Doomsday Love: An MMA & Second Chance Romance (29 page)

“Jenny, I know that’s you. Come back here.”

I don’t breathe.

I don’t speak.

I don’t do anything.

The door is right there. I could make it. I could run and dissolve into the crowd that he’ll never be able to get through because they will be all over him. He wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Jenny.” His voice is firm this time. Deep. And something inside me twists up and spins out of control.

I turn to face the direction of his voice, hating what I feel—hating the power his voice still has over me.

I march to the back quickly—to wherever he is—but it’s when I spot him, that I stop right in my tracks.

No shirt.

No shorts.

He is wearing nothing at all.

Oh my God.
He is completely naked!

“Oh my God! Drake! What the hell are you doing?”

He blinks slowly. “Just got out of an ice bath. About to take a shower.”

“A towel, at least?” I turn away, facing the wall and shielding my eyes.

“I thought I could get one in before you came back. You came much sooner than I thought you would.”

“Just… take your shower,” I mumble.

He’s quiet for a moment. So quiet it becomes awkward. When he doesn’t say anything and I don’t hear any movement, I look back but he’s still there.

Still naked.

Still…
sexy
.

Okay. I admit it. But not out loud.

“Wait for me.” His voice is low and smoky.

“Fine.” I start to turn but he speaks up, stopping me in my tracks. “No. Right there.” He points at the bench in front of me. “I’ll be right back. Won’t take me longer than five minutes.”

“No. I’ll wait close by the door. I only promised Oscar five minutes for you, so you should probably make it less.”

His jaw flexes.

I don’t care.

I walk away, and I’m surprised he doesn’t stop me. It would be wise not to tamper with my emotions right now. One stupid thing out of his mouth and I am out of here like lightning.

Or am I?

I think the only person I’m fooling right now is myself.

I’m sure Drake didn’t even buy the snobby little statement I just tried to pull back there, but at least he didn’t stop me. I guess we are off to a great start here…respect-wise anyway. And he owes me a lot of that right now.

I
don’t know
what the hell I was thinking during the fight.

I was pumped. Ready to tackle on my opponent in that fucking cage and then spend the rest of my night in the penthouse, celebrating with bottle after bottle of Remy.

But as I walked down that fucking aisle, the music on blast, people hollering how much they either loved or hated me, and then I saw her… I wasn’t sure how to react.

Do I pretend I didn’t just see her and go about my business? Or do I act like a caged beast and do whatever it takes to force my way out?

I made the dumbest choice.

I couldn’t help myself. She looked fucking stunning.

For the briefest of moments, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Is that really her?
I thought.
Am I seeing shit?

I knew it was, but I had to do a double take. Kylie stood right beside her. There was no denying those cold, hard facts.

Jenny wore a short, ruby red dress, her straightened brown hair pinned up elegantly. She has highlights that make her caramel skin look like it’s glowing. I could see her legs—silky and smooth. Clear and long, just like I remembered.

Her body has filled out a lot more. Her tits are bigger, fuller. Her hips are a little wider, her waist so damn narrow I know it might be possible to bend her over and break her in half, if it came down to it.

Everything in me wanted to shred out of my fighting robe, drop out of the fight, and sweep her away. Because the fight no longer mattered once I saw her.

The Slayer was an issue for another time. The one thing I wanted to make my priority was Jenny fucking Roscoe.

But I couldn’t do that. I’d come so far. People knew me all over the world now. I had one more fight until off-season—the one tonight—and I wasn’t giving up on the last lap.

I wanted her to know I was great. I wanted to show her what I was still capable of. The plan was to show off—make the fight a good one—but then some fucker came up beside her, and it was like a switch turned off inside me.

That light I felt inside vanished, and transitioned to darkness. I completely flipped the fuck out.

Who was this motherfucker? Jenny wouldn’t end up with someone like him. She was against boys like him, from what I remember.

He was too preppy, with his blonde hair and ironed, button-down shirt. He was probably the type to think the world revolved around him.

I couldn’t take it—watching him murmur in her ear. Watching him look at her. I didn’t know what the fuck he was saying, but he was too fucking close to her.

I finished The Slayer like he was nothing to me. I wanted to make it a good one. Make it last at least four rounds so people could get their money’s worth. My manager, Leo, told me to try and drag it out—don’t go for knockouts.

But did I listen?

Fuck, no.

I needed to know who that little shit beside Jenny was.

I needed to talk to her before she could get away.

I know I have no right to be so jealous. I have no right to be so pissed that another man was touching her. What the fuck did I expect after all these years? That she’d still be single after me? Still waiting for me?

Nope.

Not Jenny.

That’s why I’m glad I have her here now. We’ve met again. This is no coincidence. I don’t care if she wants nothing to do with me. I’ve spent years trying to reach out to her, but with this job, it’s been difficult.

I’ve just climbed out of my ice bath, which is why I’m standing naked in front of her. Not a great first (or genuine) impression, but naked is better than not being here at all.

After she agrees to wait for me for her measly five minutes, I shower up quickly. The truth is, I’m not sure what she’s capable of now.

Though she’s still just as beautiful—hell, even more beautiful—I don’t think she has the tolerance or patience for my bullshit anymore. I have to play it cool. I have to win her over again.

Shit, after what I did to her, I don’t blame her.

I didn’t have much of a choice then.

I couldn’t explain things to her. I tried to call to reschedule our meet-up at the bridge, but I was already on that plane and out of Fox River before I could even take a deep breath.

I have a lot to tell her. A lot to discuss. I need tonight with her, at least. She doesn’t have to take me back, but I do hope she can forgive me.

Walking around the corner with a pair of briefs on, I pick up my gym bag and then glance at her. She’s sitting on the bench by the door with her legs crossed. I run my eyes up and down the length of her.

She fidgets, pulling her line of vision away from me.

“How have you been?” I ask.

Her phone buzzes and she picks it up to check the screen. She swipes over it to end whatever the alert is and then whips her head over to look at me.

“I’m sorry… what?”

“I said, how have you been?”

Her left eye twitches, then she narrows her brows as I pull my shirt over my head. “Is that what we’re resorting to now? Small talk? If so, I didn’t come all the way back here for that.”

“What do you mean?”

She stares at me blankly before blinking. Then she stands with a sigh. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll just cut to the chase. How did you get the cross?” she demands.

She holds it up in the air by the chain and it sways gently. I drag my eyes back up to hers, tugging on a pair of jeans.

Sitting on the bench, I blow out a sigh and put on my shoes.

“I went back for it.”

“Yeah, but when? It couldn’t have been anytime I was there. I know. I waited for you and—” Her mouth clamps shut instantly, and she backs away, her face turning rosy red.

I don’t speak right away.

I can’t.

Look at her. She doesn’t even want to be near me.

I stand up again, spraying a few spritz of cologne on. “Who’s the guy you were with at the fight?”

Her big brown eyes meet mine. “Shane.”

“And who exactly is this
Shane
?”

She folds her arms. Her lips are sealed. Her eyes move away from mine to focus on the door.

I place my cologne back in the bag and walk in her direction. She hears me coming and turns with haste to meet my eyes. She backs away rapidly, until her back hits the wall.

When I’m close enough I study her, how hot and crimson her face is. Her breathing is shaky, her body language showing immense signs of interest. Though her mind doesn’t want to be interested in me in the slightest, her body begs to differ.

“Hmm.” I smirk, running my eyes down the length of her, my hand gripped on the door handle.

I swing the door open and she releases a ragged breath, relieved.

“Hey, Preach, get my bag for me. Take it to the hotel.” Preach, my security guard, steps around the corner with a nod. He walks past us to grab my gym bag and then comes back in my direction.

Before he walks out, he asks, “You don’t need me to walk you out past that crowd?”

“Nah. I think we can handle it.”

Preach looks from me to Jenny. “You sure now? They see you with a chick on your arm they’ll be hounding your ass all night. I’m talking no privacy.”

“She’s not just some chick. She’s important and the whole fucking world should know it.”

Jenny steps forward. “Um, Drake. I don’t think that’s smart. You’re only seeing me once. After we discuss some stuff, I’m out of here. You’ll never see me again.”

“Is that what you think…
Snoop
?”

Her eyes narrow. “Don’t call me that.”

“You came back here to see me—not because you hate me, because if you truly hated me you wouldn’t be standing right here—but because you were curious about me. It’s not just that cross that has you questioning things…
Snoop
.”

I’m being a jackass. I know it.

Her shoulders lift. “I won’t walk out of here with you.”

“Fine. Then we’ll stay here in this cold-ass locker room.”

“I can go down the hallway by myself and get through the crowd without any trouble on my end, you know that, right? They know nothing about me, but the whole world seems to know all about
Doomsday
.” She says my name with a sneer.

“You leave, and I will be following right behind you. Hell—I’ll let everyone out there know exactly what you are to me if they ask. I won’t hold back, Jenny. I’m not afraid of anything. You seem to have forgotten that.”

“Are you fucking kidding me!? What is it that you want?” she screeches. “I’m back here. I had questions and you’re beating around the bush about them. Why don’t you just answer them and leave me the hell alone already?!”

“If you really wanted me to leave you alone you wouldn’t fucking be here, Jenny. You’re a smart girl. I hate when you pretend to be stupid.”

Her eyes bore into mine.

I return a similar glare. She’s not winning this battle. I will talk to her. I will get her to hear me out.

“All I need is a chance, Jenny. Let me explain my fucking self. I won’t go out towards that crowd with you. I’ll sneak you out back, take you away from here, and we’ll talk somewhere in private. No one will know who you are—no one will be in your face. They won’t ask you any questions. If that’s what you want, we can do that.”

She crosses her arms tightly. “I can’t be alone with you.”

I look between us, and then at Preach. He’s mostly confused, and slightly amused. “Go ahead, Preach. I’ll be good.”

He nods and takes off immediately.

Jenny watches him leave, and I swear I can hear her heart sink and plop right into the acid in her stomach, shriveling away. The fact that we are alone now weighs heavy on her shoulders, and she looks up at me instantly.

“You’re alone with me now.”

“I have a boyfriend,” she blurts out. “Shane, the one you saw me with?”

I freeze. My jaw locks.

“Is that who keeps calling you?”

“Yep.”

I hold back on my irritation. “Is that supposed to make me back off? Make me feel some type of way?”

“You should respect that I’m not single.”

“Well, guess what? You’re in fucking Vegas, and while you’re here, none of that shit matters.” I grab her hand and lead the way out of the locker room before she can say anything more. I can hear the people down the hallway, loud and anxious—waiting for nothing.

I can’t speak tonight.

I’m sorry to let the fans down but I have something huge to settle, and it all leads to Jenny Roscoe.

My biggest regret in life was letting her go.

I’m not letting it happen again.

I know I fucked up… I just needed time. I came back and she was gone. Her room was vacant, almost like she was never even there.

It’s not a coincidence that she’s in Vegas during the same weekend as I am.

It’s fate, and if fate is trying to wedge its way in, I’ll roll out the welcome mat.

Fuck her boyfriend. Fuck her denial.

She’s in my hands tonight, whether she likes it or not.

“
D
rake
—wait! Stop!” I try tugging my hand out of his, but it’s no use. He’s too strong.

My phone buzzes, tucked away in my bra, and the cross is still in my hand, the pointy edges of it stabbing my palm.

I yank harder away from him, but if I keep doing that, I’ll end up pulling my damn arm out of socket.

Drake pushes a black door open when we reach the end of the hallway. An instant wave of heat hits me, like a hot blow dryer to the face, and only a few feet away is a black SUV.

Its windows are tinted; the lights are on. The black paint sparkles beneath the countless Vegas lights. Even though we are in some sort of private alley, there are lights everywhere.

A tall, lanky man stands beside the truck in a black tux, finishing off a cigarette. When he spots Drake, he tosses it and steps on the butt, rushing for the back door.

Drake finally releases my hand, but doesn’t stop walking to the car.

“Bill.” Drake bobs his head at the driver.

“How are you this evening, Mr. Davenport? That was one hell of a fight tonight!”

“I’m good. And thanks.” Drake points back at me. I stand absolutely still in the alley. “This is Jenny. A good friend of mine.”

“His
ex
-girlfriend!” I shout from where I stand. “He’s trying to kidnap me!”

“Oh—uh, hello, Jenny.” Bill waves a hand, but looks utterly confused. Poor man.

“Listen, I need you to take us to the Bellagio. Make sure my guards are there waiting. I want her to be taken through another entrance, guarded of course. I’ll walk through the front, handle the crowd there, since I won’t be doing it here.”

Bill nods. “Of course, Mr. Davenport. I’ll be right on it.” Bill looks my way as he opens the door for Drake.

Drake starts to climbs in, but looks back at me.

I stare ahead like they’re both idiots.

“Miss Jenny… will you be coming along for the ride?” Bill inquires.

“Yes,” Drake calls.

“No,” I hiss.

Bill tries his hardest not to frown. He looks back at Drake and Drake releases a long sigh. “Mr. Davenport, I am a little confused now.”

“She’s coming,” Drake mutters gruffly. “Jenny, don’t make me haul your ass in this truck.”

Bill steps back, fighting a smile, almost like he’s imagining that very thing happening.

Oh my gosh. I’m so embarrassed.

I don’t budge, though. I can’t. I’m standing my ground. I want to talk to him, but at the same time I should get back to my room, check in with Shane.

He’s probably worried now. I told him I’d be at the bar for the remainder of the night. He’s going to pitch a fit if I don’t end up getting to him soon.

My phone buzzes again. I take it out and check it. Speaking of the devil. It’s Shane.

“Any day now, Jenny!” Drake’s voice is like a foghorn.

I ignore him, and also ignore the call. I shoot Shane a quick text instead, letting him know I’m exploring the hotel with Kylie. Totally lying, so I hope he doesn’t end up bumping into her tonight.

I hear the crunching of gravel, heavy footsteps, and when I look up, Drake is coming my way. His jaw is fixed, his flashy green eyes hard on me. He swoops me up in his arms in one swift manner, and I yelp from the suddenness.

“Drake—stop. I was coming!”

“Not fast enough.”

“God, you’re still so impatient.” I huff, helplessly clinging to him, now more afraid of falling than being glued to my ex-lover.

“I hope you know you won’t be texting that fucker while you’re with me.”

He slides into the car with me on his lap. When I realize I am safe and not inches above ground, I scramble off of him.

Bill shuts the door as I nestle in my seat, my gaze hard on Drake’s.

I am completely flustered. I feel my face growing hot. I can’t hide any of my damn emotions. I suck at being angry and feeling
oh-so-betrayed
.

“What is wrong with you? You think you can just kidnap me, and then tell me who I can and can’t text while I’m with you?” I pucker my brows. “I think all of this fame has made you completely delusional.”

He laughs at that—well, more like grunts. “First of all, it’s not kidnapping if you admitted you were well on your way to my car. Second of all, I will crush that phone and his bones, just so you can’t talk to him while you’re with me.”

I gasp, and he cocks an eyebrow before looking away.

“Dick,” I hiss.

“Snoop.”

He sneers as Bill climbs into the truck. I swear I want to punch him right in the belly right now… but I’m too busy fighting a smile to even attempt.

Fortunately, I win the battle. I don’t smile.

“You guys all good back there? Need the A/C turned up or anything?” Bill asks.

“We’re okay. I’ll crack the windows if it gets too hot,” Drake says.

“Okay then. Enjoy the ride.” Bill looks up through the rearview mirror briefly, right at me. He has a glint in his eyes—one of recognition. Almost like he knows exactly who I am to Drake, and just how much Drake meant to me.

I look away before he does, focusing on my lap.

Drake’s cologne passes my nostrils and I squeeze the cross in hand. I’ll have cuts and bruises by the time I let this thing go. Speaking of…

“You never answered my question.” I look up at him. He’s already looking at me, his warm green eyes focused on my lips.

His eyes dart up as if he were never looking at them to begin with. Heat slithers through my veins, some of it becoming a hot puddle in my core. “What question?”

“How did you get the cross? When? It was in my house, in a shoebox in my closet. How did you get it? How did you find it?”

He simply smiles. He doesn’t speak. He doesn’t laugh. He just smiles and it ticks me off.

“You aren’t going to answer?”

He cracks the window and focuses on the passing hotels. “I will… eventually.”

I groan, rubbing my eyes a bit. I don’t care if the makeup smears. I hope I look ugly enough for him to think twice about messing with me.

“I can’t deal with this right now. I need a drink,” I mutter, rolling my window down.

That statement causes him to react. “Since when do you need drinks?”

“Since my ex-boyfriend decided to fuck and run four years ago.”

His eyes are thin, focused on me before they descend. His eyelashes are like shadows on his smooth cheekbones. His hair falls forward, tumbling across his forehead.

He seems so human, so boyish, that for a split-second I feel awful for saying what I just said. But then I remember that night, and how I sat there, watching every passing car. Waiting for his truck to show up, only to receive nothing.

Abandoned.

Forgotten.

I had never hurt inside so much. It felt worse than losing Mitchell, and I didn’t think anything would feel worse than what I felt then.

Drake’s eyes flash up to meet mine. “I couldn’t make it at the time, Jenny,” he murmurs. “But I came back. I was coming.”

“No? And why couldn’t you?”

Uncomfortable with my question, Drake sits up straight, side-eyeing Bill. Bill seems to be completely oblivious, but I know he’s listening, especially when he turns the volume up on the radio.

A song by Eminem streams through the speakers.

I sit back against the leather, allowing the music to pass freely. Drake shifts in his seat, and I feel a finger touch the bottom of my chin.

He tilts it up, and I catch his eyes. He’s closer now—too close.

My chest tightens with things I don’t want to feel, my belly broiling with heat.

“I’m sorry, Jenny. I swear I am. You think I don’t regret that?”

“I don’t know what you think,” I mutter, pulling my face away.

“It was the worst decision of my life, but it got me here. To where I am now. I told you, I just needed time.”

I frown. “What do you mean by
where you are now
? What does where you are now have to do with what happened to us?”

He sighs, drawing back. The SUV slows down and I realize we’ve arrived. Bill has parked in another alley. He unclips his seatbelt and climbs out, rounding the car and opening my door.

“Miss Jenny?”

I look from Bill to Drake.

“Go with him,” he insists.

“How long will you be?”

“Not long.”

“Who will take me up?”

Drake laughs, shaking his head. “So many questions.” He rubs his head. “Look, don’t worry. Preach will be there for you at the door. He’ll walk you up to the room. All you’ll have to do is wait for me.”

I study his face, how relaxed and content he is. How can he be so chill when there is still so much to talk about? I almost want to slap him, just to see if he’s actually here, in the same reality as I am.

Our eyes remain connected for quite some time. He’s so calm, like what he did can be easily forgotten now that he’s back.

“You broke my heart, Drake,” I whisper softly, and that causes his entire demeanor to change. He straightens his back. He doesn’t blink as he studies me and takes in the raw truth.

When his head bows with shame, I climb out of the truck.

“Wait for me,” Drake calls, but I’m already walking down the alley. I can see Preach standing at the door. Bill is right behind me, and when Preach nods his head, Bill turns and jogs back to the truck.

I glance back when I make it up to Preach. Bill drives by, Drake’s window is still rolled down, and his green eyes spark as ours lock.

Sincerity.

Frustration.

Anger.

Regret.

It’s all there, swirling deep in those eyes.

When the SUV is gone, I look up at Preach. “Hey. It’s me again.”

He smirks. “Good to see you again…Jenny.”

I look at him through narrow eyes. “How long have you known my name?”

“Four years.”

“Four years? Really?”

Preach shrugs as he leads the way down a vacant hallway. “Started working for Doom four years ago. From day one on the job I’ve been hearing your name floating around. The twins get on him about you a lot.”

“Oh. I’m surprised he hasn’t forgotten all about me with all he’s doing now.”

Preach crosses his arms. “Doom cares about you. You shouldn’t be so hard on him.” He throws his hands in the air defensively when I scowl up at him. “Just saying.”

I feel bad, I do, but I’ve been thinking about that day Drake didn’t show up for years, and even the time when he came late at night and then told me he was leaving.

All I could wonder then was, how he could be so selfish? Why he couldn’t try to work something out with me?

He wanted to break things off cold turkey. He was grieving, yes, but so was I. My boyfriend had gone missing for an entire week and I had no idea how to find him.

He left me out there alone. All I wanted to do was help.

What made him slip through the cracks? What made him want to just forget about what we had and move on? I need to know it all. Now that we are older, I want it all to add up and make sense.

So maybe MMA does have something to do with it… but why didn’t he just say that? Why not inform me?

If he loved me so much, why didn’t he fight just as hard for me as he does in those cages?

That last question is what I really need to know.

Doomsday may be a beast, but his heart is like a butterfly. It’s gentle. It’s kind. It’s beautiful, but it is also wild.

You never know what it might do next. One minute it loves you, remains right on the tip of your finger and reveals its beautiful wings, and then the next, it flutters away, off in the distance, never to be seen again.