PUSH: Ultra Alpha MMA Badboy Mafia Romance (Southside Brotherhood Book 2) (46 page)

“Okay! Okay,
geez.
Okay.”

Flynn shook his head and his teeth ground together behind her head.

“Come on, babe. Time to sleep. You’re wearing my ass out.”

“Shut up! I’m the one who said we didn’t have to—”

“Sssshhhh, quit lying.” Flynn played with her.

“Gaaaaawwwddd
. You are impossible.”

Flynn pulled her up with him, dried off each luscious curve, then curled behind her until he heard her drift off.

His mind kept playing every move of the fight. He fell into an uneasy sleep, grabbing at least a few hours of much needed rest.

***

Saying goodbye that morning felt like he was shipping off to combat. Neither of them could take a hand off the other. When he finally arrived at SPIN, he threw the Bronco in park, and moved around to open her door and gently pulled her out of the truck.

“Okay, so you will be at Ana’s. Don’t you fucking go anywhere, you hear me? Any plans change you call.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Okay. Everything will be fine. Trust.”

With a kiss to the forehead, Flynn slipped something around her neck.

“What's that?”

“Just a reminder of who you belong to, babe.”

He watched as she looked down at the rose gold chain with the little lock pendant.

“Mine.” Flynn’s voice almost caught in his throat as he looked down at his little fire doll.

“Yours.”

“Now go, before I take you back in the truck and defile you again.”

“I love you,” Lilly whispered into his chest with one huge hug that sent his heart into his throat.

“I love you too, babe. I love you, too.”

***

Lilly threw herself into work. It was the only way she could lose the overwhelming feeling of dread.
Even Ana’s usual sarcasm couldn’t assuage the cloud that hovered.

“Okay, so if you are going to be Debbie Downer all night, I’m just going to get drunk. Since you said you are not going to drink, it just might not be such a fun night for you. So lighten up!
Gawd.
”

“I will, just let me get some work done. I’ll be better in a bit. I have this thing figured out now, so I feel good about that. It will take me a few hours to get it installed, then I’m sure I’ll be back to my usual bubbly self.”

Lilly gave her an overly sweet grin.

“Uh huh. You better be!” Ana wagged her finger playfully at Lilly as she walked out the door, leaving her in her fortress of solitude. By 5:00, Lilly had finished her patch and felt good about her progress. Another hour and a half and she and Ana would head off.

For once, she felt a tentative sense of hope. She wasn’t sure how Flynn would pull it all off, but she trusted and that gave her a modicum of comfort.

Just as she turned to grab her bag and shoot a quick text to Flynn, the door to the server room swooshed open.

It only took a fraction of a second for her to realize her day had just taken a turn for the worse.

Chapter Thirty-five

Roger was about as balled up as Flynn.

The old man worked him out reluctantly, giving him some turns and suggestions on how to protect his already battered body.

Flynn’s face even on a good day was a bit rugged from so many years, both in the ring and out of the ring.

Today, he looked like he’d already lost the fight. Several fights. With a shovel.

The two cuts on his forehead from the fight several nights ago, barely pulled together. The new gash from his father’s minions easily sprung open with a new trickle of red.

His body showed the purple and green around where they’d taken him down with the lumber, and the cut just above his sore ribs from the night the tree had fallen was just another insult to the injuries.

“You look like hammered shit already.” Roger tapped his cane in place, his eyes as focused as Flynn had ever seen them. His fingers were already trembling and his brow showed the signs of what his body craved.

Had to give it to the old dude, he was using all his fortitude to stay clear headed for Flynn.

“I can still call it.” Roger stared as Flynn leaned over the ropes of the practice ring at Southside.

“No.”

“Dumb fuck. Okay, okay. But, you get yourself killed, I'ma be pissed. You’re the best fighter I got.” He tipped his head side to side, rolling his red-rimmed eyes.
“So, don’t get killed.”

“I’m not dying tonight. Cross my heart.”

“Yeah, good. Now, spend some time working the guard positions I showed you. You don’t keep those ribs covered; you’re done.”

“Don’t I know it.”

“Don’t be a smartass. Just do what I tell you and maybe you’ll come out of this. Winning is a whole other subject.”

I have to fucking win, old man. There is no other choice.

“I’m winning.” Flynn wasn’t sure he’d even said it out loud until Roger turned to meet his eye and saw more.

“Boy, you got something you need to tell me?”

***

Three hours later, Flynn was in the Bronco headed to the crumbling industrial building that held the Friday night ‘Row’ fights in Detroit.

Some weekends it was just a bunch of hacks pounding each other and drinking until they passed out. But some nights, like tonight, heavy bets were going back and forth and some decent names showed up.

Promoters showed up often to size up unsigned, raw talent and tonight there were more than a few badass fucks fighting.

Gideon had a contract with O’Connolly already, and he was a hell of a fighter. But, he was still one of Colin’s dogs, so he would only fight when and where his father told him. His indifference and cold heart helped him stay focused.

The memories of all the times his brother had taken him down — much to his father’s pleasure — played over and over in Flynn’s mind as he wound through the dark side streets.

Flynn never could get the drop on Gideon, but tonight all of that had to change.

Roger had known something was up, so Flynn gave him just enough detail to satisfy the old guy. He knew a lot was riding on the fight for Flynn, but now he had a better picture of the spoils of winning or losing.

He hadn’t shared any family info, not that his opponent was his brother or who his father was. But, if he put any amount of thought into it, even the old drunk would be able to figure it out, though he probably didn’t want to. The old man had his own problems.

As for Flynn, he’d called and texted Lilly three times. The first time she replied, she was packing up and ready to heading off with Ana. She promised she was going and that she would let him know if anything strange happened. Since then, nothing. No answer. No reply.

This shit I do not fucking need. What the hell. She better just be tucked into a good chick flick at Ana’s already or forgot her phone in that monster bag of hers. I’ll have to deal with this later.

The skin on his back felt like a thousand hot needles were dancing around some funeral pyre. His ribs throbbed right along with his head.

He belonged in bed, not stepping into a fighting ring with her life on the line. Not to mention his.

This was one of those moments.

You have climbed and climbed — you are teetering on a precipice, your feet slipping, your hands aching and losing their grip. It’s no longer a physical challenge; it’s all mental. You either nut up and dig in or you tumble.

He took a deep breath, the jolt of pain reminding him of just how precarious his physical being was, but he pushed on, reaching for mind over matter.

And his fucking mind was made up. Gideon was not walking out of the ring.

Chapter Thirty-six

“Let’s go.”

“I have to make a call—” Lilly’s skin felt like it was covered in scurrying roaches as Colin stood in front of the open limo door, hand extended for her to get in.

“No. He’s got his own job to do tonight. I talked to him, I told you. He’s getting ready to fight right now. You distracting him will only have him losing focus. You do want him to win, don’t you?”

Lilly couldn’t imagine this was all okay with Flynn no matter how much Colin assured her.

“But—”

“In.
We’ll be late. You still have to get dressed, get your hair and makeup done. Come on. We can talk more on the ride to Gina’s.”

Colin had started off by apologizing. That was a first. Inside the office, he’d seemed almost human, laying out all the things he’d done and how he wished he could take them back.

He’d even exposed the reasons why he was so hard-hearted — his childhood beatings by his own drunk father, his consuming drive for success.

Lilly stared at him for the first twenty minutes in sheer disbelief, but soon his sincerity began to feel real. He was as sad as the rest of them.

“I know you and my son—” Colin’s eyes were soft as he looked across the space between their seats. “I know — you know that, right? I understand. We were not the ideal match, to say the least. I tried, I truly did. I just don’t know if I have it in me to be a good husband. In a way, I’m relieved. Relieved that we don’t have to marry.”

She watched his face as he spoke. There was no deception, but she still couldn’t believe the words.

“So, what about my mother? What about my father — Topher —and the whole marriage debt thing?”

“You have to keep the project going. That must be finished; there is no negotiating on that.”

Lilly nodded.

“As far as your father, I will figure out something. I will give him a bigger share of the company, something to ensure he feels compensated. If he insists we still marry, then I will have to deal with that somehow. I will figure it out.”

“So, you explained this all to Flynn?”

“Yes. But he’s going to fight. He wants to. It’s pride. Ego. They need to do this; those boys need this. Then, we can all move on. You’ve been good for our family, Lilly. Brought things out, pushed us and now I feel as though we will all have a new start. You leading the way with SPIN Corp and the start-up that will ensure us all a future. I’m proud of your work. I truly am.”

“Thank you. It means a lot to me to see it through. I do want to make it successful.”

“I know you do. I see that in you. That is part of what swayed me, made me understand who you were and how unfair I’ve been. How you deserve your own kind of happiness.”

“Wow. I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, here’s what you need to say tonight. No one is going to know that we aren’t marrying. You understand? These people have already entrusted us with large amounts of capital and part of the package is you and me and our little fairy tale love story. So, tonight, we are the happy couple. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. So smiles and hand-holding and everything a couple in love on the cusp of their wedding would be. You must play along or everything could fall apart. I will even kiss you, I want you to be prepared.”

“I can handle that.” Lilly couldn’t believe when she gave him a bit of a smile. There was an itch still that told her to be careful, but something was definitely different.

That charm and sincerity that swept her off her feet so long ago back home came rushing back. Her face turned warm, and she twiddled her fingers, unsure what they were supposed to be doing.

“Good. I knew I could count on you. So, we are good then? Apology accepted?” Colin leaned over to put his hand on her knee. It wasn’t overt, just kind.

“Yes. Apology accepted.”

“Great. Now, get inside. Gina is waiting with the stylist and all the other people ready to turn you into a princess for the evening. I will be back in my tux to pick you up in forty-five minutes. We’re late already.”

Lilly went to pick up her bag and scoot out the now open door of the limo.

“No, leave that. I don’t want you carrying that unsightly bag around. I will have Gina give you a proper evening bag. Just go inside and let them pamper you. No distractions. We’re on a tight schedule.”

Lilly’s eyes danced on her bag, knowing the phone Flynn gave her was inside, then Colin put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her out the open door.

“Okay. See you later.” Lilly made her way to the boutique.

“Yes. I will see you later.” Colin flashed her a brilliant smile as the driver shut the door on the car.

***

“Put the damn phone down!” Roger looked like his eyes were going to shoot right out of their sockets.

“Fuck.” Flynn held the phone so tight, the screen bowed.

“Get your fucking mind right! You are about to get your ass handed to you, go in there like this.”

Flynn threw the phone into his gym bag as Roger walked over to hold out his finger wraps.