Page 51 of Dare to Dance
“Are you ready, Vickie?” one man shouted. “I got a lot of money on you, sweet thing.”
Vickie cracked her neck and pumped her fists. “Kill,” she shouted, bouncing her way into the ring like a prizefighter.
I swallowed thickly as Norma held onto my arm for dear life.
Tommy glared at me. I guessed that was my cue to get my ass in the ring.
Norma hugged me tightly. “Be careful.”
A guy wolf-whistled as I pushed men out of my way and stepped into the ring. I wasn’t anxious to fight, but I was anxious to get this night over with.
“You two know the rules,” Tommy said.
“Wait,” a smooth and tingly baritone voice shouted.
“Fuck,” Tommy muttered.
Kross appeared from behind a group of men, cutting a visceral path through the spectators. Power and confidence oozed off of him.
“Hey, isn’t that Kross Maxwell?” someone asked.
He pushed toward me with a sense of purpose, his long, thick, denim-clad legs closing the distance between us.
Butterflies took flight in my stomach when I saw how his muscles bunched along his arms. I swore that snake tattoo on his forearm slithered. Or maybe it was the light-headed feeling that settled within me.
“Yeah, they call him rattlesnake in the ring,” a guy added.
I had no idea why. But at the moment, the why didn’t matter. What mattered was that Tommy was ready to throw down, which was surprising, considering he was afraid of Kross, although he was more afraid of Dillon, who was behind Kross. Suddenly, Tommy unclenched his fist.
“Let’s fight,” I said to Tommy. It was better to get this party started before a huge brawl broke out and before Tommy fired me. I’d promised him Kross wouldn’t be any trouble.
“Hold up.” Kross ducked under the yellow tape like an expert fighter.
Okay, I was getting fired.
“You know Kross Maxwell?” Vickie asked me with awe in her voice.
Maybe if I said yes, she wouldn’t kill me.
“You’re banned from this establishment.” Tommy’s tone was all businesslike as he addressed Kross.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Tommy’s business partner, Trent Baker. He was with a pudgy man, dressed in a tailored business suit, standing out like a sore thumb among the men who were dressed casually in jeans. With his arms crossed, Trent pointed at either me or the ring then said something to his friend.
“I need a minute to confer with my fighter,” Kross said.
Holy cow!I’d thought he would try to stop me. I smiled.
Dillon stared Tommy down until Tommy lifted his hands. “No trouble.”
Kross got super close to me, just as he had the other night when I thought he was going to kiss me. “Walk away. Leave with me. You don’t stand a chance with that girl.”
The light-headed feeling vanished as anger seeped into my veins. My pulse jumped a notch.
The room buzzed with chatter.
“Way to motivate your fighter. I made a deal. I’m sticking to it.”
“Ruby.” He lowered his head, piercing me with a look that would have knocked me out from lust if I weren’t hurt and angry that he was still trying to be bossy.
