Someone Like You
Page 25
“Hire a few more architects, or maybe I will go work with Luke. Hell, it’d probably be easier than dealing with—”
Bella shows me her fist, squinting one eye. “Don’t even think about saying me.”
I glance at the clock on the wall, and my heart speeds up. “Shit. I gotta go.”
“Oh, is it tonight? How could I forget?”
I nod. “See you there in an hour?” I power down my computer and grab my keys.
“You’re going to change first before you pick up Lily, right?”
I’m in jeans and a T-shirt.
“And shave too.”
“What?” I run a hand over my short beard. “Grace loves the beard.”
Bella exhales. “This event calls for something a little formal.” She chuckles. “Come on, don’t waste time!” She shoos me away, flicking her wrists.
“Fine.” I come around from behind my desk. “But no tie.”
And then I stop walking, a smile sneaking up on me—an idea now trapped in my mind.
God, it’s going to be a good night.
“She’s going to get an A for sure, Dad!” Lily claps in the seat next to me and attempts to whistle.
“I don’t know if that’s how they grade in music school, but you’re right—she played beautifully.”
I look back up at the orchestra on stage. Grace has the cello positioned between her legs, the bow in her hand—but her eyes are on me. It’s as if I’m the only one in the crowd, and she’s playing naked for me again—because I suddenly feel as though we’re the only ones in the massive auditorium.
And after her next song, I stand and hoist Lily up onto my shoulders as she raises the bouquet of roses and waves them. Grace takes a bow, and Lily tosses the flowers as hard as she can onto the stage.
Once the crowd starts to disperse, Grace climbs down the side set of stairs and heads to our row where we’re waiting.
“How’d I do?” she asks, and I lean forward and kiss her.
“Amazing,” Bella says over my shoulder.
“You were the best!” Lily shouts.
Grace hugs her tightly. “Thank you.” Her eyes are sparkling, and her long white gown reminds me a little of our wedding day three months ago. Grace smiles as she reaches for the navy-blue material at my neck and slides it through her hand. “You wore a tie?”
“Yeah, can you believe I convinced him?” Bella’s lips split into a grin.
“Mm. Yeah, him and ties.” A smile lights Grace’s cheek, and that mischievous look in her eyes tells me she knows what I’m thinking.
God, I can’t take my eyes off my stunning wife.
I still get breathless whenever I look at her. And I’m so damn proud that she’s back in school, living her dreams—not just pursuing them, but actually living them.
And I am too, because I finally have…everything.
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On the Edge
Blurb:
I once lived in two different worlds--billionaire businessman by day, fighter by night. When the suit came off, the gloves came on.
It's been five years since I last stepped into the Octagon, since my life spun out of control. But when my best mate, Les, lands himself in trouble with a notorious Dublin crime lord, I must break my promises. I have to do the one thing I vowed never to do: fight.
I have to fight to save him and everyone in his life . . . including Anna Drake, the innocent and gorgeous woman Les tricked into rooming with him.
Anna Drake is off limits. She's innocent and sweet--everything that I'm not. She's also interning at my company--a lawsuit waiting to happen.
I have to save her, to pull her and Les out of the mess that he's made. But the more time we spend together, the more I'm falling for her. And the more I fight, the more I crave it. I don't deserve Anna . . . and yet, without her, I'm not sure if I can save myself.
Chapter 1 - Adam
“Get up! Get up!” Chants echoed through the musty room. People were packed up against each other, huddling as close to the fight as they could get.
“Don’t do it, you bloody idiot. Stay the hell down,” I muttered under my breath. I gripped the cage, pressing my face up close, ignoring the swarm of people who jostled and bumped behind me.
“Shit. Is that you?” A throaty voice cracked loud in my ear.
I didn’t bother to look over my shoulder as the bloke screamed, “Adam!” The last thing I wanted was to be recognized. I shouldn’t even have come here.
My fingers curled tighter around the metal, and I shook the cage. Feck. Come on, stay down, man.
The other fighter raised his arms up, showing his inked biceps as he paced around the cage, circling his opponent—Les—my idiot friend. The man’s dark eyes were sharp on Les, who remained face down on hands and knees, blood dripping to the ground beneath him.
The bastard wanted him to get back up, didn’t he? That was why he wasn’t crushing my friend to the floor right now. He didn’t want to end it right then and there—no, he wanted more.
Frankie “The Beast” Donahue wanted to kill him.
Jesus, Les. Don’t do it.
But Les was stubborn, dammit. He pressed a palm to the ground and pushed up, his one good eye open, finding me. His cheek was swollen and busted beneath his eye, blood oozing from the wound and into the crater of his split lip.
“No!” I shouted as Les tipped his head, almost as if in apology to me, and then pushed upright and to his feet.
I released my grip, my hands snapping into fists, my knuckles twitching. “Stop it! Stop the fight!” I looked over at the ref, but he didn’t even blink. Instead, he remained in the corner, observing as Frankie closed in on Les, his lips spreading into a disgusting grin.
I lunged up, attempting to climb the cage as Frankie moved in fast with a hook to Les’s jaw, followed by a quick kick to the shin. Les’s face jerked left and his mouth guard popped free, shooting across the Octagon, then his cheek connected hard against the ground.
“Les!” I finished climbing the frame of the cage and swung my leg over the top, not giving a damn if anyone wanted to stop me. Hell, let them. I was tense and wired, ready to kill someone.
“Les?” I dropped down into the cage, my eyes on Frankie’s as he lifted his chin and smiled.
I shifted my attention back on Les and checked his pulse. There was a faint tick. “Get a fucking doctor,” I shouted over the drunken cheers as the crowd celebrated this arsehole’s win. “Stay with me, man.”
I wasn’t sure if Les could hear me.
“Don’t feckin’ die.” I lowered my head, memories from my past ripping me apart. Being here was too Goddamn much.
I wanted to claw at my flesh and scream. Les should never have stepped inside the ring.
“We can’t let the medics come here—you know that. You should take him to the hospital.” The ref squatted next to me and stared at Les.
“You should have stopped the fight.” I shook my head in revulsion, unable to even look at him.
“And you know the rules,” the ref responded dryly. I had to fight the urge to slug him.
But he was right.
This wasn’t an official arena. It wasn’t the UFC. It was an illegal, underground, street fighting ring. And people had bets riding on each damn fight.
“Help me get Les to my car.”
The ref nodded and positioned himself at Les’s legs, while I grabbed his shoulders. Together, we lifted him up.
“He’s a wanker—shouldn’t have been in the Octagon with me. A pussy like him belongs fighting the women.” Frankie’s voice cried loud over my shoulder as we started for the exit, the weight of Les’s eighty-five kilos making it damn hard to walk.
My gaze snapped up to meet Frankie’s eyes, my body stiff and ready to explode. Hell, just being here had me hanging on the edge—a sharp, dangerous fecking edge. The kind that could kill you.
I did my best to ignore the hot wave of anger that tore through me as the ref and I lugged Les down the first of three steps leading to the main floor. I hoped the crowd would get the hell out of our way, but suddenly they began to surge forward.
“Fight,” someone urged. Then, everyone took up the cry. “Fight. Fight. Fight!”
Frankie opened his arms to the crowd. “He’s too much of a coward.” He shook his head, and I bit my lip, practically drawing blood.
I walked backward down the last step, moving with my back to the crowd as people shoved and bumped from all around.
My shirt had Les’s blood on it, and my hands were slippery. I repositioned my elbows under his armpits and shot one last look at Frankie, imprinting in my mind the smug look on his face.
Learn More
Also by Brittney Sahin
Hidden Truths
The Safe Bet
Beyond the Chase
The Hard Truth
Surviving the Fall
Stand-Alones
The Story of Us
On the Edge
Someone Like You Playlist
Until You Were Gone, Chainsmokers
Castle on the Hill, Ed Sheeran
Stay with Alessia Cara, Zedd & Alessia Cara
Blue in Green, Miles Davis
Waves – Robin Schulz Edit, Mr. Probz/Robin Schulz
Everytime We Touch, David Guetta/Chris Willis
Someone Somewhere Tonight, Mark Blomsteel
Slow Hands, Niall Horan
Something Just Like This – Alesso Remix, Chainsmokers
Spotify Playlist
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