The Beat and The Pulse Box Set 2

by Amity Cross

  “Who said I was fucking him?” I asked, my pride hurting.

  “You did.”

  “Did not.”

  “You didn’t say it, Cunningham,” he said with a chuckle. “You showed it on several occasions. The Gala is a real good example. Hard to miss it when you get a fist in your face for dancing with a beautiful woman. Then both of you disappeared.”

  “We got kicked out,” I said with a pout.

  “If you say so, darling.” He pouted back, and I resisted the urge to smack him one.

  “Where is this going?” I asked, trying to keep my exasperation in check. “I’ve got work to do, so if that’s all…”

  “You’re his weakness,” he mused, ignoring me. “That will work.”

  “I am not his weakness,” I said. “He’s with someone, and it’s obviously not me.”

  Gabe paused, the dumbbell hovering in midair. “He dumped you for another women?”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Man, that guy is an epic douche,” he said with a shake of his head. “He was the guy who made you run into my tongue the other week, right?”

  “Run into your tongue?” I exclaimed, recoiling. “I feel sick.”

  He laughed and set the dumbbell onto the floor. “You know I love this push-pull thing we’ve got going on, right?”

  “Damned if I do, damned if I don’t,” I shot back.

  “He must’ve done something real shit to make you quit and come to me. I bet his head’s exploded by now,” he said with a chuckle. Right then, he was really bathing in the glow of his own self-importance. “Don’t worry, Cunningham. I’ve got your back.”

  “Lucky me,” I drawled.

  “How do they train?” he asked, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees. Shit, the guy had thighs like tree trunks.

  “How do they what?” I asked, blinking hard.

  “Train,” Gabe said with yet another laugh at my awkwardness. “What is their prep like?”

  My mouth dropped open at his blatant questioning. The man had absolutely no shame whatsoever. Seriously, I wasn’t sure why I was surprised considering the way he fought.

  “I signed a nondisclosure agreement,” I declared haughtily.

  “C’mon,” he crooned, flashing me a lopsided grin. “No one is around to hear. I’ll keep it to myself. Just give me a little hint.”

  “No,” I said, digging my heels in. “I can’t afford to. I’m not rich or powerful. I’d get steamrolled in court.”

  Gabe rolled his eyes. “We’re both going into the octagon with one goal, Cunningham. To win. It’s the name of the game, and I’m sure Hayes will do whatever it takes to win back the title. I’m sure he’s digging for dirt right now, which is exactly what I’m doing. Any fighter would do the same.”

  “You’re asking me to break the law,” I said, shaking my head. “I signed a binding contract.”

  “And do you really think he’d sue you? The woman who’s got his balls in a vice?” He raked his gaze over me, lingering a little too long on my breasts before returning his eyes to mine. “C’mon. I wasn’t born yesterday. He broke your heart. Probably dumped you for that other woman you say he’s got. Doesn’t that just eat you up inside? Live a little and take a potshot at him. Use me, Cunningham. I’m up for it. You know that.” He winked suggestively.

  “Me being here is more than enough,” I snapped, reacting badly to his attempts at shaking the one thing I believed in most in this industry. My professionalism as a woman in a man’s world. “If you want insider information, you’re not getting it from me.”

  Gabe leaned back, his cocky expression melting away. Scowling, he rose to his feet. “You’re lucky you’re good at your job,” he drawled. “And you’re right about one thing. You being here gets to him. Imagine how much I can twist the knife when I tell him all about our little dry humping session.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!” I exclaimed, practically jumping to my feet.

  I didn’t know why the hell I cared if Dean found out. He was off doing the same thing with Monica Miller. Shit, I was such a hypocrite. He’d done exactly the same thing I’d done to Hamish. Damn, this was such a mess…

  “Why do you care, Cunningham?” Gabe asked, voicing my thoughts. “No matter what you say, you still care a little too much for him.”

  “How would you know that? Can you see inside my head now, Gabe? Are you all powerful?”

  He didn’t reply, he just reached for his phone and tapped the screen. A moment later, the sound of my voice echoed through our little corner of the gym. It was my phone call with Ren… How the hell did he get a recording? It was just my voice, Ren’s answers couldn’t be heard, but it was enough. It was the whole story and then some.

  “How…” I breathed deeply, my skin beginning to crawl. “That’s an invasion of privacy.”

  Ignoring me, he pressed stop on the recording and said, “I was thinking about lining up an interview with the press to tell them the real story behind what happened at the Tightrope Gala.”

  My mouth dropped open. “But that would—”

  “Destroy Dean Hayes’s career?”

  The dirty bastard. I was hurting, but I’d never do anything to tear down the man who broke me. That was Monica Miller’s MO, not mine. No matter what he’d done to me, I couldn’t do that to Dean. Never.

  Gabe O’Connell was rotten through and through.

  He smiled, his lips curving into the wickedest grin I’d ever seen. He knew he had me cornered. I was trapped.

  “If you want me to keep my mouth shut, you’ll play by my rules,” he said, backing away. “Just you remember who your master is, Josie.”

  I began to shake as the full realization of what I’d done hit me in the chest. By walking through those doors and begging the enemy for a job, I’d made the biggest mistake of my life. I’d given him all the ammunition he needed to bring down Dean, and there was nothing I could do about it. Gabe O’Connell was blackmailing me.

  I loved Dean. I had always known it, and I would always live with it, but knowing I was going to be responsible for destroying his life and his dream? What he’d done was nothing on what I’d just blundered my way into. I was stuck in a nightmare of my own creation. No matter which way I turned, Dean would lose.

  I’d become the thing I hated the most. The pain, the desire, and the hatred…

  I was Monica Miller version two point oh.

  26

  Dean

  I was absolutely exhausted. Mentally, physically…in every way possible.

  I’d trained nonstop, fighting against Lincoln, lifting more weights than I cared to count, eating bland food I’d rather forget the taste of…all in pursuit of the one goal. Josie Cunningham.

  Day five brought us to my current position. Standing behind the scenes at the arena, waiting for my turn to weigh in and face off with O’Connell.

  Knowing she was here made my skin prickle with anticipation, but none of the preparation I’d been through felt like it was enough. Shoving my hands into the pockets of my AUFC hoodie, I watched the movement up and down the hallways, waiting for a glimpse of my ray of sunshine.

  She had to be here. There was no way in hell O’Connell would let an opportunity to rub her in my face slip by. He’d used that tactic during our last fight, and it’d worked miracles for him.

  “Keep your focus, Dean,” Coach said beside me. “Weigh in and don’t let him play your anger.”

  “You don’t have to worry about…” I trailed off as I caught sight of a head of blonde hair at the opposite end of the hallway.

  Josie.

  Straightening up, my lips parted as she turned. Everything slowed down around me as her gaze flicked around, looking for something…or someone

  I’m here, Jo, I thought. Right here.

  Then like all the stars and planets had aligned, her gaze met mine. She stared at me, her expression full of pain, and I could see the silent question in her eyes. Where was Monica?

  I shook
my head back and forth and mouthed the words, “Only you.”

  Outside on the stage, the announcer broke apart the first moment I’d had with her since she walked out, and I felt like throttling the bastard.

  “Welcome to AUFC Fight Night 41! To get things started, we’d like to welcome our octagon girls for this evening, Hilary and Sasha, and the AUFC director Charlie Freeman!”

  She glanced away as someone appeared beside her and spoke into her ear. Then as if some invisible string pulled her back, her blue eyes searched me out again. That’s my girl.

  I didn’t move my gaze from Josie’s as the octagon girls walked past, their hungry stares roaming toward me. Once, I would’ve taken in their tiny waists, big breasts, and round asses as they filed past, deciding which one I would approach after the weigh-in, but not tonight. There was only one woman I had eyes for, and she blitzed the competition without having to lift a finger.

  The person who’d spoken in her ear had moved off, and she was standing there alone at the opposite end of the hall. My heart leapt, and I took a step forward. Now was my chance to put my plan into motion.

  “You sure you want to talk to her now?” Coach asked, grasping my arm.

  “I’m sure,” I said, pulling myself free. “I’ve never been so sure about anything in my entire life.”

  Prowling toward her, I felt my body begin to respond. It was like somebody had put a magnet underneath my skin and it was being drawn together with hers. Nothing could’ve stopped my forward momentum once I’d got going, not even a wall of steel.

  She was all I could see as I approached her, the pomp and procession of the weigh-in fading away into nothing. My head began to fill with the memory of her touch, the way she kissed me the night of the Gala, her body against mine, my cock in her wetness. It was all I could do not to fist my hands into her hair, pull her against me, and take her then and there.

  As I stood before her, I could hardly believe the things that had brought us to this moment. The highs and the lows. The pain and regret. All I wanted to do was reach out and bring her home. To keep her safe and show her she deserved to be loved. She and I…it was right.

  “Josie,” I said, my voice nothing but a sigh.

  “Where is she?” she asked, her voice full of venom.

  “Fucked if I know,” I replied, my ire beginning to rise.

  Her eyes widened. “But aren’t you…”

  “I’ve always told you the truth, Jo,” I murmured, pulling myself back under control. “I never touched her. You’re the one I want.”

  “But… But she said…”

  “Monica is a liar, Jo.”

  She glanced around like she was looking for a way out.

  “Come back to me, Jo,” I said, inching forward. “Come home.”

  She shrank away, her breathing becoming erratic. What was she afraid of? This was fear I was seeing, right?

  “Jo?”

  “If he sees you with me…” she murmured, her gaze darting back over her shoulder.

  I frowned, my blood beginning to boil. “Did he do something to hurt you?”

  Her mouth opened but no sound came out, the expression in her eyes telling me everything I needed to know. O’Connell had her scared…so scared she was afraid to do something about it. For Josie Cunningham to be pushed off her foundation of wild energy, it must be bad. In all the time I’d known her, I couldn’t think of a single time she’d backed down from a challenge. Not until now.

  “Jo,” I said again. This time, putting more force behind my words. “What has he done to you?”

  “Now the event you’ve all been waiting for… The middleweight title fight,” the announcer exclaimed, amping up the crowd. “The bad boys of the competition are here in AUFC Middleweight 41 and are out for blood! Dean Hayes versus Gabe O’Connell!”

  The crowd went berserk, jeering and whistling, the sound echoing down the hall where we stood.

  “You better go,” she muttered, rubbing her palms up and down her arms like she was cold.

  “Jo, please… O’Connell doesn’t deserve you. You need to cut him loose. If you need help, I’m here. I’m always here.”

  “First up to the scales is Dean Hayes!” The announcer continued, oblivious to what was happening backstage. The AUFC stopped for no heartache.

  “Go,” she said, nodding toward the stage. “Please, just go.”

  Tearing my gaze away from Josie’s, I turned and strode out onto the stage, closely followed by Coach. Tossing my shirt and trainers, I stepped up onto the scales. I stared straight down the barrel of the camera, ignoring the chaos around me. I had to keep my focus now more than ever. Eyes on the prize and all of that.

  “Eighty point two kilograms,” the announcer exclaimed as the number appeared on the display. “Dean Hayes!”

  “Great,” Coach said as I stepped off the scales. “A kilo lighter than your last fight.”

  I nodded in agreement, pleased we’d achieved a closer weight difference to O’Connell. Scooping up my shoes and shirt, we moved to the side of the stage and waited.

  The announcer stepped into the spotlight. “And his opponent, please welcome Gabe O’Connell!”

  My lips thinned as I waited for my enemy to appear. I’d never had an archnemesis before, and I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to react when he finally appeared. Linc and I had talked about the weigh-in over the last few days, and we’d both agreed I should ignore the wanker. He would put on a show, living up to his arrogance, and try to use Josie against me. I had to ignore his attempts and keep my focus.

  Still, when O’Connell pushed the curtains aside and bounded up onto the stage, I couldn’t help the sneer that pulled at my upper lip. He treated the crowd to his usual antics, doing a cartwheel and a flip, landing smoothly on his feet. While the fans lapped it up, I shoved down the urge to choke on my own vomit.

  He didn’t even glance our way as he turned and stepped onto the scales.

  “Eighty point nine,” the announcer bellowed. “Gabe O’Connell!”

  “He’s put on,” Coach murmured into my ear.

  “Only two hundred grams,” I replied, curling my lip. “Hardly anything.”

  “You’re matched more evenly now,” he countered. “It’s something at least.”

  As O’Connell stepped off the scales, I strode over to meet him. No fear.

  We faced off, eyeballing one another with as much disdain as we could muster. It wasn’t hard on my part. I wanted to rip him apart right then and there. After a little muscle flexing from O’Connell, we were pushed apart, and the weigh-in was over.

  Out back, I parted ways with Coach.

  I was hoping to find Josie and talk with her again because any contact with her was good when I’d had none at all. The two minutes we’d had earlier had done nothing but fan the flames she’d ignited in me weeks ago.

  Turning down the hall that led toward the locker rooms, I came to a halt when I heard my name being called out behind me. Rolling my eyes, I turned, but instead of finding a reporter or a sneaky fan, I found the last person I wanted to see outside of the octagon.

  Gabe O’Connell had followed me from the arena like a creepy serial killer stalking its prey.

  “Hayes,” he said with a sneer. “How’s the head?”

  “Practicing your stalking skills, O’Connell?” I retorted, my fingers curling into tight fists. Anything to keep myself in check.

  We were alone, and there would be no witnesses… No. I had to wait until tomorrow night when I could pound his face as hard as I could and not get disqualified or arrested for it.

  “You know,” O’Connell said, leaning close so his voice wouldn’t echo down the lonely corridor. “She’s a real fox.”

  He didn’t have to elaborate on who ‘she’ was. “If you’ve done something to hurt her, you’ll regret it one way or another,” I snarled.

  “Hurt her?” he asked, feigning shock. “She didn’t complain the other week when I felt her up. She’s got real nice tits.
” He made an appreciative sound and laughed. “She’s a great kisser, that Josie Cunningham. Really goes for it.” He lifted his fingers and flicked his tongue between them.

  My mouth fell open, but before I could do anything about it, he backed away laughing. Good for him because I would’ve cracked his skull open.

  “See you tomorrow night, asshole,” he said, looking a little too pleased with himself, more than was normal.

  I was too stunned to move. Josie kissed Gabe O’Connell?

  I racked my brain trying to think of when it could’ve happened. At the Gala? No, she’d been with me practically the entire time. No, it had to be the weekend she disappeared to Melbourne. I’d pushed her away after she tried to tell me how she felt that morning in the gym…

  Shit.

  I could’ve been mad at her for running off and kissing the guy, but we weren’t together then. She’d obviously stopped things before they’d gone too far, but I didn’t have any right to be hurt over it. No matter how much I hated O’Connell, I couldn’t blame Josie for something she did while hurting. Besides, it would make me one hell of a hypocrite.

  I knew better than anyone that heartache did crazy things to people, even the strongest of us all.

  Knowing I wouldn’t be seeing Josie again that night, I turned and went back out into the arena to find Lincoln, Violet, and Coach.

  It was time to go home and get some sleep because tomorrow, I was going to war.

  27

  Josie

  “Are you ready?”

  I glanced up at Gabe as he leaned forward and smiled at me.

  We sat in the back of his fancy SUV on the way to the arena for the title fight, traveling from the hotel in Sydney’s CBD to the arena at Homebush in the inner west.

  I was still reeling from the weigh-in the night before, but I hadn’t had any time to process the few stolen words I’d had with Dean. I wanted to plead for his forgiveness and explain why I couldn’t come back regardless of whether he was with Monica or not.

  I had to stick this through and clean up my own mess. If I told Dean, he would want to pound Gabe into the ground and drag me back to Sydney kicking and screaming. He would rush in headfirst without any thought for the consequences. I had no idea when I’d be able to trump Gabe, but I couldn’t let him take Dean down. Knowing it wasn’t for any other reason than because he could, didn’t make it feel any better.