Ren’s answers couldn’t be heard, but it was enough. It was the whole story and then some.
“How…” I breathed deeply, my skin beginning to crawl. “That’s an invasion of privacy.”
Ignoring me, he pressed stop on the recording and said, “I was thinking about lining up an interview with the press to tell them the real story behind what happened at the Tightrope Gala.”
My mouth dropped open. “But that would—”
“Destroy Dean Hayes’s career?”
The dirty bastard. I was hurting, but I’d never do anything to tear down the man who broke me. That was Monica Miller’s MO, not mine. No matter what he’d done to me, I couldn’t do that to Dean. Never.
Gabe O’Connell was rotten through and through.
He smiled, his lips curving into the wickedest grin I’d ever seen. He knew he had me cornered. I was trapped.
“If you want me to keep my mouth shut, you’ll play by my rules,” he said, backing away. “Just you remember who your master is, Josie.”
I began to shake as the full realization of what I’d done hit me in the chest. By walking through those doors and begging the enemy for a job, I’d made the biggest mistake of my life. I’d given him all the ammunition he needed to bring down Dean, and there was nothing I could do about it. Gabe O’Connell was blackmailing me.
I loved Dean. I had always known it, and I would always live with it, but knowing I was going to be responsible for destroying his life and his dream? What he’d done was nothing on what I’d just blundered my way into. I was stuck in a nightmare of my own creation. No matter which way I turned, Dean would lose.
I’d become the thing I hated the most. The pain, the desire, and the hatred…
I was Monica Miller version two point oh.
26
Dean
I was absolutely exhausted. Mentally, physically…in every way possible.
I’d trained nonstop, fighting against Lincoln, lifting more weights than I cared to count, eating bland food I’d rather forget the taste of…all in pursuit of the one goal. Josie Cunningham.
Day five brought us to my current position. Standing behind the scenes at the arena, waiting for my turn to weigh in and face off with O’Connell.
Knowing she was here made my skin prickle with anticipation, but none of the preparation I’d been through felt like it was enough. Shoving my hands into the pockets of my AUFC hoodie, I watched the movement up and down the hallways, waiting for a glimpse of my ray of sunshine.
She had to be here. There was no way in hell O’Connell would let an opportunity to rub her in my face slip by. He’d used that tactic during our last fight, and it’d worked miracles for him.
“Keep your focus, Dean,” Coach said beside me. “Weigh in and don’t let him play your anger.”
“You don’t have to worry about…” I trailed off as I caught sight of a head of blonde hair at the opposite end of the hallway.
Josie.
Straightening up, my lips parted as she turned. Everything slowed down around me as her gaze flicked around, looking for something…or someone
I’m here, Jo, I thought. Right here.
Then like all the stars and planets had aligned, her gaze met mine. She stared at me, her expression full of pain, and I could see the silent question in her eyes. Where was Monica?
I shook my head back and forth and mouthed the words, “Only you.”
Outside on the stage, the announcer broke apart the first moment I’d had with her since she walked out, and I felt like throttling the bastard.
“Welcome to AUFC Fight Night 41! To get things started, we’d like to welcome our octagon girls for this evening, Hilary and Sasha, and the AUFC director Charlie Freeman!”
She glanced away as someone appeared beside her and spoke into her ear. Then as if some invisible string pulled her back, her blue eyes searched me out again. That’s my girl.
I didn’t move my gaze from Josie’s as the octagon girls walked past, their hungry stares roaming toward me. Once, I would’ve taken in their tiny waists, big breasts, and round asses as they filed past, deciding which one I would approach after the weigh-in, but not tonight. There was only one woman I had eyes for, and she blitzed the competition without having to lift a finger.
The person who’d spoken in her ear had moved off, and she was standing there alone at the opposite end of the hall. My heart leapt, and I took