Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64366 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64366 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
“Dammit.” Kage took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling, deep in thought as he tried to figure out how to handle the new development. “I just want to go home.”
“So I guess that means no hanging out with the other fighters and their significant others?”
Kage snorted. “You know me. Do you think I want to go chat with the other fighters? Besides, I’m the shark in their midst right now. They hate my fucking guts.”
I couldn’t help being impressed. “Are you becoming infamous?”
“Baby, I’ve always been infamous. I’ve just taken it to prime time now.”
“There’s the ego we know and love,” Vanessa said absently, running one of her midnight blue nails along her lip. “Jamie, why don’t you come walk around with me for just a minute? I wanted to look at some of these people up close, and I don’t want to go alone.”
Kage answered for me. “Jamie’s not going anywhere. He’s had too much to drink, and I need to take him home.”
“I have not had too much to drink,” I insisted. “I’m just wired, that’s all. I had that messed up conversation with Uncle you-know-who, and then I had to wait forever for you to come out of that top secret meeting. And no offense, Vanessa… I understand why this whole publicity thing with you two is going on, but if I have to hear one more girl gushing to me about how lucky you are to be engaged to my boyfriend, I’m gonna lose my shit. I’m not built to handle all of this espionage and double dealing.”
“You might want to rethink your choice of boyfriend, then,” Vanessa said. “Mikey and Santori are a package deal. The man may not come around much, but his shadow will always be over everything you do.”
Kage frowned. “Way to try to scare him off, Vanessa.”
“It’s true. You’ve just always had to live with it, so it’s normal to you. Which is not healthy, by the way.”
“What do you expect me to do? My entire life is wrapped up in that hotel. Everything I have, everything I’ll ever be.”
I reached under the table and touched his hand, getting his attention and calming him down. “What about this UFC contract? I thought that was your future.”
He laughed. “Jamie, that’s my dream— the goal that I’ve always been after since I was a little kid. But I’m Santori’s sole heir. The Alcazar will be mine one day.”
“I thought you weren’t that concerned about money.”
He smiled indulgently at me. “It’s easy to not be concerned about money when you’ve got plenty of it. But it’s more complicated than that. The Alcazar is my home. It’s part of who I am.”
There was a triumphant gleam in Vanessa’s eyes. “See, I told you, Jamie. I think the two of you make a great couple, but you’ve got to realize what you’re getting when you take on this big lug. He’s never going to be free of his uncle. Not until Santori dies, and at his age, I’m betting he’s got at least thirty years. Probably more like forty. People who are that mean don’t die young. They hang around until they’ve made everyone thoroughly miserable.”
“Has Santori done stuff to you?” I asked Vanessa. “Has he threatened you or caused you problems?”
“No, but I’ve seen what he’s done to Mikey over the years, and it breaks my heart.”
Kage snorted. “You make me sound helpless. I assure you I am not helpless.”
“Where Santori is concerned, you are. I love you, Mikey. You’re the strongest, most confident guy I know, but that man is your kryptonite.” She reached across him and pinched my cheek. “And this pretty thing is running a close second.”
“What?” I batted her hand away. “I’m nothing like Santori. Don’t even play like that.”
“I didn’t say you were like him. I just meant that you’re a weakness.” She laughed. “Stop pouting. If that lip drags any lower it’ll touch the floor.”
Kage rested a hand on my thigh and leaned in to whisper against my ear. “She’s right, you know. You’re definitely a weakness.” He latched onto my earlobe and sucked it, making my entire body shudder, and then he was gone and sitting upright again as if it had never happened.
Vanessa groaned. “You are so damn obvious. I hope you know what you’re doing, because it’s only a matter of time before people start noticing how you are around him. Then everybody will be talking about it, and your uncle will kill both of you, and then I’ll be out of a perfectly good beard job.”
She was joking about the killing part, but it made me uneasy just the same. She’d never had Santori on her ass like he was on mine. The guy was seriously creeping me out with his veiled threats and dead eyes.