I jerk a thumb at the door. “Can we go? I’ve had enough of this.”

He sighs, his expression regretful. “I wish we could, but what she said is true. Whether you want to believe it or not, this situation has the potential to derail your career.”

“How can it, when I have the championship bout so soon? I’ll blow Karson out of the water, and everything will be fine.”

Nick ums and ahs. “That’s if you don’t get arrested before the fight.”

“Pfft.” I shake my head. “Not gonna happen. Erin is full of hot air.”

“She also has a taste for the spotlight, and she’ll keep spouting this bullshit as long as the cameras are rolling.” Damn, he’s right, and he must sense he has the winning hand because he powers on. “Not to mention, you promised Seth you’d take this seriously and do whatever you could not to tarnish the reputation of Crown MMA gym.”

Ouch. Low blow. Nick knows I’d go to war for Seth if he asked. My trainer gave me everything. He had faith in me, took a chance on me, and he had no way of knowing I’d pan out to be a good investment. I was just a kid from a poor neighborhood with a mother of a chip on my shoulder and a willingness to shed blood to escape.

“Fine,” I concede, not surprising either of us. “I’ll hear them out.”

But I have a bad feeling about this, and my gut doesn’t often lie to me.

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Acknowledgments

This book was far from a solo effort. When I started writing it, I’d been playing around with the idea for ages. I’ve always loved romantic suspense, especially with bodyguards, and I was excited to write my own.

But it was hard. I mean, writing a book is never the easiest thing in the world, but sometimes it flows like magic, and in general, I don’t get massively stuck. I’d written around 20 books when I stepped up to the plate to write The King, so I had a process and I was used to it working. Sure, some stories require more finessing than others, but getting the bare bones out has never been as much of a struggle as it was for this book. In fact, I got a few thousand words in and had to stop and take a few weeks writing short stories before I could get re-motivated and come back to it.

Because this book didn’t come easily, I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who helped me get it into the world. In particular, Kate and Caroline, who read the earlier drafts and provided thoughtful feedback on the characters, the plot, and the fact I’d apparently repeated the same words and phrases a lot. Without you, this story wouldn’t be what it is. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I’d also like to thank Maria, who designed a cover that’s so on-point for what I wanted, and help guide my decision-making since I was stepping into a new subgenre of romance. You are amazing and I’m so glad to have you on my team.