve probably formed an addiction, but that’s fine.
“Come on,” he mutters as I stand up, but before I can take a step, he throws me over his shoulder like I don’t weigh anything.
“Martin!” I screech.
Please, don’t drop me.
“I’m going to have fun with this,” he whispers under his breath but I hear every last syllable.
“I swear, if you drop me–”
“Calm down, little rabbit. If I can support your weight while fucking you, I can damn sure do it while walking.”
Smart ass.
“Fine.” I sigh. “You’re lucky I like you or I’d kick your ass.”
Then, I feel his teeth dig into my hip as if to warn me to behave. “I already knew you liked me, but thanks for the confirmation.”
I thin my lips. Goddamn it. I thought I was hiding that fact pretty well.
Martin walks out of the locker room with me over his shoulder and my eyes scan the crowd, my heart racing with every step he takes.
I’m not worried that he’ll drop me. I’m worried that Nigel will see him flashing my nearly bare ass due to the thong I’m wearing under this skirt and lose his shit.
Then, I see Oliver as Martin passes him, but the fucker is grinning, slowly shaking his head as if he thinks this is funny.
Fucking prick.
The people on Martin’s side of the warehouse cheer as Martin shows me off like I’m his prize before he has even entered the ring.
Then, I hear it, Nigel’s fucking voice. And he sounds pissed.
However, when Martin smacks my ass hard, I can’t help laughing.
“Hey! You’re flashing my ass to everyone!”
“Good. They can see you’re mine and there’ll be no need for an explanation.”
That’s why he did this with Casey when I first saw them together. He walked through the warehouse with her and I thought it was some toxic show of her like a lamb to the slaughter, but that’s not it at all. He’s showing me off so everyone knows only he can touch me. I belong to him, for now at least.
“Put her down, Gray!” Nigel’s voice overpowers any positive feelings I had for Martin’s public claim on me.
Buzz kill.
Martin stops and allows me to slowly slip down his body, but once I’m eye-level with him, I steal a kiss and my entire body feels light. He leads me down to my feet and only then do I let him go.
I was scared before, but for some reason, now I’m not.
“Shouldn’t you be on your side of the ring, O’Reilly?” Martin taunts as I turn my head and look at Nigel for the first time since I ran away from him.
There’s a mixture of rage and betrayal on his face as he looks between me and Martin.
“Come on, butterfly,” Nigel extends his hand out to me and I just stare at it like he’s lost his damn mind. Does he seriously think I’ll go with him just because he demands it? He’s clearly forgotten who I am.
“No.”
His eyes widen as if my defiance surprises him.
“No?”
“Yeah. I said no. Do you need it in German, too? Nein.” I take Martin’s hand in mine before I continue. “No is a complete sentence so, go away. I thought my actions were clear on that front. I don’t want anything to do with you. You treated me like a commodity, like I was your property instead of a person. What sane woman would ever want to go back to that? After all, Martin treats me with the respect and care you refused to. Leave me alone, Nigel. I’m not yours and I never will be.”
Suddenly, a hand comes down on Nigel’s shoulder and I look up as Oliver walks over. “Get moving, man. You’re not going to hurt him before you’re in the ring and we don’t need to rehash what will happen if you lay a finger on her. Go.”
What did Oliver mean by that?
Nigel keeps staring at me, but I don’t back down. I hold his gaze so he knows how serious I am.
Just let me go, please.
“Nigel, now ,” Oliver warns while pushing him to walk back to where he belongs and far away from me.
I turn my gaze to Martin whose eyes are heavily trained on Nigel as Oliver practically drags him away. “Why were you so silent?”
Like other than remarking about how Nigel was on the wrong side of the ring, he was really quiet.
“I had the feeling you had more than an earful to give him for the both of us.” He squeezes my hand before smirking down at me. “In all seriousness, I’m really proud of you, little rabbit. You stood your ground. I know how difficult it is to do that with the person who hurt you.” He presses a soft kiss to my forehead and I fucking melt.
There must be something seriously wrong with me. Why the hell else would I completely swoon just from the smallest amount of praise from Martin? My standards are on the floor at this point. I used to just roll my eyes when anyone said they were proud of me and come back with some witty remark about how I didn’t need them to be proud.
However, when he says it, it gives me life .
“Thank you.”
He throws his arm around my shoulder and guides me through the crowd, even past a scowling Casey who looks very uncomfortable with her “not boyfriend” being so affectionate with me.
I can’t believe she actually lied about dating Martin. Like, why? Why would she lie about that? Did she think he wouldn’t call her out on it? As if!
We walk up to the ring as the showrunner makes a series of announcements with a megaphone and Nigel gives Martin the death stare. He looks ready to kill him.
“Are you sure about this?” I ask as I turn to look up at Martin, concern filling my gut. The panic is swirling in my brain and my heart can’t take much more.
Ro said during that first fight that Nigel would kill Martin, but now it’s more than just him grabbing my ass. I came here with Martin and Nigel is fully aware that Martin and I have been hooking up.
Martin takes my face in his hands, a smile pulling at his lips. “I’ve got this. Take a breath, okay? Besides, at this point, I’ve got the edge, not him. I’ll be fine.”
I slowly nod, my lips thinning with every second.
He chuckles. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you would miss me if he actually killed me,” he jokes dryly.
All jokes have a lick of truth to them and I don’t know how he could think I wouldn’t miss him. I think a part of me would die a little along with him.
My heart didn’t feel safe with Nigel or Oliver, but I know deep down if I gave it to him, it would be. It doesn't matter that things are casual between us. He has proven himself over and over again over the past few days.
“Of course, I would.” My voice breaks as I glance over at Nigel anxiously.
I just want Martin to walk out of this alive.
“You can calm down. He’ll be fine.” I snap my head around at the voice and find Oliver standing there, his arms crossed over his chest. “I should know. I’m the one he spares with.”
That only gives me a small comfort. Oliver is really strong, but so is Nigel. I’ve never heard of those two fighting, but if I had to bet based on muscle mass alone, Oliver would be the winner. Nigel has strategy on his side and I’m not aware of any training Oliver has.
“I’ll be okay, little rabbit,” Martin affirms before Oliver moves around me and quite gently pushes Martin back.
“Oliver,” I growl his name. What is his problem and why is he over here when he should be on Nigel’s side of the ring?
“Nigel has his own grievances with you, but I have some of my own, cousin.” Oliver practically snarls. “What the hell are you doing here with her?” I can’t see his face, only his back, but if the tense muscles lining his spine are anything to go by, he is mighty pissed.
“That’s for me to know and for you to dot, dot, and…oh, would you look at that! Another dot.”
I snicker from his sassy response. It used to annoy the hell out of me, but that was before I actually took the time to get to know him.
“I really don’t want to hurt you, but don’t think I–”
“Girls, girls, you’re both pretty. Jesus Christ. Put your dick away, Oliver.” He turns his head to look at me as if he forgot I was standing here. “Like, if you’re fucking jealous, just say that and leave Martin alone. Nigel is swinging his dick around enough for an entire village. You can stop.”
He backs away from Martin before turning to me. His eyes are nearly black when he wraps his fingers around my throat before leaning into my face. “I don’t do jealousy, crazy girl. I don’t mind sharing what’s mine .” I’m about to tell him I don’t belong to him when he steals a rough and passionate kiss, something that causes the entire warehouse to go dead silent. He releases my mouth before whispering, “Keep that in mind the next time you want to elicit that type of response from me.” Then, Oliver releases me and walks away. I still feel his lips on mine and the indentation of his fingers around my throat, flexing against my pulse.
God-fucking-damn him.
I wasn’t trying to make him jealous. He was acting like a jealous ex, coming after the guy I’m now sleeping with. There’s a small part of me that is disappointed by the lack of response. At least Nigel was pissed off and ready to fight Martin over me. Oliver was just there .
What did I really expect though? Oliver doesn’t care about me. He made that clear the day I left Grove Hill. I have no hopes of that changing, ever.
I’m okay. I have Martin. I don’t need Oliver.
Martin puts his arm around me and pulls me into his chest.
“Are you okay?” he asks and I slowly nod.
“Yeah.” No, I’m not. It was a mistake for Martin to bring me here. All seeing Oliver does is hurt. I don’t think even he predicted Oliver showing up though. He hasn’t been present for any of the other fights. Why would he be here for this one?