Lena

You know how some mornings you wake up and have this feeling that everything is going to change? That was me this morning. It's the day of Jase's championship fight and also the day of my interview with Englewood. To say I was shocked when they called and requested to meet with me would be an understatement. I was astounded. I honestly believed I'd burned all my bridges when I quit my job after those damning articles were published. I even asked the intern who contacted me to double check she had the right person.

And that's why it's totally surreal to be sitting opposite Maria Englewood, wearing a stylish yet respectable pantsuit and discussing the possibility of my future employment at her firm. Maria Englewood is one of the most distinguished women I've ever met. She's slightly shorter than average, with dark hair in a sleek topknot. Her dress is designer but not flashy, and she has this way of weighing every word she says that gives the impression she's always the smartest person in a room.

To be fair, she's definitely the smartest person in this room. I can only aspire to her heights. She represents female CEOs, politicians, and other power houses, and also has a pro bono legal clinic that specializes in domestic and family law. In short, she rocks, and I want to work for her. Hell, I want to be her.

"Lena," she says, after we've been through the standard interview questions and I've somehow answered them without turning into a total fangirl, although I've had to rest my hands in my lap so she can't see them shaking. "I admit, I wasn't sure how this conversation would go. Your experience isn't directly in line with what we do here, but I love your passion. You have the kind of fire and enthusiasm we need at Englewood."

Oh. My. God. Did Maria Englewood just compliment me?

My head swims and I'm dangerously close to crying happy tears.

"Thank you," I reply.

She folds her hands in front of her and cocks her head, studying me with intelligent eyes. "There's just one more thing I need to ask about."

My stomach sinks. She wants to know about the debacle with Jase. Of course she does. It makes me look like a liability.

"I respect you, Lena, so I'm going to come straight out and ask. What happened with Jase Rawlins?"

There it is. The kiss of death. I'm done before I even have a chance.

"That situation was messy," I say. "I didn't want to take on Jase as a client, but I was pressured into it. Everything was going well until Monday, and you'll have seen that the woman responsible publicly apologized yesterday and withdrew charges." I sigh, and decide I may as well throw myself fully off the cliff. "The truth is, I fell in love with him." Her expression is impossible to read, so I power on. "I don't want you to think I make a habit of hooking up with clients. This was a one-time thing. Jase is special."

Maria nods, still not giving anything away. Then she finishes her glass of water and shuffles her papers into a stack. Is she dismissing me?

When she stands, I do too. "Thank you for the opportunity." I head for the door. As I open it, her voice stops me.

"Lena, I'll see you at eight a.m. on Monday."

Wait, what?

I glance over my shoulder, and she smiles at me. "Welcome aboard."

"Oh my gosh," I stammer. "Thank you. I'll be here."

I walk out with my spirits so high I could touch the ceiling. I have a new job. I'm finally going to be working with the type of clients I want. My idol just gave me a second chance. Slumping against the elevator wall, I stare at the ceiling. Maria Englewood won't regret hiring me. I'll make sure of it. I'm going to be the best new recruit ever.

By the time I reach my apartment, I'm still soaring, but I come to a halt when I spot two men loitering by my door. My heart leaps to my throat. I take one step, then another, relaxing when I recognize Devon. He's with Gabe, and they both look up as I approach.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, trying to sound casual but missing the mark. "Does this have something to do with Jase? Is he okay?"

"We're here to take you to the fight," Devon says without his usual grin. In fact, everything about their body language says they're both on edge. "Put on your prettiest dress. We've got half an hour before we need to go."

"I'm not sure I understand." I slot the key into the lock and turn it. They both hustle inside. "Jase clearly said he didn't want to see me, so I wish him luck, but I'm not coming with you. I don't want to distract him."

I'd already planned to sit alone in bed and stuff my mouth with ice cream while streaming the fight online. The thought of watching him in the ring makes me sick to my stomach, but equally, there's no way I'd be doing anything else. I need to know what happens, and whether he's safe at the end.

"Oh, you're coming," Gabe tells me, grabbing me by the shoulders and looking me in the eye. "We've arranged everything. All you need to do is get ready, and we'll take care of the rest."

"But I—"

"No buts," Devon interrupts, glancing at the clock on the wall. "We need to be with our brother soon to help him prepare, which means you need to get a move on." He made a shooing motion. "Go."

Sensing that they'll drag me to the fight in my interview outfit if I don't do as they ask, I hurry to the bedroom and throw open my closet, searching the racks for something sexy but casual, and which another man didn't buy for me. I won't make that mistake again. Settling on a classic little black dress, I strap on some heeled sandals and darken my eyeliner, then wipe off my neutral lipstick and replace it with my favorite red. Ready, I let them sweep me out of the apartment.

A sleek sedan is waiting at the curb, and they guide me to it. We're mostly quiet during the drive, although I do my best to uncover their plan. The way they shrug and grunt makes me wonder if they even have one. Once we arrive at the venue, a guard lets us in the rear entrance, where the fighters are getting ready. Devon leads the way to a closed door with "Rawlins" scrawled in marker across it. Gabe stays by my side, but nods to the woman waiting in the hall. She's gorgeous, with brown skin, crinkled hair, and curves for days. She's also wearing a Jase Rawlins supporter hoodie, with his face and "The Wrangler" stamped on the front. When we reach her, Gabe stuns me by dropping a kiss on her cheek.

He turns to me. "Lena, this is my best friend, Sydney. You're going to hang with her tonight." Without further ado, he and Devon enter the room and leave Sydney and I in the corridor.

She offers me a smile. "Call me Syd. You must be Lena." She scans me up and down, but not in an unfriendly way. "Gabe's told me a lot about you."

He has? He hardly seems the chatty type.

"Best friend, huh?" I ask, because based on the way her cheeks flushed when he kissed her, she's into him as more than a friend.

But she just nods. "Yeah, Gabe and I go way back. Come on, I'll show you to our seats." As we walk, she talks. "Gabe and I grew up in the same neighborhood and went to the same schools." She sighs. "We used to be inseparable."

I have to increase my pace to keep up. Though she's shorter than me, Sydney can move fast. "Used to be?"

She slants me a wry look. "The only thing he's inseparable from these days is his boxing gloves. I don't know if you've noticed, but MMA is more than a sport or a job to these guys. It's an obsession."

"Yeah, I'm getting that impression."

She pushes an unmarked door and suddenly we're in the arena. It's massive, with a high ceiling, grandstands, and a cage in the center. The seats are starting to fill, and the atmosphere is buzzing with excitement. It hits me now how real this is. Before long, Jase is going to walk the aisle between the seats and enter the ring. He'll face off against Karson, and you can bet your ass they're both going to bring the pain.

I'm not sure if I can handle this.

"Oh, shit. I can't." I stop walking, and Sydney spins to face me.

"It's okay," she says, reaching over to thread her fingers through mine. "I know what you're going through. I've been there. But you need to remember that our boys are tough. Jase has trained harder for this fight than any other, and if you've ever seen him, you know he usually kicks ass. Gabe says it's like he's possessed."

She squeezes my hand, and I pray my palm isn't too sweaty because she's being really nice and I don't want to pay her back by perspiring all over her.

"Jase will give everything he has out there, and you have to have faith it'll be enough." Her lips kick up. "Think you can do that? If not, tell me now because I also snuck in a flask of tequila and a pair of tinted glasses." She leans closer and murmurs, "They're great for pretending to watch when you're really shitting yourself."

Her honesty startles a laugh from me. "I think I'll be okay," I tell her. "But you're kind of great, did you know that?"

She flashes her perfect teeth. "I try."

My legs release from their knee-lock and I follow her to a pair of reserved seats immediately in front of the cage. Possibly the best seats in the entire place.

I whistle. "Impressive."

"I know, right?. The boys always make sure I get to watch in style."

We sit, and Sydney draws a copy of the fight card from her purse, passing it to me. I scan the names, quickly finding the only one I care about.

"Jase is last." That means I have to sit through every undercard fight before we get to him. The nerves are going to kill me.

"That's because he's the main event. It's a big honor for him."

"I know, but that doesn't make me any less queasy."

She slings an arm around me. She's a very touchy person, which reminds me of Breanna, and I instinctively like her more for it. A subtle scent washes over me. What is that? I sniff.

"It's disinfectant," she explains, and I immediately feel like a weirdo for being so obvious about it. "I'm a surgical resident at Sunrise Hospital."

"That's awesome." She must be crazy smart.

Sydney shakes her head. "No, awesome is what you did for Jase."

"Thanks." I'm a little uncomfortable with her compliment, but it's sweet. "You know what?" I ask. "I've got a good feeling about you. I think we're going to be friends."

She grins back. "I agree."

We settle in and it doesn't take long before thefirst fight is announced. The ball of tension in my gut winds tighter, and Iprepare myself for a long evening.