Avenging Angel (Pounding Hearts 5)
Our fucking souls came together during our first kiss and this last one cemented that.
Hopping back down into the ring, I go over to the referee and stand beside him.
It’s time for this shit to be official.
“By knockout in the second round, the new Welterweight Champion of the world! Emmett, The Angel, Bailey!” the announcer yells into the microphone.
Jim raises my right arm up in the air, and I can’t believe just how recently the same damn arm was almost completely destroyed.
I do a quick interview where I agree that if Jamey wants a rematch, he’s got one chance and that’s it, then I head for the cage door.
Dale and Chase surround me so that everyone has to give me space as I walk out. They know exactly where I’m headed as I march my way to the front row of the arena, heading straight for Bree and Casey.
Helping first Bree and then Casey over the barricade, I wrap my bloody, sweaty arms around them as we make our way back to the private fighter areas.
Bree clings to my side, giving me a strange look as she looks up at my face.
“What’s wrong, baby girl?” I ask her.
“I’ve just… I’ve never seen someone fight like that,” she stammers and then I feel her arm tightening around me. “It was scary as hell.”
“Ah, that was an easy one. I bet the rematch will be much worse,” I say.
Looking up at me with wide eyes, she blurts out, “What? I barely survived watching that one!”
“Yeah, he’s not going to be happy he lost his belt. I won’t be giving it back to him, but it’s probably going to be a war next time.”
“Oh god, what did I get myself into…” she mutters with a laugh.
I lean down and whisper in her ear, “A family.”
“Oh,” she says and stares up into my eyes.
Finally able to stop and catch my breath, I pull her into the dressing room and quickly shut the door so that it’s only her and me.
“Bree…” I say and for a moment my throat catches.
So many emotions have filled me today that I feel like I’m raw flesh being scraped by sandpaper.
“Emmett, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you and Casey,” she says quietly and motions at the door. “All of this is just so crazy and scary… But…”
My heart is breaking watching her voice those fears, but I have to hear them. I have to know where she stands. “But what, Bree?”
Eyes watery, her smile starts small and fearful, but grows into something more. “But I’m here. I’m here for the long haul. No more holding back, no more worrying about other people. All I want in this world, all I need, is you and Casey.”
Gently butting my really gross forehead up against hers, I look into her eyes. “You were mine the moment I laid eyes on you, Bree. You just didn’t know it.”
“Did you really mean it when you said you love me?” she asks.
“With all my fucking heart,” I say as I lean down to kiss the lips I’ve been dreaming about.
Chapter Twenty
Epilogue
At all the damn places I’ve shopped, and at all the different times of day, despite my best fucking efforts, I always end up with a squeaky cart. The one with the wheel that pulls the shopping cart one way or the other. I’ve tried everything, every-fucking-thing, to get one of those nice, smooth rides that lets me shop through the store without every single person looking over at the asshole.
But I always get stuck with the shit one like this one.