Abel (21 page)

He began to speed up again.
“Please what?” he grunted, trying to hold out longer.

“
Please!”
she said again, lifting her hips even higher.

Squeezing his eyes shut
, he went in deeper. “Say it, baby. Please what?”

“
Please, fuck me harder!”

He slowed for a moment
, stunned, opening his eyes. She was squirming and moving her hips, and her entire body was beginning to quiver. Driving into her a few more times as hard as he could, he felt her begin to throb around him. Hearing her say that and feeling her dripping juices as he slammed into her, he knew that he was a goner.

One last time he thrust into her
, burying himself deep inside with a loud groan. Words couldn’t even describe the incredible bliss of knowing he’d never have to worry about anyone else enjoying his Nellie the way only he would from now on.

Just like every time he
’d taken her while standing, his legs felt limp as noodles now. He lay down next to her and kissed her still-gasping lips. Working his way down to her ear, he whispered what he’d already made sure she knew several times that day. “Mine.”

She turned her head and smiled at him.
“
All
yours.”

“
Hell, yeah,” he smiled big, pulling her against his body.

Nellie was perfect in every way. She even went along with the idea of him
owning
her. Even though it was a hypothetical, he meant it in so many ways, and he knew some chicks would get all bent about that. Not his Nellie. He didn’t care what anyone thought or said now, not even the one person he’d been a little worried about—his mom. She’d just have to accept the fact that Nellie was older than he was, because Nellie didn’t just belong to him now. She owned him in every way, and nobody and nothing would be changing how he felt about her: not Andy, not his career, and not even his mother.

~*~

“So what does that mean?
It’s official?”
Roni asked as excited as Nellie knew she’d be.

Nellie walked away from the busy 5th Street booth and put her hand over her mouth as she responded to Roni as hushed as she could.
“It means we’re no longer fuck buddies.” The very phrase made her wince now. How could she have ever thought she’d be okay with that? “We’re exclusive.”

She heard Roni squeal
and she laughed. “I knew it! I knew it! I knew you two wouldn’t be able to do this without one of you developing feelings. I’m just so glad it was both of you and not just one. I was
so
scared that that might happen, and to be honest, I saw it in his face the night Sam dropped you off. Saw it in the way he looked at you the night you were both over for the fight. I was so damn worried, Nell! Oh my God!” She laughed.” I need a drink now. I’ve been all tense over this for weeks.”

“
You
have?” Nellie gasped. “You don’t even know what I’ve been going through these past few weeks.”

“
Nellie Gamboa, I am going to kick your butt when I get there today!” Roni scolded. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me all this time.”

“
How could I? You would’ve flipped, and you were already so mad about him with that other girl, even though I was insisting I was fine with it.”

“
About that,” Roni went from sounding excited and playful to angry. “What’s up with him and that little bitch?”

Nellie couldn
’t help laughing. She explained about Rachel and everything Abel had promised her and why she believed him, and then she dropped the big one on her. “He told me he’s in love with me.”

The line went silent momentarily
, and then Roni spoke her voice a little high pitched. “He did?”

Instantly
, Nellie was choked up, and she wished Roni was there so she could hug her. “And he said not just in love, Roni, but hopelessly this-guy-can’t-be-helped in love with me.”

She
’d barely been able to squeal out the last few words, and she heard Roni sniffling. “Okay, I’m really gonna kick your butt now,” Roni said, openly crying but still laughed. “You’re making me cry like a baby here. But I’m so,
so
happy for you two.”

Nellie chatted for a few more minutes with her best friend
, confessing how hopelessly in love she was now too. Of course, Roni was as delighted to hear it as she was to hear about Abel being in love with Nellie. They spoke for a few more minutes before hanging up. She noticed a missed call from Logan, and she had a voicemail. But she refused to listen to it or call him back. Her life was too perfect now, and she didn’t need to muddle it up or get Abel worked up by calling Logan back.

Instead
, she called her parents to check on them and Gus. Her sister would be out in a few days and coming to stay with her parents until she cut through all the red tape it was going to take for her to get custody of Gus back. The good thing was that Rick wasn’t fighting or protesting her trying to get custody back. To Nellie’s surprise, her mom told her that since Courtney had lost her job she was considering staying in Los Angeles for good. Rick obviously had no intention of taking part in Gus’s life. Her sister had finally accepted that it was a lost cause to try and stay near him in the hopes of him somehow having a change of heart. Nellie couldn’t decide if this was good or bad news. Being near her sister could go either way. But having her nephew in her life again was the silver lining.

Abel would be in last-
minute training most of the day then doing the public weigh-in. He’d warned her that it would be a spectacle that at times could get ugly, so he didn’t want her there but promised they’d watch it together on TV when he got back to the room. Nellie wasn’t even sure that she wanted to watch. The reality of what he was about to do was really setting in. In less than twenty-four hours, he’d be in the ring with the heavyweight champ of the world, fighting the fight of his life. She’d never tell him, but she was nervous for him.

Finally done for the day at the 5th Street booth
, she headed back toward the private elevator. Things had quieted down when the weighing was about to begin, and everyone left to watch it somewhere live. She had no idea how she was going to make it through the fight tomorrow. Just hearing the hype about Abel and McKinley facing off now had her stomach in knots. Unlike everyone else, she wasn’t headed to a television. She was headed straight to her room where she’d take a long calming shower instead.

Just as she pulled her phone out of her purse when she got in the elevator
, she accidently hit her text log and it opened to Logan’s last text.

Okay I get it. You
’re still pissed at me for blowing off the job like I did. I know you don’t want to talk to me, but I really wish you’d give me just a few minutes. It’s about Sam. Call me, please.

Nellie frowned. Whatever he had to tell her about Sam didn
’t matter anymore. She was as done with Sam as she was with Logan. She was certain now, especially given how often Abel made it a point to remind her that she was his, that he wouldn’t be thrilled if he ever found out she was calling Logan to talk about Sam. Closing out the text log, she checked her emails instead. She had quite a few, all work-related.

She sighed as she walked out of the elevator. Her hands would be full once
she was back in Los Angeles. That long calming shower sounded even better now.

C
hapter 17

There was no way
that big time celebrities didn’t have sight problems. The cameras flashing away even before Abel stepped into the room where they’d be doing the prefight conference already had him seeing stars. The weigh-in had been earlier, and even that had been a circus. Now it was time for the last-minute prefight hype. He’d thought Andy and Felix were being ridiculous with the size of the entourage they’d surrounded him with as they left the gym where he’d showered and changed into a suit. But as soon as they were in a public area, if it hadn’t been for that enormous entourage, he would’ve been mobbed.

He thought he
’d had his taste of paparazzi when he’d done his Hollywood and New York appearances. This was insanity. It wasn’t even the fight yet, and the crowd leading up to the conference was huge and loud.

Trying to drown it out
, he mentally went over everything Felix and Andy had warned him about. The weigh-ins had been mandatory, but this press conference was just a few questions to rile the fighters up, usually all show and hype. With McKinley, Abel was warned to expect more than just the usual hype.

“
Expect him to get in your face and trash talk, trying to get a public reaction out of you,” Felix had stressed. “Give him one by talking back if you wanna do your part of putting on a show, but do not fall for anything he says. He may even talk about your momma.”

That had gotten enough reaction out of Abel to make Felix nervous.

“Dude,” he’d assured him, “it’s all part of the act, and they want nothing more than to get in your head. They’ve tried all this time and got nothing. Don’t let a little ‘yo momma’ comment break you. What do they know about your mom? It’s all about getting in here.” Felix pointed at Abel’s forehead. “Don’t let it happen, man.”

“
Yeah,” Hector had agreed with a laugh. “If he says anything about Mom, hold it in until you’re in the ring tomorrow, and then let him have it.”

Abel
had seen plenty of these pre-fight conferences go south when things got too personal. He’d even seen McKinley get swung at a few times because he talked so much shit. He wasn’t the least bit worried about losing it today. He’d seen plenty of this idiot on television. It was obvious that this guy ate up the attention he got for being obnoxious. He just wanted this over with so he could get back to his room and Nellie.

After today
, he had strict orders to just relax and take in as much of the weight-gaining protein drinks as he possibly could. He had every intention of doing just that. From tonight until tomorrow, it’d be all about room service and Nellie. He couldn’t think of a better way to spend his time before the fight.

Making their way slowly through the crowd until they were in the room
where the conference would take place, Abel was certain that he’d be blind before it was all over. The cameras in the room were worse. He looked down as they kept walking, not wanting anymore flashes in his face.

They
’d barely walked in the room, and he could already hear someone running his mouth. “That’s the younger of his two brothers,” Hector whispered, leaning into Abel. Abel glanced up to see the same grease-ball-looking guy he’d seen on TV trash talking him. Only this time, instead of a Pistons jersey, he was suited up like everyone else. “He’s the worst of the two.” He saw Hector stretch his neck around. “I don’t see the other one.”

They got the formalities
out of the way, and even the press conference with reporters trying to get a rise out of them went well. Abel kept his cool and answered all their questions without much of a reaction. Then came the photo ops for the press. This was what everyone was waiting for, to see Abel and McKinley nose to nose. Abel’s plan was simple. He’d stare him down hard and let him talk all the trash he wanted. As long as the guy didn’t touch him, he wouldn’t lose his cool, no matter what he said.

The cameras went crazy
, flashing away as they stood there facing off. To his surprise, McKinley didn’t say anything at first, just stared him down. But his brother who stood just behind him was still running his mouth—a bunch of shit about Abel going down and how he was a
chavala
who’d be
calling the fight in two rounds, three tops. Abel focused on McKinley’s freakishly light blue eyes.

“
Just like your dirty gangsta daddy, you going down Ayala.” McKinley’s brother kept on, and it got the room buzzing.

“
Be cool,” Gio whispered just behind Abel. “It’s almost over.”

Abel swallowed hard as the guy
’s mouth kept running. This little fucker wouldn’t break him. He focused on drowning out his words. He was almost out of here. Soon he’d be exactly where he wanted to be, and tomorrow it was on.

“
. . . show Nellie what it’s like to be with a real man, not some punk-ass kid.”

That broke his focus
, and he glanced away from McKinley for a second to glare at his annoying ass brother. Did he just say what he’d thought he’d heard him say, or was Abel so focused on getting back to Nellie that he thought he heard her name?

Bringing his eyes back to McKinley to continue the stare down
, he noticed the smirk tugging at the corner of McKinley’s mouth. “I heard she’s a good fuck.” McKinley said smugly, but in a voice so low that Abel was sure only he heard in the already buzzing room.

For a moment
, Abel wondered if this guy was stupid enough to follow up, clarifying that by she, McKinley meant his mom. As much as Abel had insisted he’d keep his cool, he wasn’t sure now he would if that were the case. Still he continued staring him down, refusing to give him the reaction he knew McKinley was digging for.

“
I heard she sucks dick like a pro.”

Abel couldn
’t help pinching his brows and clenching his teeth. He’d also started breathing a little harder through his nose. He’d been warned enough about this guy, but this kind of trash talking had to be crossing the line. McKinley smirked even bigger now.

“
I heard Nellie spreads her—”

“
What did you say?” Abel grabbed him by his vest, and instantly everyone around them rushed in to break it up, the cameras going even crazier. As much as they tried to separate them, Abel had a death grip on McKinley’s vest. “What the fuck did you say, asshole?”

“
She’s a freak in the sheets,” McKinley’s brother said, stupidly moving in close enough to Abel’s face.

It
was the only thing that made Abel let go of McKinley and swing at his brother instead. The guy went down instantly, and suddenly there were punches being thrown from every direction. Instinctively, Abel turned and looked for Hector in the brawl. He was holding his own, throwing a few impressive punches himself. Andy had moved out of the way and was the only one in his entourage not involved.

Microphones, tables
, and cameras went down as the brawl moved around and bodies continued to fall, thankfully none from Abel’s side. It took a while, but when they finally broke it up, they told both sides they were free to leave. Since McKinley’s people were still yelling obscenities, security hurried Abel and his entourage out before another brawl broke out.

Still burning
from McKinley and his brother’s comments, he wondered how the hell they got the news of him and Nellie so fast. As satisfying as it had been to knock McKinley’s obnoxious brother the fuck out, he was still pissed at himself for having let them get to him. Now after the fact, he knew it had been their sole intention. For months, they’d tried everything to make him snap, and now they knew the one thing that would.

Noah
, of course, read his mind. “It happened one day before the fight. They can’t do much now. It’s a little late to get in your head now, right?”

“
Just keep away from the TV, radio, and Internet from now until tomorrow.” Gio said, clapping him on the shoulder as they made their way down the corridor that led to his private elevator.

“
Absolutely,” Andy agreed. “That brawl is gonna be shown over and over until tomorrow and even after—guaranteed. It’s probably already been uploaded to YouTube. The promoters will be milking that shit for every penny-sucking minute of it they can. People who don’t usually watch fights will be paying to watch it tomorrow after the video of that brawl goes viral.” Andy glanced down at his phone screen. “It hasn’t even been ten minutes, and the headlines are already quoting McKinley’s reaction. I won’t tell you what he’s saying because it doesn’t even matter. Just do yourself a favor and do not turn on your TV or anything where you’ll get even a glimpse of the hype.”

Abel cursed himself for having given them what they wanted.
Well, he sure as fuck wasn’t giving them the satisfaction of hearing them trash talk him anymore. He hadn’t read any of the stories about himself since the Rachel ones broke out. Ever since then, he’d avoided all the bullshit, and he wasn’t about to go back to hearing about it now. He’d handle that asshole in the ring. For now, a good long dose of Nellie was all he needed to feel better.

He frowned when he realized everyone seemed to be coming back to his suite with him. All of them
, with the exception of Noah who’d stopped to take a call, were walking with him to the elevator. Pulling his own phone out, he texted Nellie to let her know he wasn’t coming back to the room alone. No way was he chancing her opening the door in something sexy and giving the whole gang a show.

To his relief
, everyone except Gio and Hector said their goodbyes at the elevator. Andy reminded him to avoid all headlines and any hype. “You need to go in that ring clearheaded,” he said, tapping his own temple. “Is Nellie staying with you tonight?”

“
You already know the answer to that.” Abel pushed the button for the elevator, annoyed and not bothering to look at Andy.

“
I’m just saying—”

“
Well, don’t ’cause I’m done listening.”

Sighing a bit exaggerated
ly, Andy once again did the right thing and shut up about it, saying goodbye instead.

Abel was only glad the girls were supposed to be arriving soon so these guys would be gone soon
too. He wanted nothing more than to be alone with Nellie until the fight. It was all the relaxation he needed and then some. He’d happily shut the rest of the world off and concentrate on just her.

Glancing down at his phone again
, he checked the other text he had from his mom.

15Mijjjo. La telvisson ? Que? Paso?
Bien?

Groaning
, he showed Hector the text. “She’s getting better at it.” Hector laughed.

That
’s not what Abel had been groaning about. Obviously his mom had seen the brawl on TV. He’d now have to spend time on the phone, explaining to her what happened, which also meant telling her about Nellie sooner than he’d anticipated. The only reason she probably hadn’t called already was because she most likely assumed he was still in the conference.

That wasn
’t a call he wanted to make in his room with Nellie within earshot, but he was certain that his mother would be calling soon enough, so he’d get this over with now.

“
Let me make this call before we go up,” he told all three guys, now that Noah was there too.

Taking a few steps away from them
, he called his mom. As expected, she sounded alarmed about the brawl. “That happens a lot actually, Ma,” he assured her, still irritated that he’d been so certain it wouldn’t happen to him.

“
But what did he say that made you so angry? You’re usually so composed. Your
Tia
Guillermina says that’s all for show, but I know you,
Mijo
. You don’t do show. So what did that
desgraciado
say to you?”

Abel pinched the rim of his nose and took a deep breath.
“He said some disrespectful things about Nellie.”

His mom was quiet for a moment.
“Nellie? Roni’s friend?”

“
Yes, Roni’s friend,” he said, walking away even further from the guys since his brother was already laughing.

“
I don’t understand. What do they know about Nellie and . . .” That’s the moment he knew it hit her. “How would they know it would make you so angry?
Why
did it make you so angry? You told me you were not dating her.”

“
I am now, and I have no idea how they know about her. I hadn’t told anyone.”

“
Mijo
, isn’t she Roni’s age?”

“
Yeah, she is.” he said very firmly. “She’s twenty-nine, but I don’t care about that.”

“
She’s divorced too, no?”

“
Yep,” he said, turning back to Hector, who was obviously still within hearing range, because he was getting a kick out of his conversation. “She’s divorced, Mom. And again, I don’t give a shit about that either.”

“
Grosero
! Don’t use that language when you’re talking to me.”