UNDYING: A Bad Boy MMA Romance (Midwest Alphas) (Book 3) Page 11

  “Claire…” Ryan reaches out to me and I pass Amy’s car keys to him. He rushes away to the exit, but I find myself frozen in my position, unable to follow him.

  “Charlie?”

  He looks at me slowly and clears his throat. “We saw an opportunity to move your mother and we took it,” he says. “She’s fine.”

  I look towards the front doors, anxiously waiting for Ryan to reappear, hopefully with Amy at his side. “Good,” I say, expecting no further explanation from him about my mother. I’d rather not know where she is now, honestly. The less I know, the better.

  I look upward, feeling a pair of eyes on me, to find Pike standing on the second floor balcony. He must have been there the whole time, watching from the side-lines. He holds my gaze for a moment more before turning around and moving out of sight.

  “Tobias—” Charlie begins. I turn around to find Tobias standing behind me with downcast eyes. “I need to have a word with you.”

  Tobias takes a deep, slow breath. “Okay,” he says. Charlie walks away, moving towards the back offices.

  “Tobias, what did Rick mean?” I ask him.

  His eyes shift back to me. “It’s not important,” he mutters. “Rick agreed to leave your mother alone.”

  I pause, confusion gripping my gut. “Tobias… what did you do?”

  “You should get Amy back to the hotel,” he says, ignoring my question.

  I turn and breathe a sigh of relief as Amy walks inside in front of Ryan. She appears okay, with the obvious exception being the anger melting her wild, blue eyes. I turn back to Tobias, but he’s already wandered off to follow Charlie. I want to follow him and help him explain to Charlie what Thomas meant about Mary, but the clacking of Amy’s heels pulls my attentions away.

  “Oh, my god…!” Amy seethes through her teeth. “Fucking pricks.”

  “You okay?”

  “No, I’m not okay. I’m pissed off.” She brushes her fingers down her arms as if to wipe away dirt or grime from her dress’ black sleeves. Ryan rests a hand on her shoulder and she twitches, but quickly calms when she realizes it’s just him.

  “What happened?” I ask her.

  “Trevor grabbed me outside the bathroom,” she explains. “Chucked me into my car and stole my phone.”

  “He must have ditched in it here before we kicked him out,” Ryan guesses.

  “We should get her back to the hotel,” I say, following Tobias’ advice.

  “We should hunt those bastards down and—”

  “Amy…” Ryan soothes. “Deep breath…”

  She fills her lungs with air and exhales it slowly. “Fuckers…” she mutters.

  Ryan takes her hand. “Let’s go back to the room,” he says to her. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

  “All right,” she says, nodding softly. “Fine.”

  “You coming?” he asks me.

  I look around again, my heart tugging me towards Tobias — towards my family — but fear holds me back. “Yeah,” I say. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 12

  Everything

  I lie on the edge of sleep, hanging on the outer rim of bad dreams, when a knock strikes my door. It’s enough to jump start my pulse and jerk me out of it. My eyes roll around to check the clock by the bed. It’s two in the morning.

  Another pair of knocks hit. I sit up fast and I instantly regret the dizzy spell that rattles my brain.

  “Claire, it’s me.”

  Tobias’ voice, low and muffled, bleeds through to my ears. I throw my feet to the floor and walk across the room, enjoying the light, sleepy feeling as my toes sink into the carpet. I flick on the lights and take a moment to let my eyes readjust before sliding the deadbolt free and twisting the door knob.

  He stands in the hall with his hands in his pockets. His face is pale and dark cloud rests above his expression. Honestly, I’ve never seen him so beaten down before. “Hey,” I whisper.

  “Did I wake you?” he asks, studying my puffy eyes.

  “No. Well, maybe,” I say. “You actually probably just saved me from a horrible nightmare, to be honest.”

  “Sorry, I just…” He points behind him. “Ryan and Amy are…”

  “Making up?” I grin.

  “Yeah,” he chuckles softly.

  “Nothing like getting kidnapped at a funeral to remind you how short life is.”

  He pauses, his eyes flicking into the room. “Do you mind if I…?”

  I step to the side to let him in. He walks passed me and paces along the carpet with a furrowed brow. His tie still hangs about his neck, slightly loose, and his jacket has a few wrinkles on it. Considering the day we’ve had, I would have expected him to be in worse shape, but Tobias usually manages to keep all that bottled up. I lean back against the closed door to watch him move, hoping for him to look up but he never does.

  “Is Charlie okay?” I finally ask him.

  “I’m not sure,” he answers slowly, pausing to lower himself onto the edge of my bed. “Won’t know until he starts speaking to me again.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  His eyes close. “Everything,” he whispers.

  Everything. I don’t need a summary of what that means. It means Charlie knows that Pike was with Mary the night she died. It means he knows Lillian helped cover-up the details of what happened. It means he knows what Tobias and I have known all along.

  “It’s a lot to process,” I say.

  “I know.”

  “He’ll come around, Tobias. He always does.”

  “I’m not sure if I want him to…”

  I step off the door. “What do you mean?”

  “He’s right, Claire,” he whispers, staring at the floor. “I never should have let it get this far out of hand.”

  “Tobias…” I drop to my knees in front of him. “None of this is your fault.”

  “No, it’s their fault,” he nods, finally meeting my gaze. “Pike, Lillian, and yet… I still helped them. I still sided with them, but I was too stubborn to recognize the other options because…”

  “Because of me,” I finish his thought.

  He looks up with guilt in his eyes, full of regret and sadness. “Yeah,” he nods his head and lets out a deep sigh, “but if I’m to be completely honest with myself and everyone else, I’d do it again if it meant keeping you safe.” He pauses, looking right through me. “What kind of brother does that make me?”

  “Tobias…” I reach for his hands. “There’s nothing I can do or say that will make up for any of this. Except, maybe, to constantly remind you how much I love you.”

  His lips twitch. “Claire, I used to look into the future and I’d see you standing beside me. I dreamed that someday we’d wake up and all of this would be over and we could finally begin our lives together.”

  I push myself up to stand. “We’re one day away from that now.”

  He takes a deep breath, staring into my eyes the whole time. “We might be.”

  “We are. Tomorrow night, this will all be finished and we can start over, just like we wanted.”

  “If you really believe that, then I’ll trust you.”

  “I really believe it,” I say, forcing a smile. “So you should trust me. Okay?” He nods and I point a stiff finger at him. “Get some rest. You’ll need it.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  I raise an eyebrow before turning away and walking towards the bathroom. Of course I believe it. I have to, or else I’ll definitely go insane. I can’t think about the bad outcome here. No matter how hard Tobias trained this week, it’s not just his skill that will win or lose this for us. It’s Pike’s and Ryan’s and Owen’s and Rick’s. Even if Tobias wins his fight against Rick, the rest is out of our control. If Pike and Ryan lose their fights, he loses me, too.

  Best two out of three. Winner take all. It’s what we agreed to.

  It’s what Pike has been trying to prepare me for from the start.

  I close the bathroo
m door behind me and bend over the sink to fill my palms with water from the faucet, ice cold to the touch. I splash it on my face to break the sweat gathering on my brow, embracing the frozen burn on my cheeks. Suddenly, the dark ceiling of the apartment in Kansas City doesn’t seem that bad. I grab a towel and wipe my face dry before opening the door again.

  I pause in the doorway, blocked by Tobias’ wide shoulders in front of me. He says nothing, his eyes soft and warm, as he leans in closer to kiss me. His fingers rest on my cheeks, lulling me towards him while he sucks my bottom lip between his teeth.

  “Tobias—” I lean back to catch my breath. “What did Rick mean when he said you took care of it?”

  He sighs and rests his forehead against mine. “I will tell you everything, Claire, but… not now. Please.” He licks his lips and pulls me back in for another kiss.

  Passions drive me towards him and I accept his embrace, dropping every word of dissent off my tongue. His hands glide down my body and he hoists me up off the floor. I cling to him as he carries me across the room and lays me down on the bed, his lips on mine the entire way. He balances on his hands, towering over me with desire on his warm breath.

  I quiver beneath him and my nether catches fire in anticipation of his touch. His lips caress my neck, traveling downward as his hands feel every inch of my skin. I reach up and grip the headboard’s edge to ground myself. I feel the pulsating desire in me, fueled by a rush of electricity coursing between us.

  Tobias pushes himself up onto his knees. He slides my slacks down to my ankles and tosses them away, along with my panties. I dig my nails into the wood, biting my lip as I watch the passion in his eyes. He looks me up and down, licks his lips like a ravenous animal, and reaches for his zipper.

  I hold back a soft moan as his sizable manhood flops free from his briefs. My mouth waters, remembering his sweet taste, begging me to quench my thirst for him. He spreads my legs and falls back down to kiss me. I let go of the headboard and hold him against me, feeling his hardness press between us. He rocks his hips, driving both of our pleasures. I moan as he rubs my core in the most perfect way. His fishes his hands beneath my top and pulls it over my head before burying his face between my supple breasts and nibbling at my skin.

  Tobias grabs me and rolls onto his back, tossing me around with him until I’m straddling him. I stare down at his perfect body. Bruises dash along his torso, but none of them seem to bother him at all as I press my fingers against him to hold myself up. His tip pushes against my throbbing mound and I rub myself on him to tease my desires even further. I sigh with great pleasure, quivering as my moisture rises. He sits up and wraps his arms around me to shift me wherever he wants. I clench my eyes closed, feeling his tip slide along my slit, awakening even more passion within me. His breath strikes my skin, warm and quick, as I lay kisses along his brow.

  I open myself to him and he slides inside of me. We both go tense for a moment while we experience each other. I stare into his trembling green eyes and wrap my lips around his as he slowly impales himself deeper inside me. He groans against my mouth then lays his head against my breasts while his fingertips dig into my skin. I push myself upward and fall back down, riding him over and over again. He meets my grind with deep thrusts, hitting me in just the right spot to drive me wild on him.

  I angle away from his kiss, arching my back as a primal urges take hold of me. My hands hold his knees for balance. I flex my abs and breathe deeper to ride him hard and fast. He lays down against the pillows and watches my body writhe on him, enjoying every moment of it until he feels me clench around his thick root.

  Moans tumble off my lips and my entire body shakes from climax. I lose my balance, but Tobias rushes forward and reaches out to hold me steady. He takes me in his arms and I twitch rapidly, breathing against his firm lips as my body recovers from a most perfect ruin.

  He shifts me off of him like a rag doll and positions himself behind me as I fall forward onto my hands and knees. I grab a pillow to rest against, but my break doesn’t last long. Tobias enters me again from behind, sliding in as deep as he can, stretching me out far enough to make me scream. He doesn’t hold back, growling and grunting as he pounds me hard. My body aches, pushed as far as it’ll go, but the beautiful pain doesn’t compare to the pleasure ripping through my body again.

  “Tobias—!” I grit my teeth, feeling pleasant demise building inside once more. He doesn’t stop, fueled by his inner torment, nor do I want him to. His hips angle his thickness deep inside, pressing me in just the right spot. I moan for him and he leans over, guiding me down to lie flat on my stomach. He holds me there, pistoning in and out of me, as he grunts louder with each new thrust. A fresh climax overwhelms me and I scratch at the pillow, screaming his name as I ride the wave gushing through me.

  Tobias grunts one more time and finishes himself off. His nails dig into my rear and I relish in the sweet pain he brings me while his thrusts slow to a smooth halt. He collapses against my back, his lips traveling along my neck, tasting the sweat on me. I feel him slide out of me and he lays to rest beside me with an arm draped around my hips.

  I spin around to face him and he looks at me with exhaustion in his eyes. He flexes his arm and draws me closer to him, pressing my breasts against him. “Claire…” he growls, sucking on my bottom lip between kisses.

  “Yes?” I breathe, unable to pull myself away from him.

  He pauses, splitting his lips as if to speak, but he quickly changes his mind. His hand travels down my back, tickling my skin in ways only he knows how. He hooks his fingers beneath my knee and draws my leg around him, positioning himself between my thighs again.

  I kiss him with even more lust, waiting for the moment I’ll feel him inside of me again.

  Chapter 13

  Our Legacy

  Pike’s gym has been entirely overrun by fighters.

  Alphas on one side, Kings on the other. I feel a bit of relief as I count them. The Kings are outnumbered, but not by much. My hand brushes across my back jeans pocket and I feel the stiff handle of Rick’s switchblade behind the denim lining. Of all the things to provide me with comfort, I never for a second thought that would be among them.

  Amy stands beside me near the ring, dressed for success from head-to-toe. This is a Midwest Alpha fight, after all, and Amy is treating it like one, especially since it may be the last. She wears a short, red dress that clings perfectly to her body with golden jewelry in every spot imaginable. Her fingers wrap around the metal whistle hanging from her neck as she scans the crowd. “You okay?” she asks me.

  I scoff. “And here I was worried about you.”

  She looks at me with narrow eyes. “I can handle a room full of testosterone just fine, Claire. I’m more concerned about what you’re thinking in that pretty head of yours.”

  “Why?”

  “You know why…”

  I follow her eyes across the crowd and they land on Rick. I saw him the moment he arrived tonight. Walking tall, completely calm. Not a care in the damn world, like a statistician walking into a casino to count cards. “He thinks he’s going to win,” I note.

  “He won’t…” Amy mutters. I glance at her out of the corner of my eyes, but I’m too tired to argue with it. “There’s no way any of us will let that happen.”

  I pull my eyes away from him. “We made a deal, Amy.”

  “Right, but no one expects either of you to follow through. I mean, look around you right now.” She waves her hand in a circle. “They didn’t come out here just to watch a few fights.”

  I blink and glance around once more, paying close attention to their faces. Everyone is on edge, like soldiers on a battlefield just waiting around for the order to come in. Attack. Leave no man alive. I shake my head. “I’m not worth all this, Amy…”

  “We think otherwise.”

  I stare into her icy blue eyes. “Amy…”

  “This isn’t just about you, Claire,” she says, turning to face me. “It’s about the
m. This is their territory. Their sport. Their lives. They aren’t going to sit back and let some brat take over because he’s got a little crush on his stepsister and neither will I.” Her body shakes as she inhales a breath. “My mother created this. Tobias’ mother, too. This is our legacy. No one, especially not Rick or Thomas or anybody, has the right to take that from us.”

  I pause, moved by her words. “I don’t want anyone else to get hurt…”

  “We’re all here for difference reasons,” she says. “It’s up to them to decide whether their cause is worth fighting or dying for.”

  The back hall opens and our men walk out into the main room. Tobias is first in line, wearing his tight, black shorts, with Ryan and Pike following close behind in blue and white. The Alphas catch sight of them as well and a cheer breaks out among them, each one honoring the two Alphas that stand before them. Ryan’s the outsider, but that doesn’t seem to silence them at all. I look at the Kings, their eyes full of hatred as they fall on Ryan. I bite my lip. Maybe Ryan was right before. When he goes into the ring, he may not come back out again.

  They walk straight to us through the parting crowd. Tobias stands beside me and takes my hand, his tongue completely silent as he looks around. Pike lingers behind us and Ryan throws his arms around Amy. I see his lips moving near her ear, whispering quiet words meant only for her. Her eyes go wide for a brief second before she finally nods.

  “It’s time,” she says.

  My heart stops for a moment as I watch her walk away and pull herself into the ring. She moves with perfect grace, stepping up and across the ring in stiletto heels. Her lips curl and she holds her finger to her mouth to silence the roaring crowd. “Good evening, fighters,” she greets. “It is my great honor to welcome you all here tonight, even in such circumstances.” Her eyes fall on the Kings. They stare back at her with cold faces, but they do nothing to deter her grin. “It’s a historic moment for both our leagues. We all know what’s at stake here, but as tensions run high, I expect professionalism from both sides. We agreed to a certain set of rules and there will be consequences should that bond be broken.” Her eyes fall on Rick outside the ring and his eyebrows bounce. He offers her a kind nod before she looks away. “Without further delay, I want to welcome to the ring Ryan Weiss of the Alphas and Owen Weiss of the Kings.”