“What are we doing?”
“Waiting. Adam has to run through his spiel before I go in.”
I fidgeted. “Should I wait here, or should I go in? Where do I go when the fight starts? Where’s Shep and Mare?”
“They went in the other way. Just follow me out, I’m not sending you into that shark pit without me. Stay by Adam; he’ll keep you from getting crushed. I can’t look out for you and throw punches at the same time.”
“Crushed?”
“There’s going to be more people here tonight. Brady Hoffman is from State. They have their own Circle there. It will be our crowd and their crowd, so the room’s gonna get crazy.”
“Are you nervous?” I asked.
He smiled, looking down at me. “No. You look a little nervous, though.”
“Maybe,” I admitted.
“If it’ll make you feel better, I won’t let him touch me. I won’t even let him get one in for his fans.”
“How are you going to manage that?”
He shrugged. “I usually let them get one in—to make it look fair.”
“You …? You let people hit you?”
“How much fun would it be if I just massacred someone and they never got a punch in? It’s not good for business, no one would bet against me.”
“What a load of crap,” I said, crossing my arms.
Travis raise
d an eyebrow. “You think I’m yankin’ your chain?”
“I find it hard to believe that you only get hit when you let them hit you.”
“Would you like to make a wager on that, Abby Abernathy?” he smiled, his eyes animated.
I smiled. “I’ll take that bet. I think he’ll get one in on you.”
“And if he doesn’t? What do I win?” he asked. I shrugged as the yelling on the other side of the wall grew to a roar. Adam greeted the crowd, and then went over the rules.
Travis’s mouth stretched into a wide grin. “If you win, I’ll go without sex for a month.” I raised an eyebrow and he smiled again. “But if I win, you have to stay with me for a month.”
“What? I’m staying with you, anyway! What kind of bet is that?” I shrieked over the noise.
“They fixed the boilers at Morgan today,” Travis said with a smile and a wink.
A smirk softened my expression as Adam called Travis’s name. “Anything is worth watching you try abstinence for a change.”
Travis kissed my cheek, and then walked out, standing tall. I followed behind, and when we crossed into the next room, I was startled by the number of people packed together in the small space. It was standing room only, but the shoving and shouting only amplified once we entered the room. Travis nodded in my direction, and then Adam’s hand was on my shoulders, pulling me to his side.
I leaned into Adam’s ear. “I’ve got two on Travis,” I said.
Adam’s eyebrows shot up as he watched me pull two Benjamins from my pocket. He held out his palm, and I slapped the bills into his hand.
“You’re not the Goody Two-shoes I thought you were,” he said, giving me a once-over.
Brady was at least a head taller than Travis, and I gulped when I saw them stand toe to toe. Brady was massive, twice Travis’s size and solid muscle. I couldn’t see Travis’s expression, but it was obvious that Brady was out for blood.