Page 189 of Ghost Ribbon

Rei poked my side. “Hey. Don’t look so smug. Dimitri is faster.”

I shrugged, still watching Alexei roll his shoulders. “But Alexei is stronger.”

Rei made a noise of pure offense and bumped his shoulder hard against mine.

“Traitor. Absolute traitor.” Then his voice dropped into a sly whisper. “Speaking of strong… have you and him… you know…”

My entire face went hot. “Rei!!”

“What?” He looked genuinely offended at my volume. “I’m being supportive. Come on, spill. Has he fucked you? Or wait—” he held up a finger like he’d just had a groundbreaking thought, “—do you fuck him? Because I’m not stereotypical, okay? I fully believe you could pin that tall brute down and ruin him. You’ve got the energy for it.”

I buried my burning face in my hands. “I don’t - and I don’t want to—”

Rei’s eyebrow shot up so high it almost left his face. “Pillow princess?”

“Stop it,” I groaned into my palms.

He cackled, completely unrepentant, and reached over to ruffle my hair until it stuck up in every direction. “God, you’re too cute. Here—” He dug into his pocket and produced a crumpled bag of strawberry candies, tossing one into my lap. “You’re going to need sugar for this.”

I unwrapped the candy with still-pink cheeks just as the fight started.

Dimitri was lightning. Quick feet, always moving. Alexei was slower but heavier, every punch made the air itself seem to flinch. I watched, half-fascinated, half-anxious, strawberry sweetness melting on my tongue.

Then Dimitri’s fist cracked clean against Alexei’s jaw.

I gasped and was halfway out of my seat before Rei’s hand locked around my wrist and yanked me back down.

“Relax,” he said, still chewing. “It’s just how they are. They’ve been beating the shit out of each other since they were kids. It’s basically foreplay for them at this point.”

My bottom lip wobbled anyway. I hated it. I hated the red mark already blooming on Alexei’s skin. I hated that I couldn’t climb into the ring and make Dimitri stop.

Rei sighed and squeezed my wrist once.

I kept staring until Alexei finally overpowered Dimitri - one brutal sequence that ended with Dimitri flat on the mat, laughing even as he tapped out.

The second it was over I was moving.

I reached the edge of the ring just as Alexei wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist.

“Are you hurt?” I asked, voice higher than I meant it to be.

He looked down at me, green eyes warm and far too amused, and the corner of his mouth curved.

“Baby… you’re worried about me?”

I nodded so hard my hair bounced. “Yes. Obviously. He hit your face.”

Alexei stepped out of the ring in one smooth motion, still a little breathless, and leaned down to press a lingering kiss to the top of my head.

“Adorable,” he murmured against my hair.

Heat flooded my cheeks all over again. I reached up on tiptoe and carefully traced the reddened spot on his jaw with my fingertips, frowning at it. Then I turned my head and fixed Dimitri with the most serious glare I could manage.

Dimitri, still sitting on the mat and drinking water, slowly raised one eyebrow.

From the corner, Ilya’s loud cackle exploded through the arena.

“HA! Dimitri, you just made yourself a brand-new enemy. Look at that tiny death stare. You’re so fucked.”