TWENTY-THREE
I can’t believeWilder won. Well, I can… but that was a massacre. I’ve watched a lot of fights, and I’ve never seen Bear that distracted—ever. It should have been an even matchup, and it simply wasn’t.
Word had gotten out fast that Derek Pierce demanded the warehouse be cleared quickly. It can be chalked up to his son losing, but the older Pierce’s behavior tonight was erratic. I’d watched him carefully because his sort interests me—and that man went from dickish asshole to uncaring jackass dad to Demon Derek over the course of the evening. His security detail began ushering people out of the building almost as soon as the ref held Wilder’s arm up and announced him as the victor. And of course, it left those few people who hadn’t lost their money tonight in a mad scramble to collect at the betting window.
Wilder and I hightailed it to the dressing room with Echo between us to take refuge so the man of the evening could quickly shower while we waited for the pissed-off mob to leave. We haven’t had a chance to talk about much of anything or decompress yet because, while Wilder was the winner, we’re also sort of in enemy territory. There’d been a few people excited for Bear’s dethroning, but more had been disgruntled because Wilder’s win had cost them money… Though, they were angrier with Bear, in my opinion. Better to exercise caution and get the fuck out of Dodge.
But we can’t do that until Royal returns. Almost as soon as we got to the dressing room, he’d taken off again. Said he had something to take care of. I’m more than a little nervous to find out what he’s been up to. Tracking down Derek and knocking him out? He knows what was said to Echo, so it tracks. But… he wouldn’t fucking do that right now, would he?
“Where do you think he went?” A freshly showered Wilder chews the inside of his cheek, glancing at his phone.
I shrug. “No idea.”
Running a hand through his still-damp hair, he shakes his head, stashing his phone in his pocket. “Well, I’m going to pack up my gear, then I think we should wait in the truck.”
Echo huffs out a breath. “I think I know where he is, and it’s not what you’re thinking. I’ll tell you in the truck if he’s not back by then to tell you himself. But you’re right, I feel antsy hanging around here.”
A knock sounds at the door. Hopefully, this isn’t trouble. I cautiously open it, to find Madison on the other side. She peers past me, obviously looking for Wilder. “I have Wilder’s winnings.” She’s telling the truth, judging by the stack of bills in her hand. “Mr. Pierce sent me to deliver it, and he said it was only to be given directly to Wilder.”
I’ve never heard of them entrusting a cage girl with the money, so that’s odd. Either something has happened, or Madison begged for this last chance at Wilder. Or both.
Wilder appears with his bag slung over his shoulder, eyeing Madison like he definitely thinks she’s trouble, and I swear if her tongue weren’t attached, she’d be licking every inch of him already. I’ll admit, he does look good—post-fight muscles bulge under the formfitting T-shirt he’s thrown on, and in gray sweatpants, he’s every girl’s wet dream. Mine too, coincidentally. And I happen to know his dick is swinging free in there because I watched him dress not five minutes ago.
She gives him a bright smile, holding his cash near her ample breasts. “Wilder, I was thinking we could—” Biting down on her lip in a way I’m certain she thinks is sexy, she raises her brows.
He plucks the cash from her hand and stuffs it into one of the outer pockets of his bag. “Sorry, Madison. No time to talk. Excuse us.” Jerking his head toward me and Echo, he skirts around her, throwing the door open and exiting without a backward glance.
Echo and I exchange an amused look, then hurry past her as well. Then in plain view of the sorority girl, Wilder hooks his arm around Echo, drawing her close to kiss her… and then a moment later, he repeats the process, gripping the back of my neck as he hauls me close, too. His mouth collides with mine as he thoroughly leaves his mark on me. I wasn’t expecting that. Wilder never does that shit in public unless it’s obvious it’s for show, like at a party. My heart gives a resounding thump in my chest before he eases away. And the thing is, he never looks back at Madison. I don’t think that was for her benefit at all. “Let’s get the fuck outta here. We can text Royal from the truck. Let him know where we are.”
As we leave the building, I can’t hold it in any longer, I snort with laughter, “You didn’t give that poor girl a chance.”
Wilder’s lips curve into something that is half smirk, half smile. “I have everything I need with the five of us. We’re a closed unit. Done. No one else need apply.”
Echo stares at him, a look of longing and hope in her eyes. “You mean it?”
I grin, leaning in to brush my lips against Wilder’s clean-shaven jaw. “Fuck yeah he does. I do, too.”
We leave the scene of Bear’s historic defeat, traverse the parking lot, then cross to the parking garage where we left the truck. I jut my chin at Wilder over Echo’s head. “I’ll drive. You should take it easy.”
Wilder shoots me a look that reads what-the-fuck-ever and shrugs. “I’m amped at the moment, but you can drive if you want.” He tosses me the keys, and I hit the button to unlock the doors as we approach. I climb in on the driver’s side. “I’ll text Royal.”
“You want the back or the front, Legacy?”
“With you,” she shoots him a smile, and he pops open the door, helping her into the cab and following after she scoots to the middle of the bench seat.
Once in the truck, I finally feel able to relax. Not fully, though, not until Royal has emerged from that cesspool, and we’re well on our way from here. I peer into the back seat where Echo is tucked against Wilder’s side. “Okay, so first—” I grit my teeth, not wanting to bring it up, but knowing I have to for my own peace of mind. Hell, if I don’t ask, I know Wilder will. “What the hell did Derek Pierce say to you that had you upset?”
Echo’s face falls. “Shit.”
Wilder chuckles. “You can’t believe we were going to forget about that. My win doesn’t supersede that asshole upsetting you.”
“No. I know.” She squeezes her eyes shut. “He basically insinuated that my dad would have taken money to let them fuck me. And also something about his business being a cover for however he actually made his money.”
“What the fuck?” I bite out, surprising myself with the uncharacteristic flare of temper. That’s usually Wilder’s thing. But fuck. “Are you kidding?”
Her face pales, and she shakes her head. “Called me Baby Madden in a way that didn’t sound so cute.” She shudders, a haunted look entering her eyes as if she’s reliving what he said. Her eyes flick to mine before she turns to face Wilder. His jaw twitches madly, and when he finally exhales, it’s harsh, almost as if he’s making an attempt to expel his anger. It doesn’t really work.
“No wonder Royal was pissed off.” He rubs a hand over his face, the buzz from the fight stripped away in these short moments. “Do you have any idea what he meant?”
“No. My dad was the CEO of an investment company. As far as I know, he managed things remotely after we moved. He didn’t necessarily need to be there all the time… He traveled back for important meetings once or twice a month, but that’s it.”
Just then, the front door on the passenger side pops open, and Royal climbs in, dropping himself onto the seat with a triumphant smile. He glances around, his easy grin slipping the second he has a chance to take in the energy inside the truck. “What’s going on?”
Echo clears her throat. “I was just telling them that I have no idea what Derek was talking about with my dad’s business. And definitely not why he’d say that about taking money for me—” Her eyes crash shut.
I wince. “You don’t need to repeat it again. It’s okay, Calamity Jane.” I reach over the console into the back seat and put a hand on her thigh for a quick squeeze.
The delicate column of her throat works overtime to swallow, then she looks up. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re back, Royal. I was going to tell them that I didn’t think you were in there to avenge my honor, no matter how much you may have wanted to.”
“Nah. Pierce disappeared into his office. He’s pissed at the loss. But… not.”
I throw a hand into the air as I start the truck and pull out of the parking space. “Am I fucking crazy or was that some odd behavior from him tonight? He didn’t seem upset during the fight. I was watching.”
Wilder laughs. “Of course you were.”
In the rearview, I peer at Echo as she nods. “He’s right, though. And then at the end, he’s acting like a deranged lunatic over the loss.”
Royal grunts, swiveling in his seat. He shoots me a wink that I have no idea the meaning behind before he produces a fat stack of cash and hands it to Wilder. “Add this to your winnings. Hopefully, it’ll help get your sister free and clear of that dirtbag douche canoe.”
“Where the fuck did this come from?” Wilder grumbles. I glance over my shoulder to see his eyes wide as he flips through the bills.
Royal fidgets for a second before his explanation comes out in a rush. “I was going to bet on you anyway, see if I could recoup what I lost last week. But then… I overheard some shit—it had to do with Derek. This was before he said what he did to Echo.”
Oh, hell. Why do I have a feeling this is going to fuck with our heads?
“They were talking about a girl at first, which kinda piqued our interest”—he glances into the back seat at Echo—“and I wish I knew who they were talking about because they have it out for her.” He pauses to clear his throat. “But anyway, that’s why we were paying attention when the asshole flat out told his buddy, he’d bet big tonight… but not on Bear.”
“Technically, all he did was look at the signage for the fight to indicate who he’d bet on,” Echo murmurs. “But I understood him the same way Royal did.”
Wilder mutters, “What the fuck,” then an audible breath heaves from him. “Bear was hiding an injury tonight. I don’t know if you all noticed. I picked up on it early into the fight. Hell, if I really think back, I sensed something was off before he ever set foot into the ring.”
I take my eyes from the road for a second to glance in the rearview at Echo and Wilder. Echo’s eyes dart together. “Do you think he knew his son was injured?” she asks.
We’re all silent for several beats before I mumble, “Good question.”
Royal shoots me a glance before huffing out a disturbed laugh. “That prick is everything that’s wrong with this town. It’s like his son is a fuckin’ puppet, and he’s just sitting back, pulling the strings.”
An unsettled apprehension washes through me. “I get the feeling Derek Pierce is one of those assholes who uses people and spits them out when he’s done. He doesn’t fucking care. Not even about his son.”
Wilder shifts in his seat, releasing an agonized groan. “Well, I felt bad for Bear, especially after I knocked him out. I didn’t know what to do other than put on the show I know is expected, but?—”
“But nothing,” Echo interrupts. “We don’t know the circumstances that led to him getting into that ring. It’s okay to feel bad for him. And it makes me want to throw up, thinking about what he dealt with after the fight where his father was concerned. But don’t feel bad for accomplishing exactly what you went in there to do.”
A minute later, we pull up to the house, which is dark, except for the dim light shining through the window from the kitchen.
After climbing from the truck, we instinctively meet in front of it in the middle of the driveway.
“You did fucking good tonight, Wilder,” Royal grits out, gripping the back of his neck as he studies his features. “That’s all you need to focus on.”
I’m mesmerized by the cut of Royal’s jaw and the stubble coating it. My heart gives a lurch.
“Yeah. Well, thank you to all of you for being there for me. I know we had a rough day, and this didn’t exactly go as planned.” His eyes flick to mine on the other side of the circle. “We’re going to figure all this shit out.”
I’m mesmerized by the way Wilder’s tattoos move on his shoulders as he adjusts his arms around both Echo and Royal. My breathing accelerates. I need these people.
Echo’s eyes travel to each of us in turn. “I don’t know what I did to deserve any of you. But I hope you know how much you mean to me.”
And I’m mesmerized by everything about this flame-haired woman who has us all by the balls.
My dick stirs to life. Ah, fuck. I blow out a ragged breath. “Are you fucking kidding, love? I swear you give us life.” I grip her chin, tipping her face to mine. “And we aren’t ever letting you go.” My gaze flicks from her to Wilder to Royal, then back. “I can’t be without any of you.”
Without realizing the extent of what I’m about to do, I pull both her and Royal closer to me, and lay a desperate kiss on her lips, kissing her slow and deep. She moans, breathless, then smiles up at me. I kiss her once more before turning my focus to Wilder. His dark eyes pierce my soul and leave me unable—no, unwilling—to stop my actions. I lean forward, keeping my arms around Echo and Royal, and take his mouth with a fierce abandon that comes from familiarity. He tucks his fingers into my waistband, pulling me to him. I find it incredibly hot that he knows what I like, and he’s not afraid to let Royal and Echo see the way we are with each other.
And when I ease away from Wilder’s lips, Royal’s eyes are pinned on mine, the pale green of them watching my every move. I throw caution to the wind and ease closer, breathing his air.
I’ve always taken what I wanted, and now definitely isn’t the time to deny myself. I draw my hand upward to the base of his neck. Every second we stare at each other, wondering and curious, feels like hours. My eyes lower to his mouth, wanting to taste him. I scrape my teeth over my lower lip before I dare look back up. His lips twitch. And I choose to read that as my cue. With my heart thundering, I nip at his lip, hesitating only long enough for a rough sound to scrape up out of his throat. Hearing his need, I let go, crushing my mouth to his. He groans aloud and gives that energy right back to me, kissing me savagely. My tongue delves into his mouth at the same time he wickedly licks into mine.
Echo’s hand grips my shirt tightly, and Wilder makes a low, gruff sound at the base of his throat. I gasp as Royal and I pull apart, my heart beating so fucking fast I’m surprised it hasn’t burst through my rib cage. As a unit, we move closer together, our circle tightening. Without words, we say everything that needs to be said. They are all I need. The four of us, together—it feels fucking right.
Every moment like this strengthens our relationship, and I have no doubt in my mind, these people are who I’m meant to be with. And we’ll protect each other with everything we have.