It was too odd that Nellie hadn't responded to any of his texts all day. He'd texted her to tell her he'd be at her place later than he had planned. He had to go home and pack first. Then he told Noah he'd come by and check out his motorcycle. It was his original Ninja, one he refused to get rid of even though he could afford much better now. He said it held too many memories. Abel had laughed when Noah admitted that Roni was refusing to let him ride it until he had it completely overhauled. Doing so would cost him way more than the bike was worth, so Abel told him not to. He'd come by and check it out.
Now he had a very bad feeling in his gut. He'd had it almost the entire day. This was exactly why he hated the fucking media. Before Andy even left the gym that morning, he'd laughed, cheerfully showing Abel the photos of him and Rachel. "You're trending again on Twitter."
Of course, to Andy this was a good thing. He had no idea how much that had sunk Abel's insides. If Nellie saw the photos of him and Rachel just minutes after he'd left her place, he knew she'd be thinking the worst. Given their stupid agreement, he couldn't even try to explain. She'd tell him he didn't have to and maybe even infuriatingly remind him again of how great she was with this arrangement.
It was subtle, but when he'd arrived at Noah's, he picked up on Roni's chilly reception. Nellie had obviously told her about the night they'd spent together, and he knew the photos and stories of him and Rachel had already gone viral. Noah telling Roni that Rachel was someone he'd bagged was sure to only make things worse. This made the brick sitting heavily in his gut heavier. He now knew what he feared most. Nellie knew and for all he tried to convey to her last night and when he'd made love to her again this morning—when he told her he couldn't get enough of her—it was probably all down the toilet now. She probably thought him full of shit.
Noah glanced up at the back door as Roni closed it behind her. She'd come out to bring them each bottled waters, but again she'd been a bit on the cold side with Abel. Abel downed half the bottle just before replacing the final sparkplug on the Ninja. He glanced at Noah, not sure if he should address it. He didn't have to because Noah addressed it for him.
"She just hates the whole situation, man. Don't take it too personally. She'll get over it." He shrugged. "Nellie is the only family she had before me—before us. She never had this group thing that we brought into her life. She loves it, and she's terrified that things are gonna change. More than anything, she's afraid of Nellie getting hurt again, but I keep telling her you two are good with the way things are. Hell, Nellie's out on a date again right now. I think with the same guy from Friday night. But even that has her worried."
Abel stared at Noah, feeling every hair on his body go on alert. He was dying to ask, but he knew he shouldn't. It was impossible not to care now. She was out on fucking date again? After last night? This morning? It took everything in him as he stood slowly not to pick up Noah's bike and slam it back down on the ground. Instead, he took another long slow drink, nearly finishing his water bottle.
He didn't dare make eye contact with Noah for fear he'd see the rage in his eyes. They both turned when they saw the Town Car pull up at the end of Noah's driveway. A guy got out of the far side and came around to open the door on the near side. Abel almost looked away until he realized the girl exiting the car in the hot dress and three inch heels was Nellie.
Feeling his insides instantly ablaze, he stared at her hard as she smiled at the guy who helped her out then said something to him. The guy had his back to Abel and Noah, so Abel couldn't see his face, but if he had to guess this wasn't Logan. This guy was way bigger and taller than he remembered Logan being. So this was another guy?
And then it happened. She kissed him. It wasn't a long kiss by any means, barely a peck on the lips, but it was enough to have Abel slamming his water bottle in the nearby trashcan not giving a fuck what Noah or anyone thought anymore and charging down the driveway.
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"You don't wanna hear about or see her with anyone else?" Noah shook his head. "Well, too fucking bad! You knew what you were getting yourself into when you started this. I warned you that this would happen. And how do you know it's not what she wants?"
"Because she's told me she's great with this arrangement more than once!"
***
"Either you come clean and tell her how much this bothers you—try to change things so they're not as casual as she seems to think they are since she's obviously still seeing other guys," Noah warned in a hushed but urgent voice, "or you end this shit now. I don't care what you say, Ayala. This is already making you crazy, and it's gonna fuck everything up, not just any kind of delusional friendship you think you might still be able to handle once this is all over but this fight. You could seriously get hurt in that ring if your head's not all there."
***
Nellie sobbed into her pillow, the pain smashing into her heart and stealing the air from her lungs so much so that it alarmed her. Gasping for chunks of air through what felt like a tiny straw, she reached for her inhaler on her nightstand.
As she sat there, still trying to calm herself, taking long slow breaths, she realized something. She hadn't imagined herself falling so dangerously hard for Abel. This was further proof that she was too far gone to continue with this arrangement.
***
Abel glanced at the clock. It was already past eleven. With the question begging to be asked—who the hell was she chatting with this late—she started to make another comment. "Listen, about Vegas—"
"Please don't cancel." Abel was already sitting up again. His suddenly pounding heart and desperate tone surprised him but not more than what flew out of his mouth next. "I need you there with me, Nellie."
"I . . . I wasn't gonna cancel." Her tone had changed. She sounded a little surprised, stunned maybe. Abel waited, praying he hadn't blown it. "I was just gonna ask for the exact itinerary. What day and time were you planning on driving out?"
***
"So Logan just disappeared?" Roni asked as she straightened back out in her seat.
"Yeah," Nellie nodded as the light turned green."I didn't hear from him for a few days. Then suddenly he emails me that he'd finished the work he was supposed to be doing and said he'd gotten an offer out of state and couldn't pass it up."
***
"You always travel alone?" she asked curiously.
"For the most part," Sam said, sipping his wine glass, "But there are exceptions like next week, for example. I'll be in Vegas partly for business and partly for pleasure, so I'll be meeting with friends."
"Really?"She tilted her head, smiling about the coincidence. "I'll be in Vegas next week too."
***
The text from Logan caught her attention. Nellie hadn't heard from him since his email informing her he was resigning.
Give me a call when you get a chance, please. I need to talk to you.
The irritation was immediate. Now he wanted her to call him? After he'd just left her hanging? Nellie closed out her texts, rolling her eyes deciding to ignore him.
***
Before she could get her thoughts together or even think of a reason to protest, Sam's lips were on hers, and he kissed her softly.
***
"God, I missed you," Abel said, slipping his hand behind her neck and kissing her deeply.
He moved the small suitcase she'd been packing on her bed aside, and immediately Nellie lay back down on the bed. Like a man on a mission, he yanked her shorts and panties right off, pulled her to the edge of the bed, and dropped to his knees. Sucking the inside of her soft thigh until he saw the pleasing hickey that would be there for days, he moved on to what he really wanted to suck.
***
Then on the ride to Vegas:
Still on the phone Abel glanced at her. "Is that all you have going on tonight?"
"I'm not sure yet. My friend is supposed to text me when he gets into town."
"Lemme call you back, Andy." Abel hung up on Andy before he could even respond. "What friend?" he asked in the most demanding voice he'd used on Nellie to date. This pissed him off.
"Sam," she said, staring at her tablet in a voice so low that he barely heard her, but he did and he was instantly lit up.
He jerked the car off the exit they were about to pass so fast that Nellie gasped.
"Sam? He's coming to Vegas to meet with you this weekend? Are you kidding me?" Pulling the car off the road, he turned off the ignition and glared at her now startled eyes. "Are you seeing him the way you see me?"
***
He pulled off the side and started further down the deserted road. "If we drive out further, I can take you outside against the car, under the desert sky. I've always wanted to do this. Who better to have my first time out on the open road with than the only girl I've ever been in love with."
She was staring at him with her hand over her mouth. Her eyes completely welled again and her brows pinched. "It's true," he smiled, "not just in love, Nell, but hopeless, there's-no-helping-this-guy kind of in love with you."
***
"Back off!" Sam barked at the guy who resembled him very closely. "I'm done talking to you. I already said no."
The other guy grabbed his arm roughly. "This is for Nate, man. Don't forget whose side you're on."
Sam jerked his arm away from the guy and kept walking. In all the times Nelli had been around Sam, his demeanor had always been upbeat and bright-eyed. She'd never seen the stony-faced Sam who approached her now.
"Hey, babe, we need to talk."
His hand was in hers the second he reached her, and he kept walking. She tried tugging her hand back and protesting, but he held it tight. "I . . . I can't right now. I'm working."
"This won't take long."
***
"Andy's my publicist." It annoyed him that Felix would even ask. "My personal life isn't his business."
"Are you kidding me? "Felix laughed even louder. "Everything about your life is Andy's business because he's your publicist. And let me tell you that he doesn't much care for the wholesome tied-down-to-just-one-chick image for the fighters he represents, especially not the ones that are supposed to be bad asses like you and me. He says wholesome is boring and boring doesn't make headlines. The more girls you're seen with, the better."
***
"Something wrong?"
Nellie shrugged but glanced back down into her suitcase in an obvious attempt to avoid eye contact. Abel started toward her slowly. "I ran into Sam downstairs."
Abel stopped walking and waited for her to look up, but she didn't. "How'd he know you were here?"
***
"I love you," she gasped against Abel's lips.
Jesus Christ! He could hear that from her over and over and never get enough.
***
Just as she pulled her phone out of her purse when she got in the elevator, she accidentally hit her text log and it opened to Logan's last text.
Okay I get it. You're still pissed at me for blowing off the job like I did. I know you don't want to talk to me, but I really wish you'd give me just a few minutes. It's about Sam. Call me, please.
***
"Expect McKinley to get in your face and trash talk, trying to get a public reaction out of you," Felix had stressed. "Give him one by talking back if you wanna do your part of putting on a show, but do not fall for anything he says. He may even talk about your momma."
"Yeah," Hector had agreed with a laugh. "If he says anything about Mom, hold it in until you're in the ring tomorrow, and then let him have it."
***
At the pre-fight press conference and face off: My inspiration for the scene
Bringing his eyes back to McKinley to continue the stare down, Abel noticed the smirk tugging at the corner of McKinley's mouth. "I heard she's a good fuck." McKinley said smugly, but in a voice so low that Abel was sure only he heard in the already buzzing room.
For a moment, Abel wondered if this guy was stupid enough to follow up, clarifying that by she, McKinley meant his mom. As much as Abel had insisted he'd keep his cool, he wasn't sure now he would if that were the case. Still he continued staring him down, refusing to give him the reaction he knew McKinley was digging for.
"I heard she sucks dick like a pro."
Abel couldn't help pinching his brows and clenching his teeth. He'd also started breathing a little harder through his nose. He'd been warned enough about this guy, but this kind of trash talking had to be crossing the line. McKinley smirked even bigger now.
"I heard Nellie spreads her—"
"What did you say?" Abel grabbed him by his vest, and instantly everyone around them rushed in to break it up, the cameras going even crazier. As much as they tried to separate them, Abel had a death grip on McKinley's vest. "What the fuck did you say, asshole?"
***
"No, you need that time to concentrate on warming up and the last-minute strategy talk you told me about." Nellie touched his face. "But I promise I'll be there before you walk out then right there ringside the entire fight."
Looking less than complacent, Abel finally nodded. "Okay, I'll be waiting because, Nell," he leaned his forehead against hers, "I meant it when I said that I need you there."
"I'll be there," she promised then kissed him.
***
"Where is she?" Abel asked immediately.
"Nellie? I don't know," Andy said. "She didn't answer the door at the hotel. She's not answering her phone. I even called Roni—"
"What did she say?" Abel asked, taking a few steps forward.
"She hasn't heard from her either." Andy motioned with his hand. "It's almost show time."
Abel turned back to Cuen. "Get the monitor."
Something was up. Nellie wouldn't have just disappeared.
"Don't get it," Noah said firmly then turned to Abel. "You'll watch it after."
"Get the fucking monitor," Abel's words exploded, making everyone in the room flinch. "Now!" he followed up and a frozen Cuen began moving again.
What the hell could be so bad? Andy looked paralyzed where he still stood by the door he'd walked through but stopped at the sight of everyone staring at him. Like everyone else, he clearly wasn't looking forward to having to stand there and watch while Abel saw the footage of whatever had everyone so uncomfortable.
Cuen rolled the monitor back in the big room. With his gloves on, Abel wouldn't be able to do anything. "Turn it on, please."
Cuen began to and some of the guys actually walked out of the room. What the hell? Swallowing hard, he waited.
"What's taking so long?" he demanded, the alarm full-blown now.
Cuen finally got the monitor on. He switched the channels, and then Abel froze when he saw the images. "Turn it up," he said, his eyes glued to the screen.
The words the reporter spoke were a low buzz getting louder and louder with every word. Abel watched and listened as his insides began to boil. He wasn't even sure if he'd blinked the entire time he watched. After a few more minutes, he'd had enough. "Turn it off. Take the key to my room, Andy. She's probably still there, afraid to leave. Go get her."
"You really think that's a good idea?" Andy asked, glancing at Noah for help. "She'll be an even bigger distraction now, right? I think the crowd—"
"I don't give a fuck what you think, Andy!" Abel was done with Andy's obvious disregard for the importance of his relationship with Nellie. "You take my goddamn key, go to my room, and you bring her here!"
"But—"
"God damn it!" Abel started pulling the strings on his gloves with teeth.
The music for his grand entrance to the ring outside was already starting.
***
Noah lifted the hood of Abel's satin robe over his head. "Show time."
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