White Lies (Lost Kings MC 15)

I hate any other man even looking at Heidi. Guys like this will only see one thing—sex. Ample breasts, wide hips, long dark hair that stops right above her curvy little ass. They don’t give a fuck about how smart, protective, or loyal she is. Or that she’s mine.

I’ve never brought anyone but a club brother or Jake with me to a fight. Few people here even know I had a girl until I started trying to recruit Remy and Griff for the support club.

This was a mistake. I promised Remy I’d be here as security, but I’m only concerned about Heidi’s location and safety. One of many reasons I didn’t want her to come with me.

At least now she knows what it’s all about—noise, sweaty bodies stuffed into a crowded old building, loud betting, screaming girls, and flying fists. She can see I’m not here to bang ring-bunnies or pick a fight for no reason. The crowd is full of kids with more money than criminal intent.

Even though I’ll keep my promise to her and not take any future fights, if we help Remy and Griff form a support club, I’ll have to come out here with some frequency.

“Miss this, bro?” Jake’s hand lands on my shoulder, pulling me to the right.

“Miss what?”

“Your choice of prime pussy?” He gestures to the bunnies circling the ring, and I snort.

“No, I’m good.” I jerk my chin to a spot across the room, and Jake follows my line of sight. “What’s Remy doing out here tonight?”

“Don’t know but he seemed antsy earlier.”

Maybe Remy knows my mind’s elsewhere tonight. He keeps pacing the floor, surveying the crowd. Usually, he stays behind the scenes and lets Griff deal with the spectators.

“Girls are certainly worked up about him being out here,” Jake says.

“Jealous?” I grunt.

I swear to fuck with Remy’s almost black hair, ice-blue eyes, and severe expression tonight, he gives Dracula a run for his money in the scary-fuckers-you-don’t-want-to-meet-in-a-dark-alley department. But Jake’s right. It does fuck-all to keep girls from circling him like a bunch of does in heat.

“Nah, they all seem a little on the young side tonight,” Jake says.

I raise an eyebrow. “I didn’t think you had a cutoff.”

He runs his knuckles over his chest. “I’m maturing.”

“Got that right.”

Like there’s a spotlight on her, my eyes go right back to Heidi. Her long, dark hair shines under the Castle’s institutional lighting.

“I can’t decide if those love-sick puppy eyes of yours are charming or pathetic.” Jake must be nervous about the fight. His mouth keeps firing off more stupid shit than usual.

“Good thing I don’t give a fuck what you think.”

“Don’t be grumpy.”

Heidi smiles at me from across the room. The smile that’s owned my fucking heart for as long as I can remember.

Jake’s “maturity” must be contagious. I’d rather be home curled up on the couch watching a movie with Heidi than here.

Several guys walk by Heidi, checking her out as she stands by the side of the ring talking to Aubrey.

“Easy, bro.” Jake clamps his hand on my shoulder.

This is why I’ve never wanted her here. I’m liable to kill a motherfucker just for looking at my girl. And hell help any bastard stupid enough to touch her. I’ll cut off his hand and wear it around my neck as a fucking trophy.

As if she senses I’m about to snap and go on a rampage that would make King Kong shiver, she leans down and says something to Aubrey before working her way through the crowd to my side.

Every move my girl makes is carefree, full of life, and sexy as fuck.

“What are you thinking about?” she asks, once she’s standing in front of me.

“You.”

“Me? I’m right here.”

“I’m always thinking of you.” My hand slips around her waist, and I pull her closer.

Compared to me, she’s tiny, but damn is she fierce. Still can’t get over the way she snuck up on the shooter and whacked him with her hammer.

She throws her arms around my neck, and I lean down to whisper in her ear, “You’re the prettiest girl here.”

She flicks her gaze toward one of the ring bunnies working the crowd, but doesn’t question my statement.

I kiss her neck and then her earlobe. “I’m thinking that if those two jackasses in the corner don’t stop looking at your ass, I’m going to feed them their eyeballs.”

Instead of turning her head in the direction I’m looking, she jiggles with laughter. “That might be the grossest and sweetest thing you’ve ever said.”

With her in my arms, my violent instincts twist and transform into the desire to have my girl under me. I flick my gaze toward the locker room. I’ve only ever used it to get ready for a fight, but plenty of guys sneak into one of the back rooms with their girls to unleash some frustration after a fight.

“Hey, don’t get him all worked up until after I go.” Jake bumps his elbow against me. “Got my back?”

Busted. I shift, uncomfortable now that my dick’s hard enough to pound nails. “Sully’s here. Dex is prowling around somewhere. We’ve got you covered.”

Jake searches the crowd, his gaze finally landing on Dex. “Anything happens and Murphy’s not there.” He glances down at Heidi. “Sully will grab Aubrey, stick with them.”

“It’s not my first rodeo, Jake.” Heidi grins at him, full of herself since the guys started calling her Little Hammer. “You can’t possibly piss off as many people as Uncle Wrath says you do with your mouth.”

Jake throws his head back and roars with laughter. “Don’t be so sure about that.”

Lights flash through the crowd. The volume increases on the music pumping through the speakers, giving me a headache. I lean closer to Jake, so he can hear me over the noise. “Remy and Griff have tricked this place out since the last time I was here.”

“Makes me feel old. Fucking shitty music they play doesn’t even make sense.” Jake has a point. The place is starting to look like an imitation of the set of every worthless on-demand-movie about underground fighting ever made. Maybe that’s why it seems busier than ever.

I run my hand over my beard a few times and look Jake up and down. “You are getting a little old for this.”

Heidi lightly punches my arm. “Hypocrite,” she teases.

“I’m retired now,” I remind her.

The smile fades from her lips. “Good.”

“And you couldn’t pay me to listen to this shit in my off time,” I add, which puts that smile back on her face.

“Don’t blame my age bracket.” She scrunches her nose. “I don’t listen to this crap either.”

“Aw, you’re like a boring, old married couple already,” Jake says. “Speaking of, did my invitation include a plus one?”

“Invite whoever you want to come with you, Jake,” Heidi says.

I scratch the side of my head. “Who gave you an invite to our wedding?”

Jake grins. “Heidi did.”

“Snake charmer, you’re up!” Remy shouts.

Jake salutes him and sheds his shirt, throwing it over my shoulder.

“Seriously, bro?”

“Get ‘em, Jake!” Heidi slaps his back a few times.

She jumps up and down, cheering while he struts into the ring. “Wooo!”

“If I knew you were going to get this excited, I would’ve put my name on the roster tonight.”

The smile slides from her face, and she curls her finger motioning me closer. “I don’t want to have Jake’s babies.”

“That your way of saying you don’t want to see me get hurt?”

“Do you really need me to answer that?”

She turns to watch the fight, and I wrap my arms around her, pulling her body flush with mine.

Jake’s a skilled fighter. Smarter than he leads people to believe. Quicker too.

Every shot Jake takes makes Heidi wince or close her eyes. Every p

unch he lands has her cheering. He blocks more punches and takes his opponent to the mat.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch two guys outside of the ring shoving each other.

I release Heidi so fast she stumbles forward. “Stay with Aubrey.” I point to the other side of the ring.

“Be careful.” She runs off as I asked.

I watch the guys as I make my way over. Remy’s always had a zero-tolerance policy about fighting outside the ring. This whole operation would turn into a mess if everyone decided to brawl wherever they wanted.

One kid shoves the other. I whistle for Griff as punches start flying. He grabs one by the neck, I grab the other by the shirt, and we haul them outside.

My capture must be high or feeling lucky tonight. He rams an elbow into my side. I barely feel the jab, but it pisses me the fuck off.

“Out!” Griff yells at both of them.

The guy comes at me again, and I give him a hard shove in the chest. He flies through the air a few feet before landing on his ass. “Don’t test me, motherfucker.”

It’s Griff’s show, so I let him deliver the lecture about how they’re now banned from the Castle. I won’t leave him alone outside, but I’m not thrilled about Heidi being inside.

I move to the open door where I can catch a glimpse of her while still watching Griff’s back.

Since I’m already riled up, seeing some punk get way too close to her sends fire shooting through my blood. The rigid line of her body signals her discomfort. There’s something familiar about him, but I can’t place his face from this far away.

My feet are already moving back inside the building when he leans down and gets in her face.

Guess someone wants to die tonight.

Heidi

This is a side of Jake I hadn’t expected. In the self-defense classes I’ve taken from him, he’s all stern but gentle guidance. Inside the ring, he’s a vicious machine.

What were Blake’s fights like?

My gaze strays from the ring to the door. Blake’s not out there alone. Griff went with him. He’ll be okay.