I nod. “Zoe and Q have been here all day. Bump is coming with Big Mike and Joanie.”
“Are they bringing Roux?”
“Of course,” I tell her with a grin. “My girl wouldn’t miss it for the world. Bump’s been taking good care of her, though. It’s going to break his heart when I tell him that she’s coming home with us because I’m done training.”
“Maybe we need to get Bump his own puppy so he won’t feel the sting quite so much.”
“Maybe we will,” I say as Hal glances back at me.
“You two ready? You want me to get the door?”
“We’re ready,” I reply, and Scarlett nods. “Let’s do this.”
As soon as Hal opens the door, the paps lean into the barriers, craning their necks to see who’s in the SUV. As I step out, they start calling my name.
“Legend!”
“Gabriel!”
“Do you really think you can beat Black?”
I hold out my hand for Scarlett and help her out of the vehicle. As soon as her feet touch the carpet, she turns an incredible smile on the paps, and together, we walk toward the lineup as they shout questions at both of us. About Bodhi. Our last fight. Whether Scarlett and I are engaged. Getting married. Whether she’s pregnant.
The questions go on and on, but Scarlett doesn’t respond to them as we walk and pause and pose, then keep moving. As she takes my arm to carefully climb the steps in front of the club, I have to marvel at her poise.
“You’re really fucking good at that, you know?”
“Don’t worry, it’ll be second nature before you know it. You never need to answer their questions. It just adds to the mystery.”
Once we’re inside, the paps’ questions are replaced by the bustle of the club coming to life for the event. The cage is in the center of the expansive dance floor, surrounded by rows and rows of seating. With the columns rising up to the ceiling, it looks pretty damn impressive, if I do say so myself.
Zoe rushes up to us. “You’re here! And wow.” She blinks at Scarlett’s dress. “You look unbelievable. Not too shabby yourself, boss,” she says with a grin after inspecting my one-of-a-kind suit.
“Bump and your folks here yet?” I ask her.
“Not yet, but they should be on their way. Your coaches are up in your office, though, so after you’ve checked everything down here one last time, I assume you’ll head up there.”
“Good work, Zoe. Couldn’t have done this without you and Q.”
“It’s our pleasure. And just so you know, we both put money on you. No pressure, though.”
I laugh, like I don’t already feel it. “Thanks. Come on, ladybug.”
Forty-Nine
Scarlett
Other than those fights I watched on YouTube and the time I spent at the gym with Gabe, I don’t know anything about mixed martial arts. I certainly have no idea how things work before a fight, but my education is happening quickly and firsthand.
Gabriel did one last sweep of the club, talked to Q, and then we went up to his office. It’s been turned into a locker room for him to warm up with sparring partners and all three of his coaches, who will be in his corner for the fight.
Thankfully, Gunter’s suit was photographed about a thousand times before we came inside, because Gabriel stripped it off first thing to change into his warm-up gear.
Before they start with whatever comes next, there’s a knock at the door, and Bump pokes his head inside.
“Gabe! You’re here!”
“Come on in, bud.”
The door opens farther and Roux streaks inside, bounding right to Gabriel. Used to her enthusiasm, he’s ready for the dog’s excitement.
“I knew she’d be so happy to see you!”
The man and his dog bond on the mat as Bump, Joanie, and Big Mike enter the office and shut the door.
“We don’t want to bother you. You’ve got warming up to do, but we wanted to say good luck before we take our seats,” Big Mike says. That’s when I notice he and Bump are wearing matching suits, and both look as dapper as can be.
“Bump, I love the suit,” I say, rising from my seat in the corner and coming toward him.
His eyes light up when he sees me. He holds out his arms like he’s going to rush forward to hug me, but then he stops in his tracks. “Am I even allowed to touch you right now? I don’t wanna mess you up. Not like that time with the rug, but you know what I mean.”
“I will accept nothing less than a hug.”
His head bounces as he practically skips toward me. “You’re so pretty.”
“And you are as handsome as can be.”
Head in the air, he’s as proud as a peacock. “Big Mike says if Gabe wins, he’ll take me to the titty bar and let me celebrate. He said the girls love a man in a suit.”
Joanie’s gasp follows Bump’s comment, and she slaps her husband’s arm. “Michael . . .”
“Getting me in trouble was not what we discussed, kid.”
Bump scrunches his shoulders and giggles. “Oops. I wasn’t supposed to tell.”
Gabriel comes toward us and throws an arm around Bump. “Q will take you another night. You can still wear the suit.”
“Does that mean you’re not going to win?” Bump asks as his face falls.
The entire room goes silent, and the air vibrates. Gabriel is the only one who doesn’t hold his breath.
“I’m gonna win, bud. Don’t worry.”
“Okay, good. That’s what I thought.” Bump shrugs like it’s no big deal. “I mean, you beat him before. How hard can it really be to do it again?”
Gabriel’s booming laughter fills the office turned locker room, and everyone else follows suit.
“Damn right, he’s gonna beat him again,” Jeb says from across the floor. “I don’t train losers. Now, whoever’s staying, take a seat. Time to get our boy ready.”
Gabriel crushes Bump to him with a hard hug. “Stay out of trouble tonight. Okay?”
“Ten-four, good buddy.”
Roux curls up in the corner in the dog bed that’s a few feet from my chair, and Mike and Joanie both wave as they lead Bump out of the office.
Q comes in a bit later to let us know the undercard is starting, and that the club is damn near at full capacity but everything’s covered. Gabriel nods at him and thanks him, but goes right back to the pre-fight sequence that I’m guessing Jeb has down to a science.
I stare at Gabriel’s body as he moves in ways I didn’t know were possible for a man to do with such grace. It’s captivating and fluid, and I could watch him for hours, especially since no one is trying to punch him in the face for real right now.
The next knock on the door is Hal, and he’s here for me. “Scarlett, if you’d like to come down with me, I’ll show you to your seat. They’ll be up for Gabe in five to ten minutes.”
Gabriel rises off the mat and comes toward me. “You good, ladybug?”
I nod, suddenly nervous as hell. Terrified that I’m going to do or say the wrong thing. Terrified that everything could go wrong, even though I believe it’s going to go right.