On The Ropes Series Box Set

by Aly Martinez

  He groaned. “And that’s another thing. What the fuck were you thinking?”

  “Oh, shut up. I’m fine.” I waved him off.

  “I’m serious. If anything like that happens again: You don’t speak to him. You don’t acknowledge him. You sure as fuck don’t challenge him. You walk away. And, if you can’t, you scream for help at the top of your lungs.”

  In hindsight, that would have been the best thing to do. But it had felt amazing to fight back instead of cowering. I didn’t tell Q that thought. I could hardly give him a keep-your-head-together lecture if I couldn’t do the same.

  I opted for a sheepish nod.

  He was still staring at me sternly when a pounding on the door made us both jump.

  “Liv! Get out here.” It was Slate.

  Shit, when did he get here?

  “The cops are here.”

  Fantastic.

  “Also, your mom and dad are on the way down.”

  God help me. “I’ll be right out!” I let out a long-suffering sigh. “I should probably get dressed. Is your head all sorted now?”

  “Not even close.” He smiled tightly, shifting off me.

  While redressing, I was careful not to let him see my back. We could save the naked inspections for a week from now when my back had healed.

  I was finger-combing my hair in the mirror on the door when Quarry’s strong chest pressed against my back.

  “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  It was a sweet thing to say, but the meaning behind his words was transferred with his mouth when he brushed my hair away and kissed my neck.

  “You’d be okay.”

  I wouldn’t be though. I knew that to the pits of my soul. I also knew I’d eventually have to face that reality.

  “I’m not so sure about that. So let’s not test the theory.” He kissed my neck again.

  No. Let’s not test the theory at all.

  At least, not yet.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Quarry

  “I WANT IT ALL. ARM it like the fucking Pentagon!”

  Leo shook his head. “I cannot arm a community center, son. I’ll make it secure though. I’ll get some guys in there in the morning. We’ll do it up right.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and glanced over at Liv. She was talking to her mom and Erica. Leo and Sarah had rushed down from Chicago, having made it to Till’s in record time. They’d arrived just in time for Leo to pull one of the officers aside before they’d left. As a former DEA agent and the owner of one of the biggest security firms in the country, he had a little more pull than I did in gathering information about what the hell was going on. So, as much as it had ticked me off, I had sat back and let him handle it.

  Over the last four hours, we’d learned that Davenport had an alibi and claimed he hadn’t been in Indianapolis, but rather in Kentucky over three hours away. Lying piece of shit. Don Blake had issued a verbal statement, corroborating Liv’s story. But, in the end, the case was nothing more than a he-said-she-said. I wasn’t surprised in the least.

  Davenport was despicable, but he wasn’t stupid. He never threw the first punch, but he always had the last word. He was cold, calculated, and, I was quickly learning, demented too. It was almost as if the bullshit outside the ring were more exhilarating for him than the fight itself.

  Liv caught my eye and tried to smile, but a yawn overtook her. She wanted to go home, and I couldn’t blame her. It had been one long-ass night.

  Eliza was flittering around, filling coffee cups, and cleaning up plates from our family dinner that had turned into a buffet line; Ash was upstairs, helping Blakely get the little kids in pajamas; Slate, Flint, and Till were huddled in the corner, discussing what actions needed to be taken with the boxing administration; and Leo and I were arguing over how to prevent this shit from happening again by beefing up security at the community center.

  Let’s go, I silently signed to Liv before turning my attention back to her father. “Spare no expense, Leo. Cameras inside and out. Also cover every inch of that parking lot. Motion sensors on all the lights. New security system on the entire building, not just the ASL program. And I want a guard at the door twenty-four-seven.”

  “Quarry. Chill. I said I’d do it up right.”

  “I swear to Christ, you hire a senior citizen for the door—”

  “I said”—he lowered his voice and menacingly tilted his head—“I’d do it up right.”

  I stoically held his eyes. “Send me a bill.”

  “She’s my daughter. It’s on me.”

  I lowered my voice to match his. “And I said send me a bill.” I paused before adding, “Itemized.”

  His jaw twitched at the hinges. “You think I’m going to cut corners when it comes to her safety?”

  I shrugged. “Probably not, but I do know, when it comes to her, I’m not going to wait around to find out.”

  Leo laughed, and if I wasn’t mistaken, it was genuine. “You’ve been together a few weeks, Q. Slow down.”

  “No disrespect, Leo. But you of all people know that’s a load of shit. Liv and I have been together our entire lives, and despite the fact that I now plan to father your grandchildren, I would have insisted on this being done correctly no matter when it had happened.”

  Leo’s eyes sparked ominously, and his nostrils flared.

  I casually quirked an eyebrow.

  “You’re lucky I like you.” He took a step toward me. “You’re lucky you come from a good family.” He held my stare. “You’re lucky she’s in love with you.”

  A flush of adrenaline hit me. I knew that Liv had loved me, but it wasn’t until that moment that I allowed myself to truly internalize her words.

  “Every. Single. Day.”

  It wasn’t past tense.

  It included that very moment.

  A bold smile grew on my face even as her dad continued with his failed attempt to intimidate me.

  “But I swear to God, son. You utter one more fucking word about making babies with my twenty-three-year-old daughter, I’ll kill you on the spot. Yeah?”

  My grin spread as I arrogantly winked at him. “Right.”

  Leo flipped his coat back, revealing his gun in a shoulder holster. “Right,” he repeated on a challenge, his eyes locked with mine.

  Liv suddenly appeared, sliding up against my side. “Well, this looks pleasant.”

  I draped an arm around her waist and squeezed her hip, never dragging my eyes off her dad.

  “Not to spoil this testosterone party or anything, but I’m exhausted and Mom and I decided we’re all going to Fleet’s for champagne brunch in the morning.”

  Leo and I both groaned. Fleet’s champagne brunch consisted of pussy gourmet food that would no doubt lull my taste buds into a coma. Women loved it though. Eliza had flipped when Till had taken us all there for her birthday one year. It was expensive as fuck, and Flint and I had still had to stop at a burger joint when we’d left to keep from starving.

  I tossed Leo a commiserating smirk. “I’ll pay for Fleet’s—you pay for wings on the way home?”

  He extended a hand my way. “Works for me. We’ll go over security plans in the morning. Bring your checkbook.”

  “Can’t wait.”

  After a quick shake, Liv and I set about saying our goodbyes. Ten minutes later, I was following her back to our apartment.

  And then to my bed.

  * * *

  “Fuck,” I cursed. Reaching down, I brushed back her long, brown hair, which was curtaining off my view of her face. Her mouth was wide and filled with my cock.

  I hated not being able to see all of her, but she was wearing one of my T-shirts. Rarely would I complain about such a sight. However, I wanted to see her large breasts swaying every time she glided up to my tip. And I wanted to feel them naked and pressed against my thigh as she took me to the back of her throat.

  “Give me your pussy,” I ordered.

  She hummed her refusal
, and my balls tightened from the sensation.

  “Not until I’m inside you,” I growled only for it to turn into a groan when she raked her nails down my abs, not stopping until she was gripping my nuts.

  Staring up at me through her lashes, she silently dared me to come in her mouth.

  She’d been playing this torturous game for at least a half hour.

  Each time I’d refused, she’d worked me harder.

  I’d been gentle when we’d first gotten home. After the shit night we’d had, I’d wanted nothing more than to bury myself inside her and forget the cloud of chaos that had settled over us. However, she’d been attacked while leaving work. I didn’t think mounting her from behind in the shower would have been appreciated.

  Liv had proved me wrong though. As soon as we’d crawled into bed, she’d shifted directly between my thighs and sucked me until I’d gotten hard.

  Now, she was about to suck me empty.

  My hand fisted in the back of her hair. “Shit. You win,” I gritted out through clenched teeth, holding her head down as my cock fired off in her mouth.

  Her hand found the base of my shaft, stroking the length her mouth couldn’t accommodate.

  Inventing new curse words, I came hard down the back of her throat. She hummed in pleasure as if she were getting off on nothing more than swallowing my release—the idea only made me come harder.

  As my body relaxed beneath her, she licked from base to tip, cleaning every inch while I jerked and twitched against her tongue—the sensations becoming too much.

  I was still a panting mess when she finally crawled up the bed and rested her head on my shoulder.

  “Jesus Christ, woman.” Gripping her jaw, I guided her mouth to mine.

  She giggled against my lips, purring when I palmed her breast over the cotton.

  “I figured you needed to relax tonight.”

  “You figured right, but there was no reason we couldn’t relax together.”

  She kissed me again, nipping at my bottom lip as she pulled away to sign, “Are you complaining?”

  I returned the nip. “Not at all.”

  “Good. Then go to sleep. You have to be up early to go to the gym before brunch, and I’d like to be thoroughly ravaged before you go.”

  “I could thoroughly ravage you now.”

  “You could but then I’d have to take another shower before bed, and you’d feel the need to join me because, for some reason, nothing makes you hornier than running water, and then it would be, like, two in the morning before we got back in bed. And I’d be exhausted at brunch tomorrow, so when my dad asked why, I’d have to tell him that you spent the night fucking me. Then I’d have to add him killing you to my growing list of murders I need to prevent. So, really, it’s best if you just go to sleep and do dirty things in the morning.”

  I stared at her for a moment then burst into laughter.

  “Golden” Garrett Davenport had ruined my night. I’d spent half of it in a fit of rage, willing to take out my own brother if it meant I got my hands on him for even one minute.

  Yet, somehow, I was going to fall asleep sated, with Liv safe in my arms, a smile on my face, and an overwhelming sense of contentment filling my veins.

  And, if I had any say over it, this would happen…

  Every. Single. Day.

  * * *

  My entire body went stiff, and Eliza’s eyes grew impossibly wider as he roughly shoved, sending me scrambling forward. Just as quickly, he grabbed Eliza and dragged her to the door.

  “No!” I jumped to my feet.

  He had no fucking business even talking to her, but I’d kill him before I let him hurt her.

  “Get your fucking hands off her! You’re not taking her anywhere!” I rushed forward.

  I heard Eliza screaming with every step, but adrenaline fueled me.

  She was ours. I wouldn’t let him have her.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” He spun Eliza to the side just as I got close, sending her crashing to the ground.

  I landed a blow to his side, but his hand folded around my throat and the cold, metal butt of his gun landed hard against my face. Pain exploded as someone dimmed the lights.

  I felt my body crash onto the floor, but then everything changed.

  I wasn’t thirteen.

  I wasn’t in Vegas.

  And it wasn’t Frankie dragging out Eliza.

  Right before my eyes, Liv appeared in Davenport’s arms.

  Her long, dark hair cascaded over his shoulder as he tipped a gun to her temple.

  Her big, brown eyes were wide and filled with a fear I had never seen before—and would never be able to forget.

  Her mouth opened, but it wasn’t her voice that came out. Well, at least, not the one I’d come to know. It was the sound of twelve-year-old Liv screaming from behind a closet door.

  And it was like a knife to my gut—only worse.

  “Get up, Page!” Davenport taunted, pressing the gun deeper into her flesh.

  I couldn’t move though. I was paralyzed, unable to even blink.

  Liv’s scream continued in one long continuous cry, and Davenport laughed wildly as I sat immobile on the ground.

  A flash of movement caught my attention, drawing my eyes away from Liv. Then a weight so heavy that I thought my chest would break hit me. I saw Mia’s body seizing on the floor, her hands flailing wildly until one landed in a pool of blood. My heart lurched as I followed it up to Flint’s lifeless body. His cold, dead stare somehow managed to remain filled with quiet disappointment.

  My lungs burned, and regardless how hard I fought, I couldn’t catch my breath.

  Liv’s scream suddenly cut off, snapping my attention back to her. She was still being held captive in Davenport’s arms, only now the fear was gone and a tender smile covered her beautiful adult face. Her voice was still that of Liv the child as she uttered the familiar words, “I’m safe with you, Quarry.”

  Davenport pulled the trigger.

  Drenched in sweat, I shot up in bed. My stomach rolled, and bile crept up my throat. I scrambled over Liv and into the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before throwing up.

  I was vaguely aware of the light coming on and then a cool, damp washcloth being pressed against the back of my neck.

  “I’m safe with you, Quarry,” echoed through my deaf ears.

  My stomach heaved again. Oh, God.

  Closing my eyes, I attempted to breathe, but visions of my nightmare projected on the backs of my eyelids made it impossible.

  I had a minor success and managed to stop puking. Shifting back against the side of the bathtub, I took the cloth from her hand and used it to wipe my mouth.

  Liv squatted in front of me. Just the sight of her opened my airway and breathed me back to life.

  “Feeling sick?” she signed.

  “I… Fuck.” I gave up and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her into a hard hug.

  She came willingly, even straddling my lap to allow me more contact. I was naked, and she was only wearing my oversized T-shirt, but I wasn’t sure my cock would ever get hard again after a nightmare like that.

  She let me hold her for several minutes before she finally leaned away. “Are you okay?”

  “No,” I answered curtly, tucking her face into my neck and ending any further discussion.

  Fucking hell. What had just happened inside my head?

  I closed my eyes, but the vision of that gun at her temple leveled me and caused my stomach to heave again. She scrambled off my lap, but I didn’t move back to the toilet. Nor did I close my eyes again.

  Staring blankly up at the ceiling, I felt her dab another cool washcloth across my forehead.

  Lifting her hands into my line of sight, she asked, “You want me to get you something to drink?”

  I wanted a lobotomy.

  I shook my head at her question.

  “You want to try to get back in bed? I can get a trash can in case you get sick again.”

  N
o. I never wanted to go get in that bed again for the rest of my life. Insomnia had never been so appealing. That dream…

  What time is it? I silently signed, because I didn’t trust my voice.

  She leaned out of the bathroom door to find the clock. “Five.”

  Gripping the tub, I pushed myself to my feet. “I think I’m just gonna go ahead in to the gym. Get a head start on things.”

  She pressed a hand to my chest. “You just woke up puking. You can’t go to the gym. Call in sick.”

  “Nah, I’m good. I just…” I stalled, not willing to tell her that I’d just watched my biggest fears play out in my head.

  She looked up at me expectantly.

  “I guess I ate something bad last night. I’ll survive.”

  At the sink, I turned the water on, splashing it on my face and then pasting up my toothbrush.

  I participated in the rest of the conversation only by watching her hands sign in the mirror.

  “I ate the exact same thing you did last night.”

  I shrugged.

  “Why don’t you just lie down and give it an hour or so? You aren’t supposed to be at the gym until seven.”

  I shrugged again before rinsing my mouth and then moving to my closet.

  When I opened the door, Christmas Tree Cakes rained from the top. “Shit,” I mumbled. “Any chance you can move those to your closet?” I bit out, my fears shifting to anger for no other reason than I didn’t know how to deal with it.

  She was trying to catch my attention as I swirled around the room, but I couldn’t slow down.

  I was desperate to get out of there.

  Away from her.

  Away from the memories of failing her.

  And, because of that, facing my greatest fear of all—losing her.

  Less than a minute later, I’d tugged on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, grabbed my keys and hearing aids, pecked her on the lips, and swiftly left.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Liv

  “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?” I whispered to myself as I heard the deadbolt on our front door click from the outside.

  Quarry was full of shit. He hadn’t eaten something bad the night before. But what I couldn’t figure out was why he was acting like I had something to do with his getting sick. At first, he’d clung to me so tight that I could barely breathe. Then, after that, he had been so standoffish that it was as if he’d decided I’d poisoned his food.