by J. A. Owenby
“You have a lot to deal with.”
“I’m not sure how to manage a business, grieve my father, and help Claire. Help Sutton.”
“Help yourself, first. Come.” He stood, his five-eight slender frame barely reaching the top of my shoulders.
Following him down the hall and to the back of the house, he led me outside and onto a short walkway. He opened the door of a small detached building and flipped on the light, then turned toward me and smiled. A new studio. He’d always talked about an updated space to train. Excitement coursed through me while I studied the room.
“You’re still teaching?” I asked. The wood floors gleamed in the light. I scanned the room. Weapons were neatly displayed on two walls while the other two were adorned in top to bottom mirrors. A large pile of purple and blue mats were stacked in a corner. The adults weren’t allowed to use them nor any safety gear when we sparred. Each person chose a weapon and was trained extensively on it.
Rubbing my chin, I recalled eleven years ago when I tested for my black belt. The test consisted of three parts. The most challenging one was when our group of five was blindfolded, driven out of the city, and dropped off in the middle of the forest. Once our blindfolds were removed, we had two days to find our way out. No food. No weapons. Nothing but the clothes on our backs.
“Yes. And we, young man, are going to spar.” He smiled warmly.
This was exactly what I needed, and I suspected I was about to get the workout of my life. And God knew an attitude adjustment would do me some good.
“Thank you for today.” I wiped the sweat from my forehead with a hand towel Da Shifu had given me after our sparring session.
“Focus, Pierce.” He placed his hand on my arm. “Direct the negative energy out. Don’t keep it in. It serves no one.”
“I needed the reminder and the ass kicking.” I flashed him a grateful smile.
“Anytime. Please, come back and visit. You’ve remained one of my best students.”
I paused for a moment, collecting my thoughts.
“I miss this,” I said and gestured toward the studio. “You were one of the few people I could trust, and even after all this time, my feet led me right back to you. You taught me humility, honor, respect, and loyalty. I’ve never had a chance to thank you for … saving me.”
Da Shifu bowed, and I returned the gesture, our eyes locking.
“You were worth every second. Don’t ever doubt it,” he said.
My throat thickened with gratitude. “Until next time.”
“Until then.”
Five minutes later, I approached a mini-mart I remembered was close by and swung the door open. Food was the first thing on my mind, which was a good sign. I hoofed it toward the aisle with the chips and halted mid-step.
“Son of a bitch.” The last man I ever wanted to see again greeted me, grinning like the crazy motherfucker he was.
Chapter 8
“Look who it is, boys.
Jaci Hernandez strutted toward me. His three clowns laughed as though Jaci had just told the best joke they’d ever heard. “A little birdie mentioned you were back in town.” His dark eyes flashed with interest. He tilted his chin up and released a shrill whistle. “It’s my lucky day.”
“I wouldn’t be sure about that,” I muttered, my attention never leaving his face. Although Jaci knew how to fight, he’d always telegraphed his moves, which made it easy to take him down.
What the hell? I’d barely been back for a day and had already run into one of the most dangerous men in Portland. Plus, he and I had been archenemies since our junior year in high school. At the time, we were both drug dealers, and Jaci had infringed on my territory. I was kind enough to warn him once, but all it did was escalate Jaci’s temper. Since I was well-protected, and he couldn’t touch me, he cornered Sutton one day after school instead. For some stupid reason, he was under the false assumption that she would buckle under his threat, but to his surprise, Sutton had easily beat his ass. When Sutton had relayed the incident to me, I laughed so hard I almost pissed myself. I’d have given anything to see it firsthand. My girl had delivered one quick strike to Jaci’s neck, and he dropped like a rag doll on the ground unconscious. Jaci had backed off after that, but he’d held a grudge. By grudge, I mean he wanted me dead.
“Shit.” A dark-haired woman swore again from behind Jaci. She backed out of the aisle and disappeared. Good idea.
“Take it outside!” The cashier called. “The police are on the way, so don’t get any big ideas.”
“Like the cops fucking scare me.” Jaci tugged on the belt loop of his sagging jeans. “Let’s take it outside, boys.”
Jaci jostled me in the shoulder as he sauntered by, and my fight or flight instinct kicked into overdrive. Normally, I’d have turned away from a fight no matter how mad someone had made me, but my patience was short due to losing Dad, seeing Sutton, and now him. At some point, even a trained Marine would lose their temper. I’d waited a long time to teach Jaci a lesson, too. The opportunity was finally knocking, and I wasn’t about to pass it up.
I walked through the mini-mart behind Jaci and his men, calculating my moves and targets. I was ready. Was he?
Several people followed us out of the store and into the parking lot. Before I knew it, a crowd had gathered around us. Even they wanted to see someone beat Jaci’s ass.
Adrenaline pumped through me. It had been a while since I’d sensed a fight in the air. All of the emotions took on a persona of their own. Anger. Fear. Revenge.
“You ready, motherfucker?” Jaci seethed. “'Cause I’ve been waiting for this day.”
“Hey!” someone from the crowd hollered. “Watch where you’re going, bitch!”
“Jaci Hernandez,” a familiar female voice called out sharply.
Dammit. Was this a joke? Sutton? This woman just kept popping up without warning.
Jaci adjusted the dark knit cap on his head and licked his lips as she approached. He winked at her and smiled. His dark eyes widened in appreciation as they traveled over her blue dress and black high heels. I didn’t like how he was looking at her. At. All. She wasn’t a piece of meat. Sutton was a stunning, intelligent woman who deserved respect.
Her chin jutted up and a strong presence surrounded her. She’d grown more confident over the years, and Jaci’s attention didn’t seem to faze her.
“Keep her out of this,” I said, my anger turning into white-hot fury. He could wink at another girl, but not her. Ever. Maybe I wasn’t in a relationship with her anymore, but I’d always protect her, even if she could still hold her own.
Jaci and I had unfinished business, and the fucker would do anything to piss me off. He knew damned well Sutton wasn’t to be messed with, but it obviously wasn’t stopping him from trying.
Jaci chuckled, hiked up his ridiculous sagging jeans, and stomped a booted foot against the asphalt. He hadn’t changed at all over the years, and his attitude still smelled of shit, too.
“Dammnnnn, señorita, you’re looking hot tonight.” His devilish gaze raked over her body, then to me. “Quiero meter mi pito en tu perra.”
Before I could reach Jaci, Sutton casually wedged in between us as though she didn’t have a concern in the world. Why was she putting herself into danger like this? She knew what kind of man he was. Evil. Dangerous. No conscience. And although I highly doubted he’d changed much over the years, maybe they were on friendlier terms and had reached a truce since I’d left?
“Back off, Jaci,” I warned, my tone harsh. How dare he disrespect Sutton in front of me? He could go stick his dick in some other girl. Not her.
“No, thank you,” Sutton replied matter-of-factly to Jaci.
I studied Sutton’s confident posture. Her hands hung loosely at her sides as she flashed him a sweet smile. She’d stepped between us like she knew something I didn’t … that she was safe. Was I misreading the situation? What had happened between them while I’d been gone?
“Pierce.” Redd’s v
oice came from behind me. “Not now, we can do this later. You need to leave. The cops are on the way,” he said in my ear.
“I’m not leaving her with him,” I replied. Although I struggled to appear calm, adrenaline-fueled goosebumps dotted my flesh. This could get nasty in a split second, and innocent people could get hurt. It was different when it was just Jaci and me.
“Su padre acaba de morir,” Sutton said. “Honor the code, Jaci. Pierce is only in Portland because his father died. He’s not looking for trouble. Let it go.”
“Fuck,” I muttered. No way had she just sauntered in here and shut this fight down. I didn’t need her to save me.
Jaci’s eyes narrowed as he glared at me, his jaw tensing. “That true, Westbrook? Your dad’s in the dirt?”
I stepped forward to beat the hell out of this loser, and Redd grabbed my arm.
“He died,” I said, seething inside. Jaci was treading on seriously thin ice, disrespecting Sutton and now my father.
“Goddammit.” He tossed his hands up in anger and glared at me. “There will be no fight tonight,” he said to the other men in the group. “His father just passed. He’s off limits.”
I wouldn’t have mentioned my father’s death to Jaci. I was ready to put him in his place. However, when the words left Sutton’s mouth, Jaci had to respect it. According to the mutual code between the gangs, there was an immediate grace period when someone lost a family member. No fighting. No guns. No knives. No harm.
“Thank you,” Sutton said, backing away.
“You owe me, baby.” Jaci’s voice was low, his accent thick.
“For what?” she bit out. “A code your gang put into place after you lost one of your brothers?”
Jaci’s face flushed with anger, but she was right, and he had no grounds to pull any more nonsense. Sutton whirled around on her heels and ZW wrapped his arm protectively around her waist while Redd escorted us all back to the car. I didn’t even have time to buckle my seatbelt before Jeffrey peeled out of the parking lot. The cops passed us and pulled in only seconds after we had left.
I settled into the front seat while Sutton wedged herself between Redd and ZW in the back. I faced her and attempted to control my anger. My fuse was even shorter than when I’d run into Jaci.
“Don’t ever do that again,” I said, my tone cold and firm. “You could have been hurt.”
Sutton crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. “He wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Are you sure?” With that, I readjusted in my seat and stared out the front of the car. I didn’t yell when I was about to lose my temper. I got quiet. That’s when people tiptoed around me or ran.
“Well, like, what the hell were you doing with Jaci?” she sputtered, her words filled with frustration. “I know you’ve not kept up with the gangs in Portland, but do you realize he’s now the head of the Cobra Bastards? He owns that entire territory you waltzed onto without a single care. Why are you over here?”
Dammit. This woman was going to drive me crazy. I didn’t need a babysitter. She was just as hardheaded and determined as she was in high school. I hesitated and stared out the passenger window. “I went to see Da Shifu,” I said a few moments later.
“What? You walked from the penthouse to his place? You could have gotten into all kinds of trouble, even shot. What were you thinking?”
The genuine worry in her voice caused me to pause. I hadn’t meant to shake her up. My attention darted between Redd and ZW.
“That I could take care of myself. And how did you get there so damned fast?” I asked, eyeing all three of them in the backseat. ZW raised his hand.
“When you didn’t return, I used our app and tracked you. Since you were in Jaci’s territory, we hustled to get to you. We were almost there when the cashier, an old friend of mine, called. We’ve stayed in touch over the years. He keeps me updated on what’s going on in Portland between my visits. When he recognized you and Jaci, he knew shit was about to go down. He took a chance that I was in town with you, and he called me.”
“Figures. I was about to have a little fun. Four to one, and I would have put them all face down on the ground.”
“Don’t,” Sutton said, her tone firm with a warning. “I need you focused on finding Claire. After that, I don’t give a rat’s ass what you do.”
I answered her with my silence. She didn’t get to tell me what to do or how to live my life concerning Jaci or my activities outside of my cases. I leaned my head back against the seat. How had my world flipped upside down this drastically in a few short days?
“I’m sorry, Pierce. I didn’t mean to dishonor you tonight. But you know the rules. When a family member passes, you have a safe time period to grieve,” Sutton said.
“The last thing I need is for you to protect me.” I stared at her, and my breath caught in my throat. Even when I was angry with her, she was beautiful. When we were together in high school, all the poverty, gangs, drugs, and beatings I saw on a daily basis simply faded into the background when she was next to me. She was the only thing that mattered.
We fell into an awkward silence as Jeffrey drove us the rest of the way home.
“It’s been a long-ass day, Sutton. Since we haven’t had time to check out your house yet, I don’t want you to go home. If someone at your Dad’s plant is behind Claire’s disappearance, then it’s not safe. I'd rather use extreme caution than make a mistake. You’ll stay with us tonight. I’ll also need to send someone to watch your parents’ house. Tomorrow, I’ll go over and set up security cameras and figure out who will be assigned to you and your family. Then we’ll need to sit down with them and discuss security for their home.”
“I’ll go tonight,” Redd volunteered.
“I’ll need to talk to them before you guys barge into their lives,” Sutton said. “They thought we were working with Dominic. I haven’t told them you’re here, Pierce.”
“We won’t barge in.” I was irritated she thought I’d do something like that. “If you want to continue doing business with me, I suggest you handle your parents quickly. It’s no secret they didn’t like me, but I don’t have time for the distraction. We have to stay focused on Claire.”
“I know,” Sutton replied somberly. “I know.”
Chapter 9
Ten minutes later, when we reached the penthouse, I was still upset with Sutton. She had no right to march in between myself and Jaci Hernandez, not to mention the danger she’d put herself in the middle of. Fuck the code of honor. She acted like I didn’t remember how it went down, or who owned what territory. I remembered. One wrong move and lives were ended. Over. It was on replay in my mind every night before I fell asleep.
We all filed out of the elevator, and the guys entered the penthouse first. Irritation and relief warred against each other. I was grateful Sutton had left that situation safely, but fuck. If anything had happened to her …
“You can have the master bedroom tonight.” I headed for the study, leaving her standing in the entryway. I wasn’t interested in arguing. ZW and Jeffrey could get her all situated. I needed some space.
I poured myself a shot of scotch and sank wearily into the recliner.
Half an hour later, Redd joined me.
“What the hell happened?” Redd sat on the loveseat, leaned back, and stretched his long legs out in front of him.
“I spent the afternoon with Da Shifu. When I left, I felt like my mind was clearer, then the second I entered the store, there he was. I couldn’t believe it. I mean Portland has what … three million people, and I have to run into him?” I shook my head in disbelief and took a drink.
“We’ve got a lot of past here, man. Especially you. And Pierce, I’m talking to you as my friend, not my boss. I’ve not seen you this angry in years. You obviously have a ton to deal with, but you gotta get it under control. We can’t work with you when you’re this short-tempered. Pull it together. I’ll support you in other ways to blow off steam, but tangling with the gangs and barking at S
utton isn’t cool. For any of us. What you do affects us all.”
Dammit. He was right. What had I done? I should have taken my chances and left Jaci standing there with his puppets. If anyone else had ever talked to Sutton the way I did tonight, I’d have put them in their place.
“You’re right.” I sighed heavily. “I’ll get my crap together.”
“You’ve got my full support. Anything you need. If I were in your shoes, I’d be angry at the world, too. But you have a great group of people who care about you, your training, and meditation tools you know to use. So, use them.”
Redd shifted in his seat, searching me to see if I was all right. Maybe he could find some answers I simply couldn’t. Like, would I ever escape the life I used to live, or would it continue to haunt me even when I’d worked my ass off to leave it behind?
“I took her case.” I massaged my forehead with the heels of my hands and groaned. “What have I gotten myself into? Is it possible Sutton’s just as rambunctious as she used to be?”
Redd chuckled. “You have your hands full. Some things haven’t changed. But you wouldn’t respect her if she was a wallflower that took shit lying down. You love her because she’s a badass, yet not a raving bitch. She’s got balance. You can spar with her, then turn around and take her to a five-star restaurant. Sutton would be one of the classiest people in the room. And good God, she’s stunning, dude. She was hot in high school, but good grief …” Redd let out a low whistle.
I had no intention of pointing out that Redd had just said I loved Sutton. I was too exhausted to argue with him right now.
“No kidding, she grew up into one hell of an exquisite woman.” I sighed and slumped in my chair. “I have a feeling I shouldn’t have taken her on as a client.”