1 Last Shot (The Fight Game, #4)

by Nikki Castle

"Such a furious little ballerina," he murmurs,

"Has anyone ever told you that you're shockingly charming?" He revs the engine. "It's practically my main descriptor."

“Good girl,” Kane praises, those two words doing more to me than my first boyfriend managed to do in an entire year. I think Kane knows it, too, because his lip twitches when I feel my cheeks flame.

I suck in a shaky breath and remind myself that this is a self-defense lesson, not… Kane’s version of foreplay.

"Are you sure that thing can hold us?" "Are you calling me fat?" My lip twitches with amusement. I don't think anyone has ever made me laugh as much as Isabella does.

"How many people have seen that deep, Isabella? How many people know the real you?" She swallows roughly and it takes everything in me not to press a kiss to that perfect neck. "N-not many," she stammers. "People always just see the ballet dancer." "A travesty," I murmur. "They're missing the best parts of you."

"But you've never seen me dance," she blurts out, a confused look on her face. I shrug. "Doesn't matter. You could be the greatest dancer that ever lived, and I'd still think the rest of you was more valuable."

I don't want to admit to myself how nice it feels to have her lean on me to keep her safe. The only thing I allow myself to do is drop one of my hands to wrap around her thigh and begin rubbing a soothing pattern with my thumb.

“Fuck, princess, I'm the one that's supposed to be on my knees.”

“Tell me, Isabella,” I drawl. “Am I right in assuming you have way too many of these ballerina outfits?” I straighten so I can see her eyes widen at the question. She nods quickly, biting into her lower lip in anticipation. “Good. Then I can destroy this one.”

And for the first time in my life, I don’t want to push everyone away. I don’t want to keep Isabella out any longer. And even though this is inevitably going to end, if this is all the time I get with her, I want all of it.

I'm beginning to think the back of Kane's motorcycle is my safe space, because I feel most at peace when I'm here. No thoughts about dancing, no worries about my career or future, no panic about feeling like an outsider in this new city. My brain is silent, and my body is wrapped around the reliable and comforting presence of Kane.

"Give me one more, princess,” Kane growls into my skin. “Come all over my bike for me. I want it to be the only thing I can think of every time I ride it from now on."

My life has never looked like this. Before Isabella and Oscar, my life has been only loneliness, anger, manipulation, and confusion.

And yet, when I look over at Isabella, I feel… peace. I feel peace in a way that I've never experienced before.

"What on earth does unhappy Kane look like?"

I don't realize Kane has stepped up behind me until his arms go around my waist. He tightens his grip and nuzzles into my neck, and his voice is quiet when he says, "It's getting harder and harder to remember."

“Who are you going to tell them I am?”

“My neighbor."

“I’m not your fucking neighbor.”

“No? What are you?”

"Fuck, princess. You’re breathtaking. No wonder everyone pushed you to dance."

Isabella's giggle causes a smile to slide across my face. Fuck, when was the last time I smiled with such ease? Have I ever? The thought should be a sobering one, but instead, I just feel… comforted. Soothed by the idea that I feel safe in her company.

I chose to see past Kane's walls, and prove to him that despite his worst thoughts, his worst fears, I see him for who he really is. And I'm staying right here.

"Look, forget what you think families and gyms and teammates are supposed to look like. I'm telling you that we look out for each other. And I don't give a fuck if it's one-sided and you never give a shit about any of us. Because that's not why we do it. We won't bail you out when things get rough because we expect something in return, we do it because we look out for our own and don't leave each other stranded. Because that's what being in our gym is about. And that's the kind of family we've built inside of it."

With her, I’ve had a family.

"Kane, you deserve to have someone care about you," she says firmly. "You deserve to be loved. Do you hear me? Isabella isn't settling for you. She's been choosing you. Every day. Because you're worthy of being chosen."