by Diane Bator
"In a thousand different ways, love." He flashed a weak smile as the accent reemerged. "Do us both a favor, will you? If the big guy speaks, listen for both of us."
With one last glance over his shoulder to where Razi pounded the heavy bag, Kane shuffled out the door. His ribs had to ache, but there also seemed to be a giant chink in his carefree armor. Beneath all the bravado and brashness lay a wounded, troubled man. What had Charlie done to break Kane Garrick, even from beyond the grave?
So much for keeping her nose out of things.
Gilda swallowed her pride to join Razi in the dojo. She stood near him and spoke over the dull thumps of his punches. "I'm tired of being left out of things. Tell me what's going on, Razi, or I'm going to confront Mick and Mena as soon as they show up."
His left eyebrow twitched. "Their affairs do not concern you."
"The hell they don't." She stomped her foot on the mat. "My house has been broken into several times, and I really think someone is looking for something that they think Charlie hid in his grandma's old house."
"Why would you think that?" He froze, his eyes wide.
"Why else would someone search my house?" Gilda shrugged. "I have no valuables, and it's not like I have anything to hide."
Razi stared as though searching for a sign she was joking, but Gilda maintained her silence and stood her ground without flinching. Finally, he released such a long, slow breath his shoulders sagged a couple inches. "Can we talk somewhere more private?"
"I guess so." Her pulse quickened. "The staff lounge?"
"That will work." He walked out of the dojo and across the back hallway to a smaller room furnished with a couch, coffeemaker, and television.
When he stepped aside to let her pass, Gilda swallowed hard, concerned she could be trapped. She paused in the doorway and wished someone else would come into the school. Anyone else. No such luck.
"Can I get you anything?" she asked. "Coffee? Tea? Water?"
"Kane is a drug addict." Razi blurted the words out before she'd even turned to face him.
Gilda spun around on her heels. "What?"
"Charlie Hunt started to give him steroids when another fighter broke his collarbone in an exhibition match. The problem was he did not stop taking them when the worst of the pain was gone. Charlie said he needed to take them to rebuild the muscle and make Kane a better fighter. A more angry fighter." Razi paused. "Believe me—Kane did not need the drugs to be angry."
Gilda's jaw dropped, and she sat on the couch before her legs buckled. "You were there at the time?"
"Yes, I was. In fact, I tried to help him." Razi paused. "Kane was once a very good friend who saved my life. All I wanted was to make sure he did not throw his away."
Her gaze followed him as he sat on the opposite end of the couch. "You got Mick to bring him here, didn't you? You tried to get Kane away from Charlie."
"Years ago." He nodded. "Then Kane and Charlie fought, and Kane went away. I cannot bring myself to fight for him any longer, though. He has thrown both his life and his career away. He let that woman control his movements and she kept him connected to Charlie."
Gilda frowned. "Mena. What did she have to do with Charlie?"
Razi clenched his jaw. "Everything. She played on Charlie's affections while he ran Kane like a business. He told Kane when to eat, when to sleep, what to wear to appearances, even what medications to take for the pain and anxiety."
"Pain from the broken collarbone?"
"Among other injuries," he said. "Kane did not start off as an elegant fighter. He started off as a teenage brawler with a bad past. I worked with him at Charlie's request to refine his style. He trained as hard as he fought and suffered many injuries because of his impatience."
Gilda sat back. "Is that how you met Kane? When Charlie asked you to train him?"
A small smile lit his face. "Kane was a punk. He came to the gym where I trained and decided he did not like me. He challenged me to a fight. Charlie was there to train another fighter. He stood outside the ring and watched our entire bout, as did everyone else in the gym that day. Even though I won, Charlie signed Kane then and there. Kane had guts and determination."
She chuckled. "Did Charlie try to sign you as well?"
"I told him because of my past I did not wish to walk that path." Razi met her gaze. "So he asked if I would work with Kane every day. I offered him two days a week."
She pulled up her feet to sit cross-legged. "How long did you work with Kane?"
"We boxed for a year before something changed." Razi turned to face straight ahead, across the room, as though he could look into the past. "Charlie wanted to take Kane from boxing into the MMA octagon. I taught him both boxing and Krav Maga everyday for two years, while Mick taught him karate. Someone else first showed him jiu jitsu, and he was hooked."
Gilda gave a low whistle. "He went from man to machine."
"More like from rebellious teenage boy to machine." He frowned. "By the end of those two years, Kane was an unstoppable force. He beat every fighter who stood in his path and badly injured many. He conquered everyone and everything, except the demons crammed inside his head." Razi shook his head slowly. "Those demons made it easy for Charlie to use the drugs to control Kane like a puppet."
The clock ticked over the sink and became the only sound in the room for several seconds as Gilda shifted uncomfortably. "When did you walk away?"
He met her gaze. "After I had worked with him for four years. I could no longer stand to watch Kane or Charlie self-destruct."
"Charlie?" she asked. "What do you mean?"
"The fame, the notoriety, the…" Razi looked away, as though searching for the right words. "The pressure of keeping his fighters at the top of their game. All those things became too much. When Kane fought Gomes for the last time and ended up in the hospital, Charlie drank a great deal. Then he took a break from the fighting world, which gave his fighters a chance to go off on their own. Many never rejoined him."
"What did Kane do?"
Razi smiled. "The right thing. He left everything behind and went to Japan to study sword-fighting, kendo. He also learned how to forge swords the old way. His new masters taught him how to fight the demons in his mind by giving up the drugs and using meditation. He grew stronger in every way and became someone I began to admire."
Gilda's eyes widened. "He got off the drugs completely? Are you sure?"
"Yes, at least he did until he and Mena got together again. Then Charlie returned." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "Kane resumed his downward spiral all over again until Mick offered him a job at our new school. Kane accepted without a second thought."
"Dragging Mena along with him. Lucky us," Gilda mumbled. "If Charlie caused everyone so much misery, why did someone invite him to referee a match between Kane and Gomes, unless they were trying to reignite the feud?"
"Why indeed." Razi let out a long breath. He flinched at the sounds of students arriving to train then stood and bowed. "To be honest, I don't believe anyone actually did invite him."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Lost in thought, Gilda returned to the front desk while Razi sauntered back to the heavy bag with a couple students who'd come for private lessons with him. A large weight seemed to settle across her shoulders, and she sat hunched in front of the computer, not really sure what she was looking for. Kane had a dozen reasons to want Charlie dead. So, it seemed, did many other people. The more articles she pulled up online, the more suspects she mentally added to the list.
Mick, thankfully, strolled into the school not long after Kane left. He took one look at Razi and winced. "I'm guessing Kane was here."
"Yeah." Gilda raised her eyebrows. "How'd you know that?"
"The three of us have a long enough history I can tell when he's been around Razi. That and I saw him swinging his sword on Ponderer's Point. I'm going to work with Razi and his students for a bit." He moved away from the front counter then paused. "You don't happen to know what happened, do
you?"
"Do you mean this time or years ago?" She filled him in on what she'd seen.
"Thanks. As for the rest, you'll have to ask Razi or Kane. I only know parts." Mick strolled into the dojo and cajoled Razi into throwing punches at him before long. The two men sparred, pausing to give the others pointers and encouragement now and then for a half hour.
Drenched with sweat, Razi finally lowered his gloves and dismissed his students before he bowed to Mick. "I am leaving. I will return in time to assist with classes."
"Sounds good." Mick took off his boxing gloves. "Do us all a favor and make an effort to stay away from Kane, will you? I don't want anything to escalate unless you're both in the dojo and I'm refereeing."
Razi managed a small smile. "I understand. I will be sure to leave my ego at home."
Gilda acknowledged Razi with a nod when he left the school ahead of his two MMA students. Her stomach growled. She texted Marion about lunch. You hungry?
Forgot I have a meeting. Get Mick to take you somewhere nice.
Gilda pondered the idea and was halfway to Mick's office when he came out to meet her. "I was wondering what you were doing for lunch."
He blew out a long breath. "I just got a call from Thayer. He's got more questions for me. Sorry, babe." He handed her a twenty-dollar bill. "Why don't you grab a bite from the deli? I'll meet you back here as soon as I can. Could you grab me a sandwich and some chips?"
"Sure." She followed him out the door and locked up behind them.
Not wanting to eat completely alone, she sat at a small table in the deli to enjoy her lunch. Across the room, Mena sat with Gomes, their heads together again as they kept their voices low. Mena met Gilda's gaze once but didn't bother to acknowledge her.
Shunned, Gilda picked up Mick's food to go then headed back to work. She'd just settled down to work when Mick stormed into the school. "I take it things with Thayer didn't go well."
"Let's just say we're not exactly seeing eye to eye about this whole case." He waved a hand. "I'll tell you all about it when I calm down and don't want to punch something."
"Your lunch and change are on your desk."
Mick leaned over her desk for a kiss. "You are the best part of my day. Thanks, babe."
"You're welcome." She smiled. "I don't mind if you need to vent."
He nodded. "It's okay. I just need a few minutes alone."
Just when things had settled down and she became absorbed in her paperwork, the front door banged open and Gomes flew into the karate school, his face red and nostrils flared. "Where's Mick?"
"In his—" Before she could say office, Gomes had stormed across the lobby and disappeared around the corner.
"Why didn't you tell me the truth about Charlie?" Gomes shouted. "You could have saved us both a lot of misery."
"Keep it down." Mick's door slammed shut, cutting Gilda off from any further conversation.
The back of her neck tingled, and she had half a mind to call the police, or at least Razi. Before she could get out of her seat, Sanchez burst through the door.
"Where's Gomes?" His eyes narrowed. "He's with Mick, isn't he? That two-bit son of a…" He launched into a string of profanities that made Gilda blush.
She stood and walked around the counter, careful not to look toward Mick's office door. "I can let him know you're looking for him. If I see him, that is."
Sanchez snorted. "You're not a very good liar, princess."
When he turned and headed for Mick's office, Gilda lunged in front of him. "Can I get you a bottle of water or something while you wait?"
"In case you haven't noticed, sweetheart, I'm not waiting." He pushed past her.
"How well did you know Charlie Hunt?" She blurted out the words before she stopped to consider how he might react.
Sanchez turned to stare then narrowed his eyes. "Ah, you're Sherlock."
Gilda's face burned.
"For the record, I don't like spies, especially pretty ones." He stepped closer, his face inches from hers. His breath was strong with alcohol and mint. "Keep out of my business or I'll give you something else to be afraid of."
She shrank back without moving her feet as his cold gaze penetrated hers. When the door to Mick's office opened, both Sanchez and Mick gawked for several seconds, but neither Gilda nor Sanchez moved.
"What's going on out here?" Mick asked.
Gilda couldn't tear her gaze away from Sanchez's beady eyes. She was too afraid he might try something the second her gaze was averted.
Mick approached them cautiously. "Gilda? Is everything okay?"
"Your receptionist is a nutcase," Sanchez snarled.
Her mouth dropped open. "Excuse me? I haven't done anything. You're the one who barged in like you own the place."
Sanchez's upper lip curled. "You asked me questions about Charlie."
Gomes shook his head. "It's not like you keep your thoughts to yourself."
Sanchez tore his gaze away from Gilda and grabbed Gomes by the shoulders, pinning him to the wall. "What have you been telling people about Charlie and me?"
"I didn't have to say anything." Gomes tried to push his trainer's thick arms away, but Sanchez didn't budge. "You made it obvious how you felt about Charlie at the party the other night. You weren't exactly subtle when you attacked him by the hot tub, you know. If it wasn't for his bodyguard—"
Sanchez snorted. "That bald Neanderthal didn't scare me. I'd already made my point."
Gilda frowned. How had she forgotten about Charlie's bodyguard?
"Let him go, Sanchez." Mick hovered near them. "Whatever you want to discuss with me, say your piece, then leave."
Judging by the thick vein that pulsed in Sanchez's neck, the hard feelings remained in spite of Charlie's sudden death. "I came here to get my fighter so we could get out of this dump."
Mick placed a hand on Sanchez's arm. "You have him. Why don't the two of you get out of my school before you cause any more problems."
He snorted. "What about that nosy secretary of yours?"
"I'll deal with her. You worry about that fight you lined up for Gomes." Mick eased Sanchez's arms to his sides and held onto him, allowing Gomes to sidle away.
Gilda backed away from them, heading toward her desk. Surely she could track Charlie's bodyguard down online, depending on how long they'd been a team.
"How well did you know Charlie?" Sanchez shook off Mick then followed her.
She kept her gaze averted. "I didn't."
"Then why do you care how well I knew him or anyone else, for that matter?" he asked. "For all I know, you knew him for years and killed him because he tossed you like a used tissue, just like he did all the tramps he picked up."
Gilda flared her nostrils and gritted her teeth. "I'd never even met him until the meet and greet at Razi's. Why would I want to kill someone I'd never met?"
Mick clapped a hand on Sanchez's shoulder. "That's enough. I already asked you to leave once. If you really want to talk, I think we should take this conversation elsewhere."
"Why?" Sanchez spun around to face Mick. "Because you don't want your little lady friend to hear all the secrets you've been keeping. I'll bet she thinks she knows all about you." He pushed his face into Mick's. "Does she know where all your 'hard-earned' money comes from?"
Mick's face hardened, and his jaw flinched. "I think you should leave now."
Gomes grabbed his coach by the arm. "I agree. Let's go get some lunch."
"I already ate lunch." Sanchez pulled away.
"Then let's go get a stiff drink," Gomes snorted. "I know I could use one."
If Sanchez hadn't growled and followed Gomes, Gilda probably would have. Once the two men left, she dropped onto her chair behind her desk and sighed.
Mick leaned against the counter. "Maybe I should start keeping a bottle of Scotch in my office again."
"To drink after Sanchez visits or whack him over the head with?" When he frowned, Gilda raised her eyebrows. "I gather Gomes said some things
you didn't want to hear."
He smiled. "Gomes and I have a very special relationship. Actually, it's a lot like the one you have with Thayer. We love to hate each other and agree to disagree. In fact, if it wasn't for Sanchez and Charlie, we probably could have been friends."
She sat back to study the weariness in his face. "So why aren't you two friends?"
"That's a long story." Mick turned away and headed into the dojo.
"Does it have anything to do with Charlie Hunt?" she asked.
"Pretty much everything."
Gilda sat at the computer. A minute or two later, the rhythmic thuds of punches on a heavy bag filled the school once more. She leaned her elbows on her desk and blew out a breath.
What dark secret was Mick keeping about his past with Charlie, Gomes, and Sanchez? Depending on how well Gary had known all of them, he probably had a good idea what was going on, which could be a big reason why he was suddenly included in meetings with Mick and Kane. Meetings they always excluded her from.
Unable to focus on the tasks at hand, she decided to take a brisk walk to the post office before she got to work. She still couldn't understand why Mick supported Kane's pleas of innocence. Sure, he'd known Kane for years, but anyone could see the guy was a lunatic, couldn't they?
Razi said Kane was a drug addict. Her biggest problem was she didn't want to believe Kane or even Razi's assessment of Kane. She simply wanted Kane locked away in a jail cell far away from her. For no other reason than he annoyed her.
Without realizing, she'd walked straight to Mena's shop and paused at the front door. She doubled back to a flower shop up the street and bought some colorful Gerbera daisies to combat the hideous purple interior then returned to the Healing Spirit Gift Shop. Dark purple blinds half-covered the front windows, and a few more boxes filled the floor space than before. A cash register graced the front counter, along with a stapler, a square pad of notepaper, and a clear glass containing an assortment of pens. The black shelves that lined the pale purple walls remained empty.