The past few weeks had felt like we were on such high alert that I hadn't been able to put my guard down. I found myself spending my free time with Daniel and Lucas just to make sure they were safe so I could relax.

I was lying down in Lucas's bedroom with my head on his lap as he sat with his back rested against the headboard. His fingers weaved their way through my hair and my eyes were closing slowly at the pleasant feeling that fluttered down my spine as a result. Daniel was in his room as he had taken to falling asleep while talking to Rebecca on the phone most nights.

"You know I get a pretty hefty prize if I win first place tomorrow," Lucas mused.

"When you win," I corrected, "And that's amazing. You deserve it."

"Maybe we should plan a vacation."

"Mmm," Was the only sound I could let out as Lucas's fingers brushed against my neck. "I'll have to give notice before I set off on a vacation."

"Details," Lucas dismissed with a wave of his hand.

"Are you going to use the money for Daniel's medical bills?" Lucas's gaze met mine and I realized he had never told me about his financial struggles. "Sorry, Daniel let me know."

"It's fine," he smiled, "Honestly, a lot of Daniel's bills have been paid off because of my underground fights. This will be enough to settle the final amount and have left to spare."

I didn't ask how much Daniel's bill was because if I had learned anything from working in a hospital for several months, it was that these bills were insane and many doctors pushed for unnecessary tests to wrack a higher amount for the patient. After letting a patient know privately that I didn't think the test was necessary, I was warned to back off from giving patients - even financially struggling ones - my medical opinion and that's when I quit.

I wouldn't be surprised if Daniel's medical bills were higher than 500,000. So I was aware of the financial burden that was on Lucas's shoulders, which is why I made sure not to say much about his underground fighting. He was struggling to stay afloat.

"Though I do wonder what else Daniel has told you about me," he frowned.

I laughed, "Only good things, I promise. And maybe a little bit of your checkered past with questionable bed partners," I teased.

"Oh God," Lucas groaned. I looked up and chuckled as Lucas used his thumb to scratch his jaw in embarrassment. His ears were slowly turning red. As he turned to look at me, his face was rife with embarrassment. "I swear I'm not that kind of guy."

I smiled up at him, "Lucas, it's fine. We all have our pasts."

"But it's important to me that you know I'm not that guy, Emily." He looked at me with such an earnest expression that I had to get up onto my elbows and place a light kiss on his lips.

"I know. You don't need to remind me that you're a good man, Lucas. I see it everyday."

His large hand rested at the back of my head, holding me close to his face as he peppered small kisses along my face, "Never as good as you," he murmured.

"What do you think you'll do after you win?" I asked as I lay back on his lap and stared into his mesmerizing eyes.

He cocked his head to the side, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, are you going to keep fighting? What do you do after you win middleweight champion of the world?"

"I guess some people keep fighting and others retire. I'm not sure what I'd like to do. I know I'm tired of fighting though," he admitted.

I ran my fingers up and down his arm, trailing his tattoos as I did so. "Was there anything you've ever really wanted to do?"

He thought for a moment, "My dad and I used to joke about opening a restaurant, but the only thing he could cook was chicken parm."

I smiled up at him, "That's so cute. I could see you opening a restaurant."

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Of course," I nodded. "I think you'd be great at it. I can help, you know. I used to be a server at a restaurant and I opened a lemonade stand when I was six so I'm a pretty efficient business owner, not to brag or anything."

He laughed, "I'll keep that in mind. I don't think I'd make a very good business owner. I don't know the first thing about it."

"You'd make a great one! And there's always classes to help you get the hang of it," I encouraged.

"That's just never been my kind of thing," he admitted.

Thoughts of what Lucas's mom had told him filtered back into my brain. "Lucas," I grabbed his chin and waited for him to look at me, "You are so talented. I don't have a single doubt in my mind that you can do this and do it well."

He gave me a half hearted smile, "I'm starting to realize that if you're around I'll feel like I'll be able to do anything."

"I mean if you want you can name the place after me. I won't fight you on it. Emily's place has a nice ring to it," I teased.

So quickly I wasn't even sure how it happened, he twisted me so that I was on my back and he was hovering over me. He held his weight with his forearms but I could still feel every ounce of him as he laid over me. I sometimes forgot how skilled of a fighter he was until he did things like this.

My heart fluttered as he trailed kisses on my neck, "Emily's place, huh?"

"Mmhm," I replied in a raspy voice, "Or Emily's Kitchen," I breathed out as his lips wandered lower and his hands explored every curve of my body.

"I love you," He murmured as his lips met mine fervently.

"I love you, too," I grinned, my lips against his.

Lucas checked up on Daniel who was snoring in his bed, a phone still attached to his ear. Lucas tucked a blanket on him lightly before shutting the door and motioning for me to follow him out. He held his hand out for me and we walked to his car to head to the gym for his final late gym tradition before his last fight.

"So, where would you like to travel to?" Lucas asked as he drove, one hand leaning against the top of the steering wheel lazily, the other interlaced with my hand.

"Where wouldn't I?" I laughed, "Italy, Australia, Ireland, Turkey, Spain, and New Zealand but partly to catch a glimpse of their prime minister because she's pretty badass. What about you?"

"Honestly, I'd go wherever you went," Lucas responded softly.

"Well, I'd want to go where you would have fun."

"I've heard great things about Jacinda Ardern."

"The prime minister of New Zealand?" I exclaimed excitedly, "Lucas Miller, you're a man after my own heart."

"It's already yours."

We reached the gym and he unlocked it before entering. We made our way into the back to his office. He flipped the switch on and I took a seat on the couch while Lucas prepared his home movies as had become our pre-game ritual.

He sat down next to me before retrieving a bag of skittles that he placed in my lap.

Travelling plans aside, we had spent all day ignoring the real facts about tomorrow being his final fight. That coupled with the fact that he was going to face Silva in person and I couldn't imagine the emotions that were running through him.

"How are you feeling about tomorrow?"

"I'm looking forward to taking something from him. For Daniel and for you. It's felt like this shadow has been looming over us for so long. I just want to move on."

I was glad I didn't hear Lucas talking about taking things any further. Moving on and getting retribution was healthy but revenge would lead Lucas down a dark road that he couldn't come back from. "And you're settled on just winning the match?"

He paused for a moment and played with my fingers, "I am. I'll try."

"We still have a vacation to plan," I reminded him lightly, though I hoped he heard my plea behind it.

He chuckled, his chest rumbling as I placed my head on it. He wrapped his arm around me and held me closer.

I watched Lucas's father on the TV going through some kind of training session with his coach.

"He'd be so proud of you, you know," I remarked as I watched the man on the screen, laughing and playfully punching his coach.

"I really hope he is. He would have been proud of Daniel, that's for sure."

I nudged his side with my elbow, "You should tell him that. I know he thinks about it."

"Yeah?" He asked curiously.

"Of course," I laughed. "Your brother's brain runs a mile a minute. You can be sure that he thinks about it often."

"He would have loved you," Lucas murmured, kissing my head.

"You think?" I beamed up at him.

"He used to tell me to find a woman who was far better than I was and work everyday to deserve her. You're her. You're it for me."

"You're it for me too, Lucas. I've never felt this way about anyone. So please be careful tomorrow. I know how difficult it's going to be for you. I wish I could help you somehow."

"Just you being here is enough. Everything feels lighter when you're around."

And I took whatever comfort I could from his words because I knew I was going to need them.

~~~~~~

Just a side note that Jacinda Ardern is actually badass. This is common information. I'd have qualms with not being from New Zealand if we didn't currently have a bearded Justin Trudeau to look at.

Also, not trying to shamelessly advertise or anything, *continues to shamelessly advertise* but the first two chapters of my werewolf story Untamed are out if you'd care to check them out! It would mean so much to me!