My Vegas Groom (The Greene Family #3) - Piper Rayne Page 0,3
much anymore but there was something about Nikki and her disinterest in the spectacle taking place after I won that intrigued me and I couldn’t resist.
When I was young, stupid, and new to success, I’d invite them all to party after a big fight, but now the appeal is lost on me. I’m a professional MMA fighter. The best in my field. Success as a fighter has allowed me to support myself, get my mom out of working three jobs, and that’s enough for me. Besides, those women I used to take back to my hotel room weren’t looking for love—at least not real love.
My mom says I’m an old soul. Not sure what that has to do with choosing not to hook up with random girls, but she insists it does.
The party girls just want to say they had me in their bed and gossip about what I was like. Or worse, snap a picture of me. They want everything that comes with stardom without anything that has to do with real feelings.
But Nikki was different last night. Maybe that’s why I feel in my gut like there’s a reason we got married. That’s the reason I want to pursue this. Vince will surely have a coronary when I tell him I’m not gonna try to get out of this. He’s gonna think I’m crazy—just like Nikki did. But I gotta say, I don’t think I’m prepared to let her go so quick.
Vince is already at the café, his knee bouncing so fast you’d think he just took a loan from a loan shark and lost it all. His fingers tap on the table while he waits. He’s probably on his fourth espresso of the day.
Some other managers have tried to steer me away from Vince over the years, saying he doesn’t have my best interests in mind, but he’s from the neighborhood I grew up in. He understands me in a way very few could, but he’s also made me a rich man. And now that I’ve reached the pinnacle of my career, I’m not going to just get rid of him.
Then again, I’ve made him rich too and now I’m late in my career. Injuries take longer to recover from. Plus, the excitement is fading between every fight. Vince reminds me I need to continue doing this for my mom and although retirement sounds nice, what the hell would I do with my life? It’s not like I have something else to fill my time.
He waves as I approach like I don’t see him. Sitting down across from him, I spot the phone and iPad already out in front of him, ready to show me what the gossip sites are saying about my nuptials. Some photographer likely made a killing after their late-night spying gig.
When the waitress comes over, I place a to-go order for my own coffee and then Nikki’s, black with sugar.
My addition earns me an eyebrow raise from Vince. “You don’t take sugar in your coffee.”
“Yeah, I’m aware.”
He releases a deep breath, surely annoyed that I didn’t just tell him who the coffee is for. But he must figure it out for himself and glean my intention from the act because he rakes his fingers through his hair. “You can’t be serious about this.”
“Serious about?”
“Don’t play dumb, Logan.”
I suppress a smile at getting him riled up. “Are you talking about me getting married?”
“Yes, marrying a girl you don’t even know. Some girl you asked to join you in your room last night and spent the entire night on the balcony with. I understand that she might seem different right now and I get that you’re attracted to her, but this is not some fairy tale. She’s just like all the other girls. Though maybe a tad smarter since she got you to marry her.”
I’m not a household name. Unless you’re hanging around the Vegas MMA fighting ring or watching late-night pay-per-views, then maybe you know me. But sometimes Vince acts as if I’m an A-list celebrity.
“Honest to God, she isn’t impressed by my name.” I’d tell Vince that she’s the one who brought up getting an annulment, but that’d make me look pathetic.
“If you want to proceed with being ignorant, then fine, go ahead, but I can tell you you’re wrong. I guarantee she knows how much you’re worth, and she sure as shit knows more about you than you know about her.”
I shrug. “Regardless, I’ve decided I’m gonna stay married.”