I blink, stunned, all kinds of crazy emotions flooding my entire body. “You love me?”
He tilts my head back, looks into my eyes, and says, “So fucking much and I don’t want you to go back to New York.” His mouth closes down on mine in a kiss I feel to my toes, a kiss that is so much more than a kiss. It’s passion, it’s friendship, it’s love.
“I love you, too,” I whisper, when his lips part mine. “And I want to stay with you.”
He strokes my hair from my eyes and says, “Let’s get out of here.”
“Can you?”
“Hell yeah, baby.” He closes his hand around mine and leads me to the door.
My phone buzzes with yet another message from Neil, which I ignore. Right now, reality hurls rocks at me. Dash saved me from Brandon. Now it’s my turn to save him from Brandon. No matter what the cost to me. Most likely that cost will be my relationship with Dash, but I’m pretty sure I’ve already paid that price. And I’m not sure what we had was as real as that moment he confessed his love made it feel to me anyway. Of course, whatever I do won’t cost me my job. I owe Mark now, and in a big way for all he’s done tonight, but he’s apparently a reasonable man under all his arrogance and demand.
My cellphone rings and my heart leaps as I reach for it, anxious for something, anything but my empty apartment and a bottle of wine that I’m drinking alone.
Disappointment jabs at me as the caller ID reads Tyler’s number. “Hi,” I answer, aware that I owe him an update.
“Tell me you’ve heard from him.”
“No,” I say, “but my boss at Riptide is a little more connected to that world than I imagined. He’s helping me.”
“You told him? Damn it, woman—”
“It’s okay,” I say quickly. “I trust him. And he gave me a little dirt on himself for reassurance that he won’t hurt Dash. I’ve got this. I’ve got Dash, too. I’ll save him from himself and he’ll hate me after. But I’ll save him, Tyler.”
“If he hates you for saving him, you’re better off without him. But whatever you do, it needs to be low-profile.”
“I know. I’ve got it handled. I have a plan.” And because I know that won’t be enough for the man aiding in the management of Dash’s career, I spend the next ten minutes sharing details about Walker, Lucifer, and Mark’s role in all of this.
“This is a good plan,” Tyler assures me. “It’s the best possible plan under these circumstances. And the very fact that you just happened to have someone in your path that is also in Dash’s path, says there’s a bit of fate at hand right now.”
“You don’t strike me as a man who believes in fate, Tyler.”
“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, but there’s one thing I want you to know. I’m on his side, Allie. And yours.” He disconnects.
I reach for the bottle of wine but my phone buzzes with a text. I abandon the wine to read a message from Lucifer: I just got word from my inside man. Dash is scheduled to fight tonight. I’m sending Adrian to pick you up.
CHAPTER FIVE
Adrian is waiting for me outside the SUV, greeting me by opening the back passenger door. I slide inside, stunned to find Mark already present. The minute the door is shut, I whirl on him, and as illogical as my fear is, considering I’m all but ensuring Dash and I are over with our plan tonight, I demand, “What are you doing here? Dash will hate you. I can’t do this like this.”
“Glad to know you’re concerned for your future with Riptide, Ms. Wright, but I’ve discussed how this goes down with Lucifer in more detail. You and Dash having a blow-up at the front of the club entrance is not a smart idea. That means we need another plan to get you inside. Since I’m a big gambler, it comes with perks. I can get you in through the private fighters’ entrance. Dash has his own dressing room. You can talk to him there. Let the blow-up happen there.”
“Dash will hate you,” I reply and turn away from him.
“He doesn’t have to know I’m involved. I’ll get you in and I’ll stay outside. But if he finds out I’m involved and hates me because I helped you get to him, then he’s blind and stupid and no better than the ex who created this problem.”
I don’t know if he’s right or wrong. I’m not feeling all that logical right now. Emotions don’t breed common sense.
Adrian climbs into the front seat of the SUV and the car begins to move. I sink back against the cushion in acceptance. This is going to happen. There’s no way around it. We’ve been driving all of thirty seconds when I turn and face Mark again. “Stay in the vehicle. I’ll tell him I went to the security team from Riptide on my own.”