Page 146 of Ruin

The teams flood the ring.

I want in that ring. I want Zeus.

I look at Ares, and he must see it on my face as he grabs hold of me and lifts me over the barrier.

I hotfoot it to the ring, running up the steps.

“Zeus!” I cry.

His head swings around to me. He gives me that beautiful, cocky smile of his.

And I smile so big, my face might crack.

Then, I’m pushing past people to get to him. I reach him and jump into his arms, knowing that I will never leave them again.

We’re in the dressing room. Just me and Zeus. The doctor just left after finishing examining the cut under Zeus’s eye. Thankfully, it’s not too bad. It didn’t need stitches. He taped it up. But it still looks really swollen. He’s going to have one hell of a black eye.

Zeus is sitting on the examination table. I’m standing between his legs, his hands resting on my hips.

“So, I have something to tell you,” I say to him.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yep.”

“Good or bad?”

“I’d say, good.”

“Hit me with it.”

“No more hitting tonight, okay?” I quip.

He rumbles out a laugh. “No more hitting,” he agrees.

“Okay.” I take a fortifying breath, holding on to the courage I’ve been building up all day. “So, I think—”

I don’t get to finish that sentence because the door swings open, and in comes Marcel, surprisingly alone, but he doesn’t close the door.

Then, I spot a security guy standing outside the door.

Zeus’s whole body instantly tenses up, his grip on me tightening.

I couldn’t move if I wanted to, and I don’t. I want to stay exactly where I am, so hopefully, Marcel will get the message that he’s not wanted, and he’ll disappear.

Wishful thinking, I know.

But the fight is done. Zeus no longer has a contractual obligation to him.

“What do you want, Marcel?” Zeus barks.

“I just came to congratulate you on the win. You made us both a lot of money tonight.”

“You’re not welcome,” Zeus dryly tosses back.

But the words just bounce off Marcel. The guy has the hide of a rhino.

“Zeus, come on. I know we’ve recently had our differences. But we’re both man enough to see past that when there are bigger things at stake. Now that you hold all the championship titles, your value has just gone through the roof. If you stay with me, the fights I can bring in will make you richer than Mayweather.”