Tame: Carter Kids #3 (12 page)

I didn't want to leave Teagan on her own less than twenty-four hours after we got married, but if I didn't make that fight in time, Nick would have my balls nailed to his office wall.

Tommy and Quincy were on one side of me, urging me towards the door, Teagan was on the other, and I did something completely out of character.

Leaving this room went against my gut instinct.

I couldn't explain why I felt this way – only that I had a niggling feeling in the pit of my stomach. That feeling was screaming
Don't go. Don't let her. You'll regret it.

"As soon as I grab a shower, I'll be there," Teagan continued to reassure me, smiling up at me through mascara crusted eyelashes, looking more beautiful than any other woman I'd ever laid my eyes on.

She cupped my stubbly cheek with her small hand.

"Noah, go," she added, noticing my hesitation. "I'll be fine with Lewis."

"She's right, Noah," Tommy interjected. "You trust Lewis." Opening the door, he pushed me out before following after me. "You hand-picked the guy. He's perfectly capable of manning the fort while you're gone."

But I didn't want to be gone.

I didn't want to do anything except spend every second of the day with Teagan.

What was I doing?

"Tell me everything's okay," I said to Tommy when we were sitting in the back of a cab on the way to the arena.

"Everything's okay," he replied quickly.

Throwing my head back, I sighed heavily. "I feel…riled up." I had no idea why I felt so out of sorts but it didn't bode well with me.

"I never would've guessed," Tommy replied dryly. Shrugging, he added, "It's probably the alcohol still in your bloodstream."

"You know you're not supposed to drink that crap before a fight," Quincy growled, offering up his two cents worth.

"Yeah," I replied, not believing for one minute that alcohol was the root of my worries.

What a fucking horrifying feeling it was; to have everything you ever wanted and know that at any moment in time it could be snatched away from you?

That's how I felt about Teagan.

Unluckily for Roy Wicks, that feeling followed me all the way into the cage.

Tommy wasn’t lying when he said the media were all over mine and Noah's hasty nuptials.

By the time I had showered and made myself somewhat decent, Lewis and I had spent twenty minutes trying to get from the foyer of the hotel to the car.

Paparazzi over here were insane.

I'd never seen the likes of it.

Noah was obviously prime meat to them and because I was his former flame and current squeeze, their words not mine, I was now hot property.

I'd had at least a dozen cameras shoved in my face already.

Even now, as I sat in the back of the fanciest car I'd ever been in, waiting for Lewis to escort me in to watch Noah's fight, paparazzi continued to snap furiously outside the limo. I didn't know why they were bothering when the windows were tinted, but whatever.

The moment the car door opened, flashing cameras and the sounds of screaming infiltrated my senses, both blinding and deafening me.

Whoa…

"This is crazy," I whispered to myself as Lewis opened my door and gestured me out. Climbing unsteadily to my feet, I studied the crazed mob surrounding me. Startled and, quite frankly, overwhelmed by the media, I wrapped my arms around myself in dismay as I studied the hordes of people blocking the sidewalk to the arena entrance.

"Mrs. Messina!"

"That's her, the one in the pictures!"

"Can we get a comment?"

"Who is she?"

"The girl from the video."

Oh yes.

The delightful video of me losing my virginity.

The CCTV footage of Noah and I getting it on in the elevator of the Henderson Hotel was still doing the rounds on the net.

"That's her. That's his wife."

Teagan Connolly, unintentional porn star…

"Her?"
I could hear the disbelief oozing from their words.
"But she's so plain."

"I know, right?"

Super.

As if I didn’t have enough issues.

"He could have any woman and he picks
her
?"

"He probably knocked her up."

Cameras and microphones were thrust towards me as Lewis led me through the crowds.

Keeping my head down, I kept close to Lewis, feeling completely out of my comfort zone, not to mention underdressed in jeans, flip-flops and a grey tank top…

When we eventually got inside, Lewis and I were escorted to our seats by several security guards. I was shuffling into my seat in the third row, with Lewis close on my heels, just as Noah's entrance song, Roy Jones'
Can't be Touched,
blasted through the arena.

I sagged in relief.

For a while I'd been worried I wouldn’t make it on time.

The screaming around us went through the roof. Everyone was on their feet cheering for my husband – everyone's clear favorite.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for your pleasure, for one night only, we have a knockout fight," the announcer called excitedly. "That’s right, folks. MFA veteran and three time former heavyweight champion, Roy the wringerrrrr Wicks. And going against him tonight, a crowd favorite, it’s your very own bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Noah the Machine Messsinaaaaa!"

When he entered the cage, Noah bounced lightly on his feet; a challenge for a man who was 6’4” in height and 245 pounds of pure muscle.

Ignoring his opposition who was already in the cage and trying to taunt him, Noah rolled his shoulders and twisted his neck from side to side, loosening up.

I'd never thought much about the arena's MFA fights took place in when I watched them on the television, but being here in the flesh was intense. The place smelled of sweat and blood and bleach.

The cage, the metal bars, the scent of sweat mixed with tobacco and alcohol was poignant. The blood thirsty screams of the crowd was kind of arousing in a screwed up way.

When the match official called both men to the center of the ring to touch gloves, the screaming and cheering went through the roof.

The bell rang and Noah curled his lip up and smirked.

And then he attacked.

Noah looked so fricking hot, I could hardly contain myself as I screamed out his name like a lunatic, cheering him on all the way.

His opponent reminded me of a ninja. He was all high kicks and fancy foot patterns.

But Roy Wicks was old and it showed.

He was no match for my guy.

Blocking Roy's aggressive uppercuts effortlessly, Noah embarked on an impressive onslaught of shots, and he did all this while dancing around the mat like it was second nature to him. Fortunately for Noah, I knew that it was true. This was what he'd been brought into the world to do. And my man was the best.

"He's doing well tonight."

Tommy's voice came out of nowhere, surprising the hell out of me. Maneuvering through the row, he settled down on the empty seat to my right.

Startled by Tommy's appearance, I sank down on my seat and smiled. "He's incredible."

When he didn’t say anything else, I refocused my attention on the cage. My heart soared in my chest when I saw that Noah had managed to get Wicks on the mat, where he had him locked in a submission maneuver.

"I know what you're trying to do," Tommy whispered in my ear.

My blood ran cold in my veins.

"And what's that?" I replied, not taking my eyes off my husband.

"Quit acting, Teagan," Tommy sneered, moving closer to me. "You didn’t want a damn thing to do with Noah when he was down on his luck and, low and behold, the minute he gets back up on his feet, you're back, sniffing around like the proverbial penny."

"You're wrong about me," I said shakily. "I'm not that kind of woman."

"Every woman is that kind of woman." Tommy laughed harshly. "I give it a month. You'll be draped in his money like every other gold-digger." His voice turned colder. "Clever move, by the way, not having him draw up a pre-nup. You move fast, Teagan."

"I love him," I snapped. Turning to face Tommy, I looked into his eyes and said, "You might not want to believe that, but it's true." Scraping together all my courage, I added, "And I'm not going anywhere. So you might as well get used to me being around the place."

"Is that so?" Tommy raised a brow. "Well, I want you to know that I'm going to make it my life's mission to expose you for what you truly are."

"Aaaaannnnd your winner, ladies and gentleman. Noah the machine Messsinnnnaaaa!"
the announcer called out, freeing me from Tommy's nerve racking glance.

On shaking legs, I stood and cheered for my husband, forcing a smile.

Inside, I was terrified.

To: Hope Carter

Subject: RE-READ MY SURNAME!

From: Teagan Messina

Don’t freak out on me…. but I got MARRIED! Yes, you read that right. I am officially a
married
woman now. And before you say that I've made a huge mistake or that I've rushed into things, just remember how supportive I was when you wanted to marry Jordan
the dick
.

PS: I love you. I miss you. I need you to come see me <3

To: Teagan Messina

Subject: WTF????

From: Hope Carter

Did you smoke something? What the heck am I reading here? You got married? When? Where? Details, Teagan. I need details asap!

Also, please refrain from calling
my
husband a dick. Though he is a huge one, you know how stabby I get when people talk crap about him.

Also, now that you're married to Noah, does that make you my
aunt
?

Ugh. Creepy…

And I miss you too, weirdo.

To: Hope Carter

Subject: I've always been your agony aunt. Now it's on paper
!


From: Teagan Messina

OMFG. I didn’t think about it like that. I married my best friend's
uncle
. But yeah, I guess it kind of does make me your aunt now…at least by marriage. And if we ever take the plunge and have kids…they'll be
cousins
!

Weird…

To: Teagan Messina

Subject: Has
Uncle Dearest
knocked you up
already
???

From: Hope Carter

Be careful, Teegs. The men in my family are known to breed like rabbits.

My grandfather seems to have an army of sons littered across Colorado and my dad's never knocked out less than two at a time – three in the case of Cam, Colt and Low.

Breeding multiples could be a hereditary
thing you know
…

To: Hope Carter

Subject: My uterus is empty!

From: Teagan Messina

No, he hasn’t
knocked me up yet
, and don’t even think it. You know how superstitious I am. You could jinx me with that kind of talk.

Ugh… Now I'm all freaked out.

Thanks a lot Hope!!!!

To: Teagan Messina

Subject: Don’t be silly and wrap that willy!

From: Hope Carter

Anytime, precious.

Now, go and guard that uterus with the best contraceptive money can buy. You're going to need it – just ask my poor mother.


"What's so funny?"

Noah's voice drifted through my ears, dragging me back to the here and now – which just so happened to be a tour bus on the interstate between Las Vegas and Phoenix.

"Hope," I chuckled, before locking my phone and slipping it back into my pocket. "She has an uncanny ability of terrifying me to my core." Shuddering, I filled Noah in on Hope's emails about multiples and breeding like rabbits.

"No wonder she's a writer," Noah said in an amused tone when I had finished my tale. Shaking his head, he ran a hand through his hair and smirked. "The girl has some imagination."

"True," I agreed. "Do we have we much further to go?"

Noah looked out the window, and then down at his watch. "Another hour or so."

"Great."
Not.
I was feeling stiff and uncomfortable after three hours of constant driving. "Another hour in this…heat." I gestured towards the window of the bus.

There wasn't a blade of grass in our peripheral.

Sweet Jesus, I couldn’t breathe.

Back home in Ireland, the month of April usually consisted of a touch of sunshine and the odd shower of rain.

Over here, it was like a freaking desert.

Pulling at the collar of his shirt with his hand, Noah twisted his head from side to side before reaching up above our heads and switching on the air-con. "Better?"

After a moment, a steady flow of cold air blew into my face and I nodded in relief.

Noah wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I snuggled back into his embrace, preferring to melt rather than move an inch away from him.

"I like this," I mused, stroking my cheek against the cotton of his shirt. "Just being here. With you."

"Good," Noah said in his deep, gruff voice. Tightening his arm around me, he leaned over and kissed the top of my head. "Because I like having you here."

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Beau walking towards us and I quickly averted my eyes, not bothering to look at him or attempt to make eye contact.

We'd been on tour for a little under three weeks now, and I'd learned pretty quickly not to bother trying to talk to any of Noah's team. With the exception of Lucky, none of them gave me the time of day.

They just loved to run to Noah whenever I did something inappropriate. Like last weekend in Vegas, when I threatened to cut the busboy's shaft off for touching my butt, or the weekend before when I drank a teeny-tiny bit too much after Noah's victory over Roy Wicks and had decided it was a good idea to break into Tommy's hotel room and teepee the hell out of it. Honest to god, it was like I had three evil step-sisters waiting in the wings to throw shit on my path and up-scuttle me at any given time.

The poor choices I had made when I was seventeen were still hanging over my head and blackening everyone's opinion of me.

Beau stopped at our seat to talk to Noah about something or other. I turned my face towards the window, pulled my phone out of my pocket and busied myself with answering some long overdue emails.

I was trying this new thing where I didn’t allow Beau or any of the guys to draw me into arguments.

Every time they were close to me, I found myself mentally reciting the age old saying
'not my monkey, not my circus'
over and over again in my head.

It marginally helped with my rage over how they treated me and the way they spoke down to me when Noah wasn’t around. Well, I still wanted to throat punch both of them, but so far I was managing to restrain my natural instincts.

I was under no illusions as to what these men thought of me, or the threat they posed to my marriage – Tommy had said as much.

Forcing myself to refocus on my phone, I stared down at the screen and quickly swiped through the junk mail cramming up my mailbox.

I was in the process of deleting a newsletter from a gym I'd subscribed to back home when my eyes landed on an email listed below from [email protected]. 

Immediately I knew who the email was from. It was the same address he'd had since secondary school.

My thumb hovered over the screen for a long moment while I contemplated reading it or not.

What good would come out of it?

Liam had hurt me beyond repair.

There was no going back for me – no friendship to repair.

No nothing…

Clicking the delete button, I erased Liam's email before letting out a bittersweet sigh and curling into my husband's chest.

"You good, Thorn?" Noah asked when Beau was gone.

Keeping quiet wasn’t my thing. I'd never been known as a person who minced her words, but Noah looked so…happy.

I didn’t want to ruin it by complaining about his staff. After all, they were like family to Noah and had been with him since his release from prison.

Who was I to come in and screw that up?

The girl who ran out on him when things got tough?

Nodding against his chest, I whispered, "I’m good, Noah."

"Do you want to do some reading?"

My head shot up in surprise. "Do you?"

Noah shrugged. "I've been thinking about that story of Hope's we were reading…"

"
Love Recaptured
?" I squealed, clapping excitedly. "It's her best work yet."

"Yeah." Noah smirked. "Get your Kindle out. I want to know what happens."

Blinking rapidly, I repressed the urge to swoon. "So you fight, you work out, you're hot,
and
you like the same books as I do?" Fanning myself dramatically, I grinned like an idiot.

"What can I say?" he shot back with a cocky smirk. "I'm perfect."