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I’m saved from answering when an announcement comes over the speaker system.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats.”
“That’s our cue,” Sugar says, linking her arm through Lollie’s. “Call me tomorrow, I have a case I want you to look at.”
“No problem.” I reply as I look around at the moving crowd. “I’ll meet you down there. I’m going to corral the kids.”
“Good luck.”
* * *
“I still can’t believe you guys talked me into keeping the throne. Not only that, but adding four more,” I complain as I watch Blink and Vega beat the shit out of each other, warming the crowd up before the main event.
“A queen and her kings have to sit somewhere,” Law whispers in my ear, making me jump.
“You made it.” I smile as he sits on the other side of me.
“Traffic was a nightmare, but you know I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
“You came in a helicopter.” I deadpan.
“I still had to get to the damn heliport. I think we need to get one installed on top of the gym,” he states before leaning forward. “Hey, Graves, who’d you put your money on?”
“Blink. You?”
“Vega. Unlike me, the guy missed out on his morning sex, so he’s feeling salty today.”
“Shit, wish I’d have known that before.”
I swear since Law moved in, they’ve all been trying to one up each other. Maybe I should stop putting out altogether.
I almost laugh out loud. Yeah right, like that’s going to happen.
“You guys are dicks.” I shake my head and pick out my friends in the crowd, cheering the guys on. Dulce is sitting on Hunter’s lap while Cain feeds her pretzels, Aslanov watching over them all protectively. Lollie and Sugar are standing up, yelling like they are at a football game, drawing the attention of all the men around them. The same men that are oblivious to both Sugar and Lollie’s security teams watching them.
Dragging my eyes from them, I spot my kids—as I’ve affectionately begun to think of them—cheering from the other side of the arena. The only quiet ones are Kenzie, who is tucked under Dwayne’s arm, and Mazie, who is leaning her head on her friend Laura’s shoulder.
I keep my eyes on her for a second, making sure she’s okay. When she laughs at something Josh says from the other side of her, I figure she’s alright.
A bell rings, signaling the end of the round. Hank walks out to both Vega and Blink, tossing each of them a bottle of water before slapping them both on the back and walking away.
As if feeling my eyes on him, he turns at the last minute and looks at me. He offers me a wink before disappearing once more.
A smart man once said to me that I was more than what happened to me. Hateful words marked me, bullies’ hands bruised me, and the man who should have raised me up, beat me down over and over again.
But I stood up. I fought back. And look at me now, a queen on a throne, surrounded by my men and the family I chose. The family I deserve.
Yes, Hank is a very smart man indeed.
