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)
I fought not to roll my eyes. “Sleazeball” was just the cherry on top of Troy Godwin’s other traits. We kept silent long enough that Troy chortled.
“Tough crowd. Are you not interested in headlining? You could be stars. Make more money than you could ever hope to use. Even if it’s just Bones as the headliner. His fight probably made eighty percent of my winnings.”
Lotto and I exchanged a look. Troy was practically handing us riches on a platter. He was right that tonight’s win meant the strongest from all over the West Coast would want a piece of Bones. We’d seen it after the first fight at Heathens Hollow. And now this headliner? If they knew they could get to this ring and maybe take down the strongest underground fighter in Seattle, Bones would have no problem getting booked. Once-a-month fights? Easy winnings.
But that wasn’t what Ari wanted.
Her smiling face flashed through my mind. Her soft whisper as soon as River tapped out. Dad would be so proud. He would. He sure fucking would. Ari had put her life on the line to uphold his legacy. She had gone through hell and back to do this for him, and Ari didn’t want to keep up this underground shit. I knew she wanted to go legit. We could use a large chunk of that money to sign new boxers. Actual boxers, not scrubs like Teo and Jace Perk.
We could advertise as legit. We wouldn’t need to be kings of the cage anymore. We could bow out here, on top of the world, no harm, no foul. Become the Smiley’s that Ari and her dad always wanted to become.
Just as I was about to decline, Lotto held up a hand to shut me up.
Bastard.
“What’s in it for us?”
“Other than fame and money? Do you really need much more?”
I snorted. “The catch, Troy. He’s asking about your catch.”
“No catch.”
Bullshit. I could smell it from a mile away. There was always a catch with Troy fucking Godwin—some kind of clause that would save him from the prosecution should they come knocking. Maybe it was paying him back the money we won should Bones ever lose. Or losing more than only a match if we failed. I wouldn’t put it past him to summon a storm to knock over another tree and fuck Smiley’s up again.
The dick always seemed to get away with murder, after all.
“You really think we want to tie ourselves to you for longer than we have to?” I finished my drink and crossed my arms over my chest. “Tonight was plenty for us.”
Troy held up his hands. “I want you to think about it. You proved your loyalty to me. I proved my loyalty to you. We’re on equal ground here now, gentlemen.”
“Equal ground where one of us makes the contracts,” Lotto challenged.
“And the other reads it, contests it, and signs it. Like I said, equal footing. Do you take me for that much of a bastard?”
Our heavy silence answered for us.
Troy chuckled. “Understandable. I’d feel the same, but I always reward those who reward me.” He snapped his fingers and gestured to his right. The bodyguard who had led us here stepped forward. “Upgrade their rooms to the penthouses. For the whole weekend. Anything they drink at the club is on my tab.”
The bodyguard bowed and disappeared out the door. Troy’s smile grew even more slick when he looked back at us.
“The least I can do for you. I reward loyalty.” His eyes grew even darker when he narrowed them at me. “So the question is: how loyal are you willing to be?”
I swallowed. I had absolutely zero loyalty to such an asshole, but my big mouth had gotten us into trouble once before. I looked at Lotto. At least he looked as pissed and annoyed as I did.
“We’ll think about it,” he said. “Ari has the ultimate authority here.”
Troy whistled. “That doesn’t surprise me. She’s a firecracker, that one. I might just have to make a visit to the club myself.”
The way his smirk grew made me sick. I clenched my hands into fists to keep myself from knocking him the fuck out.
“It’s hard to make a deal with a man who harasses his clients,” Lotto said sharply and pushed off the back of the couch.
“Not harassing. Appreciating. A whole duffle bag’s worth.” Troy stood from the desk. “I’ll deliver your money on Monday. Unless you’d rather be mugged before you can even check in?”
“Shows the clientele you welcome here,” I said.
“Money always wins. Doesn’t matter how.” He held out his hand. “Until our next chat, boys. I’ll be waiting.”
I hesitated to shake his hand, but I couldn’t deny a penthouse for the weekend. His hand was as greasy as his face when I shook it. When I let go, I wiped the remnants of Troy Godwin off of my hand and stomped out the door.