My Vegas Groom (The Greene Family #3) - Piper Rayne Page 0,64
best. Nothing wrong with that.” I shrug.
He purses his lips. “What does this mean? Is this your home now? Alaska? Really, Log?”
I’ve yet to broach the subject with Nikki for fear she’ll push me away or I’ll say something that scares her. Things are good between us right now, and in reality, this studio will be hers whether our marriage survives or not. But I hope that I’m next door, training at the gym, while she’s recording her podcast and we meet back at our shared house for an afternoon quickie. Hell, I’ll take her in the back room here happily.
“I don’t know yet. I have to talk to Nikki still.”
“You’re throwing your entire career away for a piece of ass?”
Craig puts his hand on Vince’s chest, but I’m already there, pushing Vince to the wall. “She’s not a piece of ass. She’s my wife.”
Vince puts his hands in the air. “Jesus, Log, I didn’t mean to disrespect her. I’m just taken by surprise. I leave you here for a bit and now you’re so…”
I release him. “I’m a husband, and I will not tolerate anyone speaking about my wife like that.”
He nods a few times. “Okay. Okay. I’m sorry.”
“Better.” I nod.
“The place is nice.” He forces a smile as he looks around.
“Yeah, I’ve done a lot of the work myself.”
“I had no idea you were handy.” He jabs me with his fist in the upper arm.
I knew he’d change his attitude once he saw how serious I am about Nikki. Vince has always seen my girlfriends as a problem. That somehow they change me and not for the better. But he hasn’t been here to see me with Nikki, so maybe I should cut him a bit of slack.
I sit down in one of the chairs and nod toward the other two. “Then let’s sit and actually talk business that concerns my manager.”
Vince sits in the chair across from me. “I’m just watching out for you. That’s part of my job.”
“Then let’s get one thing straight—anything that has to do with Nikki doesn’t involve you.”
“Fine.” Vince crosses his arms. “You need to come down to Vegas at least two weeks early. I have promos set. Will you be coming alone?”
“I’m not sure yet. And I only planned for a week. Why the change?”
“Because the people paying for you to fight want you there so they can hype it up more. Hype equals dollars, you know that.”
Craig shoots me an expression to say Vince has got a point. But I’m not ready to leave Nikki early. We still have so many logistics to discuss. I guess tonight is the night to air them out.
“Fine, but you might as well roll up your sleeves, because I’m not leaving until this studio is done for Nikki.” I stand and open the door to tell the crew to come back in and work.
For the rest of the afternoon, Vince is on his best behavior—and who would’ve known he can use a nail gun?
The best news I got all day was that Vince didn’t want to sleep at the Linville house with Nikki and me, so he’s staying in Anchorage. A blissful forty-five minutes away.
After dinner, Nikki’s chilling on the couch, so I sit down beside her and bring her feet to my lap. I massage them, and she closes her eyes and moans.
“Keep making sounds like that and I’ll be massaging something else,” I joke.
“I wouldn’t complain.” She peeks her eyes open and smiles at me.
“I wanted to talk to you about a few things.” Her eyes open wide now. Maybe I should’ve started the conversation a different way. “Just hear me out before your mind goes crazy.”
“Okay.”
“I have to go back to Vegas two weeks before the fight. I thought it was only a week, but I was wrong. Vince told me this afternoon.”
She relaxes into the couch. “You scared me for a minute.” Sitting up, she kisses me on the lips. “It’s okay, but I can’t come until closer to the fight.”
“I know and I’ll send a plane for you. Does any of the rest of your family want to come?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know, but I’ll ask.”
She shifts to go back to lying down, but I reach for her so she stays on my lap.
“Not so fast,” I say. “I have one more thing to talk about.”
Her head falls to my shoulder. “What?” There’s a slight whine to her tone, and I doubt myself for a moment, wondering if now