Part 34 (1/2)
Grinning, Justice drew him away from Yvette and into a giant bear hug. ”Good to see you, Saint.” He clapped Cannon hard on the back.
After suffering the embrace, Cannon stepped back and flexed his shoulders. ”d.a.m.n, man, no reason to break my spine.” He drew Yvette forward. ”Honey, this is Justice.”
She held out her small hand. ”A fighter, I take it.”
”Aw, bet the ears gave it away, huh?” As he'd done with Cannon, he ignored her hand and hauled her in for a much gentler hug, then kept her pinned to his side with his ma.s.sive arm over her shoulders. ”This is a new addition, ain't it, Saint? Every one better'n the last.” He squeezed her. ”Don't know how you do it, but I approve, I approve.”
Yvette just laughed as she freed herself. ”Nice to meet you.”
Armie leaned in the door frame. ”Justice has some news to share.”
”Yeah?” Cannon indicated the chairs. ”Want to sit?”
”Actually, I'd rather check out your joint here, if you don't mind.”
”Make yourself at home.”
Armie choked, but Cannon had no idea why.
With another face-splitting grin, Justice said, ”Your boy there is strangling himself, so I may as well tell you.”
”I'm listening.”
”I'm dropping a weight cla.s.s. Already got s.h.i.+t set up with the boss, so next go around-” he pointed a finger back and forth between their chests ”-will be you and me. Winner gets a t.i.tle shot. What do you think about that?”
It took Cannon by surprise. Not that he'd be fighting for the t.i.tle. He'd been expecting that.
But h.e.l.l, Justice had lost only one fight as a heavyweight, though the man he'd lost to had been one h.e.l.l of a barrier to the champions.h.i.+p, so it made sense to s.h.i.+ft gears. ”I think you chose a harder path, because we both know I'll take you apart.”
”Ho!” Justice laughed out loud at that, making Armie flatten his mouth. ”So f.u.c.king c.o.c.ky.”
”Language,” Cannon cautioned without any heat.
He doffed an imaginary hat. ”Apologies, ma'am.”
Yvette didn't understand. She looked between them. ”You'll be fighting each other?”
”So he says.” Cannon knew bl.u.s.ter when he saw it, and Justice might want to look as though he thought it'd be an easy win, but he wasn't a dummy. He'd have his work cut out for him. ”How set is it?” he asked Justice.
”Carved in stone. Matchmaker approved. Probably three or four months off, though. You should be getting a call today.” Sotto voce, he said in an aside to Yvette, ”Hope you don't expect him to stay this pretty, 'cause I plan to mess him up a little.”
Tipping her head, she sent her long hair spilling over her shoulder. ”You're awfully big. How much will you have to lose?”
”Forty pounds, give or a take a few.”
She tipped her head the other way, studying Justice. ”Are you as fast as Cannon?”
Justice tugged on one ear. ”Probably.”
Her slow smile claimed ”bulls.h.i.+t,” even though Yvette would never say it. ”You look like a striker. How's your ground game?”
”Pretty good-”
”Not great, huh?” She made a sound of regret.
Justice's grin went crooked as he slanted a look at Cannon. ”d.a.m.n, Saint. I like her.”
”Meaning he knows his ground game sucks,” Cannon said with good-natured ribbing.
”I'm workin' on it. I'm workin' on it.” He turned back to Armie. ”So, Quick, since you look like the guard dog-”
”Quick?” Yvette raised her brows. ”Is that your fight name, Armie?”
The way his ears went red had both Cannon and Justice guffawing.
”It is,” Justice confided, ”but not because of his quick knockouts.”
Cannon gave her a one-armed hug. ”It's mostly a joke-”
”Completely a joke,” Armie protested. ”And it's f.u.c.king getting old.”
”-carried over from his youth when he was a little too quick on the draw with the ladies.”
”One lady, d.a.m.n it.” Armie threw up his arms. ”And I made it up to her later!”
Confused, Yvette looked at each man in turn. ”I don't understand.”
That only made Justice laugh so hard that he fell against the wall.
Adoring her more by the minute, Cannon leaned down to her ear. ”He got off a little too fast-as in, he came before things really even got started.”
”Oh.”
Armie stared at her. ”It was back in high school, for G.o.d's sake.”
”Ah, Quick, some things are never forgotten.” After wiping his eyes, Justice grinned at him. ”So am I still welcome to check out the place?”
”Stay as long as you'd like.” Armie made a show of indifference. ”If Cannon can put up with you, I suppose I can, too.”
”There ya go.” He turned to Cannon. ”Come show me around, Saint.”
”I'll do it,” Armie said, already knowing Cannon wanted to stay with Yvette.
”Thanks.” And then to Justice, Cannon added, ”I'll be along soon.”
”Got some smoochin' to do, huh? I get it. Can't say as I blame you.”
Armie walked off, so Justice hurried to follow along. ”Slow down, dawg. Oh, wait, I forgot. You're the speedy one.”