Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
“Raincheck,” I said and fixed my hair. “Time to get back to work.”
Ari pouted but raked her sweaty, messy hair back to give herself an air of professionalism. I smirked. It was hard to look professional with blooming bruises on her hips, swollen lips, and our cum dripping all down her folds and thighs.
“We should all get back to work. No more distractions.” She gave us both a playful glare. “Especially the sexy kinds.”
“But those are the best ones.” Bones stood from the chair.
“I don’t see you complaining, angel.”
“You know I’ll never say no to my boys.” With a flirtatious smile, she waved her fingers at us. “I’ll shower first!” Ari called over her shoulders, her hips swaying a little more than normal to try to entice us.
I drew a deep breath to keep from chasing after her. We’d had our pleasure. Now it was time for business.
“Are you still feeling okay for the fight tomorrow?” I asked Bones.
He nodded and stretched his neck. “I’ll do another round on the bag and call it a day.”
“Take Jace’s other eye out while you’re at it.” I grabbed my clothes from the floor and swung them over my shoulder. “And I mean it, Bones. Tomorrow is our last fight for a while.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said. “I promise.” He tugged on his boxing shorts and flashed me that sexy grin I loved so much. “So let’s go out with a bang.”
Chapter 10
Bones
Ishould have known as soon as my opponent pulled out of our match for being “sick.” Or maybe when the organizers weren’t scrambling to find a replacement. Or even when I saw a flash of Lotto’s pissed-off face in the crowd as soon as I stepped into the cage.
Tonight the spectators weren’t yelling my name.
They were yelling River’s.
Because he stepped into the cage after me with a smirk on his face and murder in his blue eyes.
All of Lotto’s bitching yesterday about how I wasn’t ready for River didn’t matter.
’Cause River was ready for me.
Someone had to have set this up. The Perks? Did they have that kind of pull here? Maybe the organizers themselves? Tonight’s fight was one of the most well-known in the area. Many big names placed big bets and watched as newbies made names for themselves or made for the hospital.
But we weren’t newbies. We were stars of the underground. The big match. What everyone was waiting for. The crowd around us roared to life like a tsunami, and the noise crashed down on me heavier than an anvil.
Fuck, I was in trouble.
I didn’t want to admit it, but Lotto was right. I was nowhere near a hundred percent. River leapt at me like a lion pouncing on its prey, and I was barely able to get away. My body was slower than I was used to. River easily dodged the return punch I threw. His hook grazed my already painful side and made me jerk out of the way. I wasn’t able to dodge his second punch and took a jab right to the cheek.
Pain seared through my face. Fuck. I knew River was strong but this was on a different level. Determination burned in his blue eyes.
He’d come tonight to hurt me.
River had something to prove.
Which meant I needed to prove myself.
Punch after punch. Jab after jab. We traded blows, blocking, tackling, and grappling. Sweat slicked his toned body and made it hard for me to grab. River went for my already injured areas like he knew they would be there. Too bad for him, Frankie had been drilling me to cover my ass, and he couldn’t get a hand on me.
We danced around the ring to a chorus of screams and cries. The boom of hard bass music drilled into my skull harder than one of River’s jabs. This was a show. Not just a show—a preview. A little taste of a big, main event waiting for us.
Clarity came with a kick to my right hip.
I knew exactly who had set up this fucking thing.
And I knew exactly what he wanted.
My body and lungs burned with the effort to keep up with River. Shit. If I didn’t find an opening, he was going to wear me down and get me on the ropes. I didn’t want something that Perk’s could hold over Smiley’s. I needed to concentrate and do this for us. I juked away from River’s punch and threw an uppercut, connecting with his jaw with a loud crack. River stumbled away long enough that I could shake out my arms and get ready for round two.
The grin on River’s face grew as he opened his jaw a few times. This was fun for him. I wanted to wipe that stupid smirk off his damn face.
I took two steps forward and threw my leg out to sweep his when—