My training is all on schedule. Jeb is a master of all aspects of MMA, but he’s also a drill sergeant. I can barely lift my arms or climb stairs when I leave the gym, but it’s all worth it. Every area I didn’t have formal training in before has been shored up to the point where I’m confident about attacking with any of the skills in my arsenal. I can stand and bang, take him down, clinch, grapple, whatever.
We know Bodhi will be trying to take my head off to end the fight with a knockout, but I won’t go out that way. I’m quicker on my feet than he is, and my footwork and head movement are top notch. If I’d had this level of training back in the day, there’s no way in hell I wouldn’t be a pro fighter on the biggest stages in the world right now.
But then you wouldn’t have met Scarlett. It’s the one thing that takes away any chance of regret.
She’s ... everything.
“You gonna just stand there and stare at her, or you gonna take some food and eat?” Big Mike asks from the grill next to me.
I jerk my head to the side and catch his narrowed eyes. “Sorry. Can’t help it. Staring at her is my favorite thing these days.”
The older man’s chest bounces beneath hisyou can call me big daddyapron. “Damn, kid. Not even trying to be subtle about it, are you? No playing hard to get?”
I shake my head. “Nope. No games. Not with her. Just straight shootin’.”
Bump waves Scarlett over to his chosen seat at the picnic table in the backyard, and she smiles and winks at him.
“I guess that’s probably smart. Any games she’d play would be way out of your league anyway.”
I cut my gaze to Mike’s face, wondering what the hell he’s getting at here. “If you got something to say about Scarlett, you might as well get it out, old man.”
Mike flips a brat with his grill tongs. “Not really my business—”
“But you brought it up, so you’ve clearly got something on your mind. Might as well say it.”
“Bump’s getting pretty attached to her. You think that’s smart?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as Scarlett sits down across from Bump and playfully slaps at his fingers when he pretends to steal fruit off her plate. He throws his head back and laughs. He deserves someone good like her in his life.
“Why wouldn’t it be? He’s my family, and if all goes according to plan, she will be too before long.”
The tongs smack against the grate, catching my attention. I glance back to Mike and take in the look of shock on his face.
“Seriously? You’re inthatdeep here?”
I nod slowly. “She’s it, man. I know you’ve got your reservations, but Scarlett is good people. The best.”
“She comes from a totally different world, son. That kind of barrier is hard to navigate, even for someone as smart as yourself.”
I’ve always loved it when Big Mike calls meson. It makes me feel wanted. Like I belong. The Quinterro family didn’t just save Bump’s life; they saved mine too. Without this family, I don’t know where I’d be today.
Because of the bond we share, I don’t take offense to Mike’s questions. He’s looking out for me the same as he would for one of his own kids, and that kind of concern isn’t something I take for granted. I know all too well what it’s like to have no one give a shit about me, and I’ll take this any day of the week.
“We understand each other,” I say, reaching out to stab a burger with my fork off the plate he’s loading up. “She’s from a different world, but that’s not who she is. She gives a damn about people. She loves Bump. She knows what it’s like to get the shaft from family. Apparently, that’s an experience not just reserved for people who come from shit like me.”
Big Mike’s bushy eyebrows knit together. “She got a crap mom?”
“Mom’s dead. But her dad, he’s a piece of fucking work.”
Big Mike’s expression turns thunderous. “I’ll never understand parents who don’t give a damn about their kids. They brought them into this fucking world. It’s their responsibility to do their duty. Too many people have forgotten what the fuck that means.”
It’s a lecture I’ve heard more than once, and something I believe in to my bones. My kids will never know anything except how much I fucking love them, and how goddamn grateful I am that they’re mine.
“Scarlett’s cut from the same cloth as me when it comes to that, old man. She’ll be fierce as fuck as a mother. I can only imagine what she’d do if someone riled her up.”
A smile crosses Mike’s face. “Good. That’s what you need. Someone willing to go to bat for you and yours when it matters. If that’s what you’re getting from her, then you’ve got my wholehearted approval, son. Not that you need it, but you got it all the same.”
Warmth fills my chest. “Thank you. Means a lot to me.”