“Thank you, Atticus. I appreciate it.”
“You're most welcome, Lore. Shall I see you after?”
Nodding before I could find the words, I grinned. “Yeah, I’m sure we’ll be up there once we figure out what Wells needs as his support.”
He picked up my hand, kissing it softly. “I look forward to it.” Atticus' eyes heated as he said it, cementing me to the spot as liquid heat raced up my body. The dress I wore wasn’t as revealing as last time, but it felt like my nipples were on display from that simple touch. He didn’t wait for a reply, just lifted the corner of his mouth in a crooked smile and turned, expecting everyone else to follow.
“How did I not piece it together sooner? He screams mafia boss,” I mumbled to myself.
“You say something, Lo?”
“Oh, nothing.” I startled, coming back to my whereabouts. Jude and Immy followed Atticus, a trail of bodyguards behind them as they went. Monroe took my hand and pulled me in the other direction, and we walked in silence for a few minutes.
“Were my eyes deceiving me back there, or did it seem like things have changed between you and the dark and deadly one?”
Lifting my head, I cringed when I realized I hadn’t talked to the others about it. “Shit, I kind of did agree to give him a clean slate, but I didn’t really talk it through with anyone else. I told him about you all, but I forgot the reverse. I’m sorry. Do you want to stop whatever we’re doing?”
I halted my steps, pulling him into a hallway as I waited for him to decide. He shook his head, smiling at me as he backed me up until my back hit the wall. Slowly, he brushed my hair back and cupped my face. “You could have a hundred men in your life, Lo, and I’d still be here. I don’t particularly want you to have that many because it would mean my time with you would be limited, but I’m here. As long as you continue to let me take up a part of your heart, I’m going to be along for the ride. And honestly, even if you decide ‘no, Monroe needs to go,’ I’m still going to be here, hoping you reconsider.”
He kissed me, pulling my face to his and my whole body liquified from the intensity of it combined with his words. Monroe pulled away a second later, winking, and I wondered if I’d even uncovered ten percent of everything that made Monroe, Monroe. Linking our fingers, he pulled me down the rest of the hallway, and I let him, in a bit of a haze myself. We came to a door with a guard standing outside of it. When he spotted us, he nodded, and I realized it was Beau.
“Oh, hey, Beau.” I couldn’t help the blush after the events from this morning and realized he saw me kissing Monroe after saying Sax was my boyfriend. Thankfully, I didn’t spot any condemnation in his eyes as he pushed open the door for us. I stopped halfway through the door, tugging Monroe to stop. “I just wanted to say thanks, for you know, earlier. I can't remember in the hustle of everything if I did. I don’t,” I shuddered, “want to think about where I’d be right now if you hadn’t been there.” I kept conveniently blocking that part out of my head.
“Of course, ma’am. It was an honor. Like I mentioned earlier, I see the changes you’re making, and I appreciate the help you're giving our young Ms. Immy. You always have a friend in me.”
Smiling, I dropped some tension I’d been holding and let go of the door, it automatically closing behind me. Monroe watched me, a concerned look on his face.
“You doing okay?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I just needed to let him know. It felt important.” Monroe squeezed my hand, and we both headed into the room further. I’d been expecting a locker room, but this was beyond anything I’d imagined. It was more of a luxury suite as we stepped into the second area. The first part consisted of scales, a first aid cabinet, and a medical table. There was some physical training equipment as well that I now recognized.
But when we walked into the second part, it was decadent and comfortable. There was an expensive leather couch, two TVs on the wall. One showed the arena, and the other had music playing on it. A door led to a bathroom, and there was a bar area decked out with food and drinks.
The door that had been closed opened and steam rolled out of it as Wells walked out, sweat dripping down his body as he dabbed himself off. He was barefoot, only a pair of athletic shorts on, and man did he look sexy.
Wells stopped when he spotted us, a smile crossing his face. “You made it.” I dropped Monroe’s hand and walked over to Mr. Surly. I didn’t hesitate, knowing I needed to do this for myself and him. Grabbing his face, I pulled him down into a kiss. Our tongues tangled, his hands settling at my waist, and I got lost in the kiss as it all became about him and me for a second. When I pulled back, he smirked, and it only made me want to kiss him more.
“Happy to see me, Kitten?”
“I am. How are you feeling?”
He looked over my shoulder, spotting Monroe. Wells squeezed my hips, dropping his lips down to my ear. “Give me just a second.” My breath hitched as his lips grazed across the area, and I nodded as he stepped away to greet Monroe.
“Roe.” Taking a page out of my book, Wells grabbed the man by the back of his neck, pulling his lips to him. It was a quick kiss, but it was powerful, and I knew it was Wells giving Monroe time to trust him. When he pulled back, I watched as they stared at one another, a world of feelings and history between them. The part of me awakening wanted to smash their heads together and watch what else would happen. Shifting my legs, Monroe caught me, giving me a smile before he addressed his friend.
“Wells. How are you feeling?”
“Better now that you’re both here. Something about tonight feels different, and I was getting all in my head about it.”
Surly walked over, grabbed my hand, and pulled me down onto the couch with him. Monroe sat on the other side, and I found myself wedged between the two, my mind running rampant with ideas. Swallowing, I crossed my legs, my red dress riding up some as I tried to focus on what Wells said.
“In your head? Why?”
He was tracing my palm with his fingers, looking at it in awe almost.
“I think because before, I didn’t care if I lost, the pain feeling warranted. Now, I have people waiting for me and who I want to return to. It changes things because I care if I walk out of that ring again.”
Something about his statement both broke my heart and made it swell. Brushing the back of my hand against his face, I leaned into him. “Oh, Surly. If you use it correctly, I think you’ll find that motivation can be even more powerful than apathy. You didn’t care before, and now you do, but it also gives you more of a reason to win.”