“Rafe wouldn’t be there, though,” I say to Laini. “If it’s illegal.”

She laughs at me, placing my tab on the bar. “You don’t know him as well as you thought you did.”

She’s not wrong there. I guess there was less lying than I expected there to be tonight.

I look down at my phone and see it’s now almost seven, and it’s starting to get dark outside. Quickly, I type Vic’s into the search bar on my maps app and see it’s about a fifteen minute drive, which is too far for me to be travelling after three drinks.

I can’t seriously be considering this. I have no place visiting an underground fighting ring on a Thursday night by myself.

But before I know it, I’m ordering myself a ride and paying my tab at Smokey’s.

Chapter Six

Rafe

Initially, I came out to Vic’s as a spectator. It’s a big fight night at the gym, and most of the evening is legal and takes place inside. I have nothing against fighting with regulations and a softer floor to land on, but I don’t have the time to actually train and put in the hours these regular fighters do.

So when I come to the gym tonight, I do it without any premeditated goals in mind. I’m not looking into anything or trying to question anyone. And I’m not fighting. My head is still a mess from a couple days ago, and as much as I hate to take advice from that know-it-all stuck up princess next door, I probably should avoid any more brain shakers for a while.

The fights are good entertainment, but I still can’t keep Shelby out of my head. I was in the basement all night trying to punch the edge off. Something about her just walking into my life to fuck everything up for me just gets my blood going.

Vic finds me hovering near the corner of the crowd just before the last fight is about to start.

“We got you on the books tonight?” he asks without greeting.

“Not tonight. I can’t risk taking any more hits this week.” I gesture to my still black and blue left side.

“Ah, with these guys I have tonight, you won't be taking any hits. Promise.”

Of course, I don’t take a cut of the winnings, so he loves when I fight. Not to mention, it draws a crowd. People love watching a cop acting like a regular asshole when they're off the clock.

“I’ll think about it,” I answer without looking at him.

Vic exhales next to me, and I know he doesn’t like someone else calling any shots at his gym, but I’m not going to just bow down and fight whenever he wants. I have to keep him in his place. I already know I’ll do it, but he doesn’t.

He walks away, taking his pissed off attitude with him, and I settle in to watch the last regulation fight of the night.