Breaking the Violence (Hard Drive Series Book 3)

by Tricia Andersen

  Lexi noticed her father’s face soften. Logan grabbed Mark’s hand and tugged on it. “Mark, can I come?”

  Mark glanced at Lexi. “I’m okay with it if your mom is.”

  Lexi shrugged in response. Her father cleared his throat. “Hey, champ. Let’s let Mom and Doctor Jacobsen have a night to themselves. You and I can hang out together and watch your favorite movie. I’ll even take you for ice cream. Sound good?”

  “Okay.” Logan wandered to Lexi. She kneeled down so he could kiss her on the cheek. Then he pattered to Mark. “Good-bye, Doctor Jacobsen.”

  “Mark works for me, Logan. Have fun with your grandpa.”

  There was an awkward moment of silence among them. Finally Logan sighed. “I can’t reach up there to kiss you Good-bye.”

  Lexi laughed as Mark blushed. “Sorry. My mistake.” He kneeled on one knee so the little boy could press a kiss to his cheek. Logan ran down the hallway to the other room. Lexi’s father looked to her then Mark. “You two have a good night.”

  “Thank you, sir. Nice to meet you,” Mark replied.

  “You too.” Her father disappeared after Logan. Lexi stepped outside, shutting the door behind her. She smiled at Mark. “So, what movie would you like to go to?”

  “I thought we’d go there and decide together.”

  “Sounds great.”

  Mark reached out and touched her elbow to escort her to his vehicle. Instinctively she flinched at his touch. He frowned. “You do that a lot when I touch you.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to.”

  “It’s all right. Just believe me. I couldn’t hurt you and I would never want to.”

  “I know.”

  They walked to his rental and he helped her in. She felt the butterflies let loose again. Was this date going to be a disaster? It wasn’t starting out well.

  Before they reached the end of the street, he started asking questions. By the time they got to the theater the ice was broken and they were chatting and laughing. They debated the movies choices until they could agree on one. Once Mark bought the tickets and then the popcorn and pop, they settled into their seats.

  Lexi fought to stop herself from pulling away when Mark touched her. He wasn’t Derek. It was hard for her to remember that. She finally forced herself to relax enough to take his hand and hold it. It was warm and strong, and it felt safe.

  “You don’t have to do that,” he whispered.

  “I want to.”

  His big smile in the dimly lit room made her heart swell.

  The conversation started back up the moment they left the theater and didn’t end until they reached the front step of her door. “Thanks for the date,” Mark said with a grin.

  “I had a good time,” Lexi replied.

  The door flew open. Logan stood there in a pair of footed pajamas staring at them. “You’re back.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be in bed, young man?” Lexi chided.

  “He’s heading there, Mama,” her father called out from inside.

  Logan looked up at Mark. “I need a kiss goodnight.”

  “Of course.” Mark pressed one on top of his head.

  Logan pointed to Lexi. “Now Mommy needs one.”

  “I’m not sure Mom wants one, big guy.”

  Lexi took a deep breath to steel her nerves. “Of course I do. We’ve already kissed before, remember?”

  “That’s true.” He gently pulled her close. His kiss was soft, tender. It melted away all her apprehension. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “Come on, Logan,” her father remarked with a chuckle. “Mom will be up in a bit.”

  The last thing Lexi noticed was the door closing before she was lost in another one of Mark’s kisses.

  Chapter Five

  Mark strode up the hospital parking ramp with a grin so wide it could be seen a mile away. He had spent nearly every day during the last couple of months with Lexi and Logan. They cooked out with his friends. Having the two of them finally meet Max, Chloe, Dan, Rico and Avery made his world feel complete. Another night they had gone out for ice cream, with Mark watching as Lexi and Logan enjoyed their treat. He had never wanted fight camp to end so much.

  When his fight finally did come, Lexi politely declined going to watch. She did, however, cook him a gigantic victory meal to celebrate his win by submission. When he locked his opponent, he never would have imagined the delicious pot roast she had planned for him. It was a great way to end fight camp.

  The night previous he took them to a baseball game and ended up on the Kiss Cam. His heart still thundered in his chest as he thought of her sweet lips pressed against his. Of course Logan couldn’t be left out of the fun but instead of kissing his mother he kissed Mark squarely on the cheek.

  He couldn’t stop thinking about the new little makeshift family he was part of. There were still times that Lexi shied away from him. Deep down inside he knew that wouldn’t change for a long time. She had been hurt. The torture she endured was more than one person should take. The fighter inside him wanted to get even with her son of a bitch ex for hurting her. The lover in him just wanted to protect her and Logan from the rest of the world and never let them go. Hopefully my mom gets back to me soon with her friend’s phone number. I know Cindy is really busy but hopefully she can squeeze Lexi in. It’d be a great place to start helping her heal.

  Mark felt a blow to his back steal the air from his lungs. He stumbled forward as he was struck again in the back of his knee. He was suddenly aware of two sets of feet behind him, and he hunched his shoulders forward to protect himself. Turning around would just give his attackers ample opportunity to more sensitive areas of his anatomy like his ribs. But he couldn’t just stand here and let them beat him. He took a deep breath and held it as he dropped to a knee. A split second later he pivoted on his knee and then lurched toward one attacker. He dropped the man on his back as the one with the baseball bat dropped it and ran. The thug on the ground was thin and slippery. Mark tried everything he could to get a better grip on his attacker but it useless. He kneeled as he watched the thug run off into the shadows after his friend.

  The areas of impact all over Mark’s body began to throb before he could get on his feet. He slowly, carefully, shuffled his way back through the parking structure into the emergency room.

  Joan was on her feet and around the nurses’ desk before he could utter a word. “Mark, what happened?”

  Mark huffed. “I was attacked in the garage.”

  “Oh, big guy. Let’s get you checked over.” She hustled him into an exam room and shut the door behind them. “Where’d they hit you?”

  “Joan, it’s no big deal,” Mark objected.

  “Nonsense. Where?”

  Mark slumped on the exam table. “On my back. Behind my knee.”

  “What did they hit you with?”

  “A baseball bat.”

  “Oh, Hun. Take the shirt off so I can take a look. Then I’ll send one of the doctors in.”

  Mark winced as he shrugged his shirt off over his head. He heard Joan curse under her breath. It must have been bad. Joan had never used a foul word in all the time he’d known her. He chuckled weakly. “Is it bad?”

  “Hun, you’re gonna have to take some time off from training to heal.”

  “Can’t. Max got me another fight. Whoever wins this gets a shot at the belt. I’ll have to play through the pain.”

  “With your background in sports medicine, you know that’s a terrible idea.”

  “I know. It doesn’t change things.”

  Joan sighed. “Fine. I’ll go get Tom. And I’m calling security to see if they can check the tape for your attackers.”

  Mark smiled at her. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

  She patted him on the knee. “Of course. You’re the only doctor around here I like. The rest I tolerate. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” She opened the exam room door and gave him one last comforting smile before closing the door behind her.<
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  Mark wasn’t sure how long he sat in that exam room. It felt like an eternity. He pulled out his phone to check it. There were already two texts from Lexi. He jammed his cell back in his pocket angrily. He didn’t know who had attacked him. It could have been a random assault. They hadn’t demanded anything. They just seemed determined to make him suffer. Somehow I have a feeling her ex is behind this.

  Finally the exam door opened but it wasn’t Tom. A security guard and a police officer stepped inside. Each had a list of questions to ask. Several were repeated. It didn’t matter. It gave him something to do other than sit there and ache. Once they were finished, they promised to look at the security tapes. Mark thanked them as they stepped out, nearly colliding with Tom.

  Tom cocked a grin at him. “Geez, Mark. Back so soon?”

  “Yep. I’ve been contemplating how long I make my patients wait,” he responded with sarcasm dripping from his voice.

  “You waited. I get it. Why are you back?”

  “I got jumped in the parking ramp.”

  “On your back?”

  “That’s why my shirt’s off. They got my knee too.”

  “And you didn’t pound them into the ground?”

  “They were slippery. I got to get to the gym.”

  “Got it.” Tom set the chart beside Mark to examine him. He blew out a long, steady breath. “Yeah, you’ll want to make other plans.”

  “Is anything broken?” Mark questioned.

  “I doubt it. But you need to heal. This is the second time you’ve been in here in the last couple of months. What’s going on?”

  Mark grabbed his shirt, grimacing as he tugged it back on. “Nothing. I got jumped. That’s all. Am I good to go?”

  “Ice. Ibuprofen. Rest. I’ll get your discharge papers.” Tom left the door open a crack as he stepped out.

  Mark watched as Tom stopped in front of the nurses’ desk to talk to Joan. The conversation grew quite animated. There was little doubt they were talking about him. He had hoped Tom wouldn’t have picked up on the fact that this had been his second ER trip in the past few months. He could tell the doctor was worried. I have to admit. I am too. If those guys were connected with Lexi, is this relationship worth risking my life over?

  He sighed as the thought crossed his mind. Yes, she and Logan are definitely worth the risk.

  Joan stepped back into the room with a piece of paper in her hand. “I called up to pediatrics and found someone to cover your shift tonight. They owe me a favor so I cashed in. I can’t stop you from training. But I can get you extra time to rest. Go home, teddy bear. Get better.”

  Mark smiled in appreciation. “Thanks, Joan.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  He looked up to find one of the security guards he spoke to waiting by the door. “I can walk you to your car, Dr. Jacobsen.”

  Mark nodded. “Thank you. I’d like the company.”

  He took his time making his way back to his vehicle. His knees stiffened with each step. The idle chit chat with the security guard ran stale quickly. He just wanted to sit. Once the throbbing in his knee dulled, he flipped the ignition and threw the truck in reverse. As he drove, his mind wandered. The pain mixed with fear and anger, and he could feel his heart race from the emotions raging inside him. The blare from a couple of car horns brought his attention back to the road.

  As he tugged open the door to Hard Drive, he was greeted by that oh-so obnoxious voice that lately bothered him so much.

  “About time you showed up,” Rico joked as he rested his gloved fists on his hips. He looked like a MMA Peter Pan in that stance.

  “Shut it, Rico,” Mark snapped as he stormed past.

  Normally Rico would return Mark’s outburst with a cheesy grin. Instead his face fell and he looked concerned. Mark kept his path to the locker room, doing his best not to limp. He opened his locker and jammed his stuff inside, then stopped suddenly. How would he change his shirt without someone noticing the bruises?

  “Mark, what’s wrong?”

  Mark spun to find Dan and Rico in the doorway. He could see Max in the distance coming up on their heels.

  “Nothing,” Mark grumbled. “I’m late. I need to change.”

  “You’re limping,” Rico stated.

  “Thanks for the observation, Mister Obvious.”

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing. Just leave it alone.”

  “Not likely. Talk.”

  Mark sighed heavily and pulled his shirt off over his head. A string of curse words erupted behind him. There was silence. Then Rico spoke again. “Explain.”

  “I got jumped.”

  “By who?”

  “Some guys in the parking ramp at the hospital.”

  “Mark, you’re on the bags today,” Max ordered.

  Mark spun around to face them. “Max, my fight.”

  “Still on. But you have to take care of yourself. We’ll see how you’re doing tomorrow. All right?”

  Mark shrugged, disappointed. “Sure.”

  Max disappeared down the hall toward the gym. Dan nudged his glasses up his nose then wrapped his arms around himself. “Who jumped you? Did you know them?”

  “Never saw them before,” Mark answered. He forced a smile at his friend. “Random act. I’ll be fine.”

  Dan paused and then nodded. He followed Max back to the gym area. Rico leaned against the doorframe and watched Mark, who frowned. “What do you want, Rico?”

  “I want you to talk. I’m here to listen.”

  “I have nothing to say.”

  “Fine. When you do, I’m here. Okay?”

  “Sure.”

  Rico slowly spun on his toe and strode down the hall. Mark watched him disappear before he tugged his T-shirt on. He took his time changing, watching for his injuries as he dressed. After grabbing his wraps and gloves, he followed the others to the gym.

  Enviously, he watched them practice as he threw punches at the bag. Training was what relaxed him. It cleared his mind of what he dealt with the night before at work. The bag was helping somewhat but wasn’t entirely doing the trick. He threw another combo with a heavy sigh.

  It was a little after noon when Mark slipped off his gloves and trudged his way back to his locker. With a sleepy yawn, he yanked the door open and stuffed his gloves into his bag before glancing at his phone. An email waited for him. Tapping the screen, he opened it. A dark but clear photo of his attackers stared back at him. A small smile traced his lips. The security office certainly had been helpful. It was too bad he had no idea who these guys were. He saved it to his phone then dug in his pocket for the business card the officer had given him. He sent the photo in an e-mail to the officer. He slung his bag carefully over his shoulder and slammed the door of the locker shut.

  He barely stepped a foot out of the locker room before he was met by Chloe and Avery. “What can I do for you ladies?”

  Lexi and Chloe glanced at each other. Then Chloe spoke. “Mark, you know how much we love you.”

  “Of course. Where are you going with this?”

  Avery jumped in. “Max told us what happened. We know it’s your life.” She glanced at Chloe once more then finished. “But we think you should reconsider seeing this girl.”

  “Say what?” Mark demanded.

  “We don’t want anything to happen to you. First you’re jumped. Then what? We need our teddy bear.”

  “I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself.”

  “You’ve only known her for a couple months. Is she worth risking your life?”

  “Frankly, yes. She needs someone to be strong for her right now. I just wish you’d get to know her better before you judged her. I think you’d really like her. Excuse me. I need to get home.” He hurried between them, swallowing back his anger as he did so. He didn’t bother saying Good-bye as he stormed out to his truck.

  He fumed his entire way home. As much as he tried to calm himself it didn’t work. His friends at Hard Drive
were his family. How could they question his judgement like this?

  As he approached his townhouse, his mouth dropped. Lexi’s car sat outside waiting for him. He barely parked his truck before she hopped out of the driver’s seat. The frown on her face made his heart skip a beat.

  He force a smile on his face. “What’s up, babe?”

  “You didn’t return my calls or texts,” she accused softly.

  “I’m sorry. Something came up.”

  “Like what?” she questioned.

  “It’s nothing, really.”

  She looked away from him and crossed her arms over her chest, then unfolded them and dropped them to her sides. Mark didn’t miss the dark shading on her arm that hid beneath the sleeve of her jacket.

  “Little warm for a coat today, don’t you think?” he asked.

  “It’s fine,” she mumbled.

  Mark closed the door to the truck and strode to her. He gently took her arm and felt her cringe at his touch. When he pulled the sleeve back, he cursed as he found at least a half dozen fresh bruises peppering her skin.

  “Lexi, tell me what happened,” he demanded.

  “Derek found me in the parking lot of the grocery store,” she whispered. “He kept slamming his fists on the hood demanding I let him in. Stupidly I did. He grabbed me and shook me. He shouted at me that no one would ever want me and called me a whore. Then he told me that he would kill anyone who came near me. Another customer must have seen what was happening and called the cops. They said that he looked like he was going to kill me. Of course he took off before the police got there. They took my statement and asked if I knew where he was. I have no idea. He hops from one family member to the other to avoid the law. I tried calling you but you didn’t answer so…”

  Mark finished her sentence. “You thought I didn’t want you.”

  Lexi nodded as tears filled her eyes.

  He cupped her chin in his hands and gazed at her. “Nothing could be further from the truth. Come on. Let’s go in.”

  She shook her head. “You’re supposed to be going to bed. You have to work tonight.”

  Mark motioned toward his townhouse. “Yeah. About that. You’ll understand in a bit.”