“I’ll do it,” Travis said. “Give me the when and where and I’ll be there.”
“You’ll be fighting Brock McMann. He’s no wallflower. He was barred from the UFC last year.”
Travis was unaffected. “Just tell me where I need to be.”
Benny’s shark’s grin spread across his face. “I like you, Travis. I think we’ll be good friends.”
“I doubt it,” Travis said, opening the door for me and retaining a protective stance until we cleared the front door.
“Jesus Christ!” America cried upon seeing the splattered blood covering Travis’ clothing. “Are you guys okay?” She grabbed my shoulders and scanned my face.
“I’m okay. Just another day at the office. For both of us,” I said, wiping my eyes.
Travis grabbed my hand and we rushed to the hotel with Shepley and America close behind. Not many paid attention to Travis’ appearance. He was covered in blood and only the occasional out-of-towner seemed to notice.
“What in the hell happened in there?” Shepley finally asked.
Travis stripped down to his skivvies and disappeared into the bathroom. The shower turned on and America handed me a box of tissues.
“I’m fine, Mare.”
She sighed and pushed the box at me once again. “You’re not fine.”
“This is not my first rodeo with Benny,” I said, my muscles sore from how tense they had been the last twenty-four hours.
“It’s your first time to watch Travis go ape shit on someone,” Shepley said. “I’ve seen it once before. It’s not pretty.”
“What
“Mick called Benny. Passed accountability onto me.”
“I’m gonna kill him! I’m going to kill that sorry son-of-a-bitch!” America shouted.
“He’s not holding me responsible, but he was going to teach Mick a lesson for sending his daughter to pay off his debt. He called two of his damned dogs on us and Travis took them out. Both of them. In under five minutes.”
“So Benny let you go?” America asked.
Travis appeared from the bathroom with a towel around his waist, the only evidence of his scuffle a small red mark on his cheek bone below his right eye. “One of the guys I knocked out had a fight tomorrow night. I’m taking his place and in return Benny will forgive the last five-k Mick owes.”
America stood up. “This is ridiculous! Why are we helping Mick, Abby? He threw you to the wolves! I’m going to
“Not if I kill him, first,” Travis seethed.
“Get in line,” I said.
“So you’re fighting tomorrow?” Shepley asked.
“At a place called Zero’s. Six o’clock. It’s Brock McMann, Shep.”
Shepley shook his head. “No way. No fucking way, Trav. The guy’s a maniac!”
“Yeah,” Travis smiled, “but he’s not fighting for his girl, is he?” Travis cradled me in his arms, kissing the top of my hair. “You okay, Pigeon?”
“This is wrong. This is wrong on so many levels. I don’t know which one to talk you out of first.”
“Did you not
“I don’t want you to do this, Trav.”
“Well, I don’t want you to go to dinner with your ex-boyfriend tomorrow night. I guess we both have to do something unpleasant to save your good-for-nothing father.”
I had seen it before. Vegas changed people, creating monsters and broken men. It was easy to let the lights and stolen dreams seep into your blood. I had seen the energized, invincible look on Travis’ face many times growing up, and the only cure was a plane ride home.
I looked at my watch again.
“You have somewhere to be, Cookie?” Jesse asked, amused.
“Please stop calling me that, Jess. I
“I hated it when you left, too. Didn’t stop you.”
“This is a tired, worn out conversation. Let’s just have dinner, okay?”
“Okay, let’s talk about your new man. What’s his name? Travis?” I nodded and he smiled. “What are you doing with that tattooed psychopath? He looks like a reject from the Manson Family.”
“Be nice, Jesse, or I’m walking out of here.”
“I can’t get over how different you look. I can’t get over that you’re sitting in front of me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Get over it.”
“There she is,” Jesse said. “The girl I remember.”
I looked down at my watch. “Travis’ fight is in twenty minutes. I better go.”
“We still have dessert coming.”
“I can’t, Jess. I don’t want him worrying if I’m going to show up. It’s important.”
His shoulders fell. “I know. I miss the days when I was important.”
I rested my hand on his. “We were just kids. That was a lifetime ago.”
“When did we grow up? You being here is a sign, Abby. I thought I’d never see you again and here you sit. Stay with me.”
I shook my head slowly, hesitant to hurt my oldest friend. “I love him, Jess.”
His disappointment shadowed the small grin on his face. “Then you better go.”
I kissed his cheek and fled the restaurant, catching a taxi.
“Where you headed?” The cab driver asked.
“Zero’s.”
The cabby turned to look at me, giving me a once over. “You sure?”
“I’m sure! Go!” I said, tossing cash over the seat.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
home
Travis finally broke through the crowd with Benny’s hand on his shoulder, whispering in his ear. Travis nodded and replied, and my blood ran cold seeing him so friendly with the man that had threatened us less than twenty-four hours before. Travis basked in the applause and congratulations of his triumph as the crowd roared. He walked taller, his smile was wider, and when he reached me, he planted a quick kiss on my mouth.
I could taste the salty sweat mixed with the coppery taste of blood on his lips. He had won the fight, but not without a few battle wounds of his own.
“What was that about?” I asked, watching Benny laugh with his cohorts.
“I’ll tell you later. We have a lot to talk about,” he said with a broad grin.
A man patted Travis on the back.
“Thanks,” Travis said, turning to him and shaking his outstretched hand.
“Looking forward to seeing another match of yours, Son,” the man said, handing him a bottle of beer. “That was incredible.”
“C’mon, Pidge.” He took a sip of his beer, swished it around in his mouth and then spit, the amber liquid on the ground tinged with blood. He weaved through the crowd, taking in a deep breath when we made it to the sidewalk outside. He kissed me once and then led me down The Strip, his steps quick and purposeful.
In the elevator of our hotel, he pushed me against the mirrored wall, grabbed my leg and pulled it up in a quick motion against his hip. His mouth crashed into mine, and I felt the hand under my knee slide up my thigh and pull up my skirt.
