Page 63 of Pulse
“The last two times.”
“Fuckin’ good. If anyone should have it, it’s him.”
I cocked my head to the side. “I didn’t know you guys were all buddy-buddy.”
“We weren’t,” he said, placing a hand on my thigh. “But he wasn’t a fuckin’ dog like the rest of them. He fought fair and square.”
“As fair as The Underground would allow,” I said wryly.
“A new Championship will be starting soon,” Ash mused.
“Six weeks.”
He shifted in his chair and I knew he was getting himself worked up. “I want to go pound Hammer’s face right now.”
“I know you do,” I said, placing my hand on his thigh, mirroring his on mine. “But we need to bide our time. Get you out of this house, train, and survey the competition. It all depends on who wins this round and who signs up for the next.”
“Fuck you’re smart,” Ash breathed, leaning into me.
Laughing I said, “The women’s league will be watered down some with the AUFC in full swing…”
“Ren, you’re not-”
I glared at him, digging my fingers into the thick muscles of his thigh. “I am.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I know you don’t, but I’ve proved myself time and time again Maverick.”
His lips thinned as he bit back whatever he was going to say and for once I was glad he didn’t want to talk about it. Maybe finally he realized the reason they’d called me Reign of Terror in the first place.
“How many weeks until they take off that thing on your ankle?”
“Five weeks. Not that I’m counting.” He winked and the small gesture lifted the mood entirely.
“So it’s settled,” I declared. “We train like mad, get your ass to Beat and go back to The Underground and dish out some payback medicine.”
Violet chose that moment to walk into the kitchen and I glanced at Ash.
“She knows,” he said absently.
“That he got himself all bloody in an underground fighting racket? That he bought this house with money he won illegally?” Violet said dramatically, opening the fridge. “I know all about that.” She said it with mock disapproval, but I gathered that she wasn’t too happy with it.
“Don’t complain,” Ash said. “You like the house.”
“You’re going back?” she asked, ignoring her brother’s jibe, fixing herself a bowl of cereal. “I thought you said they wouldn’t take you back.”
“There’s a chance they won’t,” he said slowly, glancing at me.
“We’ll just have to convince them,” I declared. “You were the major draw card only a few seasons ago. If you can prove you won’t fly off the handle again, then I reckon they’ll be foaming at the mouth to make some serious cash.”
“You gunna write me a speech?” Ash grinned and hooked his foot around my ankle. The touch sent shivers up and down my spine and I couldn’t help grinning back. I wouldn’t mind going back upstairs and going at it again.
“I see you two had a good time last night,” Violet declared, sitting at the other end of the table.
“Violet,” Ash grumbled.
I started laughing, throwing my head back.
“So you guys are like, back together?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
I laughed, finally feeling alive for the first time in months. We finally had a plan, one that was only for the immediate future, but it was still something to work toward. There were more tough times coming, but at least this time we would face them together.
It was time to plot revenge and fucking hell…if we could pull it off and snatch back the Championship before Hammer could get his ugly hands on it, then it would be the sweetest revenge ever.
