Chapter 19

nineteen

. . .

Romeo

Holy.

Shit.

I’d had some good sex in my life. Fantastic sex, even.

But this. This was next level. This connection.

This girl.

Her body. Her mouth. Her eyes. Her pussy. Her laugh. Her voice.

I loved it all.

I’d always assumed I wasn’t meant to love anyone outside of my family and my friends. I’d kept my circle small intentionally.

I didn’t trust easily.

I just didn’t know that I was capable of feeling this way about another person.

The women I’d dated in the past had said I was cold and closed off—and they’d been right.

Because I hadn’t been with the right fucking woman.

Until now.

I held her against my chest until our breathing slowed.

“Is it bad for you to have a lot of sex when you’re training so hard?”

I chuckled and kissed the top of her head before sliding out of her and moving to my feet to dispose of the condom in the bathroom.

“I probably shouldn’t have sex the night before the fight, but it’s not an issue doing it every day until then.” I stopped to stand in front of her, and my eyes raked over her gorgeous body. I wanted to memorize every lean muscle and curve.

She patted her bed for me to lie beside her, and she settled her head on my chest. “Good to know. I think we need to do that as often as possible. Like, I could make that my full-time job.” I could hear the humor in her voice, and I tipped her chin up to kiss her.

“I wouldn’t argue with that. Sell the coffeehouse and just stay naked in bed, waiting for me to ravish you every day? Sign me up.”

My fingers ran down her arm. Her skin was so soft, her body so feminine. I’d never laid eyes on anyone more beautiful.

And completely unassuming, which made her even more attractive.

If that were even possible.

“I want to go to your fight,” she said, completely out of nowhere.

I traced along her dainty fingers before wrapping her up a little tighter in my arms. “Where’d that come from?”

“I think about it, you know? About seeing you out there. I’m nervous to see you get hit because I’ll want to dive into the ring and help you. And kick his ass if he lays a hand on you. Which, obviously, it’s a fight, so that’s inevitable. You’ll have to take some punches, and that worries me. But I want to be there for you.”

“Wow, you really have been thinking about this.” I chuckled. “I’ll be honest with you because I want you to know what it’s like. He’s a badass fighter, Demi. And I’m going to put up the best fight I can, but I’m not favored in any of the odds to win this fight. They want someone who can go a few rounds with him and put on a good show. And if seeing me get hit a shit ton of times is going to upset you, I think you should stay home. Or you can wait at the hotel for me, too.”

“I don’t want you to get hit,” she said, pressing her elbows to my chest so she could look at me.

“It’s a fight. Escaping without a hit is not an option. I’m just hoping I put up a good fight and hurt him a little, too.”

“I know you said people have been distracting you on your runs, and it can get frustrating.”

“Yeah, I think everyone is just reacting to all the hype from Leo, you know?”

“I know I mentioned it before, but my family has a lot of land, and it’s right on the lake. There are trails, and it’s really peaceful.” She held her finger to my lips when I started to interrupt because I was not going to be running on her father’s property. The asshole would probably shoot me for trespassing. “My dad isn’t even staying at home right now. My mom feels horrible about what happened, and so does Gramps. My grandparents’ home backs up to my parents’ property line, so there is a lot of open space. You are welcome there, Romeo. And I want them to know you because they’re going to love you just like I do.”

“If your father doesn’t accidentally shoot me for corrupting his daughter and outing his dark secrets.”

“Well, he’d have to get past me. You wouldn’t be alone,” she said with a laugh. “I’d be riding Teacup. She’s an older Arabian horse, so she’s not as fast as she used to be, but she can definitely outrun you.”

I chuckled. “I’ll think about it.”

“Okay. Let’s get some sleep for now. You’ve got an early workout, and I’ve got to get to work early tomorrow because I missed a few hours today.”

“How are you feeling about everything? You haven’t said much. It can’t be easy hearing your dad admit to everything.”

“I don’t know how I feel. Sad about what he did. Relieved that he owned it. Hopeful that maybe we can all move forward now that it’s out there. He can’t take back what he did, but he can try to do better moving forward.”

She was so honest and positive and full of hope.

I doubted her dad would be anxious to make amends. He wasn’t mad at himself for what he did; he was mad that he’d been caught.

But Demi didn’t see the world as the jaded place that I did.

And I wouldn’t tarnish it for her.

I wouldn’t try to change one hair on her gorgeous head.

“One day at a time, all right?”

I worried about the fact that some fucker who’d attacked her was still out there. There was no restraining order and nothing keeping him from coming around.

And then we had her brother, who was an addict and had already broken into her shop once before, and that dude was dangerous in his own right.

Her father had admitted what he did, but who the hell knew what he was going to do in response or if he’d choose to retaliate or come after me for telling her what he’d done. I didn’t have one doubt in my mind that he wouldn’t want me with his daughter.

But I wasn’t going anywhere.

I’d just have to prepare to battle a lot more people than I’d planned on.

I was training hard for my fight with Leo, but I had a feeling he wouldn’t be the worst coming my way.

Leo was at it again. He’d been interviewed on a national sports station, and he’d basically guaranteed that he’d knock me out in round one. He’d offered me an additional million dollars if I could go three rounds, and he’d offered up his entire purse if I could go the entire twelve rounds with him.

I didn’t know how much money Leo had, but throwing around millions of dollars when you didn’t have to was stupid where I came from.

The guys were all here, eating pizza and salad. My body ached from my run this morning and the beating I’d taken last night, sparring with four different guys with one arm tied behind my back to make it more challenging. I’d taken more body shots than anyone should take in one sitting.

But it was all for the greater good.

Joey had decided I needed an afternoon off after getting worked over last night and then running hard this morning.

“Let him run his mouth. It works in your favor. He’s such a cocky piece of shit,” River said, reaching for another slice of pepperoni.

“Agreed. Why in the fuck would you offer someone millions of dollars when you don’t have to? You already agreed to fight the dude. Just show up and fight, asshole,” Hayes hissed.

“Listen, I think it’s great. The entire town is wearing Golden Boy gear, and there’s a goddamn mural of you painted on the side of The Golden Goose. His bullying ass is fueling everyone in Magnolia Falls to rally behind you,” Kingston said over a mouthful of food.

“I saw a bunch of people interviewed on some morning show, and they were all rooting for you to kick his ass. I think you’ve got more than this town supporting you. Hell, the whole country is talking about this fight,” Nash said. “And for the record, Cutler made me buy seven fucking T-shirts with your name on them so he could wear one every day of the week.”

“That’s Beefcake to you,” I said over my laughter. “Listen, the guy can fight. And I don’t even know what to expect when I get in that ring. I mean, I hope like hell I can last more than one round. But I’ve never fought anyone like Leo before, so I don’t have a fucking clue. All I can do is work hard and leave it all out there.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You were the kid in the back alley who fought off three dudes way bigger than you when you were young. He can talk all he wants, but you’re going to put up a damn good fight, Romeo. I don’t have one doubt about that.” Kingston reached for his drink.

“Well, good, because I think I’ve got enough doubts running through my mind for all of us.” I leaned back against the couch. All this talk and coverage on the news was getting to me. I’d only done one interview with Brinkley, and Joey had convinced me to do an interview next week with a national news channel that would be traveling to Magnolia Falls to meet me. I wasn’t looking forward to it.

“You going to let Beans go to the fight? I saw the way she looked last night when you were in the ring with those guys.” River leaned forward, arms resting on his knees. I loved that they all called her by her nickname now. They’d welcomed her into the fold like she’d always been one of us.

“You mean when Joey let them beat the shit out of him? I don’t get that. You had your goddamn arm tied behind your back,” Kingston said. “I noticed Demi’s eyes were welling up with tears; that’s why I got her out of there. But if I’m being honest, I felt like I was going to lose it, too.”

Everyone chuckled at that. Kingston was a teddy bear beneath his gruff exterior.

“Yeah, Nash had to stop me because I was about ready to climb in there and start throwing some punches. It’s instinct, I guess.” River shrugged. “But we’ve all seen you fight before. She hasn’t. You think she’s up for it, dude?”

I ran a hand through my hair. “I don’t think she should go, but she’s stubborn as shit. I told her not to come last night, and she came right through the back door anyway.”

“Is she still not talking to her father?” Nash asked.

“Nope. He’s staying in the city, and she hasn’t spoken to him. Her mother isn’t speaking to him either. Our little secret has fucked up her entire family.”

“No fucking way I’m buying that shit. What they did to you and River—this is just karma biting him in the ass. His daughter falls in fucking love with the kid he put into a shitty prison for teens for a crime his own son committed. That shit is real, and he needs to feel it. I hope it haunts his goddamn dreams for years.” Hayes leaned back against the couch and crossed one leg over the other as if what he’d just said was no big deal.

“Her brother wants her to come to some family therapy session at his rehab out in Boston. And that’s the thing with Demi; she’s pissed at him for everything that’s happened, but she doesn’t give up on people. She wants to go, but I don’t want her to go alone. What if he’s not even in rehab? What if that other fucker shows up to mess with her?” I said, because we were all aware that Ronny was still a loose end that hadn’t been dealt with. From my experience, loose ends didn’t just go away.

“You want one of us to go so you can train, and we can keep an eye on her?” River asked.

Like I said, these guys always had my back. And I’d always have theirs.

And now they had Demi’s back, and I fucking loved it.

“Let me think about it. I’m leaning toward going with her. We can be back in a day, and at least I’ll be waiting outside if she needs me.”

“Never thought I’d see the day our Golden Boy would fall hard, and for a nice girl, too.” Kingston whistled over his laughter.

“Yeah, we were used to you dating crazy women who might burn your house down if you didn’t return their call quickly enough.” River barked out a laugh.

We were all giving one another a hard time about our dating track records when Pinky knocked on the door.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Uhhh…” He glanced around. “Governor Miller is here, and he asked if he could speak to you.”

Demi’s grandfather.

He wasn’t the governor anymore, but apparently, that title stays with you. I pushed to my feet, and so did the guys.

They clapped me on the shoulder, grabbed their plates, and dropped them into the trash while Pinky went to get Demi’s grandfather and bring him back to my office.

I wasn’t sure what this was about. Maybe he was going to ask me to keep my story to myself. I didn’t have any plans to share it with anyone else.

“Take no shit,” River whisper-hissed in my ear before leading the guys out.

Governor Miller stepped into my office. Pinky’s eyes were wide as he stood behind him, and I motioned for him to close the door.

“Thanks for seeing me, Romeo.” He extended a hand.

“Nice to meet you, Governor.”

“Please, call me Carson,” he said, and I motioned for him to sit down. He took the chair as I moved across from him to sit on the couch.

“Okay, what can I do for you, Carson?” I cleared my throat, preparing for the threat or the bomb that he would drop.

“You can’t do anything for me, son. I’m here to see what I can do for you.” He was in his late seventies, and he had the same green eyes as Demi’s.

“I don’t need anything.”

“Well, I’m going to start with an apology first. I need you to know that I do not support what my son-in-law did to you and your friend, River. I plan to go and apologize to him in person, as well. I never cared for Jack when he started dating my daughter in high school. But she was smitten; you know how teenage girls can be.”

“I have a younger sister, so I know all too well.”

“But they’ve been together for a long time, and he gave me two of my greatest gifts. Demi and Slade.” He held his hand up, even though I made no attempt to interrupt. “Slade is a lost soul, but I don’t use love as a weapon. He’s my grandson, and I’ll always do what I can to help him. But I do not condone what either one of them did. At least Slade has the excuse of being young and an addict, but his father made a very poor decision, and it’s one that he has to live with now.”

I nodded. “I don’t expect anything from all of this. I had to tell Demi the truth if we were going to be together. And trust me, I tried like hell not to go there.”

He chuckled. “That girl is all sunshine and goodness, isn’t she? Always has been. Sees the good in everyone. Loves hard and works hard. And she’s always known right from wrong. She’s always known who she is.”

“Agreed. I don’t know what the hell she’s doing with me, but I’m not arguing.”

“She’s a good judge of character. She’s been blindsided by her father, and frankly, so have I. I wouldn’t have guessed he’d do what he did. And being a politician, that doesn’t happen often. So, I’m here on behalf of my family to tell you that I’m sorry for what happened. It’s unacceptable. Demi told me that she’d like you to come out to the house and you don’t feel comfortable, and I understand why you wouldn’t, but I came here to tell you that we would welcome you coming to our home. My wife is devastated by this latest news, and we’d like to try to make it right. You’re important to Demi, which means you’re important to us.”

This was probably the last thing on the planet I would have expected.

“Thank you. I appreciate that. She wants me to come out and run with her while she’s riding horseback.” I chuckled.

“Let me just say this: You’re much more welcome than her father is at the moment. He’s a smart man; he’ll stay away for a while. He’s ashamed of his actions, whether it be because of what he did or the fact that he got caught—I don’t know for certain which it is. But he knows he messed up. That’s why he’s hiding away.”

I wasn’t sure if that was true, but Carson Miller seemed like a straight shooter.

“I’ll definitely come by with Demi soon.” I cleared my throat. “But I do have another concern.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Ronny Waterstone. I know Demi shared what happened, and I don’t like that he’s just out there walking around.”

“We’re on the same page, then. His grandfather and his father have received a call from me. There will be no further business interactions on my end, and I reached out to a police officer friend to see if we can do anything about a restraining order, but we’re going to need Demi to get this documented if we want to do that. He’s a piece-of-shit kid. I don’t think he’d be brave enough to come near her now that he knows we’re all aware of what happened, but I wouldn’t have thought he’d do what he’s done, so I can’t say for certain. I will crush that little pissant if he comes near her, though. But I have a hunch he’d have to survive you first.”

I nodded and felt my lips turn up in the corners. “You’d be correct. What about Demi’s father’s business ventures with Ronny’s father?”

“I have not spoken to Jack since everything came to light. I’m too angry at the moment. But after my conversation with Ronny’s father and grandfather, I don’t believe they’re going to be doing anything because they were very disturbed by the information.”

“All right. That’s good to know.”

“So, you’ve got this fight coming up, and my granddaughter tells me you’re training hard. How about you come and have a big T-bone steak with us this weekend?”

I thought about it. “Okay. I’d like that.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be heading over to River’s law office to see if I can get him to come out to the ranch, as well, and maybe he’ll even join us for steaks.”

River wouldn’t normally be into that, but he had a soft spot for Demi, so I figured he’d probably agree, seeing as this was her grandfather.

I offered him my hand, but he pulled me in for a hug, which shocked the shit out of me.

In a way, it felt like that bad chapter in our lives was finally being put to rest.