Fight For You
Adriana Hunter
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Liam Cross stalked along the gritty sidewalk on Longwood Avenue, his head down. It was late, he wanted to be home, in bed...preferably with some woman. But if not with a woman, at least asleep.
The day had been long and his body…and mind…were exhausted. But he was restless and keyed up too, looking for some kind of release. A bad combination; it made him edgy and uncomfortable in his own skin. He knew; if he wanted, he could find something on this street that would take the edge off, make him relax. That was one of the great things about New York: pretty much anything you wanted, someone was selling. But that was one line that he wasn’t willing to cross, for many reasons.
One of those reasons was the person responsible for his current mental and physical exhaustion. Other reasons lived within his past, people and events that he tried hard to forget, but never quite managed to. Maybe that was the curse of not falling victim to the same lifestyle they had; he wasn’t going to repeat it, but he was powerless to forget.
Frank, his trainer at the gym, had really put him through his paces, working Liam harder than he usually did, pushing him, yelling at him when he let up, when he tried to cut corners. And it made him angry…
And as angry as Frank had made him, that anger served a purpose. It fueled him, kept him going. His trainer was the only person who could get away with making Liam angry and not suffer for it. Frank was the only person Liam respected enough…maybe even trusted…to let him treat Liam like that. Frank’s the only one who understands…
But there were still things about Liam that even Frank didn’t know, that Liam hadn’t trusted him with. Things that were really no one’s business; things that were just too painful to bring up to the forefront. The old guy probably already knew anyway, since most of the kids who went through his gym were running from the same past. Still, Liam wasn’t interested in opening up about all that haunted him, even with his most trusted friend. The physical scars were there, the visible markers of the abuse he’d gone through. The emotional scars however, ran deeper and although they weren’t visible, they still hurt. Liam didn’t think he’d ever trust anyone enough to explain how they came to be.
As he walked along, he thought about the upcoming fight for, still a couple of months down the road; an eternity to Liam who couldn’t wait for the match-up. There were scouts, Frank said, who’d be there, guys who could take him on to bigger matches, fights with payouts, and a chance to fight in professional matches, get him out of the amateur, underground fights. No guarantees, but just maybe…if he worked hard enough. The rest was unsaid. If he worked hard enough, he could finally get out of this shitty life and make something of himself.
Liam’s head came up suddenly, his senses alert. He heard something ahead, sounds of a confrontation. Fights in the Bronx were a dime a dozen, especially now that it was warm, and he’d certainly been in enough of them. He heard a woman’s cry, maybe more than one. High-pitched and scared, and men’s voices raised in aggression. Probably just a pimp and his girl…
But it wasn’t a pimp at all. Liam’s eyes quickly swept over the scene, his body tensing, his exhaustion instantly gone in a rush of fiery adrenaline. Something wasn’t right and instinct told him it wasn’t going to turn out very well for the women.
As he made his way around the corner he noticed a small knot of people standing in the street, three well-dressed young women and two rugged punks, one tall dark-haired skinny guy and a shorter, heavier one with lighter hair. Liam didn’t recognize any of them and he knew most of the pimps, hookers and street rats in this neighborhood. Hell, he was one of them.
But these guys weren’t part of his neighborhood. They were certainly interested in the women though, and not in a good way. And the women weren’t hookers; they were far too well dressed and looked far too afraid to be working the streets, especially this street.
Liam didn’t care whether they were after money or something else, he just followed on instinct, the instinct that told him to dive in with his fists first and ask questions later. He moved in quietly, lightly, a slight bounce to his step, his eyes moving over everyone, taking in everything with a quick scan of the scene unfolding in front of him.
It all happened so quickly that no one in the circle even saw it coming.
The skinny guy received a blow to his mid-section that doubled him over, gasping for breath. He fell to his knees before tumbling hard to his side, like a demolished building. Liam stepped around him, eyes already on Blondie.
Liam had lost the element of surprise and Blondie turned on him, ready to fight. What Liam had thought in the dim light was just a pudgy guy and nothing to worry about, turned out to be a wall of muscle. Blondie charged, growling like a wild animal.
Liam held his ground, relaxed, loose, watching the guy come at him, his eyes never leaving his flushed face that growled with rage. With the ease of years spent on the street, and in the gym, Liam quickly sidestepped Blondie’s charge, bringing his closed fist down across the side of Blondie’s neck.
Blondie coughed once, then vomited a thick stream of what appeared to be tomato sauce. His momentum carried him forward, and most of the vomit spilled down his shirt, and over his pants, spattering on the pavement. He finally stumbled to a halt, hands on his knees, still gagging and retching, shaking his head in confusion, struggling to breathe.
Skinny had finally managed to suck in a lungful of air and was hauling himself to his feet. He lumbered forward, taking a roundhouse swing at Liam’s head, which he easily ducked beneath. Liam took one step forward, pivoted and brought his foot up, kicking Skinny in the back, low, then quickly, swinging around and catching him in the jaw. Liam heard the click of Skinny’s teeth coming together and knew the guy had probably bitten his tongue.
Skinny did a repeat of his earlier performance, dropping to the ground with a thud. He didn’t get up this time, but lay there moaning. Liam could hear Blondie coughing behind him, and he turned, watching the big man as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Liam was still loose and relaxed, fists held ready, waiting for them to make the next move.
But Blondie staggered over to Skinny, pulling him to his feet, a trickle of blood running down Skinny’s chin. They silently backed away from Liam before turning away, breaking into a shambling run. They turned at the corner and were quickly out of sight.
Liam watched a moment longer, his body relaxing, before turning back to the girls, huddled together on the sidewalk.
“You okay?” Liam took a step forward. One girl took a step backward, tugging on her friend’s arm.
“No…no, we’re fine. Um…thanks.” The girl with blonde hair held her ground though, looking directly into Liam’s eyes. He felt a moment of confusion. Not many people, much less women, unless they were professionals, held his gaze. People said his eyes were cold, that he could intimidate someone by just looking at them, something he used to his advantage with his opponents. But apparently not this girl.
The girl had the greenest eyes he’d ever seen, and he’d looked into many green eyes in his life. But there was something else there, a look, a fire, he’d never seen before. It caught him off guard and when Liam was caught off guard, it made him wary. But in this case, it also made him intensely curious. Not always a good combination.
“You shouldn’t be here. You’re a little lost, aren’t you?”
He looked over their expensive clothes…short skirts, nicely cut hair, and perfectly manicured nails and shook his head. Spoiled, rich girls slumming for the night.
“As a matter of fact, yes,
we are lost.” One of the other girls spoke, her tone aggressive but her voice shaky. False bravado now that the real danger was past.
The blonde took a step toward him. She seemed a little drunk maybe, a bit wobbly on her feet, but she held out her hand.
“I’m Angela Reynolds.” Her voice was low, sexy…in contrast with her delicate features and light hair. He’d expected a much different voice, lighter, more girly. But he liked the sound of it very much.
Liam looked down at her extended hand. He took it slowly, shaking it, her delicate fingers brushing against his palm. But he didn’t let go. He held her hand for a moment, looking into her eyes. His wariness disappeared, curiosity taking over. He decided right then he’d be waking up with her tomorrow.
“Liam… Liam Cross.” She gently pulled her hand from his. But her eyes still lingered on his face. There was a moment when it was just the two of them. Liam had the distinct and unsettling sense of losing himself in her eyes. Get a grip, man. She’s just a girl.
There was a noise behind Angela. She startled, looking over her shoulder. “Oh, yes. These are my friends, Laura and Rachel.” Liam barely nodded at them, not registering the little wave one gave him.
“Where you headed?” His question was directed at Angela.
“We were headed to a club with friends. They told us about someplace out here, somewhere they wanted to take us. They took one cab and we got a second cab. Either we got the address wrong, or they gave us the wrong address….” Angela shrugged.
“We had to drag Angela out…” Rachel spoke up, taking a few steps toward Liam and Angela.
Angela looked down, her face hidden by a curtain of hair. She waved a dismissive hand at the girl.
“They thought I needed to get out, have some fun.” With a sudden toss of her head, she looked up at him, a rueful smile on her face.
“And here we are, out having fun. We’re lost…we were attacked, almost robbed.” Her smile deepened, her voice dropping. “And finally rescued.”
She cocked her head. “But I suspect you’re no knight in shining armor.”
Liam noticed she had dimples. He wasn’t sure he’d ever met a girl with dimples. She seemed somehow old-fashioned and incredibly sexy, all at the same time.
Angela was still smiling at him, her green eyes on his. “Thank you for coming to our rescue, Liam.”
Liam nodded. He liked the sound of his name on her lips. “You’re welcome. It’s not a safe place to be though, even in the daytime. The only club on Longwood is on the other side of the Expressway. It’s not exactly a dance club though…unless you’re a stripper.”
He caught her smile and his lips curved involuntarily.
“Do you live around here?” She tilted her head, her blonde hair falling across one shoulder in a shimmering wave.
“Close enough…” He stopped. Enough with the personal stuff. Bed and breakfast does not include your life history.
This was one he didn’t want to let get away though. He wanted her and he was pretty sure she was feeling the same way. She was still staring at him, standing close enough for him to smell her perfume, giving off all the signals that she was open to whatever he had to offer.
Liam smiled, giving her the version he’d used countless times to bed countless girls, and tossed out an invitation.
“But there’s a bar down at the end of the block. That is, if you’re interested.”
Before she had a chance to say anything, the girl named Rachel spoke up.
“I think it’s the least we could do, buy you a drink, I mean. You did save our lives, after all. Right?”
Rachel smiled, sidling up next to him, winding her arm through his. He looked at her briefly; he could smell the alcohol on her breath. They were all on the slightly drunk side, he decided. He turned to Angela, raising an eyebrow.
“Angela? Please?” Rachel’s voice took on a pleading quality that grated on Liam’s ears. He gently pulled his arm away from her clutches.
“I’d like that, Liam. Thank you.” Liam realized he had been holding his breath, waiting for her answer. And that bothered him slightly. She was just a girl I want to sleep with, nothing more. She couldn’t be anything more, but she could be mine tonight.
Liam fell into step beside Angela as they walked down the sidewalk, the other two girls trailing behind. Liam didn’t care about them; his whole focus was on Angela. She seemed comfortable with him, maybe from the excitement of watching the fight, or the alcohol, but she seemed willing to talk as they walked. So he let her talk.
“We’re lucky you came by. You’re the only person we saw…well, except for those other guys.”
“There’s no such thing as luck.” He turned to her, his face momentarily lit up with a teasing smile.
She smiled back and Liam felt his heart beat a little faster. They’d come out onto a street with more lights and he could see her clearly, those green eyes and full lips. She really is beautiful.
Lips he thought he’d enjoy kissing, would enjoy watching as she ran them over his body, down his chest…lower, kissing his…
“Liam?” Her voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned, looking down at her, frowning.
“I said, is this the place?”
They were standing in front of a seedy bar, garish neon lights painting the sidewalk. It was the place he intended to take them, although now it looked worse than he’d remembered.
“Yeah, it is.” He held the door for the girls, his hand lightly resting on the small of Angela’s back as though he wanted to control and guide her every move. The place was practically empty and he shepherded the girls to a small table in the far corner, away from the door.
Liam headed to the bar, mentally counting the money in his wallet. He wasn’t sure he had enough to cover the tab for all of them, and certainly not enough for a night of prolonged drinking. He ordered himself a soda, saving himself a few dollars.
Rachel patted the chair next to her, but Liam pulled out the chair next to Angela. Before he had a chance to say anything, Rachel lifted her glass.
“I think we should toast our hero, Liam.” Rachel sloshed some of her drink in her lap, still managing to take a healthy swallow. Laura was a little more cautious with her drink; Liam thought she was maybe a little less drunk than the rest, or just not into having fun. She looked a little uptight, kept giving him unfriendly little looks. If I can get them both drunk enough, maybe I can get those two in a cab and out of here.
Angela took a sip of her drink. He saw her eyes water. She grimaced, glancing at Liam.
“You seem to know how to handle yourself. I mean, you took care of those guys pretty easily.”
“I fight…” He saw her eyes widen. Laura leaned forward, some exclamation forming on her lips. Liam cut in smoothly, lowering his voice, focusing his gaze back to Angela, cutting Laura out of the conversation.
“I mean I train as an amateur fighter.”
Angela took another tentative sip of her drink, pushing it away this time.
“What did you do to make that guy throw up?”
Liam smiled. “If you hit someone along the side of the neck, it’ll make it hard for them to breath, or make them gag. Easy way to slow someone down.”
Laura made a face. “It was…well, pretty disgusting.”
“But it worked.” Angela cast a sidelong glance at her friend. “And that’s the important thing, right?”
Angela turned back to Liam, watching him for a moment. Liam liked how it made him feel when she looked at him. He felt like he was the only person in the room, the center of her attention. Then he shook his head. You’re getting ahead of the game here. Get her home first. She can look at you all you want then.
“Do you fight often?” Her question caught him off guard.
“You mean in the street? Not so much…anymore.”
She shook her head. “No, at a gym. Do you fight there?”
Liam shifted in his chair. As much as he might have wanted to talk about fighting, he rea
lly wanted to get this girl home. He could feel his body responding to the nearness of her, of this beautiful girl who seemed to be totally unaware of the effect she had on him. The scent of her perfume, the scent of her was already driving him crazy. Was she really that naïve? Or was this her game?
“It’s not all that much,” he said, dismissively. He took a swallow of his tepid soda. “Something I got into a while back, when I was…a teenager. Working toward some bigger matches now, things like that. Would love to go pro at some point.”
He leaned closer to Angela. “Enough about me. How did you get to be such a pretty girl?” He let his eyes linger on her face, caressing her with his gaze.
She actually blushed. “I’m not that pretty…” She looked down, her hair swinging across her face again.
Liam reached over, tucking the silky strands behind her ear. “It’s not a good idea to disagree with me.” His voice was low, leaning forward until his lips were almost against her ear.
She looked up at him, meeting his gaze. “It isn’t?”
“You saw what I did to those two guys…” He held her eyes for just a second…and then smiled.
Angela laughed. “Oh, right.” She pulled a face at him. “So I should remember to never disagree with you, huh?”
Liam took her hand, tracing a slow spiral on her palm. He heard her exhale, thought he heard what might have been a tiny whimper at the end.
“Never.” He leaned toward her, holding her gaze, almost…but not quite kissing her. He felt her lean toward him, felt the desire coming from her in waves. Sometimes it doesn’t take much…
“We should find a cab for your friends…” It wasn’t a suggestion; it was a statement. Angela blinked before turning to Rachel and Laura.
Liam looked at the two girls. They’d finished their drinks. He had to give them credit for that; party girls to the very end. But they both were a little dazed looking, staring blankly around the bar, not really paying attention to Liam or Angela.
“Hey, guys. Liam’s going to get us a cab, okay?” Both girls nodded at Angela, gathering their purses, heading for the ladies room. Angela rose from her chair, intending to follow. Liam reached out, his hand on her wrist. She looked down at him, frowning slightly.
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