I stayed away from The Underground after the night I spent with Liam.

Knowing he would be there fighting in the cage and flirting with other women caused a jagged tear to open up in my heart. I couldn’t handle knowing he was sleeping with other people. Call me old-fashioned, but I didn’t like it. I didn’t want to ‘explore my sexuality’ or whatever stupid modern buzzword people slapped on the age-old notion of sleeping around.

I wanted more. I craved connection, company, togetherness, love. I wanted something deeper than what my life had become. It wasn’t about being alone. It was about belonging.

Too bad I’d asked the universe for something that was rarer than the ground we lived on. A gazillion million trillion planets were out there, and only one had developed intelligent life. Well, only one we were smart enough to find. What a metaphor.

I liked Liam. I liked him a lot, but it was more than that.

I woke up, and all I could think about was him. I rolled over at seven a.m.‬—the time I usually got up for work—and imagined him beside me. The bed was always empty, but I still hoped, knowing it would never be true. ‬‬‬‬‬

I could remember every little detail about that night. The way he’d undressed me. The way he’d kissed me. The moment his cock entered me for the first time. When I came…and when he let go, coming inside me. Then the bitter disappointment when he left.

It was better this way. My feelings were one-sided. I had to move on. I had to pull myself together.

So I’d spent the best part of the last few days writing covering letters and applying for any job I thought I was qualified for, even ones that were well out of my skill set. Call centers, telemarketing, retail, office administration, leaflet dropping…anything to keep me from lining up for unemployment benefits. I had to make rent at the end of the month, and if I couldn’t, it would only be a matter of time before I was homeless.

It only took twenty-four hours for the rejections to start flooding in. Every time I checked my email or looked in the letterbox, it was like being hit with a bullet in my heart. My confidence dipped, my panic rose, and my stress levels grew unchecked.

After a week, I couldn’t handle it anymore.

I went to The Underground, desperate for something, anything, to happen. It was where I’d finally started to live again, so it was inevitable in a way, even though it had caused me a great deal of trouble.

The Underground was the lesser of two evils, so I got into my car and drove across the city, trying and failing to keep Liam out of my mind.

I was playing with fire…big time.

* * *

Raking my gaze over the fight board, I saw Liam was up tonight. He would be here someplace, so I had to keep my eyes peeled. I wasn’t ready to see him yet even though I ached to hear his voice and feel his touch against my skin.

Turning, I noticed a man watching me. He was lingering a few paces away, his gaze raking over my body. He wasn’t even trying to hide his outright ogling, and I began to wonder if there was someone much better looking behind me. No one had ever checked me out…besides Liam.

Looking the man over, I made the assumption he was a fighter. On the surface, he was muscled, had old cuts on his face that were in the final stages of healing, and seemed well aware he was hot as hell. Shaved head, tattoos, stubble on his chin. The rugged kind of sexy I liked about Liam. Most of the fighters here had the same air about them—the underwear model vibe—besides Mountain, that was.

“Hey,” he said, flashing a smile.

I hesitated, not entirely sure he was talking to me.

“Are you new around here?” he went on. Definitely talking to me. “I haven’t seen you before. Are you with someone?”

I glanced around, but I couldn’t see Liam anywhere. Why was I even looking? He didn’t want me, so what was the harm in talking to this guy? None.

“No, I’m not new,” I replied. “I’m supposed to meet someone, but they’re late.” The last part was a lie, but after the first time I came here alone, I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

“I’m Viper,” he said, stepping closer.

“With a name like that, I suppose you fight.”

He nodded, his lips curving upward. “And what can I call you?”

“Ali.”

“Ali…” His gaze dropped, drinking in my breasts before lowering further. “What do you do with yourself, Ali?”

“Uh, currently unemployed and looking,” I replied awkwardly.

“A beautiful woman like you?” His eyebrows rose as his gaze returned to mine. “With all the fighters in this place, none have come forward and offered to take care of you?”

I frowned, thinking about Liam. “I’m not looking for an easy ride.”

“Nothing wrong with it,” Viper said. “Nothing wrong with wanting to earn your own way, either. Sorry if I offended you. It’s just, most women around here are looking for a fighter to keep them, you know? After a while, it becomes almost expected. Shit double standard if you ask me.”

“It wouldn’t sit right,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ve always earned my own way.”

“Would it sit all right if I bought you a drink?” He smiled, nodding toward the bar.

Hesitating, I cast my gaze over the warehouse. Spotting Liam’s familiar shoulders through the crowd, my heart leapt. As if he sensed me looking at him, his head turned, searching the space around him.

I used to turn my nose up at people who acted like I was about to. How they couldn’t hold onto their emotions and acted erratically, all because they were hot for someone. How they felt the uncontrollable need to drive the other person crazy with jealousy just so they could get a shred of attention from their heart’s desire.

Heartache sent people loopy, and it irritated the hell out of me. Now I understood. When you wanted someone so badly and didn’t know how to let them know they meant more, you would do almost anything to get their attention.

The moment Liam’s gaze found mine, I turned away and smiled at Viper.

“Sure,” I said. “Why not.”

He beamed. “Awesome. What do you like?”

We walked toward the bar, and I shrugged. “I’m not a huge drinker, but I like sweet over bitter. So cider I guess.”

“Cider it is.” He gestured to one of the bartenders who hurried off to fill the order.

“You’re friends with Faye, right?” he went on, leaning an elbow on top of the bar. His muscles were well defined, his bicep twitching as he leaned weight on his right side. He didn’t have any tattoos, not like Liam, but it wasn’t a prerequisite.

“I thought you said you’d never seen me around before?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.

Viper grimaced and ran his hand over his face. “Ah, I lied…just a little. I wanted a good opener.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly but couldn’t keep the smile off my lips.

“I saw you guys talking the other week, but I didn’t see you again,” he explained. “When I saw you over there just now, I had to take a chance just in case it was a fluke.”

“You can take a chance somewhere else, Viper,” a deep voice rumbled.

A hand grasped my shoulder, and I turned, only to find Liam behind me. He did not look happy. Not one bit.

“What’s the matter Blade?” Viper asked, his lip curling. “We’re just having a drink.”

“It’s never just a drink with you,” Liam shot back, his grip tightening on me. “Leave her alone.”

“Liam,” I said through clenched teeth, picking up on the animosity between the two fighters. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Fuck off, Viper,” he spat, completely ignoring me.

“Liam.” I wriggled out of his grasp.

“Yeah, Liam. What’s wrong with you?” Viper drawled, pushing away from the bar. “We’re just having a friendly drink. No need to get hostile in front of the lady.”

Jerking me behind him, Liam strode forward, getting up in Viper’s face. There was an inch between the two men, their hands curled into fists at their sides and their jaws tense. People were looking, whispering among themselves.

They’re gonna fight.

Isn’t that against the rules?

Who’s the girl?

Are they fighting over her?

“Start walking,” Liam growled.

“Or what?” Viper said. “You going to throw down right here?”

“You would love that, wouldn’t you?”

“Liam,” I cried, grasping his arm and pulling with all my strength. I hardly budged him, he was that strong, but he came alive at my touch. He moved away slightly, and the air lost some of its charge.

Viper backed up a step, raising his hands in mock defense. “Last thing I want to do is start a fight outside the cage. Be careful, Blade.”

“Start walking, Viper.”

My hands shook with anger as Viper walked away, leaving me with Liam.

What the hell was that all about? It had all the hallmarks of a jealous boyfriend, but we weren’t like that. It was another painful reminder of what I wanted but couldn’t have.

“What do you think you’re playing at?” I asked, thumping my fist against Liam’s chest.

“Stay away from him,” he demanded, trapping my wrist.

“Why?” I asked, pouting. “You don’t own me.”

The foul look on his face deepened. “He’s bad news, Ali.”

“Probably,” I shot back, pulling free.

“You know it, and you still shove your tits in his face?”

My mouth fell open. “I didn’t shove my tits in his face! You obviously sleep around, but when a woman wants to have an innocent conversation with another man, she’s a slut. I would hate to think what I’d be branded if I actually slept with the guy. Thanks, Liam. Thanks a lot.”

“Bloody hell,” he cursed. “I didn’t call you a slut, Ali.”

“He’s a bad guy, so what? I’m not taking him home, and I’m not going to his place,” I went on. “Maybe we’ll do it out back, and I’ll be the one who gets up and leaves afterward.”

“Are you listening to yourself right now?” he asked darkly, closing the space between us.

“I can hear myself loud and clear. It’s you who isn’t listening.” He was standing so near I could smell the scent that clung to his skin. I would never forget it. Never. I shivered and turned away.

“Ali, just be careful, okay?”

And there it was. Ali, be careful, not Ali, forget about all those other guys, and be with me. I tried not to let the disappointment reach my tear ducts, but it was too quick.

“You didn’t want me,” I said. “So you don’t get to frighten off anyone who does. You don’t have any right.”

If he heard me, he didn’t say anything. He just let me walk away, and as I put distance between us, I was sucked deeper into a heartache I thought I would never feel again. That was how I knew all of it was real. It was a harsh reminder of the moment I was told my parents had died. The exact same feeling of loss I never wanted to experience again threatened to overwhelm me.

I was fast learning it was a part of life I couldn’t avoid if I wanted to live. Going to The Underground was a risk, and I knew what the consequences might’ve been.

I just didn’t expect to fall head over heels for the first guy I saw.