The Fight for Forever Read online

  Kelsey looks her up and down. “You might look like that right now, but not when you’re dressed in black leather from head to toe.”

  “Can we move this inside? I’m starving,” Harlow says, patting her belly. “I’m practicing eating for two, because Jimmy and I decided we want to try to get pregnant.”

  “Oh my God!” Monroe squeals.

  “Holy shit.” Kelsey gasps. “That’s like . . . serious shit.”

  Warmth floods my system, and my cheeks hurt from how wide my smile stretches as I stare at Harlow in wonder. “That is officially the best news of the entire day. I am so excited for you both.”

  She gives us a tiny shrug. “I’m excited, but also terrified. Can you imagine me as a mother? I have absolutely no idea what to do with a baby, but I can’t seem to shake this feeling that I need to do it.”

  “You’ll be an amazing mom, Har-har. I know it,” Monroe says with a look of absolute bliss. “And I’m going to spoil the shit out of this baby and be the best auntie ever.”

  “Thank you, guys. I’ll tell the hostess we’re all here,” Harlow says.

  As soon as we’re seated at the table, placed our orders, and have talked about all things baby with Harlow, Kelsey glances in my direction.

  “I heard Curated was bananas yesterday after Meryl Fosse posted a pic of something she bought for her daughter. I literally danced in my kitchen when I saw it. I know you’ve been trying to get her as a client forever, Scar. That’s so huge.”

  I wipe my mouth and take a long sip of water before replying. “She came by after the gala, and we really hit it off. I had no idea the reason she was so resistant to Curated was because she and my mom had tension before my parents were married.”

  Monroe smiles and waves to our server, her bloody mary almost gone. “No shit?”

  “Yeah, I guess my mom thought my dad was into her or something. And it’s quite possible he was.”

  “Talk about red-flag warning for your mom about your dad,” Harlow whispers with her eyebrows rising. “But, obviously, I’m glad they still got together, because we got you out of the deal.”

  My smile comes and goes. “Definitely, but it was hard to hear from someone who wasn’t a big fan of my mom. I feel like I’ve been putting her up on a pedestal since she passed, making her seem like a saint, when she was only human like the rest of us.”

  “Oh, honey.” Kelsey reaches across the table to cover my hand with hers. “Of course you have been. That’s what we do with good people we lose too soon. Your mom was an awesome woman who changed all of our lives through her work. She was an icon. Whatever flaws she might have had are irrelevant at this point. You’re honoring her legacy, and that’s exactly what you need to keep doing.”

  “Agreed,” Harlow says with a sympathetic pout. “Besides, it doesn’t matter anymore if you and Meryl are straight. You should remember your mom exactly the way you want to.”

  I make a mental note to bring it up with Dr. Grand at my next appointment, even though it’s not really her specialty. Then I change the subject.

  “Okay, Monroe. You’re up. How did the conversation with Nate go? I’ve been dying to hear good news from you all week, but you’ve been quiet.”

  All eyes cut to Monroe, and hers lock on me.

  “Okay. So . . . your boyfriend gives the best relationship advice in the history of the world, as far as I’m concerned.”

  I press my palms together like I’m about to pray. “Thank God.”

  “Wait, catch me up,” Flynn says before she pops a chunk of potato into her mouth.

  “I thought Nate was cheating on me. I went to his away game, followed the team around, and saw them leave with a woman.” She grimaces, but I urge her on with a wink. “Then I barged into his hotel room and searched it for her . . . but she wasn’t there. Nate told me if we didn’t have trust, we didn’t have a reason to be married.”

  “Ouch,” Flynn whispers in response to Monroe’s matter-of-fact recitation of what went down.

  “Yeah, it sucked a big fat donkey dick, and I thought my marriage was over. So I ran to Scarlett’s and found Gabriel in her kitchen—in a towel, because he just moved in with her, I must add—and he gave me the best advice ever.”

  “What advice?” Kelsey asks as she reaches for her water.

  “To be honest with Nate and tell him why I’m such a nut job.”

  “You’re not a nut job,” Harlow says with a shake of her head. “You’ve been hurt before. It’s understandable.”

  “You told him everything?” I ask.

  Monroe nods. “I told him everything. All six times I’ve been cheated on since I started dating at fifteen. Why I’m afraid he’ll cheat on me too.” Her typically perfect posture slips as her emotions begin to show. “That I really love him and I don’t want to lose him, but I’m afraid he’s going to find some younger, prettier model and trade me in like all the others have.”

  My heart clenches in response to Monroe’s statement, because I never realized how much she’s kept her scars hidden from us. She’s always been the fun girl, the life of the party, the one willing to do anything on a dare. But inside . . . I can’t help but think she’s been looking for belonging and security all along.

  Then again, aren’t we all?

  “Oh, honey.” Kelsey rises from her chair and walks around the table to wrap Monroe in a hug. “I’m so proud of you for putting it all out there. No matter what happened, that was brave of you, and totally a bold move.”

  “I know.” Monroe’s lower lip wobbles. “Nate was pretty shocked too, but he was incredible. I cried, and he held me and told me I never had to worry about that with him, because he doesn’t want anyone but me, exactly as I am. He loves me so much, you guys. I had no idea because I’ve always told myself that he’s just saying it because he was expected to. But he really loves me. He told me he’d retire from baseball if that’s what I wanted.”

  My mouth drops open. “You’re kidding.”

  Monroe sniffs and looks up, blinking away her unshed tears. “No, for real. He said that he knows as long as he keeps playing, the job will put a lot of strain on our marriage, and he loves me enough to walk away from it all.”

  Tears stream down Harlow’s cheeks. “Goddammit, you’d think I was already pregnant. What the hell is wrong with me?”

  Kelsey slings her arm around Harlow’s shoulder too. “You’re a great fucking friend, that’s what’s wrong with you. God, you guys. Look at us working out our problems like adults and shit. I’m so proud of you, Monroe.” Kelsey kisses her on the cheek and then straightens to pull a tissue from her pocket and hands it to Harlow. “It probably has some concealer on it, but you’re still leaking, so use it.”

  Harlow dabs at her cheeks. “Is he going to retire then? Did you two decide?”

  “I’m not going to let him walk away from doing what he loves because of me. Not until he’s ready. Besides, I like being a player’s wife. It might be even more fun now that I’m not worried that he’s going to pick up a cleat chaser at every game if I’m not there.”

  “Good, and I’m not saying that just because Jimmy would be devastated because Nate’s arm has plenty of good years left,” Harlow says.

  Monroe smooches the air at our friend. “Har-har, I love you. We’d better all be co-godmothers to that little rug rat you’re going to have.”

  Kelsey returns to her seat with a laugh. “No offense, but I wouldn’t even know what to do with a godchild until she’s old enough to play with makeup. So you don’t need to worry about me.”

  Harlow’s gaze cuts to me. “Don’t think we missed the part about Gabriel Legend moving in with you, Scarlett. Is that for real? Is that why you’ve got a beefy new security guy instead of just your normal car service?”

  I glance out the front plate-glass windows to where Pat sits in the parked SUV. “Uh, well . . . that’s complicated.”

  All four women stare me down. Apparently, Monroe’s out of the hot seat and it’s my t
urn.

  “You didn’t tell me Legend moved in,” Flynn says with an accusing undertone. “And I was just at Curated. Are you keeping it a secret or something?”

  “No, it’s just . . . well, with this fight coming up, we had to shore up security.”

  Kelsey narrows her eyes on me. “I feel like there’s something big you’re not telling us.”

  I think about the scene from last week in Gabriel’s office when Moses had a gun to Bump’s head. Do I tell them? Don’t I?

  I make the decision on the fly. “Someone from Gabriel’s past came back and threatened him. We’re not taking chances right now. That’s all.”

  “Shit,” Harlow whispers. “The fight has been getting a ton of publicity now that the deal has been inked. That makes perfect sense.”

  I’m not going to correct her or elaborate on her assumption.

  “Are you safe? Like really safe? Or do we need to be worried about you?” Monroe’s acrylic nails tap nervously on the Formica table, and the waitress appears with our refills.

  We’re all quiet as she replaces our empties, and we thank her when she’s finished. As soon as the waitress is gone, all eyes are on me again.

  “I’m fine. I’m not worried.”

  Harlow still looks skeptical, but they don’t push me any further on that subject.

  “We’re here for you, babe. Whatever you need. And just so you know, Jimmy is getting us two tickets to the fight, so I’ll be there if you need me.”

  I could hug her for her solidarity. “Thank you.”

  “Wait, I want to come too,” Monroe says.

  “And me.” Kelsey raises her hand. “Actually, I need two. My brother will be all over this shit.”

  “This is bullshit that you have to be twenty-one to get in,” Flynn grumbles. “I have a fake ID. Just tell that tall, dark, and asshole sidekick of Legend’s to let me into the club. I shouldn’t have to miss it just because an accident of birth makes me a few months too young.”

  I bump her in the shoulder. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Do we have a look planned for fight night?” Kelsey asks. “Because you’re going to need to be straight-up fire for him.”

  “Gunter is making me a dress. He called yesterday and insisted. I was kind of shocked, to be honest.”

  Kelsey claps her hands together. “Hell yes. Gunter won’t steer you wrong. This is going to be fabulous.”

  “If you get me a ticket and promise me I won’t get kicked out, I’ll give you the number of the hacker I got last night,” Flynn blurts out.

  My chin jerks in her direction. “You found someone?”

  “Wait, why do we need a hacker?” Monroe whispers to Harlow.

  Flynn crosses her arms over her chest. “Because Scarlett’s troll came at me this week, and it’s time to bring that asshole down. No more screwing around. If the cops can’t find him, we will.”

  “Thank God,” Kelsey says as she forks up a bite of pancake. “I’m so damn tired of that piece of crap ruining Scarlett’s day.”

  Flynn smiles at her, and it’s all teeth. “Not for much longer.”

  After we finish breakfast, we all spill out of the restaurant onto the sidewalk with lots of hugs and promises to do it again next week at the same time and same place. I’m totally free for that, considering Gabriel is training like crazy.

  Flynn hugs me good-bye and heads off down the sidewalk, and then Harlow and Monroe hop into Harlow’s town car, leaving Kelsey and me alone near the entrance. Pat is already out of the SUV, waiting by the door, and I hold up a finger to let him know I’ll be a moment.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? Because I don’t like the idea of you needing security and not telling us how serious these threats are.”

  I meet Kelsey’s deep brown, almost black, gaze. “The guy that came back from Gabriel’s past is pretty scary, Kels. I don’t know what he’s capable of, but we know that he’s probably not going to do anything before the fight.”

  “How could you know that?”

  “Because he’s betting on Gabriel to lose.”

  Kelsey’s eyebrows shoot to her hairline. “Legend’s going to throw the fight?”

  I shake my head. “No. He’s not. Which is why we have to be prepared for whatever happens next.”

  “Shit, girl. This is heavy stuff. Why didn’t you tell me sooner? You know I’m always here for you.”

  “Because it’s not really my stuff to tell. And I didn’t want Monroe or Harlow to spread it around. They wouldn’t on purpose, but . . .”

  “I remember what happened last time. I get it. I do. But, still, that shit is scary. You have to be careful. If there’s anything I can do to help, all you have to do is ask.”

  “I know, and I love you even more for that. Come on, let me and Pat give you a ride home. Gabe’s training all day, so I’ve got time.”

  “Oh . . . training. That sounds sweaty and deliciously hot.”

  The memory of what happened in the gym after I put Lucy in her place blasts into my brain. “Oh, girl, you have no idea.”

  Twenty-Five

  Legend

  Bump is practically vibrating with excitement in the back of the SUV as we head to a carnival at the center for kids that Meryl Fosse runs.

  I was on the fence about Bump coming along, but Scarlett made a good case for bringing him with us.

  “What if he can have a positive impact on the lives of some of those kids? Meryl wouldn’t keep inviting him if she didn’t see potential in him. He loves working for you, but it would be cool for him to have something of his own too.”

  Give Bump an even more well-rounded life than he currently has? Yeah, it wasn’t hard to get me to agree to that.

  “You think they’ll have Skee-Ball? Will it be like the arcade? I’m really good at Skee-Ball, remember?”

  Scarlett shifts in her seat to smile at him. “I’m sure they’ll have all sorts of games. Even if they don’t have Skee-Ball, you’ll find one that you’re really good at.”

  “I hope so. But, mostly, I want to know if they have good prizes. What’s the point of working hard to win if the prize isn’t good?”

  Bump’s succinct view on effort and winning knocks a chuckle loose from me. “Yeah, Bump. You’re right about that. The prize has got to be worth the hustle.”

  “I’m a good hustler. Isn’t there a song about that?”

  I reach for Scarlett’s hand and squeeze as we take the tunnel from Jersey and are officially back in Manhattan.

  “Yeah, bud. There is. Why don’t you tell Scarlett what you’ve been doing with Mike and Joanie?”

  “I’ve been doing so much stuff. Big Mike let me push the button to crush a car yesterday. I worked really hard all week, and he finally said I could do it. You should’ve heard the crash. It was awesome. And Joanie made enchiladas last night and let me eat a whole jalapeño. It was so hot. I thought my mouth was on fire. I didn’t eat any more after that. But Big Mike told me that I’d learn to like them; I just need some more Puerto Rican blood.” His brow bunches, but he’s wearing a half grin. “I don’t know how I get that, but I sure do want it.”

  “Ah . . . I don’t know how you get that either, bud. You’re gonna have to ask Big Mike,” I reply, but Bump is already on to the next topic, and it reminds me of how damn much I love this guy. This is the longest we’ve been apart in over fifteen years, and I’ve missed the hell out of him.

  “I wish Roux was here. I miss her,” Bump says with a slight frown. He’s been away from her all week, and I wondered how he’d do with the separation. “She misses me too, doesn’t she?”

  “Of course she does,” Scarlett says. “She’s been my shadow every day she’s with me. Whenever I move from one room to another, she comes with me.”

  “Roux is a good girl. I’m glad she’s with you a lot. She’ll keep you safe. Moses won’t get you if Roux is there. Not like he got me.”

  A stab of regret rips through me when he says Moses’s name. I’ll nev
er forgive myself for leaving Bump vulnerable to Moses for the second time.

  I turn in my seat and face the back. “Are you sleeping okay? Have you had nightmares?”

  “I had one, but when I told Big Mike, he knew how to cure it.”

  “What did he do?”

  Bump bites down on his lip and speaks through a closed mouth. It comes out a mumble, but it sounds like, “I can’t tell you.”

  “Did Big Mike ask you to keep it a secret?”

  Bump nods three times. For a second, I think he’s going to hold out on me, but he can’t do it. He opens his mouth and blurts out, “He took me to a titty bar, and I got a lap dance, and then I didn’t think about anything but Kitty’s pink pussy after that.”

  Hal chokes in the driver’s seat as Scarlett slaps a hand over her mouth to cover her laughter.

  I close my eyes for a beat and send up a prayer to the heavens for the Quinterro family. I owe Mike and Joanie a ton for keeping an eye on Bump, and even more for treating him just like he’s one of their own.

  “You’re not gonna tell him I told you, are you? Because I really want to go back. Kitty was so pretty, Gabe. She had brown hair, and even though I couldn’t touch it, it smelled so good.”

  “I’m not gonna tell him you told me. You know I got you, Bump.”

  His grin threatens to split his face wide open. “It was even more fun than Skee-Ball, and that’s a lot of fun.”

  Scarlett changes the subject back to the carnival, and Bump latches onto it and leaves the stripper talk alone—for now. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing more about it sooner rather than later. There’s no way in hell he gets his first lap dance from a stripper named Kitty without wanting to go back and do it again . . . and again . . . and again.

  Big Mike might have just created a monster, but I’m not going to fault him for it if it got Bump’s mind off Moses.

  Hell, I might as well just go change a hundred for a fat stack of ones just in case he has another nightmare. Maybe Big Mike is a goddamned genius.