Renewing Their Vows

The other boxer drops to the mat.

A knockout.

North has…knocked out his opponent?

There’s no way the man is getting up. He’s barely able to blink.

The referee slaps the floor ten times. It’s over.

I surge to my feet, my pulse hammering in my eardrums. The crowd roars and everyone seems to move at once. Managers climb into the ring. Announcers, too. The audience moves in closer to the ring, out of their seats. My bodyguard is right in front of me, blocking a lot of the action from view, but I crane my neck to get a look at Tennison and what I see causes my skin to prickle, head to toe. He’s white as a sheet, but the men around him still seem confident.

What is going on?

I have no way of finding out without speaking to North and suddenly, there’s no way to reach him. People are flowing down out of the stands, wanting to be ringside when the winner is announced. Security can’t hold them back. Media hold up cameras, flashes go off. I can’t see anything, but I can hear North’s name being chanted, can hear the announcer declaring him the victor. The crowd starts to grow unruly and my bodyguard’s expression turns to one of concern.

“We should get you out of here, Mrs. Whitlock.”

“Can you take me to North?”

He scans the immediate area. “No, I don’t think so. Our avenue to the tunnel is blocked—”

A shoving match starts among the displaced audience members and everyone seems to join in at once. Even my mountainous bodyguard stumbles sideways at the impact of someone running into him from behind.

“We need to go. Now,” he says.

I nod, wrapping an arm over my stomach instinctively.

He tries pushing through a less rowdy section of the crowd, but no one will budge. No, they grow even more out of control. My bodyguard gets on his earpiece and the panic in his voice turns my skin icy. My throat clogs. I just want my husband. I need my husband.

“Grace!” With a sucked in breath, I turn around to find North shoving his way through the crowd like a juggernaut, pushing people out of his way, gloves still on, covered in sweat. His eyes are crazed, frantic as he looks for me. “Grace!”

Going up on my toes, I wave desperately. “I’m here! North!”

He sees me and plows forward, reaches me in an instant.

And then I’m being lifted into his arms.

This place. My body cradled against North’s chest. It’s right. It’s my home. It’s the most satisfying place in the world. So satisfying that I bury my face in his sweaty neck and sob as he carries me through the crowd, bellowing at people to get out of his way.

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Gracie.”

It’s in that moment that I realize I’ve been a complete fool. I shouldn’t have left. I should have stuck with him, whether we disagreed about his actions or not. He would never do anything that could get me or our baby hurt. He would never. How could I have forgotten that for even a second?

I cling tighter, holding on until I hear the noise start to lessen. Then I lift my head to find us striding through a tunnel. Photographers snap pictures all around us, shouting questions. North’s manager and trainer stave them off, though, allowing us to keep going until finally we reach the end of the tunnel. A door slams and silence descends like a warm blanket.

North hustles me over to a chair and sits me down, kneeling in front of me. Ripping off his gloves so he can cup the sides of my face, scanning it with worried eyes. “Are you okay, beauty? Jesus…you got swallowed up.” His shoulders heave with leftover panic. “I couldn’t see you. I couldn’t find you.”

“I’m fine. I’m totally fine.” Tears swim into my eyes, voice cracking. “You won.”

He swallows hard. “Yeah.”

“You would never throw a fight. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, North.” I slide my fingers into his hair, pressing kisses to his cheeks and forehead and jaw. “I should have known that. I did know that—”

“Grace, I couldn’t tell you what was going on. I kept you in the dark. You had every right to go. I was dishonest for a reason, but you had no way of knowing that. You weren’t in the wrong, baby. No apologizing.”

I slide out of the chair and kneel in front of him, right there on the floor of what looks like a medical training room. “What happened? Can you explain it to me now?” I take a shivering breath. “Are you in danger?”

“No. We’re safe.” He kisses my mouth, lingering there a moment before pulling back and meeting my eyes. “I knew Tennison was going to come after you for putting him in prison. I just…knew. That information doesn’t stay under wraps. So I went to see him. I was prepared to offer him anything to leave you alone, Gracie. Anything. He asked me to take a fall in the third round in exchange for leaving you alone. I was worried if I told you Tennison wanted you dead, you’d get scared and…” He shudders. “I couldn’t have you scared or stressed now that you’re carrying our child. I couldn’t. And telling you I didn’t plan to take a fall? That kind of knowledge would have put you at risk, too. I was fucking stuck, you know?”