Part 24 (1/2)

I rose to my feet to get a better view.

Dexter kept swinging, hitting him over and over across the cheek in the same spot. Then the man tapped out, and Dexter popped to his feet, big smile still spread across his face. I dont think it had ever left.

The arena was on its feet, cheering and horns blaring.

Leona was screaming next to me, all her words running together. ”Thats-my-mother-f.u.c.king-man-cant-n.o.body-mess-with-him-h.e.l.l-yeah-baby.” She shoved the boy to her left. ”See. What did I tell you?” She let out some noise that sounded like a roar. ”My man.” Her fists were flying. ”My man.” Then she was on me, shaking me, hugging me, tackling me. ”Ahh. He did it. I knew he could. But man, he did it.”

I couldnt help but laugh, and it felt good. ”He did.” I let her continue to rock me for a moment, and then her arms fell away.

”Well, our boy did it.” A man stepped beside me, his hand on Leonas shoulder.

She smiled at him, but reigned in her overflow of excitement. ”I knew he would. So whats next?”

”If he keeps putting on a show like that, h.e.l.l make a name for himself quick.” Then the man turned towards me, and I recognized something familiar in him. ”So what did you think? I know youre a boxer too, but if you ever want to make a switch-”

”She wont be doing that.” Gage was at my side, surprising me.

”And what about you then?” The man wasnt as un-phased as his words tried to be. His eyes s.h.i.+fted as Gage stepped closer. ”Your brothers fight make you reconsider? He had fun out there. You could too. You really get a chance to show what you can do in the cage, not like the ring.”

”Ive already told you, Im not switching. So quit f.u.c.king asking. Thats your last warning.”

The round man put his hands up and I realized who he was, Phil Magnally, Dexters manager, and the guy who approached Gage in the club originally, before his goons threw out those accusations about Gages business.

”Whoa, I was just checking.” He tried to laugh it off. ”Lets keep this night about Dexter.”

Leona looked around, avoiding Gage who wasnt laughing anything off. ”Yeah, lets focus on him. Speaking of which, can I go see him now, Phil? Where is he?”

”Sure thing, pretty lady.” He licked his lips in a nervous way and broke his gaze away from Gage, smiling at Leona. ”Right this way.”

”Well go with you.” Gage nudged my back to get me to follow them out of the arena.

Leona told the others in the row shed be back.

We walked down a gold and red hallway into a dressing room. Dexter pulled Leona into a bare chested hug first thing, and she clung to him, lips searching for his and speaking Spanish words in a sultry voice like they were alone.

I looked away, feeling like an intruder on their moment. I tried to look towards Gage, but he was already moving to the refrigerator, his back to me.

He cracked open a beer bottle and brought it to his lips.

”Ill take one,” Dexter said, breaking away from Leona.

Gage opened another one and handed it over to Dexter. ”You deserve it,” he spoke soft.

”I do, dont I? That was awesome tonight.” He swept his eyes to me with a teasing grin. ”I was f.u.c.king awesome, wasnt I Rea?”

”I think your song said, youre amazing,” I teased back, but I couldnt deny his fight had pumped me up, and I itched to get back into it. I was jealous of the high I knew he felt.

”You did all right.” Gage tilted his beer back, not letting it show if he was teasing.

”Thanks.” Dexter threw a rag at him and downed his beer in two long pulls before tossing it in the trash bin. ”So you all ready to party? Weve got to do it up big tonight.”

”The cars are already waiting for you. Three, right? Since youve got so many d.a.m.n friends? But I wont be able to stay out that long. ”

I looked to Gage, unable to keep the questions from my face.

”Oh,” Gage met my gaze right back, his lip curling in the way that made me brace myself against his att.i.tude. ”I wanted to tell you, but...” He shrugged and his direct look made it clear he was intentionally mimicking my words from last night. ”Somethings come up, and Ive got to take an early flight in the morning.”

My heart burst, and I couldnt keep in my reaction. I hated making a scene, and I didnt like others knowing we were fighting, but he wasnt covering his anger towards me, and I couldnt control my body. He was leaving in the morning? I couldnt breathe and the rooms temperature dropped, making me shake.

”Gage, what the h.e.l.l? You said this time you were going to stay. Come on man, what could be more important than me?” Dexter pressed his hand to his chest with an easy smile like he was teasing, but I saw in his eyes that he could read the tension between us.

Gage broke the staring contest we had going to look at his brother. ”Dont worry about it. Ill still cover tonight. Youre taken care of.”

Leona pushed past Dexter first, spouting off what had to be insults in Spanish, but Dexter pulled her little body back.

”f.u.c.k you man, dont worry about it. Ill cover it all myself.”

”Fine.” Gage walked out the door, not even looking back to see what I would do.

”You can come out with us,” Dexter spoke up.

”Yeah,” Leona pulled out of Dexters grasp. ”Let him go be salty all on his own.”

”I-” My feet were already moving after him, without my permission. ”I have to go see whats going on. Im sorry.” I paused at the door, holding the tears back. ”Congratulations tonight, I really am sorry.”

”Dont apologize for him,” Dexter said, stepping up to give me one of his hugs. ”But call me later, let me know everythings okay.”

I nodded and pulled away to walk out after Gage.

26: Regret This.

GAGE STOPPED MID STRIDE AS I EXITED the room. His gaze connected with mine and both of us froze. He had been walking towards the door, not away from it, and that stunned me.

”What were you about to do?” I questioned. There was a good amount of hallway between us, giving me the confidence to step towards him and away from the closed door.

The lines of his jaw clenched, and his eyes burned into me. Then he nodded to the room behind me. ”I was going to get you.”

His words washed away a heavy weight. He wasnt just going to leave me. That knowledge made me light headed with relief. He saw that, and I hated it.

”Come on.” He turned, walking away again.

”No.” I rebounded from the weightlessness with a surge of anger and planted my feet where I stood.

”What?” He turned back around, voice like smoke, and fire filling his gaze. His anger sizzled in him, barely contained.

”Im not going, not unless you talk to me.” I raised my chin and took a step towards him, the air too thick to catch my breath. ”Promise youll talk to me when we get back to the hotel.”