Looking up, Camden and Debs are still going at it. Their faces red, and hands balled into fists.
“You’re pointing the wrong finger,” I groan and they both shut up and look at me.
“You’re blaming Camden, but maybe you should be blaming The Underground, or Silvia. She played you, she played all of us.”
They both look at me wildly as my words set in. They know I’m right.
A knock sounds at the door, and the devil herself walks in.
Silvia Machen.
“Tate that was some fight,” she praises sashaying in. She clasps her hands in front of her, as one of her sharp eyebrows raise at the sight of Camden.
I want to claw her fucking face off, but even that wouldn’t justify what the hell she’s done. She needs something much worse, and long term, to satisfy my desire to hurt her.
“I have to say, someone knocking out one of my men to defend the honor of his girlfriend and entering the octagon is a first for us.”
Camden scoffs, and I roll my eyes. Not wanting to hear another word of bullshit leave her mouth. I guarantee The MFC knows nothing about The Underground.
“Deal is a deal though, you made the final hit knocking Chase out Tate, so the money and contract are yours.”
I stand, my knees buckling as I stand from the amount of pain my body is in.
“I earned that money through blood and pain so I’ll take it. That contract though, I didn’t earn it.” I point at her, my jaw clenched shut.
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re getting at?” Silvia tilts her head to the side as her face scrunches in confusion.
“I’m saying I don’t want the contract!” I shout, irate. I want to work my way to top, not have it given to me. I’ve only been in one fight, while other fighters have had to go through many. I’m saying no in respect to them.
“Tate,” Camden grabs my elbow, his face conveying that he thinks I’m crazy to give it up. I’m not though. I’m saner then I’ve ever been.
“I don’t want it, not like this. I will earn my way to the top through respect and hard work.” I lift my chin, my decision made.
“Um, okay. That is a first as well,” she chuckles but I don’t find the humor in it.
“What can I say, I’m different.” I scowl.
She blinks rapidly, sensing my unease toward her.
“Well, a medic will be in to assist your injuries and you can be on your way.” She smiles, and I roll my eyes. She should stop smiling, it’s fake.
She leaves and another one of her men march in with a large duffle bag in one hand and a smaller one in the other hand. His face stoic as he drops the larger one at my feet and the other at Debs’ before leaving without a word.
Debs drops to her knees, tears filling her eyes as she unzips hers.
“This Tate, this is what it’s all about!” She fists stacks of bills, smelling them. “Together we will be rich, we will be number—”
“You’re fired.”
Her head whips up. “What?”
“You heard me. You’re fired. You obviously knew what I was getting into if you’ve been here before. You knew what I was getting into and didn’t even warn me. You could have told me I could bring a knife or something to protect myself. But you didn’t because all you cared about was making money.”
She stands with her hands on her hips. “I didn’t tell you because I thought you’d back out.”
I inhale a breath, my chest begging to wheeze from my broken rib. Who knows if I would have backed out, my dad keeping the house was at the top of my priorities, but any sane person would have told Silvia to take the deal and shove it up her ass, and I didn’t.
The medic comes and checks my injuries, I have one cracked rib and my eyebrow needs stitching - again.
My chest is wrapped tightly and I’m given medication for the pain and sent on my way.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Tate
Camden and I sit in the back of the car on the way to the airport. I made Debs get her own ride in fear of me killing her before we reached the airport. Upon leaving The Underground I can feel Camden’s concern and worry dissipating into anger.
He’s going to be mad, but I’m just glad he knows.
“I can’t believe you gave up the contract after all that,” Camden mutters under his breath as he stares out the window.
“It was the right thing to do,” I reply, looking at my feet.
His head whips in my direction. His face turning into a blistering red.
“The right thing to do was to tell me about it! You lied! You fucking betrayed me… AGAIN!”
I swallow, tears threatening to spill from my bloodshot eyes. My heart beats against my chest in panic, looking for the words to defend my actions but they’re lost. Every excuse floating in my head so fast I can’t grab on to one.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but you weren’t completely honest with me either—” I cry.
“I’ve been completely honest with you since day one!”
“Bullshit! You didn’t tell me you fought in The Underground,” I point out.
His angry face relaxes when he realizes he himself wasn’t honest in this relationship. If we’re even in one anymore.
“I needed this fight. I needed the money. I wasn’t going to ask my boyfriend to get my dad out of debt and keep the bank from taking the house.” I push the words through gritted teeth. “I don’t need help taking care of my own family!”
He sighs, rubbing his chin.
“Maybe you don’t want it, but you need it!” He scowls at me. “You’ve been so busy trying to take care of everyone else that you forgot about yourself!” He holds his hands out, palms up gesturing toward my whole being. “For fuck’s sake, look at what you’ve done to yourself Tate!”
I wipe my spilled tears and look out the window. The pain in my chest and body making me vulnerable I don’t want to talk about this anymore.
The rest of the way back to Chicago is cold and lonely as we don’t say another word to each other.
Chapter Thirty
Camden
Sitting at the gym I throw all my gear into my bag, done with this place. The coaches here aren’t genuine. They played Tate and I against each other.
I had a contract with Thomas but with a little threatening he was more than willing to forget about it.
I haven’t talked to Tate since yesterday, and it’s killing me. I’m conflicted. She didn’t tell me about The Underground and it pisses me off. I clench my eyes shut, I wasn’t honest with her either though.
Fuck!
Why do relationships have to be so complicated?
If I told her everything she would have told Silvia to shove that deal up her ass. Maybe.
Tate is a fire I can never predict. She’s wild, burning her own path instead of the one laid out for her.
I smirk, thinking about her hellfire ways.
I miss Tate.
I hate that I miss her.
I get why she accepted the fight though, she was trying to save her family. I myself bought my parents’ house when it was nearly taken by the bank years ago. Granted it didn’t save my family, but I have it. I would have done anything to save it.
From the outside it looks like a bunch of wood and a foundation, but it’s more than that. My house told a story, a story about a little blonde haired girl I fell in love with next door. The memories of Tate and I outdid the shitty ones of my parents.
I couldn’t let the bank take it.
The door to the gym opens, and Tate walks in. She has on a baggy gray shirt, and black shorts. Her face is bruised, and her hair doesn’t look like she’s brushed it. She looks rough. I can tell she’s in a lot of pain from the fight by the way she’s hunched over. She looks over the gym, and her eyes land on mine. My chest constricts, and I look down pretending to organize my jock straps.
I feel her standing behind me before hearing her. Resting an elbow on my knee I rub my chin with my hand waiting for her to say something.
“Camden?” Her words are innocent and soft, making this so much harder. “Can we talk?”
I don’t respond, because I’m not sure what to say. Maybe because I know I fucked up as much as she did. When they say men suck at apologizing, they were right.
A hand slaps me upside the head. Furrowing my brows I turn, finding her standing straight, her hands balled into fists at her side.
“Have you lost your mind?” I cock a brow.
“You’re going to talk to me!” she demands. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry I left you behind four years ago. I’m sorry that I accepted an illegal fight and didn’t tell you about it. I’m sorry for… I’m sorry for everything.” Tears fall from her eyes and I can feel my resolve instantly break. Bending down I grab my bag and walk to the door not wanting to hash this out here. Especially after the shit that just went down between Thomas and I.
Stepping outside the summer sun warms my skin, sweat instantly beading along my back.
“Most of all, I’m sorry I ever hurt you when all I tried to do was the opposite. I’m just… I suck at doing the right thing. I always have,” she continues, trying to keep up.
I stop a few feet from my car, my keys in my hands. That is why I love Tate though, her faults are what attracts me to her.
“But you aren’t perfect either. You kept secrets from me too, remember that!”
Her footsteps crunch in the gravel as she heads back to her car. I want to be mad at her, but I can’t for the life of me do it any longer.
Angry and confused I throw my bag on the ground and rub at the back of my neck. My head lowered, my eyes closed I call after her.
“Tate!” Opening my eyes, I turn. Tate stops and looks at me with swollen eyes from crying. It bothers me that she’s been crying.
Licking my bottom lip I strut toward her. Her body trembles as I near, her eyes fluttering, her wet lashes stick together.
“I didn’t know—” Fisting her hair hard, I press my mouth to hers, shutting her up.
My lips part hers, demanding entry. Her hands cupping my face I swallow her cries, the taste of stolen tears and sadness filling my mouth. It feels good having her next to me again.
Jerking her hair, her lips pull from mine and I rest my forehead against hers.
This woman is my nightmare and my saving grace. Like a drug. You know it’s bad for you, but the way you feel when you’re so wrapped up and consumed by it overrides any rational thinking.
That’s the shit love is made of.
“I should have told you everything. I messed up,” I confess. “I’m sorry too.”
She nods, a small smile trying to break through her sadness.
I dig my fingers into her neck, catching her attention.
“But, don’t ever pull that shit again,” I whisper.
Chapter Thirty-One
Three Days Later
Tate
I lay in Camden’s bed, my body aching from head to toe. The second day was the worst when it came to pain, and each day gets better but I still hurt from the broken rib. It’s going to take some time to heal from this one.
My hands under my chin, I stare at the half empty duffle bag sitting on the floor across the room. I paid Dad’s debt and the house. He doesn’t know, and I don’t plan on telling him. I’m hoping he just thinks the banks gave up trying to get money.
If I told him I took care of everything he’d think of it as a handout when in reality I’m trying to keep us together. My family is too fragile to lose something so sentimental. It would break us all over again if we lost the house.
Fingers walk up my spine, as Camden lies next to me on his bed. The hairs on my neck raise from the tickle they leave behind.
“How do you feel?” he whispers in my ear. His breath warm and hot, my body pulses to be wrapped in nothing but sheets and him.
“Like a train wreck,” I mumble, “but better.”
His hands make work of my shoulder blades and a sigh escapes my mouth. Fuck that feels great.
“Don’t make noises like that, I want to fuck you so bad but I’m scared of hurting your cracked rib,” his voice comes out rough and promising. It does things to me.
I look over my shoulder and smirk.
“I can deal, I have pain meds.” After our fight I still feel like there’s tension between us. Sex would lay that to rest. Sex makes everything better.
He arches a brow, a primal grin crossing his face.
Leaning over he kisses my back, skipping over the wrap around my ribs and back he kisses my tailbone before biting my ass cheek hard.
“I know you think I forgot about you deceiving me, but I haven’t. You lied to me HellCat, and I plan on making you think twice before ever doing that again.” I was right about the tension, but am excited to relieve it with sex.
Fire burns in my chest that spreads down my abdomen and igniting between my legs from that threat.
Sitting up on his knees he pulls his jersey shorts down, and his erect cock pops free. My mouth salivates wanting to taste him. Holding the base of himself he slaps the mounds of my ass that peek out from under my panties with it.