to Adrienne beside him and she has tears shimmering in her eyes. Fuck, she’s gorgeous. And she’ll be mine, no matter what.
“We have a winner, folks!” Joe Pescopi calls, and I swear I hear disappointment in his voice.
Either he had money on Billy, or he’s sad that he can’t talk nonsense at willing listeners anymore. Whichever option it is, I don’t find myself caring much.
Of course we have a winner, I think, rolling my shoulders back.
Nine
Memphis
I ’m like an eager goddamn puppy as I wait in my cell for my treat.
My knuckles are unwrapped and I took off the compression shorts, opting for another pair of shorts that doesn’t cut off my damn circulation in all the places it matters. I haven’t put on a shirt because... well, it’s not like I don’t know what I look like. I saw Adrienne’s gaze track over my muscles the first time she saw me, and I bet she liked seeing them today.
Got to give the crowd what it wants, right?
But the longer I wait, the more nervous I get. This has never happened before. I don’t get nervous. I don’t think I’ll lose, I don’t worry and I don’t fucking fret. So why am I standing in the middle of my cell, considering pacing back and forth and losing my mind at the same time.
What if she doesn’t like me?
What am I, a teenager? Fucking hell.
I slick a hand through my hair, the minutes ticking by endlessly. I’m beginning to think that someone’s playing a fucking joke on me, that Cobb’s gone back on his word - which wouldn’t be surprising, he isn’t exactly the epitome of fairness – or that something’s happened to her, when I finally hear footsteps. Two sets.
I let out a long breath, flexing my fingers again like I always do when I feel the narrow edge of something unknown coming for me. The locks are undone one by one and when the door opens, my face fells.
It’s Sage.
“Hey, buttercup,” I greet him dully, but I shut up a moment later as I see Adrienne peeking out from behind him.
“Hey, you,” I add, a hell of a lot softer.
She doesn’t say a word but raises her hand slightly, moving her fingers timidly. Fuck, she’s cute.
Sage just quirks up a brow and allows Adrienne to pass. She steps into the room gingerly, looking behind herself for a moment.
“Memphis, you have to be fast. I have to have her back in twenty,” Sage says.
Before I can launch into a volley of objections, Sage slams the door shut and sets up the deadbolts. I’m fuming, my eyes narrowing slightly, but it’s no use. I bet it’s Cobb again, fucking around. He knows as well as I do that not much can be accomplished with twenty minutes – at least not when I’m the one doing it.
Okay.
Another thing I can’t change. Fine. Lemons out of lemonade.
My expression clears as I look at Adrienne. She’s petite, sweet. Honey-blond hair falling in waves over her shoulders and bright blue eyes marked with so much sadness that I want to do whatever I can to make her feel better. Her pouty lips are slightly parted as she stares at me, like I’m some sort of apparition, but I see her gaze rowing over my abs, my arms, my pecs.
I’m not sure if she’s shocked by the tattoos or just the fact that we’re here together, but she seems to be as tongue-tied as I am. I’ve kept all her letters and I wait for every word from her. It’s silly, in a way, because we can never pass notes that are too long – I don’t have the paper for it and I don’t want to reuse her notes to send them back – and my room gets searched periodically for any contraband. Still, I feel like I know this girl and she knows me.
I open my mouth to say something but no words come out. I shake my head and she smiles slightly, obviously feeling much the same. How stupid is it that it was easier to talk to her when good old Sage was in the room, rather than now that we don’t have any distractions?
I can’t take it much longer.
Her body calls to me and I take a breath. In two steps, I’ve
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