We caravanned with Brian and Liv down here to Orlando on Wednesday for Thursday’s live televised event, Thursday Tension. Anna and Liv seem to be hitting it off well, and I love watching her around Kami. It allows me to see her tenderness on full display.

I rub my face as thoughts of what having my own family with Anna might be like cross my mind. Shit. I have to stop thinking like this—I’m poison, and no kid deserves to have a father who will eventually taint them.

It runs in my blood to fuck up lives, which is what I’ll probably end up doing to Anna, but I’m too much of a selfish prick to walk away from her.

Anna sits on the bench across from me as I lift some free weights, gazing into my eyes. “You okay?”

“Fine. Just focusing on the match,” I bite out between rep counts, trying to shield her from what’s really on my mind. I don’t need her knowing that she’s got my head all twisted up with ideas of things I can never have.

Hell, before her, I never wanted a family, or a wife either.

I continue my reps when I notice Rex across the gym, staring at Anna intently. My first instinct is to run over there and poke his eyeballs out with my fingers so he can never look at her again, but I restrain myself, because Anna’s right. I have to learn to control my shit, or else Rex is going to get exactly what he wants—me out of the company.

Anna’s face twists as she glances down at her phone.

I don’t like seeing her sad. “What’s the frown for, beautiful?”

She shakes her head. “I checked my bank balance. It looks pretty scary.”

I pause for a brief second. I told Jimmy to wire some money to her account yesterday. It better be in there.

“What’s it say?”

“It says I have over thirty thousand dollars, that can’t be right. I’m going to have to call the bank.”

I set the dumbbells onto the rack. “That’s no mistake. I had the money wired to your account.”

Her shoulders drop and she frowns. “Xavier, I can’t accept that.”

I wipe my face with a towel. “Yes, you can.”

“Xavier…it doesn’t feel right to take money from you. Not now. Not after we…”

I set my eyes sternly on hers so she knows this isn’t up for discussion. “You’re mine. I take care of what’s mine. End of story.”

She opens her mouth in what I expect to be another protest, but when I raise my eyebrow she closes it and sighs. “There’s no fighting you on this, is there?”

“Nope,” I say, popping my lips on the “p” sound.

“Fine, but no more deposits. That’s enough money to last me a year.”

I chuckle and shake my head. “I’m not agreeing to that.”

Anna rolls her eyes, but I know I’ve won. She can’t fight me too hard when all I want to do is take care of her.

I turn around to stretch to get ready for my match, and I notice that fucker Rex is still staring at my girl. I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to go without saying anything. It’s not like me to hold back, and it’s taking a lot of fucking willpower to do it right now.

The stage manager walks in and points at me. “X, you’re up.”

I nod. “Thanks.”

I grab a bottle of water off the rack, and I glance over at Rex. His eyes meet mine and the fucker has the nerve to smirk. He knows the minute I walk out of this room there won’t be anyone around to defend Anna.

I can’t leave her alone back here.

I grab her hand and pull her up. “Come on. You’re going with me.”

Her brow furrows. “Where?”

“To the ring,” I tell her. “I won’t be able to focus, because I’ll be too worried about what’s going on back here. I need you where I can see you. You can stand in my corner ringside during the match.”

I pull her with me down the hall toward the backstage curtain, not giving her a chance to argue.

“I can’t go out there like this,” she complains.

I glance down at the jean shorts and tank top that has my face plastered across it. Her brown hair falls over her shoulders in soft waves, and I find myself instantly confused as to why she thinks there’s anything wrong with her.

“Stop. You look fucking amazing,” I tell her honestly.

She bites her lip, and I groan. She has no clue how sexy she is when she does that. It makes me want to nip that pouty lip of hers. Little shit like that drives me fucking crazy.

My entrance music starts, and Anna tenses next to me.

I lean over and whisper in her ear, “Stick with me. You’re going to be fine.”

I kiss her cheek and then pull her through the black curtain with me.

Tonight’s sold-out crowd is insane. There are faces in every direction I turn. I love this. This is where I thrive. I feel the fucking love these people have for me, and it pumps me up to work hard to keep their approval. It’s a high that cannot be duplicated.

Smoke wafts around me and I pull Anna to the center. “Stay here so you’re clear of the pyro.”

She nods, and I kneel down in front of her as the fireworks explode around us and I leap to my feet and toss my arms out to my side, straining every muscle within me as I howl. The crowd joins in and while I wear my predatory face for the masses, inside, I’m smiling.

I grab Anna’s hand and pull her down to the ring. I’m going to catch hell from the company for this when the match is over, but it’ll be worth it to have her by my side.