Caged (Mastered 4)

The vibrant red door separating the spaces was ajar. She pushed it open, and the sweet scent of flowers rolled over her. When she crossed the threshold, darkness was no longer an issue. Tiki torches lit up the deck around the pool. But what she saw in the pool made her jaw drop. Dozens of candles floated in the water, creating a warm glow. With each step, the floral scent became stronger.

She slowly turned around, overwhelmed by the dozens of vases of roses. When she faced forward again, he emerged from the shadows. Startled, she jumped back and closed her eyes.

He’s not real. Deacon isn’t here. It’s just a shadow.

“Molly. Babe. Open your eyes. You’re too close to the side of the pool, and it’s making me nervous that you’re gonna fall in.”

That forced her to look at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I didn’t like that you left me.”

Deacon-speak for he missed her. “I’m surprised you noticed I was gone.”

Not nice. But it was true.

“Well, that was a really fucking helpful note you left me as to where you’d gone. But not why.”

Molly squared her shoulders. “Bullshit. You know why I left. How many times have we been in this situation?”

“Too many,” he admitted.

“And you shouldn’t be here in Denver. You ditching training camp in Texas a week before a career-changing fight is only proving Maddox’s point that I’m a distraction.”

“Molly—”

“Save it. I explained everything in the note. And I asked you not to do this.”

“That’s the thing, babe. You don’t get to make that decision. I do. And you sure as fuck don’t get to end it with me in a fucking note. Do you have any idea how crazy that made me?”

“Crazy enough to charter a plane, I imagine.” Molly couldn’t believe he was here. And where had he gotten the idea she was ending it? “I left you because the fight—”

“Doesn’t fucking matter if I lose you over it!”

“Don’t you see that’s the point I was trying to make? I don’t want you or your trainers to blame me for you backing out of this fight!” She inhaled deeply to calm herself. “We both know that’s what will happen. Dammit, Deacon. You’ve worked too hard for too many years. You’ve only been with me for a few months.”

He ran his hands over his head, then across the stubble on his jaw. “You don’t get it, do you? So I’ll spell it out, literal girl. I want you—a life with you—more than a championship belt. More than anything in the world. Did you not hear what I told Maddox when we were in Nebraska, woman?”

How could she forget? But she had, hadn’t she?

I could have a title fight on the line tomorrow and I still wouldn’t walk away from her. I won’t ever walk away from her. She needs me, and I sure as fuck need her.

“I like fighting. And I’m good at it.” Deacon pointed at her. “But you? You, I love. Big difference. You should see that love every time I look at you. You feel that love every time I touch you. I told you that we weren’t ever breaking up again. I wasn’t fucking kidding about that. So I’m here to apologize for bein’ a dickhead and to ah . . . talk.”

She almost burst out laughing. He’d uttered the word talk like it was a communicable disease. “So talk.”

“I figured you could start. Tell me exactly what I did wrong so I don’t do it again. Because I swear to Christ, Molly, one small thing snowballed into a huge fucking thing. I know I ignored you, hurt you, and pissed you off. Then the next thing I knew, you were gone. It kills me that I hurt you. But none of it was intentional. And I don’t want it to ever happen again. I just don’t know how to stop from doin’ that.”

His earnestness and anguish mixed with hope—and yes, the love she saw in his eyes—was a potent combination.

Oh, man of mine, what am I going to do with you?

Show him you love him unconditionally. Teach him to be what you need.

Molly remembered Amery telling her that trying to understand a man like Ronin Black, or predict how he might react, was the hardest thing she’d ever done—but if that was the price she paid for loving him and being loved by him in return, then she’d suck it up and learn to deal with things on Ronin’s level and his way.

That’s what Molly needed to do now. Deacon wouldn’t change overnight. But when she really thought about it . . . he’d already changed—or at least proved to her he was willing to try. The issues between them would never be as simple as him forgetting to refill the toilet paper dispenser in the bathroom. But having him here, looking at her like that, even after she’d left him in Texas . . . She would do whatever it took to make sure he looked at her that way for the rest of their lives.