Down and Out(64)

“Before you say no, let me assure you that it won’t be as . . . lively as the men’s chapter.”
“You mean brutal and bloody.”
“Yes,” he says, seemingly pleased by my response. “Although I can’t guarantee there won’t be any blood. This is a contact sport, after all, but that’s not what people want to see from a women’s match. They want to see two attractive women get in the ring and tussle. Think more wrestling and less face-bashing.”
“And what are these women going to be wearing while ‘tussling?’”
He shrugs. “Sports bra. Shorts. Nothing hyper-sexualized.”
“So there’s no Jell-O involved?”
“No,” he says, laughing. “No Jell-O, no oil, no nothing.”
I bite my lip and nod. “And what about Declan? Does he know you’re asking me to join?”
He tilts his head and studies me. It’s weird and intimidating, and he knows it. “No,” he finally says.
I shift my weight from one foot to the other, ignoring the pain in the balls of my feet from my heels. “What’s the catch?”
“The ‘catch’ is that you might get your ass kicked, but if you’re good, you’ll move up in ranking, which means you’ll earn more.” He pulls a business card out of the breast pocket of his suit and hands it to me. “Entry-level fighters make five thousand a match, and I’ll even provide you with a trainer to start with. Think about it.”
Declan wasn’t kidding. Jimmy pays his employees very well.
I read the glossy, embossed letters before glancing back up.
“Time is of the essence, Savannah. I have the first fight scheduled in six weeks, so if you decide to do this, you need to start training immediately.”
The elevator door dings and slides open. I tuck the card into my palm and nod to him. “Thank you. I’ll consider it.”
Stepping onto the elevator, I push the button for the lobby and the doors close. I’m too tired to consider any more “arrangements” right now. I just want to go to sleep and forget this day ever happened.





Savannah hasn’t said a single word the whole ride home, and I’m in full-fledged panic mode. Her silence is even more terrifying than her yelling at me. At least with yelling, I know where I stand. But this. . . I have no clue where her head’s at. I’m scared to death she’s gonna tell me it’s over before we’ve even had a chance to really begin.
Pulling into the gym’s parking lot, she reaches for the door as soon as I put the car in park. I grab her arm to keep her from leaving, because something tells me that once she does, I’ve lost her forever.
“Can’t we talk about this?”
Her eyes are hard as they meet mine. “You want to talk about it? All right. How was she? Hmm? How’d it feel to f*ck her?”
I shake my head in disbelief, staring at the red bricks through the windshield. I can’t believe she went there. But if this is how she wants to play it, then fine. I look her square in the eye and say, “It was okay. But I know it’d be shit compared to you.”
She laughs. “Well, you’re never gonna find out now. That ship has sailed, buddy.”
“I don’t think it has.”
Her brows lift as she leans back against the door, crossing her arms. “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”
“Because you wouldn’t be arguing with me right now if it had. You’d have gotten out of this car and gone upstairs, and nothing I said or did would’ve stopped you. You’re pissed off because you care, because I hurt you. And for that, I’m really sorry. It’s the last thing I’d ever want to do, and I’d never purposely do it.”
Savannah’s mouth closes as her eyes drop. “Why her? I mean, how could you—” Her eyes squeeze shut, like she’s in pain, and it hurts me, because I know I’m the source of it.
I’d do anything to take it back, but I can’t.
“Never mind,” she says, shaking her head. “That’s a stupid question. She’s got two very big, very obvious reasons why you’d be with her.”
I want to tell her that she’s wrong, but she’s not. I sure as hell wasn’t with Jamie for her personality.
She squints her eyes as she studies me. “Is that the kind of girl you like? Because, newsflash: my ‘reasons’ are a little more subtle.”
Scowling, I mutter, “I like your tits just the way they are, okay?”
A scoff catches in her throat as her eyes widen, and it takes me a second to realize what I said. When I do, I hang my head.
I can’t believe I just said that. And I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation. “This is ridiculous.”
“It is. So why are you even bothering with me? I’m nothing like—”
“I know you’re not.” My voice rises as I interrupt her. “You’re nothing like the girls I usually go for. You’re stubborn and mean,” I say, chuckling. “God, you can be mean. But I like that about you. I like this,” I say, gesturing back and forth between us. “I like fighting with you. I like that you make me work for it. And the mouth on you. . . I f*cking love it. I love your sass and your wit, and I love that you’re not afraid to tell me to f*ck off.”
This earns me an eye roll and a lip-biting smile and I’m sitting here grinning like an idiot. I brush a lock of hair behind her ear and continue. “And even though you can be a real pain in the ass, you’re also gorgeous and possibly the strongest person I’ve ever met. But there’s a vulnerability about you that’s just . . . beautiful, and real. I’m in awe of you, Savannah.”