Enzo’s eyes dart to me one last time. I see the exact moment he realizes I'm not afraid of him anymore. I give him a small smile.
"You'll regret this, Huxley," he says, but his voice shakes.
"The only thing I regret is not punching you sooner," Silas replies. “I should have kicked your ass when I fired you.”
“You’ll see. You’ll all see.” Enzo chuckles, wiping blood from his nose, and disappears into the night. The room stays silent for one long, suspended beat.
Then Juliet starts a slow clap from across the ballroom and gradually others join in. My hand finds Silas's, his knuckles already bruising and swelling.
"Oh, baby. You didn't have to do that."
"Yeah, I did." He turns to face me fully, not caring about the audience or the cameras still recording. "Nobody talks to you like that. Not him. Not anyone."
Tears prick at my eyes, but they're not sad tears. "You punched him for me."
"I'd happily kill him if you asked me to." He cups myface, thumbs stroking my cheekbones. "You make the world go ‘round."
I pull him down for a kiss that earns whistles and cheers from the remaining crowd. When we break apart, I'm crying and laughing at the same time.
Because this is what Enzo never understood. This is the difference between a man who uses you and a man who chooses you. Between someone who makes you carry all the weight and someone who stands beside you, ready to fight.
“Now that?” Hunter approaches, grinning like a fool. "That was the most reckless thing I've ever seen you do. I'm so fucking proud."
“Really impressive work, little Huxley.” We all stare at Juliet and she flushes. “What? I’m workshopping names.”
Connor Li materializes beside us, phone in hand. "I just wanted you to know, I dropped Enzo the second Hunter gave the signal. The guy was always a snake. He tried to make me badmouth the other rookies to sponsors last month."
Shane nods agreement. "He tried to pit us against each other last year during contract negotiations. Good riddance."
One by one, other players drift over. Most are confirming they've terminated their contracts with Enzo and sharing stories of his manipulation and schemes. By the time they're done, it's clear Enzo won't work in Seattle again. His reputation is destroyed. His client list is decimated.
Thorne appears, massive and imposing in a suit that barely contains his bulky shoulders. "I heard you threw hands. Sorry I missed it."
"It was beautiful," Hunter says. "Silas went full caveman. Very romantic."
"It was assault," Juliet corrects, but there's approval in her voice. "Justified assault, but assault nonetheless."
I laugh, the sound bright and genuine. Somehow, everything feels lighter.
Later, back at the condo, I watch Silas ice his knuckles at the kitchen sink. His hand is swollen, definitely bruised, maybe worse. I fuss over him, overwhelmed at what he did for me.
"You're going to get fined," I say. "Or suspended. Cross is going to kill you."
"I don't care."
"Silas."
"I don't care." He moves to sit beside me on the couch. "You're more important than any fine, any suspension, any career consequence. You hear me? Plus, the guy is oily as fuck. He deserved it. I did the world a service tonight."
I nod, my throat too tight to speak.
Then he moves to kiss me deeply, his hands fisting in my hair, claiming my mouth the way he claimed me in front of that whole ballroom.
When we finally come up for air, I'm flushed and breathless. "Bed?"
"Bed."
He carries me down the hall, into the bedroom, where he lays me down with a reverence that makes my breath catch. We fuck, then after we slow it down and make love. I come so many times that I'm pretty sure there’s not a drop of dopamine left in my brain.
