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WELCOME BACK, RIPTIDE!

Brooke

IT’S BEEN TWO months, exactly sixty-two days, since I returned to hiing, and needing hier than that since thousands of women, men, and fans across the world watched him fall

He’s back

This is it The first fight of the new Underground season

He’s been training like mad He’s put on more muscle He’s more ripped than ever, and I know this season he’s ready to take what’s his

The audience in the Washington, DC, fighting arena consists of about a thousand people, and when the winner of the current rows restless

We all know it’s his time to be called His assistant, Pete, sits tense and alert to ht He’d told me he’s the “draw”—that most everyone in the arena is here for him

I know I certainly am

The air is charged with excitement and scented with perfu the ring now, one of them assisted by his team, and my heart pounds as I sit motionless in my seat, in the first row, at the very center, just where , ton, Reton

The speakers crackle as the announcer turns on the microphone, and I almost jump out of my skin

“Ladies and gentlemen, we all remember our crushed souls—our crushed spirits!—when the crowd favorite lost the championship final last year”

The crowd boos inabout how Re

“Have no fear, people Have no fear!”

“REMY!!!!!!!!!” someone screams

“Bring him out already!” another yells

“Oh, ill Have no doubt about it; ill,” the announcer so it out for the crowd “After much speculation andthis season, and he’s taking no prisoners, people! Here he is, ladies and gentle about?”

The crowd roars, “RIP-TIIIIIIIDE!”

“Who??”

“RIP-TIIIIIIDE!”

“One more time, ’cause I can’t hear you!”

“RIPTIIIIIDE!”

“That’s right, ladies and gentlemen! Here’s our favorite bad boy with that infamous smile and those deadly fists, ready to carve RIP into anyone who stands in his way this year The one, the only, Retoooon Tate, your RIPTIIIIIIIIIDE!!”

Wild exciteh me as the crowd stands and roars like never before

“My god, the fans are thirsty for him,” Pete breathes

And so aod So am I

Across the ring fro panties in the air Panties! Another lifts a sign that reads PULL ME UNDER, RIPTIDE!

My s flutter in my stomach when I see a flash of red

And then, he’s closer

Trotting out of the ay and to the ring

To his ring

My body enlivens with sensations as he breaks through the crowd

Sorab for hi, his face shadowed by the hood of his red satin robe Remy My Remy The man I love with every ounce of me

“Riptide, you put the sex in SEXY!”

“Renate me!”

He cli with a fluid jump, and then he re Hundreds of feoes to his corner to hand the robe to Riley, his coach’s second

Riley pats his ton throws his head back as if he’s laughing and then takes the center of the ring, spreads his long, ripped ar his slow and cocky I-know-you-all-want-to-fuck-me turn

I’