Unwound

by Lorelei James

  “Fine. Everyone find a seat.” Ronin took the chair at the head of the table. Amery sat beside him. He scanned the room. “Who are we missing?”

  “Shiori,” Sophia said, plopping next to Blue at the opposite end of the table.

  “She’s teaching,” Ito said.

  “Blue?” Ronin prompted. “Where are we on things?”

  “The first event is set. I didn’t have to jump through many hoops to get the name of our new company switched over. Not much to report.” Blue smiled at Amery. “I believe Hardwick Designs is handling the flyers and print promotional materials?”

  “Yes. If you have previous playbills—matchups, whatever they are—hand them over along with all the details I’ll need and your deadline.”

  “Are any of the Black Arts fighters going up against ABC fighters in this event?” Knox asked.

  Blue shook his head. “Deacon is in the pro fight. Sophia is representing ABC in the lone women’s bout. We’ve got to decide how many amateur bouts we want on the card. Ideally we should represent as many weight classes as we can, and I think eventually that won’t be a problem. But right now, we’ve got no amateurs in the heavyweight or super heavyweight divisions.”

  Ronin took the piece of paper Blue offered him. “What’s this?”

  “My recommendation on joint promotional goals versus individual dojo goals. I realize we both want to get our amateurs experience in the cage, but by putting too many guys from Black Arts and ABC on the Black and Blue Promotions fight card, we run the risk of becoming incestuous. What we don’t want are other MMA clubs thinking we’re only interested in furthering our fighters’ records. Then they’ll stop submitting fighters for events. The only way to accurately judge whether our club fighters are up to snuff is by fighting guys from other clubs.”

  “Agreed.” He looked at Deacon and Knox, then Blue and Gil. “You guys see other options?”

  Knox rested his elbows on the table. “If we limit entrants, we’ll still have to find other fights for them.”

  “Also, why would they stay with our training program if we’re not putting them in events we sponsor? They’d be better off training elsewhere. So we lose income and fighters. How is that beneficial for either club?” Gil asked.

  Blue pointed to the piece of paper. “That’s why I brought it up. Why would we help other amateur fighters but not our own?”

  No one said anything out loud, but Fisher and Ito were speaking in low tones.

  Amery cleared her throat. “Can I suggest something?”

  Ronin didn’t miss the annoyed looks sent her way—like why the fuck did Sensei’s girlfriend get to speak?—and now he under- stood her reluctance to attend the meeting. “No one else has jumped in with ideas, so go ahead.”

  “Use the event as a carrot for your fighters. Tell them you’re picking only one fighter to represent the club. If the guys are serious, won’t they work harder to be the guy chosen?”

  He checked out the reactions around the room. Everyone seemed surprised. “Not a bad idea. That’d also encourage them to find other amateur fights on their own to up their game.”

  “Makes sense,” Deacon said. “Especially since I’ve gotta go lookin’ for my own pro fights.”

  “So at least for the first few events, we’ll limit the bouts to one fighter from ABC, one from Black Arts. That means we’ll need two pro division fighters and sixteen amateur fighters to fill the other slots?” Blue asked Ronin.

  “Sound fair?”

  “Does to me.” Blue prompted Sophia and Gil. “You guys all right with that?”

  Gil nodded.

  Sophia said, “We are going to feature at least one women’s bout?”

  “What’s the crowd reception been on that? Because we’ve not had experience with it,” Ronin asked Sophia.

  “I could claim half-naked chicks beating the crap out of each other and rolling around on the floor really speaks to the type of people who attend MMA events, but I wouldn’t want to be called sexist.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “Seriously, even if we have to add a tenth match, I believe we should strive to have a women’s bout on every card. Not all promo companies do this, and it would set us apart.”

  More murmured agreement.

  “Blue, put the call out to other clubs. Since Deacon didn’t fight last time, he’ll be our one fighter.”

  Blue grinned. “You sure you don’t wanna have a rematch, Sensei?”

  “My fighting days are over for a while.” Ronin felt Amery’s stare, but he couldn’t claim his fighting days were behind him for good.

  “It’s been some time since we’ve participated in a smoker,” Gil said. “We haven’t been keeping up with who’s running them on a regular basis. Have you?”

  “We used to hold them a few times a year,” Knox said. “Sensei would ref. But the last time he ended up with a heel to the head.”

  Blue sucked air in through his teeth. “I heard about that.”

  Amery asked, “What’s a smoker?”

  “When MMA clubs hold matches against each other. There aren’t winners and losers. It’s just a chance for fighters to compete outside of their clubs,” Sophia said. “The more you’re around the fighting life, the more lingo you’ll pick up.” She stood. “We done here? I gotta see if Katie stuck it out in Terrel’s class after she bitched about putting on the ring-girl outfit.”

  “We’re done,” Ronin said.

  “You are. The rest of us have classes to teach,” Knox grumbled.

  After everyone was gone, Amery stood and paced to the window, then came back.

  “What?”

  “You didn’t deny that you’re going to fight again. Are you planning on it?”

  “It’s what I do.”

  “And if I asked you not to fight?”

  “You won’t. You accept all parts of me, remember?” Ronin picked up her right hand and nibbled on her fingers. “Let’s go upstairs. It’s your night to cook. What are we having?”

  “Something unhealthy like spaghetti. For having such a kick-ass kitchen, you don’t have all the tools I need to cook like I’m used to. So be warned: I’m bringing my stuff into your domain.”

  “Bring it all. Then it’ll already be there when you move in with me.”

  “I’m thinking about it.” She squirmed until he let her loose. “Tell me about Katie.”

  And . . . she had sidestepped the issue once again. “This can’t go further than us.”

  Amery poked him in the chest. “I knew it! She is a porn star you’re trying to reform.”

  He laughed. “No. She’s Thaddeus Pettigrew’s daughter.” He explained the situation. “She’ll be Blue’s headache most of the time.”

  “Will she have access to you?”

  “In limited amounts.”

  “Good.” She nipped his chin and then flicked the sting away with a sassy flick of her tongue. “I’d hate to have to give that little bitch the beat-down. I have had training from the best.”

  “That you have.”

  “I brought you something.” She reached inside her purse and pulled out a package. “Not as fancy of a tie as last time . . .”

  “What is it?”

  “A gift.”

  Ronin ripped open the paper and saw a framed tin-type picture with Asian influences that they’d seen at a Renaissance fair several months ago. She’d refused to let him buy it, evidently so she could go back and get it for him. “Amery. This is . . .” So fucking sweet and personal. He was undone once again by her thoughtfulness.

  “Your desk is decidedly bare. Maybe it makes me territorial, but when you see it, I know you’ll think of me.”

  “Always.” He kissed her. “Thank you. It’s perfect. I’ll just grab the box of black ropes from under my desk before we go upstairs since we have a tradition of me tying you up after you present me with a gift.”

  Amery leaned back to look at him. “A tradition? This is only the second time.”

  �
��A tradition has to start somewhere.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “ARE you acting nervous because of the skimpy outfit?”

  Katie peered at him over the top of the promotional poster she held, her blue eyes piercing. “No. I wore skimpier clothes than this to the club last weekend.”

  Ronin forced himself to continue the conversation. “Then why the nerves?”

  “Actually, I’m more anxious than anything.”

  “Anxious for what?”

  “Anxious to get this stupid thing over with.”

  He looked at her sharply. “If you’re not willing to do this, then I will find someone else who is.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and slumped back in the chair with a heavy sigh. Luckily she hadn’t offered him that simpering little-girl pout or he would’ve booted her ass out the door—no matter what promises he’d made. “I said I’d do it.”

  “Then act enthusiastic. My reputation is at stake here.”

  Three knocks sounded, and Amery poked her head in. “Is this a bad time?”

  Ronin smiled at her, grateful for the interruption. “No. Katie was just complaining again about her role at tonight’s event.”

  “Please explain to me what being a ring girl has to do with learning the mixed martial arts fight-promotion business?” Katie demanded.

  “A, ring girl is your job, so suck it up and do it or quit—your choice. B, while you’re waiting to prance around the outside of the ring, reminding attendees which round it is and who our sponsors are, you will be sitting next to Sandan Zach, paying very close attention to how the fighters are scored.”

  “I dated an MMA guy. I know how to score.”

  Amery said, “I’ll just bet you do,” with such sweetness that Katie didn’t recognize the sarcasm.

  Ronin forced his face to remain blank, but inside he was laughing. “Regardless, pay attention to everything. The scoring, the judges’ actions, the crowd’s reactions, what the sponsors are doing in front of the crowd and behind the scenes. You will be tested.”

  Katie opened her mouth and snapped it shut before she stood. “You’ve got it, Sensei.”

  After Katie slunk out the door, Amery said, “Can I trip her as she’s walking around the cage?”

  He chuckled and pulled her onto his lap. “That’ll fuck with my liability insurance, so no.”

  “She annoys me.”

  Although Amery had gotten over her bout of jealousy, she still eyed Katie with distrust. “I know she does, baby. She annoys everybody.”

  Amery ran her fingers through his hair. “Is it worth it? She’s still sporting that spoiled rich girl attitude. Even Ito, who is more Zen than you, wanted to drop-kick her into next week.”

  “Katie’s brattiness is a defense mechanism. She’s a scared kid who’s never been accountable for anything in her life, and she wants to be taken seriously.”

  “So that’s why you’re making her walk around the ring in front of a thousand people in booty shorts, a boob-baring halter top, dolled up with pageant queen hair and makeup? So sponsors will take her more seriously?”

  Ronin slapped her ass. “She needs to learn ringside protocol. If I gave her a clipboard and put her next to the judges? She’d act like she was in charge—her pride wouldn’t allow anything less. These next-level promoters would treat her like a bimbo and think our organization was unprofessional.”

  “So while she’s dressed like a bimbo, she’s learning humility as well as learning the business.” Amery grinned. “Such a wise grasshopper you are, Sensei.”

  “Jesus.”

  “What did TP do for you that resulted in this huge favor you’re doing for him?”

  “He fixed Blue’s lease issue. After this, regardless of how Katie does working for Black and Blue Promotions, all chits will be cashed in and I’ll have a clean slate with TP. For the first time in more than ten years.”

  “You’ve never told me your history with TP.”

  He reached up and twined a hank of her hair around his finger. “After I earned enough money to buy a place to establish my business, I found out no bank would loan me money because of my credit history.”

  “The billionaire heir had bad credit?”

  “I had no credit history. I paid cash for everything after I moved to the US. I had no official income because fighting was a cash-only business. Even when I had three bank accounts totaling more than three-quarters of a million dollars, no financial institution would lend me money to buy the piece-of-shit building in a crappy section of Denver.” He continued to twist her rosy-gold hair. The soft curl reminded him of the silken ribbons he’d bound her with last night. “Also at that time, the trust funds Grandfather had set up in my name across the globe were worth seventy-five million dollars.”

  Amery’s mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding me?”

  “No. So technically I had the cash to buy the building outright—but I wanted to make my own way.”

  “Technically?”

  “My name is on the accounts, but I’ve never considered it my money. I did research on various banks and came across TP’s company. He had a reputation as a wild card, and the Denver financial establishment didn’t like him, painting him as a liar, so I chose him.”

  “Why?”

  “Because if he was a risk taker, he’d take a risk on me. If he blabbed the information about my family connection, I could chalk it up to him being a liar and a blowhard. Win-win.”

  Ronin remembered how cocky he’d been demanding a meeting with the CFO of Pettigrew Financial. Luck or karma or serendipity had been on his side that day because TP agreed to meet with him privately.

  If Amery thought Ronin was tight-lipped now, it was nothing compared to how he was back then. But something about TP had prompted Ronin to spill every detail of his life, his family and financial connections, the reasons why he didn’t use them, the resulting struggles because of that decision, and his business goals. TP had coolly taken the information and sent Ronin away with the promise he’d get back to him.

  TP made him sweat it out an entire week before he showed up at the dive martial arts studio Ronin had been renting on a month-to-month basis. And truth was, if TP hadn’t taken the time to thoroughly check out Ronin’s backstory, then Ronin wouldn’t have done business with him. But they’d had an odd connection from the start and hashed out details of their “deal” with just a handshake—unheard of in this day and age.

  “So what happened?” Amery prompted, bringing him back to the present.

  “He signed off on the loan for the building personally. He had two stipulations. One, that if I ever cashed in any of the trust funds, I’d put the money in one of his banks. Two, that I’d do a favor for him from time to time.” He frowned. “But the favor issue didn’t come up until after I had problems with the construction company I hired for the building remodel. Within two weeks, a group of Russian construction workers showed up, and the guys trying to extort cash from me for ‘protection services’ vanished.”

  “Did TP help you handle it?”

  Ronin laughed. “Yes. Which is how I ended up owing Max Stanislovsky a favor too.”

  Amery placed her hands on his cheeks and tilted his head to gaze into his eyes. “You don’t have to go into detail, but are the thug-for-hire rumors about you true?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me about it. About all of it.”

  “At this point, some guys would say they’re not proud of what