Diego’s stubbled face split into a wide grin. Liam scrambled off his barstool and offered it to the MMA fighter, wide-eyed and trembling like he was in the presence of royalty.
“One of our best for my new friend, barkeep,” Val boomed.
Tetra shuffled over with an Iron IPA and a lousy attitude. Diego didn’t seem to notice. He sipped cautiously, then spluttered.
“Packs almost as much punch as you do, Miss Stonehold,” he muttered.
“It’s Val.” She held out a hand.
Diego shook it. His grip was callused and firm but didn’t hurt.
“I hope you didn’t come here for a rematch,” Val told him.
Diego laughed. “Absolutely not. You knocked the stuffing out of me, Val.”
“Same to you.” Val chuckled. “I’m all out of fight for today.”
“Where did you learn to fight?” Diego asked, dark eyes intent over his glass’ rim.
Val scratched her chin. “Sparring with friends where I come from. We all learn to fight as kids in, uh, the old country.”
Diego tilted his head. “Scotland, judging by the accent.”
Val nodded. It fit her cover story.
“Fascinating. Your technique is better than any unaffiliated fighter I’ve ever faced.” Diego sipped beer. “Usually, unaffiliated kids are not worth my time.”
Val shrugged. “I get that.”
Diego lowered his glass. “Listen, Val. The beer’s great, but I didn’t come here to drink. Shit, I’m almost too sore to walk. All I want is a hot shower and my bed.” He chuckled. “My days of going out boozing after a fight are long over.”
Val grinned. “I’d say you fight like a guy half your age, sir, but that’d be an insult.”
“Don’t call me ‘sir.’” Diego snorted. “I’m forty-five, not seventy. Anyway, I came here for a reason.”
“Oh?” Val sipped her drink. “What’s that?”
“I run an MMA gym in Brownsville.” Diego leaned back, studying her. “I train a few fighters, both amateur and pro, but I’m not scouting for new talent. But when I saw that you aren’t affiliated? Well, I couldn’t leave that alone.”
Val tilted her head. “Are you asking me to join your gym?”
“I’m not asking you anything.” Diego chuckled. “I’m telling you that you’re a kick-ass amateur fighter, but you could be much more. I could get you to pro in a matter of months if you want to fight for the UFC.”
Liam made a strangled sound. Isabella fanned him like she was worried he’d passed out.
“Wow.” Val blinked. “I’m honored, but... I don’t know if I have the time to train. I’m a full-time bodyguard, I run my own jewelry company, and I part-own this place.” She gestured at the bar. “I’m not—”
Henry shoved her aside. “She means yes.”
“She does!” Liam announced.
“She does?” Val echoed.
“This is the kind of opportunity you don’t pass up, Val,” Liam urged.
“Easy, boys.” Diego laughed. “I understand if Val has too many other commitments.”
Val studied him, chewing the inside of her cheek. “I do have other commitments, but you nearly handed me my ass tonight, and you were playing by MMA rules. I often fight alone and outnumbered. There are no rules on the street when I’m protecting my clients. I’ve relied on sheer strength for too long. I owe it to them to be the most technically advanced fighter I can be.”
Diego grinned. “Is that a yes?”
“It’s a yes,” Val told him.
Her friends whooped and cheered. Buck and Archibald chest-bumped with enthusiasm. Liam squared off to Henry to do the same, but Henry elected to high-five, to Isabella’s noticeable relief.
Diego sipped his beer. “I’ll see you on Monday, Val.” He slid a business card across the counter. “Text me for the time and address.”
“You got it.” Val took the card, grinning.
“Though this is a fantastic beer, I won’t finish it.” Diego chuckled. “Thanks to you, I need a handful of ibuprofen and my bed.”
The grizzled fighter left, and someone cranked the ridiculous song up again. Val laughed and shook her head as the drunken celebration rolled around her, but she couldn’t hold back the flood of warmth seeping through her soul.
Goosebumps rose on her skin when Tetra snatched Diego’s half-empty glass from the bar. If this night was a warm bonfire, the faerie was a cold breeze from the chill and deadly north.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Genevieve steered through the streets as Val spoke into her Bluetooth headset. “Yep, Blair and Yuka are safely at home. Their home security system is kick-ass. I doubt anyone can break in.” Anyone human, she silently added.
