Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Mikayla
Saturday has come around a lot quicker than I thought it would.
After telling me about his match—which consisted of him running full force into the locked door of my room—my excitement sky-rocketed, shooting straight through me like a missile.
I had been itching to see one of the guys fights, see them in action, but I didn’t want them to see her—the darkness drawn to battle.
The thrill that takes over when combat commences, the perfect hum of a watching crowd. I’ve been nearly purring in anticipation all week, waiting for this night.
I expect to be extremely aroused by watching Ry in his element.
His muscles gleaming, dripping with sweat under the heat of the lights.
Skin marked and torn with war wounds, scars shining against the hue of his torso.
Blood hitting the mat when raw strength overtakes our bodies frail nature.
His resilience, his power, and did I mention the muscles?
Yup. My pussy is ravenous from just the thoughts of tonight.
Ryder mentioned needing to be at the arena early. Tommy requested a meeting to go over some details and paperwork, but truthfully I wasn’t listening to the reason. This, of course, left the four of us to get ourselves there in my brand new—at least to me—purple jeep.
Now that was a whole-ass shocker.
After having dodged a barrage of questions again, regarding where I’ve been and what I’ve done over the last twelve years, and expertly re-directing the conversation back to our unwelcome house guest, the guys felt we needed something to lift the mood.
That evening, after dragging me from the comforts of my mattress, Zane and Max wrap a blindfold around my face before each grabbing one of my arms. Them cutting off all my sight nearly threw me into a panic attack, my heart rate elevating to levels a doctor would faint at.
Turns out, I don’t like having any particular one of my senses cut off.
If it wasn’t for the trust I have for the two men holding onto me, I probably would have thrown a fit, trying to remove the blindfold.
They direct me through the house, as I try to keep tabs on the turns they take. Since I’ve only been here for less than a week—and that’s not even in one stint—I’m beyond lost as to where we are by the time we arrive wherever they brought me.
The wind outside howls as it slashes against the sides of the house, and a thrumming sound flows through the space, like a light bulb hasn’t been properly screwed in. Taken through a door, the air shifts, a chill settling in around us.
There’s a low murmur of conversation, which leads me to believe Kade and Ry are here as well, but they still haven’t told me what’s happening. Or why I need to be blind for it.
“Okay, what’s all this for? What’s going on?” I ask, the impatience finally overtaking my control.
“We didn’t get to show you this before you tried to leave again.” That's definitely Zane, who clearly still disapproves of my mad-dash as he squeezes my arm.
“Anyway… we thought now would be as good of a time as any,” Kade continues hesitantly.
With silent and delicate movements that should be near impossible for four large, fully grown men, they manage to leave my side. Their voices now echoing from the other side of the room, saying I can remove the scarf around my eyes.
When the fabric falls away from my face, I can finally blink open to see we’re standing in the middle of the garage.
This is a room that, for whatever reason, I’ve never felt the need to spend much time in—even being Max’s usual space.
Looking at my men, who now stand in a perfect line up, my brow cocks with silent questions.
Mostly wondering about what the fuck this is and if I should have each one of them checked for mental stability.
They stand there, silent, unmoving, staring at me with grins so large and bright, you’d think they were auditioning for a toothpaste commercial.
It takes a moment, before Kade moves away from the others, pushing a button against the wall.
The sound of gears turning, and mechanics shifting draws my eyes to the floor behind them, as it begins to open.
The guys split, their eyes not leaving me as what can only be a vehicle covered in a black drop-cloth rises out of the hole in the floor.
Other than the obvious curiosity as to how large that hole is, and why I didn’t notice the seams in the floor, my gaze flickers between the guys, landing on a moving Max.
He grabs the corner of the cloth, swiftly pulling it to the side, and revealing the most gorgeous purple Jeep Wrangler.
Instantly, my eyes are blurred with tears, as I take shaky steps forward.
They remembered. All these years, something as small and simple as a car I declared wanting only a handful of times.
A dream that meant nothing to them, affected them in no way, but was the thing I strived for—they made it come true.
“Taadaaa!” Max exclaims, jazz hands and all. “It’s all yours, Bear!”
A very girly, very inhuman scream rips from my throat as Kade tosses the keys my way and I rush to get inside.
When I was finally free from Colt, living on the constant run, never settling down or holding a steady job, I never considered a vehicle of my own.
In none of my dreams, did I ever think I would find myself the owner of a vehicle, let alone the one I used to swear was my soul brought to life in the form of an automobile.
I’m shaking from the excitement and raging emotions.
Astonishment, glee, confusion all warring for top spot within my chest as I climb into the driver's seat.
The four of them join me, filling the passengers' positions just like we used to in Zane’s.
Everything still looks new, shiny, and untouched—so of course my fingers drag over every button, switch, and dial.
“I don’t understand, how did you…?” I mutter, thoughts not quite connecting with my lips.
“When we graduated and started working, we all pitched in and bought it. It was another item we could hold, use, touch, that kept us connected to you,” Zane explains. There’s a resounding sadness in the tone of his voice and my heart tears a little, splintering at all the pain I’ve caused.
“Max has kept up the maintenance, but it was only driven one day a year. On the anniversary of the day you disappeared, we would pull it out, climb in and go to the beach. Remembering that last day we had together. We always knew, well we hoped, that when we found you again, it could then be yours,” Kade finishes.
“You’ve had this… just sitting here… for all these years?” I look at each of them, holding their eyes and searching within their depths.
There’s not a smidge of regret looking back at me, just an overwhelming feeling of love.
And as I look at these four, it’s like I just know that they would go to the ends of the earth for me if I asked them to.
Just as surely as I would give my life, if it meant ensuring they could live theirs.
Maybe… maybe it’s time I let them see the real me—the new me.
But not now, I don’t want to mess Ry up before his match, just soon.
Tears are free-falling as the ice wall I’ve hid behind melts and I crumble into the arms of the four most important people in my life.
“I love you,” I whimper, curling myself around Kade in the passenger seat.
His arms wrap around me, pulling me close with his nose nestled in the crook of my neck.
When I pull back, tears still blurring my vision, I grab for his face, crashing my lips against his in a long and lustful kiss.
Throwing all of the emotions I’m feeling into it, needing to show him just how much he means to me. How much they all mean to me.
When we part, I climb into the back repeating the motion with each of the other three. Making sure to remind them of my love and devotion, one after the other. Until there was no doubt of our feelings for each other.
When we arrive at the arena, it’s as if the entire world shifted.
The crowd is loud, arguing and betting on who they think will win.
The air thick with the smell of sweat and blood from fights long over.
There’s a buzz trickling throughout the atmosphere from the excitement of the patrons.
This is my kind of place. Never in the whole year on the run did I think to attend a fight, and looking at it now, I know it for the mistake that it was.
With the flash of a fancy key-card, Zane opens a steel door leading to a set of stairs.
Perched at the top is a row of prestige viewing boxes, carefully kept neat for elite guests.
The floor shines with a fresh polish, the chairs bound in leather without a single tear, complete with personal bar off to the side.
I have no qualms with this type of experience, the one that my guys here are now solely familiar with, but I wanted the real experience.
The raw action. I want beer spilled across the floor and unknown sticky substances grasping at my shoes.
I want shoulder to shoulder aggressiveness.
The kind where you're so into the battle, you walk away with bruises as a spectator.
Kade, Max, and Zane arrange themselves among the seats, a choreographed dance that they’ve clearly performed more than once. There’s no squabbling over who sits where, or who can’t see. Just butt’s hitting the pristine leather and settling in for the evening. It’s…ni—
Nope! Fuck it, can’t even finish that thought. It’s dull as hell.
Excusing myself with the pretense of needing the restroom, Z gets up ushering me down a hallway to show me where the washrooms are up here.
Once I thank him and enter, I lean against the door, waiting for the thunk of his footsteps to retreat back to our seats.
Silence returns, and I slink out, heading back down the stairs and for the main floor chaos.