“Ready?” he calls, and I look out in time to see him lacing up his boots. I missed the show completely while I finished my smoky eye look.
“Sure, just one more thing.”
He looks up, and I move between his legs while he’s still sitting down. His hands find their way to my ass and give it a squeeze.
“Going to lay a claim on me?” He smirks.
I tousle his hair. “Do I need to?” I say with a smirk of my own as I make his hair lie the way I like it. He didn’t do anything with it this time, and I noticed he did the night we went out. I like that he got all gussied up for me and not for anyone downstairs.
He grips me tighter, hands moving to my hips as he pulls his head back. I smile down at him, but something in the way he looks at me has my breath catching. “If you want.”
His words hang like a weighted blanket around me. Not uncomfortable, but I’m not sure if I need it, or want it.
Something bangs against the door, and I jump a bit till I hear Lucky on the other side. “Come on, you two. Beer ain’t going to last much longer.”
I look at Domino in question, and he rolls his eyes as he stands. “We had our delivery guy come today. Got a dozen kegs downstairs. At the most, they went through half since I left them. Don’t worry, Lucky is just being a dick.”
“You’d think he learn by now,” I say as we walk to the door.
Domino barks out a laugh. “Guess he needs a few more hits to the head to figure it out.” He grabs my hand and pulls me in, kissing me deeply. “Let’s put a pin in what I said before. No need to think beyond celebrating the life of a brother tonight, yeah?” He brings our joined hands up to his lips and kisses my knuckles.
I nod because I can’t speak. My mouth’s dry not only because of his words but the sweet gesture. I’ve never had a sweet guy before. Like Summer said so many weeks ago, I usually go for the jerks. But maybe there’s something to be said about the nice guys.
Bad boys don’t pack an overnight bag and offer a girl a place to stay for who knows how long. Domino might not have said that, but he isn’t giving me a deadline to leave. At least not yet.
When we get downstairs, he goes to the bar for drinks, and I head to Mack, who’s sitting at a table with my sponsor, Tommy.
“Didn’t expect you guys to still be around.”
Mack shrugs. “I was invited.”
As if free booze is the real reason he’s here. The guy won’t say it, but I know he looks at me and Summer as his responsibilities. He’s the one who got us into this life after Winter died. He takes it seriously. Too much so. I don’t have siblings, but if I did, I bet they would be just as annoying and protective as Mack is.
“And you?” I look at Tommy and notice the fresh scarring on his neck. I don’t ask—I’m not rude—but I can guess and speculate. He likes to pretend I don’t know what he does on the East Coast, but he doesn’t really hide who he is. And as a mafia family member, why should he?
He’s never treated me like I’m beneath him, nor has he treated me like someone who owes him something. Our relationship is strictly business. He sponsors me, and I make him cash. Sure, sometimes I lose, but I’m an investment. A day will come when he pulls his sponsorship, and I just have to make sure it’s a day I walk away from. A pulled sponsor usually only happens when a fighter burns their bridge or something critical happens and a new fighter is needed to replace them. Deaths don’t happen often, but it’s not unheard of. I’ve never witnessed one, but I’ve heard enough from the others to know it ain’t as far-fetched as some make it seem. Just look at Winter.
“Down fighters are bad for business.” It’s all he gives me, and my eyes widen a bit before I look at Mack.
“He means Dozer. Tommy sponsored her too.”
Ifeel like I have whiplash from how quickly I turn back to Tommy, who’s shaking his head.
“Don’t look at me like that. You and Summer are still my number one girls, but neither of you are going to be at next weekend’s gig. The pot’s an easy three mil. Dozer was an investment opportunity. A double-down bet for the weekend is all.”
“What’d I miss?” Domino sets down drinks for the four of us and pulls a chair in, sitting on it before pulling me onto his lap. I try my hardest not to react, but it takes me a second. Enough for me to spot a grin on Mack’s face as he looks at his beer.
“I’m looking for a new sponsor. Hounds interested?” I quickly glance back at Domino but keep my eyes on Tommy.
Tommy’s quick to jump in. “Hey, now that’s not fair. I said it was a weekend thing only. You’re still my girl, Menace. Don’t go backing out on me now.”
“Your girl, huh? More like your meal ticket. Think about that twice before you think a weekend gig is worth it,” I say with enough sass and head weaving to get him looking contrite.
“Did she really just put a mafia kingpin in his place?” Domino stage-whispers to Mack.
Mack snorts. “Yeah, and if you ain’t careful, she’ll do a number on you too. There’s a reason she got the name Menace.”
I don’t see Domino’s face, but his arms pull me closer. “And just like a stack of dominoes, it takes more than most know to knock me over.”
