by Jenika Snow
There was a moment of awkward silence where she stood on the other side of the room, London stood beside her father but several feet away, and Harlond looked between the two of them.
“Harlond, I came over here to talk to you about something really important.” London looked at her and rubbed the back of his neck. For the first time she had known him he looked genuinely unsure. “I—”
“Son, I’ve never see you look this scared before.” Harlond looked between them again. The tension and awkwardness rose in the room, and Sunny swallowed roughly. God, her father looked pissed. He looked at her once more, and his eyes narrowed. “This about the fact you are with my daughter? You come over here to tell me that?” Harlond looked at London, and he snapped his head up. She stared at her dad with what she knew were wide eyes.
“You know?” Her voice sounded a hell of a lot stronger than she felt inside. Her dad gave her a look that said “Come on, you think I’m that fucking dumb?”
“Baby girl, you think I don’t know what in the hell goes on in my own training facility or with my daughter?” He crossed his big arms over his equally big chest and turned a lethal stare at London. “What I want to know is how serious this thing really is, and how long you been doing it behind my fucking back. I assume it is pretty big for you to want to come to my house and talk to me about it, right?” London shifted on his feet. Her big, tattooed fighter was scared and didn’t know what to say.
“Dad.” She took a step closer, but he held up his hand.
“No, Sunny. I want to hear London tell me where he stands on all of this.” London looked at her, and after a second straightened to his full height.
“Harlond, we didn’t mean to keep this from you, certainly had no intentions of doing anything behind your back. It just kind of happened, and we wanted to decide how to tell you before we actually did. I did come here to talk to you about Sunny, because I care about her, and wanted to let you know that I want to be with her.” Her father stayed silent for far too long to seem comfortable, but then he exhaled loudly.
“I can’t believe you’ve been doing this behind my back, London.”
“Dad, please don’t think of it like that. It certainly wasn’t something we conspired to do to piss anyone off.” He looked over at her, and she felt like a little girl again being caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to do.
“How many times did Mack and I tell you that a fighter’s life isn’t for you?”
“Dad, I’ve lived with fighters my whole life. It’s been my life. You’re a fighter, Mack’s a fighter, and I love you both. Telling me that you don’t want me around it because of how a handful of them decide to live their lives is contradicting.” They held each other’s gazes for a moment, and he was the one to break away. He scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “Mom loved you, and the life you lived.” Sorrow passed over her father’s face at the mention of her mom. She may have been two when her mom passed away, and her father may have told her everything about her mom, and how much he loved her, but aside from that he didn’t want to talk about it or her. This was the first time in years that she had brought it up, and even if it broke her dad’s heart, Sunny wanted to show him that judging someone was wrong.
“I know, baby girl, but don’t think for one minute that your mom didn’t yell at me every chance she got over fighting. She hated it—”
“But loved you regardless, Dad.”
He clenched his jaw and looked over at London. “I should kick your ass for this, London. That is my daughter, the only thing I have left in this world, and you come in here and tell me she’s yours.” London didn’t respond, but she couldn’t blame him because she wouldn’t have had anything to say to that either. Her father was pissed and hurting, and it was all because of her, and because he thought he was protecting her from something unsubstantial. “In fact, I should ban you from the training center for not coming to me first, and for thinking you had any kind of right to Sunny after all the warnings I gave to you guys in regards to staying away from her.”
“Dad, please.” She wasn’t above pleading, because her dad needed to see reason in this. “This is my life, and if you do this, hurt London because you’re hurting, then ultimately you’ll be breaking my heart.” Her pulse started racing again.
“Harlond.” London waited until her dad looked at him. “You do what you have to do, but I want you to know that I love Sunny, and there isn’t anything that I wouldn’t do for her. I respect you, but can’t stop seeing her, won’t stop seeing her. I love her too much to just walk away.” Everything stopped inside of her at hearing London say those words.
“You love my daughter?” Her father’s voice was monotone, and she feared he would snap right them.
“Yes, Sir, I do.”
“London.” It was her turn to wait until he looked at her. “I love you, too.” The smile that broke across his whole face changed everything about the rough and tough bad boy.
He took a step closer but stopped and glanced at her dad. “Harlond, I am asking for your permission, but I also mean no disrespect when I say that even if you tell me to stay away, I can’t.” A muscle under her father’s jaw ticked, and she saw his hands clench at his sides. He lifted his hand, and even though London had to know what was about to come, he didn’t flinch or move.
“You really love him, baby girl?”
She nodded. “Yeah, Dad, I really do.” He nodded once, looked at the ground for a suspended moment, and turned back toward London. She had no idea what he was going to do next. Harlond was known to have a short fuse on the best of days, and right now was an ideal situation for him to lose his shit. He stabbed a finger in London’s chest, and Sunny held her breath.
“You break my little girl’s heart, and I’ll break your body. You hear me?” London nodded, his expression stoic. Her father showed no emotion, slapped him on the back, and just like that the tension was gone. “All right, both of you can relax. I’m not going to go get my rifle or anything, but I am going to the center.” Her dad came up and wrapped his arms around her, and the scent of everything that was familiar and felt like home washed through her. This was one of the only times she had gone against what her father warned her about, but with London it had been worth the risk of his and Mack’s wrath and disappointment. “Be careful, and if he hurts you, I want to know right away.” He pulled back and kissed her forehead. “Okay, baby girl?”
She smiled, because for as hardheaded as he was at times, he loved her and was only looking out for her. He left them alone, but she didn’t miss the stern look he directed at London on his way out. The front door shut behind him, and for several seconds all they did was stare at each other. There were a lot of things currently going through her mind, but of course the main one that stuck out was the fact he loved her.
As if he read her mind he said, “Yeah, Sunny, I love you. So fucking much.” He walked toward her and stopped when he was right in front of her. “I love you. I love you. I fucking love you, Sunny McGrieve.” She parted her lips, but before she could say it back his mouth was on hers, taking control like he normally did, and stealing her breath. When he finally pulled away she let the words spill out before he could kiss them away once again.
“I love you, too, London. God, I think I have loved you since I first saw you walk into the center.” He kissed her again and again, and they murmured those three words over and over against each other’s mouths. Nothing made sense and went so unbelievably fast, but she wouldn’t have done it any differently.
“I don’t know what the future is going to hold, and I can almost guarantee that you’ll get pissed at me because I’ll fuck up.” He stepped back but took hold of one of her hands and placed it over his heart. “But I can promise you that I will never stop loving you, that I will always put you first, and that there is nothing on this planet that can keep me away from you.” He said it so passionately that she knew that every word he spoke was the truth.
****
London reache
d across his nightstand and blindly grabbed for his cell. With one eye opened he swiped his finger across the screen. “Yeah?” He cleared his throat and leaned back on the bed. His phone had said it was eight in the morning, and although he was usually up before six to train, he’d had a long, exhausting night. That had a smile forming on his face, and he opened his eyes and turned his head to see Sunny sleeping beside him. She was on her belly, the sheet pooled right above her ass, and her entire bare back exposed.
“Got it set up for you and The Lion. You game tonight?” Ross’s voice was amped up, and he knew it was because the circuit was buzzing about this fight. They had spoken about the details, but nothing was set in stone, and these underground fights were always spur of the moment to make sure the cops didn’t get wind of them and break them up. There were no rules during underground fighting, but London had never killed anyone, and had never known a fighter personally that had taken a life while in the cage. Apparently this Lion guy had a few marks on his belt from taking doing just that.
“Yeah.” Ross rambled off the location and time in code form, because someone never knew who was listening on cells. He hung up and tossed his phone on the bedside table and rolled over. Wrapping his arm around her, London brought Sunny closer to him. He could tell she was awake, sensed the change in her breathing, and was just waiting for her to question him about that call. He had already told her about this fight that was coming up, one that had the potential to bring him some big money because of the buzz it had created. “I know you’re awake, baby.” He kissed a path along her spine, and smiled when goose-bumps popped up.
“I am now.” She rolled over, and he zeroed in on her breasts as they became visible. When she lifted her arms above her head and stretched, his cock pulsed and grew. Shit, they had fucked for hours last night, and had only been asleep since four, yet here he was, hard as hell again. One golden eyebrow cocked up in question, and a slow smile spread across her face. “I assume that was the call you were waiting for, the one where you get the details on fighting this Lion guy?” He lay back down and stared at the ceiling and nodded. “Are you scared?” He turned and looked at her and saw how worried she looked.
“Nah, baby. This is what I do, who I am.”
“So when is the fight?”
London sat up and swung his legs over the bed. “Tonight. It is being held right on the county line in an abandoned industrial building off of Route 35.” He looked at her over his shoulder. . “Why, you want go?” He already knew the answer, and wanted her there, but he also liked teasing her. There was also a part of him that didn’t want her there. It was sure to be a madhouse, and having her in a situation like that worried the fuck out of him.
“You know I wouldn’t miss it. I know this is a really important fight for you.”
“But I need to make sure you are where I can see you at all times. It gets crazy out there, especially for this fight since the hype is so extreme on it, and I won’t be able to focus on the fight if I’m worrying about you.”
“I want to remind you I showed up at a fight and survived.” He lifted his eyebrow and didn’t respond. “Okay, okay.” She held her hands up. “You’re just as bad as my dad.” He grunted.
“Right where I can see you. In fact, I am going to have Brock come to the fight, and you’ll stay by him, yeah?” She nodded. Although he and Brock had moved to Absinthe at the same time, since his friend had gotten pretty serious with his girl, Izzy, he had been keeping an even lower profile. London still saw him at the center on occasion, and even though Brock fought in the underground circuit as well, they didn’t run in the same circles. Besides, telling Sunny not to do something, like going to watch him when it was pretty fucking hectic and dangerous, was like nailing Jell-O to a tree. It just wasn’t going to happen, but her stubbornness was one of the things he loved about her, amongst many, many others.
Chapter Ten
Sunny looked around the packed warehouse. It was still half an hour before the fight, but the building was packed wall to wall with bodies. London gripped her hand tighter and pulled her even closer to him. He wore a sweatshirt with the hood over his head, and she couldn’t deny that he looked like a badass. People parted for them, and she knew it was because he gave off the aura that he’d kick their asses if they rubbed him the wrong way. When they made their way to the cage he turned and looked at her.
“You stay here, right here, Sunny.” She nodded and felt someone touch her shoulder. Looking behind her she saw Brock step up to them and smile down at her. London leaned down and kissed her on the mouth hard. He pulled back and held her gaze for a suspended minute. “Stay right next to Brock, baby. I want to concentrate on the fight, yeah.” She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, because he had repeated this exact phrase several times already. She knew her place when it concerned a fight, and wasn’t about to wander off and risk him worrying about her and getting his ass kicked because of it.
“I know, London. Don’t worry. I’m not going to go walking around. I’ll stay right here beside Brock.” She leaned into the big guy and smiled when London scowled at her actions. He was so jealous, but it made her also feel loved. He might be possessive, but not to the extreme where he was barking orders at her and demanding she get rid of her friends for him. Besides, if he tried any of that shit she’d kick his ass. He gave her one more kiss, looked at Brock and had some kind of silent communication with him, and headed to the back of the building. She turned and stared at Brock. “He always like this?” She was teasing, but Brock didn’t even crack a smile.
“He’s pretty serious about you, Sunny. I’ve never seen him like this with anyone else.” She nodded. “Just don’t get swallowed by the crowd because then I’ll be the one that gets his wrath.” They turned and faced the cage, and she let her eyes scan all the people. Some of them were clearly already drunk, high, or both, and nearly all the women were dressed in nothing but a few strips of fabric. She made another sweep over the crowd, and stopped when she saw the brunette with the bobbed hairdo that had given her shit at the previous fight. She was closer to the back of the warehouse, but there was no mistaking her almost anorexic frame, or the face that would forever be ingrained in Sunny’s head. Her heart stopped when she saw who she was talking to. It was the guy who had blocked London’s path when she had seen him fight just days before. He was definitely the same asshole who had challenged London, and she knew that this was The Lion. It was like an instinct inside of her, especially when his hard stare turned and looked at the door London just disappeared behind. He turned to the side, and Sunny saw the massive tattoo of a lion’s head covering his back.
Brock leaned in close and said. “That’s the guy London is fighting.” She nodded, because she knew as much already. The brunette wrapped herself around the guy, speared her hands in his strawberry blond hair, kissed him like she wanted to crawl inside of him, and when they broke apart he slapped her hard on the ass. He stalked away, and Sunny swore that damn lion tattoo was watching her the whole time.
The minutes ticked down slowly and agonizingly, but after what seemed like forever the announcer’s voice rang through the room. “Now, for the fight of the fuckin’ century, The Lion versus the undefeated champ of the underground, Londoooooon Motherfuckin’ Stein.”
The Lion came back out and climbed into the cage. He looked like an asshole right off the bat, and a lot of the crowd booed him. When London came out there was a chorus of cheers, and her pride for him swelled, but she couldn’t help the dread that settled in her belly. Something didn’t feel right, and she knew it had to do with the sadistic gleam in this guy’s eyes.
London zeroed in on her and gave her a wink. Sunny noticed that a lot of the women beside and around her squealed, and she wondered if they thought he was giving his attention to them. It didn’t matter, because she knew who he was looking at, and her body heated more when that lopsided smile came into play. There were a few more words from the announcer, and then it was like all hell broke loose. Th
e Lion came at London full force, but her guy dodged several blows that would have come right at his head. He delivered his own punches, but it was like the other fighter was on speed. He didn’t even flinch, but London kept his game face on and stayed on his feet. They moved like perfectly choreographed dancers, each one seeming to know the other’s moves. Clearly this Lion guy had studied London, knew his tactics, and was now using it against him. It seemed like that thought passed quickly over London’s face, and then his expression became harder and he switched up his moves. She recognized several of the ones he had done on Mack, ones that were meant to take down a bigger guy. The Lion fell on his back, and London was on him, hitting his face repeatedly. But he was thrown off seconds later, and now it was London that was put in a submission hold.
Brock put his hand on her shoulder, and she wondered if she looked how she felt … a big fucking wreck?
They broke apart and took a minute to rest in their corners. London’s eye was already starting to swell, but a sick part of her loved the fact The Lion had a split lip and blood dripped down his chin. They met in the center again and went back at the most brutal fight she had ever seen. London was good, with quick moves and precise actions, but his opponent was also good, almost as good as London was.
The fight seemed to go on and on, and Sunny grew more nauseous with every passing second. Never had she been on pins and needle watching two guys go at it, but then again this was her guy, and there were a lot of blows he wasn’t able to deflect. She noticed London kept glancing over her way, and that had been one of the reasons he had gotten hit so many times. He was too worried about her, and that was costing him. He was taken to the ground again and was put in a chokehold. London tried to get out of the hold, but it was no use. The other guy’s face was a mask of rage, and his lips were moving as he spoke. London’s face started to turn red, and he turned his head to her direction. Their eyes locked, and she knew he needed to get his head in the game. He could take that asshole, and needed to realize that.