Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“It’s a last resort.” Frankie leaned against the ring next to Ari and looked down at her. “We’re already paying for enough. It’s not a gamble I am willing to make from our pockets. Not yet.”
River nodded. “We don’t know how the Circuit is going to go. Even if we make it to Vegas, the Circuit could fizzle out. Or we could not make it at all. Or—”
“So, basically, we don’t know jack shit,” I snapped. Maybe it was the whiskey, or maybe it was the text from Troy sitting hot in my pocket, but annoyance crept into my growl. “We’ve just been sitting back and letting shit happen to us. None of this would have happened if we looked into the Circuit and sponsors in the first place. It’s like we walked into a final match with no gloves, no gear, and no training. We fucked ourselves over and have been playing catch-up ever since.”
“Lotto…” Ari’s sigh of my name was full of remorse. “I’m sorry. This is my fault. I panicked and jumped into the contract with Lucien too fast.”
“No, it’s my fault. I pushed you to do it.” Frankie set a hand on her shoulder. “So don’t say that.”
“If I wouldn’t have gotten hurt—” Bones scrubbed at his neck. “This wouldn’t have become such a big problem. Where the fuck is Pinstripe anyway?”
“Losing in the ring.” River grunted. “Which is probably my fault, because I got him to take a hefty cut on his contract, and he needs the cash.”
“I mean, I could fight better?” Teo offered.
“Better?” Frankie glared at him. “You could be good at all, you fucking scrub.”
“Man, I’m doing my best! Give me a break.”
“No one here is blameless. Including me. The Circuit isn’t like the underground. I should have known better.” I sighed. “But what’s done is done. Next time, we aren’t doing this shit.”
“Already looking to next season, Lotto?” River grinned. “You gonna pay our way to Vegas?”
I squinted at him. “You first, River. I know you bet hefty on our Heathens Hollow fight.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “I got shit to pay.”
“All of us do.” Ari pushed to her feet. “Let’s talk to Sports n’ Beauty first. See if they’re interested in us. If not, we can meet with Scotty.” When Frankie grunted, Ari glared at him. “It’s just a meeting. We don’t have to sign anything upfront.”
“We have another fight in three days,” Bones said. “We’re going to have to move fast.”
“I’ll call the Circuit heads and ask to meet with Sport n’ Beauty tomorrow morning.” I pulled out my phone and glanced up at Ari. “You should probably go this time.”
“I’ll go, too,” River offered with a raise of his hand.
“And me,” Frankie said.
“Stay here with Bones. Keep training. We need him back as leverage.” Ari flashed Bones an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry to call you that, Bones.”
“Doesn’t matter if it’s true.” His jaw tightened, but he didn’t look put out. Only determined. “I’m a liability right now, but I’ll be back in the ring in two weeks tops. Promise.”
We all nodded. When Bones promised something, he came through. Always. For the first time since he’d gone down, I was sure we’d be heading to Vegas as one of the top four.
“And me?” Teo asked.
Frankie pushed off the ring to clap a hand on his shoulder. His stare could have rivaled the sharpest of knives. “You’ll be here with us. Training. To be better.”
“Damn. I should have kept my mouth shut.”
“Probably.” River laughed.
“Everyone, go home. Get some sleep. I’ll set up the meeting, and we’ll meet again tomorrow, hopefully with a new sponsor.”
And hopefully with some more hope than we had now.
’Cause we were one more accident away from sinking to the bottom of the Pacific.
And walking straight into the backdraft of the shitstorm.
Chapter
Eighteen
ARI
The back office of Sport n’ Beauty was painted an ungodly shade of pink. Everything was so bright—white fuzzy rug beneath our feet, bright yellow logo on the neon sign behind the CEO’s desk, crystal trophies lining the walls showing off their recent awards for “breakthrough beauty products.”
It lured me into a false sense of peace.
Because the door opened behind us and the King of Hell itself strolled into the room in a crisp pinstripe suit.
The second my eyes locked with Troy Godwin’s, my heart stopped beating.
This could not be happening. Why the fuck was he here? In all my research, not once had I seen his name. I’d believed we were free of him. I’d assumed this was our next-biggest chance. A fresh start. But I was wrong.
We were still chained to the cage in the basement of Heathens Hollow.
“So glad you could make it.” Troy took a seat in the pink velvet chair behind the CEO’s desk. “Selena won’t be with us for this meeting. She’s meeting with my board of directors, so I’m here in her stead.”