"No," she interrupts. "Don't apologize."
Her eyes are wide, but it's not fear I'm seeing. It's something else. Something that makes my cock start to thicken again despite the fact that we're surrounded by people.
"Don't apologize," she repeats, softer this time. "No one's ever—" She stops. Takes a breath. "No one's ever protected me like that before."
"I will.” I say, and I mean it, "How did he know you were here?"
"I don't know." Her voice is small now, worried. "I don't know how he always knows where I am."
That's a problem. A serious fucking problem. But not one we can solve standing in this basement with a hundred people around us.
"Come on," I say. "Let's get out of here. Get some air."
Chapter 8 - Chloe
I follow him.
Through the crowd of people still buzzing about the fight, past the biker who let me in and now looks mildly concerned until Cole gives him a single shake of his head that seems to communicate everything necessary, up the stairs and through the gym and out into the cold night air.
He doesn't care who sees us leave together.
That's what strikes me as we walk. He's just Rampage, the undefeated champion, the most feared fighter in the Pit, the man everyone came here to watch, and he's walking out with me. A younger, chubby accountant in glasses who probably looks like someone's kid sister, and he doesn't give a single fuck what anyone thinks about it.
He doesn't slow his pace to match mine. Doesn't look around to see if anyone's watching. Doesn't show even a flicker of concern about what people might say seeing him leave with someone like me. He just moves with that same purposeful intensity he had in the ring, and I have to walk quickly to keep up.
My heart is still racing.
It hasn't slowed down since the moment Daniel appeared next to me. Since I looked up and saw him there, too close, invading my space the way he always does, and felt that familiar combination of fear and helplessness wash over me. I kept telling him to leave. Kept saying no. And he kept talking like my words didn't matter, like if he just explained himself enough times I'd suddenly understand and take him back.
And then Cole was there.
I've never seen anyone move that fast. One second Daniel was leaning in, trying to touch my arm, and the next second hewas against the wall with Cole's forearm across his throat and murder in Cole's eyes.
He lifted him like Daniel weighed nothing.
Just grabbed him by the collar and yanked him off his feet and slammed him into the wall with enough force that I heard the impact over the crowd noise. Daniel is six feet tall, probably one-ninety. And Cole moved him like a ragdoll.
God, he's so fucking strong.
The thought hasn't left my head. Keeps playing on repeat while we walk. He's so strong. Could he lift me like that? Could he pin me against a wall the same way, hold me there with one arm while his other hand—
Stop.
I can't think like this. Not right now. Not when I'm still shaking from seeing Daniel, still processing what just happened, still trying to figure out how Daniel even knew I was here.
We reach the parking lot. It's mostly empty now except for a handful of cars belonging to people still in the basement.
"Did you drive or take the bus?" Cole asks.
"I drove."
"Show me your car."
I lead him to my sedan, parked near the back of the lot where I thought it would be safest. He walks around it slowly, his eyes scanning every inch.
"You never figured out how he always knows where you are, right?"
"Yeah. I have no idea. I just thought he was... I don't know. Following me somehow. Or guessing."
