Page 130 of Ruin

The instant I say her name, I feel his muscles slacken in his arm, and I know I’ve reached him.

“Please, Zeus,” I beg again.

His eyes turn to mine. The look in them…I’ve seen that look on him only one time outside of the ring, and it was when that guy was hitting on me in that club, the night Zeus got the scar on his eyebrow.

“You’re choking him,” I say with urgency as the guy gasps for air. “Just let him go, and we can go home together. Just me and you.”

I can see the war he’s having in his mind. A few seconds later, his hand comes from around the guy’s throat, and he drops to the floor on his hands and knees, sucking in gulps of air.

Zeus stares down at him. His voice is low and terrifying when he says, “You ever come near Cam again, even breathe in her direction, or imply some shit that you know ain’t true, and I’ll come after you. And there won’t be a fucking soul on earth who’ll be able to stop me. Do you hear me?”

The pap gasps out, “I hear ya.”

Zeus yanks open the passenger door. “Get in,” he barks at me.

I practically jump to attention and get in the car.

Zeus is in the driver’s side moments later, and then we’re peeling out of there.

The anger rolling off him is palpable. It’s stifling in the confined space of his car. I feel like I’m the one choking now.

I know I should say something, but I don’t know what to say.

We drive back to his apartment in that thick cloud of silence.

Zeus is still living at the apartment until his lease is up in just over a month, and then he’ll move into the house. In the meantime, he’s going to start work on the house, getting it ready—a new kitchen fitted, decorating the place up, buying furniture, basically making it a home.

Zeus said he wants my input on the decor, as it’s my home, too, and I’ll be living there soon enough, so I should like how it looks. I didn’t argue with the “soon enough” comment because I know Zeus and how he gets when he sets something in his mind. Truthfully, the more I think about living with him, about us finally being a family, the more I feel comfortable with the idea—maybe even a little excited.

Though, right now, excitement is the last thing I’m feeling. Worry, trepidation…yep, definitely feeling those.

He parks the car outside his building. Turns off the engine. But makes no move to get out of the car.

He’s sitting there. Hands curled around the steering wheel, eyes staring straight ahead.

I unclip my seat belt and shift in my seat to face him. “Zeus,” I softly say his name.

“I wanted to hurt him.” Dark eyes turn to mine. “I really wanted to fucking hurt him.”

“I know,” I say quietly. “And you did hurt him. You hurt his pride. I’m pretty sure you broke his camera. And you definitely scared the shit out of him.”

I smile, but he doesn’t react. The smile fades from my face.

“After what happened with Scott”—he blows out a breath—“things started to look different. The hunger to fight…it didn’t seem so important anymore. But then…in that moment, that asshole was Marcel along with every fucking journalist out there who’s said something bad about you. He was every regret and mistake I’ve made with you. He was five years without you. He was missing out on Gigi’s start in life.”

My eyes fill with tears, and I reach for his hand.

“I wanted to hurt him, Cam…but I wanted to hurt myself more.”

“Zeus…”

“You’re better off without me,” he says. “I should never have come back.”

A tear spills down my cheek. “Is this you giving up on us again?”

“No.” Remorseful eyes move to mine. “But you should give up on me. I’m no good for you, Dove. I’m no good for anyone.”

I climb over the console, straddling his lap, and take his face in my hands. “Bullshit. You listen to me, Zeus Kincaid. I have loved you for nine years. Five of them, I spent without you, and not once did my feelings for you diminish or stop. You are good for me. We’re only good together. This is just another bump in the road for us. We’ve gotten over bigger. And we’ll get over this one.”