She uncrosses and re-crosses her fucking porcelain legs again, and it takes everything I have to fight against the blood leaving my head and going straight to my dick.
Is she really bargaining with me?
Bump was right. She’s got balls on her. Then again, one thing I learned the hard way is to know your worth. Scarlett Priest clearly knows what she brings to the table, and I’m impressed, especially because she thinks she’s negotiating for a hell of a lot more.
I decide to meet her in the middle.
“Two Saturdays in a row, and then every other. You keep coming until I say you’re done.” I hold out my hand to her. “We got a deal?”
She draws in a breath and holds it for a few beats before releasing it. It’s that same controlled, Zen-type shit that I used in my previous life to keep myself from snapping before a big fight. It also tells me that I’m about to get exactly what I want.
Thank fuck.
Which means I may apologize to Bump.
Maybe.
Five
Scarlett
The knuckles of the hand reaching out to me are scarred, like Gabriel Legend has had to fight his way through life. He’s menacing, raw, and otherworldly. Every move he makes, from the way he leans on his desk to the way he offers his hand, is precise, efficient, and carries the impression of leashed power. The men who run in my circles only wish they could have that kind of presence.
Although he never introduced himself to me, I knew exactly who he was the second he said the name of the club. Gabriel Legend has made quite a name for himself over the last few years.
My hair and makeup artist, Kelsey, is always full of the hottest and most forbidden gossip about what’s happening in the city. And Kelsey’s brother, Jon Pak, was a big fan of theillegalclub that Mr. Legend used to run. Jon went to Urban Legend to drink and watch the fights, both in and out of the ring, and was always telling Kelsey no when she asked to go with him. “Too dangerous,” he said. “Not a place for girls like you.”
And then Jon got pissed when the club closed without warning. One night while people were waiting in line, a man came out and said, “Doors aren’t opening tonight or ever again. A new Legend is coming. That’s where you’ll want to be, if you can even get in. You won’t want to miss it.”
A couple of months later, rumors about the new, expensive club—and its owner—were all over town.Legend.
“Do we have a deal?” he asks, repeating himself.
I snap back to the present, meeting that sharp, icy gaze. “Do I have any other choice?”
“You always have a choice, Scarlett. Whether you like your options or not.”
My hackles rise as I stand, because it’s such a bullshit statement. Even if he’s technically right.
I could tell him to go fuck himself and risk the consequences. There’s a chance he won’t kill me. He probably doesn’t want to end up in prison for the rest of his life. Then again, they’d have to find my body and know what happened to me to put him behind bars. Do I really want to risk pissing him off, when I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t even take half the strength in his rangy body to end me?
No.I don’t.
I’ve barely begun to accomplish the things on my vision board. I’m not dying today.
In that moment, I make my choice. I’ll consider saving Legend to be a challenge—and I never back down from a challenge.
I slide my palm into his calloused grip. Another shock of connection sparks through me as I squeeze and shake his hand like I do this with people who threaten me every day.
My voice sounds more confident than I feel when I say, “Fine. We have a deal.”
“Good.” His grasp is tight and firm, and he lets go almost as soon as I agree. Like he can’t stand to touch me for a single second longer than he has to in order to seal the deal. He pulls back quickly, like I burned him.
Nice to know he doesn’t want to touch me. Guess I’m safe in that respect.
I should be thrilled with the discovery, but for some reason, the voice in my head sounds like she’s about to get into a snit about it. I shut her up. She’s clearly confused from getting knocked out, because there’s no way in hell I want Gabriel Legend towantto touch me.Right?
But, still, I jump a little in the chair when he barks, “Get back in here, Bump.”