by Amity Cross
As if the man had an inbuilt guidance system that targeted women, Gabe O’Connell reared his ugly head, put down the weights he was working with, and rose to his feet. I didn’t like the triumphant smirk he had on his face one bit, but I hadn’t been expecting anything less.
“Josie Cunningham.” He approached me with a wicked grin on his face, making a show of wiping the sweat from his ripped and tattooed chest with his towel. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”
I smiled thinly as I pulled the hood from my head and kept my gaze on his face. I wouldn’t give him the pleasure of my gaze lingering anywhere else. I might be a stupid bitch sometimes, but I wasn’t what Monica said I was—a cheap sex doll. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“What brings you into my lair?” Gabe asked, letting his gaze rake over me. Even though I was dressed casually in skinny jeans, boots, a simple AUFC tee, and a black leather jacket, he seemed to like what he saw.
“I’m moving back to Melbourne,” I said, glancing at his mates who had stopped what they were doing and were staring over at us.
Gabe glanced over his shoulder and glared at them. “Don’t mind those guys,” he said to me. “They know to keep their hands off.”
“They’d better. I have enough shit to deal with in this business without all the sexist crap.”
“You won’t get any of that around here, trust me. I see to it that everyone’s treated fair in my team.”
“Put that on the list,” I said, subtly beginning a negotiation.
His lips curved into a smile. “Are you asking me for a job?”
I didn’t exactly want to work for Gabe, but I needed the money. Sydney was an expensive place to live, and it’d taken almost all of my pay to keep myself afloat. Rent, bills, transport…all of it was off the charts. I was newly unemployed and almost broke. Groveling at Gabe O’Connell’s feet was the fastest way to make some cash short-term, and he’d made it clear he’d pay whatever it took for the opportunity. In short, I was using him to get ahead.
And it would piss Dean off when he found out. Dean with his dirty little cock and his dirty little skank Monica. When the Twins eventually decided who was going to challenge Gabe for the title, the weigh-in would be the spectacle of the century.
“So what if I’m asking?” I declared, crossing my arms over my chest. “You made it clear you were hiring, and I’m looking to pick up something quick.”
His eyes sparkled. “I knew you’d come back for more when that fucker messed up.”
“I’m not interested in personal relationships,” I said with a scowl. “I’m interested in legitimate employment. I take my work very seriously, and I’m good at it. What I don’t appreciate—”
“Calm down,” he interrupted with a chuckle. “I know you’re a pro, Josie. Why do you think I’ve been trying to steal you from those assholes? A little kissing was the cherry on an already fucking awesome cake.”
“I thought I made myself clear about that,” I said. “It was a mistake.”
Gabe laughed, slapping his hand on his stomach. “Life just got interesting,” he said when he’d calmed himself enough. “No more kissing, I promise. But…”
“But?” I rolled my eyes. Here we go…
“But I can’t promise I won’t try to woo you in other ways.”
“Ever heard of sexual harassment?” It came out of my mouth before I had the chance to stop it, and I held my breath, hoping I didn’t just blow my chance at a job.
“You’re hired,” he declared with a grin. “Name your price, Cunningham, and you’ve got a deal.”
I blew out the breath I’d been holding and decided to take a risk. “I’m not cheap.”
His gaze lowered. “No, you’re not. You’re a fucking diamond.”
“Diamonds are worth two hundred thousand a year.”
He smiled, knowing exactly what I was doing. “Two hundred plus bonuses.”
“You’re way too easy, Gabe O’Connell.”
He inclined his head. “I know the value of a good team, Josie Cunningham. I want to be the best, so I need the best around me. Next to fighting, image is paramount in this business, and you know image like the back of your own hand. You’re going to be the shining jewel in my crown. That, I can promise you.”
“You’ve got a line for everything.” I snorted and rolled my eyes, which was fast becoming my default reaction to his cringeworthy moves. And shit, was he smooth like a baby’s butt cheek.
“Do you want to come and meet the team?” he asked, nodding toward the gym behind him.
“You’re keen,” I said. “I haven’t accepted your offer yet.”
His smile widened. “Oh, I think you already have. The terms are excellent.”
They were pretty darn good. I’d get to come home to Melbourne, would be paid almost twice as much as I had working of the Twins, and I’d hopefully be treated with the respect I craved. I’d be stupid not to take the job.
Who cared if it hurt Dean? He’d already broken the last part of my heart, so who the fuck cared? I was never going to find the love I’d wanted above all else in my life, so I had to close the door and move on. Love wasn’t in the books for me. I had to focus on myself and what I could control. My career.
“Let’s meet the team, then,” I said, smiling up at Gabe. “No time like the present.”
Gabe hooted and fist-pumped the air. “A woman who grabs life by the balls… I like it.”
“Just know I’ll rip yours off if you cross the line.”
Reaching down, he cupped his cock and pretended to wince. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
Not insulted by the gesture in the least, I followed him through the gym toward the group of half-naked men at the back. It was his way of telling me I was already one of the boys, and it was everything I wanted…along with the pay packet.
Maybe this was going to be the start of something better. No heartache, no messy feelings, no split focus, no more pain…and most importantly, no Dean Hayes and Monica Miller.
May they choke on their own vomit.
22
Dean
I’d completely shut down.
I trained, and I followed instruction, but I didn’t feel any of it. I was on auto pilot.
No matter what I said or did, she wouldn’t believe me, so what was I supposed to do? I didn’t have a clue, and Lincoln wasn’t forthcoming. Violet had stopped talking to me the moment she heard what I’d done…because it was my fault.
Josie had done nothing but want to try to love me, and I’d pushed when she wanted to walk away. I pushed her to be in this stupid relationship. The bad boy with no care for his reputation. The bad boy with a toxic crush on a heartless creature. The bad boy who closed the door to his past too late to save his future.
I’d lived up to everyone’s expectations and destroyed her.
Almost a week had passed, and I still hadn’t heard from her. I didn’t even know if she still had the same number, but I kept calling, hoping she’d pick up out of pure annoyance…but she never did. It was like she’d never been here at all.
I’d already run ten kilometers on the treadmill that morning, but I was so numb I didn’t even realize the display had ticked over to fifteen until I saw Lincoln’s reflection in the mirror.
He was talking to Coach in a low voice and showing him something on a piece of paper, and now and then, they’d glance over to me.
Slowing to a jog and then a walk, I turned the treadmill off and jumped off the end, my legs feeling like they were made from jelly. I’d overdone it, but I wasn’t going to fess up that I had.
“What’s that?” I asked, turning to face Linc, who was now on his own.
“A press release,” he replied absently. “It’s nothing.”
My thoughts immediately went to Josie, and I wondered if it was someone announcing her new appointment as their PR rep. If she was going to pick up more work, her best prospects short-term were to find another fighter.
&nb
sp; That was the moment I began to put two and two together, and it didn’t equal four. It equaled...
“Give me that,” I snapped, attempting to snatch the paper from Linc’s hand.
He wasn’t quick enough as I plucked it from his hand and began reading.
My gaze raked over the press release, and as the words began to sink in, I couldn’t feel anything. Each word was like a kick in the nuts, and seeing her name felt like my cock was being twisted in a vice. This was bad. Very bad.
Josie had left us and gone back to Melbourne to work PR for Gabe O’Connell. Gabe O’Connell.
The numbness I’d felt for the past few days began to thaw and turn into full-blown rage. Just…rage.
Balling my hands into fists, I scrunched up the paper, but the motion did nothing to calm the beast inside me. I wanted to break something. I wanted to break the entire world, and I wanted to start with O’Connell’s face.
“I’m going to fucking kill him,” I snarled, my chest beginning to heave as I sucked in shallow breaths.
“No killing on my watch,” Lincoln said, placing his hand on my shoulder. “We all know how that ended up last time.”
I knew he was referring to Ash Fuller, who almost took revenge to the extreme when Hammer had attacked Ren. I would fuck up O’Connell, but I could never cross that line…but he did have Josie. He’d been trying to lure her away for weeks, and now he probably thought he’d won. Taking everything from us just for the hell of it.
“If I can’t kill him, then what can I do?” I asked, glancing between my brother and Coach, who had reappeared at the sound of my raised voice. “I don’t have any power. He’s going to try it on with her if he hasn’t already.” The thought of O’Connell shoving his tongue down Josie’s throat made me sick and only served to fuel my anger. “He’s been trying to get her into bed since the day I first fought him. Sniffing around the edges like a fucking dog looking for scraps.”
“Josie’s a smart girl,” Coach offered. “She takes her job seriously, she wouldn’t—”
“Except she has,” I said, jabbing a finger at myself.
“You’re different,” Lincoln countered quickly. “She could see right through him. You… You’re different.”
“You have to say that because you’re my brother.” I rolled my eyes, my chest burning at the memory of her walking away. I believed in her a thousand times over, but she didn’t believe in us. But most of all, she didn’t believe in me.
“Challenge him for the title,” Linc said, pulling my attention back to him.
“What?” I blinked hard, beginning to believe my rage was giving me hallucinations.
“Challenge O’Connell,” he said again. “You’ll get your rematch, and you’ll get to see Josie. You’ll get your chance to make things right.”
“I…” My mouth flapped uselessly. Lincoln was giving up the fight of his career so I could win back a woman? Josie wasn’t just any woman, but he was still giving up everything. That’s why we’d fought over the challenge so much. It was career making stuff.
“You always wanted the title more than I did,” he said with a smile. “And you have more reason to take it back from that prick than I do. He knocked you the fuck out.”
I glanced at Coach, and he nodded. “If that’s what you boys want, then who am I to argue?”
“I need you all on my side if we’re going to do this,” I said. “All in or nothing.”
“All in,” Linc said without hesitation.
Coach nodded in the affirmative. “All in.”
“What happened to Monica?” I asked him, her name on my lips feeling like acid burning my tongue.
“She won’t be coming back here,” Coach said, his voice tinged with disappointment. “We’ve had a lengthy talk about what happened here the other day, and I don’t think you got the entire story, son. She was here twice.”
“Twice?” I asked, my eyebrows raising.
“She spoke to Josie. Took some getting out of her, but she said something to hurt her. What exactly, she wouldn’t own up to.”
Linc’s gaze darted between us, and he spoke on my behalf. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“What good would it have done?” the older man said with a sigh. “The damage was already done. She hasn’t changed despite all the stories she’s told to the contrary.”
I had no love left for Monica, but she was still Coach’s daughter, and it had to suck big time seeing a part of yourself turn out to be the cause of so much heartache.
“That explains a lot,” I muttered. “Why Josie wouldn’t believe me.”
Jo had reservations from day one and hadn’t been able to let them go…and then Monica had to come back one more time and sink the boot in. It was her MO all over. She’d been kicked to the curb and was never one to go down without a fight. Classic psycho bitch syndrome.
“You’re right,” I said to Coach, my head beginning to clear as I mapped out the path back to Josie in my mind. “What’s done is done. Now we go for the title. Winner takes all or dies trying.”
He nodded, his eyes clearing as he slapped his hand on my shoulder. “No excuses. I’m going to put you through your paces, son. Both of you.”
“I’d expect nothing less,” I said, mirroring his gesture and grasping his opposite shoulder. “If I’m going to show her the truth, I’ll have to go to hell and back to do it. I’ll go further than that if I have to.”
“You really think fighting O’Connell will win her over?” Coach added as we let each other go.
“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “How I win will.”
Josie wouldn’t see me, so I had to do the next best thing. Get under her skin. Step one of doing that was getting in Gabe O’Connell’s face and fucking up his professional life. Josie was a pro, and she wouldn’t be able to ignore me for long. Gabe would use Jo’s and my break up to split my focus, but that’s exactly what I was hoping for. Face time with my girl.
I’d take back what was mine and teach him a lesson he’d never forget. No one fucked with the Hayes Twins. Nobody.
It wasn’t going to be a fight just for the AUFC middleweight title. It was a fight for Josie Cunningham’s heart, body, and soul.
My girl had lost her way, and it was time to guide her home.
23
Josie
A few days had passed since I turned up on Gabe’s doorstep, and I was fast learning his life was a circus.
I’d always thought Dean’s life was full to the brim with drama and womanizing, but he had nothing on his rival. The O’Connell show was a twenty-four seven affair, and he lived more like an A list celebrity than a professional athlete. Gabe seemed to know everyone who was cool in the city—DJ’s, club owners, musicians, artists, other fighters, AFL players, actors… A handful of days with the guy and I was already run ragged trying to keep up with his schedule. I wasn’t even sure how he found the time to train, let alone sleep, but he did.
To anyone on the outside, it looked like Gabe O’Connell was on the fast track to the bottom via a stint in rehab, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.
The one thing he had absolute control over was drugs and alcohol. He never touched either despite his entourage sniffing powder up their noses the moment they hit the VIP room of whatever club they were trolling that night.
I didn’t like it at all, and it went against everything I believed in as a human being and a professional, but it was my job to keep the scandalous behavior under wraps. When the drugs and wild sex romps stayed behind closed doors and out of the tabloids, I got a bonus. It sounded like a great incentive, but I was already run off my feet.
As I paced back and forth in the gym, my phone to my ear and my voice already beginning to dissolve into a husky rasp, I squashed down the little thought in the back of my mind that said I’d had it better than I’d realized with the Hayes Twins.
Glancing at the group of men at the other end of the room who were bench-pressing impossible weights, I caught Gabe�
��s gaze. He was spotting another guy—some dude who called himself a fitness model and whose name I’d already forgotten—his chest bare and his tattoos on show.
Gabe was damn fine to look at, but I’d already learned the arrogance he paraded went all the way to the core. He did think that highly of himself.
He winked suggestively, and I didn’t even have the energy to roll my eyes at him. I wished I’d been bold enough to negotiate a higher base salary.
My phone began to ring again for like the twentieth time that morning, and I sighed sharply. Turning my back on my boss, I began walking away.
Answering the call, I said, “Josie Cunningham.”
“What the fuck are you thinking?”
I hesitated, my brow creasing. “Who is this?”
“Bitch.”
Bitch? Who the hell would be calling my work number and calling me a…
“Ren, is that you?”
“Yeah, it’s just your best friend who you haven’t spoken to for weeks.” She sounded exasperated, which was a dead ringer for how I was feeling myself.
I hadn’t spoken to Ren since after the wedding, and she hadn’t been happy with me at all. I was busy causing scenes in her eyes, so I’d been leaving her to stew in her own juices. If I was telling myself the truth, I was avoiding talking to her because I’d have to spill on the whole Monica and Dean scenario, and I wasn’t ready to face it all yet.
“I thought you were mad at me,” I replied, moving farther away from Gabe and his hangers-on.
“I was, then I wasn’t, and now I am again,” she replied. “You quit working with the Twins, move back to Melbourne, and don’t tell me?”
“Shit,” I muttered.
“Yeah, that’s right,” she scolded me. “And I see you took a job working with Gabe O’Connell.”
“How do you know?”
She snorted, the sound whooshing across the line. “I might not be a part of the AUFC anymore, but it’s a small country we live in. Word gets around. Press releases help a great fucking deal, too.”