On The Ropes (Tapped Out 3)

Once the door had closed, I glanced back at Gio. And giggled. I sounded drunk, and I hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol in forever. “I have to call a lot of people.”

“You do.” He drew me back into his arms. My favorite place to be.

“Jenna and Kizzy first. Kizzy will start screaming at me, but I’ll deal.”

“Why would she scream at you?” He led me in a slow dance sans music around the high-polished black-and-white tile floor. While we moved together, he slid one hand over my full belly, cupping the baby as he did so often these days.

It had been a bit rocky at the beginning. He still had a lot of guilt concerning Emilia and the child they’d lost, and I knew he feared losing me and our baby the same way. At first, he’d seemed hesitant to develop too strong of an attachment to our kid, maybe fearing it would be snatched away, but in time, he’d fallen as in love with the baby as I had. He’d helped redecorate the spare bedroom in his apartment into a nursery and was on track to buy enough toys to fill a stadium before he or she had even made an appearance.

We were keeping the baby’s sex a surprise until the birth. It was hard being patient, but I had to think it’d be the best surprise ever.

“Because I’m not fulfilling the feminist agenda by getting knocked up and married.” I rolled my eyes. “Men are supposed to be strictly for riding.”

“Maybe if she rode one more, she’d be less snippy about it?”

“Oh, she rides plenty. That girl gets more ass than the bathroom at the Kum and Go.” I giggled again. “The problem is she wants hottie hell boss’s ass, and she hates herself for it.” At the flare in Gio’s eyes, I frowned. “Did I say hottie? I meant homely.”

Shaking his head, he grinned at me. “Hottie hell boss. This sounds like a story.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” I sighed and settled my head against his chest.

I’d lied. In his arms was my second favorite place to be. With my head on his chest was my first.

I was just so stupidly happy right now that I could burst. My baby was healthy, school was going well, the café was about to open. Now I was getting married. Not everything in my life was perfect—far from it—but it sure felt like it right now.

“Let’s get busy writing a new chapter in ours, then we’ll worry about Kizzy’s love life.” He stroked a hand down my hair. “What do you say, almost-Mrs. Costas?”

I leaned up to kiss him. “Mr. Costas, I like how you think.”

Epilogue 2

Debts must be repaid. Wounds must be redressed. And betrayal is only assuaged through an eye for an eye.

If you violate my trust—or the trust of my family? There can be only one result. One without honor does not deserve to live. And a lie is a kind of dishonor that echoes long after the original act.

While that is true of the Costas organization, it also true for the Andrettis. And my sweet, naïve, entirely stupid younger brother knows this. He understands he is living on borrowed time. Of course he hasn’t spelled it out to his young, pregnant fiancée. Perhaps deep down, she knows too, but her first thought is for the young one she carries, as it should be.

Maybe somewhere down deep, even Giovanni understands how far I will go to protect them. I will never have my own family. I cannot, because I made an oath, and I won’t risk someone I love—assuming that’s even possible for me. Thus far, it hasn’t been. But I love Giovanni. I admire the courage he showed to avenge Emilia’s death, even if he cursed himself and his young family.

If he doesn’t hear the clock ticking, I do. I will do everything I can to make sure it never stops. I will turn in every marker. Pull every favor. And if it comes down to it, I will take his place.

If they give me the chance.

Turn the page for a sneak peek at the next book in the Tapped Out series, Knockout.

Thanks for reading ON THE ROPES. I’m used to fighting for what i want, but when it comes to wanting the only daughter of the man who treats me like a son—and her best friend, JC—all bets are off. Suddenly, the forbidden tastes dangerously sweet.

One-click KNOCKOUT now!

She’s forbidden to me…and so is he. Too bad I want them both.

MMA fighters are supposed to leave it all in the ring. But I have a secret. Two secrets, actually.

Secret #1: I can’t deny the simmering attraction I feel toward Lily, the sweetly innocent daughter of an overprotective cop who is like a second father to me. And Lily’s friend JC? Freaking A, he's hot. He also just happens to be renovating the gym I train at and is always walking around shirtless and sweaty.

Secret #2: I love women. I love men just as much. Once I get an unforgettable taste of both Lily and JC, I'm addicted. One night turns into more, and soon I'm ready to walk away from everything just so I don't have to give up either of them.

Now with all of my secrets coming to a head, the only question left is how much I'm willing to lose.