No Limits (Stacked Deck Book 5)

by Emilia Finn

  The moms – Tina, Izzy, Britt, Tink, and Kit – freeze in their steps and stare at us. Mouths agape, wide eyes, they merely remain in place and stare.

  “Please…” I bow toward Aiden. “Show the man some love.”

  “Six hundred thousand dollars!”

  I knew it! I fucking knew it would work!

  “What?” Aiden snaps at me. “You can’t be serious? I’m a married man!”

  “You don’t have to go to bed with them, Biggie!” Evie folds at the waist and cackles. “Loosen up, and make us some money.”

  “Fuck he will,” Bobby hollers from the back of the room. He pushes away from the wall at a sprint, and barrels his way to the stage. “Who wants to bid on me?”

  “Bobby!” Kit snaps.

  “Baby! I gotta raise the most. You know I do. It’s a matter of pride.”

  “Wait your turn,” I laugh. I take Bobby’s hand and hold him back to give Aiden the spotlight. “Can we get six-fifty?” I ask the crowd.

  Funny, I think to myself, that everyone thought I was inviting the rich old men for their poker chip purchases. In reality, I was inviting the rich old men because I knew they’d bring their rich old wives.

  When a hand is raised to up the bid to six-fifty, I smile. “Seven hundred thousand dollars? Can I get seven hundred thousand dollars for a date with the Roller who will probably be the most chivalrous? Trust me, ladies. I’ve eaten dinner with this man. He’s a sweetheart.”

  “Women don’t want chivalry,” Bry hollers from the crowd. “Auction me off, Princess. Let’s see what happens then.”

  “No!” Giggling, I press a hand to my stomach and shake my head. “You’re not for sale.”

  “We don’t want the youngins anyway,” a woman hollers. “We want men who know what they’re doing.”

  “Hold up now.” Tina takes Kit’s hand and moves through the room at a fast trot.

  They wear gowns too, beautiful, elegant, floor-length gowns that make them look like royalty.

  They stomp up the steps and snatch my microphone out of my hand.

  “Peaches?” Aiden growls. “What the fuck?”

  “Here, hold my wine.”

  “Oh shit!” Evie laughs. “She’s doing it.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen… well… gentlemen.” Tina strides across the stage and pops her butt as she goes. “A dinner date with a lady, perhaps?”

  That steals the attention of the remaining men who were more interested in the chips than the Rollers.

  “Dinner, wit, beauty, and a wicked sense of humor. Shall we start the bids at a million neat, and raise only by hundred-thousand-dollar increments?”

  “Yep.” The husband of the woman who wants Aiden raises his hand. “One-point-five, and not a single cent more.”

  “One-six!” another shouts.

  Tina turns to me and winks.

  “I cannot believe your cajones,” Evie pulls me into a laughing hug. “You’re insane!”

  “I think we just raised enough to fill the purses, reward the most spirited fighter, and donate a chunk to your women’s shelter.”

  She stops, and studies my eyes. She looks almost close to tears. Her lips shake, but no longer from mirth. “You did it, Maddi. Thank you.”

  “Thanks for trusting me.” I pull her in for a gentler hug.

  I feel like I’ve found a sister. In her, in Lucy and Brooke, and in all of the other cousins I could have sworn were bitches before I got to know them.

  Before truly knowing them, I couldn’t understand why Bry got so abrasive whenever talk of his family came up. Why would he go to such lengths to vindicate Brooke? For the longest time, I thought he was the problem. I thought he was obsessive and simply enjoyed conflict.

  But now I get it. Now I understand why he would protect a family filled with so much love. Because I’m part of that family now, too, and I vow to always protect it. To always appreciate it.

  I vow to never take for granted the gift Bryan gave me.

  I step back from Evie while bids are being shouted around us like rapid fire in an open gun range. Instead, I turn to Bry and show him my sign. Pinky finger up, pointer finger, thumb.

  I smile when his eyes search mine. As they flicker between my hand and my gaze. In reply, he winks and gifts me back the same sign.

  I love him, and he loves me. And in this horrible world where money makes things go ‘round, for us, that’s enough.

  Epilogue

  Bryan

  “Welcome to the fourth annual Stacked Deck tournament finals night!” Evie hollers like she’s running a rock concert and not a fight night. “We welcome back many fighters who’ve been with us since day one. We welcome back some who skipped a couple years so they could pursue other passions.”

  Mac and Bean. That’s who she’s talking about. Because while Mac spent all of his life chasing his dreams, Bean put hers off. When he realized what she was doing for him, Mac forfeited the last two tournaments to let her have her time to shine on the dance stage.

  My cousin got what she needed. Finally, she got to dance for the important people, she got the recognition she was so hungry for. And now it’s Mac’s turn. It’s finally Mac’s turn to fight and win.

  I stand amongst the crowd of five hundred fighters – for the first time ever, we’ve had to cap the number of fighters. There just isn’t enough time to run through thousands, so during preliminary fights, many had to be knocked out – of the divisions, not consciousness – and now we stand on the final night after three long days of getting ourselves beaten to shit.

  My family knows what these nights are like, we’ve lived it our whole lives. But poor Maddi seems to be suffering a mild case of shock, as another fight comes to a thudding end in the octagon.

  Ben slams a fighter – Jackson Price – to the canvas with a powerful one-two hook that he finishes with a heavy jab to the chin, and a swept leg that pushes him off balance. The entire venue seems to shake on its foundations as the guys drop to the canvas floor and scramble for the position on top.

  Ben smiles while he moves, his red mouthguard shimmering under the lights strung from the club ceiling as he slips and slides over sweat to stop on Jackson’s hips.

  He sits on Price the way Maddi sits on me.

  But there’s no love, no affection, as Ben’s fists rain down on Jackson’s face, and sends blood shooting to the floor.

  “How is this not illegal?” Maddi hisses. “Bryan!”

  “It’s sport, Turdsky. And Price had a hand in trashing Ben’s wedding. This is war.”

  “He– But– It’s so violent!”

  I laugh and hold her close as my body twitches in response to Ben’s dominance.

  When I want Ben to hit, I ball my fist. When I want Ben to dive forward, I turn my chest, and Maddi ends up being crushed under my arm.

  “This is not how you fight at the tracks, Bry! This is way different!”

  “I don’t hit hard at the tracks, Princess. Yes! Snap that fuckin’ arm, Sasquatch!”

  Evie stands on the outside of the octagon and screams her own instructions. She’s supposed to be impartial, a professional, but that’s her man, and she hates Jackson as much as the rest of us do.

  “He’s hitting so hard!” Maddi protests.

  “And now he knows I’ve been pulling my strikes at the track.”

  “You’re mean!”

  I only laugh and pull her closer against my side. She’s not mad at me. She’s just… in shock. “This is what we live for, Maddi. This is our sport.”

  “Hey… Bry?”

  Her tone changes, from exasperation to gut-churning anxiety, bringing my eyes away from Ben slamming his fist against Jackson’s jaw, and instead to her uncertain eyes. “What’s wrong? Hey.” I cup Maddi’s cheeks. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

  “I love you.” Her words are rough, scratchy and scared. She lifts her hand, and shows me the sign. “We do this, and we mean it, but maybe you want the words too.”

  “Such pretty w
ords.” I pull her up and press a kiss to her plump lips. “I love you too.”

  “Do you wanna…” She hesitates. “What are you doing for the next eighty years?”

  “You need the title? Like when you asked if I was your boyfriend?” I press another kiss to her lips. Her cheek. Her eyelids when they flutter closed. “Well, for the rest of the year, I think I’ll keep this girlfriend. She’s hot, and kind, and dynamite in bed.”

  She lets out a bubbling snicker.

  “Maybe you’ve heard of her? Her last name is Turdsky.”

  She nods. “I’ve heard of her. She’s pretty cool.”

  “Uh huh. Then I figure, sometime next year, we could change her name to something else.”

  She shoots back and studies my eyes.

  She’s terrified. But hopeful. Scared. But adventurous.

  “To Blair? Because Mac’s kinda hot.”

  “No!” I squeeze her tight. “Something much cooler. Something that really means something to us. Something my grandpa was set on making mean something more than trailer trash.”

  Her cheeks warm and draw me down to press another kiss to her lips.

  “I love you, Madilyn.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “Spend the rest of your life with me?”

  She nods. “Will you…” She frowns and sends the pulse in her throat racing. “Bry, will you quit racing?”

  “Really?”

  I ignore the shouts when Ben’s hand is lifted in the air in victory. When Evie runs at him the moment the cage door is opened. The awkward snickering when Shane Turdsky retrieves his fighter and walks him out of the cage past my dad and grandma. I ignore the nerves that settle through the room as Mac and Iowa prepare to step in for their final fight. The winner becomes the new champion, while the loser goes home to suffer a year of teasing from the rest of us.

  “You don’t like it when I race?”

  She nibbles her bottom lip and shakes her head. “It’s dangerous. It’s useless. The people who go there are poison and only want to make trouble. You race just for the fun, and not to pay bills. So…” She frowns. “Stay home with me instead. Stay home, and we’ll make our own fun. Quit the tracks for me?”

  “Sure.”

  I smile as her eyes widen in surprise.

  “You thought I would argue?” I tease.

  Hesitantly, she nods.

  “I only go there to bag the pretty girls anyway.” I bark out a laugh when she slams her fist into my stomach. “Now I got you, and an open invitation to make our own fun. There’s no need to go there.”

  “Thank you.” She steps in and rests her cheek against my bare chest.

  Ben and Jackson have fought, which means after Mac’s fight, it’s my turn. For one and a half million dollars, a belt, and bragging rights against the groom who is too arrogant for his own good, it’s almost my turn to show my girl what it’s like to date a winner.

  “I love you, Turdsky. There are no limits to what I would do for you.” I tuck her back under my arm and squeeze tight enough to make her groan, but I can’t help the adrenaline that zings through my blood as Mac and Iowa step toward each other.

  Mac’s surgery scar, though faded over the years, still stands out in stark contrast when the club lights shimmer against the sweat already coating his skin. He chews his purple mouthguard as the referee steps out from between them and prepares to start the fight.

  The moment the ref drops his arm, Mac dives forward and slams Iowa to the canvas.

  “Mac’s buying our dinner tonight,” I hold Maddi close and smile. “Save space in your belly to eat all the expensive shit.”

  Nelly

  An Afterthought

  “Chantelle, wait.”

  I turn just ten paces from the Stacked Deck entrance, and meet the eyes of a man I once knew too well.

  Shane hasn’t aged well. He’s bigger now, heavier, and wears pockmarked skin. His chin hangs in low jowls that his tie tries to tuck away and hide.

  But it doesn’t take more than a cursory glance to know he’s not led a happy life.

  “Shane.” I step to the side as fighters move and shout around us. I fold my arms, and smile for the man I pity. It’s such a shame that bitter men get to live forever, but the good kind are taken much too soon. “You look…” I clear my throat. “Older.”

  “You look amazing.” He steps closer. Closer. And makes it so my lungs are filled with his cologne. “How have you been?” he asks. “Have you been well?”

  “Uh huh.” I step back, and grin when a fighter I know by sight but not name slows at Shane’s back, and narrows his eyes.

  Every fighter in this club knows who my family is. They know who I am. And considering the tension between my family and Shane’s tonight, they know that a meeting between Stacked Deck’s grandma and this man isn’t sanctioned.

  He doesn’t intrude, but he’s here to stand guard, just in case.

  “I’ve been well,” I answer Shane. “Very well, actually. I heard you grew to become a bitter old man who doesn’t know love from a horse’s ass.”

  “You– I–” he blusters. “What?”

  “I would have gone the rest of my life never speaking to you, Shane. Lord knows I’d be happy to never see your face again, but you hurt my granddaughter, and that doesn’t sit well with me.”

  “Your granddaughter?” he puffs. “That wedding was none of my—”

  “Oh, no.” I smile. “Not Evie. She enjoyed her trailer trash wedding. I was speaking of Madilyn.”

  His eyes widen.

  “She’s mine now. Thanks, though.”

  “That’s my granddaughter!” He grabs my arm when I turn to walk away. “Mine!”

  “Mine now.” I slide my arm from his grasp when a heavy hand slams down onto his shoulder.

  Shane freezes up under the fighter’s touch, swallows when he squeezes.

  “You let Maddi go, Shane. You let her walk away like she meant nothing to you.” I shrug. “Your loss is my gain. Thank you for creating such an amazing woman for us to love.”

  I turn away with a pitiful scoff, and exit the club to the lovely chorus of Jackson Price being awarded for the best and fairest fight of this year’s tournament.

  It would not normally be an insulting award, but tonight, while my grandson gets to hold Madilyn Tosky close, it’ll be considered the greatest insult.

  Smiling, I leave the club behind, climb into my car, and head back to my home to walk among the memories I made with my Bryan. Because I’d rather spend time with photographs and recollections than with the horrible, bitter man Shane Tosky has become.

  …

  Join us for more Stacked Deck fun in BLUFF!

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you for joining me on ANOTHER wild adventure!

  Truly, thank you for trusting me to wring your heart out and put it back together.

  Kelly, Tink, and Karen; you know what I feel for you. Thank you for loving me the way I need it.

  My betas – Debbie and Siddhi – thank you for your hard work. I appreciate every scrap of feedback you give.

  My cover designer – Amy Q – I seriously adore your work! Thank you.

  My editor – Jen from Bird’s Eye Books. Thank you.

  My proofreader - Lindsi - you always make these guys shine. Thank you.

  My crew – I love you guys so much. Thank you for your unending and super passionate support.

  Also by EMILIA FINN

  (in reading order)

  The Rollin On Series

  Finding Home

  Finding Victory

  Finding Forever

  Finding Peace

  Finding Redemption

  Finding Hope

  The Survivor Series

  Because of You

  Surviving You

  Without You

  Rewriting You

  Always You

  Take A Chance On Me

  The Checkmate Series

  Pawns In The Bishop’s G
ame

  Till The Sun Dies

  Castling The Rook

  Playing For Keeps

  Rise Of The King

  Sacrifice The Knight

  Winner Takes All

  Checkmate

  Stacked Deck - Rollin On Next Gen

  Wildcard

  Reshuffle

  Game of Hearts

  Full House

  No Limits

  Bluff

  Rollin On Novellas

  (Do not read before finishing the Rollin On Series)

  Begin Again – A Short Story

  Written in the Stars – A Short Story

  Full Circle – A Short Story

  Worth Fighting For – A Bobby & Kit Novella