Gunner once told me that rules are meant to be broken. And right now, I must say it feels good breaking the rules, doing what I want and what I'm not supposed to be doing. It also feels good that after nearly two years, I'm finally letting my hair down, drinking to get drunk, and letting loose.

Six rum and cokes later, I was feeling hot from the effects of the alcohol as it roamed through my veins and to my head, causing the room to look like it was spinning. I picked up the drink coaster and started waving it in my face.

Gunner chuckled. "Feeling warm, are you?"

"I am," I breathed, then giggled, "and drunk," I admitted, blowing air up the front of my face, trying to help cool me down. I was also feeling a bit nauseous, but I wasn't ready to end the night just yet. Instead, I was on a mission—a desire to get so damn drunk that I couldn't walk back into the hotel myself, hoping Neron would see that I was out breaking the rules—his rules.

Gunner laughed, then waved for the bartender's attention. "My wife and I would like another round," he said when the bartender walked over. "We'd also like two large shots of Fireball, please."

My eyes widened, and I snapped my head toward Gunner. "Large shots?"

"You want to get drunk, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm already feeling like I could empty my insides."

Gunner's hand rested on my thigh, then patted it. "You're almost to where you want to be then," he laughed. "Just like the old days."

I looked towards the dance floor, smiling at the couples dancing. "I may almost be there, but before I get to that point, I'd like to do something we haven't done in a long time," I said, turning back to face him.

He picked up his glass of bourbon, and as he raised it to his lips, he asked, "What would that be?"

I smiled, looked back at the couples dancing, then turned to Gunner. "Do you feel like dancing?"

Gunner took a sip of his drink, set his glass down on the drink coaster, then stood offering me his hand. "Let's dance, beautiful."

With Gunner's hand resting on my lower back, he walked us to the dance floor, ignoring the patrons we passed along the way, asking for our autographs. As we stepped onto the dance floor, he immediately swung me around to face him. "Let's show these cowboys how to dance."

I giggled.

"Our way or their way?"

"Their way," he informed.

I pursed my lips. I had no clue how to dance how they were. I've never Texas two-stepped, waltzed, or swing danced in my life. There were only two dances I knew how to do: slow dancing and provocative dancing. I looked at the couples two-stepping beside us and shrugged a shoulder, "It can't be that hard, can it?"

"It's easy; I'll show you," he smiled, surprising me; he knows how to two-step. Then he leaned into my ear. "Just keep in mind, I'm the leader, and you're the follower. Okay?"

His right hand slithered underneath my left arm, resting his hand on my back, and his left hand held my right hand up in line with my right shoulder. Then he began moving us around the floor. With the alcohol poisoning my blood, I worried my drunk feet wouldn't handle this style of dancing, and I'd be stepping on Gunner's feet, causing the surrounding people to laugh at me.

Surprisingly, I was doing okay. I wasn't crushing Gunner's toes, and I was doing the steps the way I'm supposed to. But when the song ended, Gunner ended the dance by twirling me, causing the room to spin more than before we danced.

"I need to sit for a minute," I warned him when the next song started, and he started dancing me around the floor.

Gunner snickered. "Do you need me to carry you to the bar?"

"No, I'll be fine."

Now I know why one of Neron's rules hasn't bothered me much since having Wyatt. As much as I enjoy drinking adult beverages, I absolutely hate how it makes me feel when I've had too much to drink—spinning room, coordination loss, slurring, nauseous, and my body feeling warm.

I finished my drink, then leaned to Gunner's ear. "I'm heading to the restroom; I'll be right back."

I hurried to the ladies' room, immediately tuning the cold wanted on when I got to the sink. I cupped my hands together and held them underneath the running water, then splashed the cold water on my face. I lowered them back into the water and let the water fill my cupped hands again. I dropped my face into the palms of my hands and let my face rest in the cold water, hoping that it would stop the vile from wanting to exit my stomach.

With my face buried in my hands, someone rested their hand on my shoulder, causing me to freeze. "You know. You could have beat Nora the Nightmare tonight. I've been watching and studying you for quite a while now, and the one thing I've noticed about you is that you're quick. Usually, you're good at blocking, but tonight I noticed you weren't doing what you normally do. You let her win tonight. Didn't you?"

Who the fuck is this bitch?

"Maybe I'm wrong. But it didn't go unnoticed that there was something definitely off with you tonight," she went on to say when I didn't respond. "I'm surprised your coach or husband didn't pick up on as I did," she continued to say.

I didn't know what to say to her and remained quiet, waiting to hear if there was more this unknown woman had to say, and there was.

"Since you're most likely feeling nonplussed at the moment from me calling you out, instead of criticizing you for how you fought tonight, I'll give you some pointers for your next fight. Just in case I'm wrong about you purposely losing. But you should always remember to start fast, then show your challenger your power. Throw your first few punches with speed, and then lay down a few hard shots. Once she blocks your shots, that's when you need to surprise her with one hard shot."

I let the water escape my hands; I raised my head, then quickly turned around. Everything looked blurry, so I reached for a paper towel, and as I started drying my face and eyes, the woman ran her mouth one more time. "Oh, one more thing. While doing your combinations, make sure to give your fastest punches. It's a great way to agitate and surprise your opponents with your speed."

I finally cleared my eyes, and when I looked into the mirror, the only person I saw in the room was me. I spun around, then bent down and looked for her underneath the stalls, but saw no one was in here with me.

What the fuck?

I rushed to the door, opened it, and when I stepped out, confusion set in when I saw the hallway was empty. I sprinted back into the bar and over to Gunner. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I might as well have," I groaned. "Can we leave now?"

"What's wrong?"

Feeling confused, I shook my head, turned around, and scanned the area. I didn't know who I was looking for, but I still looked around, studying the cowgirls and cowboys, drinking, laughing, and dancing, looking for a woman who looked to be a fighter or a woman watching my every move but didn't see anyone suspicious. "I don't know. A woman approached me in the restroom and said some things to me."

"Who was it? What did she say to you?" Gunner asked, irritation heavily noticed in his voice.

My head was spinning worse than before I headed into the restroom. So I slowly turned on my heel toward Gunner, hoping that by rotating the opposite way as my head was, I wouldn't embarrass myself when the alcohol in my stomach decided it wanted to be somewhere else and evacuated. "Let's go back to the hotel. I feel like I'm about to get sick, and I don't want to do it here in front of everyone."

Gunner finished his drink as he stood, then set his empty glass on the bar, laying cash underneath it. "You're the boss."

"Is our driver outside?" I asked as we headed to the exit.

"I wasn't sure how long we'd be here, so I asked that he stay until we're done getting loaded." He looked at me and smiled. "I told him I'd pay him extra if he granted my request. He was more than cool with staying after I offered him a thousand dollars," he winked.

***

Gunner was right when he said Neron would be waiting for us in the lobby because that's exactly where he was when Gunner carried me bridal style inside the hotel. Neron quickly stood when he saw us entering, and as Gunner walked us toward the elevator, he rushed over, stopping us in our tracks as he stepped in front of us.

Gunner held out his hand, his palm facing Neron, saying, "Go back to bed, Neron. Since we're two grown adults, there was no need for you to be down here, waiting for us."

"Where have the two of you been?"

"None of your business, Neron," Gunner retorted.

"It is my business; I can smell alcohol pouring out of your pours."

"Smell's good, doesn't it?" Gunner happily said. "It tasted mighty wonderful too," he grinned.

I giggled, then reached over to Neron and played with his mouth—pinching and pulling his lips towards me. "Your lips are dry; haven't you been drinking any water?"

Neron pulled my hand away and scowled. "Yes, I've been drinking water. Something you two should have been drinking instead of poisoning your system with intoxicants."

"Maybe your uptight ass should go back to your room and have a drink—an alcoholic drink, I mean. That way, it'll mellow you out," Gunner told him with a widened grin, then stepped around him, saying, "I don't know about you, but Aria and I are tired, so we're going to bed. Have a good rest of the night, Neron."

Neron followed us to the elevator, and I couldn't help but laugh at the scowled look on his face. "Neron, for us to see you finally smile, do you need to get laid?" I teased, "Because I'll make a phone when we get back to our room if you do."

"No," he hissed. "You'll see me smiling when I have your two hungover asses inside the gym at five in the morning, working your bodies as they've never been worked before. You thought you hated me a couple of months ago after I allowed you to drink and worked that little body the day after?" he laughed. "That was nothing. Just wait until what I have in store for you in the morning," he grinned evilly.

The elevator doors opened, and after Gunner stepped inside, Neron followed, continuing with his barking. "I hope tonight was worth it," he groaned.

I looked at Gunner and laughed. "It was well worth it, wasn't it?"

He lifted me higher while lowering his mouth to mine. "You're fucking right; it was worth it. It was the best rule we broke tonight."

"I'm glad you two think that it was worth it. You may think that way now, but I can guarantee you both will be saying a different tune after I'm finished with you tomorrow... guaranteed..."

Yep... it's confirmed. Neron will work our asses so hard in the morning; I have a strong feeling by the time he's done torturing us, there'll be no way I'll be able to hold or feed Wyatt.

I may think it's funny now, but come tomorrow, I may just be regretting my decision to drink like a fish tonight.

***

I wasn't in the mood for sex, but I laid in bed naked to keep my body from overheating and getting sick. And as Gunner held me tightly in his arms, I couldn't stop thinking about what that woman said to me in the restroom, losing the fight to Nora the Nightmare and Gunner's words after I lost the battle.

The longer I thought about it, the heavier I sighed, waking Gunner. "What are you sighing for?"

I didn't mean to sigh. And I didn't mean to wake Gunner, but I can't hold what I've been holding in all night any longer, and if I chose not to tell him what I did, I'd stay awake the rest of the night until Neron comes to get us. Gunner will also know I'm hiding something from him again, and then he'll do whatever he can to get it out of me.

I also don't need Gunner punishing me if I'm getting punished by Neron in a few short hours.

"I have a confession to make," I bemoaned, closing my eyes.

The tips of his fingers stopped caressing my body. "What kind of confession?"

My closed eyes tightened, and I quietly said, "I purposely lost the fight tonight."

Gunner let go of me and sat up fast. "What? Why would you do that?"

I thought back to Walter's conversation with me, then I thought about my talk with Justin. "Because I didn't know if it was her," I finally said, opening my eyes.

"Her? Who's her?"

"Felicia. The sister Justin and I supposedly have."

"Why would it have been her?" He reached for my chin, then turned me to face him when I didn't respond, and with a concerned look in his eye, he asked, "What have you been bottling up this time?"

"The night Walter took me out, he told me how he discovered some things. One was how Felicia's my sister and that she's a fighter, also—a boxer. But he never mentioned her fighting name. So I confronted Justin about it, asking if it was true, and he confirmed what Walter had found out. So tonight, after taking the first blows to my face, it had me thinking. And I couldn't help but wonder if it was her."

"Why would it have mattered? You're going into the ring to fight. Not to feel sorry for the person you're fighting against," he scolded, disappointment manifesting in his face.

"I know," I sadly sighed, feeling disappointed in myself. "But the thing is. I couldn't help but think that if that was Felicia, my father and Stacey were there, in the same building as us."

Gunner furrowed his brows. "Who cares? You and Justin both said he hadn't wanted anything to do with you two. So why worry if he was there?"

"Because I have so much anger buried inside me that I felt if I did what I was there to do, I'd hurt her or punch her so hard that it would kill her. The anger I've been holding in shouldn't be aimed at her. She didn't do anything wrong. So I should be taking my anger out on the people that hurt me the most—my father, Stacey, and sadly my mother," I painfully admitted.

"That's understandable. I get that. But you were still there to fight. And you were there to win. Not purposely losing to someone you have no clue if it's Felicia or not."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath—Gunner's right. I should've just fought her, done what I was there to do, and asked questions later. "Walter also mentioned something else that night. And I've been thinking about it ever since."

"And what would that be?"

"He insisted I go see my mother."

"I agree with him; you should," he said, inching closer to me, then lowered to his side, dug his elbow into the mattress, and propped his head in the palm of his hand. He looked at me, and with his free hand, he caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. "You really should see how your mother is doing. I understand she hasn't wanted to see you. But have you ever sat and wondered if she's only saying that out of fear? Fearing you'll reject wanting to see her? What if she really does want to see you?"

"To be honest. I am scared to see my mother. Because if she's still the same person I remember being around twelve years ago, it'll break me. I want to see her the way she was before my father left her. My mother was very charming and beautiful. She modeled growing up and then did a little modeling after having Justin and me. Her smile," I said, smiling, remembering how her smile brightened the room. "She had the most beautiful smile. And it was one that everyone was jealous of because of how beautiful it was. She was so loving and caring, and she had so much love to give that I'm not so sure I could handle visiting her if the smile I remember isn't there."

I saw the wheels turning in his face and knew he was thinking hard. I shook my head. "No, Gunner. You're not bringing me there... If I do decide to see her. I want to go there with Justin. It's something he and I should do together. I hope you understand," I said, hoping I didn't hurt his feelings.

"When we get back to Seattle. I think the first thing you should do is see her." I rolled onto my back and looked at the ceiling, sighing. "If you change your mind, let me know. I want to be there to support you."

"I know you would. And I appreciate that. But I think it should be only Justin and me going. And the reason I say that is that Walter wants me to ask my mother about a woman named Stella. At first, I was stumped on who he was referring to."

"Stella?"

"Yeah. Stella... when I thought about the name, something occurred to me. The only Stella I know, well heard of, is my ex, Cole's ex-girlfriend. Her name was Stella. I don't know if it's a coincidence or if there's somehow a connection, and I'm curious to find out."

"Maybe it's just a coincidence," Gunner said, which could very well be. But it's not a popular name either, so it's possible that it could be the same person.

I hope that's not the case, because that'll mean Cole most likely knows more about my family than I do. And that'll upset me more.

"Yeah, maybe. Hopefully, you're right... I've got enough drama in my life as it is; I don't need more adding to it."

I rolled to my side, wrapped my arm around Gunner, and sighed again. Since the alcohol is helping me talk, I better fill him in on why I wanted to leave the bar so quickly.

"You look like you have more on your mind."

"I do," I quietly admitted.

"What else do you have to tell me?"

"The woman that approached me in the restroom. She said some things that made me feel sicker to my stomach. She knew my name, said she's been studying me, and called me out on losing the fight. She knew I purposely lost."

"Who was it?"

I shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know. I never saw her face. I had my face buried in my hands, and after I dried the water from my face and looked to see who it was. She was gone. The weird thing is, she gave me pointers on fighting. Things I should be doing at my next fights," I said, then explained everything she said. "It's bothering me about who it was—wondering if she was a fan, another fighter, Felicia, this Stella person, or if was it another coach? But as I replay her talking to me in my mind, her voice sounded like she'd be younger."

"It could have been anyone, Aria. I never saw anyone follow you into the restroom. And I never saw anyone head out before you."

I scrunched my face. "Were you watching the entire time?"

"Yeah," he admitted, smiling. "Since everyone there knew who we were, I kept my eye on the hallway, ensuring you'd be left alone. But, apparently, she slipped by when I picked up my drink, both times."

"Oh well. It's just more for me to think about, I guess," I sighed.

Gunner rolled on top of me, then lowered his mouth, kissing me. "Thank you for opening up to me again. But we should get some sleep. You know damn well Neron will be storming into our room bright and early, and he'll be working our sorry asses," he chuckled. "Just promise me you won't tell Neron about you purposely losing the fight. You'll really be asking for an ass-whooping, then."

I smiled. "I promise."

***

"You two like breaking the rules? This is what you get when you break my fucking rules. First, I want to see you both do one hundred push-ups. Now," Neron demanded. "Afterward, I want you both to do a hundred sit-ups, a hundred jumping jacks, and then I want to see you run around the gym for twenty minutes before hitting the weights."

Neron paced back and forth, combing his fingers through his hair, then he pulled his hair and stopped walking, turning to face us, and I had to do everything I could to refrain from laughing because of how Neron's grey hair was sticking straight up.

"I don't know what it is about you, Gunner? Why in the fuck do you always insist on breaking the damn rules?" He extended his hands toward me. "Now you've got Aria following in your footsteps! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

I looked at Gunner and smirked. "After Neron's finished killing us, how much do you want to bet he didn't teach me anything, and I'll want to go out drinking like a cowboy again?"

Gunner winked. "It's not how much I want to bet. It's what would you like to bet?" He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. "You'll be so worn out. You won't even think of having a drink. So... on that note. If you lose. I get to titty fuck you."

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!🤷‍♀️🤞