Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and I was about to hang up when I heard a faint voice. “Hello.”
I looked at the screen again and frowned. The voice was too low and the crowd too loud, so I ended the call and turned back to the fight just as Rachel choked out Ronan’s fighter for a submission with twenty-eight seconds left in the match.
“Holy shit!” came out of me in admiration. It was a thing of beauty, and I couldn’t stop the thrill of excitement that washed over me. Rachel was a kid who’d come from the streets but she worked hard to get where she was, and now she was a champion.
“Wow!” Travis’ shocked grin turned on me. “Is that a look of pride I see, Kat?”
“Well Rachel is a House of Ashby fighter. And she’s damn good.”
“So good! Think I can get an intro after the fight?”
“Absolutely. I’ll talk to Maisie, but right now I’ve got to put on a smile for the cameras. Later.”
After five minutes of photos with the new champ, it was time for the main event. Rob “Ravager” Regan against another of Ronan’s fighters, Perry “Choir Boy” Hill, an aging superstar who was part of Ma’s plans for Rob’s career. If he fell in line. And right now, that was a big goddamn if.
As soon as Rob’s fight got underway, my nerves returned tenfold and I could hardly focus on the main event. Instead, my gaze lingered on Terry and his spot right up front where he and Jasper flanked Ma. His gaze never left mine, not the entire fight. Each time I looked at him, his blue eyes seared into mine.
Rounds one and two went to Rob while Choir Boy took round three with an early takedown that let him dominate on the mat. Round four was split, I was pretty fucking sure, despite how hard Rob fought to take it.
“Asshole,” I grumbled during the break between the final round. Ravager was determined to fuck this up which would be unfortunate because Sadie wouldn’t take it well, and that meant it wasn’t just his career he stood to lose.
My phone rang again and this time I picked it up right away, walking backward down the hill so I could at least watch the final five minutes of the match. “Hello?”
“Kat?” It was Madison and she sounded hurt or in distress. “Help me. Please.” I turned away from the fight right away and walked as fast as my legs would carry me toward the nearest exit.
“Madison. What’s wrong? I can barely hear you.” She didn’t say anything else, but the line didn’t go dead right away, instead I heard sounds of a struggle, maybe a fight.
“Madison? Hello?”
She said nothing and I looked up, noticing the door was about one hundred feet away and I willed my feet to move faster as I cursed my four-inch heels that, while they looked incredible, were not made for running.
Frustrated, I kicked off the expensive stilettos and scooped them up with my free hand so I could run out of the arena and to the parking lot. It was a three-minute trip, at least. Two without the heels but only if I ended the call.
Which I couldn’t.
CHAPTER TEN
Terry
I had my eyes on Kat from the moment she’d gotten that call during the bantamweight fight—all night actually. She stuck out in a deep blue dress that was modest compared to some of the outfits the other women wore, but still she was the most beautiful woman there. Something was definitely up with her. The call didn’t frighten her, though, but it damn sure worried her. And that worried me.
During Ravager’s fight, I watched her like a hawk, certain the secrets she was keeping had something to do with why she was so fucking jumpy. The fifth round had barely started when she got another call.
As soon as Kat’s long shapely legs started up the aisle, I was right behind her without a word to Jasper. Or Sadie. Kat walked with confidence even when she was distracted.
Now that Kat was moving while the rest of the crowd stayed in place, it was easier to notice who noticed her. Aside from the lecherous stares of a few of the bros who couldn’t decide if her ass or the fight was more engaging, there was one man other than me tracking Kat.
The same asshole from the House of Ashby parking lot.
And Kat was completely oblivious as she kicked off her shoes, picked them up, and started for the door at a dead run. She tapped frantically on her phone, dialing and re-dialing, I guessed, as she made her way to the nearest exit. Finally, she glanced over her shoulder and what I saw there nearly stopped my heart.