I almost trip over my feet in a rush to get outside to find a signal. I don’t even care if the streets are lined with camera crews. I’ve got to talk to her.
“Cannon,” Rico calls from the other side of the room, holding up a hand to get my attention. The place is crowded tonight, but he motions to go over to the side and out the back door.
I follow him over and when he gets beside me he throws his arms around me in a hug. I don’t realize I need it until now and I hug him back.
“How is she?” I ask, pulling back and trying to get my phone to work. I see a bar light up, and then immediately it dies. “Fuck.”
“She’s okay,” he says, but I hear the hesitancy in his voice. “She’s worried. What the hell happened?”
“Let’s talk on the way,” I say as we walk out the door.
Rico waves down a cab and we get in the back.
“It was a fucking setup,” I say, clenching my fists.
“Of course it was. You know Pepper. She’s so innocent.”
“I know!” I shout and then shake my head. “I’m sorry. I just want to tear him apart. I wish I would have.”
“Why did you get arrested?”
“He set it all up. After I left the restaurant I went downtown to the gym he works out at. I knew he’d be there waiting and I wasn’t wrong.” I feel the rage build again when I remember the smug look on his face. “He was waiting on me. I went in and I didn’t even touch him before the cops swarmed us. He fucking tipped them off that I was coming to start trouble. He wanted to get me disqualified from the fight.”
“How was he planning on doing that? Getting in a fight won’t get you banned.”
I pull up the sleeve of my shirt and show him the wound on my arm. “He tried to stick me with a fucking needle.”
“Wait, what the fuck?” Rico says in disbelief.
“Yeah, he thought in the chaos he’d get me with a needle and I’d pop for drugs on the piss test.” I shake my head, still pissed as fuck. “I’m lucky he didn’t succeed. He stuck it in my arm when the cops swarmed in, but I felt it before all his groupies jumped me. I broke off the needle before he could inject it, so EMS had to cut it open and dig it out.”
“Are you okay?” he asks, and I shake my head.
“I just need to see her.” I can’t even say her name without my chest tightening. I was so hurt when I saw the images of them together, but I know Pepper would never betray me.
The cab pulls up to the curb and I jump out. There are vans parked across the street, but the new security for the building is waiting outside to get me in safely.
“Thanks guys.” I say as I pass them and go to the elevator. Rico jumps on with me just as the doors are about to close.
“Tasha has been with her. I assume you want to take tomorrow off?”
“Fuck no,” I say and roll my shoulders. “I’m going to train so I can break every part of his body that touched what’s mine.”
“Now you’re starting to sound like the man I love,” Rico says and bats his eyelashes at me.
It cuts some of the tension and the pain in my chest is easing the closer I get to Pepper.
“Text me when you’re on your way to the gym and I’ll be ready.”
“Thanks, man.”
When we get to my apartment, I walk in and see Pepper asleep on the couch. Tasha stands up and walks around me and then I hear the door close. I’m thankful they left us alone, because right now, all I want to do is be with Pepper.
I pull off my shirt and shoes and then my shorts. I walk over to her in my boxer briefs and lift her off the couch. She doesn’t make a sound as I carry her to our bedroom. She only wraps her arms around my neck and cuddles close.
I lay her down on the bed and pull her back to my chest so I can spoon her. I pull the covers over the top of us and close my eyes, but I don’t go to sleep. Instead I just thank the universe for sending her to me and for allowing me to be the one to love her.
When I place a kiss on her shoulder, she turns in my arms, looking up at me with wide eyes.
“Bear, oh god, are you all right?” She touches the bandage on my arm.
“I’m here with you. Everything is going to be okay.”
Her eyes fill up with tears and then she begins to cry. I pull her into my chests and try to soothe her.