RAMSAY.

Sunday night, I was at my desk in my room when my phone buzzed.

Unknown: What are you doing for the night?

I frowned, sitting up and texting back.

Me: Who is this?

Unknown: Theresa. What are you doing tonight?

I glanced at the time.

Me: Studying. What are you doing?

Theresa: We’re heading out to watch a fight. Not Scout’s. A different guy. Want to come?

Me: Fight?

Theresa: MMA. It’s not the official league, but easier to explain it that way. We can swing by, pick you up. You can be back around 2, if you need to know. I’d offer some condolences if that’s too late, but you don’t strike me as a girl who cares about curfew.

She was right, but only because my mom was working nights. If she wasn’t, I’d be staying in and being a good daughter.

Me: I’m in.

Theresa: 20 minutes. Just come out when we pull in.

I didn’t answer because I was already up and dressing.

Theresa texting to invite me was a big deal.

After not hanging out with them Friday at the game, I hadn’t heard from them all weekend. Gem texted during the game to make sure I was cool. I’d told her a bit of the story with my apologies. She seemed okay, telling me to have fun. Then Clint and I had showed up at Scout’s uncle’s gym with the booze. The rest of the night had been a lot more chill than I’d thought it was going to be.

Scout was there, but he stayed with Cohen and Alex. Kira, Leanne, and Ciara floated between them. If they were hoping for some action, they were disappointed.

We hung out by the river and drank. The guys built a bonfire.

The girls took off around one in the morning, and after that, I let myself indulge in the booze. It felt good to shut everything off, even if it was just for a night, and I trusted who I was with. I didn’t quite remember the drive home, but I woke up the next morning in my aunt’s guest bedroom—the one in her she-shed.

Saturday had been hangover recovery day. We went for fast food, and I laid on my couch the rest of the afternoon.

Sunday was studying day for me.

I was all studied out.

My mom had been in and out, but it was her weekend to work, and she was still doing doubles. I cooked and cleaned and tried to help out, but I knew she was going to be dead on her feet tomorrow when she got home. We already had a plan to do movies in her bed. I couldn’t wait.

I remembered the crowd from Scout’s last fight, so I knew a bit more about how to dress.

I ended up with sneakers, my torn and faded leggings, a white tank top, and then a cropped little hoodie. The ends were ragged, matching my torn leggings, and it hung just under my breasts. My hair went back up in braids, and I wound them around my head. I considered the whole hoop earrings look, but in the end, I went basic—just left my face with natural makeup in earth tones and put two crystal rings on my fingers.

I wadded up some money, a credit card, and my ID and stuck everything into a zipped-up pocket, along with my lipstick and key. I’d keep my phone with me, but if I needed, there was room for that in the pocket too.

I had just gotten downstairs when car lights swept the house.

I headed out, locking the door behind me, and jogged over. It was a black Audi, the sports car version, and I didn’t know the guy driving.

Theresa waved from the front seat. She opened her window and called, “Back of me.”

I nodded, opening the door and sliding in. Another guy was in the backseat, and at the sight of me, he plastered himself against his door. “Well. Dayum, Theresa.” He gave me a once-over and a wicked grin. He held out a hand. “Malik. You’re Ramsay?”

I shook his hand.

Both guys were dressed in black T-shirts and black jeans. The guy driving had a smoky look on his face, his eyes a little lidded, like he wasn’t totally awake. I got the vibe he was very much awake.

Theresa leaned around her seat, popping a thumb in the driver’s direction. “This is Kunz, and you just met Malik.”

Malik had a very short crew-cut hair style with a fade on the sides. Bright dark eyes and high cheekbones. Kunz scared me. Malik made me want to smile. They were a full dichotomy.

“What up? I’m totally good with meeting you all over again.” He positioned himself facing me, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hands and blinking dramatically. “Ramsay, you say?”

“Malik, rest it,” Theresa told him. “The Maroney triplets are her cousins, and trust me when I say, they’re protective.”

He barely seemed to register what she’d said before leaning closer and lowering his voice, “Let’s pretend they’re not in the car with us. You and me, let’s get to know each other. Like a double date.”

“Malik!” Theresa leaned back to punch him on the shoulder. “I’m not kidding. I didn’t invite her out to get hit on by you the whole night.”

He leaned back, acknowledging her with a fake scowl as he smoothed his shirt where she’d hit him. “Excuse me. Why invite a woman, especially one this fine, if you’re not going to let me hit on her? That’s the whole point.”

She fought a grin. “Not tonight.” She gave me a rueful look. “Sorry about these two. They’ll calm down once we get to the fight. They’ll forget we even exist.”

Kunz had yet to say a word, but he was driving fast. I remembered Gem had told me Kunz drag raced, and as if feeling my gaze on him in the rearview mirror, he glanced up. He gave a small nod. “What’s up?”

Theresa’s head whipped to him when he spoke, and when she turned my way again, her smile was a little tight. “Gem was going to come with us, but since the fight is late, she needed to sneak out. Her mom caught her.”

“She’s in trouble?”

“It’ll be fine. She’ll be grounded for a night, but that’s about all my aunt has in her heart to do.” Her smile came back in full force. “I’m glad you came, and don’t worry about Malik. He’s a softie at heart.”

Malik pretended to scowl, cupping a hand over his chest. “You wound me, acting like I’m a good little boy. It’s like you don’t know me at all, Theresa Garcia.”

“A good boy is definitely not how I’d describe you,” Kunz drawled.

Malik flashed him a grin, relaxing in his seat and stretching his feet forward. “Thanks, buddy. You do know me.”

I caught the look that passed between the guys, and also the way Theresa tightened up.

I was starting to wonder if I should’ve asked more questions before hopping into the car.

Malik noticed me studying everyone, and his eyes turned knowing. “You’re a smart one, huh?” He leaned his head back against the seat.

I moved mine too, mirroring his position, and said softly, “Just not dumb. That’s all.”

His eyes flickered. “Well, then we’re really going to have a fun night.”

The fight was a little over an hour’s drive away, and we were forty minutes in when Kunz asked, “You know anything about fighting, Ramsay?”

We’d stopped at a gas station, and Theresa was still inside, getting snacks.

I shrugged. “Not really, no.”

“The Maroney triplets, huh?”

Malik had been focused on his phone, but he lifted his head, putting it away.

“Yeah.”

“They’re tight with Scout Raiden. You know Raiden?”

My vagina knew Raiden, but I just shrugged. “I know him a little. He’s friends with my cousins.”

“He’s a big name in the fighting world around here.”

“That’s what I’ve heard.”

I watched Kunz in the rearview mirror, and he watched me back, both ignoring how Malik’s gaze skirted between us. For some reason, this conversation was important, as if it mattered how Theresa’s whoever-he-was-to-her would categorize me in the aftermath. Someone to . . . what? Walk over? Respect? Pay attention to?

Kunz set the tone. He would set the tone moving forward. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I felt it in my bones.

“I lost a lot of money on him in his last fight.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You bet against him?”

He didn’t reply, but Malik sucked in some air, leaning back as if he could flatten himself against his seat.

“Hey!” Theresa jerked open the door and almost bounced inside. “I got a whole stash. Ramsay, what snacks do you like? I forgot to ask.” She divvied them up, tossing bags of Cheetos, chips, peanuts, jerky, and candy at each of the guys before pausing and looking my way. She frowned. “Wha–what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Kunz said tightly, starting the engine. “Shut your door. Let’s go.”

Theresa scrambled, shooting him a dark look. She fastened her seatbelt as he peeled out of the gas station’s parking lot and continued to glare at his profile. He ignored her, his jaw tightening.

Malik coughed, clearing the air. “Hey, uh, did you get those gummy bears?”

“Yeah.” She handed them back, but she was distracted. “Here you go. Ramsay, you want any of this? I got extra because I wasn’t sure what you’d like.”

I’d had some pasta for dinner. That was six hours ago so my stomach was growling again, but I wasn’t exactly hungry. I gave her a tight smile. “I’m good. Thank you.”

There was suspicion in her gaze as she took me in before nodding.

“Oh, score. I didn’t know they still made Boston Baked Beans. These are the best.” Malik thrust his fist in the air, a bag clenched inside. “Yeah, man. Good call, Theresa, on stopping for snacks.”

She gave him a smile. “No problem.” She sent Kunz another look before she began to tease Malik about some girl who might be at the fight tonight.

That took up the rest of the drive.

I was glad.

The fight was held in a warehouse-type building, similar to Scout’s. This one was out in the middle of nowhere. We’d been on back roads, winding up and down since we left the gas station. There was dense forest around us, but then we pulled onto a gravel road, behind about twenty other cars, and the drive got a lot slower. As we went up a steep hill, parking attendants directed us to a space in the grass, and after parking, I saw a bunch of other steel buildings set up. In the main one, the large doors were pulled open, showcasing the ring. Some chairs had been set up right by the ring, but after that, people were standing everywhere.

Malik and Kunz headed off in front of us, and Theresa caught my arm, slowing me down. “Did he say something to you at the gas station?”

I watched Kunz. He and Malik looked back our way. “No. Why?”

“It was weird when I came back with snacks. Why was it weird?”

“He asked about my cousins and brought up Scout.”

She pulled me to a stop, her fingers pressing into my arm. “What did he say about him?”

“About Scout?”

“Yeah.”

“That he lost some money on his last fight.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What else?”

“That was it. I asked him if he bet against Scout, and then you got into the car.”

“That was it?”

“Yeah.” I looked down at her hand still holding my arm.

She released me, stepping back. “Sorry. I—that’s weird. It was tense when I got in. I thought something else had happened.”

“Like what?”

She shook her head. “It’s nothing.” She started forward.

“Hey.” I grabbed her this time, holding her still. “You don’t actually know me. Going to something like this is something I’d do, but I’m not reckless. If something’s going on—something with your boyfriend and me or something with him and Scout—I need to know.”

She pressed her mouth into a tight line. “It’s fine. It’s nothing.”

She stepped forward again, but this time, I got in her way. “I mean it. Kunz might have tender moments with you, but he’s dangerous. I felt it as soon as I got in the car. I need to know what I’m stepping into here.”

“It’s nothing. I mean it.”

“Is there bad blood between him and Scout?”

She frowned, shaking her head. “What’s your fascination with Raiden? He was just a fighter he bet against. That’s it. You’re making this a bigger deal than it is.”

“Then why’d the car get so tense that you’re asking me about it twenty minutes later?”

“It’s nothing. For real. Yes, Kunz has a dangerous side to him, but he’s not as bad as you’re making him sound. He doesn’t know you, and you’re connected to the Maroney triplets. That makes you connected to Raiden. He’s probably just unsure how to proceed with you at the fight because Kunz has some enemies here. That’s all. Nothing really to do with you or Scout. Just Kunz getting the lay of the land.”

“Is this a fight Scout would come to?”

She shrugged, looking behind me to where the ring was set up. “I don’t know. Sometimes he comes, sometimes he doesn’t. If Scout’s here, he’s got a whole other group he hangs with. We don’t mix with them.”

“Why not?”

She bit down on her lip. “I can’t get into that. It’s not my business, but I didn’t invite you out for any of this. I swear. Kunz mentioned checking out this new fighter. Malik came without his brother, so that means it’s just meant to be an easygoing match to watch—nothing serious, or trust me, Malik’s twin would be here. Then I wouldn’t have come myself, let alone invite you.”

“Good to know about the twin.”

She shook her head. “You’ll never meet him, so don’t worry. If you do, it’ll be at one of Kunz’s parties, and if that’s the case, Gem and Alred will be with us. Totally different vibe.”

Right.

She went around me and caught up with the guys who were waiting just ahead. I heaved a big breath.

Had I made a mistake coming tonight?