What the hell was my kitten doing here? In this place of all places? And with him? Fury pumped through me as I watched him paw at her. I wasn't sure which made me angrier. The fighting ring boss with his hands all over her or the fact she ratted me out? Either way, I couldn't let her know I had an opinion. Keeping my distance from her was the best course of action, even if I wanted to take her away from here as fast as I could hobble out of here.
I glared at her from across the table, attempting to burn her to the spot with my rage. However, her little gasps of air had me curious about what his hand was doing below, which infuriated me even more. I didn't want to be interested. I didn't want to care. And I didn't want to be jealous right now.
But I fucking was.
She hid it well, but after our tête-a-tête last week, I had intimate knowledge. I knew what she looked like when aroused, how her moans sounded in the throes of passion. And right now, her pupils were blown, and she was biting her lip to stop her exhales. Kitten's shifts reinforced her need to come. She was on the brink, and something about it sparked my own arousal, and I hated everything about it.
Pulling my focus from the sex kitten, I felt my anger burning in me, using it to push me through this next part. I had to convince the boss I could fight. It was a lie, and my kitten knew it, but I needed the money. More than needed to be exact, not knowing which reason was more dire at this point. The threat from the goons who did this to me in the first place, or the debt I had to contend with.
Either way, I was screwed, and not in a good way. I didn't know which option was better or worse, honestly. But I needed to fight. It was the only solution on the table currently.
Fueling my hatred, I tossed words back at them, "There's nothing to discuss. Whatever kitten here told you is a lie."
Using her name in front of him grated me, but I needed distance. I'd already fallen in too deep with her, and if I could do one thing right, it was to shield her from my shit.
"Hmm, is that so?" His hand tapped on the table in a rhythm as he regarded me. "Well, okay then, there's an easy way to prove this. Let's get Beau back here and let him hit you in the stomach, and if you stay standing, then I guess beautiful was mistaken. Fair?"
Fuck, he was more astute than I gave him credit for, especially if he trusted the Goddess next to him enough to listen to her concerns. I caught kitten's eyes and saw fear for me there, but I couldn't allow myself to ponder how it made me feel. Besides, nothing could be done now. I had to see this through. It was the only way. Nodding to Nicco, I stood as the burly bodyguard approached the table. Bracing myself for the punch, I prayed I didn't pass out or throw up from the pain.
Clenching my fists, I watched as Beau pulled back, ready to strike. When I didn't feel pain a few minutes later, I realized my eyes had closed. When I opened them, I found her standing in front of me. My body relaxed at the sight of her, but it had been a mistake. I wasn't free or safe. It was an illusion.
"You don't deserve my kindness, but I can't let you fight, no matter how much of an asshole," she paused, and I knew the last part would hurt the worst, "or coward you are."
They stung and struck me down to my core because they were true. I'd become caught in the landfill of her eyes. So many emotions warred with one another there, and I couldn't escape them. My focus on anything else in the room vanished, which caused me not to notice her move a hand and poke me in the ribs, the broken ones. Wincing, I doubled over in pain at her jab, and I knew I'd shown my hand.
Fucking hell—kitten just revealed her claws. If it hadn't been at my expense, I might've been proud.
"Have a seat, Crash. It seems we have something to discuss."
She was seated back in the booth, so when I straightened, I wobbled over to the spot I'd been in earlier. Carefully, I lowered myself down, continuing to only confirm her claim. I didn't care anymore. I'd already been found out, might as well be careful. My stubborn asshole tendencies did have limits.
"Care to explain why you were going to fight when you're clearly injured?" Nicco's tone had a hardness to it, and I feared I might've stepped in a big pile of shit with my duplicity. I couldn't afford to lose fighting here. It was the one thing keeping my head above water, giving me the outlet I needed to let my rage out.
"I guess I thought I could handle it." I shrugged one shoulder. "I was feeling better earlier, but obviously, I'm not. I apologize," gritting the last part.
"While that all sounds lovely, I don't believe it for a minute. You were either going to pump yourself full with enough cortisone not to feel anything for the next hour or injure yourself to the point of death."
Exhaling, I nodded, acquiescing to my loss. It was the first one here, yet it felt more significant despite not being one of strength. A drink was delivered a few seconds later, and I downed it, my throat parched from all the bullshit I'd been spewing apparently.
"Before I blacklist you from ever fighting here again, perhaps you could enlighten me more about how you accrued these injuries and why it was so important to fight tonight," he regarded me, a calculating look crossing his face. "Because I don't take you as stupid. I've watched you fight numerous times, so there has to be a reason you were willing to risk your life tonight."
Nicco sat back, his arm going around my kitten, and I held back the urge to slap it off. She melted into him, but I could make out the worry on her face. Kitten bit her lip again, but this time from anxiety as she glanced back and forth between us, her concern climbing as the silence dragged out. I could almost feel her pleading with me to be honest with him. I debated it in my head. There was no way I would've shared anything with him prior to tonight.
But something about kitten trusting this guy made me reconsider. My sad eyed girl was a lot of things, but she wasn't a fool. Staring her down, I weighed my options as I held her gaze, finding some stability there. Trust was a fickle bitch in my life, and I'd only ever been able to trust Monroe. For some reason, it seemed like Loren kept falling into the trust column too, despite our tumultuous interactions.
It scared the hell out of me, but sad eyes kept showing up. She kept being there around every corner I turned, and sooner or later, I knew we would detonate. Again. The pull of that collision was like a promise on my lips, making me miss the way hers had fit mine in decadent perfection. It would most likely end terribly, and I needed to keep my distance for her sake, but each day got a little more complicated, and I wondered how long until I fell under her spell completely. Relinquishing the pull, I started talking.
"Last night, I was approached by Delgado and his enforcers," I said quietly, "and they sent me a message."
The mention of Delgado had Nicco's jaw tightening, and I knew he understood what I was saying.
"Understood. I will set up a meeting with Mas. I think it might be something he'd been interested in, and perhaps, we could help one another with the problem."
Unexpected relief washed through me, and my trust in the beautiful woman next to him appeared to have been a solid decision for once. Accepting his answer, I started to stand, assuming I was dismissed. His voice halted my movements causing me to stay bent half in the bench and half out of it.
"Stay. Any friend of beautiful's is welcome."
"I wouldn't say we're friends, more like frenemies," she grumbled, but not with her usual ire toward me.