Taking the Fight, page 20
I sighed. “Yes, it is.”
Unfortunately, we had to get through the weekend before we could get to that beginning.
Our offer was accepted and tomorrow morning we were going to sign the papers to buy our new Malibu home. The feeling was amazing, but sadly, we didn’t get to celebrate. It was nine o’clock, and we finally got the text from Seth saying he was waiting for us at Finn’s house. He was going to be outside to walk us in.
My stomach was in knots, and I could feel the sweat dripping down my back. It wasn’t fear that made me feel like this, but the overwhelming need to make the Sellingers pay. I was impatient to get it over with.
Braden clenched and unclenched his hands on the wheel the entire ride, his face an unreadable mask. He was tense, and so was I. Those who were close to Braden knew he was always a jokester who loved having fun. His hardened exterior with all the tattoos made him look intimidating to those who didn’t know. That was exactly how he appeared tonight. He wasn’t the Braden I saw behind closed doors but the ruthless fighter I knew him to be in the ring. The last time I saw that darkness in him was the night I was almost poisoned. It was as if he was a different person. He and I both knew that was the man he needed to be tonight. Just like I had to focus on my anger against Finn and Annika. That rage was my fuel; it was what was going to help me tear that conniving bitch down.
We were coming up on Finn’s road, and I pointed at it. “You need to turn there. Finn’s house will be about a half-mile down.”
Braden took the road, sliding his foot off the gas to slow our pace. “Are you ready?”
I rolled my shoulders. “Yep. I wish we were fighting tonight. The more I think about this, the angrier I get.”
He huffed. “Yeah, I know. I want to tear Sellinger’s fucking face off.”
The gate was open, and we pulled down the driveway, parking beside Seth’s sports car. Nikolai’s SUV was also in the driveway, along with several others. I opened my car door, but Braden grabbed my hand, halting me.
When I turned to him, my body trembled at his darkened gaze. “I didn’t want to bring this up, but if something happens to me, I want you to run. I can’t stand the thought of the piece of shit in there,”—he growled, jerking his head toward the house—“touching you.”
I squeezed his hand. “It’s going to be okay. We will win.”
“Promise me, Reagan,” he demanded, his voice laced with danger. “I have to hear it.”
It was a promise I couldn’t keep. No matter the cost, I would never leave Braden behind. “I promise,” I said, my heart hurting from the lie. It wasn’t the time or place to tell him otherwise.
Huffing, he let my hand go and hopped out to join Seth, dressed impeccably in a tailored gray suit. Taking a deep breath, I got out of the vehicle just as a sleek pearl-white sports car pulled in behind Seth. I looked at the driver and recognized him immediately.
“What is Valentin doing here?” I asked, moving over toward Braden.
Seth smiled, but it didn’t last long. “He’s a witness.”
I nodded over at Nikolai’s SUV. “Looks like your brother’s one for Finn.”
Seth’s jaw tightened. “I see that.”
Valentin walked over to Braden and held out a hand. “It’s good to meet you. I’m a big fan. My name’s Valentin Rossi.”
Keeping a stony expression, Braden shook his hand. “Thanks, man.”
Valentin moved his gaze between Braden and me. “I’m here to help in any way I can. It’s best to have a lot of allies.”
I turned my focus to Seth. “I thought you said you weren’t going to start a war over us?”
Seth shrugged. “Yeah, well, I believe in you and Braden, just like I do with your sister and Carter. I envy what you have, and I don’t want to see Sellinger, or my dumb ass brother, take it away.”
Chuckling, Valentin slapped him on the shoulder. “Very poetic, my friend. You trying to earn some good karma or something?”
“Maybe,” Seth said, smiling. “I could use it after all the shit I’ve done.” He gestured toward the house. “Come on. This shouldn’t take long.”
Braden took my hand, and I squeezed it as we walked up to the front door. Finn’s cousin, Marcus, opened the door and ushered us inside where Tanner, Finn’s other cousin, waited for us. Tanner grunted out a few words, which I assumed were to tell us to follow him.
Seth and Valentin strolled through the house with dominance and prestige, their presence powerful. I was glad to have them on our side.
We took one of the long hallways to the back of the house where Tanner stopped outside a closed door. He knocked twice and Finn’s voice echoed from the other side. “Let them come in,” he called out.
Tanner twisted the knob and the door swung open. Seth and Valentin entered first, but I stopped and looked over at Braden, his hand still in mine. Jaw clenched, he nodded and I did the same back. Were we ready? I was about to find out.
Letting his hand go, I watched him march in and I went behind him. The room was a large sitting area with two brown leather couches that faced each other, built-in bookshelves on all the walls, and there was a large window that overlooked the mountains. The Persian rug on the floor was no doubt worth more than my car. If I had a drink, I would’ve made sure to spill it.
Finn stood in the middle of the room with his father beside him. I met Finn’s gaze briefly before focusing on Annika, who was sitting on the couch and raking her predatory stare over Braden. Her breasts were about to pop out of her red dress, but Braden paid her no mind, which pissed her off, if the scowl on her face was any indication. Beside her was a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair and a laptop. Then, in the corner was Nikolai, his leer directed at me. And on the table between the couches was a piece of paper—the contract.
“Shall we get down to business?” Finn said. He motioned toward the other couch, but neither Braden nor I moved.
Braden glared at him. “We’ll stand.”
Finn held up his hands. “Suit yourself. The contract is on the table.”
Seth reached for the contract and read through it before handing it over to Valentin. I was curious to know what was in it. When Valentin finished, Seth handed it to me and Braden, his voice low. “It’s vague. Lots of areas open to interpretation.”
I moved closer to Braden so we could read it together. It was a standard contract with easy terms, but Seth was correct; there were a lot of gray areas.
Braden huffed and tossed the contract back onto the table. “You expect me to sign that?”
Tensing, Finn glared at him. “You know what happens if you don’t.”
Braden met Finn’s challenging glare. “No weapons. That needs to be added. I know how your people like to pussy out using knives, razors, poison,” he spat, staring over at Annika with disgust before turning back to Finn, “or whatever the fuck you think you can use to get ahead, but not this time. We fight with just our fists.”
Finn didn’t waver; he held his head high and nodded. “Fine. Warren, will you add that in, please?” The guy on the couch, who I figured was Warren, typed away and looked up at Finn when he was done. “Anything else?” Finn asked.
“Yes,” I hissed low, “I want it added that when Braden and I win our fights, we will be safe indefinitely from you and your people.”
Seth stepped forward. “And if anything were to happen to Mr. Emerson or Ms. Jameson that I find questionable, we will retaliate with force. My father stands behind this.”
By the look of shock on Paul Sellinger’s face, I could tell he wasn’t expecting that. Neither was I. The blood rushed from Finn’s face, and the room fell silent, except for Nikolai.
He stormed over, his gaze murderous. “What the hell is that shit?”
Seth’s lips turned up in a smug grin. “Did I stutter, brother? Our father is on my side, which is where you should be.”
With clenched fists, Finn nodded at Warren. “Add it.”
Finn was livid, which meant he was probably going to rely on the vague contract for his dirty schemes, and now he couldn’t. Warren typed a little more and then glanced around the room. “Shall I print out the new contract?”
I looked over at Seth and he nodded, but Finn held up a hand. “Hold up. I have something I’d like to add.” Braden tensed beside me, and chills ran down my spine at the way Finn kept his eyes on me. “I think Annika and I need to clarify what will happen when we win.”
Annika stood and sauntered over to him. “That’s right. We need a little more assurance with our prizes.”
“What the fuck do you want?” Braden snarled.
Finn smiled at me and then glowered back at Braden. “If I win, I need it written that Reagan will be mine and mine only. The same goes for you with Annika. I want Reagan to give herself to me willingly in all ways.” Braden stormed forward, but I quickly grabbed his arm. Finn found amusement in Braden’s rage.
“You son of a bitch,” Braden spat. “You’re pathetic, you know that?”
Finn smirked. “I want what I want.”
“And I want it added that if I’m forced to do something I don’t want to do, then it’ll be a breach of contract,” I demanded. “I’m not agreeing to be raped and used for your pleasure.” I stared right into Finn’s eyes. “I’ll kill you myself, and I won’t give a damn about the consequences."
Finn studied me and nodded once. “Fair enough. I told you I would never hurt you.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, well, I don’t believe anything that comes out of your mouth.”
Clasping my hand, Braden pulled me to his side. “Let’s get this shit over with. I’m ready to get the fuck out of here.”
Paul stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with delight. “Or we could settle this right here and now with a new contract.” He stared back and forth between Braden and me. “Forget the fights. Twenty million dollars each to walk away from each other.” Paul focused on me. “You would belong to my son.” Then to Braden. “And you to my daughter. Everyone stays safe from harm.”
Braden growled a “fuck that” at the same I said, “hell no”. It was disgusting to think that was how Paul got his wife; Finn was just like him.
Paul pursed his lips when he looked at me. “How disappointing. I was hoping to have you be a part of our family without all the violence.”
“I wouldn’t be family,” I countered angrily, “I’d be a prisoner.”
Warren typed away on his laptop. “Okay, so no new contract? I think I’m about done.” He set his laptop on the table and walked over to the other side of the room where the revised contract emerged from the printer.
We all reread it with the new additions. First, Seth and Valentin signed on the witness lines along with Nikolai and Paul. Then, Finn signed his name, followed by Annika. Finally, all that was left was Braden and me.
My heart thundered in my chest as I held the pen. Swallowing hard, I signed my name on the line and looked over at Braden. There were no words I could think of to say, so I handed him the pen. He took it and signed his name without hesitation, slamming the pen down on the table once he was done.
“When do we want the fights to take place?” Seth asked, glancing around at everyone.
Braden held my hand tight in his. “Tomorrow night. This needs to end.”
Finn and Annika looked at each other and both nodded. “Tomorrow it is then,” Finn agreed.
Seth held out his hand to Finn and they shook. “Good. We’ll have it at the hotel.”
Annika smiled at me. “Hope you’re ready, Reagan. I’ve had a good teacher showing me new tricks.” Nikolai smirked behind her, confirming my suspicions. The new moves she had at her last fight were because of him.
“Oh, I’m ready,” I fired back.
She laughed. “Good. I still can’t believe you fell for my pitiful act that night with Daria. I could’ve beaten that bitch with one hand tied behind my back. I just wanted you to be the one to work that night.” Stupid cunt. It didn’t surprise me that she played me for a fool.
“Those are just words, Annika. What I saw that night was a scared little girl, and I still see her now.” Annika fumed and I backed away with a smile on my face. “See you tomorrow.”
Finn and Braden faced off, and I knew there were a lot of words they wanted to say to each other. I squeezed Braden’s hand and Seth slapped his shoulder. “Save it for the fight,” Seth warned him.
Braden turned on his heel and didn’t say a word until we we were in the car. He slammed his hands against the steering wheel. “I wanted to kill him, Reagan. God help me, I don’t know how I’ll be able to stop myself.”
Reaching over, I placed a hand gently on the back of his neck. “You have to control yourself. If you kill Finn, we’ll have bigger problems.”
His family would come at us with a vengeance.
CHAPTER 35
BRADEN
I was so fucking pissed I couldn’t see straight. The drive back to Reagan’s apartment was a blur. All I could think about was ripping Finn’s throat out and breaking every single bone in his body. I was ready for tomorrow.
My tires screeched to a halt in the parking lot, and I slammed my car door as I got out. Reagan rushed over to me and clasped my face in her hands. Her touch used to calm me down, but all it did now was remind me what was at stake. If I lost the fight, she’d be lost to me.
“Braden, look at me,” Reagan demanded. When I met her gaze, she lifted on her toes and kissed me. “I know you’re angry, but tonight is all about us. I need you more than anything right now.” She was right. I couldn’t let the Sellingers fuck up this time I had with her.
Wrapping my arms around her waist, I held her so tight she gasped. “If you only knew how fucking bad I needed you,” I growled.
“Then show me.” She kissed me and it spurred the hunger I had inside of me. We hurried up the two flights of stairs to her apartment, and as soon as the door shut behind us, I ripped off her shirt.
She squealed as I lifted her in my arms and carried her into her bedroom. I wanted to feel every inch of her, inside and out, and to see her back arch, pushing her breasts higher so I could suck and bite them while I made love to her. I’d never felt another woman’s body as perfect as hers.
Setting her down, I couldn’t get the rest of her clothes off fast enough. I feasted on her lips, her neck, and every square inch of skin I could get to. Her breath came out in rapid pants as she helped me out of my shirt and jeans. “I want to feel you inside me,” she moaned.
I grabbed her around the waist and we fell onto the bed, only she moved out of my hold to straddle me and slid her wetness up and down my cock, driving me completely and utterly insane. I wanted to push into her, but she lifted her hips.
With a smirk, she slowly slid her hand down my stomach and wrapped her hand around my cock as my boxers fell to the floor. I knew what she was planning to do the moment she licked her lips and moved down my body, and oh God, how much I wanted to feel her mouth on me, sucking me as hard as she could. Not wasting any time, she lowered her head and my muscles jerked as she closed her lips over the tip of my cock, circling her tongue around it over and over.
I groaned when she sucked harder and cupped my balls, massaging them. Dammit, I wanted to let go so bad, to come in her mouth and claim her body in every way possible. I wanted to make love to her until she ached. I wanted to hear her scream my name from her red, swollen lips. Before she could drive me over the edge, I grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her onto the bed.
She shrieked as I ripped off her underwear and unclasped her bra, discarding them as quickly as possible. Immediately, I bent down to suck on her perfectly taut nipples, one after the other, the tips getting larger the more I teased them. Moaning, Reagan spread her legs wider and pushed her hips up against mine.
I traced my tongue across her chest, sucking her nipples one after the other, and groaned as my dick jumped in response. Her back arched and I trailed my tongue down a path on her stomach to between her legs. Right there in the middle was the sweetest taste of all. So wet and swollen.
I groaned in anticipation because I knew the first taste would be the best. Reagan moved her hips against my face as I fucked her with my tongue, burrowing as deep as I could so I could smell her … taste her.
“Braden, please,” she begged. “Please make love to me.”
Ignoring her request, I pushed a finger inside her, still keeping up the punishing pace of my tongue on her clit. The wetter she got, the more I wanted. Spreading her legs wider, I rubbed my cock around the wetness of her opening, and without warning, I entered her, and she screamed out a pleasured cry as she wrapped her legs around my waist. I took her face in my hands, and she gazed back at me with hooded eyes and lifted her mouth to kiss me. I opened her lips farther with my tongue, tasting her … claiming her. She was mine again.
Moaning in my ear, she dug her nails into my back, and her body clenched so tight around my dick that I was close to exploding. The tighter she got, the harder it was to keep going. Her moans grew louder, and as soon as she let go, I pumped as hard as I could, filling her up deep inside.
Both of us were breathing hard and covered in sweat, and the smell of sex filled the room. It was unreal how much I craved Reagan’s touch. I couldn’t get enough.
Still connected, I gazed down at her. “We sign the papers on the house tomorrow.”
Reagan smiled up at me. “I can’t wait. I’m ready to tell everyone.”
So was I. But before I could celebrate, there was something I had to do first.
I had to win the fight.
CHAPTER 36
REAGAN
The papers were signed, and the date of our closing was scheduled. In three weeks, Braden and I would be homeowners. It was the one good thing I held onto with all my might. If we won our fights, our life together could begin.
