Page 59 of Deviant Reign (Knight's Ridge Empire 6)

Spinning around, I gift him a look at my front.

“Holy—” he breathes as his eyes zero in on my rack. I get it, my cleavage is killer in this.

“You a pussy, Cirillo?”

His eyes lift to mine and I swallow thickly, trying not to allow the look of pure desire on his face to affect me.

“Worried the MC princess is better than the mafia prince?”

He takes a step forward, closing the space between us, but I quickly take one back.

“Worried? Never. I think we both know who’s going to win this,” he says arrogantly, continuing to move closer.

He sheds his own hoodie and I instantly realise that he’s playing me just as much as I am him when he doesn’t stop there and drags his t-shirt off as well.

“Fuck, Theo,” I gasp, taking in the bruising that didn’t look half as bad in that photo last night. “You shouldn’t be—”

My words are cut off when my back collides with the ring and he steps right into my space.

“Don’t let my bruises put you off, babe. I can still have you beneath me in seconds. I’d put money on you begging my name too.”

My chest heaves, my breasts brushing against him with every breath I take.

“You’re delusional.” It’s meant to be a vicious comeback, but honestly, it sounds more like I’m well on my way to that begging he wants.

“You could call me worse,” he quips, leaning closer and pressing the length of his body against mine. My eyes drop to his lips, thinking that he’s about to try and kiss me, but he throws me for a loop—which amuses him greatly—when he says. “In you go then.”

It takes a couple of seconds for my brain to catch up with what’s happening around me, but when I finally rip my eyes from Theo, I find he’s holding the rope up for me so I can slip into the ring.

“T-thanks,” I mutter, much to his amusement as I turn my back on him once more.

A growl rumbles from him when I bend over and climb in, but I don’t react as I look at the pair of gloves Gunner’s holding out for me. He’s suspiciously been here, keeping an eye on me all day.

If the situation were any different, I might be annoyed that Cruz has blatantly sent him to watch over me, but mostly, I’m just grateful. It’s nice to be surrounded by people who care after the dickheads Mum brought in and out of my life over the years.

“Give him hell, Shorty.”

“You got it, G. But I don’t need those. I want it to hurt.”

“Brutal. I love it.”

He throws the gloves down and grabs some tape instead while I roll my eyes.

“We don’t want to bust up these pretty hands,” he says softly, and I reluctantly allow him to wrap me up.

When I turn back around, Theo is staring at me with a smirk and a twinkle in his eye that makes butterflies flutter in my belly.

“Bring it, Cirillo.”

He shakes his head at me.

“Confidence is so fucking sexy on you, Hellcat.”

“Watching you writhe in pain will be even better.”

He’s still laughing at me when I surge forward, planting my fist right in the centre of the bruise that’s covering his ribs.

Is it a low blow? Probably. I don’t really give a fuck.