Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Them being the new headliners at Heathens Hollow.”
“You’re fucking kidding.” Frankie chortled and rubbed at his jaw. “Them?”
“Troy must be desperate.” Bones shrugged. “Plenty of big names joined the Circuit instead.”
I clicked my tongue. “Yeah, he was here tonight.”
“What?”
“I saw him in the stands. Troy was here with the Perks. Looking extra constipated, glare and all.”
“That might be my fault.” Ari winced and scratched at her scalp beneath her light blond hair. “I, uh, sent a text the night before the Circuit started saying we were going a different direction? And he tried to call me twice this week, and I ignored it.”
“Huh. No wonder he looked like he was about to smite me on the spot.”
“Ari, what the hell? Why didn’t you tell me this?” Frankie demanded.
“I thought it was handled!” She threw her hands up then set them on her hips. “We’re in the Circuit; he has his headliners. It’s a done deal. I don’t know why he’s calling me.”
“If he calls again, you tell us immediately.”
“Immediately, Ari,” Bones emphasized.
Bones, Lotto, and Frankie stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the van, looking like the Three Musketeers. Or a three-man wrecking crew, which was probably more apt. Ari bit her lip and nodded a few times like a student whose teachers were scolding her. But I couldn’t blame her. Troy was a prick, and I was more than happy to be away from his contracts and stipulations.
“Oh, come on, guys. We’re undefeated. I just knocked a dude on his ass in less than a minute. Why does it feel like my dog died or something?” I elbowed Bones. “We should be celebrating.”
“We can celebrate after five wins. No sooner.” Frankie eyed me before jerking his head toward the van. “Now get in.”
“Damn. Maybe I should go back and take my chances on Troy.” I snorted as I shuffled through the group and clapped a hand on Frankie’s shoulder. “I promise you’re way more attractive than him, though.”
Though Frankie’s face didn’t budge, at least I got a smirk out of the rest of them.
“Don’t say Troy’s name again,” Ari said as she followed me into the van’s back seat. “I feel like his ghost is following me everywhere.”
“Ooh, Troy Godwin, ooh,” I joked as I leaned over the second row seat toward her. “So spooky.”
Ari pushed me away with two fingers to the middle of my forehead. “If I get haunted because of you, I’m kicking your ass.”
Chapter
Ten
ARI
Iwas going to kick River’s ass.
It was a curse. An omen. Why did he have to say Troy’s name three times? It was like playing Bloody Mary or summoning Beetlejuice. Didn’t he know three was a charm—or a definite lack thereof?
Because now Troy fucking Godwin stood in the middle of Smiley’s Gym with a frown that could be seen from space. Or, at least from the window seat of the plane I was about to miss because of him.
“I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” I said as politely as I could.
Troy’s frown somehow grew even deeper. Half his face was as wrinkled as a newborn baby. “I will not be leaving without a face-to-face conversation. That’s the least you owe me since I practically built this gym for you.” His eyes slipped from me to Lotto, who stood next to me in front of the front desk. “I never took you for a coward, Lotto. Or you, Ari. I would have appreciated a personal invitation when you denied my more-than-generous request.”
“Our contract was for one fight at Heathens Hollow. That’s it.” Lotto leaned against the front desk on one arm. “I checked the fine print. We were finished as soon as we stepped out of the ring.”
“And yet, you continued to use my club on my dime.” His smile was scathing. “Should I send you the bill for the booze? Or the reupholstery of the VIP booth you ruined”
My cheeks burned. “We didn’t ruin anything.”
“Only the future of Heathens Hollow,” Lotto challenged. I hadn’t seen him look this annoyed since we signed Troy’s contract in the first place. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? Because you got stuck signing the Perks and now the big names won’t be showing up.”
Troy stayed silent. Lotto’s words must have hit hard because he only stared with the heat of the underworld in his dark eyes.
“Sorry you have to find a new cash cow.” I checked the clock on the wall. If we didn’t leave soon, we were going to miss the flight to San Diego. “So if you could—”
“Double.”
Troy’s offer hung in the air.
Double?
“Excuse me?” I managed to choke out.
“I’m offering double.” Troy clasped his hands behind his back. “For every single one of you. You two, Frankie, Bones, River. Even Teo. Double our original Heathens Hollow contract and I’ll pay your contract penalty with the Circuit for pulling out early.”