by Meghan March
My stomach drops to my feet as I realize what I’ve done. The same fucking thing I did to the first woman I loved—put her in grave danger.
But I’m not letting Scarlett take a bullet like Jorie.
“I have your money. All of it. Just let her go.”
He taps the barrel against Scarlett’s temple. “Tempting. But, no. You see . . . I suspected you’d never take that dive, no matter what was on the line. Turns out, I was right.”
“Moses—”
He interrupts me before I can say another word. “Tell all your little friends to put their guns down, or you’re not gonna like what happens next.”
Running on instinct here, I make the call. “Guns down.”
Moses tilts his head to the right like he’s waiting.
I glance around and see that they’re all still trained on him. “Everyone, put your fucking guns down. He will shoot her.”
Moses smiles, and every muscle in my body tenses when I see her shiver and a tear roll down her cheek.
Don’t cry, ladybug. He’ll have to kill me first.
“You’re learning, Gabe.”
A few seconds later, metal scrapes against the concrete as guns touch the floor behind me.
“They’re down. Let her go, Moses. For fuck’s sake, don’t you dare fucking hurt her.”
He studies me. “How much you win tonight?”
“I don’t know. A lot more than I owe you.”
“And you’ll give it all to me if I let her walk away right now?” he asks.
“Every fucking cent. I don’t give a shit about the money, Moses. All I want is her.”
His smile widens. “You really do love her, don’t you?”
“Yes, I fucking love her, and I will beg you on my goddamned knees if I have to. Don’t fucking hurt her.”
“I saved her, Gabe. Why the fuck would I kill her now? I could’ve just let Rolo do that, but instead I capped his ass. Of course, it was self-defense. Wasn’t it, princess? You can thank me anytime for doing you a favor.”
My gaze cuts to Scarlett’s pale face and back to Moses’s disturbing smile. “What the fuck kind of game are you playing here?”
“As far as I’m concerned, the game’s long over. Now, I’m gonna walk out of here, untouched. That’s the only way nothing happens to her. You hear me? I came to watch the fight. I wanted to see just how right I was about you, in person. It’s just not the same if you don’t see it yourself.” He jostles my whole world in his arms. “One hell of a fight, boy. You really delivered.”
“What?” Confusion ricochets through my brain like a stray bullet. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You won me a lot of money tonight, Gabe. Seems we’re finally even. That is, if you back the fuck off and let me open that door to the alley. I’ll be gone in under a minute. You’ll never see me again.”
Nothing he’s saying makes sense. “You won tonight? I thought you wanted me to lose. You were betting on Bodhi to win. You told me—”
“Exactly what you needed to hear to decide you didn’t give a fuck about what I wanted. How much more determined were you to win, Gabe? You think I don’t remember you? Think we don’t share the same Mississippi mud in our veins? You think I didn’t listen when Jorie talked about you? By the way, not to speak ill of the dead, but you’ve really upgraded here. This one’s a prize. Besides, I ain’t into killin’ women anymore either. Haven’t been in fifteen years. Only reason I ordered Jorie taken out was because I thought she told you about the truck. I thought that bitch played me so you could rob me. I was wrong about that, obviously. And I do have regrets.”
My jaw drops. There’s too much information coming at once.
Moses bet on me.
He wanted me to win.
He killed Jorie because he thought she told me about the truck.
He lied to me and manipulated me.
Holy fuck.
“You motherfucker!” I roar, but he jerks the gun to Scarlett’s head again.
“Don’t fuck up now, Gabe. That Jorie shit is old and cold. Dead and buried. You got a lot to live for now, and so does your little princess here.”
Scarlett’s lips move. She finds her voice, and surprisingly, it’s steady. “Please let him go, Gabe. I believe he won’t come back. He saved me from Rolo.”
Moses shifts the gun away from her temple an inch. “See, she’s a smart one. I don’t need to come back. I got what I came for. You just bankrolled me a new life, Legend. Now it’s time for me to go claim the woman I’ve been wanting all these years. She’s gonna be expensive, which is why I needed you to win this fight.”
My gaze moves from Moses to Scarlett and back again.
He played me. Jesus Christ. What in the actual fuck is going on right now?
I take a breath, staring at Moses’s face for any hint of a lie. I can’t trust him, but I can’t let him take Scarlett out of the building either.
“Scarlett’s not leaving with you. You open that door, you’re not taking her with you.”
Moses’s chest shakes as he laughs. “I don’t need your woman. Boy, didn’t you just hear me? I’m going to get my own. And just so you know, before you decide you’re gonna hunt me down and kill me dead for this, know something else. Without me, you wouldn’t have even gotten this opportunity.”
My head jerks back. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“That other club that was supposed to host the fights. Who do you think made sure it got raided?” There’s pride in his hellish eyes.
“Holy shit.” This comes from Q, who stands to my right. “No fucking way.”
“Y’all been playing checkers while I’ve been playing chess,” Moses says, his Creole accent growing thicker. “Long game, Gabe. It’s all about the long game.”
And suddenly, he shoves Scarlett toward me. I move before I even have a chance to think about it, catching her in my arms.
There’s a whoosh of air behind us as Moses slips out the door. Security is yelling around us, running toward the exit, but I sink to my knees with Scarlett in my arms.
Someone bangs on the door. “He’s locked it from the outside. Fuck.”
I block out their voices as I cup the sides of Scarlett’s head in my hands. Physical pain shreds my lungs as I stare into her eyes.
“I’m so sorry. So fucking sorry. I promised you that he’d never touch you. That none of this would ever touch you. I failed you.”
She reaches up with a trembling hand to stroke my cheek as she shakes her head. “It wasn’t your fault. Lucy grabbed me. She’s the one who started it all. That didn’t have a damn thing to do with you, Gabe. You can’t take the blame for that.”
“She hated you because of me,” I say, ready to take every bit of guilt and bury myself with it.
“No,” Scarlett says with force in her voice. “Apparently, Lucy hated me for years. She was the troll. My stalker. Rolo killed her.”
I stare into Scarlett’s soft gray eyes while I try to make sense of what she’s saying. “Wait. Lucy grabbed you, Rolo shot her . . . Rolo tried to take you . . .”
She nods. “And Moses saved me from Rolo. So, basically . . . he’s the reason I’m here right now, instead of God knows where with either of them.”
I press my sweaty forehead against hers. Tremors rip through me as I realize how fucking badly this night could have gone. “I don’t even know what the fuck to think right now.”
“That I love you, and I’m so glad that we never have to go through this again,” Scarlett whispers against my lips.
I release a long breath and squeeze her as hard as I dare. “Never. Never fucking again.”
“Um . . . Gabe,” Q says from above us. “Not to break this up, but we gotta get Rolo to a hospital, or he’s not gonna make it.”
Fifty-Seven
Scarlett
As soon as we enter Gabriel’s office, after giving statements to the police in the conference room, Bump tackle-hugs us both.
; “I’m so glad you’re okay! Nothing can happen to you, Gabe. You either, Scarlett.”
Gabriel pats him on the back as Bump trembles in our arms. “We’re okay, bud. Totally okay. Nothing happened to Scarlett. She’s fine.”
Bump loosens his grip to look at us. “You got hit in the face a lot tonight. I thought you weren’t gonna let him hit you this time?”
Gabriel gives him that half grin I love so much, even with his battered face. “I tried not to, but at least I won, right?”
Bump nods soberly. “But Moses came back. He wasn’t supposed to come back.”
“He’s gone now, honey,” I tell Bump, running a hand over his short-cropped hair. “He’s never coming back. I promise.”
“You promise? Are you sure?” His question carries all of the fear he’s no doubt been storing up, and I know what promises mean to him.
“We promise, bud. Totally sure.” Gabriel’s reply must quiet some of his concerns, because the lines on Bump’s face smooth out, and his whole body seems to deflate.
“Okay. Good. Because I don’t think I can handle that again. No one hurts my family.”
The word family sends warmth unfurling through my chest. That’s what I have now. A family.
There’s a knock at the door, and Q pokes his head inside. “Before you leave, there are some people who want to talk to you.”
“Who?” Gabriel asks, and it’s clear from his tone that he doesn’t want to talk to anyone.
“My folks, Scarlett’s friends, and Creighton Karas and his wife. What do you want me to tell them?”
Gabriel looks at me. “You up for this? Because if you want, Q can tell all of them we’ll talk to them later.”
I think of what Bump just said—family. That’s what my friends have become too. That’s what Q’s parents are for Gabe. In the end, family is all we have, and all we really ever need.
“They can come in,” I reply.
Q nods and opens the door.
Harlow, Kelsey, and Monroe burst through first, all with their arms outstretched as they rush toward me.
“Oh God. I can’t believe Lucy! And she’s dead? Oh my God!” Tears stream down Monroe’s face as she yanks me into a hug first.
Harlow and Kelsey wrap their arms around me from either side. “We’re so glad you’re okay,” Harlow says.
“I would kill her myself, if she weren’t already dead,” Kelsey adds.
“I love you guys.”
“Flynn has been calling and texting you, and she freaked out when you didn’t answer,” Harlow tells me. “She called me, and I kind of had to tell her what happened.”
I freeze. “Oh shit. Is she flipping out?”
“I talked her down. You have to call her, though. She’s demanding proof of life.”
“I will,” I whisper as I squeeze them all close. “Thank you. Thank you for being here and worrying about me.”
Harlow cups my cheeks. “We love you right back, and this is what we do for the people we love.”
Kelsey presses a kiss to the top of my head.
“Did you know you have two seriously famous people standing six feet away from you right now?” Monroe tries to whisper, but it comes out much louder.
I twist my head out of Harlow’s hands to stare at Monroe. I actually whisper, “What did you just say?”
She turns my head in the other direction, and I catch a glimpse of Silas Bohannon as he steps over to give Jeb a backslapping hug. And then my gaze locks on an imposing man in a dark suit and the petite brunette standing next to Big Mike, Joanie, Ryan, and Christine.
Creighton Karas lifts his chin at Gabriel, and then moves toward me as the girls shift to stand beside me. “Ms. Priest, it’s a pleasure to meet you. We’re very happy to hear that you came to no harm after your ordeal. I promise we won’t stay long. I just wanted to offer my sincerest apology to both you and Legend for what happened tonight.”
The girls step back, and Gabriel comes to my side, curling his arm around my waist. “It wasn’t on you. No apology necessary.”
“I told you not to worry about Gaspard because there was nothing to worry about. The fact that he was here and my security team didn’t prevent him from causing Ms. Priest distress proves that I was wrong.”
“Moses saved me from Rolo,” I tell the billionaire. “So . . . maybe it’s a good thing you were wrong?”
Beside him, his country superstar wife smiles at me, proving that tonight can’t get any more surreal.
“No harm, no foul,” Gabe adds.
“Still, I feel responsible for that, and to make amends, I’m forgiving the debt you owe me. Congratulations on winning tonight, Legend.”
Beside me, Gabriel goes still. “But . . .”
“Please,” Holly says with an apologetic smile. “It’s the least Crey can do.”
I had almost forgotten Creighton Karas loaned Gabriel money, but I remember vividly now. Whoa. He doesn’t want it back?
Gabriel steps forward, offering his hand. “Thank you,” he says, his voice hoarse, as Creighton shakes it.
“Great fight. Have a good night. We’ll get out of your way, Legend. Ms. Priest.”
Creighton inclines his head as he presses a hand to his wife’s back. As they turn toward the door, Holly meets my gaze.
“I know this isn’t really the right time . . . but I’d love to see your store before we head back to Nashville next week. I’ve heard amazing things. But only if you’re up to it. I’ll be back again.”
I can only imagine that my eyes are as wide as dinner plates. “Of course. I would love to have you come to Curated.”
Kelsey springs toward them, holding out a piece of paper. “Here’s her card. Scarlett’s cell is on the back.”
My friends are amazing, I think as Holly takes it.
“Thanks. Talk soon, Scarlett. We’re both so glad you’re okay.”
As soon as the billionaire and his wife leave the office, everyone seems to release a breath.
“Well, shit,” Q says with a wry grin. “Maybe we should have fights more often.”
Gabriel hugs me close to his side. “Let’s table that discussion for another night. Right now, all I want is my woman, a shower, and an ice bath.”
“You killed it in the cage, man,” Silas says, coming forward to shake Gabriel’s hand. “I won’t take up much of your time. Just wanted to tell you I was impressed as hell, and congratulations.”
Gabriel gives him a nod. “Thanks to you. I couldn’t have done this without Jeb. He’s a mastermind.”
“Damn right I am,” Jeb says from the corner of the room with a laugh. “But you made it easy. Worked your ass off. This one is all you, Legend. It was a pleasure to be in your corner. Now, go get that ice bath, or you’ll be useless tomorrow.”
The corner of Gabriel’s mouth tugs upward as he meets Silas’s gaze again. “I’d stay and chat but . . .”
Silas shakes his head. “No worries, man. I’ll be around. You haven’t seen the last of me.”
Gabriel gives him a nod, and then he looks down at me with his battered face, which is swelling as we speak. “You ready?”
“Absolutely. Let’s get you home, champ.”
He leans down to kiss my nose. “I like that one, ladybug.”
Fifty-Eight
Legend
“Rolo didn’t make it,” Q says when he calls the next morning after Scarlett and I devoured all the fluffy scrambled eggs she made, and the pancakes I added to our spread. “But they got his confession about killing Lucy, at least.”
“Damn,” I whisper with a shake of my head. “Does that mean they’re looking for Moses?”
“The detective didn’t seem too concerned about justice for him, if you want to know the truth. He said Lucy Byers’s family was practically cheering when he called them to let them know.”
“That’s morbid.”
“They don’t believe she would pull a gun on Scarlett, and they want the whole thing swept under the rug. The detective
made it clear that he has been ordered to consider the investigation closed.”
I stare at Scarlett, standing at the sink, washing dishes. While I was in my ice bath last night, she and I had a long discussion about all the possible ways we could handle this.
Her request was that we keep it as quiet as possible so as not to embarrass Lucy’s family or hurt the club. It was hard for me to swallow, but I can’t say no to her.
“And the cops are going to go along with that?”
“Unless Scarlett pushes for a full investigation.”
I scratch the back of my neck, not believing it’s all finally over. “She won’t.”
“Then, yeah. It’ll all be tidied up, and Moses will walk. You sure that’s what you want?”
I think of how I felt with Moses holding Scarlett with a gun to her head. I wanted to kill him, but more than that, I just wanted Scarlett safe. Her well-being trumps everything.
“If Moses had wanted all of us dead, we’d be dead,” I say quietly, but Scarlett hears me anyway, dries her hands, and comes to me. She slides her arms around me and presses a kiss to my cheek. “But that’s not what he wanted. You heard him. He was playing chess while we played checkers. Wherever the fuck he’s headed, good riddance.”
“Fair enough,” Q replies. “I hope that woman he’s after is smart enough to turn his ass down. I’m thinking we should call in some favors and keep tabs on him, just to be safe. I’ve been doing some digging. Did you know he’s from New Orleans, not Biloxi?”
I think of the few conversations I had with Moses back in the day. “No. But it doesn’t surprise me, given that Creole blood of his. Call in the favors. Keep tabs. It’s time for us to learn to play chess.”
“On it, Gabe. Have a good morning. Tell Scarlett I said hi.”
I hang up the phone. “You hear the rest of that?”
She nods. “Yeah, and sadly, New Orleans was on my bucket list.”
“As soon as Moses gets shut down by that woman he’s after, we’ll go visit. Get you some Cajun food and beignets.”