She’d felt him tense even as they neared Vegas. They’d driven by huge billboards promoting the “fight of the decade” with the images of him and McKinley every few exits. Then they exited the freeway. Even with all the glitter and bright lights of Vegas, the enormous billboard that took up almost the entire side of the MGM Grand hotel, featuring both McKinley and Ayala facing off, outshined everything else on the strip.

Nellie had to admit that, for a brief moment, even she’d felt rattled. This was the man she was in a relationship with now. The guy was bigger than life at the moment, and his name was already all over every media imaginable. But just as he’d vowed to make time for her, even though she told him not to worry about it because she completely understood, she vowed to not let his fame bring any conflict into their relationship. She saw and felt his loyalty to her. She believed him when he promised her that he’d never hurt her. No matter what she read or heard from here on, she’d promised she wouldn’t give it so much as a second thought until she got the truth straight from him.

Walking in through the main public entrance of the hotel, she immediately saw the media frenzy already going on. They were everywhere. Reynolds had mentioned that the crew who would be putting up the radio broadcast 5th Street booth overnight should already be there getting ready to set up. She wanted to make sure everything she’d ordered for delivery had arrived. There was another booth being set up not too far from the 5th Street booth. She read the banner going up.

Detroit’s Hot 107.5 has McKinley For The Win!

Highland Park Gym – making changes with Detroit’s youth.

Frowning, she wouldn’t let it get to her. Somehow McKinley’s camp had gotten wind of the 5th Street gym’s promotion and decided to do one of their own. How original to include his hometown gym doing things for their youth as well. She rolled her eyes and continued going through the list on her tablet of the things that should have been delivered that night.

Loud male voices interrupted her concentration on the inventory, but she looked up only to see some guys in suits and others in work clothes over by the McKinley booth, horsing around. She went back to her list, checking things off as she confirmed they’d arrived.

The loud voices once again got her attention. This time they didn’t sound as playful. One of the guys sounded heated. Curiously, she looked up as a few of the others setting up the 5th Street booth looked over too. To her absolute surprise, she had to look twice to be sure she saw who she thought she was looking at. Sam was one of the guys in suits who she’d glanced at earlier. Earlier, she’d only had a view of his back. Now he stood arguing with the other guy in a suit. A few flashes from cameras around the area went off.

Nellie looked around. The paparazzi were even more rampant now. While they masqueraded as normal tourists, Nellie could tell who the real tourists were versus the vultures. A few other actual tourists lifted their phones and took photos as well. Could two guys arguing near McKinley’s camp really be that newsworthy? She shook her head and glanced at Sam again. He was now headed toward her.

“Oh, no,” she whispered under her breath.

The last thing she needed was for Abel to get wind of the idea that she was hanging around Sam still. She’d get this over as quickly and painlessly as she could. The guy he’d been arguing with followed him, and Sam stopped when he noticed.

“Back off!” he barked at the guy who resembled him very closely. “I’m done talking to you. I already said no.”

The other guy grabbed his arm roughly. “This is for Nate, man. Don’t forget whose side you’re on.”

Sam jerked his arm away from the guy and kept walking. In all the times she’d been around Sam, his demeanor had always been upbeat and bright-eyed. She’d never seen the stony-faced Sam who approached her now.

“Hey, babe, we need to talk.”

His hand was in hers the second he reached her, and he kept walking. She tried tugging her hand back and protesting, but he held it tight. “I . . . I can’t right now. I’m working.”

“This won’t take long.”

“Don’t do this, Sam.” The other guy was still yelling out. “It’d never work out anyway. You have to know that!”

Considering the scene that he and the other guy were already making that had cameras still flashing, she decided to not do what she really wanted to do and wrestle her hand free in front of the curious crowd. “Where are we going? I can’t leave,” she asked urgently in a lowered voice so as not to give the nosey people stopping to look at them a more animated show.

They walked toward a door that read “staff only,” and he pushed it open. He turned around to face her as soon as the door closed behind them. “Look, I don’t have a lot of time. I just need you to know that my feelings for you are real, okay? They may not have been in the beginning, but they are now.”

She shook her head. “Sam, I can’t—”

“Listen to me,” he continued, sounding a bit more anxious with every word. “No matter what you hear, no matter what anyone says,” he tapped his heart, “what’s in here is real. I mean it.”

Searching his eyes, she took in what he was saying. What anyone says? She shook her head. “Sam—”

“I’ll make it up to you—”

“Sam—”

“If I’d known that I’d feel like this in the beginning—”