Chapter Thirteen

EMMA

While Emma wasn’t entirely happy keeping her relationship with Dante a secret from Joey, she understood why Dante hadn’t told him that night. They figured they would give Joey a little time to get used to the idea of Dante being a Dom before connecting her into the equation.

Emma was also a little relieved that she got out of having an awkward conversation with Joey about her love life over Sunday dinners. Dante hadn’t joined them again since that first time, but she was still happy to see her brother each week. Although, she worried as the weeks passed about how many more she would be able to spend with him until he had to report back to duty. For now, though, it seemed Joey was content staying with their parents and helping them out with house and yard work that they had been putting off.

Speaking of putting things off, Emma sighed and finished lacing up her roller skates.

“You want to do what now?” Dante had asked, almost dropping his flogger in shock.

They had been talking about how she could be Queen Mab outside of the dungeon, things that would make her feel confident and powerful, to break free from the confines of her safe little world and embrace something daring and unexpected. And what could be more unexpected than becoming a roller derby queen?

She told him that she wanted to try out for the Sinners, a local roller derby team. Almost everyone else had the same reaction as Dante.

“Those bitches are mean,” Anya had said. “I love it.”

“You could be injured,” Colleen’s sister, Mallory, had said. Luckily, Mallory was a doctor.

“How’s your cardio?” Tee had asked.

It could use some work, but it was a little too late to worry about that now.

“All right,” the coach said after blowing her whistle a few times. “Let’s see how fast you can skate.”

Emma hadn’t been on roller skates for several years, but when she was a kid she used to go to the retro roller rink and skate and dance to the oldies.

This was going to be nothing like that.

She slipped on her elbow pads and adjusted her knee pads. Securing her helmet and mouthguard, Emma wobbled over to join the pack of women lined up along the oval track. All around her, women of every size and shape stretched, warmed up, and strategized.

The veterans had tattoos, piercings, and wild hair in neon colors. They all looked tough as nails, oozing confidence and swagger. Emma tugged at her plain black shorts and tank top, feeling out of place. But there was no backing down now. The chatter and shouts of the other derby hopefuls faded into background noise. This was it, her chance to prove she was more than just a meek nanny and shy secretary. She wanted to be daring, bold, a force to be reckoned with. And what better way than hurling herself around a track at breakneck speeds? A burst of determination surged through her veins, stronger than any impossible deadline or demanding diva she’d ever dealt with. Today, she was here to reclaim her confidence, to break free from the meek little mouse she had been channeling and embrace something daring, something unexpected.

Coach Carnage, a burly woman with arms like steel girders, blew her whistle again. “Ladies, are you ready to skate your hearts out?”

The response was deafening, a chorus of cheers and battle cries that ricocheted off the walls. Emma’s stomach flipped, but she raised her voice with the rest of them. She could do this. She had to.

“Go!”

And they were off, a rolling mass of elbows and churning legs. Emma pushed off hard, struggling as the pack jostled around her. The rhythm of wheels against wood became a pulsating heartbeat that drowned out the whispers of self-doubt. Emma leaned into the turns, her body low and poised.

“Okay, let’s see how you can take a hit.”

Wait. What?

A sharp elbow jabbed her side, sending Emma careening before she caught herself, her balance teetering. That was an illegal move. She opened her mouth to protest and then shut it again. It had been one of the vets, who peeled off and whipped past, a smirk on her pierced lips as she bore down on another newbie. Oh, hell no. Emma kicked harder, ignoring her body’s screams of protest as she poured on speed to catch her. For a few glorious seconds, they were neck and neck, the wind stinging Emma’s face. This was freedom, raw and intoxicating.

Then a hip check sent her into the boards and Emma barely got her hands up in time, saving her face from connecting to the plexiglass. That, at least, was a legal block.

Gritting her teeth, Emma dug deep and powered forward, chasing the pack. Her lungs seared and thighs burned, but she wouldn’t give up, not today. Sweat plastered her hair to her neck as she rounded the curve, the track a blur beneath her wheels. Emma dragged air into her burning lungs as she rounded the next curve, the pack pulling away again. Her muscles quivered and black spots danced at the edges of her vision. She was flirting with her breaking point, but a thrill sung through her veins, bright and fierce. This savage ache, this stretching of physical and mental limits—she’d never felt so present in her own skin, so attuned to the primal power of her body. Each new bruise and scrape only sharpened her focus, stoking an unfamiliar hunger.

Blinking sweat from her eyes, Emma zeroed in on the rear of the pack and poured the dregs of her strength into one final sprint. Her blood roared in her ears as she flew forward, everything narrowed to the chase. At the last second, one of the girls glanced back and registered Emma’s charge. The girl’s eyes widened and she surged right, trying to cut Emma off, but there was no stopping Emma’s momentum now. She angled left and shot past the girl in a blur of speed.

The whistle blew. “Okay, let’s do some drills.”

Emma coasted to a stop, chest heaving, legs threatening to give out at any second. She braced her hands on her shaking thighs, awash in endorphins and incredulous joy. Holy hell, she’d actually done it. Proven to herself that she could hold her own, could reach deep and find new untapped reserves. The drills were merciless. Laps upon laps around the track, weaving through cones, and practicing falls that left her aching and bruised.

As the final whistle sounded, Emma skidded to a halt, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Sweat dripped down her forehead, stinging her eyes as she blinked away tears. Her entire body ached from the punishing workout, and every muscle screamed in protest against the effort she had put forth. But she couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride coursing through her veins. She had done it. She had survived the tryouts.

Around her, the other girls were huddled together, discussing their performances and comparing bruises. Emma limped over to join them, her knees wobbly from exertion. As she looked down at her torn-up hands and bloodied elbows, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. This was who she was meant to be, someone fearless and unapologetic. Someone who could take control of her life and make her own choices.

Emma was exhausted but exhilarated. The other skaters crowded around her, laughing and high-fiving, their bruises and scuffs mirrors of her own. As Emma soaked in the elation of her triumph, she sensed a prickling awareness along the back of her neck. She glanced over her shoulder to find Dante’s piercing gaze locked on her from the bleachers. He was leaning forward, elbows braced on his knees, his expression inscrutable yet undeniably intense. Emma’s breath caught, the adrenaline still pumping through her veins suddenly thrumming with a different kind of excitement.

Dante rose and made his way down to the edge of the rink, his powerful frame moving with the coiled grace of a jungle cat. Emma’s heart stuttered as he drew near, the charged energy between them almost melting the metal in the bars around the rink. She skated over to him, trying to keep her voice nonchalant despite the butterflies rioting in her stomach.

“Enjoy the show?” She quirked an eyebrow, aiming for playful confidence even as her insides quivered.

“Oh yes, Queen Mab.”

If she made the team, that would be her name.

“You were amazing out there,” Dante said, his voice rough with desire. “I couldn’t take my eyes off you.” He reached out and brushed a stray curl from her cheek, his callused fingers rasping against her sensitive skin and making her shudder.

She leaned into his touch, craving more.

“Are you up for a scene tonight?” His deep voice washed over Emma like a physical caress.

She was going to be sore tomorrow morning anyway, might as well really earn it. “Always, sir.”

He closed the final sliver of distance between them, claiming her mouth in a searing kiss that obliterated thought. His lips moved over hers with a controlled intensity, firm and demanding. Emma melted into the caress, into him, surrendering to the desire that had built to a crescendo. A soft moan escaped her as Dante’s tongue delved past her parted lips, stroking hers with sensual mastery. She curled her fingers into his shoulders, the smooth leather of his jacket, supple beneath her grip. The world fell away, narrowing to his mouth on hers, to the slip and glide of their tongues, to the sheer perfection of the moment.

The cheers made her realize they were not in their own cocoon of the Club and she broke away from him. The other derby girls were hooting and hollering at her. Emma’s face hurt from smiling. “This is my man,” she said, claiming him in front of them.

“Come on and take a photo with us,” one of the vets said. “We’re trying to drum up some press for this weekend’s match with the Saints.”

Skating back over, Emma posed with both the team and the other newbies while people took shots with their phones and posted them to their social media sites. As the cameras flashed and the skaters celebrated around her, Emma couldn’t help but be drawn back to Dante. His intense gaze burned into her skin, sending goose bumps down her arms. The possessive hunger in his eyes made her heart race. Would it always be like this?

How could Joey not want her to be with Dante when he saw how much he loved and cherished her?

“Hey,” Coach Carnage said, pulling her aside. “I’m going to make a more formal announcement, but I wanted you to know we have a spot on the roster for you, if you’re interested.”

“I’m interested,” Emma said. “Thank you.” She couldn’t believe it.

“We’ll see you at practice on Thursday. Six sharp. Don’t be late.”

“I’ll be there.” Emma resisted the urge to jump up in the air and pump her fist. She didn’t want to celebrate among the other people who might not have made the team.

As she went back into the locker room to change, Emma decided that it wasn’t enough to be Queen Mab out of the dungeon. It wasn’t enough to be Queen Mab in the roller derby ring. No, she had to be Queen Mab in her family too. She was going to tell her parents and Joey that she was dating Dante this Sunday.

And she’d deal with Joey’s anger if she had to.

But Emma was done hiding in fear of everything anymore.