I was a fucking idiot. All the signs were right in front of my face, but I didn’t see it.

“You,” I choked out. I advanced on him, my blood rushing through me and roaring in my ears.

“What’s going on?” Jonah asked, approaching us cautiously.

Chris began backing up. “Did that little slut tell you I forced myself on her? Because she was acting like she wanted it, and then all of a sudden she was kicking me. That girl is psycho.”

And I saw red.

Forty-Four

MacKenzie

At least Chris had made sure I got my stuff back. When I met Alexa and Cade at the airport, Alexa’s pity-filled face was a sight for my sore eyes.

“Sweetie,” she said, greeting me with a long hug. “How are you?”

“Better now that you’re here,” I said. And I did feel better than I had in a while. I was finally done with Chris. And I had to admit that I’d slept really well last night.

Her gaze fell to my hands. “You brought your bag.”

I nodded. “You’re going to loan me the money to fly home.”

I’d resolved to go home on the next flight, rather than stay for the fight. I’d been enough of a distraction for Ian already, and needed to get as far away as I could so that he could concentrate.

She shook her head. “Nope.”

“No? You won’t loan me money?”

“I won’t have to. You’re staying for the fight. Our room’s a double. You’ll spend the night with us, and leave with your normal ticket tomorrow.”

“Alexa, I don’t want to stay for the fight. I just want to go home.”

What I really wanted was to run back to the casino and back into Ian’s arms. But that option was off the table.

“No, you can’t go home.” Alexa put her arm around me and started pushing me toward the taxi stand. “You deserve to see Ian win this fight. You worked so hard with him. There’s no way we’re letting you miss this.” She looked to Cade for support.

He nodded. “Sorry. Alexa’s the boss.” He followed us with their luggage in tow as Alexa nudged me to the first cab in the taxi line.

“Alexa, I’m bad luck for him. All I am to him is a reason to lose his concentration. I need to get out of his way so he can win this fight, and the one after that and the one after that. He doesn’t need me there to distract him. He needs time alone to focus on his dream.”

“Shut it,” she said. Her tone was playful, but she meant what she said. “I’m not having you miss this. You can trade tickets with Cade and sit by me. That way Ian won’t even know you’re there. Our seats are up in nosebleed land.”

I sighed.

The cab driver got out and started loading their suitcases in back. Cade pried my bag out of my hand, putting it in the trunk with the others, then got in on the far side. I was being forced back to the fight whether I wanted to go or not.

Alexa gave me a shove toward the door, and I got in. She followed, and I rode back to the casino, wedged between Alexa and Cade and somehow feeling like a prisoner.

“If he loses the fight because I’m there, I’m gonna be pissed,” I said.

Alexa patted my arm. “Sure, sure.”

Forty-Five

Ian

All I saw was red.

“You forced yourself on Kenzie,” I growled.

Chris continued his slow creep away from me toward the exit, but Jonah moved carefully in my direction to intercept.

Chris snarled at me. “I told you, she was acting like she wanted it. I didn’t do anything to her.” He pointed at his mangled face. “That bitch did this to me.”

I flew at him with hands outstretched and grabbed him by the throat, then took him down on his back, landing on him hard. He clawed at my hands as I squeezed his throat. His face turned bright red and his mouth flapped open as he struggled for air. He kicked frantically at me, at my legs and anything he could reach.

I felt his blows, but they didn’t hurt. What hurt was that this guy, who had pretended to be my friend, had forced himself on the woman I loved. I wanted blood.

Chris’s fists flew at my face and he hammered away, but I kept holding his neck. He didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her.

Arms came from behind and wrapped around my neck and pulled.

“Ian,” Jonah shouted in my ear. “Don’t fucking do this. Whatever it is he did, it’s not worth going to jail, and it’s not worth throwing away your career. Let him go.”

Jonah tugged at me, trying to pull me off Chris, but I wouldn’t let go. I couldn’t. Not after what he’d done.

“This little shit deserves to die after what he’s put Kenzie through,” I growled.

“So you’ll spend the rest of your life locked up away from her, just to pay back this one guy?”

I loosened my grip a little as I let Jonah’s words sink in. Chris’s punches were weaker and fewer; he was about to pass out.

Jonah continued. “Wouldn’t it be better for her if you were out here so you could protect her from other slimeballs like him?”

I let go and allowed Jonah to pull me off Chris. Chris coughed and grabbed his throat, fighting to take in air while simultaneously scrambling backward to get away from me.

“I knew there was something going on between you two,” Chris said. His voice came out rough. “I saw you with her in the car that morning after your doctor visit. You kissed her. What was that about, Ian?”