Bound By Cage Box Set (Complete Series Books 1-4) : MMA Romance

by Brittany Crowley

  As I hang up the phone, I see Zander still talking on his, so I go and sit on the couch.

  “I don’t give a fuck what you have to do, Jen, get that fucking story out of the headlines.” He hangs up his phone and throws it toward the coffee table. He rakes his fingers through his hair in annoyance and turns toward me.

  “Baby, I have to tell you something, but you can’t freak out.”

  “Starting a conversation by saying not to freak out will only make me freak out, babe. Lay it on me.” He gets down on his knees between my legs so we are eye level.

  “Everyone knows.”

  I narrow my eyes at him remembering I never did get an answer from Ash on how she heard. “Everyone knows what exactly?”

  “Everyone knows we got married last night. Someone even got a picture from the wedding, and it’s plastered across all the gossip magazines this morning. But that’s not the worst part.”

  Now I start to panic. “Okay, so you’re telling me that being on the cover of a magazine in a condom veil shit-faced is not the worst part….” I let out a groan of frustration. “Just rip the band-aid off, and don’t sugarcoat it.”

  “Everyone is convinced you’re knocked up and that is why we had a shotgun wedding. That I was forced into it. That’s the headline going around everywhere, but don’t worry. My PR team is working on getting the story taken down ASAP.”

  I start to laugh like a crazy person. Up until last night, I was just Savannah Jenks: good old Savvy, bartender and bar owner, and boring as hell. Now, I’m the knocked-up woman who tricked a man into marriage.

  “Why would we get married if I was pregnant? This isn’t the 1950s, for crying out loud.” He looks at me apprehensively, like I’m about to snap. “Babe, I don’t care right now. I just want to enjoy this fantastic feeling of newlywed bliss. I thought the tabloids saying anything would bother me, but I can’t seem to care. It’s all lies, so who gives a shit?”

  “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

  “Apparently buy me this massive rock…which we may need to discuss downsizing. This thing had to have cost a fortune, and I keep blinding myself when it hits the light.” I’m in awe of the ring, but I can’t in good faith take it without a peep.

  “Absolutely not. I picked that out for you, and I don’t care how much it cost. Do you want people to think that I’m a cheapskate, baby?” He nuzzles his nose in my neck and starts to tickle me, and I start yelling for him to stop.

  “Stop, babe. I’ll pee my pants!” He pulls me up off of the couch and pulls me into a hug.

  “Now that this is the news everywhere, I think we need to go and talk to your dad right now. We don’t want to run the risk of him finding out from somebody else. On the way down, I’ll call my mom and explain to her what happened. I have to say, she’s going to be ecstatic. She’s been talking my ear off about you since you two met. She knew you were different for me.”

  We head up to our room to quickly get ready, and then we’re off to find my dad.

  CHAPTER 20

  Knock… Knock… Knock.

  “I feel like I’m going to throw up. He’s going to be so mad,” I mutter under my breath to Zander.

  “Just know that if he cuts off my balls, they were so happy with you while it lasted.” I squeeze his hand as the door flies open.

  Dad pulls us both into a bone-crunching hug while he congratulates us on our marriage and the bambino on the way.

  “I can’t believe I’m going to be a gampy. I’m going to teach him how to hunt and fish. All these hippy-dippy parents these days are raising a bunch of pussies. No grandson of mine will be soft. He’ll be able to hunt with a bow by the time he’s five. Mark my words.”

  “Whoa, Dad, don’t get ahead of yourself. I’m not pregnant. When did you start reading gossip blogs? I’m 100% not pregnant, so hold all of that gampy business for a couple of years. We just got married, for crying out loud.”

  He narrows his eyes at me. “I’m sorry, sweetie.”

  “What for?” I ask hesitantly.

  “I’m about to cut your husband’s ball sack off. I’m sorry, there really is no other way around this.” He lunges for Zander, and I jump in between them and push my dad back by his chest.

  “Back off, Dad. You were okay if I was knocked up, but just being married isn’t okay? You’re not making any sense right now.” He goes and sits down on the bed, clearly upset. I sit down next to him and put my head on his shoulder. “What’s the matter, Dad? Talk to me.”

  “Every father thinks of that one moment where they get to walk their little girl down the aisle, preferably to someone who’s not an asshole. You found that, honey. I’m so happy you found something special like I had with your mother, but I got robbed of my moment. Something I’ve thought about since I first held you in my arms.”

  Tears start to burn my eyes at the thought of disappointing my dad. “I’m so sorry, Dad. If it makes you feel better, we are going to plan a big wedding when we get back home. You will get a chance to walk your little girl down the aisle.” I cover his hand with my own and give it a squeeze.

  He shoots up from the bed like it’s on fire. “Well why didn’t you say so, sweetie? You’re always so dramatic. Stop being a pussy, Zander, and let’s go celebrate over breakfast.” I look over to Zander and mouth me?

  Walking over to Zander, my Dad finally shakes his hand. He pulls him in for a hug and whispers something in Zander’s ear. Okay, definitely a bro moment and I’m elated.

  After breakfast, we decide it will be best to fly home today since the paparazzi are swarming here, trying to get the first picture of the newlyweds. The only picture they have on the tabloids must have leaked from the wedding chapel because it’s the same one all over our wedding crap.

  We’re all packed and ready to go. Zander decided it was best to just face the paparazzi the first time so they back off. We’ll give them the picture they want, and then all of the hype around us should die down. I want to put on the tightest top I brought with me to try and expel the rumors of a pregnancy, but I can’t find it. I sigh in frustration at having to settle for something a little less form-fitting. I do not want to look pregnant. When Zander notices what I’m trying to do, he laughs and tells me I look beautiful no matter what anybody says about me.

  The hotel staff already grabbed our suitcases from the room and brought them to the car to make it easier on us. As we approach the exit, my hands begin to shake. Zander stops to give it a reassuring squeeze and a kiss on the cheek as we exit to mass chaos. The paparazzi have tripled compared to yesterday, and everyone immediately starts yelling our names. I’m baffled they actually know me. We stand here for a minute with smiles on our faces. Catching me by surprise, Zander picks me up bridal style and plants a kiss on my lips for all to see. I’m in shock when Zander leads me to the blacked-out SUV where my dad and his brothers are waiting for us. They went out ahead so we could take off right when we got in.

  As I take a seat, the breath I had been holding exits my mouth. “How do you do this all the time? It’s so nerve-racking. And not that I’m complaining, but what was that little show back there, Mr. Cage?”

  “I’m not going to pass up an opportunity to show off my wife to the world, I seized the moment. You’ll get used to it. It’s only crazy right now because we’re front page news. Think about how it was back home before we left. Not one paparazzo bothered us at all, which most likely won’t be the case for the next few weeks. I’d like to reassure you and tell you everything will go back to normal, baby, but I can’t. It might be the same quiet town we return to, or it could be total chaos.”

  I lean my head on Zander’s shoulder and close my eyes. It’s been a crazy couple of days, and it’s all finally catching up to me. When I open my eyes, I realize I’m lying on a couch on the plane. I look around and see all the guys and my dad sitting on the couches toward the front, playing video games. I sit up and head to the bathroom. Man, I have to pee. When I’m done emptying my bladder,
I head back out and try to track down a water. Zander notices me and waves me over. I hold up a finger, telling him I’ll be right there, and go grab a water from the flight attendant before heading to sit next to Zander. When I move to sit next to him, he pulls me down onto his lap and whispers in my ear, “Hello wife.” I get the tingles just hearing him call me his wife.

  “Hello hubby,” I say enthusiastically.

  “No way, baby. I’m nobody’s hubby. I’m your man…your husband.” He puffs out his chest as he says husband, which makes me love him even more. I lean down and kiss him quickly, aware my dad is glaring a hole in the back of my head.

  “Dad, do the rules still apply in your presence even though we’re married? Do we have permission to touch?”

  “Just don’t be getting all handsy in front of me,” he mumbles, causing me to laugh.

  Soon after, we land and I’m heading back to my house in Dad’s truck. Zander didn’t want to leave my side, but I told him I needed to spend some time with Ash and catch up on the bar. He informed me I had two hours before he came over, and I reluctantly agreed. When we pull in the driveway, Ashlyn comes bombing out of the house, swings my door open, and tackles me.

  “Can you gals wait to have your pillow fights until after I leave, please? There are things a man shouldn’t see his daughter doing.”

  “Mr. J, I haven’t seen Savvy in days. Excuse me for the excitement, especially when on one of those days she got married!” she excitedly yells. I grab my suitcase, kiss Dad on the cheek, and head into the house after Ash.

  We spend the next couple of hours talking about everything in detail.

  “I’m so bummed out that I didn’t get to see any of this stuff. I’m always in the wrong place when the right stuff is happening.” She pouts her lips and crosses her arms over her chest.

  “I know, but I promise you will have a front row seat for my next wedding. All right, now that we have that out of the way, how was the bar while I was away?”

  “It was great, barely any issues.” She looks down, and I know there is something she isn’t telling me.

  “Just say it.”

  “Luke stopped by Friday night, sat at the bar, and watched the fight. He saw everything, and by everything, I mean Zander practically mauling you before it started. From there, he proceeded to get shit-faced before anyone told me he was there and became belligerent. I approached him to ask him to leave, and that’s when he got a little aggressive. He grabbed my arm really hard.” She lifts up her arm, showing me a bruise on her forearm. “He screamed in my face that you were his and that this wasn’t over, then shoved me out of the way and stormed out of the bar. He scared the shit out of me, Savvy. I thought he was going to attack me.”

  I give her a hug, thinking this doesn’t sound like Luke. Sure, he was an asshole who cheated on me, but not once did I ever feel unsafe around him. If he physically put his hand on Ash, he must be off his rocker. When I saw him a couple weeks ago, he seemed okay. He was still trying to win me back, but nothing was out of the norm, which makes me wonder if me mentioning I was seeing someone set him off.

  “I’m so sorry, Ash. Hopefully he stays away now that he knows Zander is close by.”

  Zander chooses this moment to knock on the door and join our little powwow. I run over to him and jump into his arms, telling him I missed him.

  “I missed you too, baby.” He looks back and forth between us. “What’s with the worried looks?” He walks to the couch and sits down with me in his lap.

  I don’t really want to tell him about Luke since it’s embarrassing, so I leave it to Ash to tell him the whole story. She starts at my relationship with him, covers when he was at the bar the week I met Zander, and stops when she gets to this past Friday night at the bar. I notice him clenching and unclenching his fists, and the tick in his jaw indicates he’s truly pissed the hell off. He puts me down on the couch, takes his phone out, and makes a phone call to Josh, asking him to come over to the house right away. Ashlyn gets an excited look in her eyes at the mention of him coming over.

  “What? Josh is coming over now?” She starts to fluff her hair and push her boobs up.

  “Don’t do that in front of Zander. Plus, you’re wearing a t-shirt. There is literally nothing to see.”

  Josh arrives five minutes later and goes straight to Ashlyn, plants a kiss on her cheek, and pulls her into a hug. Their embrace seems extremely intimate, which makes me feel uncomfortable standing here like a voyeur, so I pull Zander into the kitchen to give them a little privacy.

  I go to the fridge and grab us each a soda. When I turn around, Zander is right there. He grabs my hips and places me on the counter, where he starts to devour my mouth. Zander places a couple quick pecks to my lips when we hear a throat clear, and we turn to find Josh and Ash standing in the kitchen doorway with smirks on their faces. Zander declares it’s time to have a family meeting, so we all sit down at the dining room table.

  He lays it all out there for Josh, adding his idea about wanting me to move into his house with him as soon as possible.

  Immediately grabbing Ashlyn’s arm, Josh examines the bruise and then yells out, “That motherfucker. I’m going to kill him.” He gets up and starts pacing the kitchen, demanding his address.

  “Josh, don’t fly at this situation unprepared. If he comes into the bar again, then you guys can do something about it. We won’t give you any shit, we promise.”

  I think Ashlyn got through to him because Josh sits back down. I try to convince them I don’t need a bodyguard, so the living arrangements should be fine right now. I also mention the self-defense classes I took.

  “Savvy, we’re married now. Are we supposed to live in two different houses? I want my wife under the same roof as me. Does that mean I can keep you safe? Fuck yes. But I want you to live with me and share my bed because I love you.”

  Knowing that this is a fight I will lose, I give in. I slowly start to realize he’s right. The next logical step after marriage is sharing a home. It guts me to think of leaving Ashlyn. We have lived together since I got this house when I turned 19, and it’s always been the two of us. Now that’s all about to change.

  I look over to Ash, who looks as heartbroken as I feel, but she subtly nods her head. Tears prick at my eyes at the thought of not living with her anymore, we have been through so much together. I look over to Zander and nod, not trusting myself to not break out into sobs if I try to speak.

  “Zander, you are taking my best friend away from me without any notice, and I’m going to have to be okay with that. Do not ever hurt her, or I will break your dick off and shove it so far up your ass, you’ll be able to come in your mouth.” She lets out a loud sob and covers her face with her hands.

  Zander places his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. “I will never hurt her, Ash. Her happiness is my main priority now. You know how much she means to me. You don’t need to worry, I promise.”

  I start crying after hearing his admission. Apparently, the speech has the same effect on her because she continues blubbering like a baby too.

  Josh and Zander have a silent conversation with their eyes before they stand up and announce they’ll give us some time. “Baby, I’m going to start packing your room up.”

  They go to leave, but Ash and I simultaneously start yelling at them to stop. I walk up to him, hoping he agrees to what I have to say.

  “I’d really like one last night together as roommates, babe. I know you don’t like the idea of us being by ourselves, but we need this. It’s just been Ash and me against the world for as long as I can remember. I want to move in with you, but this is all moving so fast. When I left for Vegas a few days ago, I never thought I’d be coming back home a married woman and then immediately moving into another home. I want to live with you more than anything.” I look back toward Ash, smiling with tears in my eyes. “But I need one last night of living under the same roof with my best friend. Most people date, get engaged, and then plan a wedding. Ma
ybe move in together somewhere in the mix. We kind of jumped a few steps.”

  He leans down and kisses my cheek. “I’m five minutes away. Do not hesitate to call me. I will get everything ready for you to move in tomorrow. Make no mistake, baby, you will be under my roof tomorrow.”

  We all say our goodbyes, and then it’s just us waving to the guys at the front door while we hold each other.

  CHAPTER 21

  “I’ll go get my keys!” Ashlyn exclaims excitedly, running for the kitchen.

  “What for?”

  “Savvy, if we are going to get through a night of packing you up and saying our goodbyes, we are going to need lots and lots of alcohol.” I nod in agreement, and we jump in her car and head off to the nearest liquor store.

  When we get there, I grab a carriage because I know we’ll grab too much for us to carry through the store. We get all the ingredients for strawberry margaritas and white Russians, the latter being for me.

  We arrive home with lots of alcohol and Chinese food that we made a pit stop for on our way back. Taking our respective duties, Ash dishes out the food while I prepare the drinks, making sure to add double the alcohol. After eating, we head to my room to tackle packing while we both have our wits about us.

  When we were gone getting food and drinks, Zander must have stopped by because we find boxes and packing tape on our front stairs outside the front door. I think he was trying to send me a message.

  “I can’t believe this is happening. I’m going to be the crazy cat lady who lives by herself while you live it up with your rich and famous husband. You’re such an asshole, Sav.”

  “I know! It’s not like I want to stop being your roommate. Can I talk you into moving with me?” We both burst out laughing, not even close to being done packing all of my clothes.

  “And be under the same roof as newlyweds? Fuck no. As much as it pains me to say it, you’re ready for this, Sav. You’ve found your soul mate, and it’s time for you to put on your big girl panties and grow up. I promise no matter how much I bitch and complain about it, I’ll be okay. Can I make a confession? When you guys went into the kitchen, Josh kissed me.” I shoot her a look of disbelief. “I know, I know! It was literally the best first kiss, hell, the best any kiss ever. That boy knows how to use his tongue. Which makes me wonder how it would feel if he kissed my pus—”