CHAPTER THIRTY
Snow sat in the stands, leaning forward with his elbows braced on his knees, his attention locked on the ring like everything else in the arena had faded into background noise. The entire team had made the trip to Orlando—the guys, wives, kids—all of them turning out to support Nova.
They had sat through a few earlier matches, smaller bouts that had the crowd warmed up and buzzing, but Snow couldn’t have told anyone a single detail about any of them. His focus had been building steadily, tightening with every passing minute, because he knew what was coming.
Nova had made it to the championship round.
Now she was about to face Martina—the fighter with a reputation for bending rules and taking cheap shots whenever she could get away with it.
As soon as the announcer’s voice echoed through the arena, calling out that Nova’s match was next, Snow felt it hit him all at once. His leg started bouncing without permission, his fingers flexing against his thighs as if he needed to burn off the energy building inside him.
“Hey,” Bear said beside him, giving him a sideways look. “You good?”
Snow exhaled and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Yeah. Just… nervous.” He let out a short, humorless laugh. “I’m so damn nervous I’m shaking.”
And that wasn’t like him. He had been in situations far worse than this. Missions where everything had been on the line, where lives depended on split-second decisions, and he had handled it without blinking. But sitting here, waiting to watch Nova step into that ring? This was different.
Bear grinned and gave his shoulder a firm squeeze. “She’ll be fine. She wants this. She’s put in the work.”
Snow nodded, but his gaze was already drifting back to the ring as the announcer called Nova’s name. Their section exploded with cheers, the team rising to their feet as her name echoed through the arena.
Then Martina was announced, and the crowd answered with just as much energy.
Snow stayed on his feet, his eyes tracking every movement as the two women stepped into the ring. The noise around him blurred, fading into something distant and indistinct. All he could see was Nova.
The bell rang.
Snow dropped back into his seat, leaning forward again as if getting closer would somehow give him more control over what was about to happen.
He watched her movements like he understood every detail—the stance, the footwork, the rhythm of the fight—even though he didn’t. Not really. But it didn’t matter. He was all in.
The match picked up fast, both of them testing each other, circling, striking, pulling back. Snow felt every hit as if it landed on him, his muscles tightening with each exchange.
Riley, sitting next to him, grabbed onto his arm more than once, shouting Nova’s name at the top of her lungs, completely invested.
And it hit him then—watching the team, the way they rallied around her, the way they showed up for her without hesitation.
This was what she had now.
After everything she had been through—every betrayal, every doubt, every piece of her past that had tried to hold her down—she had stepped into this moment and chosen herself. She chose to fight, and chose to win.
Snow’s jaw tightened as Nova took a hard shot to the ribs, her body folding slightly before she stumbled back. His heart jumped into his throat when Martina moved in, trying to sweep her legs out from under her, which was one of her signature dirty moves.
“Come on…” he muttered under his breath.
Then came the elbow. It was fast and sharp. But Nova was already moving. She ducked just in time, the strike cutting through empty air where her head had been a second before. She pivoted, quick and controlled, then drove a vicious kick straight into Martina’s side.
Snow shot to his feet along with the rest of the crowd.
“That’s it! Keep going!” he yelled, his voice lost in the roar around him. “You got her, Nova!”
“Finish her!” Clover shouted from somewhere behind him.
The entire arena seemed to surge, Nova’s name echoing from every direction as the fight intensified. Martina came back hard, clearly pissed, throwing aggressive counter shots, but Nova saw them coming. She adjusted, moved, struck back—a hit for a hit, and a kick for a kick.
They traded blows in a relentless rhythm, neither one backing down. Snow barely blinked, his entire body tense as he tracked every movement.
Then Martina landed a solid hit to Nova’s face. But she recovered almost instantly, resetting her stance, and something shifted. Snow saw it—the moment she flipped from reacting to taking control.
She went on the offensive. She started throwing quick jabs and sharp, calculated kicks aimed at Martina’s sides. She drove forward, forcing Martina to give ground and defend instead of attack.
Then, just as Martina tried to recover, Nova went for the kill shot.
An uppercut snapped Martina’s head back, followed immediately by a powerful roundhouse kick to the stomach that sent her stumbling.
And then she went down.
The impact echoed through the arena as Martina hit the mat.
For a split second, everything felt frozen. Then the crowd erupted.
Snow was already moving, barely aware of it, adrenaline flooding his system as the referee started the count. Nova paced lightly on her feet, controlled, focused, ready if Martina got back up.
“One… two… three…”
At six, Martina struggled to her knees.
Snow leaned forward, his heart racing.
Then she dropped again.
The bell rang, and the ref waved it off.
“Winner!” the referee shouted, grabbing Nova’s hand and lifting it high.
The arena exploded.
Snow didn’t even remember climbing over people or how he ended up surrounded by the team, but suddenly he was there, laughing, shouting, grabbing whoever was closest as they celebrated like it was their own victory. Because in a way, it was.
“And the winner, by knockout—the new national kickboxing champion… Nova Hart!”
Her name rang out over the speakers, loud and clear, but it barely cut through the noise of the crowd.
Snow stood there for a moment, watching her in the ring, her hand still raised, her chest rising and falling as the reality of it settled in.
She did it. After everything—she did it.
Pride hit him hard, sharp and overwhelming, filling his chest until it almost felt too big to contain. He dragged a hand over his mouth, shaking his head slightly as a grin broke through.
God, he was so damn proud of her. And all he could think about now was getting to her.
Snow took his time getting down to the corridor that led toward the locker rooms, though not entirely by choice. The arena still pulsed with energy.
Nova had been swallowed by cameras flashing, reporters pressing in, fans calling her name like she had already become something larger than life. He had hung back, watching it unfold from a distance, a quiet smile tugging at his mouth.
This was her time right now. Later, though, she would be his.
By the time he finally reached the guarded entrance, flashing his pass to security staff, the reality of the situation settled in. The hallway beyond wasn’t quiet or exclusive; it was crowded, humming with people hoping for a glimpse of her.
Joaquin met him halfway down the hall and walked him to the private locker suite that felt more like a luxury lounge. It had plush seating, soft lighting, and polished surfaces that gleamed under the overhead glow, not to mention the food laid out.
“Can you believe that?” Joaquin said, barely containing himself.
Snow shook his head. “She did good.”
Before Joaquin could respond, his phone buzzed. He glanced at it, already turning away. “I’ve gotta take this. Nova’s in the back, showering. She said she wanted to see you the second you got here.”
Snow huffed out a quiet laugh under his breath, shaking his head. But he didn’t need to be told twice.
He crossed the room, pushed through the door, and found himself in a quieter, narrower hallway. The sounds of the arena dulled to a distant murmur. He had barely taken a few steps before the next door opened.
And there she was.
Nova stood framed in the doorway, hair still damp and clinging to her shoulders in dark, wet strands, droplets tracing slow paths down her neck.
A towel was the only thing covering her.
Her skin was flushed from the heat of the shower.
The scent of her body wash hit him, filling his lungs like a drug.
Her eyes went wide the second she saw him, and then that grin broke across her face.
“Gabe!”
That was all it took. He closed the distance in a few long strides, hands finding her waist without hesitation, lifting her clean off the ground like she weighed nothing.
She managed a small laugh before his mouth was on hers, cutting off anything else she might have said. The kiss wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t meant to be. Weeks of tension, of watching her push toward this moment, of holding himself back—it all snapped at once.
Her back met the wall with a soft thud as he pinned her there, still holding her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around his hips to steady herself. His hands tightened at her sides, fingers digging into damp skin as he kissed her deeper, slower now, savoring it.
“Jesus,” he muttered against her lips. “You have no idea how proud I am of you.”
She huffed a small laugh, breathless, forehead pressing briefly to his. “Yeah? You look like you’ve got something else on your mind too.”
He dragged his mouth down along her jaw, teeth grazing just enough to make her inhale sharply. “Watching you out there… bouncing around that ring like that…” His grip flexed, pulling her tighter against him. “Got me worked up in ways I wasn’t prepared for.”
Her head tipped back against the wall, a grin slipping into something more dangerous. “Oh, is that so?” she teased.
She slid her fingers into his hair and gave it a gentle tug, bringing his attention back to her.
Snow’s gaze searched her face, lingering on the flush in her cheeks before settling on her eyes.
For a moment, he didn’t move. Then he slowly lowered her until her feet touched the floor, keeping himself close without crowding her.
“So what’s next now?”
“What do you mean?”
“For you. What is your next plan?”
“Well, I was thinking how next weekend would be the perfect time to move.”
Snow went still, staring into her eyes. “Nova. Does this mean?”
She smiled. “Yeah. A wise man once told me that people should follow their heart, and my heart is telling me to be with you. You’ve been my rock and cheerleader for the last month. And now that I’ve accomplished a dream of mine, I’m ready to take another step.”
“You don’t want to continue kickboxing?”
“Not competitively. I’ve decided getting punched in the face for fun is a hobby I can finally retire from.” She smiled. “But that doesn’t mean I’m giving it up completely. Actually, I may have done something.”
Snow’s eyes narrowed. He was already learning that particular tone usually meant Nova had made a decision and was only now getting around to telling him about it. “What did you do?”
“I put an offer on a building.”
He blinked. “You what?”
“It’s a gym in Virginia Beach. The owner is looking to sell, and Clover told me about it. His name is Murph—”
“Murph?” Snow cut in. “Big guy? Bald head? Beard that looks like it could hide a small family?”
Nova laughed. “That’s him.”
“I know Murph. He was a Teams guy years ago.” Snow shook his head, clearly surprised. “I heard he was looking to get out of Virginia Beach. Something about moving to Montana and becoming a mountain man.”
“Well, apparently your mountain man accepted my offer this morning.”
Snow stared at her. “Wait. Seriously?”
“Seriously.” Her smile grew. “I want to turn it into a kickboxing and self-defense gym. Classes, private training, maybe some programs specifically for women and teenagers. I’ve already got about a hundred ideas bouncing around in my head.”
For a moment, Snow just looked at her, letting everything she’d said sink in.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized this wasn’t simply Nova moving to Virginia Beach to be closer to him.
She was building something here for herself too, chasing a new dream that seemed to fit the woman she really was instead of the life everyone back in Salt Lake City had tried to choose for her.
And damn if that didn’t make him even happier.
She wasn’t giving up one life for him. She was choosing a new one for herself, and somehow, he was lucky enough that she wanted him to be part of it.
Snow’s mouth slowly curved into a grin. “So let me get this straight. You’re moving to Virginia Beach, you’re opening a gym, and I get to see your beautiful face every day in person instead of having to stare at you through my phone every night?”
Nova slipped her arms around his neck. “Looks that way.”
“Jesus.” He pulled her closer. “I need to buy Murph a really expensive bottle of whiskey.”
“He hasn’t handed over the keys yet.”
“Then I’ll wait until closing. I’m not stupid enough to jinx this.”
She laughed. “Good call.”
Snow’s expression softened as he brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “I’m proud of you, sweetheart.”
“Yeah?”
“Hell yeah.” He kissed her forehead. “And for the record, I volunteer to help teach self-defense.”
Nova raised an eyebrow. “Do I get to use you for demonstrations?”
His smile disappeared. “That depends.”
“On?”
“Whether you’re planning to demonstrate that move you used to knock out Martina.”
Nova grinned. “I hadn’t been.”
“Hadn’t?”
“Well, now that you’ve mentioned it...”
“I’m withdrawing my application.”
She laughed as he pulled her against him again. “Too late. You’re hired.”