21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

ELIO

Waiting for Orion to enter the ring hits differently when I’m able to drag my tongue along my bottom lip and still taste his mouth. Everyone in the building is chanting his name, but when he steps out into the ring, I’m the one his eyes seek out immediately. He only keeps his attention on me for half a second, maybe less, but it’s long enough to heat up every inch of me. It’s long enough for me to catch the way his expression flits from focused to intense to determined. The contempt that used to burn in his eyes whenever his gaze landed on me is long gone. Lucky for me, he was wrong. It wasn’t the way he hated me that I got off on, it’s the way he sees all the way down to my core. He saw the ugly, nasty parts back then, when everyone else was too busy kissing my ass to save their own. Now he sees everything else too. At least, I think he does.

Greg Nelson enters the ring, and the crowd goes wild all over again with a mix of cheers and boos. After Orion found out that the guys were afraid of retribution from me if they beat him, he asked to set up a rematch against Nelson. No surprise, the kid was all for it.

Orion faces him and mouths something that looks like, “ Don’t hold back. ” Nelson’s face hardens to reflect Orion’s fierce determination, and he gives a single nod. I don’t know if he was holding back last time, but I get why Orion needs the rematch.

The bell chimes and as soon as Greg Nelson throws his first punch, it’s clear he has no plans to take it easy tonight. He’s coming out of the gate swinging, and Orion is ready for it. He ducks and weaves, dodging eighty percent of the initial attack. I’ve always been drawn in by the savage brutality that follows, but tonight I’m mesmerized by this as well. He moves like he’s weightless, as if his feet don’t even need to touch the mat.

The moment is shattered as Nelson takes another swing and connects this time. Hard . His fist slams into the side of Orion’s jaw, causing him to stumble back. My stomach knots and I hold my breath, expecting Orion to recover and come back twice as violent, ready to teach this kid who he’s in the ring with. He makes a comeback, but not without a few missed steps and too many chances for Nelson to get a couple more shots in. I grimace at the fleshy thud of punches and kicks that only ever seem to turn my stomach when Orion’s on the receiving end.

“Oh, shit,” Alessio murmurs next to me, his voice barely audible over the roar of the crowd.

Instead of cheering Orion’s name, the chorus of “ Nelson, Nelson, Nelson! ” only seems to grow louder and louder.

He isn’t giving up easily, but it doesn’t look like Nelson needs him to.

“Goddamn, we’re about to clean up tonight.” Salvatore stands up, his eyes fixed eagerly on the fight, just like every other person in the arena.

“Well, fuck. I guess I should have placed a bet on Nelson tonight. I could’ve hung up my thong for good,” Dante says from the seat on Sal’s other side.

He didn’t seem all that thrilled when the two of them showed up together, but he obviously follows the UFL more than he let on, so I’m guessing his general lack of enthusiasm was more about being stuck under Sal’s watchful eye until after we deal with the shipment this week.

“Would you assholes shut the fuck up,” I growl without tearing my eyes off of the ring where Orion and Nelson are grappling on the ground now.

I can barely follow the flurry of movement or who’s pinning who at any given moment. It’s nothing but elbows and fists, legs locked around each other as they fight for supremacy. It’s the exact mix of mildly sexual and wholly violent that attracted me to MMA to begin with, but right now my dick isn’t even close to hard.

And then it’s over. I almost feel like I missed a step. One second the air is vibrating with shouts and cheers, and then… silence . Orion’s pinned under Nelson, his face bloody and his chest heaving as he taps his hand against the hard mat. Everyone in the arena seems to hold their breath at once, and then the bell rings, the announcer shouts Greg Nelson’s name to declare him the winner, and the screaming starts all over again, so loud it’s deafening.

Orion Barros just lost the fight.

ORION

I feel dazed. I guess a few dozen blows to the head will do that to a guy. But I think it’s more than that. I lost my first UFL fight. After all this time, and everything that’s happened, my undefeated streak is over.

The press clears out of the locker room, and I sink down onto the bench, mopping the blood and sweat off of my face with a towel, waiting for the crushing feeling of the loss to wash over me. It’s not just a loss, it’s everything it means. I’ve known for a long time that I’m aging out, and this is a brutal reminder that I’m not as quick, not as indestructible as I once was.

I drag in a deep breath, and, surprisingly, I feel more at peace than I have in as long as I can remember. Maybe ever . Every punch I’ve thrown, every hit I’ve taken since the beginning, they’ve all felt necessary for survival. I don’t want this to be my only option anymore though. Maybe it doesn’t have to be.

I hear the door swing open, and I grin into the towel. I dab my face a little more, then toss the towel aside and look over my shoulder to see Elio stepping into the locker room. He follows the trajectory of my used towel with his eyes as it sails towards the laundry hamper, a half smile twisted on his lips. Then he looks back at me, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“How are you feeling, Boss?” He sounds so somber, like we’re at a funeral.

I snort a laugh and stand up. “I’m fine. Can’t win ’em all, and if I had to lose to anyone, I’m glad it was Nelson. He’s a good kid with an impressive career ahead of him.”

“Uh-huh.” Elio’s shoes squeak against the linoleum floor as he comes closer. “And what about the non-press, no bullshit response?”

I shrug. “I really am fine. I’m surprised too, but there it is.”

He doesn’t stop walking until he’s right in front of me, bringing his fingertips up to ghost them over my swollen cheek. I don’t wince at the twinge of pain that jolts through me with the touch, I just wait quietly while he catalogs the scrapes and bruises, his gaze darkening at each one. When he reaches my split lip, I turn my head and press a kiss against the inside of his palm.

That seems to break the spell. The vengeful expression etched onto Elio’s face melts away, and he pulls his hand back to replace it with his mouth, running his tongue over the cut on my lip as we kiss.

“What do you say we go home and get in the bath? I’ll give you a massage and a consolation blowjob.” He tangles his fingers in my loose, sweat-drenched hair and presses himself up against me, completely unconcerned with my blood and sweat ruining his suit.

Home . I haven’t brought up that fleeting thought I had after we left Casimir’s apartment about the two of us moving in together, but maybe I don’t have to. I wrap my fist around Elio’s tie, feeling the ache in my knuckles from the fight, and I kiss him deeper. After a lifetime of fighting for every fucking thing, it feels damn good to have this come so easy. I chuckle against his lips. Maybe easy isn’t the right word to use when it comes to Elio, but I don’t have a better one.

“That a yes, Boss?” he asks with a laugh when I finally release him.

“Yeah. But I want to make a stop first. If you’re up for it.”

“I’m always up for it.”

If that’s not a true statement, I don’t know what is. I could take him anywhere and he would be game. He trusted me before I ever gave him a reason to. He let me into his world, and it’s time I finally let him the rest of the way into mine.

Twenty minutes later, we’re standing outside of Shady Oaks, my mouth dry and my stomach in knots as Elio stands next to me, holding my hand.

“I haven’t told him about you yet,” I confess, buying another few seconds while I work up the courage to actually take him in.

“We can lie about the mob thing if it helps,” he offers, and I bark out a laugh.

“You think he doesn’t know what you look like?” I arch an eyebrow at him. “Besides, your suit screams Mafia. He’d know with one look.”

“Fair enough.” He smooths out his suit jacket absently with his free hand. “We doing this?”

I drag in a breath, then nod. “Yeah, we’re doing this.”

The receptionist gives Elio a curious look while I sign in, but if she knows who he is, she doesn’t have the guts to say anything about it. Either that, or she’s just smart enough not to. I’ll give her credit and assume it’s the latter. I wonder what it’s like to have people be scared shitless of you everywhere you go. Obviously, it’s a necessity in his line of work, but does it ever weigh on him?

That question feels downright stupid when I think about how hard he gets off on being ignored and humiliated in bed. He’s desperate to be owned and spanked and called a pathetic slut because he’s not allowed to be those things with anyone else. The realization hits me like a rogue punch, knocking me off balance for a few seconds. I look over at Elio and my heart swells until it’s too big to even sit right inside my chest anymore.

He cocks his head. “Everything okay, Boss?” he asks, dropping his voice low.

I clear my throat. “Great.” I grab his hand again and tug it, putting authority behind the action and savoring the way his shoulders relax from something that simple.

No, things aren’t going to be easy being in love with a mafioso, but it sure as hell feels right. Falling for Elio was as inevitable as giving up my undefeated streak was. He’s the knockout punch I didn’t know I needed until he sauntered into my life and left me seeing goddamn stars.

I lead him down the hall, stopping at Jack’s door to knock. I probably should have warned him I was bringing company, but it’s not like that would have made this introduction any easier. To my surprise, the door swings open on its own, and a pretty blond woman gives me a shy smile. She looks familiar, but I can’t quite place her. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, then looks back over her shoulder into my brother’s room.

“See you tomorrow, Jacky.” The sweet lilt in her voice makes my teeth ache and brings a smile to my bruised lips at the same time. If anyone needs a little toothache sweetness, it’s Jack.

She slips past me and I stand speechless for a few seconds while the pieces fall into place.

“The nurse?” Both my eyebrows shoot up.

He hides a smile under a stern glare. “Her name is Sarah.” He clears his throat and a familiar, brotherly sort of shit-eating grin spreads over his face. “I can’t believe you’re showing your face here after a loss li—” Jack stops mid-sentence when his eyes finally land on Elio next to me.

“Yeah, Nelson has some fucking heat in those fists of his.” I rub my bruised cheek for emphasis, chuckling. My heart is beating a mile a minute, and my tongue feels too big for my mouth, but Jack deserves the truth, and Elio deserves to meet the only family I have. “I want you to meet someone.”

“What the fuck, Orion?” Jack mutters, darting a glance between Elio and me, then down to our joined hands. “Are you dating Elio fucking Moretti?”

“Elio Geppetto Moretti, actually. Don’t go spreading that around though,” Elio corrects.

I bark out a surprised laugh. “Are you serious? Geppetto?”

He bristles. “It’s a family name.”

“Any cousins named Pinocchio?”

“Don’t make me hurt you.” His threat doesn’t carry an ounce of weight, but I play along, forgetting my brother for half a second as I growl and drop Elio’s hand, then grab him by his tie before he has the chance to blink.

“I don’t think you want to play that game with me. I may have gotten my ass kicked tonight, but that just means I’m all the more frustrated and in need of an outlet,” I say, and he visibly shivers.

“What the fuck ?” Jack says again, his tone more dark than amused. “Seriously, bro, what the actual fuck?”

I drop my grip on Elio, and he stumbles a little, then straightens his tie and steps towards my brother’s bed.

“I would apologize for your brother, but I assume you already know he’s a fucking heathen. I’m glad we’re getting the chance to meet now that you’re conscious and don’t have tubes sticking out every which way.” He’s all charm, grabbing a chair and pulling it over to Jack’s bed, then plopping himself down in it.

“You were at the hospital?” Jack frowns.

“Only once or twice. Your brother was worried about you.” He says it casually, but Jack still winces. If Elio notices the guilt that flashes over my brother’s face, he doesn’t draw attention to it. But he doesn’t linger on the topic either. “You must get sick of looking at these four walls day in and day out. You like football? I could get us all tickets to a game.”

Elio is trying way too hard to impress my brother, and goddammit, that too-big feeling is back inside of my chest, making me want to say embarrassing things.

Jack narrows his eyes suspiciously, his mouth curving downward into a frown.

“You think taking me to a football game is all it’s going to take for me to be okay with the idea of my brother dating a mobster?” He whips his gaze in my direction again, hurt and fear dancing in his eyes.

Elio leans back in the chair a little and crosses his ankle over his knee, silently assessing Jack for a second. “Would season tickets do it?” he barters.

My brother’s expression is stoic for a few seconds, then it cracks, and he cackles with what sounds like reluctant laughter.

“Dammit, you’re not supposed to be funny. You’re corrupting my brother, you prick.” Jack’s voice is raw, making my chest ache.

“Your brother is the biggest pain in the ass I’ve ever met. I think you and I both know that he doesn’t do a fucking thing he doesn’t want to.” Elio looks over at me, his expression dripping with the same awed affection he always wears when I get rough with him. “And the last thing I want to do is corrupt him.”

“What do you want then?” Jack demands, his voice low and menacing, sounding every bit the protective older brother I thought died the night he was paralyzed.

“Whatever he’s willing to give me,” Elio answers. “This isn’t a game to me though.” He clears his throat, looking right at my brother still. “I love him.”

His words send an electric jolt through me. They root me in place and make my skin feel hot and cold at the same time. They ring in my ears, along with the steady thud of my pounding heart. Their conversation keeps going without any pause before I can find my footing and respond to his casual declaration.

“How…” Jack grits his teeth and shakes his head. “How the hell did the two of you even meet?” He glares at me again. “You did the one fucking thing you promised not to, didn’t you? You took out a fucking loan.”

Heat creeps into my cheeks and I nod. “I didn’t have a choice, man. I’m doing the best I fucking can, but…” I give a weak shrug and Jack’s rage crumples.

“But I’m a useless fucking lump, doing nothing but draining your bank account dry every month,” he finishes the sentence a hell of a lot more harshly than I ever would have.

“No,” I say firmly. “You’re my brother , and I would do any goddamn thing in the world to take care of you. The same way you put everything on the line to take care of me.”

His jaw ticks, and he lets his head fall back against his pillow fully. “I fucking hate this.”

“Me too.” I put a hand on his shoulder and squeeze, even though I know he can’t feel much.

Jack huffs and all three of us are quiet for several long minutes before my brother finally turns his attention back to Elio.

“I don’t get out much,” Jack responds to the offer for football tickets, glossing over the rest of the conversation to aim the spotlight instead at a point of contention we’ve gone back and forth over for years now.

“He lets his pride keep him stuck in this damn bed,” I explain roughly.

“I don’t need you pushing me around in a wheelchair like some kind of fucking invalid.” We’ve had the argument so many times, I know his lines by heart, and I’m sure he knows mine too.

“You’re my brother,” I growl for a second time.

“Exactly,” he snaps.

“You can move your head. Don’t they make wheelchairs you can control that way?” Elio interjects.

“Yeah, and they cost a fortune,” I answer. “He just needs to get over himself and let me push his damn chair.”

“No,” Jack says stubbornly.

“Let’s drop it,” I suggest. It’s not an argument that’s going to be resolved tonight.

Jack lets the topic go, and Elio asks him about movies without skipping a beat. That’s a much safer subject, and it turns out they share a passion for obscure indie films. Elio’s words echo in my head for the rest of the visit, keeping my pulse quick and my stomach nervous. Luckily, they don’t need much input from me to keep the conversation going. Not that I would have much to add even if I wasn’t reeling. I haven’t had time to watch a movie in years.

When they’ve exhausted the topic of movies, Elio notices the bumblebee tattoo on my brother’s arm.

“Are you super into bees, or what?” he asks.

Jack looks down at the tattoo and I tense, waiting for his reaction. Since his injury, I’ve done everything I can to avoid the topic of his former life, our former life. It feels like it’s always lurking around the edges of every conversation though, just waiting to deliver a knockout blow to us both. A nostalgic kind of smile flutters on his face though.

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. It’s Muhammad Ali,” he explains.

“So do you have a butterfly somewhere else?” Elio asks.

My brother laughs. “Nope. Check your boyfriend’s ass for that one.”

I cringe and Elio swivels in his chair to look at me with wide eyes and an amused grin.

“Are you serious? You have a butterfly tattoo on your ass?”

“I can’t believe you never noticed.” I chuckle.

“I’m usually pretty distracted when you’re naked, Boss.” His voice dips low, and Jack makes an exaggerated gagging sound.

“Please, spare me the details of your sex life.”

The tension eases out of me, and I manage to breathe without knots in my chest. Maybe I’ve been trying too hard to avoid talking about the past. Maybe Jack needs a little bit of normal from me to feel like his whole life didn’t end that night.

We launch into a fresh topic of conversation, and when Jack starts to get tired an hour or so later, I put a hand on Elio’s shoulder and jerk my head towards the door.

“Do you mind giving us a second?”

“Sure thing.” Elio stands up and slips out, leaving me alone with my brother.

“Alright, give it to me.” I make a bring it on gesture with my hands.

“You’re all grown up, O. You make your own decisions.” He sounds tired and resigned, but not angry. That’s more unsettling than if he just flat-out yelled at me.

“Since when?” I tease, and he snorts.

“Since a long damn time ago. If you like him, then he must be a good guy. Or… well… maybe not good , but…” His mouth twists in a wry smile and I make an amused sound in my throat.

“Yeah, that pretty much sums it up,” I agree. “A lot of this shit is just so much more complicated than I wanted it to be, you know?”

“I know. I’m not mad, I promise.”

I let out a breath that’s been stuck in my throat since before we even walked in here tonight. “Thanks.” I lean over and kiss Jack on the forehead. “I love you, man.”

“You too. Now get out of here so I can sleep. Lying motionless for years has really taken it out of me,” he says dryly.

I ruffle his hair, and even if it’s the millionth time in five years, I still miss the way he used to take a swing at me when I would do it.

“And don’t think this whole thing distracted me from Sarah ,” I say with a grin. “I want details when I stop by tomorrow.”

He gives a jerky nod, a soft smile twitching on his lips. Shit might not be okay with us right now, but it will be. We’re family. We’ll sort it out.

Elio is waiting for me in the hallway, leaning against the opposite wall, scrolling through his phone. He looks up and pockets it as soon as I step out though, like he was just trying not to eavesdrop while he waited. He smiles and I close the space between us, putting on a stern look.

“Wha—” He starts to ask, but I cut him off with a hard kiss, stopping his words and busting open the cut on my lip again.

His body softens as I press him up against the wall and own his mouth with my lips and tongue, drinking him in.

“You keep stealing my thunder,” I rumble when I break the kiss.

“Oh yeah?”

I nod. “Yeah. You told me you wanted me before I could work it out on my own. You decided we were dating and told me like it was a fact. And now, you’re spouting off to my brother about being in love with me while I was still sorting through it in my head.” My voice is low and menacing, but Elio’s eyes light up like I’m saying the most romantic shit in the world.

“Are you going to spank me, Boss?” he purrs.

“Yeah, I’m going to spank you. Right after we stop by my place, and I pack a suitcase. We can go back for the rest of my shit next week.”

“The rest of your shit?”

“I’m moving in with you before you steal my thunder on that one too.”

A slow smile spreads over his lips. “Sounds good, Boss.”

“Good.” I dip my head close to his, brushing the tips of our noses together. “And I love you too, Brat.”