A Fighter's Desire (Gloves Off 0.5 & 0.6)(14)

Taking the cup, we both gulped ours down and almost immediately I could feel the warmth of the liquor seeping its way into my blood. Two drinks were definitely going to be my limit if they were that potent. The last thing I needed was to get drunk around a bunch of people I didn’t know, especially Ryley and his brother.

Setting her cup on the mantle, Gabriella grabbed Tyler around the waist and shouted, “All right, you guys, it’s time to get out there and dance. Let’s go!”

“Oh hell, I’m in trouble now,” Tyler teased, putting his arm across my shoulders and hers.

Pushing through the throng of people, we stopped in the middle of the floor; Tyler against my front with his hands around my waist, and Gabriella to his back. Some kind of techno song played over the surround sound, so I went with it and started to dance. If there was one thing I was good at, it was dancing.

Rolling my hips against Tyler’s, I linked my hands around his neck as he held me firmly by my hips. I could feel a set of eyes watching me, and when I looked up at the top of the stairs, Ryley was there leaning over the banister, with his hardened gaze fastened on me. Smiling, I winked at him and waved before he stormed off.

Once the song was over, Gabriella and I switched places, which put me grinding against Tyler’s ass while Gabriella took his front. I had to admit, Tyler had a very sexy backside.

Another thing I noticed and felt was the tension between him and Gabriella. I knew right then and there that they wanted each other. It was a shame they couldn’t do anything about it because of her brother, especially since he and Tyler were best friends.

Smiling, I waved at Gabriella over Tyler’s shoulder and left the dance area so I could get something to drink other than alcohol. The kitchen was just off to the right, through a set of double doors, and there were people everywhere milling about and talking. Thankfully, there were chilled bottles of water lined up on the bar.

I grabbed one and started to walk off … but I didn’t get very far. I heard Ryley and Camden’s names being whispered among a group of women at a table in the corner, so needless to say, I sidled in closer to eavesdrop on what they were saying.

“Who do you think they’ll pick tonight? They always try to find someone new to play with on fight nights,” one of them whispered. She had way too much makeup on, and wore a dress that was so short her ass cheeks began to show as she leaned over to talk to the other women; she had beautiful sleek blonde hair, though.

So the twins wanted someone to play with, huh?

There was another girl with curly, red hair wearing a green tank top and denim shorts that spoke up next. Her voice was quieter, so I moved closer to listen. “Well, you know what happened to April, don’t you? Ryley let her go because he didn’t like the way she sucked his dick. Yeah, she left all pissed off. Talk about crazy, right? I wish they would give me a chance. I would love to see if I could handle them both at the same time.”

“Excuse me,” I said, cutting in. “I’m sorry to barge in on your conversation, but I couldn’t help overhearing. Are you saying that Ryley and Camden look for women that’ll sleep with them both … at the same time?”

The girl with the red hair nodded her head. “Yes, it’s like a game to them. Every Saturday night at these parties they both find a girl they’re interested in and proposition her. My friend April was picked last week, but she was let go.”

There were five of them huddled together and I couldn’t help but wonder …

“So, is that the reason why you are all here tonight? Hoping you get picked?” I asked curiously. It had to be the saddest thing I’d ever heard.

“Of course that’s why we’re here,” the red-haired girl replied incredulously.

Taking my bottle of water, I backed up slowly and smiled, even though I really wanted to tell them how stupid they were. “Well, all right then. You ladies have a wonderful night and I wish you luck.”

Turning around quickly, I waltzed out of the room and past the gigantic living room where Gabriella and Tyler were still dancing. There weren’t as many people outside, so I decided to go out there and sit by the pool to get some fresh air.

Now that the sun was gone, it was chilly—especially when the brisk wind blew across my bare skin—causing steam to billow up from the pool. Once I sat down on the edge and lowered my feet inside its warm depths, I sighed and leaned back on my hands, gazing up at the clear night sky.

It was quiet and I loved it, at least until …

“We could go for a swim if you’d like,” a voice called out behind me.

Groaning, I turned my head and watched Ryley walk down the steps toward me. He was dressed in a pair of ripped denim jeans and a white T-shirt with a navy baseball cap covering up his blond hair. However, there was something different about him in the way he carried himself and in the way he spoke; his tattoos were also on the wrong arm. Then it dawned on me … it wasn’t Ryley. It was his brother, Camden.

“Let me guess, your brother told you to come out here and talk to me?” I asked dryly.

Narrowing his gaze, he held out his hand and I let him help me up. He was about six foot tall, but once I slipped on my red heels I was only shy of that by maybe an inch. “Actually, I haven’t spoken to my brother,” he responded truthfully. “I take it that you have, though. What did he say to you?”